Assuming the persona of General Douglas MacArthur, Walter Ruehlig (standing left) congratulates Death March survivors Manuel Gavino (standing right) and Edward Abinsay during the 69th anniversary celebration of the Fall of Bataan. Photo by Cynthia Ruehlig

After a three-month battle to defend the last bastion of Philippine democracy at the Bataan Peninsula, General MacArthur escaped by boat during WWII promising “I Shall Return” to liberate the Philippines.

Bataan was captured by the Japanese Imperialists on April 9, 1942, in the largest surrender in American and Filipino military history. Many died when the 72,000 starving and disease-ridden POWs were forcibly transfered from Bataan/Corrigidor to Capas, Tarlac, in what is now known as the Bataan Death March.

After two years of fighting in the Pacific, General MacArthur fulfilled his promise. MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. There are 9 known Death March survivors living in East Contra Costa County. The Fall of Bataan celebration, sponsored by the Filipino-American Association, Inc. of Pittsburg, was held April 9, 2011 at Humphrey’s Restaurant, Antioch.

If Cicero was right that if you have a garden and a library you have everything you need, then maybe Contra Costa County isn’t doing so bad after all.

Seems that just when you maybe thought that the county library system had surpassed reinvention, it outdoes itself again. Little wonder, then, that the 26-branch organization is in the running for national library system of the year honors. We’ll know that outcome, incidentally, in early May.

Antioch has a Japanese sister city called Chichibu. We have had this beautiful relationship for 45 years and hopefully you’ve had a chance to visit Chichibu Park off of Longview Road in Antioch right next to Sutter Elementary School. Chichibu has an “Antioch” park. While it is a relief that Chichibu was not in the flood zone, earthquakes were felt and there is there is a collective desire to funnel aid towards relief efforts in the affected region.

An alliance has been formed with Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization, the City of Chichibu, the City of Antioch, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, ECO Business Centers, the Antioch Historical Society, the Arts and Cultural Foundation, the Antioch Lions, and the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce to jointly raise funds for tsunami victims.

Please visit the Japanese display set up at ECO Business Centers, 505 West Second Street, Antioch to learn more about the Japanese culture and purchase one of the items there or bring monetary donations. Checks can be made out to the Antioch Chamber Foundation, please note “Japan” on the memo line. Money will be sent by the Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization board of directors to the honorable Mayor Kuki of Chichibu Japan for disbursement of money for disaster relief efforts in Japan.

Please join us May 7th at the Antioch Historical Society for a fundraising Social networking event at 5 PM and dinner Gala at 6:30 PM. $20 per plate. Tickets can be purchased through ECO Business Centers, Posh Salon, the Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization, Antioch Historical Society, Antioch Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Gallery, or the Lions. Thank you for your support!

Questions? Contact ECO Business Centers Co-Founder and CEO Glen Laughton at 925 303-4520. For more information, visit ECO Business Centers www.ecobusinesscenters.com. “Bridging Business Success.”

Michael Pritchard, a nationally acclaimed speaker and comedian, will be the keynote speaker at Supervisor Federal Glover’s annual Youth Summit this April 16 at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California.

“We’re thrilled that Mr. Pritchard has agreed to speak to our young people,” says Supervisor Glover. “His inspirational message will reinforce the summit’s theme: We Got Your Back!”

Pritchard began his career on both the comedy stage and as a juvenile counselor in San Francisco’s Youth Guidance Center. In 1980, Michael Pritchard won first place in the San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition as well as winning the prestigious California Probation Officer of the Year.

He began making appearances with some of the big names of comedy including Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg. Offers from Hollywood came pouring in. But Pritchard rejected offers from Hollywood to focus on using his comic talents for inspiring youth and adults.

His seven educational series for PBS and distribution has been seen by millions and focuses on youth guidance in the areas of violence prevention.

Forming Heartland Media, Pritchard continued with other projects including “Red Ribbon Week” and “PeaceTalks” teaching students to make positive choices. “SOS: Saving Our Schools from Hate and Violence,” featured in both Time magazine and on CNN, filmed after the tragic Columbine disaster. His new series: “Lifesteps” builds the social and emotional intelligence in youth and has already received the Parents Choice Award.

As an extension of Heartland Media, he established Heartland Media Foundation building character and emotional intelligence, violence prevention, inciting motivation and leadership in both youth and adults to improve schools and communities. The foundation provides youth guidance programs, including video, print curriculum, and live presentations by Michael Pritchard to aid in schools and communities where the funding is limited.

“Michael Pritchard uses humor to address some of the serious issues facing youth today,” says Glover. “His audience may be laughing on the outside, but inside, they’re also thinking about the points he makes about life’s choices.”

New Highway 4 roadway, seen here at Loveridge, will be coming to Somersville.

Caltrans announced today that work has begun on the next phase of the State Route 4 Widening Project in Contra Costa County.

