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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09112001 - PR.2 ?R*Z' THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on September 11 , 2001 , by the following vote: AYES: SUPERVISOR GIOIA, GERBER, DeSAULNIER, GLOVER, and UILKEMA NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE RESOLUTION NO. 2001/423 SUBJECT: REQUEST TO PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER `CELEBRATE LITERACY MONTH' WHEREAS, the people of Contra Costa County represent our greatest resources; and WHEREAS, the ability to read and write affects each individual's ability to participate fully in the social, political, and economic life of our country, and WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Library has operated an adult literacy program since 1984 and works cooperatively with other local agencies to provide educational opportunities for lifelong learning; and WHEREAS, the adult literacy program trains volunteer tutors from throughout Contra Costa County to provide free, confidential, one-on-one reading, writing and spelling instruction to adults; and WHEREAS, September 8 has been recognized worldwide as International Literacy Day since it was first proclaimed in 1967 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County COMMENDS all of the people who are working diligently to achieve literacy — either for themselves or others and PROCLAIMS September "Celebrate Literacy Month" in Contra Costa County. I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. September .11 , 2001 ATTESTED JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OFT WE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUN MINI RATOR (00A0 -- By puty cc: County Administrator \ County Library \\nt-filesvr\adrrL\bos\psc-proc0l.doc f '1 fi �, "�""�-.�• tt(tt.�� j�l.�� ����'��rr�.STK � "�'Y`, r� 415 ! � / 1 i 1 i � t r u o sComer i :rt A Collection of Writings By the Learners in Project Second Chance i Al �e xx•. erii�'G• :! .F ..�,. ..,., .� �. <, r• ;`'1 '� ''SST;x•"8.:�f''.Ty3a�'`s, •;R�._. .„�:..::•• ;Viz? r � �'��°k�.%Ykti• '..M1i,.`.' .k�.%f.'�.:fy f. ! �� •fin.%<r-'.,T” •,.u='Pt.:._ .r.;'.. Z• .�°,-s.�= .ra�.�:';,. .�. �- .r�. � .���s..'-'' Via.� �.,y�.. fl.:}.:}: ":i,^,i,•.';" t S`�2%��.�_•��t v-, _ »oue:��'6`'`:.l�l�,w, '•F:•t0 P�a} ' ��.:+�°>'LLy�p.s9 =5-'' `S! q •"3 �..,r•• �s..�Y�.`> y,•, wYS7�. r. ;fix:,, •o�`�3r r: �.�-s'.� �:�'^ - :'F iv..� •..�.: . .. L Y , Via ;• �••x'''u��� � f .:......: ..:... .ri. _ .... .` Copyright, May, 2001 by Project Second Chance i i 1 . i Table of Contents !� 5 Introduction 6 Breaking New Ground 7 A Magical Place Beatriz C. Rivera 12 My Trip to Yosemite Doug Humphrey ' 13 The Eagle Can Fl High U Into The Sk g Y g P Y Rute da Silva Avelino .r 14 Family Ties 15 My Greatest Joy Darlene Smith 16 My Special Moment With Wesley Colleen McGuire 17 Dream House Delia Hercules 18 My Summer Vacation James Birden 20 Things I was Never Able to Put on Paper Before Doug Humphrey 21 Letters 22 About THE COLORED MUSEUM Nelwyn Boyd 23 Never Give Up V. Leary 24 "How Difficult Can This Be?" Woody Foreman L2 26 On the Job 27 Phyllis KC 29 To Whom It May Concern Mike M. 30 My First Steady Job Leo Montoya 31 Rounding Up Cattle Lawrence Anderson 33 Reactions to Reading 34 Forty Years Back Niki Brennan 35 Sidney Poitier James Birden 36 Adam Clayton Powell James Birden 37 Jaime Escalante: Math Teacher Esteya R. Ramirez 38 Reasons to Read 39 I Want To Read Because... Eduardo Martinez 39 Reasons to Read Joe L. Garcia 40 Reasons for Reading Floyd C. 40 Reasons to Read Angel L. Grant 41 Self-Expression 42 Friday Night at the Mosque Zarefa Aziz 42 Ramadan Zarefa Aziz 43 Colors Ike 3 44 The Dog iMichael Johnson 45 My Life Today Abida Kahn 46 Voices for Justice 47 No Crack To Fall Into Colleen McGuire 47 Homeless People Abida Kahn 48 Freedom--Something to Celebrate KC 49 Acknowledgements 4 Introduction Authors' Corner, a collection of the writings of PSC learners, shows important moments in people's lives. Learners wrote about their observations, hopes, fears, and dreams. When author Sandra Benitez spoke at the Bookies, a PSC Fund- Raising Event held on March 15, 2001, she talked about the "stories swirling around the room." What a great description for this book as well! Both the stories and the act of telling them gave people a chance to break through old limits and make new discoveries. As we grouped them into the book, we too made discoveries about who the writers were and what they wanted to share. The depth and sophistication of ideas are wonderful. Whether you are a learner, tutor, board member, family member of a PSC tutor or learner, or a friend of PSC, I hope these stories and articles will inspire, entertain, and enlighten you. Enjoy them and the development they represent. -The Project Second Chance Staff Lynn Goodwin,Editor 5 Breaking New Ground it i :..�:_�:,::_,:,�•'�'' ...:...:*,fit' �..��:r.('�.":.:�.:� � ..: ��..�..,� ...: . • i" jj ...:.. Fes.:..• .... > i •:r • ._.r..�'-. .. ..