Wild Orchids is Being Reborn

Wild Orchids The Salon invites everyone to attend their Hair Show and Party on Saturday, February 25 at MFB Mutiny, 422 West Second Street, Rivertown, Antioch.

Every hairdresser in the salon will be creating an image on their model from fantasy to everyday wear., and wedding bride hair and makeup by top makeup artists in our area.

This ‘Red Carpet Event’ will have a circus theme featuring three circus fantasy models, with one being painted by Chris Bustos, hair by Lori Lopez, costumes by Misty Jones, Jeans by Ann, a special appearance by model Brittany Dixie Cervantes – 107.7 The Bone Rock Girl, Delta Funk DJ upstairs and DJ Flip downstairs, and special drinks by the Wild Orchids ladies.

Plus enjoy a live photo shoot by photographer Jellyfish Jones. Watch how they create an image. Also, they will be selling cool, homemade stuff from Reincarnation by KAT.

The event starts at 8:30 p.m., Circus Act at 10 p.m. and Dance Off Contest at 10:30 p.m. – 1st place wins $50!

There’s a $5 cover charge which benefits Wild Orchids’ educational account!

Lori Lopez has built a team of top stylists who not only continue their education in-salon but travel to New York, Santa Monica and Dallas for personal training from experts. They take 4-5 day hands-on courses. An international platform artist for 16 years, teaching Tigi color and haircutting, Lopez created a place where they are always ahead of the times. Color, cutting, hair extensions, Brazilian blowouts and more. Customer service is their main goal.

Lopez has done hair for the Backstreet Boys, Bridgett and Holly from the Girls Next Door, hair for the Grammys, Chanel 5 news anchor John Kesslers hair, the hair for Miss Philippines and she was hired by rapper Nelly for the launch of Apple Bottom, just to name a few.

So you can see that they work on skills from Antioch to Hollywood!

For more information about the salon, contact Lori Lopez at 756-0666 or visit www.wildorchidsthesalon.com.

Course management tips to help your scoring

How often do you go out on the course and you have your “A” game? If you play several times a week you probably have your best game more frequently then the once or twice a month player. But even the frequent golfer, has their “A” game 20-30% of the time? 40% at most? Golf has so many different facets so it is tough to get them all going at once. But often, golfers manage their game as if they were playing with their “A” game always and because of this, they run into trouble. I would suggest some of the following course management tips that offer “higher percentages” for successful shots and thereby help keep you away from trouble and higher numbers.

• Play your strike zone. Be familiar with your shot pattern and where you tend to miss. When you have you’re “A” game the ball goes where you want it to, but when you don’t there is generally a common miss you need to recognize and play for. When you hit your driver do you fade or draw? Think in terms of a baseball pitcher. If his pitches generally curve left to right, he is aiming at the left side of the plate and the ball moves into the strike zone. If your tee shot moves the same way, you should tee up on the right side of the tee box and aim at the left rough edge, thereby letting your tee shot curve towards the fairway target. Players with right to left curve conversely tee up on the left side of the tee box, aim at the right edge of rough and let the ball curve back towards the fairway target. This way, you have given yourself the entire width of the fairway to work with and doubled the size of your target area compared to aiming straight down the middle.

• Take enough club when hitting into greens. The next time you are out, look at where all the trouble is when you hitting your approach shots. The sand traps are generally in front of the green, or a water hazard, or a grass bunker. Often the greens are elevated so even though the player is at the 150 yard marker the elevated green requires an extra 5-10 yards of carry. You may hit a #8 iron 150 yards with your “A” game, but with the trouble in front and your “B” or “C” swing being around 70% of the time or more, hit the #7 iron (more club), get enough carry and stay out of the trouble.

• Forget the pin and aim for the fat. Also when approaching the greens, notice where the “fat” part of the green is. Usually this is the center of the green. Play a round and forget about going after the pins and aim for the fat of the green and the center. Chances are, with this in mind, your are going to hit more greens in your round which will help your scoring. This tip was one that the great Ben Hogan often kept in mind.

• When chipping, keep the ball on the ground as much as possible. Often times, when a player misses the green the chip that you face is on fairway mown grass and still doesn’t have to carry over rough but more fairway or fringe. In this situation, use the Texas wedge (putter), a hybrid or fairway metal, or your #7 iron and make a firm putting motion and keep the ball rolling along the ground. When you have your “A” game, you feel like you can wedge it perfect, but when you are a little off with the wedge, you can get a fat “short” or thin “long” and you are chipping once again and the score is going up. You’ll find this running shot is never “chunky”. With a little bit of practice and imagination you will gain confidence and this shot which will keep double bogeys or worse at bay.

• When putting, think speed not line. Players who over focus on line often get the speed wrong and leave themselves a tough second putt. With “A” game taking the day off, really just focus on trying to get the speed of your first putt right so that you leave the ball by the hole for a tap in. Imagine a big hula hoop around the cup and try and lag your 1^st putt into it. This way you aren’t trying to be too aggressive and ram the ball in, but also you are thinking in terms of enough acceleration to get the ball to the hole so you get the ball there. Many higher handicappers’ 3- putts occur from hitting the first putt too soft.

On the days your game is just a little bit off, try these course management tips. You should find more favorable percentages for success with your shots and scores that become more consistent. Email any questions that you have to RonParish@lonetreegolfcourse.com. To learn more about golf at Lone Tree, visit www.LoneTreeGolfCourse.com.

The 2012 Metropolitan Transportation Commission High School Summer Internship Program is now open and accepting student applications online. Approximately 35 internships will be available throughout the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

The pay rate is $10.25 per hour. Each internship will last up to a maximum of 250 hours. Students may work full-time or part-time, for up to 10 weeks, between June 26 and August 31, 2012.

