Although Antioch was a small town of less than 6,000 people 60 years ago, its enthusiastic support of prep sports began producing a long roster of future professional athletes.

The town nurtured future NFL Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti in the 1950s and in the 1960s it sent Gene Rounsaville to the major leagues and Duane Putnam to the NFL.

Today it's the hometown of Aaron Miles, recently retired 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals team member, and now a retired Jeremy Newberry two-time All-Pro NFL center with the '49ers.

These pro superstars and 71 other distinguished hometown athletes and five championship teams have new permanently been honored in a 2,500-square-foot museum called the Antioch Sports Legends Hall, presented by the Antioch Historical Society. The hall formally opened Oct. 27, 2006. A group of longtime residents and sports boosters has spent nearly seven years working on this dazzling display, which features valuable memorabilia from the 1920s to the present, wall and video displays honoring current sports pros and the centerpiece of the exhibit -- 15 framed placards with the biographies of the Class of 2012.

Sports Legends inductees' biographies will be displayed Oct. 13. Hometown prep standouts from football, baseball, softball, wrestling, cross-country, track and field, golf, diving, swimming, wrestling, basketball, all-around male and female athletes, coach and community sports leaders, are represented in the hall. This year's team representative is the 1971 Antioch High School Championship Cross Country team.

Additional inductees are Randy Autentico, all-around athlete; Sharon Christianson, all-around female athlete; Perry Anderson, Rudy Viramontes (track and field) and Jesse Smith (cross country), individual male athletes; Vanessa Selden, individual female athlete; Norm Bitter, Rich Elliott, Carl Pantle (posthumous), and Mike Shaw, football; Art Regoli and Jeff Siino, baseball; Ed Burke (posthumous), community sports leader; and John Whitman, baseball coach.

The public is invited to visit and view the new display at the museum from 1 to 4 p.m. This year's induction dinner will occur later that evening on Oct. 13 at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center in Antioch.

Call 925-525-3255 or 925-383-4979 as a limited number of tickets available to the public starting on Sept. 17. Cost of the dinner is $65 each.

Please refer to today's Contra Costa Times for a series of biographies and photos of the Sports Legends inductees to be announced each Friday over the next six weeks.

Tom Menasco, Sports Legends co-founder.

Antioch

Time to look at social programs

Dear Editor:

I have always assumed that Section 8 housing assistance was for individuals who were unable to work due to some type of medical disability or problems that prohibited gainful employment.

Seniors would be an excellent example of needing this program. Well, I have had my eyes opened to this program and other programs that smell of downright fraud and misleading taxpayers. I always assumed that the landlord was responsible for Section 8 home repairs, and now I find out that Contra Costa County is doing repairs and my tax dollars are paying for it.

What is going on? Apparently officials are not willing to talk about this problem, so one can only wonder. Taxpayers are getting tired of these programs that enable individuals to sit on their gluteus maximus, collect welfare, food stamps, housing and at the same time have two or three cars, computers, bags of groceries, and sit on their porches smoking (whatever) and talking all day on their iPhones.

It seems that we have millions of individuals on social programs who are encouraged by the federal government and Sacramento. This must end, and we better wake up and vote individuals into office who will clean up this mess. Unfortunately, I have not seen any politician who can or will do this.

J. Eric Salmon

Antioch

Supervisor got the job done

Dear Editor:

I discovered a potential fire hazard in the complex I am living in. The management misinformed me of who would be responsible for the property's boundaries, so therefore, I could not ask for the hazard to be fixed.

I decided to contact Supervisor Federal Glover and, lo and behold, within two days he sent his assistant to investigate the problem. Supervisor Glover's assistant got the ball rolling. Next, the information was forwarded to the city of Pittsburg Code Enforcement, who sent, with lightning speed, someone to inspect the issue. This all happened within two weeks.

I want to thank all the wonderful and dedicated local servants for being so fast and speedy in their response. I feel extremely safe and grateful to know that a well-oiled, local government machine is at work. And, of course, this could not, and would not, happen if it were not for the officials taking their oath very seriously.

Maria Visintini

Pittsburg

Thanks to relay sponsors

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the Antioch Relay for Life Committee, we thank the following sponsors for their support of our event in June: Platinum sponsor, Los Medanos College; silver sponsors, Delta Diablo Sanitation District, Elks Lodge of Pittsburg, Foods Co, Hannah Nicole Vineyards, In-Shape Health Clubs of Antioch and Pittsburg; bronze sponsors, Antioch Library, Avon, Eppie Baluyut, Bridgehead Self Storage, Clif Bar, Epic Care, Kiwanis Club of the Delta, Luns Louie Photography, New Mecca Cafe, Pittsburg 50 plus Senior Club, Pittsburg Disposal Service, Pittsburg Rotary, Rivertown Resource Center, Starbucks of Antioch and Pittsburg, Stonyfield/Brown Cow Farm, Straw Hat Pizza, Wal-Mart. Other in-kind donations: All Star Rentals, Al's Donuts, American Medical Response, Antioch Holiday Fun Run, Antioch Lighted Boat Parade, Antioch Medical Supply, Antioch Babe Ruth Baseball, Back to Health, Bagel Street Cafe (Antioch), Bed Bath and Beyond, Brenden Theatres, Brentwood Relay For Life, California Power and Diesel, Chipotle (Pittsburg), city of Pittsburg, Cold Water Creek (Brentwood), Dan Hasson, Deer Valley Softball, Divine's Custom Interiors, Dwelley's Farms, El Pollo Loco (Pittsburg), Farmer's Daughter, G&S Farms (Brentwood), Gelato Classico, Glacier Ice, Holy Rosary Church, Kaiser Permanente, Lady Bags Enterprise, Lanzafame Furniture (Pittsburg), Love Something Sweet, Lowe's home Improvement (Antioch), McCaulou's (Concord), Mr. Pickle's (Antioch), Muscle Maker Grill (Antioch), Olive Garden, Pizzagoni's Towing, Raley's (Oakley), Ron and Dee Rainero, Rundall Productons, Dr. Arthur Siu, Simoni & Massoni Farms, State Farm Agency (Antioch), Sticky Chicken & Ribs (Antioch), Sutter Delta Medical Center, Sweet Medical, Sylvia's Kitchen (Antioch), Target (Pittsburg), Tesoro Torres Construction, Van's Health Foods, Wally Young, American Medical Response, Rotary Club of Antioch, Breast Cancer Wellness magazine and Dancers Elite.

These wonderful sponsors also helped to show how important the American Cancer Society organization is in all of our lives. Your efforts helped contribute to the American Cancer Society's mission of research, education, advocacy and improving the quality of life for our patients.

Judy Dawson

Antioch Relay for life event chair

Michele Littlefield

Antioch Relay for Life co-chair

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