Hair Zone in the Safeway shopping center on Deer Valley Road

The Hair Zone in Antioch was established by two hair stylists whom, combined, have over 40 years experience – Victoria Craffey and Laura Littleton. They have been serving the Antioch area since 1991.

On board and very much a big part of the team are stylists Marcy Shahkarami, Heather King and Marcia Culcasi.

“We opened our full service salon in this shaky economy, to provide a peaceful environment, in a beautiful salon, in a great location for our clients and stylists,” Victoria shared. “We also offer a variety of coffees for our customers, as well as sodas, video games, movies and toys for their children.”

They pride themselves on offering excellent services at extraordinary prices.

The Hair Zone also provides services for special occasions, such as weddings, proms, as well as coloring by color specialists, razor cutting, fades, waxing, extensions and straightening. They offer Senior Discounts and children’s prices, plus a Referral Program and more.

The salon is located in the Safeway Plaza at 3337 Deer Valley Road at Hillcrest Avenue and is open seven days a week. Walk-ins are always welcome. For a reservation, call 753-1015.

“Many thanks to our clients and the community for their support,” Laura added.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening State Route 4 (SR-4) through Pittsburg and Antioch. As part of this construction work, the contractor for the Somersville Road project will be closing all northbound and southbound lanes of Somersville Road where it crosses under SR-4 beginning on November 14, 2011.

This closure will be in place from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Monday through Thursday nights and from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Friday night. It is estimated that the work will take a week and a half to complete. The anticipated completion date is November 23, 2011. This closure is to ensure crew and public safety while crews remove temporary supports for construction of one of the new bridges at Somersville Road. Signs will be in place directing motorists around the work zone via Delta Fair Boulevard and Century Boulevard.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive with caution through the detour and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor projects and lane closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.

From Antioch Police:

This press release is an update to the previous arrests made by Concord PD in regards to the robbery spree that occurred in Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek over the past 2 months, 7 of which occurred in Antioch. Three teenage suspects were originally arrested by Concord PD on 11/2/11.

As a follow-up to this investigation, Antioch Police served search warrants at two Antioch residences on 11/8/11. Two additional arrests were made of suspects in these cases. One arrest occurred while the suspect was attending school in Antioch. This suspect was wearing one of the sweat shirts worn during some of the robberies. The second suspect turned himself into police later in the day at the Antioch Police Department. Both are 17 year old males, and both are Antioch residents.

Both suspects admitted their participations in multiple robberies during the spree, and were taken to Juvenile Hall in Martinez. Detectives from multiple agencies are meeting this morning to go over the evidence collected in order to present their cases to the District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Castillo at 779-6933.

Faith and community leaders from ten congregations present their vision and proposals on the issues of: foreclosure prevention, health care access, immigrant integration, quality education, and jobs; officials commit to working together to address these critical issues.

On Monday night 300 East County residents gathered at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church (3351 Contra Loma Blvd., Antioch, CA 94531) to call on public and elected officials to stand with them and work together to address the pressing issues most affecting East County. Also in attendance were nearly two dozen public officials ranging from local school boards and city councils to Senator Mark DeSaulnier and the Office of Congressman John Garamendi.

The evening began with a roll call of over ten congregations that made up the diverse group there gathered. “Yes everyone in here is different, but that doesn’t matter because we have a common hope that we can establish a common good in our communities,” noted Rev. Fr. Jerry Brown, Pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Brentwood.

Clergy and community leaders presented their vision and agenda to bring equity and justice around a critical set of issues that impact the future of the region. CCISCO leaders shared their research and proposals around the following key issues:

Keeping families in their homes and holding banks accountable for blighted properties;
Expanding pathways to jobs for local residents and developing local hiring policies;
Strengthening linked learning pathways at public schools;
Trust, relationship, and cooperation building between recent immigrants & long term residents;
Expanding access to health care for all residents in the region.
“This is a large and ambitious agenda. These times call for moral audacity and courageous action. Our faith gives us profound hope in our ability to work together to create meaningful change and renew our democracy,” said Rev. Fr. Robert Rien, Pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Major victories were celebrated at the meeting, including the opening of a long-awaited clinc and the launch of an immigrant integration program in Oakley as well as a local hire policy for the eBART expansion project that will guarantee 25% of work hours and 50% of apprenticeship hours for local East County residents.

In addition, Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Superintendent Donald Gil and school board member Walter Ruehlig committed to working with CCISCO to identify and secure funding to enhance and implement student support services in its schools and authorize an independent analysis to better understand unequitable discipline trends in the district.

