41st Anniversary of Earth Day  / 2nd Annual
“Keep Antioch Beautiful Day”

Citywide Clean Up!

April 23, 2011 | 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM

To celebrate Earth Day, this year, volunteers are need to help “Keep Antioch Beautiful”, tomorrow on Saturday, April 23.

You can meet up with your organization or other volunteers at a variety of locations, including: Almond Ridge Park, Antioch City Hall, Antioch High School, Bidwell Elementary, Belshaw Elementary, Carmen Dragon Elementary, Dallas Ranch Middle School, Diablo Vista Elementary, Hillcrest Park, Jack London Elementary, John Muir Elementary, Mission Elementary, Park Middle School, Red Caboose Restaurant.

This is your opportunity to join with family, friends and other community volunteers to make a difference in your hometown! Allied Waste has donated dumpsters, which will be located at various schools throughout the city. Each location will be the distribution point for you to receive instructions, pick-up clean-up supplies (gloves, plastic bags, etc.) To register, please complete the form below and visit this website often for the latest up-to-date information click here or call 779-6137.

SPONSORS: City of Antioch, Antioch Unified School District, Allied Waste, Honeywell, Walmart, Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, Genon, East Bay Regional Parks, Pinky’s Klassy Kar Wash, Paintball Park, Paradise Skate, Dick Straub, Safeway, East County Military Families & Friends, Target, Staples, Fast Signs, Jim Lanter Antioch State Farm Insurance Agent, Antioch Coin & Jewelry Give Always to Others & Company (GATO), Delta Bowl, Central Self Storage of Antioch

Participating Organizations: AHS & DVHS Key Club, Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission, Antioch Rotary, Boys Scouts Troops of Antioch, Kiwanis of the Delta, East County Military Families & Friends, Rivertown Preservation Society, Rotary Club of the Delta, Take Back Antioch, Target Employees, UCBN

When Michael Pritchard started the sound effects of explosions and crashes that accompany video games he had the youthful audience’s full attention. When he started talking about bullying and intolerance, the comedian had them in the palm of his hands.

When a young man began talking about the difficulties of his life and how he began to act out as a reflection of those troubles, the gym full of youth was silent.

Between the bouts of laughter, Pritchard had a message that pierced the wall of teenage cool and indifference and touched the hearts of over 750 people in attendance at the 9th annual countywide Youth Summit at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg on April 16.

“He was the perfect choice for a keynote,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover, who sponsors the event.

Pritchard kicked off the daylong event of workshops, booths and entertainment. After the comedian’s presentation, the youth were able to ask questions of the city, school and county officials. The topics ranged from more diversity in the teaching workforce to the ways law enforcement treated youth.

The 18 wide-ranging workshops covered topics from avoiding gangs, starting a business to being a good friend and how to find a job.

“Kids were able to see the Sheriff’s helicopter and some firefighting equipment up close,” said coordinator Paul Adler, a member of Glover’s staff.

“It says a lot about the summit that the youth – on a Saturday — got up early in time for the 9 a.m. start and stayed the whole day,” said Adler.

“This was the largest turnout we ever had,” said Glover. “Word of mouth among the youth and their use of social media is helping us get the word out.”

An hour-long documentary on the 2010 Gang Summit will air on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on CCTV. The day-long summit was taped by Give Always To Others (GATO), an East County-based nonprofit headed by Carmen Ochoa, that also produces another television
show aired on local public TV and focuses on issues affecting East County.

“It was a great event,” said Glover. “There was some uncertainty what the summit would be about. Some thought we were glamorizing the gang lifestyle. Others thought it was only for gang members. This show will give the general pubic a chance to see what went on at the summit where we emphasized the alternate choices young people have besides gangs.

“Going against peer pressure is very difficult for young people. It was important that we showed that there were safe and legal ways to express yourself, prevent bullying, stay away from drugs and earn money through jobs.”

CCTV is Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-verse channel 99.

You’re Invited To A Very Special Event – “Overcoming Adversity: Surviving and Thriving” with Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Sponsored by the Delta Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, the event is from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday April 27 at 3428 Hillcrest Avenue, Suite 200, in Antioch.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Jackie Speier speak right here in our community! The Congresswoman will talk about her personal story, Women in Leadership and Current Events, followed by a Q and A session.

