In one sense, the Delta Science Center (DSC) is alive and well. Its co-sponsoring a Science Day at Big Break on Saturday morn-ing; it co-sponsors educational boat trips on the Delta and it provides educational Delta puzzles and calendars in local classrooms.

On the other hand, the DSC is experi-encing an identity crisis. In its more than 15 years of existence, the board has lost half its members, a $50,000 grant was spent on a consultant with little to show for it and it still has no building not even an offi ce or desk, let alone the grandiose Monterey Bay Aquarium-like center once envisioned by some.

In the meantime, the East Bay Re-gional Park District has stolen its thunder by spending millions of dollars to develop a park and trails along the Big Break Shore-line and is about to break ground on what it calls the Delta Discovery Experience, providing kayaking, picnic facilities, a play-ground and amphitheater near the parks

fi shing pier.Contributing to the identity crisis for

the Delta Science Center nonprofi t organi-zation, the park district is planning to con-struct a building next year called the Delta Science Center on its Big Break property and its unclear whether the Delta Science Center organization will have anything to do with the Delta Science Center building.

The park district is aware of the DSCs interest in the building, but so far it has moved ahead with its plans for the building and other park facilities without the DSCs input.

A meeting was scheduled yesterday af-ternoon between the DSC and the park dis-

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 9, No. 17 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net April 24, 2009

Natio

nalAwardWinning Newspapers

THIS WEEK

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Lowdown on spiffing up

Our spring Home & Garden Guide is bursting with ideas on how to enhance your environs.

Page 1B

Installed in the Hall

Their old uniforms might not fit anymore, but their accomplishments are tailor-made for immortality.

Page 19A

Calendar ..........................23BClassifieds ........................17BCop Logs ..........................17AEntertainment ................12BFood .................................14BHealth & Beauty .............10BMilestones .......................15BOpinion ...........................16ASports ...............................19A

INSIDE

Community icon passes A beloved educator and community advocate lost his battle with cancer but left a memorable legacy.

Page 3A

Speak up! Let your voice be heard.Start an open discussion or expression of ideas with a forum at www.thepress.net.

Local hero earns Silver StarWhen Nick Eslinger played

quarterback for the Freedom Falcons, he never threw a foot-ball while on his knees. For the 10 men who were with him in Iraq last Oct. 1, though, its a good thing he could do it with an explosive device.

I saw a hand come up over the wall and toss a grenade, which landed about six to eight feet away and rolled toward my soldiers, said Eslinger, who at the time was a fi rst lieuten-ant and platoon leader with the Armys 2nd Battalion, 327th In-fantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Without hesitation, Eslinger dove on the grenade, pinning it between his chest and the ground. He grabbed it with his hand as he rolled over, came to his knees, and threw it back over the wall a second before it blew up.

There was no thought in-

volved, Eslinger said by phone this week. It was over before I knew what had happened.

Then again, it wasnt quite over, at least not for Eslinger.

Word of what he had done spread, and on March 16 he was awarded the Silver Star, the countrys third-highest award for gallantry, by Army Chief of

Staff George W. Casey, Jr.Its a weird thing to be

called a hero, Eslinger said, adding that he had been raised to be thankful and humble and not give a lot of thought to his own exploits. It was a big surprise that such a high-rank-ing offi cer (Casey) would take time out of his busy schedule, Eslinger said.

And what did the Armys top commander have to say? Es-linger chuckled.

Im not sure you can use this in the paper, but he said, That took a lot of balls, Es-linger said. He said, You have more courage than most of the soldiers I know. Im very hon-ored.

Eslinger, 25, graduated from Freedom in 2002, and from West Point Military Academy (which he attended on a scholarship) in 2007. While in high school, he was a standout on the football

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

see Hero page 26A

1st Lt. Nick Eslinger receives the Silver Star from Army Chief of Staff George Casey on March 16. While on patrol in Iraq last October, Eslinger dove on a grenade, rolled over and threw it back where it had come from, saving the 10 soldiers who were with him.

Photo courtesy of Donna Behnke

Science center may be at crossroads

Above left, the Delta Science Center is co-sponsoring a science day Saturday morn-ing at Big Break shoreline. Above right, the Delta Science Center co-sponsors educa-tional boat trips on the Delta.

Photos courtesy of Delta Science Center

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

see Crossroads page 26A

APRIL 24, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

Bristow a legacy of caring

There are people who live their entire lives never feeling appreciated, important or signifi cant. Those people never met Bill Bris-tow.

He was one of those people who, the minute you met him, you knew you were spe-cial, said Patty Bristow, Bills wife of 14 years. Thats just the way he was.

Bill Bristow, educator, family man and late-in-life track star, died of cancer Sunday at his home in Brentwood, surrounded by family and friends. He was 73.

He was one of the most admired and beloved members of the community, a man who was one of the people responsible for making many of the good parts of Brent-wood what they are today, not just in educa-tion but throughout the community with ev-eryone and everything his was a part of, said longtime friend Emil Geddes. I am in awe.

One of eight surviving children of an Oklahoma sharecropper, Bristow and his family piled into a Model A Ford and came to California to escape the Dust Bowl in 1936. He lived in a dirt-fl oor house, and worked at various jobs before graduating from Liberty High School. He earned a masters degree at San Francisco State and began his career in education in Knightsen. He started as an eighth-grade teacher and, at age 27, became the youngest district superintendent in Cali-fornia history.

After fi ve years, he moved over to the Liberty Union High School District, where he helped develop curricula for Liberty and other local school districts. His next move would be to the Brentwood elementary school district, where he served as a principal for two years before becoming superintendent. It was a post he would hold for 25 years.

In 1991, Bristow was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer. He endured years of chemotherapy, radiation, experi-mental drugs and therapies that, at one point, burned away all the skin, hair and nails on his body. It was a long-denied desire to run track, however, that might have been the most im-portant treatment he received.

I truly believe Hugo gave him his last eight years by starting him running, Patty said of Dr. Hugh Maiocco, a former Pan American Olympic Gold Medalist who be-came Bills coach and dear friend.

We did a lot of walking, talking and running, Maiocco said. He was genuinely interested in what you had to say. He was nev-er self-serving; he was about what the other person wants.

Bristow took second place at the USA National Senior Championships in 1995, although just how fast he was running had never been important.

Whenever someone asked his time, he would say he didnt know, Maiocco said. Hed say, We just practice running fast. Its about enjoying running. Workouts were a metaphor for our friendship we never

focused on what we couldnt do; we let the workout tell us what we could do, just like the magic of our friendship.

Whether convincing a college graduate to return to Brentwood to teach, sharing his love of language or telling the story of his bat-tle with cancer, Bristow unceasingly worked to better his community and its people.

Bill Bristow was an extraordinary ex-ample of a homegrown person who gave of himself to his community and more importantly, supported the young youth of Brentwood through his dedication and car-ing ways, Mayor Bob Taylor said Tuesday. He will always be remembered in the hearts and minds of this city as a true and dedicated educator.

For many, Bristows thumbs-up attitude toward life was his most telling attribute. He inspired us all to be positive and take life each day at a time, said Peggie Schuitemaker. His love for life and Patty was clearly obvious and radiated from his beautiful smile.

