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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 10, No. 50
City suffers wave of violence by Justin Lafferty Staff Writer A recent rash of violent crime has hammered the shortstaffed Antioch Police Department, and things may get worse before they get better. Last week, Eddie Lee Carr, 27, and Laqinda Q. Modique, 28 were taken into custody on suspicion of felony child endangerment with death and reckless storage of a firearm after their 4year-old son shot and killed his 2-year-old brother. On Dec. 6, police responded to a carjacking on Bison Way that left a 40-year-old Oakland man suffering from a gunshot wound in his abdomen. That same day, a 22-year-old man from Pittsburg was shot on the 2300 block of L Street. Police said neither injury was life threatening, and the investigation into both crimes is ongoing.
Photo by Justin Lafferty
Antioch Police Lt. Leonard Orman speaks with the media Tuesday regarding the latest in a string of violent crimes to hit the city. Also on Dec. 6, a woman was stabbed to death on Delta Fair Boulevard after a dispute in
a parking lot. Antioch resident Roy Crites, 56, was arrested on suspicion of committing the ho-
micide. Then on Tuesday, Antioch police arrested Brentwood resident Lucio Rivera-Avila, 51, on suspicion of homicide after he confessed to hitting a woman with his Nissan Frontier pickup truck and dragging her to death in a parking lot on Cavallo Road. Lt. Leonard Orman said that Rivera-Avila, an El Salvador native, has been transported to Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez. “At this point, we’re in a position where how much our lack of staffing has affected this is a hard call,” Orman said during a Tuesday press conference. “We’re down 50 employees in this police department and clearly there’s some impact relative to proactive policing and crime prevention. We just can’t do some of the things we were able to do two see Line page 26A
Local youth wreathes vets in honor by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
On Dec. 11 at 9 a.m., volunteers across the nation will place more than 100,000 holiday wreaths on the graves of veterans in honor of their service. But for Antioch resident Alex Broom, 14, who will be participating in the ceremony for the first time, the honor is all his. “The main goal is to place wreaths on headstones to help remember that each one of these veterans died for our country,” said Alex. “It is important to know that we are able to have our freedom because of them. It’s an important project.” The project is Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization formed in 2007 as an extension of the Arlington Wreath project. The Arlington event, begun in 1992 by wreath company owner Morrill Worcester of Maine, who placed 5,000 holiday wreaths that year on the tombstones of veterans in Arlington National Cemetery. Since then, the effort has grown to include the Wreaths
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Across America effort, held on the second Saturday of December. This weekend, Alex, who is a member of a local teen Civil Air Patrol squadron, in conjunction with the Wreaths ALEX BROOM program, will help lay wreaths at the San Francisco National Cemetery in The Presidio. As part of the project, Alex and his squadron spent months soliciting local businesses, organizations and groups for donations. Fifteen dollars pays for one wreath, and this year Alex’s squadron raised more than $1,500 in sponsorships. “This is the first time we’ve participated,” said Lynn Jorgensen Broom, Alex’s mom. “My husband, who is a Coast Guard auxilerist, will also be there representing the
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Merchant Mariners and placing a wreath. It’s going to be a family event. We’re very excited.” The mission of Wreaths Across America is to “Remember, Honor and Teach.” The effort to remember each fallen serviceman remains the focal point of the project. Today nearly 500 locations nationwide participate in the event. Worcester, whose family donates to Arlington every year, described his motivation behind the event. “I was 21 years old when I started Worcester Wreath,” he said in a recent press release. “That is the same average age as the soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit and defense of the freedoms we enjoy today. The way I see it, they gave me the opportunity to develop and enjoy my business; to raise my family. If our efforts increase awareness of their sacrifices and those of the families who will be without loved ones on these holidays, it is the least I can do. I only wish I could decorate each grave.”
Glee decreed
go to news/WebExtras! An ensemble from Cornell will bring tidings of great joy to Liberty High School.
see Wreaths page 26A
Be warned
go to news/press releases Crooks are pulling a scam masquerading as advocacy for a worthy cause.
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December 10, 2010
This Week Guidelines for gifting
Hoping to wrap up your holiday shopping swiftly and smoothly? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide. Page 1B
Lavished with leaves Poinsettia power was on full display during a recent senior road trip. Page 3A
Taking it to the mat
Bay Valley Athletic League teams are grappling with lofty goals as the wrestling season commences. Page 21A
Plus: Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 12B Entertainment ................. 10B Food ...................................... 9B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................17A Opinion ..............................18A Sports .................................21A
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Limbs get lit
go to multimedia/videos Watch the annual switch get flipped for a city’s communal conifer.