January is Sanctity of Human Life Month

By Alliance for Life

January is Sanctity of Human Life Month, and this year Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHLS) is celebrated on Sunday, January 21, 2024. SOHLS is a day for Americans to focus on the value of each and every human life. It is celebrated every year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion in every state for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy.

In the past two years, the right to abortion has been one of the most heated discussions in our country.

We rejoice that the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022. But this hasn’t stopped abortion; it simply placed the decision back into the hands of each state. While many states have chosen to stop abortions, we still recognize the awful tragedy that, on average, the lives of approximately 98 precious babies are ended every hour!

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, the abortion industry nationwide has stepped up its efforts of promoting a culture of death by offering abortion as the “smart answer” to an unplanned pregnancy during uncertain times.

One of the best ways to stand against this evil is to come together and openly state “We support and defend the Sanctity of Human Life.”

Pastors, churches and life organizations across the United States use this day to bring awareness to the attacks that are daily waged against human life through the abortion industry.

In 1984, President Ronal Reagan issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

“We have been given the precious gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that struck down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human beings.”

Ronald Reagan

President

We are continuing that tradition by setting this day aside – January 21, 2024 – as a day to pray for the end of the tragedy of abortion, ask for God’s mercy on our country for this heinous sin, and proclaim loudly that all lives are created in the image of God and should be treated as such.

On Sunday, January 21, we declare the sanctity of all human lives and stand together to protect the lives of each and every unborn baby.

“The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.” – Isaiah 49:1

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139;13-16

We would also like to encourage you to focus on the value of human life all month — and all year — long. Watch the video below to find out four ways that you can make a difference for life this January.

A Message for Sanctity of Human Life Month (youtube.com)

Additional information included from Heartbeat International and LifePlan.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, today, following is the complete text of his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. (Listen to the audio, by clicking here.)

– I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

The event is open to the public.

Participate in 90th Anniversary “Explore Your Parks” Adventure Series

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District

Welcome to the East Bay Regional Park District’s 90th Anniversary year. After 90 years, the Park District has grown to be the largest regional park district of its kind in the nation, with 73 regional parks available for hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, and nature discovery. The Park District manages over 125,000 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline, and more than 1,300 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wherever you live in the East Bay, there is a beautiful regional park close to you.

To celebrate 90 years of land preservation, environmental conservation, and recreation, the District is planning a series of events and programs throughout the year, including a community birthday celebration on May 11 and monthly naturalist led “Explore Your Parks” adventure programs, among others. Additional events and programs will be announced throughout the year.

“Join us in celebrating the Park District’s 90 years of milestones and history of environmental conservation and positive experiences in nature,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “We invite the public to enjoy their regional parks and shorelines and celebrate with us throughout the year at events and programs commemorating our 90 years of service to the community.”

The East Bay Regional Park District’s story began in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of watershed land in the East Bay Hills suddenly became available for development. Civic leaders came together with a vision: preserve the land forever, and balance environmental conservation with public enjoyment.

To aid the cause, they enlisted renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and National Park Service’s Chief Naturalist Ansel Hall to survey the watershed lands for potential park use. The resulting 1930 Olmsted-Hall report titled “Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities” brought national credibility to the effort and is largely considered the founding document of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Four years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, civic leaders placed a measure on the ballot to establish the Park District and tax themselves for land preservation. The measure passed on November 6, 1934, by a resounding 71 percent – even during trying times and economic instability. On June 4, 1936, the District purchased land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks – Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden), Temescal, and Roundtop (Sibley).

For 90 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved and protected open space and provided safe and welcoming parks for recreation and nature viewing.

For more information about the Park District’s 90th Anniversary, including events and activities, visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.

90th Anniversary “Explore Your Parks” Adventure Series

Throughout 2024, Park District naturalists are hosting a series of programs and events to celebrate the District’s 90th Anniversary. Look for these events to discover new parks, activities and ways to celebrate 90 years of connecting parks and communities. Celebrate with us!

KING TIDE WALK

Hayward Regional Shoreline (West Winton Ave. Staging Area)

Jan 13 (Sat), noon-1:30 p.m.; Feb 10 (Sat), 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

What are king tides? How do they affect plants and animals, and what can we learn from them? Be prepared for muddy shoes! Drop-in program; no registration is required.