The purpose of the program is to:

• promote interest in transportation as a potential career;
• help students understand the role of transportation agencies in the community, county and region;
• provide skill-building and enrichment opportunities during all phases of the program; and
• provide assistance to our partner transportation agencies.

Interested tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students are invited to apply now.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Complete online application.
• Attach a page that describes in your own words a transportation prob­lem in your community and explains what you think could be done to resolve the matter.
• Also attach one letter of recommendation from a teacher, principal, counselor, religious leader or employer (two letters are required if GPA is below 2.8).

Program requirements and information:
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/jobs/high_school/

Listing of the internship opportunities and application form: http://jobs.mtc.ca.gov/InternshipOpportunities/jobinternship.html

Deadline for students to apply: March 8, 2012

Dallas Ranch Middle School PTSA Crab Feed

Saturday, March 3, 2012 • 6-10 PM

Antioch Community Center at Prewett Park

Tickets: $40 Adults; $20 Kids 14 and under.

mfuriosi@comcast.net.

Deer Valley Youth Football 2012 Crab Feed

Saturday, March 3, 2012 • 6-10 PM

Brentwood Veterans Memorial 757 First St., Brentwood

Tickets: $40 Adults in advance, $45 at door; $25 Kids 5-10.

864-1606 or 752-3518

Antioch Historical Society Crab Feed

Saturday, March 3, 2012 • 5-10 PM

Nick Rodriguez Center • 213 F St, Antioch

Tickets $50 Call 757-4169 or 383-4979

The Antioch Herald is seeking five advertising sales representatives for immediate hire.  Have fun, make money, work in town, while helping promote local businesses and grow our local economy.

To set up an interview, contact Sales Manager Jaclyn Childs, today at (925) 822-4248.  Commission only. Sales experience preferred.

If you are struggling to make ends meet and have negative equity in your home it is  important that you know what options are available to you. There are a number of different courses of action that may me made to help you mitigate your financial situation. These include bankruptcy, modification, short sale and foreclosure.

Take control of your situation and start the New Year fresh call today.

Many more lenders are now offering modifications and now lease combined with a deed in lieu of foreclosure to homeowners in distress. These are often more of a temporary solution as the banks seldom offer principal reductions. Usually the bank will offer to lower you payment over a fixed period of time. The problem with these terms is that without a principle reduction you are not building equity. In today’s market where a homes value may be upside down or have a negative equity of over 70% current appreciation projections show it would take years just to break even on the balance of the loan. This makes your situation like a long term lease.

Foreclosure or simply walking away from the home is another option. There are of course pros and cons to this approach. The legal repercussions can vary depending on each individual’s situation. California is a non-recourse state and has what is called a one action rule which basically states that if your homes is foreclosed and sold by the trustee that is the only recourse for the lender. Which means, generally speaking you can walk away with little or no legal consequence. These rules can apply to primary homes and second or investment property. I would definitely advise anyone seeking foreclosure to seek legal advice for their individual scenarios.

If you are considering a default I highly suggest you look into a short sale an option. Choosing a short sale will put you back in control of your life and when you need to move. A Short Sale is when the borrower/owner sells a property during a pre-foreclosure process. It is called a short sale because the owner will sell the property “short” of the balance owed on the note not because it is quick. Because a short sale is perceived as a proactive choice by the borrower the credit compiling agencies tend to score it higher than a foreclosure or a deed-in-lieu.

I would always advise my clients to seek advice from an attorney under bankruptcy protection a well. Many homeowners have incurred a substantial amount of debt in this economy and a bankruptcy may be a good option to help you afford to keep your home by eliminating burdensome debt. Although legally you may not need to pursue a short sale after the bankruptcy, in regard to credit building it is still a good option.

Let me be clear, I am not advocating to anyone to ignore their financial obligations. What I am saying is that you should look at your own situation and make the decision that is best for YOU and your family and not the bank. It is very important that you should be informed about your options and possible consequences.

Remember to always seek legal and tax advice before making any decisions and if you have any questions or need more information please call, and let me help you make the best real estate decisions.

Loan modification, Short Sale or Strategic Default Which one is right for you? Call an experienced Short Sale agent today to discuss and compare your options. Take control of your situation and start the New Year fresh call today.

Patrick McCarran is a local Realtor and can be reached at (925) 899-5536 or wwwpatrickmccarran.com. Prudential California Realty is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

A Lenten season tradition is being revived by the good cooks of the Knights of Columbus at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church at 3351 Contra Loma. Blvd.

Bring your appetite for six weeks of Friday fish fry running from February 24th thru March 30th. Eat in at the parish hall or drive thru the lot and be served from 4:30 -7:00 p.m. Enjoy two pieces of cod fish deep fried in beer batter, thin golden french fries, secret recipe sweet cole slaw and a drink for twelve dollars.

It’s a meal you won’t soon forget, with all proceeds going towards construction of an Educational Center. Two dollar discount coupons available for opening night. For more information call Walter Ruehlig at 756-7628.

A volunteer free medical clinic in Pittsburg will celebrate its first anniversary Feb. 9, having served more than 700 uninsured patients in its very successful first year.

The RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul opened on Feb. 9, 2011. The clinic is a joint effort by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Contra Costa County and 10 Rotary Clubs in the county. It is open each Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at 2210 Gladstone Dr., Pittsburg. Volunteer doctors and nurses are the heart of the clinic.

The clinic serves a wide range of uninsured people in the community. Three-fourths of the patients live in Pittsburg or Antioch; most of the rest live in Oakley, Brentwood or Bay Point.

Many of the patients are middle-aged, most underemployed or recently unemployed. Two-thirds come to the clinic for acute illnesses, with upper respiratory infections the biggest single illness treated. More than a third of the patients have diabetes or hypertension.