Cost: FREE. Please RSVP to: Maria Bruno, mbruno@ft.newyorklife.com, or call 925.457.3211

Seating is Limited! Doors Close at 2:00 pm. No admittance after doors close.

For Partnership and Advertising opportunities contact: Kathaleen Baisch, 925.290.0037 Direct, 253.250.5803 Cell, kb411realestate@gmail.com

Antioch to Once Again Have a Free, Direct-Mail, City-Wide Newspaper

By Allen Payton, Publisher

I’m happy to officially announce that the Antioch Herald will be printed and mailed to 26,000 homes and businesses in Antioch, beginning May 1st, 2011.

We appreciate the opportunity presented by the Monthly Grapevine, to insert a print version of our news site, into their East County/Antioch edition, which publishes on the 1st of each month, reaching 26,000 homes and businesses by mail – for FREE!

It has allowed us to reduce our postage costs and pass those savings onto our advertisers, reducing ad rates by 40% and more, making it more affordable for local businesses to reach their market with their message, each month.

We have some of the same team members who published the original Antioch Press, before I sold it in 2005, back together working to make both the Antioch Herald print and online versions, a reality, including Editor Dave Roberts and soon writer Teresa Klein and graphic artist Linda Baker. Plus, we’ve added some new team members, Webmaster and graphic artist Emily Bernardi, writers Harry Stoll and Tami Barrera, and advertising sales reps Dave Godfrey and Sharon Ouka.

We go to print on Tuesday night, April 19, so there’s still time to get your ad in our first issue. It includes a free ad on our website. Please email sales@antiochherald.com by Monday or call me at (925) 457-5324 and we’ll make it happen for you.

Since this is a free paper to the readers, it’s because of our advertisers that we’re able to publish our paper and news site. We thank them for that. So please be sure to support those advertisers and let them know you saw their ad in the Herald.

We look forward and are committed to bringing you the news and information about Antioch, you might not read elsewhere – about our people, politicians, police, pastors & priests, places, events and activities, while we help promote our businesses and grow our local economy, once again. Our desire is to help fulfill our City’s Vision to make Antioch a better place to live, learn, work, worship and play in a safe and stimulating environment.

The Herald is The People’s Paper – your paper. So if you have something you think is interesting and/or important that you want covered, either write it up and submit it to us, with a photo or two, or let us know by contacting Dave Roberts at editor@antiochherald.com. We’ll do our best to get it, at least on our website – which we’ll update regularly, and/or in the newspaper.

For those who want to advertise, we also represent the Monthly Grapevine in Antioch. So if you’d like an ad in that publication, please let us know. To learn more about them, please click on their ad, on the upper right side of this page. We thank Jim and Karen Spann for this new business relationship that we hope and expect will be beneficial for both our businesses and all those who advertise with us.

Please be sure to look for the Antioch Herald inside the Monthly Grapevine, each month, beginning on May 1st.

The internationally-acclaimed Harlem Ambassadors will be visiting Antioch/Pittsburg for a game at Los Medanos College Gym on May 7 at 7 p.m. The Harlem Ambassadors offer a unique brand of Harlem-style basketball, featuring high-flying slam- dunks, dazzling ball-handling tricks and hilarious comedy routines.

The Ambassadors feature non-stop laughs and deliver a positive message for kids wherever the Ambassadors play.  “At our shows, we want the kids to know that they’re part of our team too,” Coach Lade Majic said.  “We invite as many kids as we can to come sit on the bench, have a front row seat during the show, and get involved in all of the fun stuff we do.”

The Ambassadors set themselves apart from other “Harlem style” basketball teams by working with local not-for-profit and service organizations and holding Harlem Ambassadors shows as community fundraising events.  For the Antioch/Pittsburg event the Ambassadors have partnered with Antioch Rivertown Jamboree to help raise funds for People Helping People, and Antioch Rivertown Jamboree projects.

The Ambassadors have worked extensively with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters and American Red Cross as well as Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis clubs in communities throughout the U.S., and perform more than 200 shows a year.  Those shows have helped raise millions of dollars – an accomplishment of which Ambassadors President Dale Moss is very proud.

