Plus, Valentine’s Day special menu and music

Monica’s Riverview has announced they are reopening for dinner starting Thursday, February 1, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a new dinner menu.

Dinner reservations are available by phone at (925) 757-2272 or in person. Online reservations for dinner will be available Feb. 1

Their new cocktail menu is in development and coming soon.

Live music will continue on Friday and Saturday nights as well as during Saturday and Sunday Brunch.

Enjoy Valentine’s Day additional special and regular menus on Wednesday, Feb. 14 and dine to the sounds of jazz trio with Michael Cheadle in the dining room beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Monica’s has new brunch and lunch hours, as well. See website for details.

Monica’s Riverview is located on the pier at 1 I (“Eye”) Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. For more information see http://www.visitmonicas.com.

Paid advertisement.

For more information visit www.elderlywish.org.

Input process continues for Rivertown Community Space begun last May following council direction in Nov. 2021

By Allen D. Payton

The City of Antioch is continuing its effort to obtain public input on the development of a new gathering place in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. All residents are invited to share their vision for what is expected to be that part of town’s future central attraction. The empty, dirt lot is bordered by W. 2nd and 3rd and E Streets.

City staff is asking for input stating, “This new outdoor public space is uniquely situated along the Sacramento-San Joaquin River. It will benefit our diverse community by fostering a vibrant, thriving downtown. Share your thoughts on what this space should look like and what features it should include.”

The process began last May with an online survey and will continue during two Community Design Workshops on Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Antioch Community Center in Prewett Family Park, 4703 Lone Tree Way and Sunday, Feb. 18 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Nick Rodriguez Center, 213 F Street.

The effort follows the city council decision to support the River Town Square proposal by Save The Yard led by former Councilwoman Joy Motts. As previously reported by the Herald, during the Nov. 23, 2021 Antioch City Council meeting, after years of advocating for a park and event center on the former Antioch Lumber Company lot the group was given the go ahead by all five council members to pursue the idea.

“We can begin a process for exploring a community gathering space, a green space,” then-City Manager Ron Bernal said at the conclusion of the meeting.

The City’s downtown hasn’t had a large park, but only the smaller Waldie Plaza, since the much larger Barbara Price Marina Park was replaced with the marina boat launch and parking lot in 2012.

To take the survey and for more information visit Rivertown Community Space.

It takes a village: Carlos Cortez – Class of ’24 – and the people of Zináparo bring music and soccer to their youth

By Lou Chen, Trenton Arts at Princeton Program Manager

Originally published by Princeton University’s Pace Center for Community Service. Republished with permission.

Carlos Cortez ’24 straddles two worlds.

The 2020 Dozier-Libbey Medical High School graduate’s family is from Zináparo, a small rural village in Michoácan, Mexico, where few people have ever heard of Princeton University.

The son of Carlos and Eréndira Cortez is a senior at Princeton University, where few people have ever heard of Zináparo.

But Carlos, the student, had an idea to bring these two worlds together. Last year, with the funding he won as Princeton’s 2023 Projects for Peace award recipient, he started a music and soccer summer camp for Zináparo youth.

Now everyone in Zináparo knows Princeton. And Princeton is just getting to know Zináparo.

An Idea

Even though Carlos was born and raised in Antioch, California, he considers his real hometown to be Zináparo, where most of his extended family still lives. Twice every year, he travels to Zináparo to enjoy the balmy summers and festive winters, hiking in the nearby mountains and participating in the annual peregrinación (religious pilgrimage).

Accepted into Princeton as a Questbridge scholar, Carlos chose to major in neuroscience and committed to the pre-med track, supplementing his coursework with research and tutoring jobs. Despite his busy schedule, he felt restless. His thoughts constantly returned to Zináparo.

“My dream was to become a doctor and open a pediatric clinic in Zináparo,” he says. “But I realized that it would be many years before I could accomplish this. I didn’t want to wait that long. I wanted a chance to do something now.”

