New team option, expanded online catalog make fulfilling kids’ and families’ Christmas wishes easier

Santa’s Gift Shoppe — powered by Toys“R”Us — is back; ship gifts by Dec. 13 to help ensure on-time delivery for the holidays

By Meiko Patton, AI Communications Specialist, USPS

CALIFORNIA — The U.S. Postal Service today announced that USPS Operation Santa is now open for letter adoption for the 2025 holiday season. Starting today, individuals, families, workplaces and community groups can go to USPSOperationSanta.com to adopt letters to Santa and help make the holidays brighter for children and families across the country.

This year, USPS is placing a special emphasis on adopting family letters — including a new way to do it as a team — to help ensure letters from the same household are adopted and fulfilled together.

“We invite the public to join us in spreading holiday cheer by adopting a USPS Operation Santa letter,” said Sheila Holman, the Postal Service’s vice president of marketing. “Every year, we receive far more letters than those adopting. So if you have the means, we encourage you to adopt a letter. And this year we’re making it easier for groups to adopt family letters — making the holidays brighter for everyone in a household. And they’re fun and easy to complete with friends or coworkers.”

Letter Adoption Now Open

Adopters can visit USPSOperationSanta.com and follow the steps below to fulfill a letter:

1. Create a login and verify your identity;
2. Browse available letters from across the U.S;
3. Adopt the letters you love — including family letters;
4. Shop for the perfect gift through Santa’s Work Shoppe or on your own; and
5. Ship your gift right away through our online catalog or from a Post Office location

To help ensure gifts arrive in time for the holidays, adopters should ship gifts no later than Dec. 13. Sending gifts as early as possible helps families know their holiday wishes have been met.

Adopt Family Letters as a Team

USPS is highlighting a feature that makes it easier to fulfill letters from the same household together:

• Join forces to fulfill the whole crew — One person creates the team and invites friends, family, or coworkers to help fulfill a family’s letters.
• Each person take a page — Team members can claim the letter from the family that speaks to them and invite others to adopt the rest.
• You’re in charge — All letters in the family must be adopted. The team admin can see unclaimed letters and adopt the remaining ones to make sure the family is fully covered.

This option is designed for offices, teams, community groups and organizations that want to make a bigger impact together.

Santa’s Gift Shoppe Makes It Easy to Shop and Ship

To help make letter adoption easier than ever, Santa’s Gift Shoppe — powered by Toys“R”Us — is back this year with a much larger selection of items. Adopters can send gifts directly from the newly expanded online catalog, saving a trip to a Post Office location and keeping the experience seamless.

Santa’s Gift Shoppe is designed to:

• Give adopters a quick, easy way to find the perfect gift
• Save time and money — with free shipping on orders over $49
• Streamline sending gifts directly to the recipient — because all packaging and shipping is handled for you
• Support adopters who want to fulfill multiple letters — including family letters — in one session

“We want to make it as easy as possible to participate,” Holman added. “You can adopt single or family letters as a team, shop for the perfect gift quickly and easily online, and get it delivered directly from Santa’s Gift Shoppe, all from the comfort and convenience of home. And the best part is, the earlier you adopt, the sooner you can help make somebody’s holiday wish come true.”

How to Get Started

• Visit USPSOperationSanta.com;
• Adopt letters beginning Nov. 17;
• Ship gifts by Dec. 13; and
• Encourage friends, colleagues, and community groups to adopt family letters

For more information, visit USPSOperationSanta.com.

Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is celebrating its 250th year of service to customers amidst a network modernization plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

By Allen D. Payton

During Antioch’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, Veterans of the Year honors were bestowed on Bob Franchetto and Rick Diaz.  Having both served in the U.S. Army, Franchetto was honored as the 2025-26 Veteran of the Year for Lifetime Achievement and Diaz as the 2025-26 Veteran of the Year. They were each presented with plaques and jackets with their names and titles embroidered on, provided by Smith’s Landing Seafood Grill.

Community Awards for Veteran Supports were presented to Favalora Trucking in the Business category, GFWC Antioch Woman’s Club in the Club category and Snug as a Bug in the Non-Profit category, who presented each honoree with a hand-made quilt.