� .. ___`,�:Yap: •�a _ a •x� m < "I realized then that I was not dumb, that in fact I was, and still am, dyslexic." -Beatriz Calderon "My friends and family respect me more, and I respect myself. Reading helps me reach my goals...." -Craig Abbas 6 i A Magical Place i Walking down Telegr.aph Avenue, I'm overwhelmed by the bright colors of the murals, reggae music, and the students rushing to their next class. In the distance I I can hear someone say, "Save the animals!" I turn to the voice of a bearded middle-aged man with pictures of lab animals from Cal. He is trying so hard to be heard, but so is everybody else with their own save of the day. A man is beginning to put up his stand where he sells his hand made peace pipes. He is more than willing to demonstrate how they're used. I walk past him to Blondie's Pizza hoping to get there before the rush of college kids in search of their next cheap meal. I walk out,pizza in one hand and bottled water in the other, trying to find an Express stand so I can grab a paper.iI pass a girl with so many piercings and tattoos that it hurts to look at them. "Any spare change to feed my dog?" she asks while she pats her dog. "Sorry, not today,"I answer I find the stand and walk to my usual place on the campus stairs. I sit down. I turn to face all the commotion. I am waiting for someone who I know will not come. I look around and remember the first time I came to this magical place just like it was yesterday. Thirteen years ago I was at Pittsburg High School. I was going to my ESL class, with all the other Mexicans that had been here in the States for years and still didn't speak or read English. The class was in the old part of the school. The halls were deserted. There were no other classes in that part of the school. The lockers weren't being used. There were no bathrooms in that area of the building, so if you had to go you were i out of luck. Unless you were in this class, you really didn't know about it. The other students called it Little Mexico. We thought it was wonderful. No one bothered us. It was our place. i I 7 r I was leaving my class and this guy said, "Hi," so I said, "Hi." He had jet-black hair and skin the color of cinnamon. He wore a long-sleeved blue and white shirt. The "Hi"thing went on for a couple of weeks. I thought this guy was weird saying "Hi'' every chance he had. Weeks passed. One day after school, I had to take the bus home. To my surprise, he was there. I tried to pretend I didn't see him, but he made sure I did. He sat in back of me and we had our first conversation. He wanted to impress me with the three words that he knew in Spanish. "Me llamo Sean." On that day, we became friends. Every day I would take the 380 bus to and from school. I would save him a seat or he would save me a seat. We talked about movies, music, and school. "Why are you in ESL if you can take general or even college prep?" he asked. "I can't." He didn't know that I had a really hard time with reading and writing. But when I told him, his question did not change. "You don't need that class, you can do better. I'll help you." I got out of ESL and took general English and college prep history, biology also algebra. These were the type of classes I would have never considered before. They were very hard. "Sean, I can't do this." s "Yes, you can." He never stopped telling me that. When I would be stuck on an algebra problem he would talk to me on the phone, explaining it step by step. That was our sophomore year. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other. - r I felt a bit more confident in my abilities; I took a job to receive extra credits. I worked in a clinic that helped children with special needs. "I want to work with children," I told Sean. "You can, but you need to go to college." He was so popular. Everyone knew him. As we walked down the hall,kids from . all different ethnic groups and cliques would say, "What's up Sean?" I was amazed by the way he saw everyone's inner strengths. Because of him, I saw people differently. He would tell me myths and read me books. He would share his music which had so much meaning for him: The Cure, The_Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen,the Beatles and also David Bowie. 8 '� Sophomore year went by quickly. Soon I realized it was almost summer. "So, what are we going to do this summer?" I asked him,thinking we would hang out or go to the mall and see movies. "We are going to go to summer school," he said. "You're funny." I didn't really like his answer. "No, we are. You need help with algebra and I'm going to take chemistry." We went to Los Medanos College in the summer of 1988. I took algebra and an Early Childhood Development class. I was the youngest student taking that class. It was the best summer I ever had. I never thought I would enjoy going to summer school. Another school year started and we both looked forward to going back for our junior year. One day in September as we walked to class, he asked me if I would ever cut class with him. "I guess, why do you ask?" I told him. "I want to take you to a very special place,"he said. We cut school and we took the bus and then BART to Berkeley. �. "I've been coming here ever since the 8t' grade." It was magical. We walked around the campus and all over Telegraph Avenue. We bought some pizza for lunch. They gave us two slices for the price of one, because they were a little burnt. We didn't care. We sat in the Greek Theater,just the two of us. "We can go to school here." "You're crazy, Sean. You can, but not me. I can't even read a book without your help." "Don't say that you can't because you can,you are so bright you just need to want it and believe in yourself."He said it like he really believed it. We spent the whole day there. I thought it was so beautiful, so magical and it was our place. I wanted to believe that I could go to school there. But each time I went to class, my grades proved me right and him wrong. It didn't seem like I would ever go to college. We were in the last weeks of our junior year. We bought yearbooks and went to our prom. I started to make plans for our last year of high school. Then one day after school my mother told me that we were moving to Mexico. 