Sheriff David O. Livingston. From CCCSheriff website.

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston has provided at the request of the Contra Costa Herald a copy of his Dec. 1 letter to answer questions whether the department is out of compliance with federal immigration laws that entitled the Coroner-Sheriff Office to nearly $25 million in federal grants in 2016. CCSheriff ltr to DOJ re 8 USC 1373 Compliance 12-1-17

The sheriff’s letter was due Dec, 8, and he essentially informed U. S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan Hanson that the Office of the Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner is in compliance with federal immigration policy. That is in spite of the fact that beginning Jan. 1, 2018 California law enforcement agencies must begin to enforce Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act or what is better known as the sanctuary state law.

Livingston included with the letter his department’s draft policy on how it will and won’t cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which was issued Dec. 3, 2013 and updated on Nov. 16, 2017.

In his letter to Hanson, Livingston wrote:

“The California Values Act, with we must comply. That Act provides specifically that it does not authorize information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful of an individual, or from requesting from federal immigration authority’s immigration status information lawful or unlawful of an individual, or maintaining or exchanging that information with any other federal, state, or local government entity.”

Sheriff Livingston missed attending the Dec. 7 meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee meeting, disappointing a number of committee members who wanted to hear him comment and answer questions about the draft policy on ICE-undocumented jail inmates, but obviously were unable to do so.

“I am surprised and disappointed that the sheriff is not here,” said District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond at the committee meeting. “I don’t know if this has ever happened before where the sheriff has not appeared at a Public Protection Committee meeting.”

Please see related article.

“Glory to the Newborn King!”

Here are the words to the song that memorializes the most important herald that has ever been – the announcement by the angels of the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus the Christ, the long-prophesied messiah, born in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.  He was born to bridge the gap between humans and God, due to the sin in their lives, which breaks our fellowship and relationship with Him. This year, you can know the true meaning of Christmas by opening your heart to the message and reason for the season, the birth, perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Learn more by clicking here.  Enjoy the lyrics and song of “Hark the herald angels sing.”

Merry Christmas!

Allen Payton, Publisher

Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

To hear it sung, click here. 

"Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder
of the Methodist church, in 1739. A somber man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus
“Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix
Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the
printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of
“Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

One of the winning decorated windows of G St. Mercantile at the corner of W. Second Street in downtown Rivertown.

By Allen Payton

The winner of the 2017 Antioch Rivertown Holiday Store & Window Décor Contest is G St. Mercantile. Congratulations to owners Michael Gabrielson and Brandon Woods. They edged out the two-time reigning champion Urban Jumble by just seven votes and will receive a free quarter-page ad in the Herald. Thanks to John Goodson for helping count the ballots and to Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe for picking the winning ballot entries for the prizes. Thank you to all the shops that participated in this year’s contest.

Winners of the prize drawings are as follows:

$50 Gift Certificate to G St. Mercantile from Jim Lanter State Farm – Donna Langer

$50 Gift Certificate from Urban Jumble – Denise Ridolfi

$50 Gift Certificate from East County Veterans Thrift Store – Kathy Kunz

Desk Clock from American Trophies – Christina Wilcox

Tickets to Maya Cinemas from Reign Salon – April Celosse

2 Tickets to the performance of choice from El Campanil Theatre – Tricia Roberts

Prize from Oddly Unique – Steve Perdue

Prize from Rivertown Treasure Chest – Mary Knight

Winners will be contacted by the merchant.

Take a drive this weekend to Rivertown and see all the decorated stores and windows. Take A Street, G Street, L Street or Auto Center Drive north toward the river.

Frank Ballesteros’ production of the play Humbug! will have two more performances tonight, Saturday Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the Antioch Historical Society, 1500 W. Fourth Street.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and senior citizens, and $6 for children (ages 7-12 years old). There are no advance ticket sales.

Fellowship Church is located at 4873 Lone Tree Way in Antioch between Staples and Walmart. Free tickets are available by clicking here. For more information visit www.tfcpeople.com. Merry Christmas!

Suspect Eric Rojo and the guns and cash he possessed when arrested. Photos by Concord PD

According to a post on the Concord Police Facebook page Friday, Dec. 22, “Last night around 10:30 pm, Special Enforcement Team officers found a suspicious vehicle parked in a parking lot on Lacey Lane. They contacted the male in the driver’s seat, Eric Rojo, and female occupant who were drinking alcohol in the car. Officers developed probable cause to search the car and found a loaded handgun.

SET obtained a search warrant for the male’s residence in Antioch and found a loaded short barreled assault rifle, another loaded handgun, over an ounce of cocaine, and evidence of cocaine sales. Rojo was booked at CPD and later into county jail.”