By Mary Chapman, Executive Director

The 3rd Annual Fund-A-Wish Drawing on September 21st, to benefit An Elderly Wish Foundation, was a big success. All 100 tickets at $100 each were sold. The reception at Umpqua Bank was attended by 100 guests who enjoyed delicious appetizers with wine courtesy of Oak Ridge Winery.

The lucky winners were 3rd Prize – $250 was won by Mary Olds; 2nd Prize – $750 was won by Rick Kaiser and the 1st Prize of $1,000 was won by Susannah Meyer. Also, Oak Ridge Winery donated a 3-litre bottle of wine which was won by Olga Martinez.

The Board of Directors thanks everyone for helping us make senior wishes come true. For more information about the organization and the wishes it has granted to seniors, visit www.elderlywish.org.

The following message was posted on the Antioch Unified School District’s website on Thursday:

“This is Stephanie Anello, Superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District with an important safety announcement. We have been monitoring the air quality throughout the day. Once again, given the extreme poor air quality due to the recent, ongoing wildfires, schools will be closed tomorrow Friday, October 13th. Although the air appeared to be less toxic than predicted today, it is forecasted to be, once again, unhealthy tomorrow. Due to living in the Bay Area, our micro-climates are dynamic and air quality is always changing. Additionally, although some fires may have improved containment levels, this does not necessarily equate to different levels of toxic pollutants in the air that can reach our children. Please know that your child’s safety was the primary factor leading to this decision. Many of our students walk or ride their bike to and from school and will be exposed to the poor air quality even if we were to remain open and shelter in place. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you but, again, your child’s safety is our number one concern.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our schools and our District as we work to ensure your child’s health is not compromised in any way.  Our thoughts remain with the victims of this tragedy as well as with the firefighters and other first responders.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website the air quality in the Antioch area is designated with an orange color which is “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.” It further defines that category as “Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.”

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

SB 751 would eliminate the limit on reserves for most small school districts and raise it to 10 percent for others

SACRAMENTO – School districts will have a greater ability to manage their own fiscal affairs under a bill that Gov. Jerry Brown signed on Wednesday.

The bill, SB 751, jointly authored by Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo and Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, eliminates the reserve cap for most small school districts and substantially reduces reserve fund obligations for large school districts.

“This measure significantly reverses an ill-advised law limiting local school reserve funds. School districts will now be able to more fully prepare for a rainy day, which may be right around the corner,” Glazer stated. “I would hope that eventually we can eliminate any type of cap on school reserves and keep the state out of micromanaging local school districts’ budgets. I want to thank Senator Hill and the California School Board Association for their leadership on this critical local control issue.”

Glazer represents most of Contra Costa County including all of Antioch in the California State Senate.

By Corporal D. Pfeiffer #3707, Antioch Police Support Services Bureau

On October 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Antioch Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Antioch Police Department at 300 L Street, Antioch, CA. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps; only pills or patches). The service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.

Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (over 900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds (more than 4,050 tons) of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 28th Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website or contact Corporal Pfeiffer of the Antioch Police Department at (925-779-6909).

Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College-Pleasant Hill Campus, Diablo Valley College-San Ramon Campus, Los Medanos College-Pittsburg Campus, Los Medanos College-Brentwood Center, will resume a regular class schedule and student services beginning today, Friday, October 13.  Outdoor sport activities will continue to be limited until further notice, but indoor activities including theater performances will still be held as scheduled.

The weather forecast for this weekend calls for increasing winds that may hamper firefighting efforts and contribute to poor air quality.  We encourage students and staff to continue monitoring email, website and social media over the weekend for any updates.

Street Corner Renaissance – What Doo Wap Is All About

Friday October 13, 2017 8:00 pm

Reserved Seating

​Still flying high from their appearance on NBC’s The Sing-Off, Street Corner Renaissance bring their smooth singing style to the El Campanil Theatre. Not just another vocal group, Street Corner Renaissance are cultural ambassadors, breathing new life into classic doo-wop music. The quintet performs a tribute to Sam Cooke, a rousing gospel celebration, a civil rights anthem and more, their superb harmonies standing out in all the material they take on. Led by NAACP Award winner Maurice Kitchen, Street Corner Renaissance has opened for Chuck Berry, Kool and the Gang, Boyz II Men and many more top acts.