“It feels good to be able to provide quality entertainment and create memories that the fans will take with them,” Moss explained.  “We’re able to give even more when we can help provide funding for a Habitat for Humanity house or new computers for the school library, and that feels great.”

ADVANCE TICKETS: Adults $10, Students & Seniors $8. Call 925-757-0972 or ORDER BY MAIL: 301 West 10th Street, Suite 5, Antioch, CA 94509. Please make check payable to Antioch Rivertown Jamboree. At the door tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

You can also purchase tickets at East County Insurance Agency, Delta 2000, Pittsburg Yacht Club, Martin Memorials, Antioch Rivertown Jamboree Office. The event is sponsored in part by Keller Canyon Trust Funds, Cornwell Tools, Delta 2000, Supervisor Federal Glover, Los Medanos College, Comfort Suites Inn. Rivertown Jamboree is a non-profit organization dedicated to family fun.

Our Delta Contra Costa Branch’s annual celebration of the leading scholars at local high schools will be held Thurs., April 14 at the Antioch Senior Center, 415 W. 2^nd Street at 7-8:30 pm. Members may come to set-up starting at 5:30 pm.

Each year ten outstanding senior scholars are selected from Antioch, Deer Valley, and Pittsburg High Schools. A list of students with a 3.5 GPA and above is given to the teaching staff, who choose the students. In addition to their GPA, they  consider school and extra-curricular activities. Jane Wilkins and Sally Massey co-ordinate for Antioch and Jan Kuhl worked with Pittsburg.

This event has been a favorite tradition in our branch.  We will be presenting certificates to the top 30 students in front of their families and friends. Susan Ten Eyck, a principal in the Antioch Unified School District will be the guest speaker.

Tickets are on sale now for the Antioch Chamber of Commerce Inaugural Gala and Recognition Dinner on Friday, April 22nd at the Lone Tree Golf Course & Event Center. The evening includes the installation of the 2011 Antioch Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as well as awarding Antioch Citizen, Small and Large/Corporate Businesses and Youth of the Year for 2010.

The nominees for the Lifetime Achievement Award are Carmen Aguilar-Ochoa, William “Bill” Chapman, Krist Jensen, Larry Osorio and Walter Ruehlig.

Ochoa is Executive Director of Give Always to Others & Company, a nonprofit dedicated to volunteerism and education in health, environment, arts, culture and media.

Chapman is Chairman of the Antioch Committee on Aging, Antioch Youth Sports Complex Treasurer and the Secretary for An Elderly Wish Foundation, in addition to other numerous organizations.

Jensen is Community Service Director and Member of the Antioch Rotary Club, leads Dow Wetlands Volunteer Team, and volunteer teacher for the Financial Peace University.

Osorio is a Mello Roos Board Member and Boy Scout Troop 247 Scout Master.

Ruehlig is Antioch Unified School District Trustee, Mello Roos President, Co-founder of the Antioch Music Foundation and Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.

The Most Impact for 2010 nominees are Jim Lanter, Josie Monaghan and Kirkland Smith.

Lanter is a Delta Advocacy Board Member, Past President of Rotary of the Delta, Co-chair of An Elderly Wish, and Founder of “Born to Dance” a 25-year effort sponsoring dances for special needs children.

Monaghan is Founder of Wingz to Fly, Inc.,  founder/director of East County Military Families & Friends and East County Veterans OIF OEF Peer to Peer; three nonprofits supporting veterans and their families.

Smith is Founder and Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship and organizer of Holy Eve Community Carnival, Community Picnic and the Christian Comedy Show.

Three students nominated for the Youth Category are Maureen Gil, Matthew Satyadi and Teron Schaeffer. 

The Small Business nominees are Paradise Skate, FastSigns and Dow Great Western Credit Union. The Large Business/Corporate nominess are Travis Credit Union and Sutter Delta Medical Center.

Tickets are $70 per person; reserved tables for 8 are $575.  Silent Auction and the famous Balloon Pop are part of this not-to-be-missed evening.  More information can be found on the Antioch Chamber of Commerce website: www.AntiochChamber.com or by calling 925/757-1800.