(L-R) Joy Motts, Bill Cook, Kerry Motts, Bob Corrado, Lori Cook, Walter Ruehlig and Nancy Kelly

In preparation for the upcoming Antioch July 4th parade and fireworks, volunteers from the Antioch Garden Club, Rivertown Preservation Society and the Antioch July 4th Celebration Committee braved three-digit temperatures to plant flowers and mulch to beautify the planters along Second Street in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown.

The Antioch Salvation Army will hold its Summer Day Camp, June 18-August 10, 2012 at The Salvation Army, Antioch Corps and Community Center.

What is Summer DayCamp? DayCamp is a Summer Activities program for children grades K-6.

What are the daily operating hours? Day Camp hours are from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

What will my child do in Day Camp? In Day Camp your child will study lessons which celebrate cultural differences and family values; as well as lessons in Reading, Writing, and Math. Day Camp also includes weekly outings to places that might include; Marine World, The Zoo, The Jungle, etc. They will also have daily crafts, activities, movies, rallies, special guests and performances, games, sports and physical fitness.

How much does it cost? The cost of Summer Day Camp is $95.00 per week with a one time registration fee of $20.00 (there is a $10.00 per child tuition discount for siblings).

What is included in this cost? The weekly program fee covers your child’s daily crafts and T shirt,

Also included in the weekly fee is breakfast, lunch and snacks daily.

You can help a child go to Day Camp.

For more information and applications; call Tabitha or Maria at The Antioch Salvation Army (925) 778-0808 or Denise at (925)778-0303.

Antioch/Pittsburg, June 23^rd to June 24^th 2012 – The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Antioch/Pittsburg is just around the corner. This “celebration of life” brings the Antioch/Pittsburg community together in a united effort to celebrate the lives of those who have faced cancer, remember the loved ones lost and fight against the disease.

Former and current cancer patients and caretakers, those who have lost a loved one to cancer, families, businesses, civic organizations and the public are invited to take part in this exciting event. Relay For Life takes place from 10:00 am on Saturday, June 23^rd to 10:00 am on Sunday, June 24^th, 2012 at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a family-orientated event where participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team and also raise funds to help eliminate cancer. Participants camp out at the Relay site, and when they are not taking their turn walking, they take part in fun activities and enjoy local entertainment. The event helps communities celebrate those who have faced cancer, remember the loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.

Teams from companies, churches, organizations, hospitals, and schools collect donations and can win individual and team prizes for their efforts.

“Relay For Life brings the progress against cancer to the forefront,” said Judy Dawson, Event Chair. “Many participants are our family, friends, and neighbors who have dealt with cancer themselves. Their environment is proof of the progress that has been not only reducing death rates, but also in the quality of life following cancer treatment.

“The funds raised enable us to continue our investment in the fight back against cancer through research, education, advocacy, and patient services,” said Judy Dawson. “Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors like Starbucks and Wal-Mart, the money raised by participants goes directly to the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving programs.” Information about how to form a team or become involved in Relay For Life is available by contacting Event Chair Judy Dawson: judy_dawson@att.net, 925-787-9021 or Event Co-Chair Michele Littlefield: mmm5864@comcast.net, 925-813-5274 or visit www.RelayFor Life.org/antiochca or 1-800-227-2345

By Natalie Souza-Rapp

In 2011, Ms. Christine O’Brien became the first woman President of the Antioch Rotary Club. The club has been serving the Antioch community for 65 years since it was formed in 1947. If anyone has ever wondered “who belongs to the Rotary Club and what do they do?” The organization is comprised of Antioch businessmen and women, and community leaders with a passion to serve people in our community, as well as internationally, who are in need. The Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”, is the driving force behind the group.

As a mother of 20-year-old twins, O’Brien moved to the United States in 1983 from Australia and has been living in Antioch since 2010. She has been working in the community since 2002 and manages both Bank of the West branches in town.

O’Brien joined the Antioch Rotary Club in 2003 because she wanted to meet people in the community and give back. When asked “what prompted her to serve as Club President?” she replied, “it is an honor and a privilege to serve as the first woman President.” She enjoys giving her time to all the great causes the organization helps.

