By Tami Barrera

The Boy Scouts are no longer just about camping and learning to start fires from kindling. They’ve now gone high-tech. The focus was on robots and electricity at AdvanceCamp 2011, which was held at the Antioch Fairgrounds last weekend.

The camp allows Boy Scouts to earn merit badges quickly as they work toward becoming Eagle Scouts. The camp’s merit badge categories include Family Life, Citizenship in Community, Nation and World, Personal Fitness, and Personal Management. The camp also provided projects focusing on electricity, robotics, sculpture, computers, geo-caching and much more.

Robotics was added to AdvanceCamp this year in response to concerns that American students are falling behind in science, technology, engineering and math. The boys learned to work as a team to construct and program a Mind Storm Lego Kits robot.

Cooper, 11 of Brentwood’s Troop 21, signed up for the robot badge, he said, in order to build stuff and knows that in the future it will be very important. It also lets him hang out with his friends doing something fun. Cooper added that robots are great for medicine, allowing faster, more precise surgeries and quicker recoveries for patients.

Cole, 11, who is in the same troop, said he thought that Boy Scouts was only related to camping, and was a little nervous to be doing the robotics badge with the fear that he would not understand the programming. But as he we doing it he became more confident that he can figure it out. He said he’s glad that Boy Scouts is all futuristic now.

AJ, of Troop 21 said he has always enjoyed robots, and was excited when his brother showed him how to rewire things and make a light switch turn things off and on. That knowledge has helped him find out more about robots.

Conner, 15, with Pleasanton’s Troop 911, said that he and his brother had bought a kit in the past and it had many features that give the robot limited ability to operate independent of the programmer/creator, depending on how it’s programmed. It includes sensors for touch, light and sound.

Don Ryan, who led the teaching of the robotics merit badge, demonstrated what each sensor does and said that the key to having a high-functioning robot is to focus on the programming. According to Conner, robots will be a great part of transportation in the future and because they are so precise they will be the ones building the buildings in the future, and they will be used for innovative healthcare and they will be prevalent in hospitals.

The electricity elective was taught by Mr. Jim Patchen, who pointed out that it can hurt you, but also benefit you. He had the Scouts wear gloves and feel the surge of electricity as they held a metal rod iron. They were mesmerized by its great power.

These are just a few of the goings on at the Advance Camp 2011. For more information call Steve Hoagland at 925-595-9156.

This year’s camp was held in memory of Board Member/Staff Director/Vice President Richard Ball, who died in July at 62. Donations can be sent to the Richard Ball Memorial Fund 640 Bailey Road #142, Bay Point, CA 94565. AdvanceCamp, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 charitable institution run by registered volunteer Scout leaders who serve without compensation. All donations go toward the program.

Location: 301 West 10th Street, Antioch CA 94509
Date: 10/8/2011
Description: Our yard sale benefits Bread of Life community kitchen and food pantry fighting hunger in east county for over 25 years.
We’ll have furniture, housewares, clothing, and collectibles. Sale hours are 8am-4pm. Come to the parking lot of the Rivertown Resource building on the corner of West 10th & “D” Streets. For more information or how to donate contact Sonya (925) 778-1639. See you there!!!!

Fundraiser Raffle and Give Back for Baby Matthew (Local 7 month old boy in kidney failure). Over 80 prizes with a total value of over $4000. UNO CHICAGO (Lone Tree Way Antioch) OCTOBER 11TH RAFFLE STARTS AT 6:30. Uno will donate up to 20% of your check ALL DAY dine in or take out!

Visit his web page at www.babymathewraffle.webs.com or contact Jennifer at jrowe0125@yahoo.com or (925) 207-0062. Get Information on Details of his condition, About the family, Information about raffle, Full list of donated prizes, Pictures of prizes, Date, time and location

Prizes include: Gift certificates to various restaurants Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Uno Chicago, Chipotle, and many more! Passes and packages for family entertainment Pump It Up, Delta Bowl, Paradise Skate, The Exploratorium, The Jungle & more! Music DVD’s of various genre Blues, Michael Jackson, Pop, Rock, Soft Rock, Beatles and more! Cosmetics from Mary Kay/ Avon Complimentary facials/ gift baskets. Spa Services Massage, gift surprise, gift certificates and more.

