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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 14, No. 11
Transfer station gets thumbs-up by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer
The City Council Tuesday voted to move ahead with the oftdelayed construction of an $8 million garbage transfer station. Mayor Bob Taylor dissented in the 4-1 vote, which was preceded by public testimony that now was not the right time to spend the money on the transfer station and neglect road maintenance or parks. But according to Finance Director Pam Ehler, the money – which has already been collected and will not result in borrowing or rate increase – cannot be diverted to another use. It can be used only
for the purpose it was collected for: building the station. The current station collects daily about 160 tons of garbage, which is then loaded on large transfer trucks for the trip to the landfill. The open-air facility is located next to playing fields at Sunset Park, where blowing trash, seagulls and odor adversely impact the atmosphere of the park. The new facility is slated for city land several thousand yards from the park on city-owned property and would be covered to better control blowing trash and the birds. Former Planning Commis-
Got a hankering to hike our communal mountain? Head for the hub from which adventures radiate. Page 1B
Photo by Samie Hartley
iberty High School students Matt Carabello and Caitlin Nunes act out the aftermath of an alcohol-related car accident during the Every 15 Minutes Program. Carabello portrayed the drunk driver, and Nunes portrayed the first victim in the program that teaches students the risks of drinking and driving through a live simulation. For coverage, see page 12A.
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see Transfer page 13A
by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Photo by Ruth Roberts
Nadia Bagdasar, librarian at the Byron Boys Ranch, chooses books she thinks will speak to the residents’ experiences and appeal to their interests. to 17 and helps them build their minds, vocabularies and ultimately their self-esteem.
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March 16, 2012
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Boys ranch library makes reading cool They come in quietly, a few at a time, each with a book or two tucked under their arms and a greeting on their lips. “Hey Nadia, what’s good today?” asks one visitor. “Do you have that new book yet?” asks another. The questions are commonplace, the answers rote. But for Nadia Bagdasar, such requests are anything but ordinary. “It’s a great feeling when they ask me for a certain book or a recommendation from an author they’ve read before,” said Bagdasar. “I love that their interest has been sparked by something positive.” Bagdasar is the librarian at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility – also known as the Byron Boys Ranch – and two days a week she opens the doors of the makeshift library to these young men 13
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“I’m always amazed at what voracious readers they are,” said Bagdasar. “Some of these boys had
never read a book cover to cover until they came here. It’s very satisfying to see.” The Byron Boys Ranch is an unlocked county facility designed to rehabilitate low-level delinquent youths who have committed non-violent, misdemeanor crimes. The average stay varies from one month to more than a year, depending upon the crime and the program imposed on them by the courts. The Ranch’s library is tiny. More than 4,000 titles are crammed into available spaces – some perched on racks or moveable carts, others stacked on nearby shelves. But they’re all there: Gatsby, Harry Potter, Holden Caulfield and even a vampire named Edward. “Oh, they read the ‘Twilight’ series,” laughed Bagdasar. “But of course they’ll never admit it.” “John” (not his real name) might not confess to reading “Twisee Library page 13A
Highway headway Creek caregivers go to news/WebExtras! The next phase of the State Route 4 Widening Project keeps rolling along.
go to news/press releases Efforts to preserve Marsh Creek and environs are meeting with success.
Warden of the waters A local woman has been recognized for her stewardship of a precious resource. Page 3A
The best of intentions
A Heritage soccer star who’d set his sights on Notre Dame de Namur made his goal official. Page 17A Arts ....................................... 6A Calendar ............................ 15B Classifieds ........................... 7B Cop Logs ............................ 14B East County Life ................ 1B Entertainment ................... 3B Food ...................................... 4B Milestones ........................14A Opinion ..............................16A Sports .................................17A FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Hizzoner huddle go to multimedia/videos Oakley business owners recently sat down to Breakfast with the Mayor.