The club meets every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. Many people tend to view Rotary as an older men’s club. However, there are “young men and women Rotarians”, says O’Brien. Rotary is made up of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things”, she added.

Rotarians believe in living by a life-long standard known as the ‘4-Way Test’. In all things they say and do, a Rotarian will ask the following: 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? This sounds like a perfect standard for all to live by.

Just some good works the Rotary Club provides include: coats for kids, food for the hungry, Christmas gifts and Easter baskets to our youth. Their biggest program in Antioch is providing free dictionaries to the children in the community. In partnership with Delta Rotary Club of Antioch, Antioch 3rd graders in 11 schools received dictionaries this past year. On an international level, Rotarians are well known for their fight against polio. Rotary International is striving for a world where all children can get the polio vaccine.

On May 18, the Rotary Club had their 19th Annual Golf Tournament at Lone Tree. This is their biggest fundraiser which helps fund the following year’s projects. This is O’Brien’s favorite organization. “Collectively, as a group, we do amazing things” she said.

O’Brien will complete her term at the Club’s annual “Demotion Party” where they roast the outgoing president and induct the club’s president for the new year beginning July 1st.

To learn more about the Antioch Rotary Club, visit their website at www.antiochrotaryclub.org or on Facebook by typing in Antioch Rotary Club.

Dust off those picnic blankets and baskets and start practicing your best two-bar rendition of ooohhh-aaahhh! Yes, the outcome is certified with no ifs and or buts. By popular demand, Antioch is bringing back the Fourth of July full skinny this year, fireworks included.

The festivities start at 5 p.m. with a classic car show in the City Hall parking lot at 2nd and H and a Kids Zone at Waldie Plaza. Two DJ’s will entertain us.

For those wishing to come light, there will be half a dozen food vendors selling pizza, burgers, hot dogs, burritos, tacos, ice cream and other goodies.

The Parade, starting at 7 p.m. has something for everyone, from a marching band, Scouts and veterans, classic cars, tanks, school buses, martial arts and dance performers, to clowns and a circus performer. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the Budweiser Clydesdales. The Parade Awards presentation will follow at 9.m.

Then the fireworks extravaganza, this year with accompanying patriotic music all along the waterfront, starts at 9:30 p.m.

In years past, crowds have been fifteen to twenty thousand people, but get there early as this one promises to be a knockout. Remember, we’re the only show in the area, that night.

Here’s a plea. Since the celebration is completely privately funded, this year, it takes the proverbial village to make this happen. Two years ago Susan Davis and Martha Parsons kept the patriotic embers alive by sponsoring a parade at Somersville Towne Center. Last year Allen Payton and I took on the mission, with the indispensable organizing help of Louise Green, of bringing the parade back to where we all agree it belongs – Rivertown.

Then for this year’s celebration, within weeks after the last parade ended, a July 4^th Celebration Committee formed to go the full nine yards and seek $65,000 needed to ensure we had fireworks – with all the costs covered including the fireworks company, barge, tuboat, permits, parade and city staff hours, including police overtime needed for the show.

In fact, along the way of our initial monthly and now weekly meetings, we added a bonus. In talking with merchants about the Celebration we realized that having our downtown trees lit year-round would do wonders for the ambiance, so, primarily through the work of Joy Motts, we have raised an ancillary $5,000 in cash and $5,000 in labor. Count Rivertown now lit.

Susan Davis, Louise Green, Allen Payton and I are co-chairing the Committee. Joy Motts and Martha Parsons are Fundraising Co-Chairs, spearheading the prodigious task of raising money. Jim Lanter and Rivertown Impressions are handling the T-shirts and postcards. Louise Green and family are managing the sound and car show and she, Susan Davis and I are orchestrating the parade applications, sequencing and trophies.

Robin Agopian oversees food vendors and youth group water sales. Connie Komar graciously hosts our meetings at her Rick’s on Second restaurant, feeding us freshly baked cookies to keep the enthusiasm high. Carole Harrison has been our faithful scribe and she and her husband, Wayne, are working with store can collections, poster distribution, security and clean-up details. Jeff Warrenburg is running a delightful Kids Zone. Diane Gibson-Gray of the Antioch Arts & Cultural Foundation and Sean Wright of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, are assisting in the fundraising with the use of the non-profit foundations.

