Afternoon Update

Fifth-graders have fun, learn lessons at Yuba City Unified track meet

The Riverbend Elementary quartet hugged each other quickly, with promises to run fast and cheer themselves on.

"I'll yell your name so loud, you'll think your mom is here," Ashton Dunham, 11, told her relay teammates. "You can do this — you're fast!"

Ashton and her three partners joined 232 other students Tuesday to compete for ribbons and showcase athletic talents at the first Yuba City Unified district-wide fifth-grade track meet.

Students from 12 schools gathered at Geweke Field in Yuba City to run their hearts out in short-distance dashes and well-paced miles, leap great lengths in the long jump and test their arms with the softball throw.

"For them to compete in middle school, it's a first for many of them and it gives them a taste of what they can get into next year," said district physical education specialist Miguel Cruz. "It's a whole different ball game when they are out here competing. It's always important to know how to win and lose."

Nerves were running high before the start of the four-person relay, Aston and her friends admitted.

"I'm scared I'm gonna trip over the finish line," Ashton said.

"I almost closed my eyes, but not quite," said Ola Coker, 11.

Arms pumping, feet flying, students sprinted down the rubber track, gripping batons tightly in their hands. Their looks of determination shifted into smiles at the finish line, when they were awarded first place.

After snagging first place in the 100-meter dash, April Lane student Aaliyah Caramanica, 11, explained she simply loves to run.

"It's just fun to me," she said. "Sometimes I run at home, just up and down the street."

Central Gaither student Miguel Palma, 11, does the same for his favorite event, the long jump.

"At my house, I try to jump over our ditches," he said. "I like how you jump so high. It's like you are flying."

Andros Karperos student Logan Arnold grinned widely as his name was called as the first-place winner in the softball toss with a throw of 146 feet.

"I'm just an active, physical person," he said. "To me, it's just fun. It runs in the family."

Many students said the track meet was a lesson in being a good sport.

"It's good to cheer for the other teams even though you are going against them," said Aidan Davenport, 10, of Tierra Buena. "It's just good sportsmanship."

Girls at Barry Elementary said they have learned a lot about running in the last few months, with the start of a Girls on the Run program and completion of a new track.

"Like how to stay positive and encourage others," said Daisy Baker, 10.

"And to be nice to one another and never give up," said TigerLily Carcich, 11.

As athletes waited their turn for events and cheered on their peers, Barry Elementary teacher Katherine Miracle captivated her students with a story about the first half-marathon she ever completed. She said she loves to talk to her students about her exercise hobbies, whether walking, running or biking, to motivate them to stay active.

The track meet is a good way to encourage them to set new goals, she said.

"I want them to listen to their own bodies and the improvements they can make," she said.

As Central Gaither student Adrian Benitez, 11, pushed across the finish line in first place, he high-fived his teacher, Cassie DeHaan, who said she was so excited to have her deaf and hard of hearing students participate at such a large event. "It's a great confidence booster.

"All of them are doing well, and they are doing as well as their hearing peers, which shows them they can be just like them," she said. "Their hearing impairment doesn't impair them at all on the track."

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at agebb@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4783. Find her on Facebook at /ADagebb or on Twitter at @ADagebb.

Education Briefs

Arboga

Time capsule to be unearthed

Former and present students and the public are invited to Arboga Elementary School next week as a time capsule placed by its fifth-grade class in 2002 is opened after 10 years.

The event is at 6 p.m. May 31. The school is at 1686 Broadway, Arboga.

The time capsule includes something from each of the school's fifth-graders, an item from each of the other classes and something from Lydia Rasmussen, then a parent volunteer at the school and now attendance clerk; then-principal Kathy Woods; and Twila Smith, school secretary then and now.

For more information, contact the school at 741-6101.

Plumas Lake

29 Cobblestone students published

The work of 29 students from Cobblestone Elementary School in Plumas Lake has been published in the 2012 Young American Poetry Digest.