9 "Mama or ue?" I asked her crying. ,P 9 rY .g "I thought you would be happy! You said you wanted to go back," she told me in Spanish. "I did. But not anymore. I want to stay here and finish high school at least." "Well you can't. We are not going to change everything just because you don't Y g g g rY g J , want to leave now."That was our last conversation regarding that subject. I didn't know how to tell Sean I was leaving. It was very hard on both of us. We tried to enjoy every minute we had before my family moved to Mexico. When I was in Mexico he wrote to me. I received aacka a almost eve day. He P g every read books, stories and Greek myths out loud and recorded them on tape for me. Every night I would fall asleep listening to his voice. Even though I was in Mexico he still believed that Cal Berkeley was my option. I just couldn't see how I could go there. I went all through high school just making it, not being able to read or write. Nevertheless, with every package I received, his encouraging words were always there. We didn't stay in Mexico for very long. My mother had hoped never to return to the States. We stayed a year at the most in Mexico. Although it was long enough to break the relationship I had with Sean. He went off to Cal Berkeley as I knew he would. I tried calling him from time to time,but things were not the same. After a number of years, thinking school was not an option,I took low paying jobs. When I had my child, I decided to become a pre-school teacher to be able to work and be with my baby. That meant I had to take more classes. As with every other class I ever took, if I got a D+,I was happy. Although Ivas happy just to get by, Sean's words were always with me, "You can do it. Don't stop trying and don't let anyone tell you, you can't." Then one day something so wonderful happened. I was taking an Early Childhood Development class, when we had to bring a special service for homework and someone brought a pamphlet about a School for Children with Dyslexia. After everyone left, I cried so much. I cried for all the years of pain of going to school,all the put-downs from kids and teachers telling me that I was not able to read or write, because I spoke two languages. I was one of those children. I realized then that I was not dumb,that in fact I 10 i i was, and still am, dyslexic. All this time and not one teacher ever saw it! Not one ever gave me the chance to think that it could be done. Only one person saw beyond the reading and writing. In that moment I heard his words "You can do it" and that's when I knew. I knew that I can truly do it, it may take longer but I will never say, "I can't do this." Sean gave me something that I'll always cherish. He was always with me. Now I'm teaching in three different schools, in the most magical place, Berkeley. I know that he will not join me on the campus stairs for lunch today, but that's O.K. . j Because he will always be in my heart. And we will always have Berkeley. You never know, maybe he just might show up to have another slice of pizza. �. By Beatriz C. Rivera � 11 My Trip to Yosemite . My Wife and I went to Yosemite on vacation. While I was there, for the first time I took the time to read the plaques to learn about Yosemite. I read about Half Dome and that some of the people who have climbed it were crippled. After that we went down to the valley and I was reading about some of the falls. Then we went up a way to a little camp where the artists of those days had a shack. They went to paint the scenery. There was a blacksmith shop, and there was a plaque telling what the blacksmith did, making !� horse shoes and branding irons and parts of wagon wheels. The first bakery in the Valley was there and the first Chinese laundry. A bridge that the horse and buggies rode over that was built in the 1830s was still standing. For the first time I felt like most people when they go to Yosemite and read the plaques. I felt like I was finally part of the world. Now when we go on vacation I don't have to look around in the restaurant. I can read the menu and order without having to see what everyone else is eating. Of course, I don't always get what I think I want!! I feel so much better about myself, even though I'm not a great reader, I'm getting to be a pretty good reader. By Doug Humphrey 12 The Eagle Can Fly High Up Into The Sky A feW yearS ago I was a baby bird in a cage. But God sent his angels to open my cage. They said to me fly. I told them I cannot fly. They told me to stretch my wings and fly. When I stretched my wings I discovered that I was not a baby bird anymore, I was an eagle. The angels told me eagles can fly high up into the sky. One night I prayed God would send someone to teach me to read. And he answered my prayer with Project Second Chance. My tutor is