That chance soon arrived. During his junior year, he heard about the Pace Center for Civic Engagement’s Projects for Peace initiative, which provides Princeton undergraduates with a $10,000 award to implement a service project anywhere in the world. With his family’s encouragement, he proposed a music and soccer summer camp for children in Zináparo.

“Growing up in California, music and soccer were very important for me in making community,” he says. “I wanted the kids in Zináparo to have the same experience.”

In the spring of 2023, he won the award.

According to a preview article about his project, “He saw his project as an opportunity to not only influence the youth of his town, but to have positive reverberations for the entire community and surrounding communities as well.

He summarizes this hope as he looks forward to this summer by saying, ‘just like a musical note can travel through both time and space when it is played, I am hopeful of learning how my project’s ideals and goals are going to have transgenerational effects on the future generations of Zináparo and ultimately transcend beyond the borders of my hometown,’ he shared before the project began.”

A Village

As any entrepreneur will tell you, the road from idea to execution is a winding one. “Right before arriving in Zináparo, I was feeling that the process would be easy,” Carlos says. “But when I landed in Zináparo, I started to realize that it was going to be a long journey with a lot of challenges.”

The first challenge was recruiting children for the camp, which Carlos had titled, “Musical Notes: A Composition for Peace.” Even though Carlos was a frequent visitor to Zináparo, he remained an unfamiliar face to many people. It didn’t matter that Princeton was supporting the camp; none of the children knew what Princeton even was. 

He began by visiting the local high school where his aunt Noemí taught history and ethics, going from classroom to classroom and telling students about his new program. He later found out that one of the students called up Noemí, a widely respected community leader in Zináparo, and told her that someone from Princeton University wanted to start a summer camp. “Do you know about this?” the student asked. “Can we trust him?” 

“Of course, you can,” Noemí replied. “He’s my nephew!”

Another challenge was procuring instruments. Almost 40 kids wanted to learn guitar, violin, or bass—but none of them had their own instrument. One hot summer day, Carlos, his younger sister Natalia, his mother, his uncle Adrián, and his grandfather Guillermo piled into the family van and drove two hours to Paracho, a small town in Michoácan that specializes in making instruments. (Paracho inspired the setting of the Oscar-winning animated film Coco.)

Once in Paracho, they purchased several instruments from a local luthier. Somehow, they crammed one bass, five guitars, and seven violins into a van that already contained five people. “I was pressed up against the side of the van,” says Carlos. “It was definitely an experience.” They made several return trips to Paracho for more instruments, and on one occasion, the aforementioned luthier drove a second bass all the way to Zináparo by himself. 

Carlos was surprised by how enthusiastically the Zináparo community rallied around the camp. Countless people pitched in: the neighbor who let them use his house for rehearsals; the business owner who let them use his shop for a private recital; and Carlos’ 10-year-old student Hector and Hector’s mother Luz, who cleaned up after every rehearsal. “Without everyone’s help, this project would not have been possible,” says Carlos. 

The camp exceeded even Carlos’ wildest expectations. Every Monday through Thursday for two and a half months, almost 100 children aged four to 17 participated in one or more classes: soccer, choir, guitar, and violin/bass. Carlos coached the soccer team and hired teachers for the other subjects. “I wanted teachers who were passionate about working with kids,” says Carlos. “I didn’t want them to treat this as just another way to make money.”

On the last day of camp, his soccer team surprised him with a loud round of applause. One student cried out, “Carlos for president!” Carlos promised to buy them jerseys out of his own money if they continued to practice soccer.

Continue they did. Even though Carlos had to return to Princeton for his senior year, he was determined to keep the camp going. He found two people to coach the soccer team on a volunteer basis; they had recently moved to Zináparo and had long dreamed of coaching their own team. He used his leftover Projects for Peace funding to pay for weekly choral and instrumental lessons for his students until December and let them keep their instruments. Noemí took his place as the point person for the program. 

