One of Keith Pearson’s sons, Peyton, prepares to swing during the 2016 annual Whiffle Ball tournament.

Brian Howerton proudly displays this year’s T-shirt.

By Allen Payton

Keith Pearson was born and raised in Antioch and played baseball at Antioch High. In 2011 he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and died soon after.

“It’s the fastest rising cancer diagnosis and more often than not its terminal upon diagnosis,” said one of his good friends, Brian Howerton.

So, he and all of Keith’s other good friends started a memorial Whiffle Ball tournament in 2012 to support the American Cancer Society and to make sure his two boys, Preston and Peyton, now ages five and eight, get to play the sports they want to play.

Funds are raised from the fee each team pays to play, as well as from the sale of annual T-shirts and a raffle. This year’s tournament was played at Antioch’s Mira Vista Hills Park.

“I appreciate the continued support of Keith’s best friends even after his death and for helping our kids,” Keith’s widow Amy Pearson said during this year’s tournament on Saturday, September 24. “This is a great reunion every year. I just know he would wish he was here.”

For more information visit www.ecan.org., visit the group’s Facebook page or contact Scott Pearson.

By Tom Lamothe, Sports Legends Program Coordinator

The Antioch Sports Legends Museum is looking for volunteers to help with the 2016 Inductee Volunteer breakfast, Gala and different museum needs.

We are currently looking for volunteers interested in helping in a number of different positions for our program, for short periods of time. Depending on the position, volunteer commitments can be short term or on going.

At this time we are looking for Saturday docents from 1-4 p.m. Training is simple, reliability and a love of sports are key. Three hours a week. Four volunteers needed.

We are also looking for help making the Hall of Fame displays. Simple arts and crafts skills are required. We need scanning, photo trimming and pasting. An estimated three hour commitment. Two needed.

For the 8:00 am breakfast on October 8th, three volunteers are needed for serving food and directing cars. In appreciation, breakfast will be provided. An estimated 3.5 hour commitment.

We need a volunteer to support the program coordinator at the 2016 Hall of Fame Gala on October 8. Help with communicating with new hall of fame inductees, alumni and team inductees. Other small items as well. Five hours volunteered, a Gala dinner as compensation. One position open.

Two volunteers are needed to help with remaking the year round displays at the museum. Volunteer up to three hours a month. An interest in sports and decorating is a plus.

A volunteer is needed to take the minutes at our monthly General Meeting  on the first Wednesday of the month. Two hours on average per meeting.

One volunteer is needed to sort and file items in the Antioch Sports Legends office for three hours monthly.

Another is needed to type and create Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point documents through out the year. Six hours a month. Two positions open.

Now in our 10th year we reside in one of Antioch’s most recognized landmarks on West 4th Street in Antioch. Call 925-639-2536 if you have any questions.

The 75th Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, October 1^st from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 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.

We will be cleaning the neighborhoods along Almondridge Drive and Filbert Street between Willow Ave and Phillips Lane. See map, below. Volunteers will meet at Almondridge Park along Beechnut Street.

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!

Tamisha Walker, a re-entry professional and former convict, (center) speaks during the symposium, as fellow panelists (from left to right), Mary Kelly Persyn, founder and principal of Persyn Law & Policy, Sgt. Joe Johnson of the California Highway Patrol, Retired Oakley Police Officer Mark Hicks, who has a background in stolen car defense training, nurse Shonta Archie, and mental health professional and clinical therapist Dr. Richard Hanzy, look on and the audience listens. photo by Allen Payton

By Debbie Hicks

Antioch and East County residents had the opportunity to discuss and hear from a variety of panelists about President Obama’s report on 21st Century Policing during a symposium held in Antioch, Saturday night.  Organized by the recently formed Antioch Community Team (ACT), made up of local residents and parents, the symposium addressed the first pillar of the report, Trust and Legitimacy.

Organizers originally planned to focus the symposium on Antioch and had begin promoting it as such. But, once it was learned that neither Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando nor Captain Tammany Brooks, who learned about 21st Century Policing while at the FBI in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, could attend that evening, the focus was changed to a general discussion on issues affecting our nation. The group then published a new flyer reflecting that change.

