To celebrate both its “All-America City” honor and Dublin’s 30th Anniversary of incorporation, the City of Dublin will be putting on a special event – “Dublin: An All-American Anniversary” – at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums on Saturday, July 21, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dublin families are invited for a quintessential American experience. In addition to providing a feast of all American foods, such as hot dogs, apple pie, and root beer (while supplies last), there will be activities such as sack races, a watermelon-eating contest, and water balloon tosses; kid-friendly activities like face painting, inflatables, and wagon and tractor rides; and a variety of American music, with performances by both folk musicians and a local blues band, featuring Zakiya Hooker, daughter of blues legend John Lee Hooker. Dignitaries from Dublin’s past will also be on hand to share fond recollections from their time in Dublin, and they’ll unveil a recently-discovered piece of Dublin’s history.
In June 2011, the City of Dublin was recognized as a 2011 “All-America City” by the National Civic League. This prestigious award is given to towns, cities, counties, neighborhoods, and metropolitan regions that demonstrate outstanding civic accomplishments. Dublin was chosen as one of just ten cities, and the only city in California to receive the award.
Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti said that because this honor coincided with the 30-year anniversary of Dublin’s incorporation, City leaders decided to celebrate both occasions with one family-friendly event. “We wanted to give Dublin residents an opportunity to not only celebrate Dublin’s history, but to recognize where we’re going as a city. The All-America City award recognizes the positive path that we’re on as a city, while also honoring achievements from Dublin’s past,” said Sbranti.
City of Dublin Representatives at the All America City Awards
In addition to having a performance by Bay Area folk musicians Steve Ewert and Russ Gautier, the highlight of the celebration will be a 90-minute concert, featuring America’s musical heritage – blues, jazz, and R&B – anchored by Dublin resident and renowned blues-woman Zakiya Hooker, daughter of blues legend John Lee Hooker. Hosted by another Dublin resident, Kathy Blackburn, and featuring guitarist/vocalist Jim Caroompas, backed by the band Four and More, Zakiya and friends will take the audience on a musical and historical journey through a program of toe-tapping and soulful songs interspersed with entertaining and informative tidbits about the personalities and their music.
Hooker is excited about helping Dublin celebrate its honor and anniversary through the music of America, “The blues grew out of the South more than 100 years ago and spread throughout the country until it became jazz, R&B, and rock ‘n roll. In this concert, we’re going to bring back the great bluesmen and women like Robert Johnson, Etta James, and, of course, my dad, John Lee Hooker, along with some jazz and R&B,” said Hooker.
“I’ve performed blues all over the world and now, bringing this universally loved music to my hometown will be a real treat,” added Hooker. The concert will also be a reunion of sorts for Caroompas and Hooker. Caroompas started his career as a blues guitarist touring with John Lee Hooker. This will be the first public performance featuring Jim Caroompas and Zakiya Hooker.
For more information, please visit the City of Dublin website at www.dublin.ca.gov, under Special Events, or contact Shari Jackman at (925) 556-4555. For information about the blues concert, please contact Kathy Blackburn at (925) 828-1894.
Support Dublin public schools and local charities while stocking up on Independence Day with safe and sane fireworks. Each year local charities vie for fireworks booths via a lottery system.
Dublin’s firework booths are staffed by unpaid volunteers that work in shifts, with proceeds of all sales going to the charities listed below. Several parks across Dublin are approved for fireworks – a list of approved locations is available at the Dublin fireworks booths. Have a safe and sane July 4!
