December 20, 2004

Parties, parties, parties! We just can't get enough through the holiday season. But before I launch into all of the fun festivities taking place all over town, it was brought to my attention that there seems to be a Grinch in town. It's actually hard to believe, that someone from our wonderful little town would actually steal beautiful holiday decorations right out of someone's yard or field or off a fence. I would really like to believe that it was some teenaged prankster from a neighboring town.

But yes that's just what has happened to several Sunol residents. Some of the town's most beautiful holiday displays have been vandalized and in some instances it happened in broad daylight. So words of warning -secure those decorations tightly and just know that neighbors are looking out for each other.

Last Sunday brought members of the Little Brown Church together for their annual Christmas gathering. Members feasted on four different types of hot chili and fresh baked bread before donning their winter wear and heading out into the clear cold night to do a little caroling.

Approximately twenty church members and friends walked and sang and sang and walked all the way downtown to the Niles Canyon Railways Sunol Depot to entertain the passengers getting ready to board the Holiday Train of Lights.

Accompanying the carolers on guitar that evening was church member John Robertson, who I must say travels all the way from his hometown in Tracy to attend with his wife Valerie and kids, Julia, David and Nicky.

Sunol's grassroots environmental group Save Our Sunol, held their annual holiday gathering last Saturday at the Kilkare Woods Clubhouse. Kelly Sandlin catered a scrumptious meal and working the decorating magic again this year were Steve Doyle and Cindy Frillman. SOS President, Pat Stillman said, "They turned it into a magical place with twinkling lights and candles; it was just wonderful."

Among the approximately 70 guests were State Senator, Liz Figueroa; Alameda County Supervisor, Gail Steel; firefighters from the Sunol Department of Forestry and Architect Lena Chen who was responsible for the restoration of our beautiful Water Temple.

Bosco's Bones and Brew was the scene of the Sunol Business Guilds annual holiday party last week. The food was fantastic and it was announced during the brief meeting before the festivities that Sandy Bohner would reign as the Guild's President this coming year.

Besides being co-owner of Little Valley Vineyards, Sandy is also involved as a local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair, matching families with au pairs from around the world. Sandy's special guest that evening was Liliane Pisarek, an au pair from Bavaria, Germany.

Speaking in fluent English, Liliane explained that she had arrived in the U.S just two months ago from her native land and was assigned to a family in Livermore but that family had to relocate to another state so she was staying with Sandy until a new host family could be found. It was arranged for Liliane' s new family to pick her up at Bosco's and sure enough the family arrived at the end of the evening to take her to her new home in San Francisco. Liliane is excited to be living in San Francisco but says she will miss Sandy's dogs. While living with the host family, Liliane will also be required to enroll at a local college taking at least 6 units. Asked what her favorite American food was, she replied, "Pizza!" Have a happy and safe holiday.