10 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011 CommunityBy Patricia Kon<strong>in</strong>gLast year, the health servicesdepartment of the <strong>Livermore</strong> ValleyJo<strong>in</strong>t Unified <strong>School</strong> Districtwas presented with a daunt<strong>in</strong>g task– ensure that all students enter<strong>in</strong>g7th through 12th grade hadreceived the pertussis (whoop<strong>in</strong>gcough) vacc<strong>in</strong>e booster, or Tdap.<strong>The</strong> stakes were simple and high:no shot, no school, which wouldresult <strong>in</strong> a loss of Average DailyAttendance (ADA) funds for theDistrict.It came down to the wire, with81 students vacc<strong>in</strong>ated on Sept.21, the day before the “no shot, noschool” requirement went <strong>in</strong>to effect.Several members of the healthservices staff made home visits onSept. 22 to vacc<strong>in</strong>ate the last fewstudents.For their outstand<strong>in</strong>g efforts<strong>in</strong> verify<strong>in</strong>g vacc<strong>in</strong>ation recordsfor over 6,100 students, the healthservices department was presented<strong>Livermore</strong> <strong>School</strong> Nurses Honored forWhoop<strong>in</strong>g Cough Vacc<strong>in</strong>e Compliancewith the <strong>in</strong>augural Go<strong>in</strong>g Beyondthe Call of Duty award at the Oct.4 meet<strong>in</strong>g of the <strong>Livermore</strong> Boardof Education.“Last year, this was a task thatseemed <strong>in</strong>surmountable, almostimpossible,” said Scott Vernoy,director of student services. “<strong>The</strong>health services staff worked tirelesslyall summer over manyweekends, mak<strong>in</strong>g home visits,sett<strong>in</strong>g up vacc<strong>in</strong>ation cl<strong>in</strong>ics,and track<strong>in</strong>g down immunizationrecords.”Kim Adams, Cather<strong>in</strong>e Arthur,Shelley Casey, Penny Corso,Laura Curran, Julie Howard, NolaRecht<strong>in</strong>, Carolyn Reggiardo, andBeth Splendorio each received amedal and certificate <strong>in</strong> honor oftheir exceptional work. Vernoyexpla<strong>in</strong>ed that the award is forDistrict members to recognizeother members for go<strong>in</strong>g aboveand beyond.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Livermore</strong> Valley <strong>Charter</strong>Pictured are nurses honored last week.<strong>School</strong> (LVCS) and <strong>Livermore</strong>Valley <strong>Charter</strong> Preparatory High<strong>School</strong> also atta<strong>in</strong>ed 100% compliance,accord<strong>in</strong>g to LVCS pr<strong>in</strong>cipalTara Aderman.Children typically receive theTdap booster between the agesof 10 and 12, but many parentsdon’t take their kids to well-childcheckups at this age. Tdap protectsaga<strong>in</strong>st three dangerous diseases:tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.In the summer of 2010, Dr.Mark Horton, then-director of theCalifornia Department of PublicHealth, declared whoop<strong>in</strong>g coughan epidemic <strong>in</strong> the state. <strong>The</strong> law,AB354, requir<strong>in</strong>g the booster for7th through 12th graders wasenacted <strong>in</strong> Sept. 2010; a new law,SB614, extended the deadl<strong>in</strong>e to 30days after the start of school.In the 2012/13 school year, thehealth services staff will have aneasier task as only students enter<strong>in</strong>g,advanc<strong>in</strong>g, or transferr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to7th grade will need proof of theimmunization.For more <strong>in</strong>formation visitthe State of California’s websiteon school immunizations:www.shotsforschool.org; the AlamedaCounty Public HealthDepartment’s pertussis website:www.acphd.org/Pertussis; and theCDC’s pertussis website: www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis.Despite stormy weather, three Dubl<strong>in</strong> elementary schools successfully participated <strong>in</strong> International Walk to <strong>School</strong>Week between October 3 and October 7. Dubl<strong>in</strong>, Frederiksen, and Murray Elementary <strong>School</strong>s worked with Citystaff to welcome an estimated 425 students who walked or biked to school dur<strong>in</strong>g their school’s designated “Walkto <strong>School</strong> Day.” Each school made their event unique: Dubl<strong>in</strong> Elementary <strong>School</strong> registered with local non-profitorganization Safe Routes to <strong>School</strong> and recorded student participation with a mode chart. Murray Elementary<strong>School</strong> organized a Walk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>School</strong> Bus from nearby Kolb Park, and Frederiksen Elementary <strong>School</strong> declared a“Crazy Shoe Day” and organized a parade. Stationed at entry po<strong>in</strong>ts around each school, parent volunteers andCity staff distributed giveaways and refreshments, which were partially funded by Measure B Bike/Pedestrianfunds, to participat<strong>in</strong>g students. In the photo, Frederiksen Elementary <strong>School</strong> students visit the Walk to <strong>School</strong>Day table before head<strong>in</strong>g to class.New Website Offers Local Barga<strong>in</strong>slocalgruv.com is a daily dealweb site that launched on September12, 2011. People who live,work, or play <strong>in</strong> the Tri-Valley canf<strong>in</strong>d sav<strong>in</strong>gs of 50 to 90 percent ona variety of items.localgruv.com was started bylocals with a simple philosophy:Th<strong>in</strong>k Local, Buy Local, GiveLocal. A portion of the proceedsbenefit Tri-Valley non-profit organizations.<strong>The</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess conceptis simple, offer a good deal from agood local bus<strong>in</strong>ess to LocalGruvmembers. <strong>The</strong>n LocalGruv willgive 10 percent of its profits backto local non-profit organizations.Membership to localgruv.comis completely free. Simply go tothe web site and sign-up.
