The EDGE Expo (The Academy for Engineering and Designing a Green Environment) held March 1, 2011 at the Antioch High School excites the imagination.  In groups of 4, the first batch of 80 Academy freshmen exhibited bridge models designed to span either the Dow wetlands or Kirker Creek.  The makers of the two most viable bridge creations were awarded a safety vest and a hard hat by two Caltrans engineers who served as judges.

 The event roused fond memories of my late father whose life dramatically depicts the importance of pursuing a dream.  After serving during WWII, he was determined to become a civil engineer.  Despite poverty, my father became the first and only college graduate out of eight siblings.  In his career, he designed roads, bridges, buildings, airport runways and planned the electrification of towns and cities in the Philippines. 

I commend the Antioch Unified School District for assisting our children to pursue their dream, become job ready and gain a winning edge at going to a top-notch engineering college.  I especially applaud AUSD Superintendent Don Gill, AHS Principal Louis Rocha, Academy Administrator David Johnstone, Lead Teacher Kevin Jones and all EDGE Academy teachers. 

Cynthia Ruehlig
Trustee – Area 5
Contra Costa County
Board of Education

We’ve seen the news. Pittsburg is seeing fifty-year lows in crime. Brentwood reported zero homicides last year. Then there is the Antioch story, but no need recounting the grim tale. From both ends, housing boom and bust, Antioch suffered a tailspin that will take years of correction. Perhaps it’s the New Yorker in me that reveled in Rudy Giulianii turning the city around after decades of free fall. To think, it all started with graffiti and jaywalking.

It’s been nearly 4 months since the elections have been completed and the AUSD (Antioch Unified School District) is working on the budget for the coming year, however the changes , cuts to personnel, student services and others have yet to be publicized.

I thought that the budget was part of the “Transparency of Government” everyone was touting during the campaign. Why shouldn’t parents, concerned taxpayers and even students be kept in the loop, when these hard decisions are being made? So why not publish the budget warts and all on the district website and in the local press every quarter, or isn’t the board looking for public input?

Jack Yeager

Last month I shared a bone of contention about increasing numbers of unleashed dogs roaming about. I was surprised by the number of national pet publications that picked up the column. I was even more surprised by the numbers of people who took the effort of digging up my contact information to call or e-mail me their own canine confessions. Seems the story hit a collective nerve.

Frankly, it reminds me of the time my car was stolen from my driveway. As a Good Samaritan I went around several blocks of the neighborhood warning neighbors to be on guard. I was amazed to discover just how many others had had their vehicles likewise stolen. Seems, too, dog attacks are more commonplace than I would have imagined. Sadly, some folks even told me they now hesitate walking their own neighborhoods.

Here’s some newly garnered tips sent me. A number of dog-owners claimed that their pets had been saved from possible demise by leather or nylon collars that impeded a deadly neck hold. One fellow suggested carrying a lighter, which, guaranteed, will send any creature, four legged or two legged, running. For the tender amongst you, there is the ultrasound dazer which works at 15 feet and leaves no permanent harm. Disclaimer, though; even the ads disclose that they don’t work with all dogs, including deaf, docile, infirm and highly trained ones.

Note, I previously mentioned the idea of carrying an expandable billy-club. I heard, though, from a police officer that they are legal in 49 other states but are not sold in California. I also would like to clarify that pepper spray is limited to three ounces of individual possession, which might be a limited amount if you got attacked by a pack.

Incidentally, one person related the story of a pit bull springing from a group of drifters hanging out behind the gas station adjacent to Starbucks on A Street. The dog had seized his pet’s neck and was close to a kill before the owner was able to unload his can of mace pepper gel. The attacker went scurrying. It was grabbed by the vagrants who hastily jumped into a truck and sped off. Interestingly, this fellow had used pepper gel twice on humans; once with a mugger and once when he interrupted a teen who was attacking an Oakland librarian.

Feeling squeamish? I assure you, the discomfort of analyzing protection strategies is tame compared to seeing your beloved pet, or your own fond body, torn to shreds. An ounce of prevention, or in the case of spray three, is worth a pound of cure.

Walter Ruehlig

One of the best kept secrets in our city of Antioch is that we have a professional theater company in Rivertown!  The four year old Hapgood Theatre Company’s latest show, a musical revue entitled, “Side by Side by Sondheim” opened last Friday evening at the Nick Rodriguez Theater. The show runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sunday’s at 2:00pm through February 6^th.  For a bit more than the cost of going to a movie we can enjoy live theater in our own town.  No need to go ‘over the hill’ for an evening of quality entertainment! 

Whether or not you are familiar with the name Stephen Sondheim you’re probably familiar with many of his songs, and definitely with his lyrics.  For example, Sondheim wrote all the lyrics for the musical “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.” 

The four person extremely talented cast includes Kelly Ground, Juliet Heller, Stewart Lyle and Erez Shek and the production was directed by Jeremy Messmer.  You may purchase tickets online at www.HapgoodTheatre.org, at the box office before a performance or by calling 925-219-8545.

Next up, from March 4^th through March 20^th is “The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged).” This is an uproarious fast-paced 90 minute romp through the Bard’s plays!  It has been said that if you like Shakespeare you’ll like this show, if you HATE Shakespeare you’ll LOVE this show!