For Carlos, the experience was a blessing. “I just wanted to change the future of even one of the kids,” he says. “I’m seeing that difference already.”

A Debut

On January 7, Carlos woke up with butterflies in his stomach. Today was the debut of Musical Notes: A Composition for Peace. Since the summer, the choir and orchestra (consisting of guitar, violin, and bass) had been rehearsing weekly for a big concert in the Zináparo town square. The entire community had been invited, and Carlos’ extended family in California had flown out to watch. 

First, Carlos stopped by the soccer field to observe a match between his team and a team from a neighboring town. He had kept his promise: His team was wearing brand-new orange and black jerseys. Natalia had designed the jerseys, including the iconic image of a Princeton tiger glaring through claw marks.

“In one of our first games, we played against a team from a much wealthier town,” says Carlos. “I could tell how discouraged my students were to see how much nicer [the opposing team’s] field was. I got them jerseys because I wanted them to feel proud to be on this team. I wanted them to feel like they were a part of something bigger…like they had the support of Princeton University.” The new jerseys seemed to do the trick: After putting them on, his team won the next game. 

After the match, Carlos and his parents walked to the town square to set up for the performance. The owner of the local funeral home, whose daughter was in the choir, had donated 150 chairs for the audience—and had even purchased new ones so that there would be enough. 

Carlos was worried that not enough people were going to show up to fill the seats. But as people started entering the town square, he realized that he had the opposite problem: He didn’t have enough seats. His family raced to the rehearsal space, grabbed as many chairs as they could, carried them back, and set them up with only minutes to spare. The new chairs were quickly occupied, and latecomers had to stand. At least 350 people were in the audience. 

As Natalia helped tune the guitars, she noticed a student looking forlorn. She asked him what was wrong, and he quietly asked if this was the last day of the program. “Of course not,” Natalia assured him. He smiled.

The choir opened the concert with six Christmas carols. During “Noche de paz” (Silent Night), they cradled candles in their hands, their faces glowing as if lit from within. For their final song, “Ven a Cantar” (Sing with Us), they rolled up their sleeves, revealing bracelets made of jingle bells. As they clapped their hands, the ringing of bells filled the crisp winter air.

The orchestra was up next, performing two songs that featured a 15-year-old choral student named Andrea. Her voice, initially hesitant and wavering, gradually grew in power. The guitarists kept the orchestra together with their steady strumming, and the violinists trained their eyes on the conductor, determined not to miss their tremolo entrance. In the very back, a student plucked away at the bass that Carlos had brought back from Paracho.

After the orchestra finished, Noemí invited Hector and Luz to the stage and thanked them for keeping the rehearsal space clean. She presented them with gifts and embraced a clearly overcome Luz. The crowd cheered.

Next to speak was Carlos’ student José, who at 17 years old was the oldest member of the program. “I want to give a special thank you to Carlos for giving me and the children of this town the opportunity to learn music,” he said. “I hope this continues…Zináparo needs these programs.”

Carlos walked onstage to deliver the concluding remarks. “Thank you to my grandparents for giving me a love of Zináparo,” he said, choking back tears. “I know I wasn’t born here, but this is my home.”

As Carlos left the stage, he was mobbed by students, parents, complete strangers—all of whom wanted to take a picture with him. Grown men were crying and little kids were beaming. “Before this camp, the children of Zináparo didn’t have anything like this,” said Eréndira. “But now, they do.”

Carlos hopes that the camp will take place every summer, with weekly programming throughout the rest of the year. He hopes that someday his music students will be paid to perform or even to teach. (This is already happening: José has been invited by his guitar teacher to perform in a mariachi band, and Carlos wants him to teach for the camp.) He hopes to solicit donations from Zináparo residents who have immigrated to the United States, and to potentially seek funding from the Mexican government. 

These are all big dreams. It’s a lot for one Princeton student—and soon-to-be-alum—to take on alone. 

But Carlos knows he isn’t alone. “I feel honored to have so many different communities believe in the project,” he says. “It ensures the life of the project, because there are so many people invested in wanting to see the kids succeed.”

