Cover Story
Free, public gym farewell celebration will bow to past, nod to future March 16 event at Paly to include decades of music, a Model A, a Tesla
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A plaque honoring the gym’s official namesake, George Stirling Stewart, hangs above the exit of the main doors leading out of the gym. at home my senior year,” said Whitson, now a standout player at Pacific. “We had a huge student section and fan section in general, and it seemed as though the stands were practically full. I
John Barrette, who coached the 1993 championship team, was named California State boys basketball Coach of the Year. With Barrette at the helm, Paly had placed among the top five in CCS every year since 1987.
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loved the fact that our gym was different from everyone else’s and was intimidating for other teams to come play in. “We always would joke about having home-court advantage
With future NBA player Jeremy Lin leading the way, the Palo Alto boys basketball team finishes off a 32-1 season (most wins ever in a single season) by defeating heavily favored Mater Dei, 51-47, to capture the CIF Division II state championship. Peter Diepenbrock is head coach.
March 18, 2006
School district voters overwhelmingly pass a $378 million “Strong Schools” bond to modernize and expand capacity on school campuses. A total $5.47 million is earmarked for gym improvements.
June 3, 2008
simply because we were used to practicing in the extremely hot and non-air-conditioned playing conditions. But, in truth, it was extremely special to play in that gym. The atmosphere is incredible, and we loved being able to look down on the court when watching games or looking up at our fans from the court when we were playing. I ran a lot of liners, played a lot of volleyball, and worked extremely hard in
Palo Alto girls win their first CCS basketball title with a 54-44 win over rival Gunn.
Palo Alto girls capture their first-ever CIF Division I state volleyball title by defeating heavily favored Long Beach Poly to finish a near-perfect 41-1 season.
Dec. 4, 2010
Palo Alto girls win their second straight CIF Division I state volleyball title with a 3-2 win over Marymount to finish off a 36-3 season.
March 5, 2011
cades will play on the sound system as free tours of the campus are offered. Paly sports gear will be for sale. Ada’s Café will sell lemonade, water, popcorn, green sugar cookies and other yet-to-be-determined items. Festivities will begin at 12:30 p.m. A formal program, emceed by ESPN announcer and Paly alum Dave Feldman, will begin at 2:30. The program includes a video highlighting significant points in the gym’s history, including a Jeremy Lin “hello,” Paly athletes, teachers and politicians. Coordinator Jane Gee, a Paly parent, said organizers have
School officials say an anonymous Palo Alto family is considering a major donation to transform Paly’s athletic facilities. The amount donated by the threegeneration Paly family is pegged at approximately $20 million, the largest single gift in school history.
Dec. 3, 2011
February 2013
— Palo Alto Weekly Staff have hung from the rafters and clung to the walls for so many years. The old gym has seen better days, and it’s time for a new one. The memories, however, will always be there. They are a part of a special 85-year moment in time that may never be equaled again. N Sports Editor Keith Peters can be emailed at kpeters@paweekly. com.
The family of commercial real estate developer Richard Peery, a Paly graduate whose children and grandchildren also have attended Paly, is revealed as the anonymous donor. “It’s not really about sports or athletics per se,” son Dave Peery said. “This is much more about providing balance in the lives of our busy youth.” The last home wrestling match is held in the gym. While it would have been fitting for the host Vikings to go out with a bang, they lost to Wilcox.
March 2013
Jan. 30, 2014
Palo Alto defeats Sequoia, 61-49, in a CCS Division I secondround boys’ basketball playoff game, marking the final basketball game ever to be played in the Paly gym. Students and community members will gather to bid farewell to the old gym, slated for demolition sometime after graduation. For more information about this event, go to paly.net.
Feb. 27, 2014
March 16, 2014
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The Paly girls won the Division I state volleyball title in 2010.
raised $6,100 and hope to raise another $5,000 to cover costs of the event. Tax-deductible donations, payable to Palo Alto High School Athletics, should be sent to the attention of Lisa Stone, Farewell Paly Gym, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Donations arriving before the print deadline will be acknowledged in the program. Co-sponsors of the gym farewell are Palo Alto High School, Paly Sports Boosters, the Palo Alto Unified School District, the Paly Alumni Association and the Palo Alto Weekly. N
that gym with a great group of girls for four years. The banners and great games that have been played there is something really special. “I feel really lucky to have played in the Paly Gym and am sad to see it go but excited to see the improvements of the new gym in the future!” So it’s time to start packing up the memorabilia and trophies and all the banners and plaques that
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Jeremy Lin led Palo Alto to a state title in 2006.
ast and future will be celebrated at a free, public farewell to the Palo Alto High School Gym on Sunday, March 16. Guests will be able to admire a dark green, 1931 Model A car and a 2014 white Tesla; record an oral history with the Palo Alto Historical Association; and study architectural renderings of the new sports complex that will replace the existing gyms. Other historical items, including a school desk, a typewriter, a milkshake machine and a Bob’s Big Boy statue, also will be on display. Music representing eight de-
Paly’s girls basketball team celebrated its firstever CCS Division I hoop title in 2011.
The Peery family was revealed as the donor for the new Paly athletics complex.
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