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Community meeting
Pleasanton school district administrators are holding their second community meeting of the school year next Wednesday (Nov. 20) at 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Pleasanton Middle School, 5001 Case Ave.
The discussion, followed by informal Q&A, will feature an update on Measure I1 and other facilities improvements projects, as well as educational information around how public schools are funded and how PUSD utilizes these funds to serve its students, officials said.
Members of the PUSD executive cabinet and Board of Trustees will be on hand for the event, which is open to all community members and families.
Trail repairs
City officials have closed a section of the Valley View Trail at Augustin Bernal Community Park for necessary repairs ahead of the rainy season, starting three days ago and running through at least next Saturday (Nov. 23).
Other portions of the Pleasanton Ridge public trail system remain open. A map of the closure area is available on the Weekly website.
Share your holiday traditions!
The Weekly has begun our annual Holiday pages — special sections with new themes each week running through New Year’s Day.
This year we have a few story ideas we want to explore with your help. We’re looking for Tri-Valley residents with personal anecdotes about ugly holiday sweaters, Elf on the Shelf, creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers and New Year’s resolutions. Send us an email, editor@pleasantonweekly.com.
Hanger damage
Wear and tear and last month’s high winds have badly damaged the Hanger donation box outside the Pleasanton Unified School District office, requiring its recent removal.
“It was damage due to weather and wear and tear,” PUSD spokesman Patrick Gannon told the Weekly last week.
For that reason, Gannon said the district is interested in “any donations of a heavy duty/metal donation bin, as our previous bin graciously built by our local Boy Scouts was made of plywood.” The district is also asking residents to not drop off donations at that location for the moment.
The Hanger is a vocational class at Village High School that teaches job skills to students with special needs while also providing donated clothing to local families. The district is working on an alternate donation drop spot right now but said “it will likely be in that same area” outside their Health Services and Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation office at 245 Abbie Street.
“We did have issues with well-meaning community members leaving furniture and other household items outside for donation, though, so we may adjust its location slightly,” Gannon added.
Currently the Hanger is in need of new underwear and new or gently used hoodies but Gannon stressed that “we’re unable to accept donations of household items or used undergarments.” Community members with large donations are asked to email hpereira@pleasantonusd.net to schedule a drop off time for their items.
The Hanger is located at Village High at 4645 Bernal Ave. in Room 703b and is open on specified dates. This month, the Hanger will be open Nov. 13 and 27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and on Dec. 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, email thehanger@pleasantonusd.net.
‘Remembering the Forgotten War’
Pleasanton’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 is hosting military history author Hampton Sides to speak this Sunday (Nov. 17) at 2 p.m. in the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Pleasanton.
Sides will talk about his book “On Desperate Ground” and a key battle during the Korean War. About a half-dozen Korean War veterans are expected to attend the event, according to organizer Doug Miller.
The author discussion will be free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available for purchase, and event co-sponsor Towne Center Books will have copies of the book for attendees to buy, Miller said.
Miller described the key battle in the “Forgotten War,” saying, “On October 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of UN troops in Korea, convinced President Harry Truman that the Communist forces of Kim Il-sung would be utterly defeated by Thanksgiving. The Chinese, he said with near certainty, would not intervene in the war. As he was speaking, 300,000 Red Chinese soldiers began secretly crossing the Manchurian border.
“At the same time, led by some 20,000 men of the First Marine Division, American forces moved deep into the snowy mountains of North Korea, toward the trap Mao had set for the vainglorious MacArthur along the frozen shores of the Chosin Reservoir.
“What followed was one of the most heroic operations in American military history, and one of the classic battles of modern times. Faced with probable annihilation, and temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below zero, the surrounded and hugely outnumbered, American forces fought enemy forces with ferocity, ingenuity and nearly unimaginable courage.”
Dogs strut their stuff
Chris Perondi and his world-class athletic dogs return for two “Stunt Dog Experience” shows to the Bankhead Theater, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. next Sunday (Nov. 24).
These high-energy rescue dogs entertain with comic antics and tricks from high jumps and barrel racing to pole weaving and disc catching. A fun and interactive experience, the audience is asked to provide encouragement throughout and there are “showdowns” judged by audience applause.
Tickets are $20-$30. Call 373-6800, visit lvpac.org, or go to the box office, 2400 First St., Livermore. Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue will host a dog encounter outside the theater prior to the performance.