In spite of her husbands accomplish-ments in the fi elds of education and athletics, Patty said it was Bills family that meant the most to him. His proudest accomplishments were his children: Merri, Judi, David and Arianna, she said.

Asked what he thought Bills legacy would be, Maiocco at fi rst struggled a bit. His friends willingness to share his story with oth-ers might be part of it, he said, not as brag-ging but because he could help someone else, set them on the right path, give them hope.

In the end, though, it was much simpler than that.

He cared, Maiocco said. He really cared.

Bill Bristow is survived by his wife Patty, children Merrideth Godfrey, Judith Arata, David Bristow and Micholas Arata, all of California; and grandchildren Phillip and Nicholas Arata and Abbigale Bristow.

Visitation will take place Friday, April 24 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Brentwood Funeral Home, 839 First St. Services will be held Sat-urday, April 25 at 1 p.m. at St. Anne Church, 2800 Camino Diablo in Byron.

BILL BRISTOWSEPT. 17, 1935APRIL 19, 2009

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

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Life for Brian Keith has been fi lled with leaps of faith. The former minister turned fi ne art sculptor has always be-lieved that life holds unending gifts. The trick is to recognize them when you see them.

Sometimes you have to be willing to take a risk to suc-ceed, said Keith. Ive always tried to take opportunities where I saw them, but Ive also been willing to trust; thats been a big part of it.

And it has paid off. Just two years into a highly success-ful, professional career as a sculptor, Keith recently unveiled his latest commission: a life-size sculpture park in Black-hawk Plaza in Danville.

Called Imagine, the series of seven full-size sculp-tures tell the story of a grandfather, granddaughter and two friends, who experience the magic of a story come to life. The main character is a swan that jumps out of the pages of the book and takes the group on a fl ight of fancy and whimsical imaginings.

Cast in bronze, the sculptures have a Norman Rockwell look to them, fi lled with nuance and detail, from the curls in the little girls pony tails to the grandfathers shoelaces to the downy feathers of the swan. But its Keiths vision imbued in the sculptures that best captures the story.

To me, the story is about leaving a legacy and imagin-ing the possibilities, he said. I saw not just a younger gen-eration in this piece, but the older generation, too. Its a story from a childs eyes, but also from a grandfathers.

Likewise, it has been Keiths own family legacy of faith and love that led him on his creative path. Born and raised in San Ramon, the Discovery Bay resident was encouraged at an early age by his grandmother, an artist, to paint and draw. A scholarship to the prestigious Academy of Art in San Francisco seemed the logical path to follow upon gradu-

ation from high school, but true to form, Keith chose the road less traveled.

I always fi gured I would grow up and be in either law enforcement, the ministry or sports, said Keith. But un-derneath there was always my art, and thats where I ended up.

But not before heading down to southern California to attend Biola University, a small Christian college, where he

studied art and the Bible. Upon graduation, he and his wife Lanisa his high school sweetheart married and remained in Southern California, where Keith became an associate pastor in a nearby church. As much as he loved his work and spiritual commitment to his church, he was never certain the church would remain his career.

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 24, 2009

22 888882008

GOL

D MEDALAWARD

Discovery Bay artist creates message of joy

Photo courtesy of Brian Baker

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Joy page 5A

This grand-father is magically transformed into a WWI aviator tak-ing ight on the back of a whimsical swan one of seven full-size sculptures on permanent display at the Blackhawk Plaza in Danville.

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For me, Im not a great, gifted orator, said Keith, who re-mains an active church member. Writing and giving sermons was challenging for me.

So when the opportunity presented itself, Keith was again faced with a fork in the road. This time, however, the fork had a name.

Morgan Weistlings, said Keith. Hes the Michael Jordan of the art world, and he agreed to take me on as a student, which is something he never does. I fi gured I would be painting, but when he suggested I take a sculpting class to improve my painting, I realized that sculpting was what I was going to do. From there, the door just blasted open.

In a big way. A commissioned bust of President Ronald Rea-gan garnered Keith national recognition. Now, due to the attention paid him by virtue of the Blackhawk sculptures, galleries across the country including the National Gallery, the largest in the nation are knocking on his door.

For all this to happen so quickly is both a blessing and a surprise, said Keith. But its something that we can trust and its something that I love. My desire is to do things with excellence, and having the freedom to do it and to be creative is very exciting. To be able to work out of my home and make myself more available as a husband and father is also wonderful.

A few years ago, the couple traveled to China to adopt their daughter Malia, now nearly 2. Theyll return in a few weeks, this time to bring home a brother for Malia.

Despite his fast-paced personal and professional career, Keiths visions remain clear: to spread a spiritual message of hope and promise and joy. Especially joy.

For me, the message is always about the joy, said Keith. With the Blackhawk sculptures, the message is that this grandpa, this joy-ful grandpa, has found peace and perspective.

I understand that in the end, the reality is that it is a piece of metal. But for someone to be able to see my work and touch it and get something from it thats very satisfying. In some small way, the message is in my art.

For more information on Keith and his work, visit www.briankeithfi neart.com.

Joy from page 4A

Photo courtesy of Brian Baker

Sculptor Brian Keith and his daughter Malia take a mo-ment to enjoy his handiwork at the sculpture park in Blackhawk.

6A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 24, 2009

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Upgrades planned for Vet Hall

Its stood sentinel on the corner of First and Maple streets for 84 years, honoring veterans and providing a venue for countless com-munity activities. And while the events are scheduled to continue unabated through the spring and summer, a major effort is getting underway to enable it to continue its mission far into the future.

Built in 1924 as a place for World War I veterans to gather, the building belongs to Contra Costa County, which leases it back to the veterans for $1 per year. Theres no money to maintain or improve it, however, so all upkeep and improvements have been accomplished through renting the building for community events, holding fundrais-ers, securing occasional grants from the City of Brentwood and the efforts of veterans and local service clubs. Over the years that has meant new air conditioners, kitchen equipment, fl ooring and paint, but a recently assembled group wants to make even more signifi cant upgrades.

As a memorial, we want it to refl ect the importance of the vet-erans it was built for and all those who have served since, said Don Hester of the Marine Corps League. The American Legion and Vet-erans of Foreign Wars also use the building, and members of each are on the board of the new Veterans Memorial Building charity set up to care for the hall.

Planned improvements include a remodeled kitchen, ADA-compliant bathrooms, a new fl agpole and a general sprucing up of the dcor. Rough estimates put the costs at more than $200,000; pre-cise numbers are currently being put together.

Its going to be some money, said Legionnaire George Marti-nez, one of the buildings new trustees. We dont know how much yet, but were not letting any grass grow under our feet.

In addition to an effort to attract more rent-producing events (starting at about $400, the rates are competitive with other local ven-ues, the vets say) the group is planning a number of events of its own. The fi rst is a Casino Night set for May 1, which will include Texas

Holdem, craps, roulette and blackjack. There will be door prizes, si-lent auctions and raffl es, and food and drinks will be available. Tick-ets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Cocktail hour starts at 5:30 p.m. and games begin at 7.

