By Marie Wirth

We are not just any flea market. G Street Flea is a unique indoor flea with a very specific idea. Rain or shine, we are the place to buy and/or sell antiques, vintage collectables, handmade crafts and beautiful art creations.

.Located on block from the river’s edge, in the historic downtown Antioch’s Old Masonic building, at 205 Second Street at the corner of G Street.

We offer a weekend destination for the treasure hunter in all of us. With restaurants, more antique stores, shops, and of course, the river just steps away, its a great place to come spend the day.

We are here the first and third Saturday and Sunday each month from 9am – 3pm.

For more information, updates and vendor application, please visit www.gstflea.com or like our Facebook page – G Street Flea – to get news feeds.

Please join us this Saturday and Sunday for our Grand Opening for some amazing shopping, drawings and more. We hope to see you, there.

Jay Alexander

Magician and Mentalist

An Evening of Comedy Magic, Psychology, and Lies

Saturday January 17, 2015  8:00 pm 

Tickets: $25

RESERVED SEATING – AT THIS TIME ONLY ORCHESTRA LEVEL (GROUND) ARE FOR SALE

Whether looking for the best date night ever, or a fun evening out with family and friends, Jay Alexander’s Mind Tricks is a non-stop journey of laughter and amazement. Find out why his fans include celebrities like David Crosby, Bono, John Cleese, and the Rolling Stones. At a comedy club you may laugh, but here you will get the triple experience of comedy, mentalism, and Human Lie Detection. Can you lie to Jay? Don’t fool yourself – grab your tickets now.

Jay Alexander is the great grandson of the legendary vaudeville performer, Gentleman Ben Darwin. As a child, Jay found a trunk in his grandparent’s attic that was filled with magical apparatus and escape illusions.  His interest in magic, mind reading and unusual skills was born with this discovery. At the age of fourteen, Jay was honored to be the youngest recipient of the Society of American Magicians Gold Medal of Honor.  For over 25 years, Jay has pursued his passion of creating unique live entertainment by mystifying audiences young and old with miraculous effects of the mind and the hands. His most notable appearances include the Today Show, TEDx Talks, MTV, Good Morning America and many other morning shows.

Tickets are available by calling (925) 757-9500, at the box office or online by clicking here.

Learn more about Jay Alexander and what people say about him and his show at www.jayalexander.com.

Find out about other upcoming attractions at the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch’s downtown Rivertown by visiting their website at www.elcampaniltheatre.com.

Following is an official press release from the Contra Costa County Elections Office.

Governor Jerry Brown announced Tuesday that a special election has been scheduled for May 19, 2015 to fill the 7th District Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Mark DeSaulnier, who was elected to the U.S. Congress in the November 4, 2014 Gubernatorial General Election.

District 7 includes most of Contra Costa County, including Antioch. District 7 also includes Eastern Alameda County.  To view a map of the 7th Senatorial District, go to http://sd07.senate.ca.gov/district-map .

Candidates may file for the position beginning Tuesday, January 13th at the Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office at 555 Escobar St., Martinez. The office is open between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday. The office will be closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

If more than two candidates file, a Special Primary Election will be held on March 17, 2015. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote in the Primary Election, the top two vote-getters will go to the ballot in a Special General Election to be held May 19, 2015.

The last day to submit signatures in-lieu of the filing fee is Friday, January 16, 2015. The last day for candidates to apply is Friday, January 23rd.

The filing fee, which is due at the time of submitting of documents, had not been determined as of Tuesday afternoon. Updates on the fee will be posted on our Website www.cocovote.us.

More information regarding the “Top-Two Primary” rules, voter registration, poll worker signups and polling place locations, is also available on the website.

Qing Mah

On Tuesday, January 12, 2015 at 12:30 p.m., the Antioch Police Department conducted an undercover operation at the Lilac Massage parlor which is located in the 1100 block of Buchanan Road in Antioch. During the operation, an undercover officer paid for a massage and was solicited by Qing Mah, a 42-year-old, San Lorenzo resident, during the massage to pay for sexual acts.

The undercover operation was conducted after receiving complaints about the establishment. The investigation is ongoing, anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Acting Sgt. Mortimer with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6941. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Allen Payton

At Tuesday night’s Antioch City Council meeting, Mayor Wade Harper was served with recall papers by a group of Antioch residents, for the second time in months.

“You are being recalled,” said Antioch resident Laura Stewart, one of the recall proponents, who presented the Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Papers during public comments.

