April 29, 2002

IN ANOTHER EXAMPLE of how Sunol continues to carry the "small but mighty" banner, Sunol Boy Scout Troop 912 made a very impressive showing at the Twin Valley Camporee on April 20. The event, held at Camp Royaneh in the Russian River area, included about a dozen troops from the Livermore-Pleasanton-Dublin area. The young men were organized into 30 patrols to compete in such events as first aid, compass, pioneering, rifle shooting and archery.

Troop 912, with only 8 boys competing as a single patrol, placed first in pioneering, first in compass, third in rifle shooting and fifth overall, in addition to capturing the honors as best troop. Eric Pellissier took top individual honors for rifle shooting accuracy. The patrol was led by Senior Patrol Leader Bryan Pellissier, and included Eric, Anthony Bedegi, Adam Foster, Nathan Gilchrest, Garrett Glass, Jason Hall and Ryan Sass.

This is the second year in a row that the dedicated scouts from Sunol have taken top honors at Camporee. Congratulations to Troop 912 and Scoutmaster Jerry Tomaszak. And thanks to Forrest Sass for keeping me up to date on our scouts.

DUM DUM DE DUM: Spring is in the air and wedding plans are in the works. The Little Brown Church of Sunol, one of the areas most in-demand wedding venues, is hosting a Victorian Bridal Faire May 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. to help plan this most special of days.

You might just see your fantasy wedding gown in the bridal fashion show by A'Capriccio Brides 'N Belles of Livermore. And you'll have the opportunity to gather info from the many vendors who'll be there, including A Sound Explosion, Bodylines Day Spa, Danny Fisher's Music Magic, Elliston Vineyards, Fremont Bridal, Kathleen Ahern Photography, Mark Peters Photography and Picture Perfect hair and Make-up.

And then there are the prize drawings. You might win a free wedding ceremony at the charming, historic Little Brown Church, or a wonderful goodie from one of the vendors. This exciting event is free, and everyone who attends will receive a raffle ticket for the free wedding and one for the vendor prizes. If there's a wedding in your near future, you won't want to miss this. The Little Brown Church is at 141 Kilkare Road, and you can call 925-862-2004 for information or directions.

ROSIE'S BACK! Towards the end of Kilkare Road, there is a special group of neighbors who are among the most animal loving folks you'll ever find. The critters, both domestic and wild, are treated like part of the family and watched over by many of the humans in the area. So when Drew Nomellini moved down to Palo Alto and took his dog, Rosie, with him, the neighborhood just didn't seem the same.

You see, Rosie has her own ideas about dog-human ownership issues. She acknowledged her connection to the Nomellinis by lounging in front of their house, stretched out almost into the road. Regular travelers in the area knew to watch for Rosie's paws as they passed. But when Pat and Bart Stillman strolled by on their daily walk, Rosie almost always tagged along, and often continued with them back to their house for a snack.

When her collar went missing, a sporty new red one appeared around her neck, thanks to another neighbor, Diane Tiessen. The Sandlin-Mendicino, Davies-Doyle households, among others, received regular and welcomed visits from Rosie. Her spot on the road gaped sadly at all her friends when she and Drew left.

And then one day about a month ago, Pat heard the sound of doggie feet coming up her porch steps, and there was Rosie, a big grin on her face, her tail awag. Pat claims Rosie's the only dog she knows who can spin her tail around like a propeller when she's happy, and says she also has an uncanny nose for a neighborhood barbecue.

They had a lovely visit for several hours, hosted by Pat and Bart's beloved pooch, Pudder, and calls were made to other Rosie pals to let them know she was in town. And then a few weeks ago, Rosie and Drew came back to stay and the neighborhood is back to normal. Oh, and by the way, everybody's glad to see Drew again, too.