Students and residents attend the Sutter Elementary School Art Exhibit at the Lynn House Gallery in March.

Students from two of Antioch Unified School District’s Elementary schools will showcase their original artwork at the Lynn House Gallery April 6th – 23rd. The exhibit is open to the public at no cost. There will be a reception on Wednesday, April 6th from 4-5:30 PM for students, their parents and the public. The exhibit continues through April 23rd on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-4 PM. Please join us as we celebrate these talented young people.

The Arts4Schools Program is sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, the City of Antioch, Cal Pine and Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund Grant from Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover. In addition to sponsoring the gallery exhibit, the grant provides $500 to each participating school to be used for art and cultural supplies and educational endeavors.

For more information about each exhibit call Diane Gibson-Gray at (925) 325-9897 or email Diane@Art4Antioch.org. The Lynn House Gallery is located in the Rivertown District at 809 W. 1st Street, Antioch (across from the AMTRAK Train Station) and is open from 1 – 4 PM on Wednesdays and Saturdays during exhibits and admission is free.

Mike Neff with Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock.

The week of March 21 – 25 marked Meals on Wheels of America’s “March for Meals Community Champions Week,” a national campaign to raise awareness about senior needs, especially around hunger and isolation.

As a member agency, Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services (MOWSOS) participated locally and invited community leaders to take part in meal delivery ride-a-longs to homebound, frail seniors around the county.

Community leaders who participated included Antioch Mayor Pro-Tem Lori Ogorchock; District V Supervisor Federal Glover; Clayton Mayor Howard Geller; Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder;  Pleasant Hill Mayor Sue Noack; Oakley Mayor Kevin Romick;  Orinda Mayor Victoria Smith; Walnut Creek Mayor Pro-Tem Rich Carlston; Pleasant Hill Councilmember, Tim Flaherty; Concord Councilmember Dan Helix; Walnut Creek Councilmember Bob Simmons; Bay Point All in One President, Delano Johnson;  Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Lt. Paul O’Mary, and Deputies Katie Rhoe and Matt Buckley;  Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County Executive Director, Will McGarvey; Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council Member Debra Mason; American Medical Response (AMR), Public Information Officer, Alicia Moore and EMT’s Sarah Dotson and Jason Kalan; Dayna Wilson, Keller Williams Realtor.

“It was a great day,” said Ogorchock, who rode on an Antioch meal delivery route with volunteer driver, Mike Neff.  “Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services does a great service in our community by keeping our seniors safe and healthy.”

If you or your civic or community group, are available to help, please contact Carol Louisell, Director of Community Engagement at clouisell@mowsos.org or 925-954-8736.  An on-line application, an orientation, and background check are required.

Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson, candidate for District 3, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, announced that she earned the endorsement of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1021.

“We support Monica for her strong support for high-quality County services, her commitment to economic development that works for working families, and her proven ability to unite and lead state/regional policy makers in protecting our Delta water from tunnel schemes,” said Dan Jameyson, SEIU 1021 Contra Costa Chapter President.

SEIU 1021 represents over 54,000 employees in Northern California in industries ranging from healthcare, non-profits, local governments and schools.

“SEIU 1021 is one of the County’s largest unions,” Monica said. “I’m honored by this endorsement because it shows that Contra Costa’s working families are behind my campaign and we have momentum.”

Wilson is a Workforce Service Specialist for the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County. District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen, Blackhawk, Diablo and most of Antioch. The election is June 7th.

For more information on SEIU 1021 in Contra Costa County, click here. For more information about Wilson’s campaign visit www.monicawilsonforsupervisor.com.

The office of Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, is offering a free tax assistance workshop for East Contra Costa County residents.

What: Free Tax Assistance Workshop

Where: 420 West Third Street, Antioch, CA

Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Time: From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact: George Escutia, Office of Sen. Glazer, 925-942-6082

The event, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, is free for taxpayers with annual incomes of $54,000 or less. Contra Costa County’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It!  program will provide assistance.

Volunteers are certified by the IRS and all information is confidential. This is a free service for low-to-moderate income taxpayers filing basic federal and California state tax returns.

Contra Costa’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS) Campaign is part of a regional effort that provides free tax assistance to low-income workers and helps them to receive their full tax refunds and credits.

EKS is a project of the Family Economic Security Partnership (FESP). FESP is a public, private, and non-profit collaborative dedicated to increasing the income and building the assets of low-income individuals and families living in Contra Costa County.