Other events will follow, but throughout them all, the veterans who gather at the hall regularly say the goal is the same: Honor and serve the vets who meet there, while continuing to provide a place where Boy and Girl Scouts can meet for free, where the Womens and Mens clubs can get together, and where literally tons of fresh crab, spaghetti and tri-tip can be consumed to benefi t the community.

Like the veterans who meet here and who continue to serve their community, the building is the same way, said Hester. It will continue to serve the community. It just needs a little help.

For tickets to Casino night or to arrange to rent the Hall, call 925-634-0736.

The venerable Veterans Memorial Hall in Brentwood, scene of countless community and veterans events, is ready for a facelift.

Photo by Dave Roberts

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

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In the past, your lender picked who appraised the property. During the real estate run-up, appraisers got a lot of pressure to make homes appraise at inflated prices. If the apprais-er didnt hit the number, there were some veiled, if not outright threats, to not send them any more business. The politicians have identi-fied this practice as being a scapegoat for our real estate crash. So starting May 1st, any loan that will be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must have an appraisal done by a third-party appraisal clearinghouse, which means that the lender themselves cant pick the appraiser.

So whats the problem? There are many. First, I am all for fair valuations of property. What I am against is having an appraiser who isnt familiar with an area doing an appraisal, and not knowing the positives/negatives to one neighborhood over another. Ive run into several challenges recently with appraisers who arent giving appropriate credit to a neighbor-hood that is far superior to one of the comps the appraiser is using. I dealt with an appraiser the other day who had driven up from San Luis Obispo, and was using a map he bought at a gas station! He had 5 more to do that day in our

area, and he had NO CLUE about our area. The other problem is that the clearing-

houses are keeping a big chunk of the appraisal fees for themselves. Ive spoken to several well-regarded veteran local appraisers who are thinking of leaving the business entirely over this change. This could leave us with high-volume, cut-rate appraisers, who do them in a rush, make more mistakes, and also have less time to respond to rebuttals to their apprais-als, which I am already experiencing. Or it will mean that the cost of appraisals will go up, which there are already signs this will happen. And also, the clearinghouses usually want to get paid up front, instead of at close of escrow, for their appraisal.

So the bottom line is that this new rule may lead to less accurate appraisals, at a higher cost to the borrowers. [Note this new rule will NOT impact FHA loans, or loans made by lenders who will not sell their loans off.]

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8A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION APRIL 24, 2009

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Scared straight Every 15 MinutesOnly two cars occupied the faculty park-

ing lot on April 14 at Heritage High School. Juniors and seniors looking to ease back into their academic routine following the Easter holiday huddled together on the temporary bleachers, happy to miss fi rst period. As the wind whipped across their faces, a circle of 25 fi gures in white hooded sweatshirts stood at the center of the lot, holding down a blue tarp.

As music slowly projected from the speakers, the ghostly fi gures lifted the tarp, revealing a head-on collision. A body lay on the hood of one of the cars while cries for help came from the other. Every 15 Minutes had arrived at Heritage High School.

While other schools in the Liberty Union High School District have hosted the program before, this was Heritages fi rst encounter with the educational two-day presentation designed to teach students about the realities of drink-ing and driving. On the fi rst day, students watched as local law enforcement and safety teams worked to rescue the victims portrayed by their peers.

Once the tarp was lifted, Steven McIn-tosh was already dead on the hood of the car that had collided with the vehicle piloted by Jacob Chappelle, who portrayed the drunk driver. McIntoshs driver, Erika Gamble, remained in the car, blood cascading down her face. Chappelles passengers, Camila Vil-

laneuva and Kara Babo, could be heard beg-ging for rescue crews to extract them from the crumpled remains.

Despite the gruesome scene, students in the audience could be heard chuckling during the rescue efforts. Students sitting in the stands cheered as Offi cer Roger Wilson frisked Chap-pelle before cuffi ng him. It wasnt until the coroner came to bag McIntoshs body that the gravity of the scene began to sink in, but even after Principal Andy Parsons explained the purpose behind the grim imagery the crowd

had just witnessed, most students climbed down from the bleachers dismissing the event as hokey since they knew it wasnt real.

Program organizer Debbie Sabatte said the students reaction was to be expected. Kids are desensitized to it (displays of vio-lence), so we changed the traditional format to make it as real as possible. They laugh it off and try to dismiss what is happening as a cop-ing mechanism, but its the funeral that has the greatest impact for a lot of students.

After students returned to their second-

period classes, Offi cer Matthew Bell entered a classroom every 15 minutes to read the obitu-ary of one of the students participating in the program. Each obituary detailed how the stu-dent died in an alcohol-related auto accident, described the hopes and dreams of the de-ceased, and informed students that a funeral would be held the following day.

As Bell entered a science classroom, he asked where Brittney Maday sat. A student smiled and quickly pointed to Madays seat, but the grin evaporated from her face as a rose with Madays photo was placed on the desk as Bell read the obituary. Students covered their mouths and shared looks of disbelief as Bell read the obit, informing Madays classmates that she died a day short of her birthday. As Bell exited the classroom, the sound of sniffl es was the only thing to be heard accompanying the offi cers footsteps.

The following morning, parents of the Every 15 Minutes participants assembled at the Heritage cafeteria and read letters their children had written to them. Tears were shed and hugs exchanged as loved ones shared in the communal grief of the experience.

While the parents were consoling each other, Heritage juniors and seniors assembled in the warmer setting of the school gym-nasium, where their chirping conversations rose above the melancholy music of Sarah McLachans Angel. Again, laughter fi lled the room as the assembly waited to see what

see 15 Minutes page 9A

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Heritage High School students watch as rescue crews work to save students participating in a staged car crash as part of the Every 15 Minutes assembly, which is designed to educate students about the consequences of drinking and driving. To watch video footage of the rescue effort, go to the Multimedia page at thepress.net.

Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com

APRIL 24, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 9A

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would happen, but snickers were quashed as the sound of bagpipes echoed off the walls and six young men in suits escorted a casket to the center of the gym.

Following the casket, the procession of family members placed roses on the casket. After they took their seats, family members fi nally got an opportunity to see footage from the previous days crash. As the whimpering voice of Villaneuva echoed in the room, cry-ing for her mother, loved ones began to put their arms around each other as they watched the scene unfold.

The video went on to show what students didnt get to see following the crash: the fami-lies receiving the death certifi cates, Chappelles mother visiting him in jail, family members going to the morgue to identify students in-volved in the crash.

When the video was over, the crowd anxiously looked around, waiting to catch a glimpse of the living dead. As Mariah Careys mournful ballad One Sweet Day seeped from the speakers, the student participants de-scended from the bleachers in rows of two.

Once the students took their places at the front of the gym, selected participants were

asked to read their letters to their families aloud.

Birthday girl Brittney Maday was the fi rst to speak as her mother and father stood behind her.

Dear Mom and Dad: Every 15 minutes someone is killed in an alcohol-related inci-dent. Today I was that someone. Im sorry I didnt tell you I love you before I left, she read calmly before breaking into tears. Im sorry I didnt hug you. Im sorry I didnt tell Buzz (her brother) I love him because I do. Ill always remember the good time we had and even the bad

Before all the families could be reunited after a day apart, guest speaker Austin Whit-ney spoke to the crowd.

