Julio and Connie Garcia recently opened El Porton Azul at 317 E. 18th Street in Antioch.

By Teresa A. Klein

Imagine moving to a new town not knowing a single person. It is a daunting and stressful experience for anyone. Now add in the factor of opening a restaurant – an endeavor you have always dreamt of but never reached – in a part of town that is known as “not the best.” Pretty brave.

In March 2011 that’s just what Julio and Connie Garcia accomplished. They followed their dream, took a leap of faith and opened El Porton Azul, an Italian restaurant at 317 E. 18th Street in Antioch.

“I believe dreams can come true and now we are here,” said Connie. “We moved here not knowing anyone and opened our first restaurant.”

Julio is a trained chef and does all the cooking while Connie runs the front end and shops for supplies, including fresh vegetables daily. “Sometimes I drive all the way to San Jose so we can have things fresh,” said Connie. “You can tell the difference in the taste of our dishes.”

All the meals are created when ordered and made from scratch. It is a classic Italian menu that includes pasta dishes, calzones, sandwiches, pizza and more. They also serve breakfast, opening at 8 a.m. daily. Monday-Thursday they close at 11 p.m.; Friday-Sunday they close at 1:30 a.m.

For about 15 years Julio worked in New York in Italian restaurants, then moved to California, where he met and married Connie. Now, five years later, they have reached a goal a longtime in the planning – opening a place of their own.

But Julio and Connie do want to be clear they are an Italian establishment, not Mexican. The history behind the name is that the business has been owned by Connie’s brother for a few years and was formerly a Mexican restaurant. Since they already had a license and permit they just decided to keep the name. “But we are Italian food,” Connie emphasized.

While Julio is proud of his 20 years of experience as a chef, the Garcias want their place to be more than just a stop-off to eat. “We want to help change the neighborhood with activities and fundraising,” said Julio. “We want to help give back to Antioch, such as raising money to bring back the Fourth of July fireworks.”

“We want El Porton to be a family place where people can come, especially the teenagers to keep them off the streets,” said Connie. “We want it to feel like home.”

The restaurant is decorated with photographs, paintings and other original artwork. Connie and Julio are open to people in the community bringing their artwork to the restaurant. The have set up a corner for poetry readings and karaoke on Sunday night. On Fridays there is live music and Saturdays are Salsa nights. Kids eat free on Tuesdays, and every night from 5-8 p.m. is happy hour in the bar. The Garcias are open to other events as well, so if you have a community idea let them know.

“We have a nice patio too,” said Connie. “I would like to set up free tutoring for the kids after school. We would need volunteers to do that.”

While Julio and Connie did not know anyone when they moved to Antioch just three short months ago, they already have regular customers who know their names. They have big plans to be a cornerstone in the community and making what some consider a not-so-great area of Antioch a bit better. “Antioch is beautiful,” said Connie. “Someone has to be the change, so we will.”

To contact El Porton Azul about catering, events, reservations or activity ideas, call 925-753-1715 or e-mail elportonazul@live.com.

As part of the Highway 4 widening construction work, the contractor for the Loveridge Road project will close all lanes on west bound Highway 4 between Somersville Road and Loveridge Road on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday nights, June 6 through June 9, between 10 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.

This work is to ensure public and crew safety while crews work to open the new traffic lanes between Somersville Road and Century Boulevard. This work was originally scheduled to take place on June 1 through 3 but due to inclement weather the work had to be postponed.

• The detour for this closure will be as follows: motorists will be directed off the highway at Somersville Road/Auto Center Drive, left on Somersville Road, continue on to Auto Center Drive, left on Tenth Street, left on Loveridge Road, right on California Avenue, and left on west bound SR-4. Work may be rescheduled if there is inclement weather.

As part of this construction work, the on ramp to west bound SR-4 from Somersville Road will be closed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly Thursday nights, June 6 through June 9, between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

• The detour for this closure will be as follows: motorists will either drive south on Somersville Road, right on Delta Fair Boulevard, continue on to Leland Road, right on Loveridge Road, left on California Avenue, and left on west bound SR-4, or they will drive north on Somersville Road, continue on to Auto Center Drive, left on Tenth Street, left on Loveridge Road, right on California Avenue, and left on west bound SR-4.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive with caution through the detours and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.

By Tami Barrera

There’s lots going on in the Antioch Unified School District from awards to innovative learning academies to providing air-conditioning and other upgrades to older schools.

The Science Department at Deer Valley High School, which is led by Jeff Adkins, has won awards for projects regarding how we live on this planet and take care of it.

AUSD officials have learned that breaking learning up into smaller communities will give students more of an interest in completing school and at a higher level. A federal grant given to Antioch High School will be utilized to give a competitive edge to incoming freshmen. To create this strong foundation in 2011-12, they will be implementing a week of welcome that will launch these future dreamers of tomorrow into desiring more when it comes to knowledge.

