The tall ship Lady Washington is visiting the Antioch City Marina in Antioch, again, now through Tuesday, November 1st. On Wednesday, October 26, Lady Washington invites guests for a Voyage of Explorers Sail, which is an all-ages public version of its popular three-hour educational program for 4th-7th graders.

On Saturday, October 29, the ship will welcome kids and adults in costume for special tours 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., followed by a two-hour Halloween Sail 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Lady Washington docked near the former Humphrey’s restaurant in Antioch, on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. Photo by Allen Payton

October 20 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 21 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 22 Tours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ($5 donation); Adventure Sail: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ($39/$47)
October 23 Tours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ($5 donation); Adventure Sail: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ($39/$47)
October 24 Ship closed.
October 25 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 26 Voyage of Explorers Sail: 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ($35); Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 27 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 28 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)
October 29 Tours: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ($5 donation); Halloween Sail: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ($39/$47)
October 30 Tours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ($5 donation); Adventure Sail: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ($39/$47)
October 31 Ship closed.
November 1 Tours: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($5 donation)

For more information visit www.historicalseaport.org/ships/lady-washington.

The Rotary Club of the Delta Haunted House fundraiser will be held at Dallas Ranch Middle School on Oct 29th and 30th, this year.

Scream Night is Saturday October 29th from 5 pm to 8 pm for the big kids and Spook Day is on Sunday October 30th from 11 am to 2 pm for the little kids with costume parade and trunk or treat – plus a less scary haunted house.

This is our second year – and should be lots of fun.

Entrance is free, but the tickets for the attractions are 50 cents each or 50 tickets for $20. This fundraiser benefits Antioch school libraries.

Editor:

We are now three weeks away from our election. The grumblings throughout the city continue “Antioch needs change, Antioch needs a new direction.” This is something I also believe in whole heartedly, that is why I am running for City Council. The question is how many of us actually know what needs to be done to get a “new direction”?

The answer is clear: three votes on the City Council and the thought process can change. The question is which three votes best fits our City. If you are happy and content with the direction of our City then the voting process is simple for you, pick the three incumbents and call it a day. If you are not happy well then it becomes a little trickier. I am a candidate so I am not writing this as a “vote for me” letter to the editor. I am writing the following to hopefully clear up some of the muddy water of what is about to happen in this election as a citizen.

We have a Mayor race for one seat and a Council race that has two seats open for election. If you subscribe to the idea that change is needed, then many of you (us, we and even me) thinks that Lori Ogorchock is doing a good job and can be a part of that change.  Lori is already there with her vote in place, an equal vote to that of the Mayor. In our City, as a General Law City a Council Member and the Mayor have basically the same authority with the exception of a couple items. The Mayor runs the meeting, also the Mayor appoints for commissions and then the Council approves them in a vote.

So in my point of view if you want change, and you want to get to the new count of three votes then it becomes much simpler to get to if Sean Wright is voted in for Mayor. That would give two votes towards the change and only needing one non-incumbent to win a Council seat. Beating an incumbent is hard, beating two is harder.  Please do not think that I am slamming Lori in any way, I think Lori is a good Councilmember and I do think she would make a good Mayor. For me it is what is best for Antioch. For me it is for a change in our majority vote, and I believe that is what many of our citizens are wanting, a change in direction.

If Sean and Lori split the votes too much Wade Harper will be re-elected. Over the past couple years I have been able to get to know the man, Wade Harper, as a person. I like him. I would be proud to have him as my neighbor. As our Mayor I think we can do better in leadership for our City. This is nothing personal just, my opinion on what is best for our citizens.

There is still one more side to this coin, If Lori is to win then, her seat becomes one up for appointment. Not the third place vote-getter in the Council race. So, if Lori wins and one incumbent wins in the Council race (it is hard to beat an incumbent) then we are at a stalemate of 2-2 on the vote for who gets appointed. This can be very difficult to deal with and could leave us once again without change in our City.

We are three weeks away; many of us have our mail-in ballots. We have to ask do we really want to have change? If so what is the best way to make this happen? By using the power of our votes. I am voting for Sean Wright, that way I can have Lori Ogorchock and Sean both which makes this City two steps closer to the change we all want to see.

Kenny Turnage, II

Candidate for City Council

Antioch

ISLETON, CA – In concert with California Flood Preparedness Week, the Delta Protection Commission declares a week in October to be the annual Delta Flood Preparedness Week. In 2016, Delta Flood Preparedness Week will run from Monday, October 17 through Saturday, October 22.

Due to the unique conditions of life in the Delta, flood risk is dramatically different than in other regions of the state. In the Delta, drought conditions do NOT reduce flood risk, because Delta levees hold back water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – not just when the rivers run high. These unique conditions are addressed at the Delta Flood Safety Fair, a fun and informative day at the Delta Farmers’ Market on Highway 12 west of the Rio Vista Bridge. In its third year, the event is sponsored by the Delta Protection Commission and the Discover the Delta Foundation, and is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

This year’s participants include perennial favorites River Delta Fire, offering photo ops for the kids with their ladder truck, Solano Office of Emergency Services (OES) giving tours of their Mobile Command Center, the Sacramento County Marine Patrol exhibiting their specialized watercraft, and the specially trained rescue dogs of Sacramento County Search and Rescue. Other participants include the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine addressing livestock and pet safety, the US Coast Guard, CalRecycle, the Department of Water Resources’ Division of Flood Management (DWR), the Diving Accident Rescue Team (DART), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Red Cross, the Delta Science Center and DCC Engineering.