Whitney severed his spinal cord two years ago while driving home drunk after a party a few weeks after graduating from high school. As he moved his wheelchair from side to side to make eye contact with both sides of the room, Whitney detailed his fi rsthand experi-ence to drive the point home for the audience.

I have a reality check for you, he said. It could happen to you just as easily as it

15 Minutes from page 8A

see 15 Minutes page 13A

Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com

Six Heritage High sophomores escort a casket to the funeral during the Every 15 Minutes assembly. The casket represents the 29 students who died to illus-trate that someone dies every 15 minutes in an alcohol-related car accident.

They still have a way to go, but like the fabled tale of The Little Engine That Could, supporters of the Knight-sen School District are determined to keep the doors of the districts newest school Old River Elementary open.

We remain upbeat and confi dent; we know that we can do it, said Rochelle Henson, a member of the Knightsen Parent/Teacher Club. We have to keep moving forward and I think if we really get the word out, out goal will be attain-able.

In order to keep the doors of the fi nancially strapped Old River School open for another year, the group needs to raise $75,000 or at least secure solid fi nancial commitments by June. The dis-trict itself is facing bankruptcy and Su-perintendent Vickey Rinehart has been in discussions with the Brentwood and Byron school districts, exploring the pos-sibility of a district merger.

While the $75,000 will not allevi-ate the districts overall fi nancial stress, it will, in the interim, allow students to maintain their regular schedules and routines.

To move the kids again (this is Old

Rivers fi rst year of operation) without knowing the fate of the district would not be a good thing for the kids, said Henson. The staff, parents and adminis-

tration have worked so hard to make this a great environment for the kids that it would be sad if we had to move them.

Henson said the parent/teacher group has raised approximately $3,000 so far, but added that an aggressive push beginning this month toward fundrais-ers and general community awareness should help to close the gap.

Its overwhelming if you think of it in one big number, said Henson. But if every family with a child enrolled in the school was able to raise $600, there would be enough money to keep the school open.

The groups largest event will be the tri-tip dinner and auction to be held Sat-urday, May 2 at the De Luna Ranch in Brentwood. Open to the community as well as families within the school dis-trict, Henson is hopeful the event will do well.

This De Luna Ranch event is going to be our biggest fundraiser, she said, and were working hard to get the word out. Were sending out letters asking for donations from friends and companies and just letting people know in general what were doing. Ive been hearing that there are still people in the school dis-trict who dont know about the situa-tion, so were doing a big push to get the word out.

Rinehart said shes appreciative of the communitys efforts: I am so grate-ful for everyones cooperative attitude and dedication to the district. Things are looking better; we have a small amount (of money) right now and everyones working on fundraisers and ways to raise the money.

Henson admitted that the chal-lenges are great, but the spirit is even greater. Its defi nitely a head game, she said. You have to get in the right frame of mind and know that you can do it. Im driving my family crazy I know, but thats OK. With a little good luck and some hard work, well do it.

For more information on the De Luna Ranch fundraiser, upcoming events or volunteer opportunities, call 925-626-3330. Updates can also be found on the groups blog at www.saveoldriver.blogspot.com or by e-mailing Henson at rlhenson@prodigy.net.

10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION APRIL 24, 2009

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Knightsen community steps up to save Old Riverby Ruth Roberts

Staff Writer

Due to the timing of spring break, the deadline for nominating teachers for the Mary Allan Fellows Award has been extended to May 1. Those nominated (by parents or colleagues) can receive recognition and cash awards. A dinner honor-ing nominated teachers and classifi ed staff will be held Sept. 17 at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. For more information, call Barbara Herendeen at 925-754-3014.

Deadline extended

If every family with a child enrolled in the school was able to raise $600, there would be enough money to keep the school open.

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The Antioch City Council last week unanimously approved the plan to build an eBART station at Hillcrest Avenue, despite concerns that the station could wind up in a location that would make it diffi cult to develop a transit-oriented village nearby.

Two station locations for the median of Highway 4 are under consideration: The west median station, about 1,200 feet east of Hillcrest Avenue, has the major advantage of being fully funded. Its disadvantage is that its close to the PG&E power station and not well situated for transit-oriented development of apartments, townhouses, stores, restaurants and offi ces on the north side of the highway. The east median station, about a half-mile east of Hillcrest Avenue, would allow for twice as much transit-oriented de-velopment as the west median station. Its disadvantage is that it would cost $30 million extra, funding for which has not yet been found.

As part of their approval of the plan, council members made clear to the BART board their strong preference for the east median station. The BART board met on Thurs-day to decide the issue, the results of which were not avail-able at press time.

While both city and BART offi cials acknowledge the benefi ts of the east median station, the two groups differ on how the process should proceed. City offi cials want both

station sites to go out to bid by construction companies, whereas BART offi cials prefer putting only the west median station out to bid and then implementing a change order if extra funding is found for the east median station.

Former City Councilman Arne Simonsen made a rare appearance before the council to argue in favor of the east median station, pointing out that East County residents are already compromising by not getting classic BART by being forced to settle for eBART, a cheaper, diesel train al-ternative.

If the east median station is not chosen, youre not only going to get a second-rate (transit) system, which we are willing to live with, but a second rate (station) location, which is going to create a traffi c nightmare and not have the highest and best use of that area, said Simonsen.

Joel Keller, a BART board member and former An-tioch mayor, pointed out the benefi ts of eBART. It will create more than 600 jobs during construction and 40-80 permanent jobs once completed. It will have the effect of adding an additional lane to Highway 4, relieving conges-tion. One train can equal as many as 250 cars.

Keller acknowledged city offi cials preference for the east median station, and said that there will still be time to

try to fi nd the funding to make that station a reality.I will commit to you tonight that the dual-bid option

that you have all been advocating for will not be taken off the table as an option unless I return to this City Council and tell you why thats going to occur, he said. We will continue to try to fi nd a way to make that happen.

That pledge was good enough for Councilman Brian Kalinowski. Im going to go along with this and put all my faith in you individually, he said to Keller. Based on the fact that you served on this council, you havent forgotten where youve come from, I believe your heart is there.

Councilwoman Martha Parson voted for the plan, ar-guing that its not worth risking the possibility of funding for eBART instead going for other transit projects in the Bay Area if the council rejected it. I dont believe Antioch has waited 40 years to throw the baby out with the bathwa-ter, she said.

To Keller she added, Im putting my trust in you. Dont fail me. I really believe that all of us can work to-gether as a team and make this happen for Antioch.

On the same night, the Oakley City Council listened to an update on the eBART plans from several BART offi -cials. They were generally pleased with what they heard but expressed concern that not enough parking spaces would be provided at the Hillcrest station.

Current projections are that there will be 3,150 daily riders but only 1,000 parking spaces when eBART starts operation in 2015. By 2030 there are projected to be 8,200 riders and 2,600 parking spaces.

We feel (the parking) is inadequate, said Council-man Jim Frazier, who suggested designing a Plan B in case a parking-space shortage arises. If the (current) assump-tions are wrong, then its designed and can move forward.

The BART offi cials said that Oakleys concerns and the Plan B suggestion will be taken into consideration.