CommunityTHE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011 11Tactical Team TakesTime to Donate Blood<strong>The</strong> East County Tactical Team(<strong>Livermore</strong> and Pleasanton PoliceDepartments’ comb<strong>in</strong>ed SWATteam) recently took part of a busytra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g day to save lives <strong>in</strong> adifferent way than most officersare accustomed to. Members ofthe Tactical Team rolled up theircamouflaged sleeves and theyeach donated a p<strong>in</strong>t of blood tothe American Red Cross. In total,the team donated two gallons ofblood.Most community membersth<strong>in</strong>k of SWAT team members asbig burly men risk<strong>in</strong>g their lives <strong>in</strong>extreme situations to save others.<strong>The</strong> team’s donat<strong>in</strong>g blood wasjust another way that the tacticalofficers provide support for ourcommunity, and show their commitmentto sav<strong>in</strong>g lives.Sara O’Brien, CommunicationsManager at the American RedCross, stated that the donated bloodcould potentially aid fifty people <strong>in</strong>A Tri-Valley non-profit hasreceived a $10,000 grant from theSan Francisco Giants CommunityFund to establish an anti-bully<strong>in</strong>gprogram with <strong>Livermore</strong> students.Basicnecessities.org, based <strong>in</strong><strong>Livermore</strong>, was awarded the grant<strong>in</strong> an on-field ceremony held atAT&T Park <strong>in</strong> San Francisco priorto the September 3 Giants game.<strong>The</strong> ceremony was a part of theGiants annual Strike Out ViolenceDay, which is supported by theGiants Community Fund, the SanFrancisco Sheriff’s Departmentand the Family Violence PreventionFund.“That was quite a thrill be<strong>in</strong>gon the field,” said Suarez-Dunbar,who also teaches Spanish at LasPositas College. “But it’s evenmore of a thrill to get our Bust OutBully<strong>in</strong>g program up and runn<strong>in</strong>gthanks to the Giants CommunityFund’s generous support.”Bust Out Bully<strong>in</strong>g aims to educatechildren between the ages of5 and 14 about traditional bully<strong>in</strong>gand cyber-bully<strong>in</strong>g through a seriesof workshops, demonstrations andneed. O’Brien said that while donat<strong>in</strong>gblood is not a risky maneuverfor the officers, she knew therewere plenty of local people whowill benefit greatly from the effortsof the officers. O’Brien said thatanyone who wants to donate bloodcan either call 1-800-redcross, orgo onl<strong>in</strong>e at www.redcrossblood.org. O’Brien hopes that the officers’will<strong>in</strong>gness to give backto their community might <strong>in</strong>spireothers to do the same.Sergeant Brian Mart<strong>in</strong>ez of the<strong>Livermore</strong> Police Department, theTactical Commander of the teamstated, “It was fun, and it was anew and different way to helpothers. All the members of theteam participated, and everyonegot a kick out of see<strong>in</strong>g a bunchof officers donat<strong>in</strong>g blood all atonce. Giv<strong>in</strong>g blood is easy, andwe encourage everyone to do so.It was a great way for our team tobond.”Giants Award Grant toHelp Combat Bully<strong>in</strong>gread<strong>in</strong>gs. In addition to address<strong>in</strong>gchildren, Bust Out Bully<strong>in</strong>gwill also work with teachers andother school staff, as well as parents.Potential participants will be<strong>in</strong>dentified through the schoolsand the Junior Giants program of<strong>Livermore</strong>.“Bully<strong>in</strong>g has been a problemforever,” said Suarez-Dunbar. “Onthe one hand, society has gottenbetter at identify<strong>in</strong>g bully<strong>in</strong>g anddevis<strong>in</strong>g ways to address it. On theother hand, new technologies havegive rise to new forms of cyberbully<strong>in</strong>gthat we still have to catch upwith. Also, while physical threats,especially associated with boys,is pretty well-known, other seem<strong>in</strong>glynon-violent bully<strong>in</strong>g that isjust as, if not more, damag<strong>in</strong>g, isoften perpetrated by and amonggirls. <strong>The</strong>se are lesser known areasof bully<strong>in</strong>g that we want to exploreand <strong>in</strong>tervene <strong>in</strong>.”To f<strong>in</strong>d out more about Bust<strong>in</strong>gOut Bully<strong>in</strong>g or to make a donationto the program, you can goonl<strong>in</strong>e to basicnecessities.org orcontact Suarez-Dunbar at (925)424-1212.Pleasanton Brothers Mov<strong>in</strong>gUp <strong>in</strong> Racquetball WorldBy Ron McNicollNikhil and Julian S<strong>in</strong>gh havebeen