truly a blessing from God and has helped me spread my wings and fly. Now I'm getting so close to my goal of being able to read my Bible by myself and study to take my drivers test and get my license. God has been blessing me so much. It's such a joy to be able to read stories to my children. The golden rule given by God through Christ Jesus is that we love one another. Like helping those in need. I know that God has a special blessing for those who are helping others learn to read. For they are setting those caged in free to fulfill their dreams and fly like eagles. There is no greater gift one can give another than the gift of flight and the freedom it brings. Reading is the magic key to take you where you want to be. By Rute da Silva Avelino 13 i i Family Ties ..... �\y' y.i: :: mr fr,:,(. •�.g�''�.•...•"'N��x,'., %'.'�'Sfyu pP•�rr', ��`•i ep' An iii':�3,..:. �•t •�-i���xP;6- ���' ltd.::>.��.F. w�:,»�a:�.:.#.�- ,`;y, ..> a'.3%:•:5.�' �(J„�p�%�q:�]y�T��`�•).�.��C•.s. -F'-- N,: i:81 i'ti':�"•. t�3,x�: i1[ni(�'' .yYdv:s.,r�¢;',�«:i65.•.., f�' .. .�. ....�; ..' Sia•. .r"•.3a 4 r "I've seen fireworks a million times, so this time I wanted to see the reactions on my boy's faces, which was better than any fireworks show I've ever seen." Darlene Smith "I want to learn more about everything because my father could not afford to send me to school. Today, I want to read to my grandchildren.” -Abida Kahn i 14 .1, My Greatest Joy r Being a mother is my greatest joy. I have two boys, Ronnie, who is nine years old and Danny, who is seven. I try my hardest to teach them everything I can(like "Brush your teeth," "Make your bed," "Do your homework"). The most important thing I teach them is to be nice to each other. I let them know all the time how much I love them and that I'm glad I had them. I always tell them that they were made of love. ' I like just watching them, like on the Fourth of July when we went to see the fireworks. I've seen fireworks a million times, so this time I wanted to see the reactions on my boys' faces, which was better than any fireworks show I've ever seen. On another occasion, we were on vacation at Seaworld and were watching a dolphin show. My husband was videotaping the dolphins and I said, "Why don't you tape the boys' reactions to the show?" In twenty years when I watch the video, I would rather see my boys than anything else. We've been on a lot of vacations, but the best times are the little things in life that mean so much—like the time when I went on a field trip with Ronnie and, in front of his classmates,he sat on my lap and let me hug him. The same day I went into Danny's class and he also let me hug him—and sit on the floor and play Legos with him and his classmates. We have some games that we play at night. One is"Tickle Time"and one is What was your funnest part of the day?" I can't wait to hear what they'll say. 15 I can't describe how I feel when I see them smile or how my heart breaks when they cry. They make my life complete. Someone once told me, "Children are a gift from God. How you treat them is your gift to God." My m y y wish for boys is that when the et older and have their children, the 5 Y they Y show them how much they love them. By Darlene Smith 1 t i 16 My Special Moment With Wesley ,r One day I was walking in the mall with Wesley when he put his hand inside my arm. It felt so nice. We walked along side by side Just enjoying each other. I'll never forget that moment. Because it was so precious. He is just a darling, love child. By Colleen McGuire Dream House Words can't describe how I felt when I bought my dream house, it has four bedrooms,two bathrooms, and a nice front yard,with a lawn, a lemon tree in the middle, and roses around. The back yard has fruit trees, apples,pear, peach and apricot. I have five kids, all married. They all have kids and we get together on special occasions, like birthdays or holidays. It is big and life is better because I have more room. By Delia Hercules �I 17 i My Summer Vacation I decided tO go to Louisiana on vacation. I left Oakland Airport on June 25th at 6:15 a.m. I arrived in Monroe at 3:15 p.m. I rented a car at the airport. Then I went to my father's house. I asked my father how he was feeling. He said he felt bad; he was aching all over. I asked him what was wrong. He said he was out of his medicine. Then I called the drugstore to have his prescription refilled. My brother had arrived Saturday morning. My brother and I sat up and talked to about midnight. The next morning I discovered someone had broken into my car! I said to my brother, "Call the police!" Within ten minutes they were there. He asked me what was missing out of the car. They had taken my camcorder, phone, and suit. The next day, I had to go to the police station and make out a police report. I asked my father how he was feeling. He said he felt bad; he was aching all over. I asked him what was wrong. He said he was out of the medicine. Then, I called the drug , store to have his prescription refilled again. The next morning, I took my father to the doctor. The doctor examined my father and he told me to take my father to the hospital. He stayed in the hospital for six days! I would go to the hospital to visit him every morning. My father was very sick. We were taking one day at a time. He tried to be strong. He would make up jokes to