The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

From the Book of Luke, Chapter 2, in the Bible, New International Version. For more, click here.

Merry Christmas!

By Lieutenant Morefield, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Sunday, December 21, 2014 at approximately 2:38 PM, Antioch Police Officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 2100 block of Peppertree Way. The officers arrived to find a 23-year-old adult male Pittsburg resident suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he ultimately died from his injuries.

This case is currently being investigated by the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau. We are in the preliminary stages of this case, and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective James Stenger with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6894. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH

By Lt. Connie Hall, Corporate Officer, The Salvation Army of Antioch Corps

The Salvation Army needs your help. We are short on toys and may not reach our goal of providing Christmas to our neighbors in need. We have been able to fill nearly 270 request for help but are short on toys for nearly 100 families. We are in desperate need of brand new toys for girls age 6-12. Our shortfall comes due to a downturn in donations and our failure to receive our ‘Toys for Tot’ order. Please consider helping as every little bit can make a huge difference to a child in our community we are hoping that any agencies or community programs which have excess or have completed there distribution would be willing and able to share their resources.

Any thing at this point would help.

Please call (925) 778-0808 and drop off the toys at 620 E. Tregallas Road in Antioch, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.salvationsarmy.org.

USOC has decided to put forward a U.S. city for 2024

SAN FRANCISCO – A group of Bay Area business, sports and civic leaders has put together a preliminary proposal for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), which has decided to put forward a U.S. city to host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2024.

The USOC board of directors announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it has unanimously approved a U.S. bid to host the 2024 Games. San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., remain under consideration, with the selection of a U.S. bid city to be made in early 2015.

The decision came after representatives from each of the four cities presented plans to the USOC board of directors following six months of collaborative discussions regarding the technical elements required to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Those discussions will continue in the weeks ahead as the USOC moves toward announcing a candidate city.

“We are excited to announce our plans to put forth a bid for the 2024 Games and look forward to taking the next step of selecting from a group of four world-class cities to present a compelling and successful bid,” said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. “We’re grateful to the civic and political leaders in each of the four cities for the partnership that’s been demonstrated thus far, and confident that the deliberative process we’ve put in place is going to result in a strong U.S. bid that can truly serve the athletes and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”

The IOC will select the host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2017.

For the past several months, a group of local boosters has been laying the groundwork for a San Francisco bid, led by San Francisco Giants President & CEO Larry Baer, U.S. Olympian Anne Warner Cribbs, and entrepreneur and non-profit leader Steve Strandberg.

“We believe a San Francisco Bay Area Olympic and Paralympic Games would be an enormous success, and would benefit the region, the nation and the Games themselves, well beyond 2024,” Baer said. “Our region is renowned for connecting the world in new ways every day and we are ready to put that spirit and ingenuity to work for the Games.”

Infrastructure for large-scale sporting events and public gatherings has increased in the Bay Area in recent years, with new facilities at Cal and Stanford, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, an expanding Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, the San Jose Earthquakes Stadium currently being constructed, and a new arena planned for the Golden State Warriors in the city’s Mission Bay neighborhood.

These and many other facilities around the Bay Area would be considered for the Games, Baer said, but organizers have not yet released a venue plan.Baer, Cribbs and Strandberg have put together a team of volunteer organizers and are meeting with community leaders around the region, building support and making a case for why the Bay Area is a perfect showcase for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – and vice versa.

“With cultural values and a welcoming environment that embody the global mission of the Games, San Francisco is uniquely positioned to show the Olympics, the nation, and the region in the best possible light,” said Cribbs, a gold-medalist swimmer in the 1960 Olympics and CEO of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC). “We have the opportunity to put our unique stamp on the Games and inspire a new generation of American youth to pursue sports and fitness, while embracing the Olympic spirit of international friendship and cross-cultural exchange.”

The San Francisco organizers point to the enduring legacies of previous games in international destination cites like Barcelona, Sydney and London, and pledge that the Bay Area would enjoy lasting infrastructure and financial benefits as well.

“Hosting the Games would galvanize the Bay Area around some of our most pressing challenges,” Strandberg said. “In preparing for the Olympics, we would pull together to produce thousands of units of new affordable housing, improve our transportation systems, create new jobs, and establish new parks and recreational facilities – all of which will remain long after the Closing Ceremony.”

Cribbs, a native of Menlo Park, who earned her gold as a member of a relay team, emphasized teamwork.

“The region’s large and active family of Olympians and Paralympians will be involved in all aspects of the Bay Area’s efforts to host the 2024 Games,” she said. “When we get the entire Bay Area community pulling together in the same direction, we can do great things.”

The International Olympic Committee’s deadline for 2024 bid submissions is Sept. 15, 2015, with the host city to be determined in 2017. The timeline for the 2024 bidding process was announced during the IOC Extraordinary Session in early December, during which time the Olympic Agenda 2020 was finalized. Among the 40 recommendations – which were all unanimously approved – the reform package allows for a more flexible and cost-effective bidding process.

“All four cities have presented plans that are part of the long-term visions for their communities,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “At our request, and because of the preliminary nature of our discussions, the cities have not spoken about their bids publicly in great detail. That will be an important part of the process after we make our selection in January.”

The U.S. has not hosted the summer edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games since 1996 (Atlanta). St. Louis hosted in 1904 and Los Angeles held the Games in both 1932 and 1984.

To learn more or volunteer, visit www.sf2024.org, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SF2024 or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SF2024.

Deer Valley High’s Divine Voices performed for an audience of 3,600 during the 83rd annual California School Boards Association education conference, held in San Francisco’s Moscone Center on Monday, December 15.

The award-winning group was one of only two school choirs to be asked to perform. About 30 other high school choirs submitted audition tapes.