As the student advances through the years learning and gaining insight into themselves and what they have to offer, they will find that their horizons can be broadened by the many choices that will be presented to them in the form of academies.

Deer Valley High offers the Business Tech Academy, which mimics the work environment to prepare them for their future beyond the walls of school. Deer Valley also offers the Science Research Academy, which has 19 students that will be graduating from this program this year and all are headed to college.

Deer Valley has also been accepted as one out of 25 schools in the country that has been asked to participate in the Teacher-in-Space program in which they will be launching a probe into space.

Dozier-Libbey Medical High School will have its first graduating class in 2012. At this high school they are determined to integrate health care across the curriculum, and they utilize CURE which is Creating Understanding and Relevance Every Day.

Deer Valley also provides the Performing Arts at Delta Academy. It opened its doors in 2008 on the Bidwell campus site with great vision and pride, and interest has more than doubled with its move to the Deer Valley campus.

Deer Valley Law Academy opened in 2009 with 90 freshmen and now has 240 students enrolled from 9th to 11th grade. This academy derives its learning model from work-based learning. Next year they will incorporate job shadowing, monitoring and community service.

Antioch High School has the EDGE Academy which stands for Engineering and Designing a Green Environment. The academy’s vision is learning designed, knowledge constructed, life engineered and environment sustained. EDGE is for students who learn best by working on projects that require using their brain and hands together.

The Measure C bond funding is making great strides with much needed improvements to the schools. Belshaw Elementary now has a new HVAC system with electrical upgrades, accessible classroom sinks, along with accessible stairs and ramps. Kimball has new security fencing, drinking fountains that are surrounded by gates so as to limit vandalism, new Clerestory windows and new HVAC in five classroom wings.

Antioch Middle School received much needed electrical service, new serving line flooring in the cafeteria, new kitchen hood and 3 compartment sink, new multipurpose room HVAC that was accompanied by a stage lift, interior walls, and library rooftop HVAC.
Park Middle School gained new accessible stairs and a ramp, a new front entrance to the school and new kitchen hood and equipment.

Antioch High School’s Beede Auditorium now has HVAC and an exterior lobby facelift. Phase two of construction will begin in the fall. For more information go to www.antioch.k12.ca.us and click on Community Information at the top of the page and then click on Citizens Bond Oversight Committee.

While times are hard and money is tight it is nice to know that there are people out there that do care about our educational future and where we can head as a district unified. With all this focus on higher education and enriched learning AUSD looks to be headed in the right direction. No matter what happens all around us, we are all a part of the same team striving to give the children what they need, a better learning environment in which to understand the world in which we all inhabit daily.

Since the 1990s Antioch and Brentwood commuters have been waiting for a thoroughfare known as the Buchanan Bypass, which would run from the intersection of Somersville Road and James Donlon Boulevard to Kirker Pass in Pittsburg. Better cross it off the wish list.

Although, as previously stated by former Mayor Donald Freitas, James Donlon was expanded at Somersille to include lighting, median divides and turnouts and Discovery Builders, owned by Albert Seeno, III,  built out James Donlon about half a mile west of Somersville as part of agreements for the Black Diamond Estates, the bypass will probably never be built.

Both the Thomas family, which owns the land where the bypass would cut through, and Save Mount Diablo vehemently oppose the project.

As residents know, Antioch and Pittsburg, where Seeno rules the roost, have had our differences in the past and apparently problems are still ongoing.

Recently City Staff recommended that Council authorize amending the capital improvement budget to include the Markley Creek Culvert Crossing Project (a “bridge” to go over the creek which is on Somersille between Buchanan and James Donlon where the former Antioch and Contra Costa landfills were located), pay California Dept. of Fish and Game the $92,880 mitigation fee that Discovery Builders is now refusing to pay and amend the 2010-11 budget to include a transfer in the amount of $1,000,000 from Project Area #1 to the Capital Improvement Capital Projects Fund and in the alternative from the Gas Tax fund if Agency funds are not available.

City Council Member Wade Harper, however, recused himself from the vote regarding possible litigation claiming that since Seeno donated to his campaign he has a conflict of interest. Interesting since he neither owns a home or property within 500 feet of the land in litigation nor, to my knowledge, has any personal financial interest.

Update:
Late breaking news! I just saw Mayor Jim Davis at the Memorial Day event and he said it’s on, no questions, for the 4th of July parade – he told the Chief of Police we really need to do this. Starting time is 10 a.m. on July 4 at 2nd and E streets in downtown Antioch. Parade participants can call me for event info (925) 756-7628 or e-mail me at walter.ruehlig@gmail.com. I will also put together an application for on-line posting.

