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Soon after the news of Neil Sweeney’s death, Donna Kamp McMillion and I started chatting about the connection to the local history book project they were both involved in: “Cruising Down Memory Lane: Stories of Pleasanton in the 1950s”.
Sweeney, the founding principal of Foothill High School and a former teacher, coach and deputy superintendent in the school district, was one of nearly 40 storytellers featured in the book that was released in 2023 – and the seventh to pass since their interview, McMillion told me.
The project spearheaded by McMillion as lead interviewer, producer and editor has become a shining example of how critical it is to prioritize reporting the stories of one’s community. And not just tales of the past.
“When I called each storyteller, I quickly realized the importance of this project by their enthusiasm and excitement for the book project,” McMillion recalled. “A few interviewees were quite emotional when I talked about capturing their families’ stories.”
She added, “There were many benefits to this book project – the Museum on Main has all the videos and precious old photos in the archives, the Amador journalism class receives all the proceeds, the families have their stories documented for their future generations, the public has enjoyed hearing directly from the storytellers. There were 12 panel presentations throughout Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon and Danville.”
“Cruising Down Memory Lane” captures a bygone era that both stands on its own in history as well as reflects a key moment in the evolution of the Pleasanton that preceded it and would come to follow.
Filled with original stories and photographs, the book stands as “a gift to the community to understand the history of our small, country town during the 1950s. During that time, families didn’t feel the need to lock their front doors, they knew everyone in town, relied on their neighbors, and gave their children freedom to ‘ride our bikes until the lights came on at night’. It was mentioned many times during the interviews,” McMillion said.
“When Pleasanton had about 2,500 residents, the main occupations were ranching, farming, dairy, small businesses, politicians, and those who supported the farms and businesses,” she added. A contrast to the Pleasanton of today … but not entirely.
Dusting off my copy at home, I was reminded of the breadth and impact of the personal anecdotes – particularly from those whose authors are no longer with us.
Sweeney, a Pleasanton legend who died Nov. 30 at age 99, told of “A life and legacy of teaching”.
Rich Guasco, the Hall of Fame drag racer who also passed away last year, shared about his journey “From the wrecking yard to life in the fast lane”.
There are also tales from the late Bob Philcox (former mayor and banker), Susan Hanifen (whose mother taught many of the storytellers in their youth), Jacki Fiorio Del Duco (reflecting on Fiorio’s Market) and Mary Allender Chaboya (another Pleasantonian and teacher’s daughter).
McMillion, a featured storyteller herself, is still struck by the recitations of the late Gayle Cairo Lund, a former “Miss Pleasanton” and mayor’s daughter, in the chapter “Growing up in Pleasanton was the best”.
“He also had the task of playing Santa Claus, and on Christmas Eve, the Mayor would go door-to-door and hand out candy canes,” McMillion recalled of the story. “Then the families starting asking if he would also hand out the children’s toys that the parents left on the porch. After Reno (Cairo) was done being Santa Claus for the night, he’d return back to some of the homes to share a Christmas drink.”
It’s not all about the past with “Cruising Down Memory Lane”; the book is also synonymous with the future of storytelling in Pleasanton.
Proceeds from the book, which sold out two printed runs and can still be purchased online, go to the Amador Valley High School journalism program – one of the few remaining in all the Tri-Valley.
With support from fiscal administrator Three Valleys Community Foundation, Amador journalism has received two checks totaling $13,000 to date. Now that another $1,000 worth of the book has been sold on Amazon.com, another payment to the program should be on its way soon.
McMillion really became an “angel” for the program in its rebound from the pandemic, according to Wendy Connelly, media arts teacher and journalism adviser (and yearbook adviser and leadership adviser) at Amador.
The donations supported printing and website costs, new camera purchases and many regular supplies like batteries and memory cards for the self-funded journalism program – an elective that trains aspiring journalists in newspapers, podcasts, television, news websites and photography.
“I can’t say enough wonderful things about Donna,” Connelly told me Monday. “She really saved our little program.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
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Love that story!