Superintendent Donald Gill, who was in attendance during the live performance said “They were phenomenal.”

The three-song performance, which was streamed live throughout the state, was given a standing ovation.

Special thanks to Antioch School Board Trustee Barbara Cowan for providing this information and photo.

Campaign will reject all negative campaign tactics

On Thursday, December 11, 2014, Democrat former Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan officially launched her “Positively for Us” campaign in her bid for California’s 7th Senate District (SD7). Buchanan and her campaign have taken the unusual step of committing to run a strictly positive race, and have promised to reject all negative tactics.

The Governor will call a special election for the SD7 seat when Senator Mark DeSaulnier resigns to be sworn into Congress in January. That election is expected to be held in March, 2015.

Buchanan said “I firmly believe that our democracy is harmed by the level of negativity that has become the standard in political campaigns. This was amplified last November when we were overwhelmed with endless negative TV, radio ads and mailers that did little more than anger voters of all political persuasions. I’ve heard from our community time and time again, that they are tired of these tactics and are reluctant to participate in such a destructive process.

My ‘Positively for Us’ campaign will focus on my record of accomplishments and my goals for the State Senate, and will address voters’ concerns by making real progress on issues that matter to us all.  No attacks or ‘comparisons’ – which are merely attacks in disguise – will be made by me or my campaign. With such a short window to communicate with voters, it is important that we focus on the issues, and not waste valuable time with attacks and negativity that do nothing more than keep voters from the polls.

I am not asking my opponents to take any kind of pledge, or to follow my lead, and I cannot control or direct independent expenditure committees. I am simply making a promise to voters so they know what they can expect from me and my campaign. My hope is that this type of campaign will foster a positive and constructive dialogue about what’s best for our future as a region.”

Nearly 60 local leaders are already backing Buchanan’s candidacy, and are encouraged by her positive approach. Livermore Mayor John Marchand, Former Antioch Mayor and current Councilmember Mary Rocha, Walnut Creek Mayor Bob Simmons, Danville Mayor Mike Doyle, Orinda Vice Mayor Victoria Smith and Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor are just a few who have already joined the groundswell of grassroots support for Buchanan.

Buchanan was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2008 and just completed a successful six year term, serving California’s 16th Assembly District (formerly 15th) which includes the cities of Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Prior to her service in the State Assembly, Buchanan served on the San Ramon Valley School board for 18 years, including four terms as president.

Prior to her years of public service, Joan was an analyst with Delta Dental and quickly became one of the fastest rising women in the company and was promoted to Director of Commercial Operations before the age of 30. She left the private sector to raise her five children and in the process became one of the San Ramon Valley’s most effective community activists and education advocates.

Joan is a 36-year resident of Alamo and a native Californian. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The 7th State Senate District contains 100% of Buchanan’s former seat of AD 16, and portions of three other Assembly Districts and 56.4% of the Senate District’s registered voters reside in AD 16 and have been represented by Buchanan. Of the remaining voters, 21.2% reside in AD 11 (represented by Jim Frazier), 22.1% reside in AD 14 (Susan Bonilla), and 0.3% reside in AD 20 (represented by Bill Quirk).

To learn more about the campaign, please visit www.JoanBuchanan.com. A complete list of current endorsements is below.

ENDORSEMENT LIST (as of December 10, 2014)

Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor, Danville Mayor Mike Doyle, Livermore Mayor John Marchand, Walnut Creek Mayor Bob Simmons, Former Dublin Mayor Janet Lockhart, Antioch Councilmember and former Mayor Mary Rocha, Dublin City Councilmembers Don Biddle and Kevin Hart, Danville Town Councilmember Renee Morgan and Former Councilmember Susanna Schlendorf, Lafayette City Councilmember Mike Anderson, Livermore City Vice-Mayor Laureen Turner and Councilmembers Stewart Gary, Doug Horner and Bob Woerner, and Former Mayor Marshall Kamena, Orinda Vice Mayor Victoria Smith and Councilmember Amy Worth, San Ramon City Councilmember Philip O’Loane, Former Pleasanton City Councilmember Cheryl Cook-Kallio, Former Walnut Creek City Councilmembers Charlie Abrams and Gwen Regalia, Acalanes Union High School District President Kathy Coppersmith, Antioch Unified School District Board Vice President Diane Gibson-Gray, Byron Unified School District Member Jill Sprenkel, Chabot Las Positas Community College District Board Members Isobel Dvorsky and Carol Vecchiarelli, Contra Costa Community College District Board Member Vicki Gordon, Dublin Unified School District Vice President Amy Miller and Board Member Dan Cunningham, Dublin Unified School District Board Members Megan Rouse and Greg Tomlinson, Lafayette School District President Teresa Gerringer, Liberty Union High School District Board Members Pauline Allred and Joanne Byer, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Board Members Craig Bueno and Kate Runyon, Orinda Union School District Board Members Carol Brown and Sarah Butler, Pleasanton Unified School District President Valerie Arkin, Members Chris Grant, Jim Ott, Jamie Yee Hintzke and Joan Laursen, and Former Member Jeff Bowser, Former Lafayette School District Board Member Shayne Silva, Walnut Creek School District Board Members Aimee Moss, Katie Pena and Barbara Pennington, San Ramon Valley Unified School District President Rachel Hurd and Vice President Denise Jennison, Former San Ramon Valley Education Association Presidents Darren Day and Mary Jane Keogh, Former San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board Members Marianne Gagen, Stuart Goldware, Chris Kenber, Allen Leck, Linda Wurzbach, Former Walnut Creek School District Board Member Arthur Clark, and East Bay Regional Parks District Board Members Bev Lane, Diane Burgis and Ayn Wieskamp.