The event also includes food vendors, Delta wine tasting, children’s activities and live music.

WHAT: Delta Flood Safety Fair

WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

WHERE: Delta Farmers’ Market, Highway 12 at Highway 160, just west of the Rio Vista Bridge.

PHONE: (916) 375-4886

WHO: CalRecycle, Central California Valley Flood Control Association, DART, DCC Engineering, Delta Protection Commission, Delta Science Center, DWR, Discover the Delta Foundation, Dutra Museum of Dredging, FEMA, Red Cross, River Delta Fire, Sacramento County Marine Patrol, Sacramento Search and Rescue, Solano County OES, UC Davis, US Coast Guard

For the final of three nights, on Wednesday October 19th at 7 p.m., the Threshing Floor Tabernacle, will host Evangelist Milton Martin, Jr. for a time of worship, healing, changed lives and revival for individuals and the Antioch community. Based in Georgia, Martin is on a West Coast tour, preaching in churches in both southern and northern California, as well as Oregon.

Now in his 40th year of ministry, Martin has been preaching and ministering in churches throughout the United States as well as traveling to foreign countries, such as Russia, Africa, the Philippines, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Ukraine, and Belorussia.

The Threshing Floor Tabernacle is located at 1793 Vineyard Drive in Antioch and is led by Pastor Henry Killings.

For more information about Evangelist Milton Martin, visit www.mmjm.org. For more information about the Threshing Floor Tabernacle call (925) 778-5700 or visit www.threshingfloortabernacle.com.

Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) announced the start of his annual “Holiday Cards for Our Troops” program.  In previous years, the Congressman’s district offices collected more than 10,000 cards from the community with personal messages of gratitude and hope for our men and women in uniform. Rep. McNerney is again inviting constituents to submit cards to his district offices that will be delivered to troops at home and overseas during the upcoming holiday season.

“Our servicemen and women make tremendous sacrifices for our country throughout the year, and oftentimes the holiday season can be difficult for those stationed away from home,” said Rep. McNerney. “This holiday card program provides an opportunity for the community to express their gratitude and thank our troops for their service and all that they do to keep us safe. Many service members have told me that these cards, with their messages of encouragement and support, help boost morale when they cannot be home with their families and friends during the holiday season.”

The holiday cards will be sent to troops stationed overseas in packages organized by the Contra Costa Blue Star Moms, East Bay Blue Star Moms, and A Million Thanks.

To participate in the program, make or purchase a holiday card and write a message of thanks inside to a service member. Cards must be delivered to Rep. McNerney’s office in Stockton or Antioch by Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.  Cards should remain unaddressed and inside unsealed envelopes.

Holiday Card Guidelines:

*    Make sure to sign your card

*    Use salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals

cannot be delivered through this program

*    Do not include inserts such as photographs or candy

*    Please no glitter or confetti

*    Cards should not have an address or a return address

*    Cards should be placed inside unsealed envelopes

Below are the addresses of Rep. McNerney’s offices. Cards can be dropped off at either office on or before November 4^th.

Stockton

2222 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 7

Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 476-8552

Antioch

4703 Lone Tree Way

Antioch, CA 94531

(925) 754-0716

McNerney represents California’s 9th Congressional District which includes portions of Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Sacramento Counties, including most of Antioch. For more information on Rep. McNerney’s work, follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @RepMcNerney.

Ghouls and goblins aren’t the only thing California residents have to worry about this Halloween. There’s another threat lurking in nearly every household: you can’t see or feel it, but it drains your hard-earned cash without you even realizing. This threat is the “energy vampire” – and it accounts for nearly 10% of all energy use in California homes.

“Energy vampires” (or standby power) is a term used for any electronic we leave plugged in that slowly sucks energy from our homes. These can be video game consoles, phone chargers, guitar amps, laptops, printers and more. What’s worse, the average U.S. household spends about $130 per year to power devices while they appear to be off.

So how can households reclaim some of these costs? Here are a few tricks and tips:

• Unplug your devices. Perhaps the most obvious thing you can do to battle energy vampires is to unplug devices when they are not in use. Make it a habit to unplug your charger when your phone is fully charged, or your video game console, when you’ve finished playing. These small, simple behavior changes add up in energy savings – and in dollars and cents.
• Enable ENERGY STAR power management settings. ENERGY STAR qualified computers and monitors offer a variety of power settings to help you monitor your energy use. By enabling these settings, you can have your devices go into power save mode when they are not actively in use.
• Use Advanced Power Strips (APS). Replacing your conventional power strips with advanced power strips can help reduce electricity waste when devices are idle – without your having to change the way you normally use your electronics.  Advanced Power Strips work by preventing electronics from drawing power when they are off or not being used.

Manager Carlos Badial and his Grease Monkey crew are ready to serve you.

The big Grease Monkey balloon will greet you at the corner of Auto Center Drive and West 18th Street.

By Allen Payton

Grease Monkey, a chain of auto repair and service shops opened their first California location in Antioch, in September.

“Our pit crew of guarantee and certified lube techs are what sets us apart from other shops,” said Carlos Badial, Manager of the Antioch location.

They have two lube, oil and filter change bays, two mechanical repair bays and one alignment rack to serve their customers.

Grease Monkey is the one-stop shop for all your recommended vehicle maintenance.

Their Grand Opening is October 26th-29th. See one of the NASCAR cars there.

Located at 1701 Auto Center Drive at the corner of East 18th Street, the shop is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on   Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information call (925) 470-3579.

See their ad on page 2 of the October issue of the Herald or at the top of the Home Page of this website.