The community, as well, has been instrumental in making this celebration a reality: Kiwanis of the Delta-Antioch donated the event insurance and the Soroptimist Club will be donating the proceeds from glo-stick sales, Universal Sweep are donating the street sweeping the day before the event, Allied-Waste is donating the portable toilets, Funnygate Publishing donated the website design, Unlimited Graphic & Sign Network donated their labor for the fundraising signs, John Slatten’s East County Insurance lent us use of their fax number, eTanzUSA helped secure the fireworks contract, and the Antioch Herald has helped with publicity.

Our cornerstone grant, a magnificent $25,000 has come from the generosity of the GenOn Community Fund and Supervisor Federal Glover.

Major sponsors are Allied Waste, PG&E, The Beswick Family Fund/Sharon Beswick, Macy’s, Mike’s Autobody, Leo Fontana, Electrical Industry Advancement Program-IBEW Local 302, Contra Costa Building & Construction Trades Council, VFW, Roddy Ranch Golf Club, Antioch Woman’s Club, Joe & Martha Goralka and Pinky’s Klassy Karwash.

Special thanks also to the City of Antioch staff for their cooperation and the owners of Fulton Shipyard, as well as Ron Greger of Greger Marine and Chris Lauritzen for assistance with the barge, tugboat and patrol boat.

The story doesn’t end there though. We need public support as we are still about $10,000 short of our goal. Our motto is “Give $4 for the Fourth” because if every family in Antioch just gave $4 we’d more than meet our goal. Of course, if a family can spare ten or twenty, or more, bless them. Anything extra will be used as seed money for next year. We started at zero, this year and prefer not to do that, again!

You can drop off a check at the Chamber or Commerce or mail to the Antioch July 4^th, 21012 Celebration Committee c/o the Antioch Chamber Community Foundation, 101 H St. #4, Antioch, CA 94509.

You can also visit www.AntiochJuly4th.com and contribute thru PayPal or sign up to participate in the parade. Also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/antioch.julyfourth.

Obviously, an event of this magnitude takes many helping hands. You can help promote the event, too. Just look for the full-page poster inside the June issue of the Antioch Herald, cut it out and tape it in your window, in your lunch room at work or anywhere people can see it.

Every bit helps as we bring back a family-friendly Antioch tradition and honor the most patriotic of American holidays.

Now on the count of three…… ooohhh, aaahhh!

Walter Ruehlig, Co-Chair, Antioch July 4^th Celebration Committee

Exciting arena events, a concert series, contests, carnival rides, livestock, exhibits and more

This week’s Contra Costa County Fair is happening Thursday through Sunday at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

With four days of fun planned for Fair-goers of all ages, the Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, carnival rides, animals, and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment.

For entertainment, the Fair’s 2012 concert series features the Spazmatics on Thursday night; Nathan Owen Motown After Dark on Friday evening; and Rockin’ Down the Highway (a tribute to the Doobie Brothers), Cream of Clapton (a tribute to Eric Clapton), and Blaze of Glory (a tribute to Bon Jovi) on Saturday evening. On Sunday afternoon, find musical entertainment at the Main Stage with FRESH, and on the Fiesta Stage, enjoy a Hispanic Musical Celebration. All concerts are free with admission to the Fair.

This year’s exciting arena events take place on Saturday and Sunday evenings. On Saturday, watch Stock Car Racing at the Speedway. On Sunday, don’t miss the crashing and demolition at the Boat Trailer Races and the Roll Over Competition. Cost is $6 per event, and tickets to these events will be sold at the gate.

While visiting the Fair, take time to see some of the many daily events – the Sea Lion Splash, Magic on the Midway, Tyzen the Hypnotist, Jeremy the Juggler, Dr. Solar’s Magic Show, Wild West Express Cowboys, and Circus Imagination. Or hop on a carnival ride, enjoy a delicious Fair treat, play a game on the mid-way, see the livestock exhibit, or stroll the Ag Museum. A complete schedule of events is available online at www.ContraCostaFair.com.

Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm. Admission is $8 for adults (13 and older), $5 for seniors, $5 for children 6 to 12, and children five and under receive free admission.

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10^th Street in Antioch. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.