Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) hosted a foreclosure prevention seminar at the Antioch Community Center to provide an opportunity for Contra Costa County homeowners to hear from professionals specializing in loan modifications, legal procedures, and tax liability.

Nearly 300 Contra Costa residents attended the event and received valuable information to avoid foreclosure.

“The number of people that came out on a Saturday afternoon demonstrates how widespread the problem is,” said DeSaulnier. “Too many Contra Costa homeowners are losing their homes through no fault of their own and are desperately fighting to keep them. They need as much help as they can get. I am hopeful that the information they received today will help them preserve the American dream of home ownership.”

Last year, about one for every 95 Contra Costa home owners received a notice of default on their home loan. Nearly 6,000 Contra Costa homes are in foreclosure. In Eastern Contra Costa County alone there are nearly 2,500 homes in foreclosure – one of the highest rates in the nation.

The following people participated in the seminar:
· Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Chair, Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
· Diane Richardson, Director, “Keep Your Home California”, a program of the California Housing Finance Agency
· Jan Lynne Owen, Commissioner, California Department of Corporations
· Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director, Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
· U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved counselors
· Staff from the Franchise Tax Board
· Representatives of Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Chase will also be available to provide additional information and resources.

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) represents the Seventh Senate District, which includes most of Contra Costa County, including Antioch.

Please join the Friends of Music series at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church at 3351 Contra Loma Blvd. at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 18th. This one hour concert celebrates Valentine’s Day, and showcases famous operatic love songs from Giancarlo Menotti’s “The Telephone.”

Dawn Farry, soprano, and Paul Cheak, bartione, will perform with Don Pearson at piano and organ. There is plenty of free parking and a champagne and dessert reception follows. No tickets sold but a free will offering will be taken.

For further information on the Series or to be put on a mailing list contact Walter at (925) 756-7628 or walter.ruehlig@gmail.com.

If you’re looking for some place to enjoy the Super Bowl between those two East Coast teams that most people in Antioch don’t really care about, then Schooner’s has just the party for you. Hang out with your friends, watch the commercials and even the Half-Time show with Madonna.

Always great on-site brewed, award-winning beer, plus great food to enjoy while watching the game on four TV’s. Game time is 3:30 p.m. so get there early for the best seats.

Schooner’s Grill & Brewery is located at 4250 Lone Tree Way in Antioch, near the Deer Valley Theaters. For reservations call 776-1800.

See their ad on the right side of this page and in the February issue of the Antioch Herald for more events this month! For more information visit www.SchoonersBrewery.com.

Once again, Humphrey’s on the Delta will be hosting it’s annual Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 5. Enjoy great food and drinks, including $2 chicken fajita tacos throughout the game, plus contests and prizes.

Kick-off is at 3:20 p.m., so get there early for a good seat to watch the game on one of four TV’s including the big screen.  Bring the family and enjoy the best part – the commercials (since the Niners didn’t make it).

Humphrey’s is located at 1 Marina Plaza, at the foot of L Street in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. For reservations call 778-5800 and for more information visit www.HumphreysontheDelta.com

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, D&D Jewelers, one of Antioch’s oldest fine jewelry stores, is offering 60% off gold and diamonds and up to 40% off on watches, including 25% off on Citizen brand.

Stop in and visit them and see their wide selection of fine diamonds, rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches and more.

They’re located at 2001 West 10^th Street at the corner of Verne Roberts Circle inside the Community Trust Credit Union building. Or call them at 706-8842. They’re open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. Be sure to see their ad on the right side of the page and click on it to visit their Facebook page.

By Harry Stoll

The anomalous Dad’s Café – in a corporate neighborhood of plastic fast food vendors – is next to the Safeway gas station on the east side of Deer Valley Road, off of Hillcrest. This spacious, nicely furnished place, has well-spaced tables, brass hooks for your coat, TVs on the walls, a wide veranda and big windows on two sides.

The food is made there, made now, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. The morning choices (windows facing the sun) vary from biscuits and gravy to Eggs Benedict with house-made Hollandaise, or an omelet any way you want it. Not your style? Get eggs any style.