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Aunt Millie, what next? Will they take Christmas away? I guess I just have to buck up, though, and realize times they are-a-changing. For a second straight year it looks like no Fourth of July celebration in historic Antioch.

Not to diminish the laudable efforts of Martha Parsons and Sue Davis, who gallantly rode to the rescue last year to salvage a march around Somersville Town Center. Nevertheless, we all know that parading around a mall can’t light a Roman candle to pirouetting around the Delta.

Admittedly, I’m a sucker for the likes of marching bands, Clydesdale horses, classic cars, dance troupes, Filipino folk dresses, Iowa Jima reeanactment floats and assorted clowns, real and perceived. Heck, what’s not to like about a red, white and blue birthday bash for 320 million folks? What inner child can’t yelp with delight at family barbecues, rockets red glare and lusty bars of Yankee Doodle Dandy?

Like a horse and carriage, love and marriage, the Fourth of July and the word celebration go hand in hand. Now some might argue, why celebrate in these hard times. I say, exactly, hard times are on us. Why wallow in the misery? Now’s precisely the time to, yes, prudently, and without touching the city coffers, have a little glee and remember our blessings.

So said, I’m trying to put together a streamlined parade with private backing. Understood, all the bells and whistles are out of the question as the whole extravaganza can run Antioch $90,000. Aerial pyrotechnics alone cost $1,000 a minute. Auto show, music stages, food booths and police coverage at double time and half can run up the tab.

I’ve been soberly putting out feelers for several weeks. I’d be willing to put together a morning parade to minimize crowd control issues. There would be no frills and a shortened route a la the Veterans Day affair. I’ve even had private security firms offer donated help and we’ve had portable restrooms generously donated in the past.

Challenge is, it’s, admittedly, late in the game that I discovered there was nothing planned this year. It is not my style to be unreasonable, to scramble, or to ask others to. I wholeheartedly commend our city staff for working so short-handed. I applaud our men and women in blue for the stellar job they are doing under the stress of acute under staffing and fully understand the police concern that even with private security they will be the ones who could get called into action.

I’m still hoping, though, that some compromise can be worked out for this year from city discussions in progress. If it can’t, then let our representatives know your interest in Fourth celebrations and maybe with longer planning we can get something cooking next year. Antioch is a patriotic town and has always boasted a certified blue ribbon Independence Day parade.

Daniel Webster would have smiled upon our past efforts as he said, “May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely than this our country.”

Walter Ruehlig

On May 26 just before 5:30 p.m., police received a call reporting that two people were seen climbing over the back fence of a home in the 3300 block of Camby Road.

Officers found Dominic Flowers, 18, and a 14-year-old male, both of Antioch, inside the residence. Flowers fled out of the back of the home and onto a trail to the rear. Officers were able to contain him in one of the nearby backyards, and he was eventually flushed out by police dog Thor

Flowers was taken into custody by officers on the perimeter, and the juvenile was taken into custody inside of the home without incident.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening Highway 4 through Pittsburg and Antioch.

As part of this construction work, the contractor for the Loveridge Road project will close all lanes on westbound Highway 4 between Somersville Road and Loveridge Road on Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 1 and 2 from 10 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. and on Friday night, June 3 from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. This work is to ensure public and crew safety while crews work to open the new traffic lanes between Century Boulevard and Somersville Road.

The detour for this closure will be as follows: motorists will be directed off the highway at Somersville Road/Auto Center Drive, left on Somersville Road, continue on to Auto Center Drive, left on Tenth Street, left on Loveridge Road, right on California Avenue, and left on westbound Highway 4. Work may be rescheduled if there is inclement weather.

As part of this construction work the on ramp to westbound Highway 4 from Somersville Road will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 1 and 2 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and on Friday night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The detour for this closure will be as follows: motorists will either drive south on Somersville Road, right on Delta Fair Boulevard, continue on to Leland Road, right on Loveridge Road, left on California Avenue, and left on west bound SR-4 or they will drive north on Somersville Road, continue on to Auto Center Drive, left on Tenth Street, left on Loveridge Road, right on California Avenue, and left on west bound SR-4.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive cautiously through the detours and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways.

For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor closures please visit http://widensr4.org.

Dear Editor:

Some one is lying.

There was an interesting article in a newspaper recently about BART wanting to put a tax on us for new cars. Why weren’t they factored into Capital Improvements?

Every meeting I have attended, BART Board Member Joel Keller has said the 40-plus years the people of Antioch and East County have paid into BART has gone into running the system, not building the system out to us. Now they say they need new cars so they want to tax us AGAIN. Who is lying to us?

It is more likely all the money we have paid into BART has gone for ridiculous wages, pensions and Board Member perks. I say no more money until they stop lying and throwing e-BART at us. We want to see the books, and they need to show us where our money has gone.

Martin Fernandez