make us think that she was all , right. He didn't want anyone.to feel sorry for him. The next day,my sisters brought flowers and balloons and a card to cheer him up. A friend named"D Number"visited him and a nephew named Roy Birden and his wife also visited him. I came later and teased him about his looking like Santy Claus—because 18 ,� he needed a shave! I went and bought an electric razor but his whiskers were too thick so we used a regular razor blade. He began to get well. He told me he couldn't understand why he couldn't get in and out of the bathtub. I told him that he was too sick and weak. He was beginning to get better and the doctor decided to let him go home. I brought him to the pharmacy to get his medication and then we went home. Then next morning about 5 o'clock, I heard someone crying and I wondered who it was. It was my oldest sister. I asked her what was wrong and she said her tongue was all swollen up and she wanted me to take her to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, I asked her if it had swollen up before and she told me "yes." It swells up often and the doctor always gives her pills and a shot to make it go down. We went to the hospital and the doctor asked her what was wrong. She answered as best she could. They examined her and gave her some pills and a shot and told her to wait at the hospital until it went down before she could leave. He explained to her when it happens again to go to emergency because she could die with the swelling! And then we went home. The next day,my wife had a family reunion. We all met in the park in West Monroe and she had family and friends from all over the place—about a hundred. We bar-b-qued, had salads and cakes; you name it, we had it. We enjoyed ourselves on that day. By James Birden 19 Things I Was Never Able to Put on Paper Before I aril going to be 59 years old and for the first time in my life I'm reaching one of my all time goals through the help of my special tutor, who means very much to me. I have been able to write my wife letters which makes me proud and happy to do and makes her cry. I love learning what new words mean and learning about the new words. I like reading to my grandchildren and they like helping me. I enjoy myself a lot better. I ty to pick up things to read. 1 I would like to take my tutor and her husband and my wife to.dinner and read the menu to them. I am going shopping by myself. My wife is giving me more things to do. I am a retired person and she wants me to do more things for us. By Doug Humphrey 20 +xe. ME T � x}r K Ti -r• -Sr0`'. i'�c`' : "rte �'-� �f�Fl+ l '�✓ .�� „��k 7 F lvm IRO 1137 g r rlI # 4 35 r pp • 3 VMS, a� , $x' About The Colored Museum March 9, 2001 Dear Lynn, I thought it was so thoughtful of you to ask if I would write a small summary of the play Estella and I attended in Chicago directed by my niece Tioni McCoy. The name of the play was THE COLORED MUSEUM. One theme we particularly enjoyed was about a black woman deciding what type of hair she should wear, she had two wigs one was straight referring to Caucasian hair and the other was nappy referring to Afro-American hair,the wigs would get into a heated argument over what type of hair she should wear. The plot was to show an example of what it means to be black in America and to look at the images of blackness. This was the first play in DePaul Theatre School history that had an all-minority cast and director. My niece will be the first black woman to graduate from the DePaul University Theatre School director's program. Sincerely, Nelwyn Boyd 22 Never Give Up Dear Mr. N., I appreciate very much that you shared your learning experiences. I feel that I , have a chance to learn better because of your life story. You taught me to never give up— no matter what people say! For example how you finished law school showed me that there is a chance for me too. I think it is like coming to a bridge and finding it closed. If you really wanted to make it across you find another way. If you really want to reach your goals. you can make it in many different ways. Sincerely yours, V. Leary NOTE: Mr.N. is an attorney in Contra Costa County who learned to read as an adult. 23 "How Difficult Can This Be?" March 23, 2001 Dear Ladies, The video "How Difficult Can This Be?" started out with ten people and the teacher started talking about a picture that he had in a binder and he had the class guess what the photo was P g about. He had the class draw it out to see if they could figure out what it was and when they couldn't figure it out he told them what it was. And what it was was a cow looking straight at you. During the time that they were all together he picked on each and every one of them by sometimes getting angry at them, getting loud and telling them off but then he apologized and went on with the class. Some stuff in the film had a lot do with how I am with learning. The way he got onto the students make me feel like I felt when I was back in high school. Ly beginning nn the PSC host at the be innin asked us if we wanted refreshments but I told her no that I wanted coffee. And when I said I would like to have some coffee she got a coffee maker and made instant coffee. During the film about half of the people that were there drank coffee. Then at the end of the class, Lynn came up to me and said, "That was a good idea to make coffee. Thank you." When I was in the middle of the 11 grade my teacher Mrs. West was rude to me during class and told me to go to the Dean's office. So I went to the Dean's office and when I came back to the classroom she had me kicked out of school. But while I was going to school there was a teacher's helper Mrs. Engelheart who treated me like I was one of her own kids. Mrs. Engelheart was very upset when Mrs. West had me expelled from high school. 