All of the school's students in grades second to fifth recently wrote haiku poetry as part of a National Schools project.

The school library, at 1718 Churchill Way, is to receive a free copy of the book.

Yuba City

St. Isidore presents wax museum

The St. Isidore Catholic School third annual wax museum and international potluck was held May 16, with students in grades sixth to eighth dressed as wax figures.

Sixth-graders represented countries, seventh-graders were historical figures and eighth-graders looked at the 1800s and 1900s.

The students presented a one-minute oral report on a topic and had presentation boards.

The school in Yuba City has 53 students in the junior high classes.

Yuba City

Fine Arts Festival in 40th year

Students from seven elementary school in Yuba City took part in the two-day annual Fine Arts Festival May 17 and 18 hosted by the Yuba City High School art department.

In its 40th year, the festival's activities included more than 50 booths with paper hats, face paintings, spin art, ink block prints and bowling for clay. The elementary school students each contribute a $1 for supplies, with the Yuba City Unified School District paying for the rest.

Participating elementary schools included Barry, Bridge, Central Gaither, Lincrest, Lincoln, Park and Riverbend.

Yuba City

Clubs beautify Northridge Park

Key Club members from Albert Powell and River Valley high schools and the Early Risers Kiwanis Club participated in the Kiwanis International one-day Community Contribution day by spreading fresh wood chips at Northridge Park in Yuba City.

The activity on April 21 was also part of the clubs' participation in the Yuba City Adopt-a-Park program.

Education Briefs listings are compiled from announcements sent to the Appeal-Democrat. Send items to Education Briefs, Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901-4258; fax to 749-8390; email to ADnewsroom@appealdemocrat.com; or use the forms under the Features > Education tab at appealdemocrat.com.

Classroom Notes

Lincoln Elementary School

Yuba City

• The fourth-grade classes of Kathy Reynolds, Durell Siplin, Liz Micheli and Beth Leslie will participate in the interactive Walk Through California today and Friday.

• An awards assembly for first-graders will be held at 1:45 p.m. today. It will be a recognition of achievement and citizenship.

• The fourth- and fifth-graders will have their awards assembly at 1:45 p.m. Friday.

• There will be a Principal's Luncheon Friday.

• Monday there will be no school in honor of Memorial Day.

Butte Vista School

Yuba City

• Music filled the air this week with the third-graders' recorder concert, the upper grades' choir concert and the beginning and advanced strings concert. Music director Christina Estabrook conducted the violin concert.

• Open house for all grades is from 6-7 p.m. today.

• No school Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

• Last day of school is June 1. Dismissal is at 12:30 p.m.

Tierra Buena Elementary School

Yuba City

• The Eagle Center, the after-school program, will take an end of the year field trip to Gauche Aquatic Park today from 3:30-6 p.m. Rachel Chavez and Gina Garcia organized and will oversee the trip.

• The end of the year dance for seventh- and eighth-graders, celebrating the eighth-graders as they get ready for the promotion ceremony next week, will be held Friday from 6-9 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

• School will be closed on Monday in recognition of Memorial Day.

• The third-grade classes of Merrylee Bonslett, Belinda Kimerer and Norma Hembree will take part in a field trip to the G.A.P. on Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

• The promotion ceremony will take place Wednesday at 7 p.m. on the grassy area at the north end of the school.

• Pictures for the eighth-graders will be in the library starting at 5 p.m.

Classroom Notes listings are compiled from announcements sent to the Appeal-Democrat. Send items to Classroom Notes, Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901-4258; fax to 749-8390; email to ADnewsroom@appealdemocrat.com; or use the forms under the Features > Education tab at appealdemocrat.com.

Find children's books to treasure

Some think that just because a children's book has sold gobs of copies it equates into a book that is a "must read." Well, that might be true in some cases. However, it's not true in all instances.

A great deal of any book's success has to do with the amount of promotional effort (and money) the publisher puts behind the book.

