Something Fishy by Michele Eaken

The Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch’s continues their partnership with Antioch’s Umpqua Bank and features five artists in their upcoming exhibit. The bank is a perfect venue for local artists to showcase their work, which changes every two months. The featured artists for the May-June are: Michelle Eaken, Arturo Garcia, Donna Merry, Paul Schorr and Peter J. Ruegg.

The new exhibit begins May 1st and continues through continues through June 29th.  The free artist reception is Wednesday, May 6th, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM.  Please attend the reception to show your support for these outstanding artists.

Umpqua Bank is located at 3700 Lone Tree Way and is open Monday-Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM, excluding bank holidays.  For more information or if you are an artist who would like to participate in future exhibits visit www.art4antioch.org or call Diane Gibson-Gray at (925) 325-9897.

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 60th installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program. The event will occur on Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the San Joaquin Ave/El Rey/West Tregallas Road neighborhoods.

This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from The Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program; Volunteers in Police Service; community volunteers 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.

Volunteers should report to Lone Tree Plaza for parking.(2734 West Tregallas Road).

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.

FROM THE DESK OF PEACHES OF ANTIOCH…

Hey Everybody!

I hope you are all as excited about my 7th Birthday Bash as I am! If you haven’t already heard about it, on Saturday, May 2, 2015, from 11am to 3pm, the Staff and Volunteers will be hosting my 7th Birthday Paw-ty at Antioch Animal Services! There will be a Piñata (for kids 10 and under only), a Coloring Contest, a Pin the Pretty Pink Bow on the Peaches Poster Game, Face Painting, Twisty Balloons, a Raffle for some AwesomePrizes, and lots and lots and lots of Birthday Cake!

My 7th Birthday Bash is Free to the public and that means you are all invited! You don’t have to bring a birthday present to attend, but if you’d like to bring one, what I want most of all is cleaning supplies for the Animal Shelter and Sponsorships for our Adoptable Cats and Dogs.

The greatest part about this event is that all Pit Bulls, Pit Bull mixes and Bully Breeds will have an adoption fee of only $7 in honor of my 7th Birthday! So if you’re looking to adopt a dog like me, Saturday, May 2, 2015 is the day!

Also, be sure to wear your Peaches t-shirt so we can get one giant group selfie with me and all of you!

Did I mention that there was going to be birthday cake?!

My 7th Birthday Bash is going to be quite the Paw-ty! So come on down and join the fun at Antioch Animal Services!

See you all on Saturday!

XOXOXO,

Peaches, Resident Shelter Dog

Antioch Animal Services

The Black Diamond Middle School band and orchestra.

By John Crowder

On Saturday, March 21, three ensembles of students from Black Diamond Middle School (BDMS) performed at the 2014-2015 California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Bay Section Solo/Ensemble Music Festival at San Jose State University, achieving two excellent and one superior rating.

Then, on Friday, March 27, at the CMEA Large Ensemble Festival held at Deer Valley High School (DVHS), both the Advanced Orchestra and the Festival Band received awards. Superior is the highest rating possible, and Excellent the second-highest.

Excellent ratings were earned by the String Trio of Jeremiah Franco, Joseph Griego and Sophia Thoman and the Woodwind group of Tiffany Danh, Brianna Keleti, Tia Zaiser, and Julian Uy. The superior rating was earned by the Percussion Duo of Abraham Moina and Patrick Queiroz.

A composite Superior Rating in performance and an excellent rating in sight-reading was achieved by the Advanced Orchestra. The Festival Band topped the rankings, and earned the coveted Unanimous Superior rating in performance, and another Superior in sight-reading.

The talented students making up the music groups will be performing in concert at the BDMS Open House, 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, May 7, then again on Tuesday, May 12, at the BDMS Spring Concert.

Phyllis James, principal at BDMS, credited the hard work of music teacher Damian Ting for much of the success of the music program.

“His caring and concern for our students is only surpassed by his love of music,” she said.