Hillcrest eBART station approvedAntioch Council prefers east site for developmentof new transit village

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

The Oakley City Council listened to an update from several BART officials. They were generally pleased with what they heard but expressed concern that not enough parking spaces would be provided at the Hillcrest station.

APRIL 24, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 13A

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ogist from Oakley, A lot of seniors just go somewhere and hide with their rocking chair, but we get our makeup and our false eye-lashes on. When ladies our age see us, theyre surprised how energetic we are!

Prior to joining the Follies, the four la-dies already had dance training under their sequined belts. They danced with the An-tioch Senior Flappers at the Antioch Se-nior Center, where Belbeck and her mother taught until they were invited to audition for the Follies.

The level of tap is much higher, much more professional, deVictoria said.

Added Leong, All of us have increased our endurance, and our dancing abilities have elevated several levels.

The Follies are directed by Susan Bost-wick and Diane Stawicki, sisters and profes-sional dancers who work at the Dance Net-work in Dublin.

We respect and love them so much. They give countless hours to transform us, Leong said. Theyve kicked us up to a higher level this year, with more complicated routines.

The hour-long drive to rehearsals in Dublin every Wednesday and Thursday is no hindrance for the women. We are so much fun in the car, Leong said. Theres not even 30 seconds that were quiet. Weve enjoyed the companionship.

The costumes handmade by Bostwick and Stawicki are all one-of-a-kind. Romo describes them as glamorous and showy.

You can buy costumes from a store, but theyre not unique, deVictoria said.

But for the four ladies in the Golden Follies, the costumes are the cherries on top of the banana split or the 3-foot-high feath-ers on top of their hats.

Just going out to perform gives you a fabulous feeling, Belbeck added. Theres nothing like the applause of people when they like what you do.

When Im on that stage, I turn into somebody else, Romo said. Once I get on-stage, Im not afraid or nothing. Its like it was meant to be.

Tickets for the Follies May 3 perfor-mance may be purchased in advance at the El Campanil ticket offi ce, 604 W. Second St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Fri-day. Tickets will also be sold one hour before the show. The cost is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for youth under age 18. For more information, call 925-757-9500.

Stage from page 7Ahappened to me. The choices you make dictate this. Best-case scenario, you bash your car. Worst-case scenario, you never leave your car.

The stone-faced crowd watched as the casket was removed from the gym and families and the living dead left the building, concluding the ceremony. As the student audience exited the gym, they called out to their friends. Im glad youre alive, said one girl as a member of the living dead hugged her parents.

While this was the fi rst Every 15 Minutes program at Heritage High School, Sabatte has been organizing the event at high schools for seven years. Her children are no longer in high school (her son graduated from Heritage last year) but she said she will continue to bring the program to students in hopes that she can prevent a real tragedy from occurring:

I hope that through this program, I can keep just one student from drinking and driving. Just one. If I can save one kids life, thats all that matters. I might even be saving my own children by keeping these kids from drinking and driving.

For full coverage of the Every 15 Minute program at Heritage High School, including videos and audio slideshows, visit thepress.net.

15 Minutes from page 9A

Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com

Brittney Maday reads a goodbye letter to her parents as part of the Every 15 Minutes assembly. Maday was one of 30 participants in the program designed to educate students about the consequences of drink-ing and driving. To hear Madays letter, go to the Multimedia page at thepress.net.

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Two for Tea PartyEditor:

My husband and I went to Sacra-mento on Wednesday and were pleas-antly surprised by a group of 15,000 at the state Capitol. Those that were there crossed all political party lines and were all concerned about the same things. Ron Reagan, Jr. spoke, along with several oth-ers that I could hear but not see, because of the signs everyone was holding high.

There were snipers on the roof of the Capitol who were watching us, and the powers that be only gave us two portapot-ties. Maybe they thought we would go home rather than stand in a very long line. That didnt happen, though. Folks kept pouring in until you couldnt see anything but people wherever you looked.

There were booths giving out cop-ies of the Constitution, some military gadgets and other information. People were engaged in serious conversations with people they didnt know, and found we had much in common. The one com-mon thread was how the government had divided us as people, by color, race and party. All there were unanimous in the fact that we should pull together and hold fast to the Constitution and the things the founders worked so hard to write. Things that would hold us together as a nation; not make us popular in the world. All in all, it was a wonderful, peaceful gathering, and I say Bully to those protecting our rights.

Rose AdamsKnightsen

Dodging inconvenient adviceEditor:

The DB CSD held a discussion at its March 4 meeting to consider providing Supervisor Piepho with a recommenda-tion that she name Walter McVittie for the ECRPC seat. Director David Piepho encouraged his fellow board members to hold off on a recommendation until they

were able to talk to all of the applicants. Supervisor Mary Piepho then, with-out taking time to interview all of the candidates, quickly named Bob Doran, who had recently been trounced in the local election. Her action had the effect of avoiding any possibility of unwanted advice from the DB CSD.

Of course, in this case Mary knew the advice would not have included a recommendation to name Bob Doran to the post, and she didnt want to risk what she expected to hear.

If not for David Piepho, it is likely the CSD would have provided a recom-mendation to Mary Piepho that she did not want to hear. What a great example of David Piephos confl ict of loyalty between the Town of Discovery Bay and his wifes political career.

One would have thought Mary would elicit the advice of the DB CSD just as she did with the P6 funding issue. In that circumstance, David fully partici-pated in the discussion and drafting of the motion to advise the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (CCC BOS) before abstaining from the vote on that motion in an attempt to avoid the accusation of a confl ict. He seems to appreciate the potential for a confl ict of loyalty, but has a diffi cult time managing it properly. In the future, while perform-ing his duties as a DB CSD Director, David should recuse himself from any discussion or decision that involves Mary and the CCC BOS.

Don FlintDiscovery Bay

Smash-mouth politicsEditor:

Congratulations, Discovery Bay. The Piephos have their puppet back in power now on the planning commission. As you can see from the latest Discovery Bay Press on page 21A, Mary Piepho the sleeper got Bob Doran on the planning commission to control any action taken by the CSD (in its advisory role to the county) will be controlled by the whims of the Piephos.

Ill take odds on any bet that if the CSD makes any recommendation that the minority board member doesnt ap-prove of, the planning commissioner will make sure it is not approved by that com-mission. Cronyism is working in spite of the communitys vote.

Bob SchwenkeDiscovery Bay

Decoding the comedic communiquEditor:

I found Supervisor Glovers com-mentary in the April 17 issue so fan-tastically amusing that I was forced to translate it into commonsense English.

It recently came to our attention that the county government cannot spend money we dont have. This is a new concept to us. In the past, we thought the good times would go on forever, so we spent your tax dollars like it was go-ing out of style. We implemented social programs galore because we know that social programs are the best darn thing about this county! Besides, what else were we going to do with the surplus refund the money to the taxpayers?

Of course, now we sort of wish that we had put some money away for a rainy day, because now we have to cut some of those important programs. We never actually looked ahead to a day when, say, the housing bubble might burst, or the stock market might stop breaking records. It just never occurred to us that such a thing might happen. But since Ive come to you and explained that I am very sad and havent slept and have gone to lots of meetings, you, my constitu-ents, will understand, and continue not holding me accountable for my actions. Thank you.