The last time they served Harper, the proponents missed by one day a required deadline for publishing the Notice in a local newspaper. So, they had to start over.

The mayor has seven days from when the forms are officially submitted to the City Clerk, to provide his official response. The proponents will then have 180 days to gather the signatures of approximately 8,900 registered Antioch voters to place the recall on the ballot.

Following is the statement by the proponents of the recall on the Notice of Intention as to why they’re recalling Harper:

“Mayor Harper tells us that crime is decreasing. The citizens of Antioch know this is not the case. The bullet casings are piling up along with the excuses. Antioch is now the fifth most dangerous city in the Bay Area. Nationally, we are rated 6 on the crime index of violent crimes. At 17, the city of Compton is safer.

Mayor Harper promised Measure C would immediately hire 22 police officers. He also promised to be tough on crime and have zero tolerance for criminal behavior. This has proven to be untrue. Meanwhile, our crime rate has increased 22.8% during his terms in Antioch. Mayor Harper stated we needed to clean up Antioch, but was absent for the annual Sycamore cleanup. The police are understaffed. Instead of hiring 40 additional cops, Mayor Harper wasted $4.4 million on police overtime. Businesses are closing early due to unruly mobs of teenagers. Promises of more jobs and economic growth have not materialized.

Antioch has big city problems that need big city solutions. Mayor Harper has failed to deliver solutions to these problems. The citizens of Antioch are fed up and need a mayor that will deliver results to solving our serious crime problem.”

Below are copies of the recall papers served on the mayor, including the list of all 30 residents who signed them, as provided by Rich Buongiorno, the leading recall proponent.

Washington, DC – Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) took his oath of office as a new Congressman on Monday, January 5 and announced on Tuesday that he will serve on the Education and Workforce Committee in the 114th Congress. 

“I am delighted to be appointed to serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee. The big issues which families across Contra Costa County discuss at their kitchen tables — getting a good job that pays a decent wage, ensuring their kids receive a quality, affordable education, and planning and saving for retirement — are all squarely within this Committee’s jurisdiction. For the past 40 years, George Miller honorably served on this same Committee and was a champion for students, teachers, workers, seniors, and the middle class. I am proud to succeed George and continue the 11th Congressional District’s representation on the Education and Workforce Committee. This year the Committee is expected to revisit the No Child Left Behind Act and reauthorize the Higher Education Act. I also look forward to being a voice on the committee for working families. I am excited to get to work and to take a leading role on these and other Committee matters,” said DeSaulnier.

“I congratulate Congressman Mark DeSaulnier on his assignment to the Committee on Education and the Workforce for the 114th Congress. This is a great win for California’s 11th Congressional District. Continued success for our community and our nation begins by investing in our children and creating high-quality, good paying jobs. Congressman DeSaulnier is a dynamic leader, with a proven track record of fighting for the middle class and investing in our nation’s youth in the California Legislature. I am confident that he will bring the same passion and commitment to this assignment addressing one of our nation’s most pressing needs,” said former Congressman George Miller.

“I am thrilled that Congressman Mark DeSaulnier has been appointed to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Mark is a proven leader for the state of California. I know he will continue his strong support for education and will work on behalf of children, families and communities throughout the nation,” said Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“Mark has always been a champion for children and education in Contra Costa County,” said Karen Sakata, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools. “I am excited to work together with the congressman on initiatives that will continue to move us forward as a county.”

Nomination submissions for the Antioch Business, Citizen, Youth and Nonprofit of the Year awards are underway. Nomination forms are on the chamber’s website, www.antiochchamber.com or by calling the chamber at 757-1800 and are due February 6th, 2015.

The Business of the Year Award honors a company’s contributions in developing the social and economic well-being of Antioch.  The Citizen of the Year Awards honors an individual for his/her contributions in developing the social and economic well-being of Antioch. There are two categories: Lifetime Achievement Award (this category looks at the entire body of work over many years) and Most Impact for the Year (This category looks only at accomplishments in the year of 2014, although the nominee may have worked in the community in other years).  The Youth of the Year Award honors a youth for his/her contributions to the community of Antioch. A new category has been added this year, the Non-Profit of the Year Award, honors a local non-profit’s dedication, time and service contributions in developing the social and economic well-being of Antioch.

The awards will be presented at the Annual Inaugural Gala on Friday, March 13, 2015, which will be held at Lone Tree Golf Course Event Center.  For more information, please visit www.antiochchamber.com or call (925) 757-1800.