R-E-S-P-E-C-T R-E-S-P-E-C-T (April 02, 2004)

Four honored for Community of Character trait
by Teresa C. Brown

As part of Pleasanton's Community of Character recognition, four Pleasanton individuals were honored March 29 at the Chamber of Commerce for exemplifying the trait "respect."

The Pleasanton Unified School District, the city and a coalition of community organizations jointly recognized businessmen Don Lewis and Chris Miller, student Jenny Zimmer and teacher Debbie Emerson.

Emerson, an Amador Valley High School teacher, was named for her work at Amador. In addition to teaching, she is also the Health and Bioscience Pathway coordinator and was called a "leading force" for the school's Career Academies. She also organizes Amador's annual Health Quest, a health fair, which was held jointly for the first time with Foothill High School this week.

Zimmer, disabled and confined to a wheelchair, is an active Amador student. She was selected to participate in the Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities held at Sacramento State University last year. She is a member of the Youth Empowerment Project and participates in the Bay Area Outreach Recreation Program for wheelchair athletes. She has earned five first-place awards in her class in the 2002 track nationals, national JV basketball team championship for 2003 and 2004, and most valuable player in basketball. Her teacher James Vaughn wrote that she exemplifies "not only respect, but also self-determination, compassion and self-advocacy."

Miller was the organizer of the Pleasanton Military Families support group. He has helped the community remember active-duty military servicemen and women through almost 100 yellow ribbons, each bearing the name of a person serving, tied around lampposts throughout the city. A helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, Miller and his wife, Marty, have two sons in the Air Force. He is an active Rotary Club member and a Realtor.

Musician Don Lewis was recognized for his work in the arts. Lewis has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia and in the Caribbean. His Live Electronic Orchestra from 1977 is on display at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. Pleasanton residents since 1981, Lewis and his wife, Julie, have two sons, Mark and Paul, both Amador graduates.

About once a month, individuals and organizations have been recognized as part of the Community of Character program for embodying a character trait. The other five traits are responsibility, self-discipline, compassion, honesty and integrity.

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