Phase Two, which is scheduled to be completed in 2013, will widen SR-4 to eight lanes (three regular traffic lanes and one bus/carpool lane in each direction) from the Somersville Road interchange to the Contra Loma Boulevard interchange. Auxiliary lanes will be added to the on and off-ramps at both interchanges.

In addition, the Somersville Road interchange will be widened and reconstructed with a median wide enough to accommodate mass transit, providing BART a viable location to expand rail service to eastern Contra Costa County.

“Caltrans is excited that the next phase of this critical congestion relief project is progressing,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. “The people of Contra Costa County can clearly see that their taxpayer dollars are being put to work to benefit this region.”

This is the second of five planned construction projects to widen SR-4, its interchanges, and local roadways from west of Loveridge Road to the State Route 160 interchange. The total cost for the entire project is $585 million, including $100 million from Proposition 1B.

“Caltrans is committed to improving mobility throughout California,” stated Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi. “This commitment includes partnering with our local congestion management agencies and transit agencies to provide congestion relief. Together, we will provide new transportation options for east Contra Costa County commuters.”

“This project serves as a strong validation for Contra Costa County voters, who passed Measure J in 2004 to pay for transportation improvements along the State Route 4 corridor, as well as other key transportation projects in the county,” stated David Durant, CCTA Chair. “This local revenue source has made all the difference in our ability to move this project along on schedule and to get going on the next phase, which will take us from Contra Loma Blvd. to ‘G’ Street.”

The $76 million project received $6 million from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. The project is a joint venture between Caltrans, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). To date, the state has allocated nearly $8 billion in Proposition 1B funds for transportation purposes statewide.

The prime contractor for the project is R & L Brosamer, Inc. of Walnut Creek. For current information, call the project Hotline at (925) 756-0721 or go to the website at http://widensr4.org.

A Nationwide Health and Wellness Campaign

April is National Stress Awareness Month and Local chiropractor, Dr. Brandon Roberts has teamed up with health and wellness professionals across the country to provide relief for a nation under stress.  The brainchild of Dr. Eric Plasker, health and wellness expert and bestselling author of The 100 Year Lifestyle and The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout, the Stress Less. Live More. campaign has attracted hundreds of chiropractic offices,  who are offering free consultations, workshops, newsletters and tips to alleviate the effects of stress on people around the country.

“We want to make people aware of the destructive effect that stress has on the body, and I am encouraging the residents of East Contra Costa to free themselves of the worries that are responsible for this stress by taking an active part in this worthwhile campaign, “says Dr. Roberts “As part of Dr. Plasker’s Stress Less. Live More. campaign this month, I will be offering local residents and businesses a free Stress Less. Live More. Workshop along with Dr. Jason Bergerhouse and Anthony Trucks of Trucks Training and a free spinal stress screening.”

This presentation will be on Sat, 5/7 from 11am-2pm at TravelHealthnHygiene.com, 5081 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, Ca 94531. Free lunch will be provided.

As recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, 84 percent of women and 75 percent of men are stressing about the economy, similar numbers stress about money, and more than half of men and women stress about housing costs and job stability.

“A stressful lifestyle can cause pain, disease, premature aging and even an early death.  Sixty percent of doctor visits are stress-related.  If you learn to Stress Less. Live More., you can eliminate many health problems, save money and improve the quality of your life dramatically and you can reduce the aging and disease-causing impact it has on the body,’ Dr. Plasker says.

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on stress-related illnesses.  Treatment of back pain costs $90 billion a year, and during the Stress Less. Live More. campaign, participants will be able to get free information on reducing stress, as well as learn tips for living a healthier lifestyle.

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 23rd installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program. This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from United Citizens for Better Neighborhoods (UCBN), community volunteers, and the Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program, and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, “We”, everyone who works and lives in the City Antioch, can make a difference and improve the quality of life. It’s our community and it’s our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Cleanup program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

The 23rd Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, May 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Volunteers should report to the Williamson Ranch Park located at 5000 Lone Tree Way. The parking lot is accessible off of Williamson Ranch Drive. Volunteers will receive instructions and the equipment necessary to accomplish the goal. The targeted area is within walking distance. Excluding inclement weather, future Neighborhood Cleanup events are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and the locations will be announced in advance.

Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community!

On April 6 just before 1 p.m. Antioch police received several calls of gun shots being heard/fired in the 1700 block of Spanos Drive with several people, described only as unknown race males, running from the area. No one reported to have witnessed the actual shooting.

Arriving officers found several bullet strikes to the side wall of a detached garage at 1732 Magnolia Drive. A vehicle parked in the driveway at that location was also struck several times. The residents were not home at the time of the shooting.

It was determined that two unknown responsibles were shooting at one another while fleeing the area. Several casings were found on Magnolia Drive with a second grouping found on Spanos Street. No victims of the gunfire were located at this time. Area hospitals have been notified.