The day began with a Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Antioch Rivertown Veterans Lions Club followed by the ceremony, led by organizer J.R. Wilson, President of the Delta Veterans Group and held near the Antioch Veterans Memorial at the Marina. U.S. Army Veteran Bill Swenson offered the Opening Prayer.

The Deer Valley High School Junior ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) presented the Colors, Raising of the Flag was conducted by the Antioch Police Department Honor Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Rocko Jeremy of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The National Anthem was sung by Bella Rose of the DVHS Jr. ROTC and the Antioch High and Deer Valley High School Marching Bands performed the Armed Forces Medley.

Retired U.S. Army SFC Ronnie McGee was the keynote speaker, followed by Youth Speaker Armando Morales, Executive Officer of the Deer Valley High School Jr. ROTC.

Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA9) also spoke during the ceremony. He hopes to represent Antioch if re-elected next year in the newly redrawn congressional district approved by the recent passage of Prop. 50.

Other elected officials in attendance included Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha and District 5 Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston who both spoke, as well as District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, City Clerk Michael Mandy and Antioch School Board Vice President and Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha.

The ceremony was followed by the Veterans Day Parade on W. 2nd Street which paused in front of El Campanil Theatre at 11:11 a.m. as its historic bell rang 11 times in honor of Armistice Day, later renamed Veterans day, and the end of World War I at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

“El Campanil did great, again with the ringing of the bell,” Wilson said later.

The parade was followed by a lunch hosted by and at the Antioch Veterans of Foreign Wars John McMullen Post 6435.

Paid advertisement.

Tickets available for “A Victorian Christmas”

For more information about the GFWC Woman’s Club of Antioch visit www.gfwcwomansclubofantioch.org.

To participate in the parade and for more information visit https://deltaveteransgroup.org.

Another Halloween Pawty!

By Antioch Animal Services

The APD Haunted House returns! 

We are excited to be having another Halloween Pawty and this time alongside Antioch Police Department who are returning with their Haunted House.

Enjoy K9, SWAT, Drone, Crisis Negotiations Team and Motor Unit demonstrations.

The event will be held on Friday, Oct. 31 from 3-6 p.m. at 300 L Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

We are accepting candy donations at Antioch Animal Services next door to the Antioch Police Facility.

Prime Days are offering deals right meow… More event details coming soon! 

For more information visit www.gracearmsofantioch.org or www.gbfofantioch.org.

All available Officers deployed statewide to keep roads safe during 12-hour operation

6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 – 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1

By Jaime Coffee, CHP Director of Communications, Office of Media Relations

SACRAMENTO—The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will launch a 12-hour Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) from 6 p.m. Friday, October 31, through 6 a.m. Saturday, November 1, to protect motorists and prevent impaired driving. During the operation, all available CHP officers will be on patrol statewide, focusing on identifying and arresting impaired drivers before they cause harm.

“Impaired driving destroys lives, and even one life lost is one too many. This Halloween, we’re asking everyone to do their part before the festivities begin, arrange a sober ride and help us keep California’s roads safe for everyone who uses them.” – CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee

Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both can have deadly consequences. On average, more than 800 fatal crashes involving impaired drivers claim over 900 lives each year in California, reinforcing the CHP’s commitment to removing impaired drivers from the road.

Impairment is not limited to alcohol. Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and cannabis products can all affect a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely.

Penalties for Impaired Driving

Drivers arrested for driving under the influence face serious penalties, including:

• Driver’s license suspension
• Fines
• Mandatory DUI education programs
• Jail time

During last year’s 12-hour Halloween MEP, officers investigated nearly 500 crashes statewide. About 90 of those involved impaired drivers, resulting in two deaths and more than 60 injuries. CHP officers also made nearly 120 DUI arrests during that period.

For more information about DUI penalties, visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles website.

Make the Right Choice

To help ensure everyone reaches their destination safely, the CHP urges motorists to:

• Designate a sober driver.
• Use ride-sharing services, taxis or public transit.
• Never drive impaired or ride with someone who is.

If you see someone who appears to be driving impaired, call 9-1-1 immediately.

“Whether it’s Halloween or any night of the year, the decision to drive sober can save a life,” Commissioner Duryee added. “Together, we can make our roads safer and prevent tragedies before they happen.”

The CHP reminds all drivers to make responsible choices behind the wheel — never drive under the influence, always wear your seat belt and follow the speed limit.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.