Ramona Sentinel Newspaper

Page 1

October 27, 2011

VOL. 125, ISSUE 44 50¢

Ramona Sentinel

1

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2011

Inside

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‘If I had a magic bike.....’ By DIXIE PETTIT

Christmas village During the holidays, Carolyn Robison’s living room is emptied of furniture and replaced with about 500 children and adults........3

Red tape task force County supervisors postponed a decision on possible changes to community planning groups......................5

Index

P.O. Box 367 Ramona, CA 92065

Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Ramona CA Permit No 136

Opinion......................8 Worship directory......10 Entertainment............12 Business news...........13 Dining guide.............17 Classified..................24 Obituaries.................32

Second- and third-graders at Hanson Elementary School gathered in the cafeteria on Dec. 15 in hopes of winning a brand-new bike. Each of the youngsters had written an essay and were told six “winning essays” would be chosen and the writers of those essays would win a bicycle. The super-secret surprise, however, was that each second- and thirdgrade child would be given a bike and helmet — courtesy of the La Jolla-based Bikes For Kids Foundation. “Who wants to win a bike?” asked foundation co-founder Bill Pollakov. “MEEEEEEE!” responded 158 students as their hands shot in the air. “If I had a magic bike, where would it take me? What good things would I do?” was the essay topic. As Pollakov read the first essay, an excited Madison Heckelsberg could barely sit still. Pollakov read, “I will pick up trash at school and make the Earth clean…” Heckelsberg bounded to the front to claim the first shiny, red bike. With a huge smile and exuberant “WHO WANTS TO WIN A BIKE?” Pollakov pumped up the crowd of already excited youngsters. One by one each essay was read to the sea of anxious faces. Second-grader Christopher Del Castillo dreams of a flying bike that could be used to rescue cats

Sentinel photos/Dixie Pettit

Second-graders and third-graders at Hanson Elementary School react to learning last Thursday morning that each of them would receive a new bicycle and helmet, thanks to the Bikes for Kids Foundation.

Students wrote essays in hopes of winning a new bicycle. What they didn’t know was that they would all receive a bike.

James Roczey crosses his fingers, hoping that his essay will be chosen.

from trees. Ryan Szem’s bike would be “faster than a jet and a cheetah put together.” Jeremy Samson would help people cross the street and third-grader Victoria Martinez would like to ride her bike to Washington to meet the president. Jack Roseberry dreams of rescuing animals while third-grader

Megan Denton would use a magic bike to provide “a lifetime supply of food to Africa,” and return each year to ensure the people wouldn’t run out. As each essay was read aloud, children cheered for fortunate classmates, but the look of hope on some faces began to wane as the final essay was read.

That is when the morning’s surprise really began. “Excuse me, Mr. Pollakov?” came a voice from the back of the room. Ramona Unified School District Superintendent Robert Graeff held another essay. “I read each and every essay and I think this one is See BIKE GIVEAWAY on page 17


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