News Digest News Digest (December 23, 2005)

Poet Laureate showcases new book

Pleasanton Poet Laureate Cynthia Bryant will read from her new chapbook 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 28 at Towne Center Books. The event is part of the Poet's Showcase series sponsored by the City of Pleasanton Civic Arts program. Bryant's chapbook, "Pebbles in the Shoe," was recently accepted for entry in the new Ina Coolbrith Circle Library in the Sacramento State Library's reading room. Her first book was published in 1997 and she has since published eight others, all of which are in the Pleasanton Public Library. For more information, call 931-5350 or e-mail mrusso@ci.pleasanton.ca.us. Amador marching band wins honors

One of 15 bands to make the finals at the Western Band Association Championship Nov. 19 in Long Beach, the Amador Valley High School Marching Band and Color Guard has been racking up honors in recent competitions. The band is under the direction of John Grantham. At an October competition in Modesto, the band won the Caption Award in several categories: Music, Visual, General Effects and Percussion. At Fresno State, the band improved its previous performance by seven points. The band also won first place in 5A at Clovis with intricate marching patterns, exciting rifle tosses, and solid teamwork. Now it's Oracle Lane

PeopleSoft Corp., once one of Pleasanton's best-known companies, surrendered its last imprint in Hacienda Business Park last week when the street bearing its name--PeopleSoft Parkway--was officially redesignated Oracle Lane. The name change was the last one to be made by Oracle Corp., which acquired PeopleSoft last year. Oracle agreed to pay the costs of the new signs, including a lighted sign at an intersection with Owens Drive.

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