24 Now that I'm back in school when I went to watch the video I got a lot out of watching the film and seeing that I wasn't the only one with the learning disability. I met a lot of good people. Some of the people had a lot of good things to say about other people and themselves. That made me feel very comfortable with the group. Thank you ladies for inviting me and my tutor Annette to the class to watch the film. That made , me think about a lot of things and made me realize that I was somebody special. In my eyes the film that I watched with you guys made me think.a lot about my past. But now my presence in Prospects High School Adult Education makes me feel a whole lot better. I have 3 teachers, Mr. Neil my math teacher and Miss Maureen my English teacher are like assistants to my teacher Miss Jo Ann. Jo Ann and I get along real well when I'm in class to do my schoolwork and my homework that she lets me do in class. All my teachers really would like to see me get my high school diploma instead of getting my GED. I have 55 more credits to complete. By the middle of June or the end of July I should have my diploma. The year of 2002 possibly in June they want me to come back and walk up and get congratulated for graduating from high school. Sincerely, ' Woody Foreman i P.S. Thank you so much for having us there. f 25 1 1 On The Job i F,. e'C _ rsr4: F. ..... ..... r.. 1 � 1 .r. k,.:. _r "...a person should not give up trying." -Leo Montoya I can change careers once I get my literacy up a bit.... -Jim Hise 26 Phyllis I aril a former direct care provider. It was a very hard time for me, because it was a struggle to get through each day. I didn't care much for people, until one day I met Phyllis. Phyllis was kind of tall - about 5'7." She had long, stringy, gray, dirty hair. Her face was like a like a shriveled up old prune. She had tiny, squinty eyes that seemed too small for her face. She wore oxygen on her nose so she could breathe; she had a big old beer belly and walked with an uneven gait, two steps forward, two steps to the left side,then two forward again. Phyllis liked to wear yellow and pink together. It didn't matter to her that the colors did not match or if she had stains on her blouse. i Phyllis was a tough old broad. Too much drinking and smoking got her in the fine medical state she was in. She had been married three times. None of the marriages worked out. She would cuss like a sailor and smoke while wearing her oxygen. I would tell her, "Phyllis you are going to blow us to kingdom come if you keep that up." She would say, "Oh to h... with it, Krissy,"as the sparks flew from the oxygen by her noise. She was very kind and understood me. She would tell me stories of her daughter- in- law rwho happened to be my father's neighbor. Phyllis would tell me of her heroic son who saved her sloppy daughter- in- law from the drunken pits of hell. In turn I would tell her all my woes of the day. Then she would say"Krissy why do you stay with that A...! You are better than that," in her gravelly voice. 27 I miss Phyllis and her rough sweet ways. She died about 12 years ago. She left me her art deco bedroom set,with cigarette burns still on the dresser. I told her daughter- in- law, "Family first. If there is anyone in the family who wants the bedroom set, I will understand." The daughter-in-law said, "No take it. It is yours."I still have it today. Phyllis showed me compassion at a time I really needed it. By KC i 1 r r 28 To Who It May Concern My name iS Mike and I'm 43 years old and learning how to read and spell. The story that I'm going to tell you happened about 15 years ago. I was on a tugboat in the San Francisco Bay on a stormy night. The bay was very rough and the swells were about ten feet high. I was a little worried when we came to the port side of a large ship that carried oil. The size of the ship they call a mini super tanker that Chevron owns. It needed some minor work in the engine room. The ships crew lowered the rope ladder over the side. That was when I became very worried because we had to grab the rope ladder at the top of each swell and pull our bodies up so we could get our feet on the ladder. I think I got a few gray hairs that night. After boarding the ship, we were escorted to the engine room to remove a 16" stainless steel ball valve to be repaired. The supervisor told the two riggers to throw the large valve over the side. Meaning lower it over the side to the awaiting tug. But the Einstein riggers literally threw it over the starboard side of the ship. We had to hire a diver to locate the valve but no luck. Visibility was very bad. So they had to find a new valve in the Bay Area. We had to wait a few hours to. locate a new valve. Two new riggers were hired to do the job, and I had to fabricate the piping for the new valve. It was a long day. By Mike M. 29 My First Steady Job In 1958, When I