To learn more about Musical Notes: A Composition for Peace, follow them on Instagram. Their full debut performance can be viewed on YouTube.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

The event is open to the public.

Donors urged to give now as nation faces lowest number of blood donors in decades. Donors have the chance to help save lives, win trip to Super Bowl LVIII

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold.

Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products – among the most transfused blood types – to hospitals.

“Small changes in blood donor turnout can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of an emergency blood transfusion,” said Dr. Eric Gehrie, executive physician director for the Red Cross. “More challenges may lie ahead as the potential for severe winter weather and seasonal illness may compound the dire blood supply situation. Donors of all types – especially those with type O blood and those giving platelets – are urged to give now.” 

Don’t wait – to make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The Red Cross and the National Football League (NFL) are partnering this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals to give blood or platelets and help tackle the emergency blood shortage. Those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Super Bowl.

Who donations help:

Sarah Montoya knows firsthand the lifesaving power a single blood donation contains. Five years ago, Sarah discovered that her 10-month-old son had a Wilms tumor growing on his kidney. He was one of the 43 children who, on average, are diagnosed with cancer in America every single day. He needed blood transfusions to survive the surgery that would ultimately save his life. Since then, Sarah start donating blood with the Red Cross. “I am so grateful that I can help people the same way my son has been helped,” she said.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Jan. 8-31:

Contra Costa County

Antioch

1/25/2024: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., ST. Ignatius of Antioch, 3351 Contra Loma Boulevard

Brentwood

1/31/2024: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Trilogy Vineyards Veterans Association, 1700 Trilogy Parkway

Danville

1/12/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Blackhawk Country Club, 599 Blackhawk Club Road

El Cerrito

1/27/2024: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., El Cerrito High School, 540 Ashbury Avenue

Pleasant Hill

1/8/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/9/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/10/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/11/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/12/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/13/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/14/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/15/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/16/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/17/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/18/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/19/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/20/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/21/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/22/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/23/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/24/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/25/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/26/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/27/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/28/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/29/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/30/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

1/31/2024: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., College Park High School, 201 Viking Drive

1/31/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Contra Costa Blood Donation Center, 140 Gregory Lane

San Ramon

1/10/2024: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., San Ramon Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2260 Camino Ramon

_______________

Alameda County

Alameda

1/9/2024: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Alameda City Library, 1550 Oak Street

1/13/2024: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Alameda Community – Twin Towers United Methodist, 1411 Oak Street

1/27/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., St. Joseph High School – Notre Dame Hall, St. Joseph Basilica, on Lafayette Street

Livermore

1/19/2024: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Avenue

Newark

1/8/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/9/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/11/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/12/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/13/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/14/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/15/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/16/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/18/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/19/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/20/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/21/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/22/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/23/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/25/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/26/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/27/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/28/2024: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/29/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

1/30/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Fremont – Newark Blood Donation Center, 39227 Cedar Boulevard

Oakland
1/8/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/9/2024: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Oakland Scottish Rite, 1547 Lakeside Drive

1/9/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/10/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/11/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/12/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/13/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/14/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/15/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/16/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/17/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/18/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/19/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/20/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/21/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/22/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/23/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/24/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/25/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/26/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/27/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/28/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/29/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/30/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

1/31/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Oakland Blood Donation Center, 5450 College Avenue

Pleasanton

1/8/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/9/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/10/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/12/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/13/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/14/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/15/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/16/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/17/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/19/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/20/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/21/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/22/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/23/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/24/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/26/2024: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/27/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/28/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/29/2024: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/30/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

1/31/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5880 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 34

_______________

San Francisco County

San Francisco

1/8/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/9/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/10/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/12/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/13/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/14/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/15/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/16/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/17/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/19/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/20/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/21/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/22/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/23/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/24/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/27/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/28/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/29/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/30/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

1/31/2024: 11:45 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., San Francisco Blood Donation Center, 1663 Market Street

