the Three Kings, Walter Ruehlig, Sherry Morris and Steven Morris posing with Yadeli Garcia Ronzalez, Fernado Garcia and Jezelle Garcia. During the event children were given the opportunity to make their own colorful crowns, decorate stars and color pictures of the Three Kings. The Ballet Folklorico from Brentwood share many colorful dance numbers and children were able to have a photo opportunity with the Three Kings and take home their own photos. It was a wonderful event and everyone in attendance had a terrific time. Photo courtesy of Sharon Cross

Walter Ruehlig

True to form, Somersville Towne Center and their Manager, Sharon Cross, was a sterling neighbor and community partner this past weekend. In conjunction with Carmen and Charles Ochoa and Give Always to Others the Mall presented a Three Kings Celebration.

This is a major holiday in Mexico, and in many ways is more festive than Christmas, with boys dressing in crowns and girls in splendid native dress. It is a culmination and celebrates God, through His Son Jesus being seen in physical form.

Well over a hundred wide-eyed kids, mostly Latino Americans, and their parents, showed up Friday evening the 6th to celebrate the Ephipany, which honors the Three Kings, also known as the Biblical Magi or Three Wise Men from the East, who were sent by King Herod to follow the star and find the newborn Savior, who they found in Bethlehem of Judea.

A magnificent band played and City Councilwoman Mary Rocha emceed the event. The Three Kings, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense (a kind of incense) and myrrh (an embalming oil) were played in colorful costume by Steve Morris, Sherry Morris and Walter Ruehlig. The gifts, symbolizing kingship, deity and death, were lent by St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church, which is reenacting Matthew’s accounting at this weekend’s Masses.

Bearded Steve played the Arab Scholar Balthazar; his wife, Sherry, who sewed the garments, played the Persian scholar Caspar; and Walter Ruehlig played Melchior, the Babylonian scholar. After explaining their divine mission they posed with each child for pictures in front of a manger. Aftewrads, ribboned cellophane bags containing fruit and candies were given to the children alog with cake and hot cocoa.

Stay tuned as after this year’s gushing success, next year promises to be grander yet.

The Deer Valley High School Band & Auxiliary Boosters will host an all-you-can-eat Crab Feed & Tri-Tip Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, Sunset Hall, 1201 W. 10th St., Antioch.

Tickets are $45 per person and includes Marinated Crab, Tri Tip, Salad, Pasta, Garlic Bread and Dessert. Full bar available. Raffles, auctions and Live Jazz. Doors open at 6PM with dinner at 7PM. All proceeds will benefit DVHS band programs.

For tickets and information, call Eric Wunderly at 925-755-2724. No tickets sold at the door.

Dallas Ranch PTSA will be having our 3rd annual Crab Feed and Raffle on Saturday, March 3rd from 6-10 p.m. and the new Community Center. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for kids 14 and under.

This includes all the crab you can eat, pasta, salad, bread, dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage. We will have a beer and wine bar as well. Funds raised from this event will be used to purchase much-needed school supplies at Dallas Ranch. The school has had $20,000 slashed from its budget this year, and the DRMS PTSA aims to replenish those monies.

To purchase tickets email mfuriosi@comcast.net.

Dow’s 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration takes place on Thursday, January 12 and it promises to be a time of reflection and inspiration.

Former San Francisco 49er offensive lineman, Guy McIntyre, will deliver the keynote speechWith an NFL career that spans more than a decade and includes three trips to the Super Bowl and five trips to the Pro-Bowl, McIntyre has a story that goes beyond the gridiron.

Renowned jazz saxophonist, Kevin Moore, will also be entertaining the audience with several musical selections.

For the fourth year, Dow hosted an essay contest for local high school students. This year, in keeping with the County Office of Education’s new focus on civility, students were asked to describe how 21st century technologies (cell phones, social media, the Internet), not present in Dr. King’s time, have impacted civility.

The winning essay will be read by its author, Bianka Machado, a sophomore at Pittsburg High. In addition, this year a poster contest was held and the winning poster, drawn by Karla Rosales, a senior at Deer Valley High School, will also be revealed.

Dow employees and invited community guests will be on hand to participate in this event.

The recipient of the Community Award is Professor Silvester Henderson, Chair of the Music Department at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. Henderson has used gospel music to unite communities for more than 25 years.

The recipient of the Dow Employee Award is Jamie Polan, a Production Engineer, who has demonstrated a true commitment to diversity in the workplace as she helps with hispanic recruitment, leads the Women’s Innovation Network, mentors young engineers and more.

The Dow Chemical Company purchased the Pittsburg facility in 1939 from the Great Western Electrochemical Company. It is one of more than 150 manufacturing sites located in 37 countries around the world and supports two of Dow’s eight global businesses – Dow AgroSciences and Performance Chemicals. The Pittsburg facility produces a variety of products used in personal care products as well as a variety of crop protection products and intermediates. www.dowpittsburg.com

The City of Antioch and Antioch Unified School District, along with community partners and sponsors, will present the 4th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at Antioch High School Beede Auditorium, 700 West 18th Street, on January 16th, from 1-3 PM,

The event, which grew from Antioch City Council Member Reggie Moore’s desire to celebrate Dr. King’s historical contributions, along with creating a scholarship program for high school and middle school students, began in 2009.

Mayor Pro Tem, Wade Harper, will continue the celebration with the support of business and community leaders. The celebration will include local community member Keith Archuletta’s tribute to Dr. King, performances by the Delta School for the Performing Arts, DVHS Divine Voices, DVHS Show Choir. Dr. Donald Gill, AUSD Superintendent, will announce the 2012 Scholarship program.

The event is sponsored by the City of Antioch, Antioch Unified School District, CCC Supervisor Federal Glover, Arts & Cultural Foundation of the City of Antioch, Parents Connected.

For more information, visit http://art4antioch.org/MLK-Program.asp or contact Lisa Harper at 925.437-4240 or e-mail Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 30th installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program on Saturday, January 14th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers should report to Gino Marchetti Park located at 2500 Kendree 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.

Collectively, everyone who works and lives in the City Antioch can make a difference and improve the quality of life. It’s our community and it’s our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Cleanup program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community!

This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from United Citizens for Better Neighborhoods (UCBN), community volunteers, and the Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program, Target Volunteers, Volunteers in Police Service, community volunteers and the Public Works Department.

Santa came to the Interfaith Peace Center in Antioch just in time for Father Tom Bonacci, as he receives two thousand dollars on Christmas Eve from Antioch Music Foundation officers, Walter and Cynthia Ruehlig.

The funds came from Calpine Corporation through the Office of District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover to assist in hosting the International Day of Peace Celebration in the east Delta region of Contra Costa County.

Father Tom, founder of the Interfaith Peace Project, is one of sixty world-wide semi-finalists for this year’s Prize given by the Coexist Foundation, a charity which works to promote the understanding of Jews, Christians and Muslims through education, dialogue and respect.

(Photo courtesy of Susan Batterton)