was 18 years old, I went to Diablo Country Club in Danville to look for a job as a greens keeper. I had never been a greens keeper before and had never even been on a golf course before. I went on a Monday morning and the other greens keepers were just arriving at the gate. I asked where the boss was. They said he was on the 8t' green on a golf cart. They pointed to where he was and said, "You go ahead and drive over there." So I drove straight down the 9t' fairway to get to the 8h green. I actually drove through the middle of the fairway! I didn't know any better. I asked the superintendent for a job, but he wasn't too happy with me. He said, "No job here. We are not hiring." He didn't just say that. He said a few whoppers,too. So I left and went back a week later. He said, "no," again. I kept going back. The other men told him, "I don't think you should hire him. He don't have no experience." He finally gave me a job,because they told him not to. I don't know if this is true, but that is what he said to me. I worked six years there, one year in San Ramon, and then 33 years in Rossmoor, all as a greens keeper. My story shows that a person should not give up trying. By y Leo Montoya 1 i 30 Rounding Up Cattle I enoy.rounding up cattle and being outside around livestock. My day starts early in the morning until eight in the evening. One of the reasons that I like to round up cattle, is the skill involved in actually gathering the cattle and having a well-trained horse. After two and one-half years I put the saddle on the horse and rode.him for three months, twenty minutes a day. Then I turned him loose back on the side hill so he could learn to stand on steep terrain. I trained the horse when he was three years old to work cattle. There are several commands he must learn to round up cattle. These commands include turning, backing up, running, and stopping on the hind feet. This is very important because if he doesn't learn to stop on his hind feet, you'll end up sliding too far to the front of the saddle. Part of training the horse is separating the calf from the cow. The key is for the horse to turn in a direction to keep the animal from going that way. This stops the calf from going back to the mother. This is repeated until the horse does it well. When the horse can pick one animal out of a big herd, then he has been trained to "cut cattle." The horse is usually about four years old when he is trained. It takes two to four cowboys to roundup about 100 head of cattle on steep,hilly,brush- covered terrain with trees. Then you get the cattle off the hills and head them in the direction of the corral. After this we would start over with a different pasture. It there wasn't brush or real hilly terrain, it was a lot easier to round up the cattle. Feeding cattle in large pastures was done by taking an army jeep with a flatbed on back, and spreading six bales of hay. After a while the cattle come looking for you. The hay is important for them to eat in the winter because it helps take the moisture away from the wet 31 grass. Too much wet grass and not enough hay means the cattle will bloat and die. This disease is called Grass Tetanus. You sort cattle to take the mothers from the calves. You wean the calves by putting them , in a:separate corral and feeding them for about a week. Then you brand and earmark them and put them in a pasture by themselves. That way if the calves get out of the pasture the rancher knows whose cattle they are. It's also important to de-horn the calves while they are still young. That way when they get to the feedlot they won't"hook"the other cattle with their horns. The calves that have been weaned for a year are called yearlings. They are sold to the cattle buyers at this time. The cattle buyers put the yearlings in a feed lot for two or three months or until the calf has gained enough weight. The calves need to be at a certain weight to be butchered. The mothers are turned back into the same pasture in September and the bulls are put in the pasture with the mothers (cows) in December for breeding. At this point, we wait until the i mothers start to give birth(about nine months) and see if they need any help having calves. After the calves are born the cowboys are busy starting all over again to round up the cattle. By Lawrence Anderson 32 i i Reactions to Readings Book Reports t 77 .......... ........... .4Z r L .fie.., •/ .tx&a4.f :�:�;;'��- ..:.yf • :s'a F �.H.,... �'if:%?�'.py^,'.�.'.'....... w'Yr�wv;x,,. F;..•_:...eTx'i.:.��:�R�a ...3'�'.:u.::� 9,�P.. �. �: �.��',4.2�'w.�i�'X: '•�,"%tnG..'°�t':`:'rM•.vHT.ii?:'•:ir,33i N .n. ,'^�:`�R`^'y''4�'•�'a:'-moi�yb�•��. ;����.�.�>..