Cold Stone Creamery Antioch-Slatten Ranch and Cold Stone Creamery Brentwood-Balfour At Fairview will hold the world’s biggest ice cream social on Tuesday, September 27th from 5p.m.-8 p.m. Free 3 oz ice cream with one mix in with a donation to Make A Wish!

A Make A Wish child will be at Antioch Cold Stone with her family, her name is Kaitlyn. She is 9 years old and her wish is to go to Disney World. A Make A Wish family will be at Brentwood Cold Stone. Their son just passed away in August.

The Interfaith Peace project hosted a September 19th Peace Poetry Jam” at the Antioch Peace Center on Matterhorn Way. Walter Ruehlig moderated this 11 Days of Peace event attended by twenty original poetry composers, rappers, readers and devotees. Pictured, sitting from left to right, are Deer Valley High School English teacher Pandora Sibley and Juniors Payton Walker, Leonel Jiminez and standing Quame Mays and Jose Hernandez.
Photo courtesy of Sue Batterton.

AdvanceCamp 2011 will be held Saturday September 24, 2011 at the Contra Costa Fairgrounds in Antioch. The event is the largest single advancement event for Boy Scouts in Northern California.

This year we expect 2,000 attendees, including 1,700 scouts and 300 volunteers. Scouts will be working on rank advancement and over 50 different Merit Badges on their trail to Eagle Scout. The badges this year include four new ones to Boy Scouts: Geocaching, Inventing, Robotics and Scouting Heritage.

For more information contact AdvanceCamp Executive Director Steve Hoagland at 925-595-9156.

By Walter Ruehlig

Any thank you will fall short in expressing gratitude to first responders who put their all on the lines day in and day out. On September 17th the Knights of Columbus, as event sponsor for the tenth year running, tried their modest best to show appreciation.

The day started off with a bagpiper leading the way into St. Ignatius of Antioch Church where a resplendent Blue Mass was held in honor of those in uniform who serve us. The choir and organ music, led by Musical Director Don Pearson, was magnificent. The chief homily, given by Rev. Robert Rien, brought many a wet eye and lumped throat.

Luncheon, organized by Knight Gary Clausen and his staff at Twin Rivers Insurance, followed at Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. Walter Ruehlig emceed an alternatingly light-hearted and praise-filled afternoon. The Quintanilla brothers, Antonio and Carlos, assisted by Robert Plurkowski, brought in the colors.

Dayang Montilla, an opening pitch mainstay for the Stockton Ports baseball team, sang a stirring Star Spangled Banner, and Richard Asadoorian gave spirited a capella renditions of “Ave Maria” and “To Dream the Impossible Dream.” Sound engineering was donated by Malcolm Hunter, video by Joe Montilla of Snapeye Productions and background music by David Hunter on bass and Greg Lyncj on piano.

In attendance were County Board of Supervisor Mary Piepho, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper, City Councilor Mary Rocha, County Board of Education Trustee Cynthia Ruehlig, Antioch School Board Trustee Gary Hack, Antioch Superintendent of Schools Donald Gill, Antioch Chief of Police Alan Cantando, Pittsburg Chief of Police Aaron Baker, Fire Captain Ben Sanders, Lieut. Chris Sherry, Maurice Delmer representing Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, and Emelyn Struthers representing State Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

Plaques and legislative certificates were given to Antioch P.D. Officer of the Year Jim Stenger, Pittsburg P.D. Officer of the Year Richard Hosier, CCC Fire Prevention District Firefighter of the Year Brett Schooley and California Highway Patrol Office of the Year Mark Mitchell.