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Organization / Charity |
Dublin Fireworks Booth Location |
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Briarhill Swim Club |
7699-7877 Amador Valley Blvd. |
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Childrens Emergency Food Bank |
7212 San Ramon Rd. (Dublin Iceland) |
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Doctors Giving Back |
6797 Village Parkway (KFC) |
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Dublin Elementary School PFC |
6921 Regional St. (Burger King) |
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Dublin High School Gaels Athletic Boosters |
7499 Dublin Blvd. (Safeway) |
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Dublin Lions Club |
7350 Dublin Blvd. (Rigatoni’s) |
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Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) |
7944 Dublin Blvd. (Hooters) |
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Dublin Rotary Club |
7884 Dublin Blvd. (Ross/Michaels) |
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Dublin United Soccer League |
7885 Dublin Blvd. (Sports Authority) |
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Fallon School PFC |
8931 San Ramon Rd. at Alcosta |
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GFWC Dublin / San Ramon Women’s Club |
6500 Dublin Blvd. (at Dublin Ct.) |
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Tri Valley Unity Church |
6698 Amador Plaza Rd. |
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Tri Valley YMCA |
4288 Dublin Blvd. (Ulferts Center) |
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Valley Christian Center |
7201 Regional St (CVS) |
Dublin High School Graduate’s Passion for Theatre Earns Full Scholarship to St. Mary’s College of California
Dublin High School graduate Sarah Finn’s hours of planning, rehearsing and performing in Dublin High’s Little Theatre, while simultaneously tackling AP and Honors courses, paid off earlier this year when St. Mary’s College of California awarded the Class of 2012 graduate $37,000 in academic and theatre scholarships.
The Murray Elementary, Wells Middle and Dublin High School graduate has participated multiple Dublin High School Drama Club productions, most recently appearing as Penny Sycamore in “You Can’t Take it With You“. In addition to acting in multiple productions, Ms. Finn has also been a stage manager and student director.
OneDublin.org: You are entering St. Mary’s College of California to pursue a double major in theatre and English. How did you decide on that path?
Sarah Finn: “Originally I was considering a degree in English – I was inspired by [Dublin High School teacher] Sarah Hollison, both as a student and as her teaching assistant for two years. I was given the opportunity to sit in on both her freshman and sophomore Honors English classes. The literary discussions in the Honors and AP classes clicked for me, I knew I loved the subject matter and I have a knack for teaching. Sometimes I’d even end up helping teach Ms. Hollison’s freshman class.
“Yet theatre is my passion and I didn’t want to give that up either. When I’m in the theatre I have a family, a connection, it’s something I’m really good at. That’s why I decided to pursue a double major in theatre and English, so that I can combine my passion of theatre with my skill in teaching. By combining the two majors I can work in stage management, as an English teacher or a theatre teacher – I have all these possibilities.”
OneDublin.org: What did you learn when you had the opportunity to be Stage Manager for the Dublin High School production of ‘Hide and Shriek’?
CBS 5 News reporter Juliette Goodrich has been covering Bay Area news for over 15 years. She’s been recognized with four Emmy awards for her work and recently secured an exclusive interview with One Goh (the accused shooter in the Oikos University tragedy).
A Dublin resident for 12 years (now living in her home town of Pleasanton), Ms. Goodrich is an active volunteer, supporting events including the annual Dublin Partners in Education Art Auction and Special Olympics events, and a mother of three. The Foothill High School and UC Davis graduate is also a published author of three children’s books (with proceeds going to charities).
OneDublin.org recently spoke with Ms. Goodrich about her career in journalism and how she approaches crafting a story.
OneDublin.org: What sparked your interest in journalism?
Juliette Goodrich: “While I was attending Foothill High School my mom won a luncheon auction item to tour Channel 5, so the idea was always in the back of my mind. When I went to UC Davis as a Rhetoric and Communications Major, I interned at television stations up there, and after I graduated from college I interned at Channel 30 in Pleasanton. I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to get into broadcast journalism.”
OneDublin.org: What role has a college education played in your success as a journalist?
Goodrich: “In the field of broadcast journalism it’s trial by fire, being out there every day with a new story, a new topic, a new challenge. College was a life experience – leaving home, getting a general education and most valuable for me, internship opportunities.
“I interned at KCRA in Sacramento which allowed me to walk in the shoes of people in broadcast journalism, watching them day in and day out, and learning if this was a job I wanted to do. While I was interning I’d drive from Davis to Sacramento at 4am because I was on the morning shift of the assignment desk – I got a feel of what news was like. I ended up earning a Kelly Broadcasting Scholarship from KCRA which encouraged me to stay in the business.”
OneDublin.org: What role did community television play?
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Inspires Dublin High School Drama Students Love of Theatre
A group of twenty students plus parent and teacher chaperones kicked off summer with an inspiring road trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon last weekend. In addition to enjoying performances of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and “Romeo and Juliet“, along with comedic musical “Animal Crackers” and a new production “The Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa“, the students had the unique experience of spending an hour learning about the theatre with actor Christine Albright in a private question and answer session. It was Ms. Albright’s advice on the value of a college education for students pursuing a career in the theatre that left the most powerful impact during the memorable trip.
