Assuming the persona of General Douglas MacArthur, Walter Ruehlig (standing left) congratulates Death March survivors Manuel Gavino (standing right) and Edward Abinsay during the 69th anniversary celebration of the Fall of Bataan. Photo by Cynthia Ruehlig

After a three-month battle to defend the last bastion of Philippine democracy at the Bataan Peninsula, General MacArthur escaped by boat during WWII promising “I Shall Return” to liberate the Philippines.

Bataan was captured by the Japanese Imperialists on April 9, 1942, in the largest surrender in American and Filipino military history. Many died when the 72,000 starving and disease-ridden POWs were forcibly transfered from Bataan/Corrigidor to Capas, Tarlac, in what is now known as the Bataan Death March.

After two years of fighting in the Pacific, General MacArthur fulfilled his promise. MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. There are 9 known Death March survivors living in East Contra Costa County. The Fall of Bataan celebration, sponsored by the Filipino-American Association, Inc. of Pittsburg, was held April 9, 2011 at Humphrey’s Restaurant, Antioch.

Antioch has a Japanese sister city called Chichibu. We have had this beautiful relationship for 45 years and hopefully you’ve had a chance to visit Chichibu Park off of Longview Road in Antioch right next to Sutter Elementary School. Chichibu has an “Antioch” park. While it is a relief that Chichibu was not in the flood zone, earthquakes were felt and there is there is a collective desire to funnel aid towards relief efforts in the affected region.

An alliance has been formed with Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization, the City of Chichibu, the City of Antioch, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, ECO Business Centers, the Antioch Historical Society, the Arts and Cultural Foundation, the Antioch Lions, and the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce to jointly raise funds for tsunami victims.

Please visit the Japanese display set up at ECO Business Centers, 505 West Second Street, Antioch to learn more about the Japanese culture and purchase one of the items there or bring monetary donations. Checks can be made out to the Antioch Chamber Foundation, please note “Japan” on the memo line. Money will be sent by the Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization board of directors to the honorable Mayor Kuki of Chichibu Japan for disbursement of money for disaster relief efforts in Japan.

Please join us May 7th at the Antioch Historical Society for a fundraising Social networking event at 5 PM and dinner Gala at 6:30 PM. $20 per plate. Tickets can be purchased through ECO Business Centers, Posh Salon, the Antioch-Chichibu Sister City Organization, Antioch Historical Society, Antioch Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Gallery, or the Lions. Thank you for your support!

Questions? Contact ECO Business Centers Co-Founder and CEO Glen Laughton at 925 303-4520. For more information, visit ECO Business Centers www.ecobusinesscenters.com. “Bridging Business Success.”

Michael Pritchard, a nationally acclaimed speaker and comedian, will be the keynote speaker at Supervisor Federal Glover’s annual Youth Summit this April 16 at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California.

“We’re thrilled that Mr. Pritchard has agreed to speak to our young people,” says Supervisor Glover. “His inspirational message will reinforce the summit’s theme: We Got Your Back!”

Pritchard began his career on both the comedy stage and as a juvenile counselor in San Francisco’s Youth Guidance Center. In 1980, Michael Pritchard won first place in the San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition as well as winning the prestigious California Probation Officer of the Year.

He began making appearances with some of the big names of comedy including Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg. Offers from Hollywood came pouring in. But Pritchard rejected offers from Hollywood to focus on using his comic talents for inspiring youth and adults.

His seven educational series for PBS and distribution has been seen by millions and focuses on youth guidance in the areas of violence prevention.

Forming Heartland Media, Pritchard continued with other projects including “Red Ribbon Week” and “PeaceTalks” teaching students to make positive choices. “SOS: Saving Our Schools from Hate and Violence,” featured in both Time magazine and on CNN, filmed after the tragic Columbine disaster. His new series: “Lifesteps” builds the social and emotional intelligence in youth and has already received the Parents Choice Award.

As an extension of Heartland Media, he established Heartland Media Foundation building character and emotional intelligence, violence prevention, inciting motivation and leadership in both youth and adults to improve schools and communities. The foundation provides youth guidance programs, including video, print curriculum, and live presentations by Michael Pritchard to aid in schools and communities where the funding is limited.

“Michael Pritchard uses humor to address some of the serious issues facing youth today,” says Glover. “His audience may be laughing on the outside, but inside, they’re also thinking about the points he makes about life’s choices.”

Empowered Parents help to make Empowered Kids!

PASSA, which stands for Promoting African-American Student Success and Achievement, is a program that was piloted at Lone Tree Elementary school in Antioch It will now be presented at Grace Bible Fellowship in Antioch, this Friday night and Saturday morning.

Parents and students are invited to attend and hear from school administrators and personnel.

The workshop, presented by both Grace Bible Fellowship and the NAACP East County Branch, “strives to educate and guide parents to become empowered to work as partners with the school system,” according to the promotional flyer.

In addition, it states “In turn, our parents will help promote their African American students to display success and achievement academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally.

The two-day “mini series” will be held at 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 8 and 9:00 a.m., Saturday, April 9 at Grace Bible Fellowship, 913 Sunset Drive, Antioch, in Suite L.

For more information about the PASSA workshop, call Cheryl White, (925) 522-8186. For more information about Grace Bible Fellowship, visit www.gbfofantioch.org and for the NAACP East County Branch, visit www.naacpeastcounty.org.

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 23rd installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program. 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, and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, “We”, 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.

The 23rd Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, May 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Volunteers should report to the Williamson Ranch Park located at 5000 Lone Tree Way. The parking lot is accessible off of Williamson Ranch Drive. 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.

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

The Ambrose Recreation and Park District, in partnership with the Bay Point Chamber of Commerce, will host the Community Yard Sale on Saturday May 14, 2011 from 8 am-1 pm at the Ambrose Community Center, located at 3105 Willow Pass Road in Bay Point.

The yard sale will give the community a day to sell those old items that have been sitting in the garage, back yard, or just taking up space around the house. This is your opportunity to make some spare change while having fun. There will be a pancake breakfast to start the day and food will be available to purchase throughout the day.

This year we will have an E-Waste truck here to accept old electronic waste that can be recycled and kept out of our local land fill. We will also have information booths to show you how to recycle your old household items and a charitable organization truck available for donations.

Booth space is available to rent for $20.00 and a refundable cleaning deposit of $25. Sign-ups are currently taking place at the Ambrose Community Center during regular business hours, 8 am – 5 pm, Monday-Friday. Sign-up and booth locations are on a first come first serve basis; sign up early to secure the best space. For further information about the event contact the Ambrose Community Center at 458-1601.

Design credit goes to Todd Sweeney, graphics to Abigail Cecilio, photography to Favian Orozon and programming to John Chandler. Community activist and webmaster Brittney Gougeon volunteered to host the site.

Join the Filipino-American Association of Pittsburg this Saturday, April 9th in celebrating the 69th annual commemoration of the Fall of Bataan-Corregidor at a luncheon buffet at Humphrey’s on the Delta.  The surviving veterans and war widows will be honored thruout the ceremony.