Adults: $27, Seniors (62 & Older): $25, Youth: $10

SuperHuey – The Ultimate Huey Lewis Experience

Saturday October 21, 2017  8:00 pm 

Reserved Seating

THE HEART OF ROCK N ROLL IS STILL BEATING!

SuperHuey – The Ultimate Huey Lewis Experience is the only show of it’s kind anywhere in the Nation. This 7-piece explosion of 1980’s rock power performs across the United States thrilling appreciative audiences of all ages at fairs, festivals, arenas, sporting events and showrooms with their super high-energy faithful renditions of feel-good music that defined a generation.

Adults: $27, Seniors (62 & Older):  $25, Youth: (under 18): $10 (Accompanied by Adult or Senior)

The Vagabond Players – The Odd Couple (Female Version)

Sunday October 22, 2017  2:00 pm 

General Seating

by Neil Simon

The Odd Couple (Female Version) is just what it says: Felix and Oscar become Florence and Olive, mismatched roommates in Neil Simon’s adaptation of his own play. There’s smart, audience-friendly dialogue and kooky characters. The play opens at Olive’s sloppy apartment as she hosts a ladies’ night. Florence shows up late and upset because she’s just broken up with her husband. With nowhere else to go, she moves in with Olive. The scene is set. A hilarious contemporary classic.

Tickets:  Adults: $15, Seniors (62 & Older): $13, Youth (17 & Under): $10

Broadway Repertory Theater presents Nunsense

Saturday October 28, 2017  2:00 and 7:30 pm

Reserved Seating

From the same artistic team that brought you Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Nunsense begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show, so they take over the school auditorium, which is currently set up for the eighth-grade production of “Grease.” Here we meet Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. Featuring star turns, tap and ballet dancing, an audience quiz, and comic surprises, this show has become an international phenomenon. With more than 5000 productions worldwide, it has been translated into 21 languages.

About Broadway Repertory Theater

We are a group of like-minded instrumentalists, performers, producers and crew. Based in Brentwood, CA, we are a company that performs in a variety of venues.

Broadway Repertory Theater is made of performers, back and front of house volunteers, costumers, and scenic design award winners, all who have enjoyed working with artistic Director Steve Kinsella in the past, and are looking forward to the artistic direction he will take our new company in the future.

Typically, our casts and artistic teams include multiple award winning talent.

Adults: $23, Seniors (62 & older): $19, Youth: $12

Ballet Folklorico Costa de Oro presents

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Sunday October 29, 2017  3:00 pm

Reserved Seating

Tickets:  Adults: $25, Seniors (62 & Older):  $20, Youth (Under 18): $10

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.

About Ballet Folklorico Costa de Oro

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Ballet Folklórico Costa de Oro is considered a rising star in the northern California folklórico scene as well as in other areas of the country. Formed in 2005 as an offshoot of another Bay Area folklórico troupe, Costa de Oro’s principal artists have been dancing together for many years, some since their early teens. Several lead dancers have performed with the world-famous Ballet Folklórico de México of Amalia Hernandez while other company members have trained in Mexico as well. The Ballet Folklórico Costa de Oro is known for its creative choreography and its comprehensive performance repertoire.  Arizona’s Coolidge News calls it, “tightly choreographed and expertly performed,” and the Honolulu Weekly writes that it is a, “treasure chest of Mexican traditions.” Most recently the company was featured at the world-renowned San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival in June 2013.

For more information and tickets visit www.elcampaniltheatre.com or call the Box Office at (925) 757-9500 Mon-Fri 10 am – 2 pm and one hour before show times.

Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, and centers at Brentwood and San Ramon, will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, October 12, due to poor air quality as a result of the fires in Solano and Sonoma counties.

The District will evaluate the situation and provide an update as new information becomes available.  We encourage students and staff to continue monitoring email, website and social media.