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valleysentinel.com
May 2012
VOL 17, NO 4
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
SPOTLIGHT
Beloved teacher retires
For the past thirty years Maureen Wroblewski has taught History, Religion and Language Arts to junior high students at St. Isidore’s. She said she has seen countless changes at the school, made lifelong friends with her colleagues, dear friendships with families of her students and has been deeply involved in St. Isidore Parish since 1974. In addition to her role of educator, Maureen was a parent whose own four children attended St. Isidore School. She will retire at the end of the school year. Maureen’s history lessons are always filled with multiple life lessons and famous quotes to live by. She says she hopes that her students seek out an understanding of where they came from in order to know where they are going. Former students frequently visit school and always make a quick right turn into her classroom.
ECRWSS
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
See TEACHER page 5
San Ramon Valley Girls Athletic League (SRVGAL) U-10 Girls Red Competitive Division, Team Dynamite coached by Greg Aynesworth and Rich Mendoza, and Team Sabertooth Tigers, coached by Dinesh Govindaroa playing at Danville’s Vista Grande April 5 with Sabertooth Catcher Remy Laflamme, Dynamite baserunner Riley Mendoza and Sabertooth Pitcher Ella Romero all in action at home plate. Dynamite went on to defeat the Sabertooth Tigers 10-4. (Photo by Jeffrey Weil)
New Veterans Memorial Building dedication a rousing success
Postmaster: Dated Material
By Denise Rousset
Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. 390 Diablo Road, Ste. 145 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
On Saturday, April 28, the community celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Building. Master of Ceremonies Rear Admiral Mary P. O’Donnell USCG (Retired) called the assembly to order. The National Anthem was sung by Georganne Seavey, and Danville’s own Poet Laureate, Lea Kagel read a poem especially written for the occasion. Danville Mayor Candace Andersen spoke of the partnerships, hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the project and directed everyone to the front of the new building for the ribbon cutting. A reception (catered by Sideboard Café), and tour of the facility revealed a beautiful resource center for both area veterans and Danville’s senior
communities. Every detail of the facility was carefully planned and tastefully executed. The $8.1 million renovation project was begun in July 2010. Veterans groups raised $2 million, while the Town of Danville put $5 million into the project. $1 million was provided from a Measure WW East Bay Regional Park District grant, and in 2010 Congressman Jerry McNerney secured $200,000 in federal funding for the redevelopment of the Veterans Memorial Building. Originally built in 1925, it had hosted meetings and events of area veterans for 85 years. Programs for seniors were also housed within its walls.
Located on Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville, the size of the building has now been doubled from 6,300 to 12,792 square feet. The conceptual building plans were approved for the renovation in August of 2009. The community hall and parking area that had been located to the rear of the building were
demolished to accommodate the new expansion into a larger two-story space with dedicated senior center, large community hall, classrooms, catering kitchens, meeting rooms, staff offices and more. The main hall is designed so that it can be divided into 3 separate spaces to accommodate See VETERANS page 15
This month’s Special Sections...
Home & Garden
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Kids’ Camps
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