play<strong>in</strong>g racquetball for onlythree years. However, they haveprogressed far enough to br<strong>in</strong>ghome medals from state, nationaland <strong>in</strong>ternational competitions.Start<strong>in</strong>g the sport just threeyears ago, the sons of Salis andJennifer S<strong>in</strong>gh of Pleasanton wonat both the state and national levels<strong>in</strong> tournaments. Julian, 10, went on<strong>in</strong> the under-10 class to compete <strong>in</strong>an <strong>in</strong>ternational tournament dur<strong>in</strong>gthe summer <strong>in</strong> the Dom<strong>in</strong>icanRepublic.Julian picked up two bronzemedals <strong>in</strong> the world tournament.He's proud of them, and has themdisplayed <strong>in</strong> a special box near thefront door of his home.Julian, who is <strong>in</strong> the fifth gradeat Lydiksen <strong>School</strong>, also captureda medal <strong>in</strong> s<strong>in</strong>gles competition atthe state juniors tournament <strong>in</strong>San Diego. He came <strong>in</strong> second<strong>in</strong> his age bracket, but that turnedout to be a grander result than heexpected.<strong>The</strong> father of the boy who beatJulian asked him to pair up withhis son <strong>in</strong> doubles competitionat the national and world meets.<strong>The</strong>y won gold <strong>in</strong> the nationals <strong>in</strong>Portland, and then bronze <strong>in</strong> theworld meet.Julian won another medal <strong>in</strong> thestate tournament <strong>in</strong> San Diego. Hef<strong>in</strong>ished second <strong>in</strong> doubles competitionwith his brother as partner.Nikhil, 12, is an 8th-grader atHart Middle <strong>School</strong>, and Julian isa 5th grader at Lydiksen school.Nikhil carried away his own medalfrom the state tourney with a second<strong>in</strong> s<strong>in</strong>gles competition.Both boys are very good fortheir age, said Ela<strong>in</strong>e Dexter, theircoach at ClubSport Pleasanton."<strong>The</strong>y are <strong>in</strong> the top 10 percent<strong>in</strong> the country. <strong>The</strong>y'll be reallygood when they are older," saidDexter.Group<strong>in</strong>g at ClubSport is byability, not age, so the boys f<strong>in</strong>dthemselves play<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st adultssometimes. <strong>The</strong>y hold their own.<strong>The</strong>re is a professional racquetballcircuit. It doesn't pay the bigPictured are (from left) Nikhil S<strong>in</strong>gh, coach Ela<strong>in</strong>e Dexter andJulian S<strong>in</strong>gh with their medals at the US National Junior Olympics<strong>in</strong> Portland, OR. Julian won the national 10 and under doubles titleand won bronze <strong>in</strong> the gold division s<strong>in</strong>gles while Nikhil took 3rd<strong>in</strong> the Blue division s<strong>in</strong>gles and 3rd <strong>in</strong> the 12 and under doublesconsolation round.money that athletes <strong>in</strong> other sportsreceive. However, it's possible tomake a liv<strong>in</strong>g at it, said Dexter.Racquetball is played <strong>in</strong> afour-walled room. Tree walls areplexiglas so that spectators canwatch the competition. <strong>The</strong> ball isplayed aga<strong>in</strong>st the fourth wall.<strong>The</strong> game was <strong>in</strong>vented <strong>in</strong> 1949by Joe Sobek on a Connecticuthandball court. Sobek wanted tocreate a sport that used a lightweightracquet and light ball toprovide faster action than squashor handball. <strong>The</strong>re are now anestimated 5 million players <strong>in</strong> theUnited States.Nikhil said that as much ashe likes racquetball, and plans tocont<strong>in</strong>ue it, he doesn't see himselfheaded for the pro circuit. Rightnow, with his 8th grade <strong>in</strong>terests,he is look<strong>in</strong>g more <strong>in</strong>to computerprogramm<strong>in</strong>g.Nikhil took up the sport after hewatched his brother take a lesson."I like the fast pace. You're notalways wait<strong>in</strong>g, as <strong>in</strong> football orbaseball. You get to use strengthand speed. It's really fast. Thatmakes it more fun."Julian said, "It's a fun game. Ilove the pace. You never have tostop." With evenly matched opponents,a game might last from30 to 45 m<strong>in</strong>utes. <strong>The</strong> first playerwith 15 po<strong>in</strong>ts w<strong>in</strong>s.Jennifer said that it's a pleasureto watch her sons excel <strong>in</strong> the sport."<strong>The</strong>y play <strong>in</strong> such a graceful way.It helps develop confidence andstrength and skill."
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