Allison HodgeOakley

Standing up for the DeltaEditor:

The Oakley City Council is to be commended for opposing the new ver-sion of the canal to divert more water away from our California Delta, which needs more water to run all the way through and cannot tolerate any less. The additional fi sh protection screens planned for the existing pumps are better than relocating the export point up-stream on the Sacramento River.

We can no longer raise water-inten-sive crops such as rice in what was a Cali-fornia desert. We must be wise in the use of this shrinking resource. We homeown-ers may have to trade our water-intensive landscapes for native and Mediterranean plants well suited to our arid country.

We must ensure more water fl ows through our treasure of the Delta. Thank you, Oakley City leaders, for speaking out.

Leonard LloydOakley

Schools achieving rigor, relevance and relationship

Editor:(Former) California state assembly-

man and announced candidate for state superintendent of schools Tom Torlak-son toured Dozier-Libbey Medical High School on March 30. He accompanied Antioch superintendent Deborah Sims and me. It was a fi tting exclamation to a recent exciting stretch of events in Antiochs school reform movement.

Antioch is, of course, heav-ily embarked on a model of alternate pathways through career tech, smaller learning communities. Dozier-Libbey, the Delta Performing Arts Academy and the slated-for-fall-of-2009 Law and Criminal Justice Academy all just completed their independently-monitored lottery for the 2009-10 school year freshman class. As happened last year, demand was high and some 100 kids per school were put on a waiting list for the medical and now criminal justice schools. One does, inci-dentally, have the opportunity to apply for several schools and is also guaranteed a spot if a sibling attends.

We are considering two more schools in the future, possibly an engi-neering academy, with a fi fth school yet unspecifi ed. Luckily, we received state hardship funding to build Dozier-Libbey and are able to use the former Bidwell Elementary, a quiet, pretty campus, for Delta Performing Arts. When we outgrow that facility we shall consider a move, or perhaps site expansion.

The Law and Criminal Justice Academy will be quartered in House 4 of Deer Valley High School. Deer Valley has, by the way, dropped from a high of 3,500 students to a current 2,912. In fact, A.U.S.D. has dropped from 21,000 to 19,000 students over the past four years as our population gentrifi es and foreclo-sures mushroom.

The progress report for these schools looks good on many fronts: we have re-ceived a grant of $125,000 from Connect Ed to continue our alternate pathway efforts and are applying for additional grants that could be as much as $500,000 to $600,000 for ongoing years, depending upon stock market effects on foundation portfolios.

Attendance is excellent, confi rming national data that career tech students are motivated. Academics thrive, too. Funny thing what choice and interest can do for people. In fact, I was speaking to the principal, Jason Miller, of Delta Performing Arts the other evening as we judged a talent show at Black Diamond Middle School. He related to me how he has picked up high school kids from who were in fact failing and then blossomed as they got plugged in. Its, after all, all about rigor, relevance and relationship. Kids, as could be expected, from both extremes of achievement are prospering from this innovative, theme-based model.

We now eagerly await the Law and Criminal Justice Academy. Strikingly, we are getting calls from around the country from educators excited to teach there. Law schools and the Bar Associa-tion are partnering with us. The kids can look forward to a rich curriculum

16A | THEPRESS.NET APRIL 24, 2009

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A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police departments.BRENTWOODApril 08, 3:43 p.m. An abandoned boat and trailer were removed from St. An-drews Drive.April 09, 8:44 p.m. On Toscana Court, a subject refused to comply with of-ficers commands, and resisted arrest. He was arrested and taken to the Mar-tinez Detention Facility.April 09, 10:57 p.m. At a business on Balfour Road, unidentified persons en-tered the store and stole four cases of beer.April 10, 12:46 p.m. An unidenti-fied person stole mail to be sent from a mailbox at a residence on Newton Drive. The stolen mail included Easter cards containing personal checks.April 10, 2:07 p.m. An unidentified per-son used a stolen ATM card to make a purchase at a business on Lone Tree Way. The case was cross-referenced to a case under investigation by the Pitts-burg Police Department.April 10, 4:27 p.m. A vehicle with reg-istration expired more than six months was removed from Sycamore Avenue.April 10, 5:13 p.m. On Sand Creek Road, a subject was found to be in pos-session of methamphetamine for sale. He was arrested and taken to the Mar-tinez Detention Facility.April 10, 7:17 p.m. An unidentified person called a resident of Grovewood Loop on the phone and made annoying statements.April 11, 12:17 a.m. An unidentified person called a resident of Torrey Pines Drive in violation of a court order.April 11, 3:28 p.m. Four vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction collision on the Highway 4 Bypass at Lone Tree Way. Two of the drivers fled the scene without exchanging information. No injuries were reported.April 11, 4:11 p.m. An unidentified person stole the rear license plate from a vehicle parked on Doeskin Terrace.April 11, 5:01 p.m. An unidentified person broke the window of a vehicle

parked on Amber Lane and stole a wal-let, computer bag and checkbook.April 11, 6:30 p.m. On Old Sand Creek Road at Shady Willow Lane, a citizen reported that an unidentified person was shooting a 22-caliber rifle in a nearby vacant field.April 12, 3:26 a.m. On OHara Avenue at Sand Creek Road, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be driving under the influence of al-cohol and with a suspended license. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.April 12, 8:14 a.m. On Balfour Road at Malaga Way, a driver who struck several signs and trees was found to be intoxicated and in possession of a suspected controlled substance. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez De-tention Facility.April 12, 8:27 a.m. On the Highway 4 Bypass at Balfour Road, a subject was found to have a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken to the Mar-tinez Detention Facility.April 12, 6:36 p.m. A subject drove off the roadway on Buena Vista Street at Fairview Avenue and struck a sign and fence.

April 13, 1:26 a.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard at Technology Way, a subject was found to be under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.April 13, 12:40 p.m. On Griffith Lane, a subject stopped for a vehicle code vi-olation was found to be wanted by his parole agent. He was arrested and tak-en to the Martinez Detention Facility.April 13, 4:24 p.m. Two bicycles were found abandoned in front of a resi-dence on Outrigger Circle.April 13, 5:54 p.m. A business on First Street was burglarized.

To view the Brentwood Police Departments public logs on the citys Web site, visit www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.ANTIOCHApril 17, 12:47 p.m. Antioch resident Travis Mahoney, 19, arranged to meet with a 17-year-old subject in the Raleys Center complex parking lot on Lone Tree Way in order to conduct a drug transaction. The transaction did not go as planned, as Mahoney produced a handgun from his car, and he and the other subject struggled over the gun.

