For more dinner reservations before the show call Humphrey’s at (925) 778-5800 and for more information visit www.HumphreysontheDelta.com.

Point Reyes by Bill Paskewitz

The Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch is proud to present the 9th Annual Local Artist Collection from December 1st to 22nd. The exhibit is free.

The 8th Annual Local Artist Collection, featuring 35+ local artists, is a diverse, non-themed mixed media exhibit of artworks featuring paintings and photographs. In its 8th year, the show is a local favorite and provides the community an opportunity to view and purchase art during the holiday season.

Participating artists are: Victoria Sheridan, Ezra J. Engle, Clyde Cox, Garrry Reiman, Clay Twigg, Andre’ Salvador, Paul Schorr, Gloria Cannon, Michelle Ramirez, Mikhael Ramirez, Mauricio Ramirez, Joel Summerhill, Lisa Salazar, Ken Tomlin, Jolynn Lacasse, Sherry Morris, Nordyn Anderson, Syed Rizvi,, Tom Dudziak, Lynn Peterson, Betty Espindola,   Bill Paskewitz, Michele Brady, Sandra Berkson, Julia Offord,, Julia Starr, FROgard Butler, Jo Cotarelo, Mary Negrete, Mark Jezierny, Kay Kirby, Gloria Pohan, Margaret Whiting Christina Mack, Gabriela Agramont, Laura Inkster and Melissa Adams.

The Lynn House Gallery is located at 809 W. 1st Street in Antioch (across from the Amtrak Train Station) and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, during exhibits from 1-4 PM. For more information, vist www.art4antioch.org or contact Diane Gibson-Gray at Diane@art4antioch.org or (925) 325-9897.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Ballots are still being counted by Contra Costa County Elections workers, as of Friday, November 30, 2012, putting off the final tally until next Monday.

In an email received by this newspaper, at 3:36 p.m., today, Assistant County Registrar of Voters, Candy Lopez wrote “We will not be able to complete the canvass today but are fairly close. We anticipate being able to Certify the Election in the mid-afternoon on Monday, Dec. 3rd.”

The county has 28 days following the election to certify it, which gives them until next Tuesday, December 4 at 5:00 p.m.

As of the day following the November 6 election, there were approximately 106,000 ballots left to be counted. That number included 82,271 vote by mail ballots and 23,692 provisional ballots.

The final numbers could change the outcome of one race in Antioch, the second City Council seat. Currently Monica Wilson is leading Mayor Jim Davis by 458 votes.

The final vote count for all races in the county may be viewed at www.CoCoVote.us.

Simone’s Double Double Day Spa Grand Opening

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 1, 2012, 9am – 5pm, Ribbon Cutting: 11am

Join the Antioch Chamber in celebrating the Grand Opening of Simone’s Double Double Day Spa! Hors d’oeuvres will be served and express facials will be performed at this event.

Details:

Simone’s Double Double Day Spa Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting

Date: Saturday, December 1st, 2012

Time: 9am – 5pm
Ribbon Cutting: 11am 

Location: 1614 A St., Antioch CA 94509
Contact: (925) 727-1458

Join us in celebrating the grand opening of this Antioch business!

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Thank you.

Antioch Chamber of Commerce

Learn more about the benefits of membership in the Antioch Chamber of Commerce by calling 757-1800 or visiting www.AntiochChamber.com.

Update: 11/30/12 6:20 p.m.

New council will decide how to fill Harper’s council seat

By Allen Payton, Publisher

The Oath of Office induction ceremony for Antioch’s new mayor and council members has been moved from Tuesday, December 11 to next Tuesday, December 4, by a decree signed by Mayor Jim Davis at this past Tuesday’s council meeting

The special council meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m., instead of the usual council meeting start time of 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, located at 3^rd and H Streets in downtown Antioch.

UPDATE: When asked why the meeting date was changed and who made the decision, Davis said “[City Manager Jim] Jakel convinced us that the new council needed to be seated ASAP, for business on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday meetings.”

However, the fourth Tuesday in December is Christmas, so the council is considering holding meetings on either or both Wednesday and Thursday, December 26 and 27.

Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor-Elect Wade Harper responded “The swearing in was always planned for the 4^th. I wasn’t aware of the time change until it was already posted. This created a little bit of a problem for me as I have invited guests and family.”

“I think with outgoing speeches and a choir singing, there will be sufficient delay,” he added.

Councilman Gary Agopian stated the change in meeting date was for the reorganization of the council, the decision on how to fill Harper’s council seat – as he will step down to become Mayor – and to discuss the police pension issue.

Councilwoman Mary Rocha, who was re-elected earlier this month, and, as the top vote-getter, will be the city’s new Mayor Pro Tem, said she didn’t mind either way if the ceremony was held next Tuesday or on the 11^th.

Newly elected City Clerk, Arne Simonsen stated “I don’t know why they are moving up the swearing-in to the first Tuesday at a special meeting.”

One challenge with scheduling the meeting on the 4^th is that’s the day the County Elections Division will finalize the vote count and won’t have the election certified until 5 p.m., that same day. With the race between Monica Wilson and Davis currently separated by just 458 votes, or less than 1% of the vote, the final results could change who won the second council seat. So, it might be Davis being given the oath that night, instead.

At the meeting on Tuesday, December 4, the current council will first vote to accept the results of the election, then the ceremony will occur for Harper, Rocha, and currently Wilson, as well as re-elected City Treasurer Donna Conley. While the ceremony for Simonsen is scheduled for that night, he stated “I’m back on December 12 and being sworn in at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Decem 13th at city hall.”

Following next Tuesday’s ceremony, at the meeting the new council will vote in Rocha as the new Mayor Pro Tem, then decide how to fill Harper’s council seat for the remaining two years. They have three options: either make an appointment that night, approve an application process to fill the position by appointment or hold a special election on June 4, 2013 to fill the seat.

Past council practice has been to appoint the third-highest vote-getter in the most recent election to the vacancy. That would then mean either Davis or Wilson would be appointed, depending on who wins the second council seat and who places third in the election. However, that didn’t happen in 2008, when the council bypassed Simonsen, who was the third-highest vote-getter in that council election and appointed Martha Parsons, instead, who had not run for city council, prior.

Finally, the newly seated council, of either four or five members, will decide whether or not to rework the police pension benefit from the current 3% at age 55 for new hires, to 3% at 50 for hiring current police officers from other agencies, known as lateral hires.