COMMUNITY SCIENCE BIO BLITZ

Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve (Sunol)

Jan 27 (Sat), 10 a.m.-noon

Love nature and want to contribute to real scientific studies? Learn how apps like Seek, iNaturalist, and others are used to help scientists gather data, while enhancing your next hike! Drop-in program; no registration is required.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY WALKS

Thurgood Marshall Regional Park (Concord)

Sundays in February, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

In honor of Black History Month, tours will explore the southern end of the new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50, where attendees can learn about the natural and human history of the land. Registration required. www.ebparks.org/calendar.

WINTER WALK

Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline (Port Costa Staging Area)

Feb 23 (Fri), 9am-noon

Take in the spectacular views of Carquinez Strait and look for signs of spring’s approach along this rolling, paved trail. Heavy rain cancels. Drop-in program; no registration is required. The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area

Includes Mission Elementary School’s 50th Anniversary mural project

Saturday, January 15, 2024, 10:00am-1:00pm

“Life’s most persistent and urgent questions is, ‘What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr., Montgomery, Alabama 1957.

Join us this Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we spend “a day on, not a day off,” encouraging all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Let’s work together to build a stronger Antioch!

Join us at the Antioch Senior Center/Nick Rodriguez Community Center

Bring your senior relatives (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, etc.) or neighbors to the Antioch Senior Center and Nick Rodriguez Community Center, at 415 W 2nd Street in Antioch, to take part in a day of engagement with community members of all ages. Experience exciti19ng and engaging activities, be part of thoughtful discussions and enjoy lunch served by school-age volunteers.

#10892: Volunteer and lead an installation/ mural-based project at Mission Elementary School

Sign up and join us to help create a mural at Mission Elementary School at 1711 Mission Drive in Antioch in celebration of their 50th Anniversary.

#10899: Senior to Senior (ages 14-18) (max 30)
We are looking for high school volunteers to have a moderated discussion with Senior citizens about the impact of MLK, equality and equity on our society. Students can also perform spoken word poems and read other MLK related speeches.

#10900: Arts & Crafts (max 20)
Volunteer and lead a Martin Luther King Jr. arts and craft themed project for the community.

#10902: Karaoke (max 20)
If you like to sing and dance, sign up to volunteer to lead karaoke with the community. Music will consist of themes based on MLK, Jr., freedom, community and celebration of life.

#10903: Activities (max 30)
Volunteer to join us for a room full of fun board games, puzzles, and other games. Lead a round of a game or simply take part in playing.

#10904: Lunch Services (max 15)
Volunteer and lead the service of preparing and providing lunch to the community and other volunteers

Register at Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – City of Antioch, California.

The Greatest News Ever Given

The lyrics in the old Christmas carol pretty much sum up the story of Christmas: “Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn king! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.’” Because that’s how it’s described in the book of Luke, chapter 2 in the Bible.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby [Bethlehem], keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:8-14

As we celebrate Christmas, today, exchanging and opening presents, eating wonderful homemade food and watching classic Christmas movies, let’s remember what this holiday is really all about – celebrating the birthday of Jesus, the Christ.

He was, in the slang of speaker Ken Poure, “God in a bod.” He came down from Heaven, made himself lower than the angels and took on the body of a human being, was born as a baby – not into earthly wealth or power, but to a holy, yet imperfect young, virgin woman and a carpenter, to whom she was engaged, and in a stable with domesticated animals looking on, then growing into adulthood, so he could be one of us.

Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, who the prophet Isaiah proclaimed 700 years before His birth, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

However, He was not a political messiah as many sought in that day, to lead a revolt and rescue them from the rule of the Roman Empire, but rather a spiritual, eternal messiah whose kingdom will never end. What’s more important and lasting, something political or spiritual? Obviously, spiritual.

As a human, Jesus was able to communicate with us, show us how to live and love, and share with us God’s message of salvation, which He provided. Instead of the yearly sacrifice of the unblemished lamb, whose blood merely covered over the sins of the people, the unblemished, perfect Christ provided us the once-and-for-all sacrifice, eliminating our sin and defeating the power of death – ultimate, spiritual, eternal death – for those who choose to follow Him and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. He is our bridge to God the Father, who reached down into human history to offer us a way to have a relationship with Him, that had been broken off by the sin of Adam and Eve.

