First of all, you probably live near Knoll Park. If so you may even have purchased the home we sold in 01/06 which was foreclosed 9 months later. From our sales price of $555k we hear it resold for $239k (or something like that...) I am really glad that you are enjoying what we enjoyed for more than 15 years. But I needed to feel safe after having been robbed at gun point while working at a local bank. The best way for us to do this is to be where we are now. I have not been to Slatten Ranch or Antioch since we moved.

And as much I want to be able to buy into Antioch being a safe place, I hope you can understand how it might be more difficult for me.

And you are ABSOLUTELY correct that putting S8 people in homes that you and I cannot afford (comfortably) is what started this whole mess. So I thank you for your courtesy and I hope you can enjoy your home for many years to come. I do miss Shannondale at the Holidays :)

@ANTIOCH NO MORE

First off, I just want to say that sfgate and other papers are reporting this was most likely a non-gang related incident. In fact, the perpetrators of the crime were not students at Deer Valley and were in their late teens/early 20's.

Second of all, I don't think it's fair that you lump all of Antioch as a crime ridden city. I live in a quiet neighborhood where the majority of the homeowners are original owners. The once dangerous Knoll Crest park has been reformed and the children on our street go there during the day to play. I've had no problems living there for the past year when I purchased my home.

One of the beautiful things about my street is the diversity of people, there are asian, black, white, and even russian neighbors. We all get along, because unlike most neighborhoods, we actually socialize as neighbors. We know the names and faces of everyone on our street and it's not uncommon to see them gathered at someone's house.

Maybe the reason I'm so lucky is because I don't live in a new house where all those homeowners got greedy and created the whole economic and social mess that we're in.

Also, I don't think it's fair to blame all the S8 residents. The real problem is the Housing Authority granting so many S8 residents in one area and granting them new houses with 4 to 6 bedrooms.

One other point, your story of picking up and moving reminds me a lot of the animation in the Michael Moore Movie Farenheit 9/11. Where when the black people move in, the white people move out. I understand your situation with having children and wanting them to be safe. However, that seems to be the mentality of all white people. As soon as a little color comes in, it's time to get out. Before someone thinks that I'm a Black person, I'm not. I'm a half asian/ half white person.

Anyways, that's my two cents. I believe that people are so quick to put down Antioch and abandon the city instead of trying to fix the problems and make it a better city.

Just one more reason not to live in Antioch, which is really sad because Antioch Parents, School Administrators and Police are doing everything possible to contain the gang problems that have been exacerbated by the influx of Section 8 rentals in the Deer Valley Attendance area. Two of our former neighbors (we moved 01/06/2006) have kids who live within an easy walk to DV, yet chose to attend AHS because as Caucasian kids, they felt very threatened during the one term at DV. We just figured our safety and relationships with our neighbors wouldn't be enough to keep us in such a crime ridden City. This is NOT anecdotal-while working part time at a local bank, two of us were robbed and this has had quite an affect on us both. And every single banking facility along the Slatten Ranch/Deer Valley area have been robbed.

If you have kids, it's a balancing act to make them understand you love them, but it's also your job to protect them. Love your kids. No one should have to bury their child, or, worse, never know what happened to their beloved child.