“Partnership is not only important, it is crucial. Education is something like a four-legged chair. We need the students, we need the teachers, we need the parents, and we need the community,” said Mr. Ruehlig.

Lastly, the group tackled the issue of foreclosures and bank accountability. “The city of Antioch could be collecting $1,000 a day on vacant bank owned blighted properties. Banks should also be responsible for maintaining property to the same standards as any other property owner,” said Domingo Delgadillo, CCISCO leader from Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

CCISCO asked Antioch council members Mary Rocha and Gary Agopian and Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper to support replicating the SUN initiative that purchases foreclosed properties at current market values and resells them to the current occupants. The group also proposed building up the blight abatement and code enforcement efforts to ensure banks are being held accountable for their adverse effect on the community. Due to state regulations, the Council members and the Mayor Pro Tem were unable to answer the proposals, but they did say they supported the work of CCISCO and would work with the group to address these vital issues.

CCISCO will be setting up meetings with the officials to follow up on their commitments and together work to build opportunities for all East County residents.

In attendance: Office of Rep. John Garamendi; Senator Mark Desaulnier; Office of Assembly Woman Susan Bonilla; Office of Assembly Woman Joan Buchanan; AUSD Superintendent Donald Gill; AUSD Board Members Walter Ruehlig and Gary Hack; LUHSD Superintendent Eric Volta; LUHSD Board Members Ray Valverde and Holly Hartman; Oakley City Mayor Jim Frazier; La Clinica de La Raza Regional Director Viola Lujan; BART Board Director Joel Keller

Participating Institutions: St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, St. Anthony Catholic Church, Antioch Christian Center, Community Presbyterian Church, Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church, St. John Lutheran Church, Antioch Church Family, Islamic Center of the East Bay, and International Christian Ministry.

CCISCO, 202 G St., Suite 1 – Mailing: P. O. Box 883, Antioch, CA 94509, P: (925) 779-9302, F: (925) 779-9303, www.ccisco.org

By Walter Ruehlig

There was surprise for those who pre-stereotyped last night’s “East County Community Action – To Build Opportunites For All” town hall meeting. It was neither Occupy Oakland nor the Tea Party.

The event, put on by the Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Community Organization (CCISCO), brought out a bevy of community, political and faith leaders and a highly diverse crowd of some 400 people to St. Ignatius of Antioch Church. The audience was treated to a rousing start by the award-winning Voices Of Antioch choir from Antioch Church Family.

Missing were the kitchen sink atmosphere of yoga sessions, splinter political movements and Save the Amazon registration booths indicative of the boldly ecletic, proudly amorphous, distinctively undisciplined Occupy Oakland movement. This was not a spontaneous Be-In and hinted no disorder.

The crowd had, in some sense of demeanor, more of a straight-laced, family-friendly Tea Party ambiance with agreed upon ground rules for behavior. It offered badges and a rigorous, orchestrated agenda with well-defined and specific objectives. It started and ended on time. There was an abundance of pre-event research, community input, and political groundwork.

It certainly did, though, have something of the Occupy spirit of egalitarianism and moral social agenda. Again, the affair defied easy categorization as the crowd had a significant Filippino, Latino and African American composite with clergy and congregation from St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, St. Anthony Catholic Church, Antioch Christian Center, Community Presbyterian Church, Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church, St. John Lutheran Chrch, Antioch Church Family, Islamic Center of the East Bay, and the International Christian Ministry.

The meeting co-chairs were Fr. Robert Rien of St. Ignatius of Antioch and Dr. Mario Howell, Pastor at Antioch Church Family. Rev. Will McGarvey and Dr. Paul Taylor gave a prophetic statement, with Rev. Keith Archuleta offering supporting testimony. Elected officials included State Sen. Mark Desaulnier; Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper and Council Members Mary Rocha and Gary Agopian; County Board of Education Trustee Cynthia Ruehlig; Antioch Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donald Gill and Trustees Gary Hack and Walter Ruehlig; Oakley Mayor Jim Frazier; Bart Commissioner Joel Keller; liasons from Congressman John Garamendi’s and State Assemblywoman Susan Bonillas office; and former Antioch Mayor Donald Freitas.

Highlights of the meeting were Fr. Robert’s stirring testimony that St. Ignatius of Antioch had been the first church in the country to divest itself from the Bank of America and that, as of now, over four biillion dollars of divestiture has since resulted. This includes 1.2 million from the City of Antioch. Rev. Howell also brought the crowd to their feet with his story of being handcuffed and arrested for his objection to the banks’ stubborn refusal to work with homeowners.