Ms. Albright challenged the myth that succeeding in the Arts is all about talent. She emphasized the importance of education: “If your definition of success is to work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I recommend you look at the bios of the people who work here, and see where they went to school. Undergraduate and graduate training is really important. If you are interested in where to find opportunities, read bios – you can look and see people’s journeys. You have to have talent to get into good programs – talent does matter – but is also matters how you’ve been trained and how you use your talent, which is what the right school can be really good for.” The playbill for the festival validates Ms. Albright’s advice – the bios of actors demonstrate that a university education plays an important role in preparing for the theatre.
“You’re so talented!”, “You are gifted – a natural!”, “You’re doing so well in school, you must be really smart!” – children receive these messages (or their negative counterparts), along with many other messages on a daily basis from their peers, parents and teachers. Are these just words or do they mean more? How are children affected by the words we use to praise, coach and criticize them?
I recently met with Stanford University’s Carol S. Dweck (Department of Psychology – Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor) to learn more about her fascinating research into “self-conceptions (or mindsets) people use to structure the self and guide their behavior”. I reached out to Dr. Dweck after reading her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Dr. Dweck’s research, compelling and thorough, challenges this widely held belief, or ‘fixed mindset’, by demonstrating how powerful a ‘growth mindset’ can be in achieving success and happiness.
OneDublin.org: What sparked your interest in the field of psychology?
Carol Dweck: “I was always interested in people and why they do what they do, and that crystallized in college. Psychology combined many of my interests: I loved the scientific method – putting your ideas to the test – and I liked the human subject matter of psychology.
“We’re always being told nowadays to ‘find your passion’. I say ‘build your passion’ – find or create a topic, and a way of studying it, that will become your passion. What I do in psychology didn’t exist – I had to build it.”
OneDublin.org: What was your trigger to pursue research into mindsets?
Dweck: “I was fascinated by how people cope with failure or obstacles. I was curious about why some students love challenge, and others who may be equally talented, shy away from challenges – play it safe. I just wanted to figure that out.
“Later on I also realized that this interest was fed by a past experience of mine. My 6th grade teacher seated us around the room in I.Q. order, and although I did well in that metric it created this fear of falling from grace, of making the mistake of not being as perfect as I needed to be. I wanted to unlock that psychology and maybe bottle it, find out the underlying reasons people are afraid of challenges or crumbling in the face of setbacks, and ultimately help kids.”
Summer Benavidez
Dublin High School Class of 2011 graduate and University of Nevada, Reno freshman Summer Benavidez took a few minutes to share the experience of her first year at the University of Nevada with OneDublin.org.
OneDublin.org: What field of study are you pursuing at the University of Nevada, Reno?
Summer Benavidez: “I’m majoring in business now and I’m really into volunteering. I was in 4-H for ten years so I really want to incorporate volunteering into a career, for example helping non-profit businesses raise money, or working with a philanthropic business.”
OneDublin.org: How did you get involved in 4-H and how did the experience benefit you?
Benavidez: “I started 4-H when I was 8 have been involved for 10 years. I was at the Alameda County Fair and my dad pointed out 4-H. I talked to them and joined – it was easy to get started. I was super shy as a kid, I couldn’t talk to anyone and would cry in front of the class when I had to give a presentation. 4-H really helped me with public speaking – I can speak in front of an audience now. I learned to be confident in myself and enjoyed volunteering and helping others.
“4-H is a youth organization that used to be mainly agricultural-based, but as time goes on 4-H is evolving beyond that.”
OneDublin.org: What was your experience transitioning from living at home and attending high school to moving out on your own and attending college?
Benavidez: “The first month was great – I’m on my own, this is great, I can do whatever I want. But after that month was done it hit me like a wall and I was really homesick. I’ve lived in Dublin my whole life and Reno is so different from the Bay Area. I felt super homesick and anxious, and I couldn’t focus on anything. I considered coming home because I thought I couldn’t handle it, but after my mom told me to stick it out for a semester, after Thanksgiving break when I came home for a week, I felt a lot better.
“The hardest part was being away from my mom and my family. It was my comfort zone. In high school when something’s hard at school or in your life you know you can come home – this is your place to be at, to be comfortable – but in college, you are far from home in a dorm room with people you barely know, and you don’t know how to open up to them. But once I got over that it was a lot easier.”
