Education

Saint Cornelius School gets new multimedia center

The children of Saint Cornelius Catholic School have started the year with 25 new Apple computers in their multimedia center thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Atol Family Trust. Georgianna Atol, a teacher at Beverly Hills High School, was killed by a drunk driver in 1976. Her parents Elias and Genevieve Atol established the trust in her honor to help advance Catholic education, which had always been important to Georgianna Atol and her family. Sister Barbara Bray, the Oakland…

Congressman Miller sees Richmond promises

Congressman George Miller flies in and out of the Bay Area on a near weekly basis. When he looks down as he flies over Richmond he sees one of the “last big promising corners in the Bay Area.” “What you see is this huge asset with a lot of developable properties,” he said to a round-table of reporters in Monday afternoon. Richmond, Miller said, has most everything it needs to facilitate major growth: easy transit, innovative businesses, forward-thinking public officials….

Whooping cough deadline nears

Vieng Say Lasey Song Kham was stoic as he pulled up his T-shirt sleeve at the last community Tdap clinic in San Pablo last week. A Contra Costa County registered nurse gently swabbed his shoulder before flicking the syringe and poking the small needle into his upper arm, a process that took only a second but could make a big difference when it comes to protecting Lasey Song Kham and others from contracting pertussis, a contagious disease that killed ten…

New coach hopes to change Oiler’s fate

Tashaka Merriweather steps onto the artificial turf field on a brisk, Wednesday afternoon. Sporting his customary black shades and windbreaker, Merriweather starts directing this team to begin the practice drills with the loud, shrill sound of his trusted whistle. As a coach, Merriweather wants to bring the values he learned as a college football player — hard work and good technique — to help his team succeed in games and in the classroom. It’s evident at practice as he works…

The “Richmond Writes!” poetry contest is back

The Richmond Arts and Culture Commission is looking for short poems written by students or Literacy is for Every Adult Program members who attend school or live in Richmond. The annual October contest, called Richmond Writes!, celebrates national arts and humanities month. Participants will receive a certificate recognizing their participation and their poems will be published in a chapbook. The top three submissions from each bracket – elementary school, middle school, high school, and LEAP — will be honored by…

Chevron organizes ‘back to school’ event in Richmond.

Chevron will host a “Back to School” event at Nevin Park this Friday to provide school supplies to 1,000 disadvantaged Richmond children. The event is part of the Volunteer Center’s Week of Caring, during which Chevron, the United Way and other Bay Area corporations sponsor employees to volunteer and help complete projects at local Bay Area nonprofit agencies. Chevron employees will participate in 47 projects in West Contra Costa County during the Week of Caring. This is Chevron’s fourth year…

College-bound singer leaves her hometown

For the past three years, eighteen-year-old Vanessa Bejarano has sung in a choir that performs during ten o’clock mass at Saint Cornelius Parish. The group, mostly young women from the ages of 12 to 18, practices from seven to eight on Fridays in the parish rectory. Most of the songs are sung in Spanish with short solos, accompanied by drums, guitars and piano. The choir is more then a faith-based social gathering. It is a nurturing support system for young…

Mayors’ cook-off promotes healthy eating

Thirteen Contra Costa County cities participated in the third annual Mayors’ Healthy Cook-Off on Saturday in Clayton. The event encourages friendly competition and is a way for area cities to show their commitment to healthy eating.

Community meets in wake of playground accident

“I jumped off like this,” five-year-old Jamonte shouted, bounding off the slide where just a week ago he nearly strangled and died. The Barrett Terrace Apartment community gathered with firemen, police and building security officers Wednesday to talk about Jamonte’s accident and learn about playground safety. A week earlier, Jamonte was playing on the apartment play structure when he wrapped a purple jump rope around his own neck, tied it to a bar above the slide and tried to land…