So, today, this Christmas day, I encourage you to read the story of the birth of Jesus, the Christ in Luke, chapter two. Then find a Bible-believing church to attend today to seek out others who understand and have experienced the true meaning of Christmas, found in Jesus, who came to give us hope; salvation from the degradation of sin in our lives – because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God – the opportunity to have an abundant life, not just one of empty pursuit of pleasure and acquiring things; peace in our hearts; and to be with Him for eternity. Because unlike any other spiritual leader in history Jesus is the only way to God, as he proclaimed “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

And that is the way to have a truly, Merry Christmas!

Allen D. Payton, Publisher

Here are the words to the song that memorializes the most important herald that has ever been – the announcement by the angels of the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus the Christ, the long-prophesied messiah, born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.  He was born to bridge the gap between humans and God, due to the sin in their lives, which breaks our fellowship and relationship with Him. This year, you can know the true meaning of Christmas by opening your heart to the message and reason for the season, the birth, perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Learn more by clicking here.

The word hark means listen, and a herald is an official messenger bringing news. That’s why the songwriter referred to them as herald angels, because that’s the type of angels they were, announcing the good news of Jesus’ birth. Enjoy the lyrics and song of “Hark the herald angels sing.”

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled”

Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem”

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ by highest heav’n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

To hear it sung, click here.

“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A somber man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

By Allen D. Payton, Publisher

While I usually focus on matters in Antioch and Contra Costa County, on this 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I’m compelled to share my thoughts and views.

That’s because, for all of my life, the government has been lying to us about his assassination on November 22, 1963, and it angers me to this day that we, the American people, still don’t know everything about it, the facts and truth. I was born just five-and-a-half months before and I’ve always felt a connection to him, even though as a baby I knew nothing about JFK, his presidency, policies or life, I’ve taken it upon myself to read and learn about him and that fateful day in American history.

I’m angered by JFK’s assassination, which was clearly a conspiracy, as well as the ensuing coverup and whitewash of the Warren Commission Report. They’ve tried to tell us there was a single gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone, and a single, pristine bullet tore through both Kennedy and Governor John Connally’s bodies. But the testimony of so many eyewitnesses, many of whom were ignored by the commission and excluded from its report, has told us otherwise.

A few years ago, my mother and I flew to Dallas to attend my youngest niece’s wedding, and the day before I made it a point, for the first time, to visit Dealey Plaza, the site of the horrible event, as well as the Sixth Floor Museum inside the Texas School Book Depository building. I toured, saw the displays, watched and listened to the videos and found it most interesting that the southwest corner windows were covered with black shades preventing people from looking down upon the infamous grassy knoll. It’s as if they don’t want folks to question the official narrative. So, my mom and I went upstairs to the seventh floor where events are held, walk to the corner and lift the shades to look down upon the place where it’s clear the kill shot was taken.

While there, I also stood in the middle of Elm Street on the second X on the ground marking the location where Kennedy was riding in the presidential limousine when he was struck in the head by gunfire. I looked up at both the corner of the Sixth Floor perch of at least one gunman, and over to the grassy knoll and fence above it that still stands to this day.

I walked to the back of the fence that so many people, including a few police officers, ran towards, after at least four shots were fired – including one that struck the front window of the limousine. That fence is the location where people said they saw a puff of smoke rise under the trees and at least one witness said he saw a man take apart a rifle and hand it off to another man in a suit who quickly walked away. As I stood there, as one of my sisters and my eldest niece, who had arrived and joined me in Dealey Plaza, stood nearby, I was moved by emotion realizing that was the place where our president’s life was taken with the fatal headshot. That emotion turned to anger.

Whose president do the powers that be think he was? Whose government do they think this is? We the people, that’s who! For too long, too many have sat idly by and allowed them to lie to us, cover up their evil deeds and hope we’ll all just go on with our lives – which is what has happened – and maybe even forget. But I won’t. Many people won’t. While I applaud former President Trump for releasing most of the remaining JFK Assassination records, he failed to fulfill his promise to release them all.