For lunch: burgers, melts, roast turkey sans and several more. Or enjoy authentic Mexican food from chef Armando Palacios.

Every day, you can get French onion soup for $3.59 a cup or $5.59 a bowl, and a special soup every day. And always, appetizers all ways. Dad’s Quesadilla is $7.49 por ejemplo.

For dinner how about Yankee pot roast? A T-bone, a New York steak, or seafood? All there. All prepared right and served by a server who is attentive but not hovering. Amy Lee Hubey is among them. It’s her first server job and she’s been there a year (about when it opened). Good owners retain their workers.

Entrée prices range from $10 to $17. Beer and wine is available and beer is a bargain during happy hour. Parking is plentiful and free.

About what drives Dad’s: Dad Ahmed Mobdy was born in Port Said, Egypt. Mother Mitsumi in Osaka, Japan. At a culinary class at San Francisco City College in the 1980s it was Far East meets Mid-East. He is husky with a large personality. She is diminutive and her eyes smile. When at work she never appears to sit down. One of their two daughters, Nariman Mobdy, is a manager.

Dad’s Café opens at 8 a.m. (7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday) and closes at 9 p.m. It’s located at 3421 Deer Valley Road in Antioch. The phone number is (925) 777-0791 and the website is www.dadscafeantioch.com. See their ad on the right side of this page and in the February issue of the Herald.

The Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch is proud to host the 7th Annual Art4Schools Exhibits at the Lynn House Gallery, January 26th – April 23rd.

The Art4Schools exhibits showcase Antioch Unified School District classrooms involved in the Arts4Schools Program, sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, the City of Antioch, Union Pacific Railroad and a Calpine Grant funded through the office of Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover.

The first exhibit features students from the Special Day Classes, February 15th -23rd, followed by Carmen Dragon and Mission Elementary, February 29th – March 10th; AUSD High Schools, March 14th-24th; John Muir and Belshaw Elementary, March 298th – April 7th and the last exhibit features E.N.C.O.R.E. Home Schooling on April 19th and 20th (2 days only).

The artist receptions will be held the first day of each exhibit from 4-6 PM. The Lynn House Gallery is located at 809 W. 1st Street, downtown Antioch (across from the AMTRK Train Station) and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1-4 PM, during exhibits. There is no admission fee and the exhibits are free.

For more information, visit www.Art4Antioch.org or contact Diane Gibson-Gray at the Arts & Cultural Foundation at 925.325.9897 or e-mail Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

Diane Gibson-Gray, Executive Director
Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch
PO Box 613 | Antioch CA 94509
(925) 325 9897 Office | (925) 778-5075 Fax
www.Art4Antioch.org | Diane@Art4Antioch.org

When author Lori Godsey Anzini is asked to describe the beginning of widowhood, the spirited survivor answers with one word – grief. But Anzini doesn’t stop there. She joyfully adds that sunshine does indeed come after the rain.

In her new book Escaping the Jaws of Life: A Widow’s Journey to Happiness (published by AuthorHouse), she chronicles how she found joy after her husband succumbed to Parkinson’s disease.

“Happiness comes in various forms,” says Anzini, “but ultimately, I found that I was happiest when I purposely moved my intentions into pure positiveness, doing the things that I knew felt right. I became healthier, happier, and significantly drawn into my resolve that if I take care of myself first, then everything else is better.”

In her intimate memoir, Anzini divulges the highs and the lows of caring for her husband during his illness and how she and her children dealt with the devastation of his death. Becoming a widow, admits Anzini, was a tumultuous journey. She credits the art of submission to helping her overcome her grief and flow, gracefully, into her next phase in life.

“When practicing the art of ‘letting go’ my life dramatically changed towards a different path – one of spirituality, mystical belief, freedom, and acknowledging that my path unfolded the way it’s supposed to go, and nothing is ever wrong,” explains Anzini.

About the Author
Lori Godsey Anzini was married for 36 years before she became a widow. She was born and raised in northern California, later settling in the San Francisco Bay area. Before retiring, she launched a successful political career, serving as Democratic-party delegate, school board member, a city council member, and mayor. Anzini has two adult children and three granddaughters and seeks happiness in everything.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry’s only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services.

Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.