Bonni Bergstrom

Hapgood Theatre Board member

Antioch’s third annual celebration of Martin Luther King Day, held this year at the Deer Valley High School auditorium, gave pause for stock-taking Antioch’s report card of tolerance and embraced diversity.  If you are swayed by TV and San Francisco print dailies, aggressive outsider advocacy groups, and a cluster of criminally-investigated citizens turned civil litigants, Antioch could appear dismally failing. It’s habitually smeared as a bastion of bigotry.

The proof, though, is in the pudding. We might start by asking, who do the good citizens of Antioch choose to lead them?  Our former Mayor, Mary Rocha, is Latino, as were council members Manny Soliz and Ralph Hernandez.  Reggie Moore, who recently lost a reelection bid, was defeated by a fellow African-American, top vote getter Wade Harper.  On the school board side of the ledger, Wade Harper moved on and African American Teri Lynn Shaw was defeated.  Tellingly, our two comprehensive high schools have Latino Louie Rocha and African American Clarence Isadore at the helm.  Our former A.U.S.D. Superintendent, Deborah Sims, is African American.  Two recent Antioch Citizens of the Year, Gary Gilbert and Iris Archuleta are African American. My wife, Cynthia., a Filipino-American, won 2/3 of the Antioch vote on her way to County Board Trusteeship. Seems, then,  the bigot designation simply doesn’t reconcile with Antioch’s  track record.

The popular lyrics, “Who let the dogs out?” once brought grins. Now, it”s more likely to solicit my grimace. After my dog, Sebastian, was attacked twice in the last month those words take on a darker meaning.

These incidents come on the heels of an Antioch friend witnessing their beloved pet mauled to death in front of their home by a pit bull a few months back. Add some chilling statistics: Nationally, reported dog attacks doubled in the last fifteen years, topping one million people yearly. Over one third, one thousand people daily, end up in emergency wards; half of them with face bites.

An estimated 27,000 dogs live in Antioch. About 40% of all households own one or more dogs. Here’s the tale of two; more precisely, of two Masters. It’s fascinating what you learn about human character and psychology from reaction to their dog attacking.

Exhibit #1: My wife was finishing her morning walk when a large pit bull bounded out of an open door. It chased her and our pooch down the street, bloodying our lasha apso’s legs, who resembles the mop-haired Benji.

Sadly, nobody came out of their house or waiting car to help. When I rang the owner’s doorbell minutes later nobody answered. Allegedly, he was in the shower. Sadly, a handful of times previously the dog was either unleashed or had lunged at my wife, myself or neighbors from an inappropriately long leash tethered to a tree. Habitually, the owners took a cavalier attitude.

Hence, I called Animal Control. The dog was impounded that day. Being the first inflicted injury, the dog was released. I understand, though, that a fine and warnings were levied.

Exhibit #2. A couple of weeks later Sebastian was attacked around the block by a small but unrelenting Snauzer. It took the owner minutes to come out and corral the dog, who was unfazed by a score of my kicks. Sebastian was uninjured but in a state of shock for nearly an hour.

I returned to talk to the owners and was pleasantly surprised. They apologized profusely saying that they had spent hundreds on training with no issues until their dog, too, had been attacked twice in the last month. They offered to pay any vet bills. That night they came by asking about our dog’s condition and delivering a restaurant gift card and doggie toy.

Two distressing incidents; two markedly different owner reactions.

Lessons learned:

I now document any and all incidents with phone calls (779-6989) and letters to Animal Control, copy furnished the owners. Be part of the solution or Antioch will go to the dogs.

I’ve learned strategy. An approaching slow gait is friendly, a steady-on run signals trouble; head down o.k, level -headed approach not. Of course, never run, panic, move or scream violently. Stand still and don’t confront. Dogs take staring as a threat, a sideways posture as a calming signal.

If you are trying to separate dogs, your safety is preeminent. If water is nearby, douse them. Also, lifting hind legs or tails disorients them.

We now carry protection. Consider a putter, umbrella, or expandable billy club. Dogs will take appendages as your extension. Distance matters. Mace, dog or pepper spray deter. Learn their use. They make this stuff for bears, so it works.

If you are jumped on, painful as it seems, don’t tear yourself away. Pulling only causes greater damage. If you have outerwear use it to extend. If needed, offer a leg or arm. Protect the fingers and face by making fists and covering your head. If knocked down, curl up in a fetal position protecting the head. Motionless is best. God willing, the attacker should quickly lose interest.

If you fight back, realize that a general head blow will, invariably, further infuriate. Instead, strategically aim for the nose or base of neck. Remember, too, dogs don’t wrestle. Turning them over and compressing your weight will cause them discomfort, if not broken bones. This is no time to be soft-hearted.

In short, be knowledgeable and document.

The attack tips are unnerving but, hopefully, sharing them can, perhaps, save somebody serious injury.

My wish for you, though, is that you never need this advice because most of your neighborhood dogs have the temperment of Lassie. For those that don’t, may their owners have the sense to act accordingly.

Happy t(r)ails!

Walter Ruehlig