Mahoney pistol-whipped the victim, who broke free and ran toward Raleys. As he fled, Mahoney fired several shots at him. The victim was not struck by any of the gunfire. Mahoney fled the area on foot, but returned several min-utes later and was taken into custody without incident. The victim was trans-ported to Sutter Delta Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. No other persons were in-volved and no additional victims were located. Mahoney was booked at the Antioch Police Department and later transferred to the Martinez Detention Facility.Over the past several months, the Antioch Police Department has been receiving an increase in reports of online and mail scams (similar to earlier scams called Nigeria Scams) that involve lottery or secret shopper solicitations. Intended victims will typically receive a package with a check and a letter. The letter will contain instructions on how to deposit the check into a personal checking account and wire the money to a person usually residing in Canada or another country. After the transfer, the victim will discover the check was fraudulent. The victim will then be expected to owe the bank the amount of the check deposited into the account. The same scam will be played out online via e-mails, eBay and Craigslist. The public is urged to not fall for these scams. The e-mails should be read all the way through. Typical warning signs are requests to send money for free, and requests that you deposit money into accounts and then transfer it out. The persons instructing you to do this explain that the money sent to them is to cover various expenses incurred in the future delivery of your lottery earnings. For information about online scams, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us or www.fakechecks.org. Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.

COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS An unidentifi ed person called a resident of Grovewood Loop on the phone and made annoying statements.April 10, 7:17 p.m., Brentwood

18A | THEPRESS.NET APRIL 24, 2009

Come and sell anything legal.Come and sell anything legal.

For information callLion Carolyn Sherfy at 516-7798 or

Lion President Mike Morgan at 513-7280

The event will be well-publicized. Proceeds from space rental will bene t scholarships for graduating seniors from Brentwood high schools. Spaces will be assigned on a rst-come, rst-served basis.

The Brentwood Lions Club invites you to participate in a Flea Market!

When: Saturday, May 30, 2009; 8am-5pmWhere: Parking lot in front of Liberty High School

10 x 10 exhibit space $30

Come and sell anything legal.Come and sell anything legal.

and resources: a prospective law library; visits from judges and police offi cers; English classes that teach books like To Kill a Mocking Bird; persuasive essay assignments; legal vocabulary; lessons in forensic science; math lessons that might use equations teaching the speed of a car based on skid marks; history classes that review Supreme Court cases; social science classes that hold mock trials and visit real-live courtrooms, etc.

We have a dedicated, talented teacher staff in Antioch. Now with a rejuvenated GATE Program for gifted and talented kids, a doubled and grow-ing Advanced Placement enrollment, partnerships for concurrent LMC enroll-ment, a third career tech school on the way, Antioch Charter I and II, and with the upcoming RAMP Charter Academy geared for minority kids, and offering a math and science emphasis, this district is becoming a model of vigorous variety and enriched choice where there is a seat for every child. To that, I say amen.

Walter RuehligPresident, A.U.S.D.

Board of Trustees

Inspire the inspirersEditor:

The Antioch Schools Education Foundation came to life in 1996. Its in-tent was to provide a way for businesses and individuals to fi nancially support educational programs and events within the Antioch Unifi ed School District.

In 1999, representatives from the

community took over the operation of the ASEF from the school district and proceeded to expand on that concept by creating a Grant Program available to teachers and librarians for classroom programs not funded by the district.

In 2008, the foundation established the Mary Allan Fellows Award. This award is given to teachers who make a difference in students lives by instill-ing the love of learning at an early age. They inspire and change lives. Recipients this year will receive $1,000 for innova-tive programs in their classroom and a personal check for $250 to help cover any out-of-pocket expenses spent by them to keep their classrooms operational.

Parents, co-workers and even students can nominate an outstanding teacher. If you know a teacher within the Antioch Unifi ed School District who has made a difference in a childs life, please go to our Web site: www.asef.us and download the nomination form for the Mary Allan Fellows Award. The deadline has been extended to May 1, 2009.

These nominees will be honored at a special dinner on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 at Lone Tree Golf Course.

The Antioch Schools Education Foundation appreciates greatly all the support received from the community. Please know that your comments will be shared with those nominated.

If you have any questions, I can be reached at 925-754-3014.

Barbara HerendeenPresident, Antioch Schools

Education Foundation

Letters from page 16A

WWW.THEPRESS.NET YOUR HOMETOWN SOURCE FOR EAST CONTRA COSTA

April 24, 2009

Yellowjacket aces buzz gutsy Bobcats

Volleyball can get intense at the high school level. Spikers are able to rocket the ball over the net at more than 60 miles per hour as the defenders leap with their arms straight up in a wall over the net, attempting to ricochet the ball right back at the spikers team.

Surprisingly, it can also be intense at the sixth-grade girls level, as was shown in last weeks match won by Adams Middle School, which hosted Edna Hill Middle School. Of course, the girls, most of whom are a foot or more shorter than the height of the net, arent hammering spikes over the net, and they would need to get up on step ladders to provide a wall-of-arms defense. As a result, theres more emphasis on serving, passing, de-fense and teamwork.

The Adams Yellowjackets won 2-0 (25-17 and 25-15) by excelling at all of those, but mostly the match came down to serving. The Edna Hill Bobcats started out strong, leaping to a 7-0 lead on the strength of its initial serv-er, but then their servers started having trouble getting the ball over the net.

As a result, the Yellowjackets buzzed back, tying it at 15 and fl ying to victory in the

fi rst game as their servers served up ace after ace. After every ace the girls gathered in a cir-cle and chanted A-C-E, woo-woo-woo, ace! accompanied by a fi nger twirl.

In the second game, Edna Hill got as close as 10-13 before Adams pulled away. The teams played a third, exhibition game, which

Adams also won, 15-12.The girls played awesome, said Adams

Coach Wendy Van Dyke. They were behind at the beginning and came back and stepped it up and won. We are playing really together as a team, talking, communicating and the servers were on.

When asked what she likes about her team, she said, I love their dedication and effort level and just their positive spirits. They never get down on themselves. Win-ning or losing, they are always having a

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

Photo by Dave Roberts

Adams Sarah Formato and her teammates were able to get the ball over the net more often than Edna Hill, leading to a 2-0 victory last week. Looking on are Madeline Blaise (2), Maddie Grieb and Coach Wendy Van Dyke.

see Yellowjackets page 24A

Exceptional athletes step into hallowed HallOur coverage of the athletes who were

inducted into the Liberty Union High School District Athletic Hall of Fame at the 18th an-nual Awards Dinner Saturday, which began last issue, concludes in this issue.

Fred KelleyFred Kelley attended Liberty High

School from 1996 to 2000. In those four years he became one of Libertys most out-standing two-sport athletes.

In football, Fred earned his freshman letter in 1996 and won the Coaches Award. He lettered in JV football as a sophomore. As a junior, Fred became a force to be reck-oned with when playing with the Lions. He recorded a stellar season, running for 822 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning him a BVAL Second All-League Team honor. He was also honored by the coaches with the Varsity Coaches Award.

At the beginning of the 1999 season, his senior year, Fred was picked as one of the Pre-Season Top Players in the area. He didnt let the press down. In the opening game of the season, Fred ran for 254 yards against Freedom High School. That feat broke the Liberty High School single-game rushing record for the most yards gained by an individual on opening night for the entire North Coast section.

Fred rushed for a total of 1,043 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in his senior sea-son. He was selected as the Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Back, captain and was again selected to the Second Team All BVAL. Fred was also named All-Region by Prep Stars Magazine. As a result of his fan-tastic season, he was selected to the Contra Costa County All-Star Team that played

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Hall of Fame inductees, from left, are Greg Chappel, Krista Houseman, Chris Bodishbough, Fred Kelley and John Rogers. see Hall page 20A

Dont see your team?If youd like to see your favorite team more often in our sports pages, just send us a short write-up, prefer-

ably with photos, describing how the team is doing. This could be an article on a recent game or tournament, the season so far, or a description of an outstanding or special athlete. E-mail your articles and photos to sports@brentwoodpress.com. Space limitations might prevent us from publishing every last submission, but well try to squeeze in everything we can.