That said, there are many books that don't receive as great of a promotional/ marketing push and ultimately don't end up with the notice they deserve.

The purpose of this column and the companion website (greatestbooksforkids.com) is to seek out and review only those books that are very much worth reading, whether they are heavily marketed or not. Be sure to ask your local children's librarian to help you find other real treasures in children's books.

Don't simply rely on "best seller" lists to find the real gems in children's and young adult books. Keep this column, companion website and local librarian's opinions on your horizon. You might be pleasantly surprised by the result.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

"Sheep" by Valerie Hobbs, Farrar Straus Giroux, 115 pages

Read aloud: age 8 and older

Read yourself: age 9 — 10 and older

When the dog was born, he waited excitedly for the day he could join the older dogs and help herd the sheep, and when that day came, it was glorious. The young dog knew this was what he was meant to be, but not long thereafter, his life changed dramatically.

Torn from his family and in a strange place where there are no sheep, the young dog begins his journey, deciding that somehow, even if it takes the rest of his life, he will find his family and the sheep again.

For a while, the Goat Man cared for him, sharing his food, friendship and life philosophy. Later, the dog wound up in the hands of a cruel circus man who uses a whip. Finally able to escape, the dog begins to believe that he'll never find what he's looking for, and at that moment, he meets a boy who needs him as much as he needs the boy.

An extraordinary and rich novel, "Sheep" will tug at your heart long after the last page is read.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Gridley Branch, Butte County Library, 299 Spruce St., Gridley

Library Director: Linda Mielke

Branch Librarian: Cynthia Pustejovsky

Children's Services: Christy Cooke-Williford

Choices this week: "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes; "The Lemonade Club" by Patricia Polacco; "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi

Books to Buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

"Oh No, George!" written and illustrated by Chris Haughton, Candlewick, 2012, 32 pages, $15.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 3 — 4 and older

Read yourself: age 7 and older

George was Harry's dog. George tried very hard to be a good dog, but sometimes George's dog instincts got the better of him. And so it was one day when Harry was about to leave the house and asked George if he would be good. George assured him he would, but when Harry left, George began to question himself. Then a sequence of tempting bad-dog possibilities presented themselves, starting with the chocolate cake ...

Hilarious text couple with equally hilarious illustrations of a good-intentioned dog, some not-so-good behaviors and a bit of redemptive behavior on the part of George. This funny story will have kids smiling on every page.

"Duck for a Day" by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Leila Rudge, Candlewick, 2012, 90 pages, $12.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 5 and older

Read yourself: age 7 — 8 and older

Abby's class pet was a duck named Max, and more than anything, Abby wanted to be able to bring Max home overnight. Her teacher had very specific qualifications for Max and his overnight accommodations and safety. While Abby worked feverishly to create the best environment for Max, her neighbor and classmate, Noah, was doing the same.

Abby always thought Noah was strange and felt certain she would be the one to take care of Max. But some things don't always turn out the way we have planned, including unlikely friendships.

Loaded with charm, humor and subtle messages, "Duck for a Day" is pure delight.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures about children's literature. She can be reached at her website: greatestbooksforkids.com.

Take time to reflect on Memorial Day

A dozen years ago, I ordered two flags that had been flown over the Capitol building. I wanted them to commemorate the adoptions of my two oldest children, and figured I'd save the flags to give to my kids when they were older. The problem was, I paid for two special flags and received only one. I took it as an example of what happens when you send money to a politician.

I couldn't think of a fair way to divide one star spangled banner between two children. The flag seemed too important to have out on our everyday flag pole, so I put the box on a shelf thinking I'd save that flag for a special occasion. Last week, I took Old Glory out of the box for a trip to Yuba City.

And thus I found myself standing with my daughter, Sophia, on the corner of Plumas Street and Colusa Avenue holding one side of an enormous flag while my child held up the other. My daughter stood with me for an hour and a half and never complained that she was too hot or that her arms were tired. She did, however, have a lot to say.