As a November 21, 2018 report on History.com reads, “…despite the 25-year deadline established by the 1992 JFK Records Collection Act, not everything came out. Citing national security concerns, President Trump then elected to halt the release of some of the remaining classified files for an additional six months. Now that deadline has passed, and it’s still unclear how many records (or portions of the records) still remain under wraps, whether they will be ever released in full, and what—if any—new information they may contain.”

At that time, sources estimated “some 21,980 documents, totaling more than 368,000 pages, are still being withheld in full or in part” and “through a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the (National) Archives itself put the total number at 22,933 documents (or 442,606 pages).

Since then, President Biden released over 1,000 records in 2021 and earlier this year he “declared that he has made his ‘final certification’ of files to be released, even though 4,684 documents remain withheld in whole or in part. Going forward, agencies will decide any future disclosures that may be warranted by the passage of time. Of roughly 320,000 documents reviewed since the law passed, 99 percent have been disclosed, according to the National Archives and Records Administration. But 2,140 documents remain fully or partially withheld as a result of Mr. Biden’s action…” (See JFK Assassination Records)

But the fact is many of the records “were partially or mostly redacted”. So, we the people still don’t know what’s in them.

Who after 60 years could they possibly be trying to protect? Some of our federal government institutions? We’ve already learned we can’t completely trust them. Powerful individuals or their reputations? I say too bad. We have a right to know all the facts and see all the documents related to the events and individuals leading up to, involved in Kennedy’s assassination, and who participated in the cover up after the fact. No more soft-pedaling, no more waiting. The next president must issue an Executive Order and release the remaining documents and we the people need to make it an issue in next year’s campaign.

It’s long past time for the lies and coverup to end. It’s time we the people get to know all the facts and truth, and if some of the people are still alive, bring them to justice because there are no statutes of limitation for capital murder – and should never be for the murder of our president.

Paid for primarily by federal stimulus funds, and taxpayer-supported Measure J county sales tax and bridge toll increases

This month, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) commemorates Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore’s 10 years of service alleviating congestion on Highway 24. Caldecott’s award-winning fourth bore was constructed on time and under budget at a cost of $417 million and finally allowed two permanently dedicated tunnels to service traffic in each direction. The passage was opened to traffic on November 15, 2013, successfully reducing travel times, enhancing safety for Caltrans maintenance workers, and improving mobility for those driving from east Contra Costa County to Oakland and San Francisco. 

At the time of the groundbreaking on January 22, 2010, the shovel-ready Fourth Bore was the largest American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulus funding in the nation of $194.3 million, a testament to the regional importance of the project and the hard work of the project team. Contra Costa County’s Measure J provided $125 million, the Bay Area Regional Measure 2 Bridge Toll increase provided $44.8 million, and the state provided $19.9 million.

“Ten years ago, we opened the fourth bore with much anticipated fanfare,” CCTA Chair Federal Glover said. “Many drivers today don’t remember when Caltrans workers had to shift the middle bore direction at least twice a day to provide lanes for peak commuters.  On some weekdays the direction of the middle bore could change up to six times, which was so inefficient for the 160,000 daily drivers who used the Caldecott each day and unsafe for the workers who were responsible for changing lanes.” 

Prior to the tunnel opening, Caltrans reported westbound motorists experienced 52,585 vehicle hours of delay a month. After the fourth bore opened in 2013, the vehicle hours of delay dropped to 12,020 – a 77 percent improvement. CCTA 2023 data shows a continued reduction in delays compared to 2013 data compiled before the tunnel opened. Eastbound delays show a 42 percent reduction of vehicle hours of delay, while westbound delays show an 80 percent improvement – meaning fewer hours drivers waste sitting in traffic. (See Fourth Bore Project Fact Sheet)

“The Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore is a remarkable project that has served Bay Area drivers well since 2013,” CCTA Executive Director Timothy Haile said. “CCTA’s landmark project will continue to be a legacy for decades to come.”

About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation  Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage  the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation  planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of  projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering  transportation infrastructure projects and programs throughout the County. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to manage traffic levels. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.  

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.