The Keep Antioch Beautiful Committee is seeking volunteers for the 2013 Keep Antioch Beautiful volunteer cleanup event on Saturday, April 20.

Over the past three years, over 1,500 volunteers turned out for this all-volunteer event and 30,000 pounds of trash was collected and deposited in Allied Waste dumpsters located at local schools.  The 4th annual event once again chaired by former Antioch Councilmember Martha Parsons and this year is co-chaired by Antioch Mayor Wade Harper and will be held on Saturday, April 20th from 8:30-11 AM. A free volunteer thank you lunch will be served following the event at Contra Loma Regional Park. This is your opportunity to give back to your community. To sign up for the event, you may register on line at http://art4antioch.org//Keep-Antioch-Beautiful.asp.

Many individuals and organizations are supporting this event and the event is funded fully by the following sponsors: City of Antioch, Antioch Unified School District, Allied Waste, Honeywell, Walmart, Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, NRG Energy, East Bay Regional Parks, Pinky’s Klassy Kar Wash, Paintball Park, Paradise Skate, Dick Straub (In Memoriam), Jim Lanter Antioch State Farm Insurance Agent, Antioch Coin & Jewelry and Central Self Storage of Antioch.

Groups, service clubs and others are volunteering at the event. Volunteer groups include: AHS & DVHS Key Clubs, Boys Scouts Troops of Antioch, Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch, Rivertown Preservation Society, and UCBN.

For more information call (925) 779-6137, option 1. You can also follow us on Facebook “Keep Antioch Beautiful” Group. Committee members are also available to speak to clubs, groups, organizations, etc.

Lifelong Antioch resident and longtime community volunteer Gloria Martin was honored with Antioch’s 2012 Citizen of the Year Lifetime Achievement award at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner on Friday, March 8, 2013.

Gloria quietly gives back to her community through philanthropic support by way of the Martin Family Foundation, through countless volunteer hours in various community service organizations and provides continues support of the history of Antioch through the Antioch Historical Society and as an Antioch Senior High Alumni.

Gloria developed her community spirit as a student in Antioch schools, attending Fremont Elementary, Antioch Junior High School and was among the first graduates of the current Antioch High School on 18^th Street. “I learned early that this is the way the community is; you can’t help but get involved. Kids and schools need help,” She said in a recent interview. “I love to help kids who need help in our community.” She is a proud Rotarian with twenty years of perfect attendance. She’s held the office of Sergeant at Arms for many years and lives the Rotary motto of “Service above self”, participating in dictionary and coat give-away projects for local children. She’s been an active board member of the Antioch Schools Education foundation for more than ten years; chairing their Fellows Award dinner which honors Antioch’s outstanding teachers. She’s visited the classrooms of nominees, and assisted with the raffle and the auction each year to raise money for grants for school class rooms.

Gloria loves sports; especially football. She is an active member and supporter of the Antioch Historical Society’s Sports Legends since its inception six years ago. She has chaired their Hall of Fame Gala each year for more than 300 people.

Gloria is an active member of Holy Rosary church, belongs to the Pittsburg Elks Club and is a member of the Antioch Woman’s Club. She’s been a member of the Umpqua Bank advisory board since 2002. She has participated in red ribbon week, food banks and the Antioch Senior Center while supporting dozens of other nonprofits including An Elderly Wish Foundation, the Police Activities League, Antioch High School, East County Boys & Girls Club with a special place in her heart for the REACH project. And she’s been a member of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce for nearly 20 years.

Gloria Martin is a life time Antioch resident who was born in a house in the 2800 block of Lone Tree Way. In, 1967, Gloria and her late husband Jimmie Martin founded the successful Merit Ends, after finding a niche in the steel industry. Gloria with her children, Jim “Mac” and daughter Marlane, work endless hours support and volunteering at numerous fundraisers in Antioch.

Erin McDaid was honored as Antioch’s 2012 Student of the Year at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner, on Friday, March 8, 2013.

Erin is a senior at Dozier-Libbey Medical High School and has expressed career interest in biology and medicine.

Erin has a GPA of over 4.0 due to her outstanding work in the classroom. She is a tremendous benefit to her fellow students, especially by her lab group. She is thoughtful in her responses and is very good at bringing together various ideas and forming one cohesive thought.

Outside of the classroom, Erin has been the president of the Interact Club and is very involved in the local Relay for Life chapter. During the holiday season, Erin volunteers as a Salvation Army Bell Ringer, is an active member of the California Scholarship Federation and Dozier-Libbey’s HOSA (Health Occupations Students Association) Chapter.

Erin knows how to be a leader and bring out the best in others. She is the type of student every teacher wishes they could have in their class.

Brittney Gougeon was honored as the 2012 Antioch Citizen of the Year – Most Impact for her work starting the community group Take Back Antioch, at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner, on Friday, March 8, 2013.

Gougeon started Take Back Antioch (TBA), comprised of a group of concerned citizens who actively look for positive, sustainable solutions to the crime and blight that have developed in our city, because she was frustrated. Frustrated by her friend’s car being burglarized, frustrated by hearing that Antioch’s 2010 homicide number was now at unlucky 13 and her frustration continued to grow.