It was proposed that we locally replicate the Boston community Capital Sun initiative that purchases foreclosed properties at current market values and resells to their current occupants at a discounted rate. A request was made to Sen. Desaulnier to continue pushing his SB 447 legislation requiring financial instititions wishing to do business in California to provide their track records on a number of measures including loan modifcations.

Antioch city counselors were encouraged to stress foreclosure registration ordinances and to set $1,000 daily code enforcement fines on negligent banks holding blighted properties. They were asked to affirm their support. They gave moral support but could not technically affirm as three members were present at the meeting. That verbal consensus would have violated the Brown Act.

The education community was commended for the trail-blazing linked learning pathways programs taking root in Antioch. Dr. Gill and myself spoke about the recent 1.025 million dollar career academy grant awarded us and our county-leading reduction from 29% to 18% in dropout rate. We confirmed our support for broadened tutoring programs and equitable behavioral support systems.

The eBART project was commended for insuring that 25% of work hours and 50% of apprenticeship hours be performed by East County residents. A move for more such local hiring was applauded as it augurs tax dollars and shortened commutes.

On the health care access front, La Clinica will be soon opening a new site in Oakley offering services on a sliding fee structure. This provides physicians to Oakley and should take some strain off already overburdened emergency services.

Stay tuned – by all accounts this struck me as a determined movement not easy to pigeonhole and not soon going away.

It’s a match made in Vegas! Two of the most impressive celebrity impersonators in the business — Sharon Owens and Sebastian Anzaldo — pay tribute to two of music’s greatest icons: Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra.

In real life, Streisand and Sinatra never performed live together, but in this show, Owens and Anzaldo sing some of the most most memorable music ever written and exchange banter so spot-on to their characters that you feel like you’ve been transported to the celebrity concert you always wished had happened.

For her amazing Streisand impersonation, Owens was winner of the Fox TV show Performing As…, which led to a series of TV appearances and a long run at the Las Vegas Riviera, where she headlined with Anzaldo in Barbra and Frank, The Concert That Never Was.

Anzaldo, who has the voice, looks and mannerisms of Old Blue Eyes, was one of the top acts on the Vegas circuit for eight years with his band Wild Life before joining forces with Owens for Barbra and Frank.

Tickets:
Adults: $ 27
Seniors (62 and Older): $ 24
Child (17 and Under): $ 15

Tickets May Be Purchased in Advance at the Ticket Office, 604 W. Second Street – Next Door To The Theatre, Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and 1 hour before Showtime or by phone: (925) 757-9500 or ONLINE at http://elcampaniltheatre.com/events/barbra_frank.htm

Labor unions representing more than 4,000 Contra Costa County employees – including some of the county’s lowest paid employees – have targeted the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to urge an “equal and fair” agreement for healthcare. The BOS meeting is Tuesday Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. at the County Administration Building, 651 Pine St.

It is the third action in a month by Contra Costa County employees represented by Public Employees Union, Local One, AFSCME Locals 2700 and 512, SEIU Local 1021 and the Western Council of Engineers. They held rallies at four worksites Oct. 11 and at the BOS meeting later last month.

A key issue in the current bargaining, which started in late April, is healthcare. The County, under a recently negotiated tentative agreement with the Deputy Sheriffs Association (“DSA”), will pay for most of the increase in health care for deputy sheriffs, but has refused to pay any of the increase for its employees represented by the five Coalition unions. The Tentative Agreement between the County and the DSA is in the ratification process.

The five unions represent a vast array of public servants including custodians, clerks, health care workers, social workers, eligibility workers, appraisers, skilled craft workers, engineers, animal services employees, child care workers and librarians.

“The County has not budged from its position that our members pay 100 percent of the increases in monthly health care premiums while at the same time it is still demanding that our members agree to significant wage cuts and that we pay more for pensions,” said Felix Huerta, AFSCME Business Agent and the Coalition Chair.

“The County continues to insist that it will not pay a penny more for health care for our members even though it has now agreed with the DSA to pay the lion’s share of the health care increases for employees it represents. Good for the DSA. ‘What about us?’ is the question our members are asking. Does the Board think we are second class citizens,” Huerta said.

The Unions’ contracts expired June 30, 2011. They and the County have been bargaining since late April. The County is seeking significant wage and benefit cuts. The recently expired union contracts gave the County labor savings including major changes in health care for both active and retired employees. Since these 5 unions signed their last contracts in 2009, the County has not obtained the same changes in health care from all County employees. The DSA tentative agreement does not include them.