_______________

Santa Clara County

Gilroy

1/11/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Interfaith – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gilroy, 7999 Miller Avenue

1/17/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Gavilan College, 5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard

Morgan Hill

1/9/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Interfaith – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Morgan Hill, 1790 E. Dunne Avenue

San Jose

1/8/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/9/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/10/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/11/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/12/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/13/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/13/2024: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., San Jose Center Mobile Drives, American Red Cross, 2731 N. 1st Street

1/14/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/15/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/16/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/17/2024: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Interfaith – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
San Jose, 1655 Noreen Street

1/17/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/18/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/19/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/20/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/20/2024: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Jack and Jill of America San Jose Chapter, Jack and Jill, 2731 N. First Street

1/21/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/22/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/23/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/24/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/25/2024: 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/26/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/27/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/28/2024: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/29/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/30/2024: 12:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

1/31/2024: 12:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., San Jose Blood Donation Center, 2731 North First Street

Santa Clara

1/27/2024: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Santa Clara, 875 Quince Avenue

Saratoga

1/30/2024: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Congregation Beth David, 19700 Prospect Road

_______________

San Mateo County

Foster City

1/20/2024: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Foster City, 1000 Shell Boulevard

Half Moon Bay

1/16/2024: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue

Millbrae

1/11/2024: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., The Westin San Francisco Airport, 1 Old Bayshore Highway

San Mateo

1/13/2024: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Highlands Recreation Center, 1851 Lexington Avenue

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

Community Conversation moderated by Truth in Common founder, News Guard News Acting Director & Verification Editor

By Gail Murray

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the preponderance of mis- and dis-information, the role of AI and the potential effects on the 2024 election? Join a Community Conversation webinar on Thursday, January 18 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. titled “Mis/Dis-Information: How to Recognize and Respond to It” to learn how falsehoods spread and how we can avoid them.

The webinar will feature Deanna Troust, founder of Truth in Common, who will moderate the event.  Troust will outline an approach for social change to address this pervasive issue.  She will discuss recent research and skills to deepen our capacity for constructive civil discourse, based on her workshop series titled “Misinformation: How it Spreads and How to Avoid it.” Troust will be joined in the discussion by McKenzie Sadeghi, Acting Director and Verification Editor for News Guard News.

Register for the Zoom link here: https://ccclib.bibliocommons.com/events/65833f5767e8ac3700b79931

Information on how to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to your email address 24 hours before the program. Audience questions will be collected and answered through the Zoom chat.

Community Conversations are sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, CCTV, and the Contra Costa County Library.

The Library will provide closed captioning for this event and simultaneous Spanish translation.  This program will be recorded and uploaded to the Library’s YouTube channel after the event.

Contact programs@lwvdv.org for more information.

Celebrating Antioch’s Citizens, Businesses, Non-Profit and Youth of the Year; deadline Feb. 9

By Antioch Chamber of Commerce

At 6 pm on Friday March 22, 2024, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce will host our annual awards Gala. The Chamber is pleased to open nominations for 2023 in the following categories:

-Youth of the Year

– Non-profit of the Year

– Citizen of the Year – Most Impact

– Citizen of the Year – Lifetime Achievement

– Small Business of the Year

– Large Business of the Year

Nomination forms must be completed and received by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce no later than 5p on Friday, February 9, 2023.

Please return forms to the Antioch Chamber of Commerce office at

640 W 2nd Street, Antioch or

mail to: P.O. Box 1711, Antioch, CA 94509

or by email to frontdeskadmin@antiochchamber.com.

For additional information please call 925.757.1800

Click Here to Download the forms

Or

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORMS BELOW:

Download Large Business of the Year Nomination Form

Download Small Business of the Year Nomination Form

Download Citizen of the Year Nomination Form – Most Impact

Download Citizen of the Year Nomination Form – Lifetime

Download Non-Profit of the Year Nomination Form

Download Youth of the Year Nomination Form