20A | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS APRIL 24, 2009

the Alameda County All-Stars and beat them. Fred scored two touchdowns in the game and was named the team captain.

Fred was not only an outstanding foot-ball player; he was an outstanding wrestler for Liberty High School. As a sophomore in 1997-98, he placed third in league and qualifi ed for the North Coast Section. As a junior, he placed second at the league level and again was a NCS qualifi er. In his senior year, Fred was league champion, a NCS qualifi er, won the Lou Bronzan Invitation Tournament and was selected to the BVAL All-League Wrestling Team. In the spring of 2000 Fred was named The Yearbook Male Athlete of the Year.

After high school, Fred attended Los Medanos College, where he played football for two years, 2000 and 2001. During the 2001 season, Fred was named team captain and Most Valuable Defensive Player. He was also chosen as All-State Player of the Week and named to the Mid Empire Con-ference All-League Team.

Fred then attended the University of Idaho, where he was red-shirted for the next season. He decided to transfer to Sac-ramento State University, where he sat out one year. Fred returned to the football fi eld in 2004, playing for the Sacramento State Hornets for one year as a defensive end and linebacker.

While working on his masters degree and fi nishing his teaching credentials, he has been coaching. He coached football as an assistant at Florin High School. For the past two years he has been serving as the

offensive graduate assistant to the football team at Sacramento State, with special em-phasis on coaching the tight ends.

Fred graduated from CSU Sacramento with a bachelors degree in kinesiology, and continues to reside in Sacramento while fi n-ishing his masters degree and working on his California teaching credentials.

The Liberty Union High School Dis-trict Athletic Hall of Fame is proud and honored to induct Fred Kelley into the Athletic Hall of Fame for his outstanding athletic careers at Liberty High School, Los Medanos College and CSU Sacramento.

1978 Liberty Union High School Baseball Team

The 1978 Liberty Union High School Varsity baseball team, coached by Jerry

Black, was only the second Lion team to win a championship since 1956 (the 1970 team won the EBAL championship out-right, and the 1978 team went 13-7-1, tying Alhambra High for the championship with an 8-4 league record. The Lions played Al-hambra High in a league playoff game at a neutral site and lost 1-0 in a pitchers duel between Libertys Mark Biddle and Alham-bra ace Vince Albanese. Alhambra went on to represent the FAL in the section tourna-ment.

The 1978 Foothill Athletic League was remarkably well balanced; every team was capable of beating the other. The fi -nal standings: Liberty 8-4, Alhambra 8-4, Campolindo 7-5, Acalanes 6-6, Las Lomas 5-7, Miramonte 5-7, and Del Valle 3-9.

The 1978 Liberty team took third place

in the Rio Vista Easter Baseball Tourna-ment with a 2-0-1 record. After the second game, against Dixon High School, was tied 3-3 through the 10th inning, tournament offi cials decided to toss a coin to keep the tournament on schedule. Liberty lost the coin toss and went on to win the third-place trophy.

The 1978 team placed fi ve players on the FAL All-League Team: First Team pitcher Mark Biddle and catcher Tom Lawler; Second Team fi rst baseman Nick Capsaliaris and shortstop Mike Morado; and Honorable Mention pitcher Barry Schwitters.

The 1978 squad achieved a team bat-ting average of .254 for the season, led by Mike Morado (.420), Nick Capsaliaris (.369) and Hal McCauley (.333). Capsalia-ris led the team with three home runs, and Mark Biddle and Barry Schwitters led the pitching staff throughout the season. Bid-dle worked 66 innings and recorded a 1.17 ERA. Schwitters ERA was 2.55 in 60 in-nings.

The Liberty Union High School Dis-trict Athletic Hall of Fame is proud and honored to induct the outstanding 1978 team its athletes and coach into the Ath-letic Hall of Fame for their hard work, dedi-cation and outstanding record.

John RogersJohn Rogers attended Liberty High

School from 1966 until 1970. During his four-year stint at Liberty, John became an outstanding football player and team leader. As a freshman, John lettered in frosh

see Hall page 21A

Hall from page 19A

The 1978 Lions Baseball Team, back row from left, are Nick Capsaliaris, Mike Gonzalez, Tony Olan, Mark Biddle, Barry Schwitters, Coach Jerry Black, Diego Torres and Alan McCall; front row: Tim Tompkins, Nico Diaz, Mike Morado and Manuel Torres.

Photo by Richard Wisdom

APRIL 24, 2009 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 21A

football and basketball, but it soon became apparent to all that his main desire and fo-cus was on becoming an outstanding foot-ball lineman.

John earned his JV letter as a sopho-more and worked tirelessly on his technique. As a junior, he blossomed into an outstand-ing two-way lineman tough, fast, aggres-sive and above all, intelligent. He became an integral part of Libertys outstanding offen-sive and defensive lines and was rewarded by being selected to the Second Team All-EBAL defensive unit.

By the 1969 season, John had become the quiet but tough and aggressive leader of a team that would go undefeated. He was chosen co-captain in 1969 and was se-lected All-EBAL First Team as an offensive and defensive player. Always mentally in the game, John broke through on defense against Amador High School, stole a hand-off and rambled into the end zone to score, jump-starting the Lions, who at the time were struggling. The team went on to score 12 points in the fi nal six minutes to tie the game and gain the co-championship.

After high school, John attended Dia-blo Valley College and lettered in 1970 and 71, starting as offensive guard in 71. Upon leaving DVC, he played and lettered for Linfi eld College from 1972 through 75 and was selected All-Northwest Conference of-fensive guard in 1974, All-NAIA District II offensive guard in 1974 and All-Northwest (small college) offensive guard in 1974.

As a member of the Wildcat football team, John played in the National Playoffs

in 1975 and on two Northwest Conference Championship Teams in 1972 and 75. John was rewarded for his stellar senior season in 75 by being selected to the All-Northwest Conference First Team Offensive Line, and was named Unanimous Choice and Little All-Northwest All-Star Offensive Line (se-lected by Pacifi c Northwest Sportswriters).

Upon graduating from Linfi eld Col-lege, John taught high school in three dis-tricts in Oregon from 1976-94 and coached football with outstanding success. His teams played for three Oregon State cham-pionships, winning two in 1977 and 81. He was selected for the prestigious honor of Oregons East-West Shrine Coach in 1982. In 1982, he was honored by his Alma Mater by being inducted into the Linfi eld College Coaches Hall of Fame. He was also the re-cipient of several Coach of the Year awards during his career.

In 1994, John left coaching and high school teaching to become a school admin-istrator in Page, Ariz., where he served as an assistant superintendent for the Page Uni-fi ed School District from 1994 to97. He left Arizona in 1997 and is presently the super-intendent of the Atascadero Unifi ed School District in Atascadero, Calif.

John earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Linfi eld College and com-pleted his administrative credential at Lewis and Clark Coll