"So why do we have Memorial Day, anyway?" Sophia asked. I love that kid — she has a question for every occasion.

Sophia and I talked about the history of Memorial Day. I told her that it was first observed formally after the Civil War had torn our nation apart. We stood there holding the stars and stripes between us and tried to imagine the single day at Antietam where more than 23,000 casualties were recorded. Historians call it the bloodiest battle in American history.

I realized, of course, that this child understands nothing of war. Nor do I, for that matter. Safe at home with my quiet life, I take far too much for granted.

Looking around, I saw people with whom, on any other day, I might have very little in common. A young woman with fuschia hair stood down the block near a group of men in turbans. Businessmen in suits lined up alongside a young mom in tie-dye.

Biker dudes, veterans and soccer moms walked up and filled in the gaps. In a country that spends an inordinate amount of time tallying our differences, we were there with a commonality of purpose. The rest simply did not matter.

This, I want to teach my children, is what America should look like. We should not be about the checking off of boxes to divide us into neat little categories. People of all sorts stood together on that day in support of a family who paid an unspeakable price for us. For all of us.

We stood, united, to show Chase Marta's family that their sacrifice was more than we deserved. It was more than we should have even dared ask of any one. That this young man, so full of promise, gave his life for our country still takes my breath away. We never knew Chase, and now we can never forget him.

Memorial Day is coming, and it will have a new significance for the Marta family. This day should be important to all Americans.

Use this Memorial Day to start a conversation with your children. Remind them what it means to be free. Teach them that freedom has had an enormous cost through the ages. Write it on their hearts that many brave souls have paid too high a price to ever be forgotten.

Take a stand somewhere, anywhere, and say, "I remember."

Rose Godfrey is a speech pathologist and homeschooling mom in Meridian. Her homeschool blog can be found on the Appeal-Democrat website at appealdemocrat.com.

The end is just the beginning

The phrase "the end" instills a multitude of thoughts and opinions, which largely rely on what exactly is ending. For students, the end of the school year unleashes emotions that differ from student to student. Some may be excited, waiting for the long, summer days and an abundance of free time. However, for a certain group of students, the end of the year brings a mix of complicated emotions and also personal achievements.

Seniors at Live Oak High School have about nine days of school left as of today. In the past month, seniors have been preoccupied with the final checkpoints of their senior year. Within a few weeks, they completed their senior projects, presented their experiences to a panel of students and staff and created an exit portfolio to highlight past achievements and work.

What I have observed while thumbing through many of these portfolios is that LOHS seniors have much to be proud of.

Excluding academic and athletic awards, seniors this past year have exhibited an immense jump in maturity as young adults outside the realm of high school. Some of the projects required a growth in creative or logical thoughts processes, such as music creation or furniture building.

Other students elected to go for a more philanthropic and generous route, creating events and programs that ranged from teaching science classes to holding bike safety events.

It is true that this year has had seniors put sincere effort into creating meaningful projects and preparing for graduation day. However, the last year of school encompasses many more tasks and feelings than solely projects and classes.

This last year will force seniors to come to terms with the end of a part of their lives. There will be no more seven classes a day, five days a week. No more purple and gold flying freely at homecoming or rallies. No more working alongside friends amongst familiar and helpful teachers. The common bonds that have kept many seniors together since elementary school will be broken come June 6.

Soon seniors, including myself, must forge our own paths, unique to our own desires and free from the guidelines of the K-12 school system. We will have to say goodbye to friends as we leave for college or work. We may even have to move away from lifelong homes and family.

Graduation is an emotionally charged and heart-rending event, but it should not have to be. Regardless of who it may be, we have all worked to succeed and reach this point. Seniors have maintained excellent grades, participated in clubs or sports, worked after school and sometimes have done all of the above for these past four years.

LOHS class of 2012: When graduation leaves us to move on with life, be sure to give thanks to everyone who has helped you become the person you are today, but do not forget to also thank yourselves for a job well done.