Meet Dublin Elementary School Principal Lauren McGovern
Dublin Elementary School has a new Principal, Lauren McGovern, starting July 1st as current Principal Tess Johnson moves on to a new role with the Dublin Unified School District. Ms. McGovern was previously the Assistant Principal at Dublin Elementary School and before that a teacher at John Green Elementary School. Ms. McGovern grew up in the East Bay and graduated from Foothill High School in Pleasanton. She then earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California – Davis (BSc – Human Development), her teaching credential at St. Mary’s College of California and later went back to St. Mary’s to earn a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as her Administrative Credential.
OneDublin.org recently met with Ms. McGovern to learn more about what inspired her to pursue education, how she views her role at Dublin Elementary and the importance of parents in educating children. Ms. McGovern also talks about how Measure ‘E’ (recently passed by Dublin voters) will benefit Dublin Elementary students. For parents with students attending or about to attend Dublin Elementary School, take a few minutes to meet your new Principal!
Ms. McGovern was previously interviewed by OneDublin.org about time management and organization skills (see: Getting Ready for Middle School: Organizational, Time Management and Studying Skills).
Student Body President Tatum Wheeler
After a year of rising test scores, winning sports team, awards for visual and performing arts and even a visit from the stars of MythBusters, Dublin High School’s Class of 2012 had a lot to celebrate at Thursday’s Commencement Ceremony. Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and educators gathered at the Alameda County Fairgrounds Amphitheater Thursday June 7, 2012 to cheer on the Dublin High School Class of 2012 (the 42nd event in Dublin High’s distinguished history).
The event included speeches and presentations by Dublin High School Valedictorian Andrew Song (who is attending the University of Chicago this Fall to study Economics, and who was awarded a National Merit Scholarship), DHS Alumni Association President Eric Swalwell, DHS Principal Carol Shimizu and Assistant Principal Theresa Young, School Board Trustees Greg Tomlinson and David Haubert, City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti and Senior Class Vice President Edward Achziger (who is attending Marist College this Fall on an athletic scholarship, with plans to pursue a career in medicine). The Dublin High Color Guard and Band, bagpiper Jeff Campbell and members of the Air Force Color Guard brought fanfare to the ceremony.
OneDublin.org had the honor and privilege to attend the event, capturing highlights on video including a time-lapse movie of the diploma presentations (compressing over 45 minutes down to just 5 minutes):
Valedictorian Andrew Song
This year’s theme was “Just Imagine” – and the Class of 2012 has a lot to celebrate. Over 97% of Dublin High’s Class of 2012 will be attending college this Fall, including Stanford, Brown, Duke, Purdue, US Air Force Academy, every University of California (UC), every CSU campus and and many more.
Dublin High’s students continued to drive academic excellence forward – achieving the highest ranking (10 out of 10) by the California Department of Education, while increasing the school’s API to 879. Dublin High’s visual and performing arts, and athletic programs brought home awards and recognition. The Dublin High campus also continues to expand with Bond Measure C funded projects – a new Student Union / Cafeteria opens this summer and a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center breaks ground in a few months.
The moment every high school student waits for – the traditional turning of the tassels led by senior class president Edward Achziger:
For those who couldn’t attend (and for those that want to relive some of the highlights) here is more from the memorable event:
by Jackie Lawson (teacher – Dublin High School)
Student run catering programs are not new in today’s culinary world. However at Dublin High School, the Gaels Catering students are a degree beyond the majority of those in their field. This school year alone the students have prepared and served over 3,100 meals. The group has consistently been supported by the Dublin Unified School District and Dublin High School. In addition, the City of Dublin, local unions, athletic teams, and private events keep the students busy most weeks of the school year.
About half of the catering class has shown interest in pursuing a career in the food industry. Some are drawn to the savory side of the business while for others it’s baking and pastry. Dublin High School is fortunate to have support of Technical Education classes and offers Culinary I/II, Regional and International Cuisine III/IV, Baking and Pastry in addition to Catering and Advanced Catering. The Culinary Department will offer nine sections next year in their brand new facility (made possible by the Bond Measure ‘C’ funded Dublin High School Renewal Project).
OneDublin.org 