Antioch Press_12.30.11

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Visit Your Hometown Website www.thepress.net Na t

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 11, No. 52

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December 30, 2011

Fundraiser to aid vandalized schools by Justin Lafferty Staff Writer In response to the rash of vandalism that struck two Antioch schools earlier this year, community activism group Take Back Antioch has announced a fundraiser to make those facilities safer in the future. The event is slated for Monday, Jan. 9 at the Red Caboose, 210 Fulton Road. In order to not exceed the restaurant’s capacity, Diablo Vista supporters are asked to dine between 5 and 7 p.m.; Lone Tree from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children 3 and younger. Students who attend wearing school clothing receive a free raffle ticket for prizes.

Play structures and trash cans were set aflame in October on playgrounds at Lone Tree Elementary and Diablo Vista Elementary. The vandalism at Lone Tree – including a fire that completely melted a slide – caused about $100,000 of repairs, according to parent Patty Ward. According to Antioch Unified School District Board Member Walter Ruehlig, Diablo Vista was hit twice by vandals that month, totaling roughly $70,000 in damages. “When you have to pay for vandalism, that really hurts,” Ruehlig said. “That’s money that could be going to a much better cause than repairing the foolishness that see Fundraiser page 17

Bring on 2012

Photo courtesy of Patty Ward

Arsonists set fire to a Lone Tree Elementary playground in October. Take Back Antioch has planned a fundraiser to help several schools hit with vandalism earlier this year.

2011’s greatest grammatical gaffes “ Strippers swim upstream to the Sacramento

by Ger Erickson Copy Editor

Sometimes things are so bad, they’re good. Had “Rocky Horror Picture Show” been less campy, would it have achieved its cult status? Doubtful. Would “American Idol” be a winner without its wobbly throated wannabes? C’mon. The same is true for words. The grammatical gaffes, syntactic slapstick and logical lapses that stumble across my computer screen provide welcome decompression from the stress of editorial deadlines. Hey, I’ve even caught one or two before they made their way into print. So brace yourself for the 2011 Blooper Reel Awards for the weirdest wordcraft never to have reared its ugly head in the pages of the Press:

River to spawn.

” – Winner, MOST PICTURESQUE TYPO Award MOST PICTURESQUE TYPO Award Third Runner-up: His sandwiches have an Italian flare. Second Runner-up: The group is hosing the free Cesar Chavez State Holiday Concert. First Runner-up: The preacher served in the Perspiration Church for 11 years. And the award goes to: Strippers swim upstream to the Sacramento River to spawn. TYPOS THAT ACTUALLY WORK Award Third Runner-up: The event attracted a large caste of volunteers.

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Second Runner-up: Music was provided by four signing groups. First Runner-up: Singing sensation Carol Peters will be staring in a free concert. And the award goes to: He proposed to her last Eater Sunday at a huge family picnic. FERDINAND MAGELLAN MEMORIAL Award The team clashed with squads from as far east as Missouri, Maryland, Long Island and Hawaii. YOU DON’T SAY! Award Third Runner-up: The juvenile

Keeping the faith go to news/WebExtras!

A generous donor gave Antioch’s Interfaith Peace Center a big boost.

ran away from home without permission. Second Runner-up: Positions are open until filled. First Runner-up: The shoplifter stole property from the business without paying. And the award goes to: The driver rear-ended another vehicle, abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot without leaving contact information. YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN Award Second Runner-up: He felt the team underperformed and could have done better. First Runner-up: He has headlined shows internationally in 12 countries. And the award goes to: She didn’t miss a beat when she said, without hesitation, … see Gaffes page 12

Tipsy tow

go to news/press releases AAA is offering a free tow home for drinking drivers on New Year’s Eve.

As 2011 comes to an end and a sparkling new year stretches in front of us, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at some of the stories that have graced the pages of Your Hometown Weekly Newspaper over the last 12 months. As we have every year, the staff here at The Press has put together a few representative pieces as a final goodbye to this year. The stories we’ve chosen aren’t the biggest or most important things that happened. They’re just interesting events, unusual happenings or simply stories worth noting again. Of course, you can revisit all of the stories, pictures, letters and commentary from the last 12 months by logging on to www.thepress.net and checking our archives. We’re privileged to be a part of our readers’ lives, and hope to continue with you for many more years. We’re also hoping that 2012 will bring you peace, happiness and prosperity, but whatever the new year brings, we’ll go through it together. Thanks for sharing with us, and we hope you enjoy this year-end mini-retrospective.

Calendar ...............................31 Classifieds ............................35 Entertainment ....................23 Food .......................................22 Opinion .................................18 Sports ....................................19 FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

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An incandescent celebration warmed hearts at The Streets of Brentwood.


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