The theme of the event was, ‘Building Bridges and Tearing Down Barriers’.  Current police-related deaths of African Americans across the country, have brought attention to the mistrust and damaged relationship between communities and law enforcement.  ACT assembled a panel of six professionals from Antioch and the Bay Area to have a proactive, meaningful discussion on how and why fear plays a role in affecting Trust and Legitimacy between law enforcement and communities-at-large.

Panelists included attorney Mary Kelly Persyn, founder and principal of Persyn Law & Policy, Sgt. Joe Johnson of the California Highway Patrol, Tamisha Walker, a re-entry professional and former convict, Retired Oakley Police Officer Mark Hicks, who has a background in stolen car defense training, Shonta Archie, a nurse and mental health professional and clinical therapist Dr. Richard Hanzy.

Held at the Delta Bay Church of Christ, the approximately 70 residents who attended, including some local officials, had the change to participate in the discussion. During public speaking and testimony, a diverse group of people described why trust was difficult to come by.  In order for us to build upon trust, all attendees concluded, we must continue to partner with each other, be respectful of one another, and continue to hold events which bring together communities and law enforcement to address current topics.  The importance of educating our community on difficult challenges officers experience every day, law enforcement having a better understanding of the community they serve and bringing young people into this discussion was also emphasized.

For information on future symposiums, email Con Johnson @conjohnson1@gmail. To learn more about 21st Century Policing, please see the original article about the symposium, here and click on the links at the bottom.

Hicks is one of the founders of ACT. Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

There were no big surprises in the results of the Community Priorities Survey paid for by the City of Antioch and shared with the Antioch City Council at their regular meeting, on Tuesday night.

“Crime and gangs are clearly perceived as the most-urgent problems in Antioch,” the headline of the survey results reads.

The live phone survey using both landline and cell phones, which lasted about 15 minutes according to some residents who received the call and participated, was taken between July 17 and 21, 2016 and conducted in both English and Spanish.

Of the 400 residents who participated in the survey, 75% of residents who responded said crime was very or extremely serious. Of those surveyed 72% also rated gangs and youth violence as very or extremely serious.

Homeless was the next highest rated problem, with 62% saying it’s very or extremely serious, followed by a lack of good-paying, local jobs, with 59% of respondents rating that issue very or extremely serious.

The next major concern was categorized as “An empty downtown,” with 53% of respondents rating that as very or extremely serious. Waste and inefficiency in local government had 46% of those surveyed calling it very or extremely serious, and another 32% rating it as somewhat serious, for a total of 78% of respondents giving it a serious rating.

The condition of the local economy had 43% of respondents rating it very or extremely serious, and another 39% rating it as somewhat serious.

Finally, in the categories which a majority of those surveyed rating as serious is traffic congestion, with 41% rating as very or extremely serious and another 32% rating it as somewhat serious.

The survey next stated “Few are concerned about development, or the lack of retail or parks” with only 17% of respondents saying “A lack of parks and open space” was very or extremely serious, and another 29% rating it as somewhat serious. However, 55% rated it as “not too serious” or “didn’t know” or provided “no answer.”

Then the survey states “A plurality feel the city is growing at the right pace.”

It also states “Respondents were overwhelmingly satisfied with existing parks; they are less satisfied with nightlife and fine dining options.”

The survey then focused on downtown Antioch, stating “Only half of respondents indicated they were familiar with Waldie Plaza,” and “More than three in five say they haven’t heard about plans for the former lumberyard,” the controversial  lot on which a group of residents are pursuing an initiative for a park and event center. The survey also states about the lumberyard, “Those who have heard something know relatively few details other than ‘new housing.'”

Finally, the survey states and provides a breakdown in statistics of answers by respondents that “Jobs and scenery were seen as top priorities for the land.” Of those surveyed, 77% said “Creating local jobs” was extremely important or very important, and another 15% said it was somewhat important, for a total of 92% saying it is important at some level.

Please see the complete results of the survey, here: antioch-community-priorities-survey-report