News Digest News Digest (July 30, 2004)

New president for museum

Jim Allen, a retired executive of National Refractories in Livermore, has been elected board president of the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society, which operates the Museum On Main Street downtown. He succeeds Joanie Fields, who resigned as president to concentrate her work as a board member on planning and scheduling museum exhibits.

Allen joined National Refractories, a supplier of ceramic linings for industrial furnaces, as a researcher in the 1960s. He moved to technical services in the 1970s and was promoted to vice president of international sales. He is also active in expansion programs now under way at Lynnewood Methodist Church.

In addition to Allen and Fields, other members of the museum board are Bill Apperson, Pete Bailey, Jan Batcheller, Jeb Bing, Diana Bonanno, Rebecca Bruner, Chuck Deckert, Rich Fredette, Jim Hoge, Denise Howe, Charles Huff, Ed Kinney, Pat Lane, Jerri Long and Troy Van Sloten. Heather Haugen Rizzoli is the museum director. Sister City barbecue

The Pleasanton-Tulancingo Sister City Association will hold its 21st anniversary barbecue fundraiser starting at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Fairgrounds pavilion next to the main office building at 4501 Pleasanton Ave. Marlene Rebello, the organization's president, said activities will include a no-host bar at 5:30, followed by dinner and silent and live auctions to raise funds for the nonprofit group. Dancing with music by Direct Access will start at 8:30 p.m.

The event is open to the public, with tickets available in advance for $30 from the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, the Pleasanton Downtown Association or the association's booth at the First Wednesday street party on Main Street next week. Tickets can also be purchased at the pavilion gate for $35.

The organization, which has 132 Pleasanton household members, will also use the event as a send-off for five high school students who will spend a month living with families in Tulancingo, Mexico.

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