June 10, 2002

FINALS ALREADY? As I get older, I am amazed at how quickly the cycles of the year seem to pass. But yes, the 2001-2002 school year is almost over, the promise of summers pulls at studying minds, and proms, graduation ceremonies and weddings fill many a kitchen calendar. If your Sunol family has seasonal celebratory news, please let me know so we can share it with your neighbors "Around Sunol."

YAY, DADS! Fast on the heels of graduation comes Father's Day on June 16. One of my favorite Sunol dads, Jeroen Engelberts, will be rolling out some hot blues with his band, Nightmare on Bourbon Street, at Little Valley Vineyard and Espresso Bar from 1 to 5 p.m. The event is free. Nightmare on Bourbon Street features a wide selection of material, from T-Bone Walker to Ray Charles, and a growing list of original R&B tunes. Daytime gigs in family-friendly places are rare for Jeroen, who will get to play on Father's Day for his wife Diane Heckman and their two children, Erin and Alex.

There are two other musical evenings bracketing Dad's Day at Little Valley, with solo singer-songwriter Freebo appearing this Thursday, and The Velvet Janes of Australia bringing their urban acoustic sounds to Sunol on Thursday, June 27. Both shows will be from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

Bay Area favorite and former bassist for Bonnie Raitt, Freebo will be playing acoustic guitar, bass, tuba and mandolin. He has played with many blues legends, including Roy Buchanan, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and Mississippi Fred MacDowell. Tickets are $8 at the door.

Music reporter Craig New of Revolver Magazine calls Rose Farrow and Martine Locke of The Velvet Janes, "amusing and touching," and raves about their voices and guitar licks. The melodious ladies have toured with Arlo Guthrie, Ani DiFranco and the Cowboy Junkies, to name a few. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Little Valley's owner, Sandi Bohner, says reservations for all events are wise, given the limited seating in her groovy, little bistro. Call 925-862-9006, or stop in at 119986 Main Street in Sunol for a cuppa joe, specialty coffee drinks, wine, soft drinks, juice, lemonade and more. If you're a java junkie, you have to try Sandi's Kilkare Slide, a slushy, cold coffee concoction, the recipe for which is a well-kept secret.

SUNOL BOY SCOUT NEWS: Cub Scout Webelos Alex Boag, Liam Hazelton and Corbin Kuntze bridged Troop 912 troop on May 13. They have formed the Fire-breathing Radioactive Dragons patrol. Friends and family gathered yesterday at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont to witness Jason Hall's Eagle Court of Honor. Jason is the fourth scout from Troop 912 to become an Eagle. Congratulations to these four fine boys on their advancement.

The troop would also like to say congratulations and a very sincere thank you to its newest adult committee members: Lowell Hazelton, Outdoor Chairman; Jim Garvin, Quartermaster; and Vaughn Willett, Secretary. It's volunteers like these, willing to share and their many talents, that help make this troop so terrific.

Troop 912's charter organization, the Sunol Business Guild, has offered a very nice fund raising opportunity for the scouts - mowing the lawn in the Sunol Community Park on a regular basis.
To make this happen, the troop needs an adult who would take on the responsibility for a year, making sure that the lawn is mowed on schedule. They also need a lawn mower and lawn equipment such as rakes and edgers, and a place near the park to store the equipment so that all workers have access to it.

The adult advisor would also be responsible for signing up scouts who will make a commitment to the job. Although the details have not been entirely worked out, each scout who mows the lawn will pocket approximately $15 each week, with an additional amount going to the troop treasury. This is a great way to supplement the troop's treasury, so if you can help, please contact Cindy Pellissier at 925-862-0611.