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Uploaded: Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 1:34 PM
Updated: Thursday, July 5, 2012, 7:43 AM
Hundreds turn out for Pleasanton's Independence Day celebration
19th annual event fills Lions Wayside Park on weather-perfect afternoon
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by Jeb Bing
Pleasanton Weekly Staff
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| Hundreds turned Wednesday for the Fourth of July picnic in Lions Wayside Community Park to listen to patriotic music played by the Pleasanton Community Concert Band and to hear commentaries by local patriots.
The 19th annual event, called "Celebrating Freedom and its Evolution since the Revolution," was sponsored by Heritage Bank of Commerce, Raley's, the Pleasanton Lions Club and Accusplit, a Pleasanton company that manufactures and markets stopwatches and pedometers.
Kevin MacDonald served as master of ceremonies, introducing Mayor Jennifer Hosterman: Warren Belding, who was dressed as "Uncle Sam," and Pleasanton's poet laureate Cynthia Bryant. Patriot awards honoring the late Realtor and former City Councilman Ed Kinney were given to businesswoman Jan Batcheller and to Tony Macchiano, co-owner of Pleasanton Garbage Service.
A color guard comprised of members of the American Legion Pleasanton Post 238 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 posted the colors, which were followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem, which opened the Independence Day ceremonies.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by b, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jul 5, 2012 at 8:40 am Apparently the Pleasanton Weekly is in Pleasanton Garbage Service's back pocket, too. I posted a comment critical of Tony M, completely relevant to this award story, and they quietly deleted it. Shame that he gets labeled a "patriot" while we citizens are silenced in our criticism of his business tactics.
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Posted by The Pleasanton Business-Political Machine, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:30 am This is just another example of the Business-Political Machine that runs Pleasanton. The Chamber of Commerce PAC and developers buy the Mayor and City Council Majority and they in turn carry out polices friendly to the “elites” and hostile to residents. Awards are given to insiders like Jan Batcheller, Tony Machiano, the Shapiro’s and the same gang over and over again. There has not been a legitimate Mayors Award since Ben Tarver (or a legitimate representative government, for that matter). Unfortunately, with the current crop of machine-friendly candidates running for mayor and council we’re in for much more of the same.
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Posted by William Teller, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jul 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm Wait, Pleasanton Garbage Service is a privately owned company - not a municipal service? No wonder rates are so high. Seems pretty crooked to me...
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Posted by T. R. Ollman, a resident of the Civic Square neighborhood, on Jul 5, 2012 at 3:40 pm Crooked? If you have a problem with free enterprise, try moving to the Soviet Union with Nurse Shark and steve!
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Posted by b, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jul 5, 2012 at 5:51 pm If PGS were a municipal agency, there would be outrage over some manager's $100k salary. But because PGS is a private company, the owner is a Patriot and showered with awards. No one questions his millions in profits or why we pay the highest garbage rates in the Bay Area.
If you inherited a business from your grandfather that had no competition, wouldn't you shower a little money around political and non-profit circles to ensure that you could keep that gig?
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