Brittney took her frustration to Facebook and created a Take Back Antioch and invited residents not only to share how crime and blight were affecting their neighborhood but to suggest solutions. In less than two weeks more than 400 people had expressed their appreciation of the site by clicking the “Like” button and a group of residents who wanted to help turn around the situation had started to form a nonprofit organization. Nearly two years later, that little idea not only has garnered upward of over 4,200 “Likes”.

The TBA website lists the phone numbers to call about problems that included abandoned shopping carts, overgrown weeds and illegal dumping, the police non-emergency number and more. But Take Back Antioch is considerably more than an online directory: The Facebook page has attracted volunteers who have used part of the $13,978 the group has received in donations since its inception to help two vandalized schools as well as contribute the majority of the funds toward the replacement of a park’s play structure damaged by fire.

TBA is in the process of becoming an official non-profit organization, also known as 501(c)3, in order to help us achieve our goals by allowing us to apply for federal grants and solicit corporate donations that are only available to non-profit organizations.

Brittney’s efforts show how one person can make a difference.

Men are invited to gather at City Park in Antioch, Saturday at 7:15 am, prayer starts promptly at 7:30. For more information, contact Mike Pollard at foreveryoungmike@yahoo.com.

Local youth sports organization, The Delta Baseball & Softball League, announced today its donation of over $2,750 to Antioch schools.

In 2012 the board of director for the Delta embarked on a new initiative, “Delta Goes to Bat for Schools.” The purpose of the program is to two-fold: in partnering with local schools, the league strives to demonstrate to its players the overriding importance of education. In the words of board member Rick Hilton, “baseball and other team sports are important in the development of our children, but every player should be reminded that school must always come first.”

A secondary mission of the program is to promote the importance of physical education and both individual and team sports within schools. According to board member David Chuey, “sports in general and team sports specifically teach kids things like communication, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and responsibility – all qualities that aid in their overall physical and educational development.”

The program, now in its second year, encourages schools and their PTA/PTO to get kids involved in baseball/softball and other team and individual sports. A percentage of the fees families pay to play in the Delta Baseball & Softball League are donated back to the school that the player attends. This year Delta is giving back over $2,750 to public, charter and private schools in Antioch, Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood, and Discovery Bay. Representatives from the three schools with the greatest number of players in the Delta Baseball & Softball League – Diablo Vista Elementary School, Holy Rosary Catholic School and Cornerstone Christian School – have been invited to the League’s Opening Day at Freedom High School on March 23, 2013 as honored guests. The league will present checks to each of the represented schools as a part of their opening day ceremony.

The Delta Baseball and Softball League, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was founded in 1984 as the Delta Peanut League by a group of like-minded parents seeking an alternative to the high pressure, high intensity youth sports leagues available at the time. Though originally serving only 6-8 year old “peanuts”, the league has grown over the past 30 years to include children from age 4 to 13, and today has both non-competitive divisions carrying on the legacy and vision of the league founders, and competitive divisions playing under banner of Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Softball.

In 2007 the league added a division for differently-abled children, the CHAMP division (formerly FREEDOM division) where physically or mentally challenged children learn and play baseball free of charge alongside all of the other children in the league.

The league’s mission statement is to “strive to provide a positive and instructional baseball and softball league for children where the focus is on participation, fundamentals and enjoyment of the game; all in a safe environment where everyone is treated fairly.” League President Jarrod Wiener says these core fundamentals apply to all league divisions, baseball and softball, competitive, non-competitive and CHAMP.

To find out more about the Delta Baseball & Softball League please visit them at www.deltabaseballleague.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DeltaBaseballandSoftballLeague.

Los Medanos College (LMC) is preparing to host the annual “Celebrating the Life of César Chávez” awards ceremony on Friday, March 29 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the college’s Music Recital Hall. The college is located at 2700 East Leland Road in Pittsburg. The public is welcome to attend.

Los Medanos College hosts this annual event to honor the life of César Chávez and to recognize leaders in the East Contra Costa community who continue the great tradition of service and social activism exemplified by labor/human rights activist and leader, Mr. César Chávez. Mr. César Chávez, a true American hero, exemplifies service to community and non-violent social change.

The college is now seeking nominations for three recognition awards, which will be presented at the event. The LMC César Chávez Award for Exemplary Community Service, established in 1995, is awarded to one of our local citizens who best represents the following core values established by César Chávez: Service to Others, Sacrifice, Help the Most Needy, Determination, Non-violence, Tolerance, Respect for Life, Celebrating Community, Knowledge and Innovation. The East County Educator Award honors a member of the educational community who demonstrates the above values and a commitment to student success and educational equity, particularly for low-income students and students of color. The Chávez Spirit Award recognizes an emerging leader who is making an impact in the areas of advocacy and social justice.

To nominate someone for one or more of these awards, please visit: www.losmedanos.edu/chavez/nominate. The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 4, 2013.

For more information, contact Jennifer Adams, jadams@losmedanos.edu or (925) 439-2181 x3103.