State Senate candidate, Mayor Steve Glazer, today, released his ten governing principles should he be elected in the California Senate special run-off election on May 19, 2015.

“Good government and thoughtful decision-making is rarely achieved without a solid blueprint,” Glazer said.  “By releasing these governing principles, voters will know exactly what they can expect from me in conducting their business in Sacramento. You’ll see in these principles my priorities to support education and the environment, and to promote civility and bi-partisanship.”

Glazer’s Ten Governing Principles are as follows:

1. Represent the people of our Senate district, not political parties or special interests. 

2. Maintain a balanced budget to allow government to help people, and people to have confidence in government.

3. Pursue bi-partisan decisions. They are always better and longer lasting.

4. Emphasize education as the gateway to opportunity and prosperity.

5. Work hard to set priorities and hold the line on taxes.

6. Incorporate environmental protection as a part of every decision.

7. Empower local decision-making rather than state mandates. It is more responsive and trustworthy.

8. Advance accountability and efficiency with every government program.

9. Promote civility and respect for all people and perspectives.

10. Conduct myself always with honesty and integrity.

“This framework of ten Governing Principles lays out the values I will use when I evaluate budget and policy initiatives,” said Glazer.

Glazer currently serves as the Mayor of Orinda and a Trustee of the California State University, 23-campus system. During his tenure on the Orinda City Council, Glazer has helped balance budgets while making improvements to schools, libraries and roads and is working to pass some of the strongest anti-tobacco laws in the State. He is running against State Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla.

State Senate District 7 includes the communities of Alamo, Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Sunol and Walnut Creek.

The Election will be held Tuesday, May 19.

By Allen Payton

Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Working Families Against Glazer for Senate, a union organization opposing Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer who is running against Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, in the special 7th State Senate election on May 19, has stated in a news release, this week, that “Glazer has made transparency a cornerstone of his candidacy. He has a ‘Transparency Pledge’ on his website and notes ‘voters…should not be left wondering what sort of promises any of us made to secure that position.’”

“Why then, when asked by the Contra Costa Times for an article that appeared over the weekend, did Glazer refuse to disclose his clients?” Maviglio asked. “Is it because voters will discover that what puts food on his table is that he’s a political consultant (his website doesn’t mention it)? Is it because they’ll connect the dots and discover that he earned $15,000 per month as a political consultant to JobsPAC, a political action committee, the same PAC that has put $906,290 toward electing him to the Senate?”

Maviglio offered some examples of Glazer’s clients and projects.

“In 1998, Glazer managed and was the spokesperson for the campaign supporting two Marin County measures that opened up Black Point Forest, the longtime site of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, to build 53 luxury homes and a golf course. According to Maviglio, the measures, A and B, allowed developers to cut down mature oak trees to make way for the 238-acre development project. Project opponents claimed it would destroy natural habitat and that the developer promised to set aside 64 acres for a wildlife reserve and replant trees to abate the damage.

In 2003, Glazer acted as the political strategist for New York-based mall and supermarket developer Newman Development Group as the company proposed building a big-box Lowe’s store in the town of Cotati in Sonoma County. The measure allowing the store (Measure B) passed by 34 votes in November, and following another unsuccessful initiative [to stop the project] in November, 2004, the store was built and became part of Cotati’s largest development at the time.

Beginning in 2007, Glazer worked as a consultant for the Gold Rush Land development in Amador County. The development project plans included the creation of 12 neighborhoods, of nearly 1,350 homes, a golf course, and community tennis courts on 945 acres within the city of Sutter Creek, a small town with a 2,000-plus population. The project also included assessments for a new fire station, a new water treatment plant, and land for a new school site and a library. The project was anticipated to more than double the population of the town and be completely built out over 20 years.”

“So, what other clients is Steve Glazer hiding?” Maviglio asked. “It’s time voters get an answer.”

In response, Glazer’s campaign spokesperson, Jason Bezis simply stated, “Steve has filed Form 700 for all his years of service on the city council (2004 to date). Per the law, they provide the disclosure of his clients over the past 10 years.”