Ciria Salazar is a senior at Live Oak High School. This is her final column for the Education section.

Yuba City bar ready to let good times roll – again

The pints of Pabst, karaoke tunes and wisps of smoke will soon be flowing in the air again at Dowers Tavern.

The longtime watering hole is set to reopen this summer after a six-month closure. One of the few bars in town where it is legal to smoke indoors and with a long-standing reputation for karaoke, the bar has been purchased by owners of the 21 Club and is in the middle of a major upgrade.

"I want to give people their home back," said new owner Chris Paxton, adding that it's still the same Dowers, but it needed a little TLC.

Gone is the smoke-laced popcorn ceiling and gold-speckled mirrors behind the bar. A new 12-beer setup has replaced six crotchety taps, and the nicotine-infused walls have been given a fresh washing. The bathrooms have been expanded to meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

The shuffleboard table is for sale, but the long bar, with its clear lacquer over 1970s pennies and bicentennial dollars, is staying, as are the pool tables and karaoke corner.

Paxton wants to retain as much of the original vibe as possible for the regulars he credits with the bar's place in Yuba City history.

"When you are sitting around talking to guys who have been around a few years, that's the reason it's still here," he said.

Dowers Tavern opened around 1941 a few blocks west on Colusa Avenue before moving a few years later to the base of the 10th Street bridge. It survived the 1955 flood and continued to slake the thirsts of local residents for more than a half century.

Then, faced with a worker's compensation issue last year, the owners, Rosselli Enterprises LLC, decided to close for good and put the bar up for sale. Paxton, who bought the 21 Club with his wife, Heather, nearly seven years ago, was eager to take it over and worked out an undisclosed financial agreement to purchase the tavern.

"I've always felt this is the brother-sister bar to the 21 Club," Paxton said. "I'm looking forward to the new venture."

But first it needed some modernization.

Paxton has experience in remodeling, thanks to a fire that nearly gutted his Garden Highway bar in 2010 when faulty electrical wires at neighboring Steaks & Peppers started a blaze that destroyed the restaurant and spread to the club.

In addition to the 21 Club's karaoke offerings, the bar now is also a site for everything from potlucks to weddings, and it's Paxton's hope Dowers can begin to host events of its own.

After 12 years, Edie Prendeville cannot think of a better place to be.

"I'll be back," she said. "It's my home."

One fond memory of hers is from five years ago, when a well-dressed crowd stopped in after a wedding rehearsal dinner at the City Cafe. They were from Washington D.C., and when Prendeville asked how they ended up at Dowers, they said they had called the Chamber of Commerce and asked where to go for karaoke, and were told Dowers was the place.

Some residents may recall that in the mid-1990s, Money Magazine named Yuba City the worst city to live in the United States. Dowers posted a sign in front that read: "Welcome to the best bar in the worst city in America."

David Bucchioni will always remember the first time he stepped through Dowers doors.

"When I first got here in 2009 and I walked in that place, I swear, everything got quiet. The music turned off and everyone stared me down because I was fresh fish," he said. "It was like 'Cheers,' where everyone knows your name, I guess."

He gradually became a regular, and then so did his wife. The bar will always hold a soft spot in the couple's hearts, because it's where they met three days before Valentine's Day last year.

Both continued to sing karaoke and shoot pool, and they had planned to spend the anniversary of their meeting there this year, but it was closed.

"It felt like the wedding was not going to be right," David Bucchioni said.

They did the next-best things and hired Prendeville to do their music for their March nuptials. Now they are looking forward to looking through her song lists once again when Dowers reopens.

Prendeville said it's the familiar faces — and voices — she's looking forward to, and the stories she will no doubt be hearing.

"I'm the bar mom; I'm the baby sitter," she said. "I'm 62 years old, so all the kids are my bar kids. I call them my tribe."

Support fades for California's $1 tax on cigarettes

SACRAMENTO — Voter support for a $1 per-pack tax hike on cigarettes is dropping quickly, according to a new poll that reflects the effectiveness of an opposition campaign funded by tobacco companies.

The Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday found that 53 percent of likely voters say they will vote yes on Proposition 29 on the June 5 primary, while 42 percent say they will vote no.

That compares with 67 percent in support and 30 percent opposed in the same poll taken in March, before the opposition began its flood of TV and radio commercials.

"The large drop in support for Proposition 29 speaks loudly about how a well-funded opposition is able to raise voters' doubts and distrust in state government, even when a tax increase is viewed favorably," Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the institute, said in a statement.

The tobacco companies and anti-tax groups that oppose the initiative had raised more than $41 million as of Wednesday, while cycling legend Lance Armstrong, anti-smoking groups and other supporters had raised $13 million, according to campaign finance reports.

If passed, the tax would raise hundreds of millions of dollars and direct money to a new committee to fund research projects, smoking-reduction programs and law enforcement efforts involving tobacco.

The tobacco industry calls it a badly flawed measure that will force smokers to pay for a bureaucracy that could send research dollars out of state.

The poll also surveyed voter opinion on another June ballot initiative, Proposition 28.

It would reduce the total number of years lawmakers can serve in the Legislature from 14 to 12 but allow them to serve all of that time in one house. The poll found that 62 percent of likely voters say they will vote yes while 29 percent say they are opposed. That compares to 68 percent in support and 24 percent opposed in March.

As the primary approaches, Californians remain pessimistic about the economy with 83 percent of those surveyed saying the state remains in a recession. If that sentiment holds until November, it could make it more difficult for Gov. Jerry Brown to get his tax-hike initiative approved.

A slim majority continued to support his proposed November ballot measure to raise the state sales tax by a quarter cent and income taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more.

Campaign 2012: Three vie for Assembly District 3

A change in California elections has brought an interesting dynamic to the Assembly District 3 race, where incumbent Dan Logue is running against Republican and Democratic challengers.

Because of Proposition 14, passed by voters two years ago, the two candidates with the greatest number of votes in the primary advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

And all voters receive the same ballot, so there's some reason, perhaps, for Logue, R-Loma Rica, Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams and Corning resident Charles Rouse to not veer too far either left or right if they want to make the top two in a right-tilted district.

"I'm running as a Democrat, and I don't shy away from the label," said Rouse, a retired postal worker who owns an olive orchard. "But I'm a middle-of-the-road kind of Democrat."

GET MORE POLITICAL NEWS HERE.

Rouse said his top issues are preserving public safety funding and fixing state government, particularly California's persistent budget woes.

Because of ongoing government dysfunction, he said, the state is facing an $18-billion budget deficit. And though he favors a proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown to raise taxes to help close it, he said, it's only a temporary solution.

Another issue he said is important is one shared by both Williams and Logue: Protecting the northern part of the state's water supply.

Logue, running for a final two-year term, said he has grown concerned about water in the face of state plans to flush out the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

But water is in addition to the issues Logue has advocated for since before he was elected to the legislature: Improving what he calls the state's high-tax, high-regulatory attitude toward business.

"I went to Texas with the lieutenant governor to prove our unemployment rate is so high not because of the recession, but by our policy," said Logue, adding he feels his record is his best argument for re-election.

If he wins another term, Logue said among his priorities will be looking to see where regulations can be rolled back and preventing federal government health-care reform from being implemented in California.

Williams, a Corning resident who's been backed by other GOP state legislators, sounded similar to Logue in what issues he's concerned about, though he also emphasized balancing the state budget without new taxes, and protecting agriculture.

He also stressed his ranching background as part of his perspective.

"I've been fighting the water battles for the last 20 years," said Williams, who was elected a Tehama County supervisor in 2006. "I've been seeing the regulatory impacts on locals for as long as I can remember."

In talking to voters, Williams said, he gets the sense they're looking for that real world experience.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4786. Find him on Facebook at /ADbvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADbvandermeer.

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