��•,r-''--,�;"g.bv.F "I hope and pray that I will not be the only student to read the book and learn from it too." -Esteya R. Ramirez "Reading is like opening a window into knowledge. Anything you want to know about, you can find in books. Read a book! It is better than a movie." -Joe L. Garcia 33 Forty Years Back Ken's Story* takes me over forty years back. I was 7 or 10 years old, my mother was telling me and my sisters how she came to Greece. My mother was born in Russia from Greek parents. The years 1914-1924. The communists start to fight, they took everything from the people, my mother's father was dead, her mother tried to keep the family together,but it was not easy. She lost one of her sons, my mother's brother,maybe the communist take him. They have nothing. Finally my grandmother find a boat they can take to Greece. But for one more time my mother was not lucky, her mother die in the boat, and my mother with her brother they were alone. In Greece they find relatives and stay with them. All the years my mother try to find her brother, but one more time she was not lucky. After all Ken's storyis not that sad compared to my mother's. Ken's family were P Y lucky, because they were all together. By Nicoletta Brennan NOTE: This compares Kens Storyfrom REMEMBERING to Nicoletta Brennan's personal experience. i 34 SIDNEY POITIER From: Profiles of Great African Americans SidneyWas bOM February 20 1927. in Miami. Sidney's parents were West �'Y Y Indian. They had seven kids. He was raised in the Bahamas. Later he returned to Miami and later he moved to New York. He didn't have much money. He only had the clothes on his back. When he moved from Miami to New York he didn't have any place. He was homeless and sometimes slept on Harlem rooftops. He worked as a dishwasher until he lied about his age and he set his age up to join the Army. He was discharged in 1945. Sidney returned to New York. He wanted to be an actor but he was turned down because of his Caribbean accent and he didn't finish the second grade. He would listen to the radio to learn how to speak without an accent. He would have his friend tutor him. Soon he learned to read and speak. He applied for actor roles and he was finally accepted. He began to work in leading roles. His first role was in"No Way Out."He received his first Oscar nomination for`Blackboard Jungle." It was a box office draw. He won an Oscar in 1963 for best actor in"Lilies of the Field." I Sometimes he would be angry but generally he was good-hearted and intelligent. He went on to be a successful actor and received the Lifetime Achievement Award. A Book Report by James Birden January 31, 2001 35 i 1 1 1 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL From: Profiles of Great African Americans He Was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Powell graduated from Colgate University where he received his Degree in Religion. He took over his father's church after his father retired. Powell was elected to City Council in New York in 1941. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1945. From the beginning he pushed hard for legislation to desegregate the military and public transportation. He ran for Congressman in 1961 and he won. His seniority put him in line for the powerful House Committee. With his brash nature and flamboyant lifestyle he caused his colleagues to strip him from his Chairmanship and Congressional seat. But...in a special election he won his own seat back and the Supreme Court declared Congress' action was unconstitutional! He later moved to the Caribbean Island. He died in Miami on April 4, 1972. A Book Report by James Birden January 31, 2001 36 Jaime Escalente: , Math Teacher From what I read about Jaime Escalente, I believe he applied what it took for him to et to be a great teacher: determination plus hard work plus discipline. Jaime's g g ,p , P P motto was his way to success. "What is mediocre is useless." So he applied that motto to his teaching and to discipline his students in order to get them to succeed. He was tough, yes, but Jaime had a very unique way with students which did not make the students rebel. The students could very well say, "Escalente is too hard on us, he is tough, and gives us too much hard work." Jaime Escalente was and can still be a good model to the whole world if they follow his ways and apply everything he taught and watch the movie Stand and Deliver. He was played by Edward James Olmos, an activist actor, a Hispanic- American, a hero I might add today. The more I read the book Sixteen Extraordinary Hispanic Americans, the more I like it and the more I learn. So far, every one I read about has helped in some way or another. I hope and pray that I will not be the only student to read the book and learn from it,too. I also hope and pray my own children will get hold of this book because it is very inspiring. It will give you a better outlook on the whole world of reading comprehension, ' learning from people who have contributed to us. Go for it students!! A big thanks to Project Second Chance. They also have a part providing me with this book. A Book Report by Esteya R. Ramirez July 11, 2000 37 i i 1 1 Reasons to Read 1 In the Fall of 2000, Literacy Volunteers of America asked people to submit Reasons to Read to their web site. Project Second Chance learners shared their varied and sophisticated reasons. You may have seen some of them on the PSC web page located atN-,,,,w.contra-costa.lib.ca.us/psc/psc.htmi. Others appear in this section and throughout the book. w ' rv­ Jiw, °T;Yj le t ................ _..._. = --� v.. ............ _ _ "Reading helps me read to my daughter, read traffic and street signs, helps me at my construction job, and helps me complete time sheets." -Daniel Biggs ' "Not knowing how to read is like a dark room without light. Reading can open windows so light can come in." -Laila Saied 38 I Want To Read Because. . . 1 1 Want to read because I want to overcome the major obstacle in my life at age 45, my learning and reading processes. Reading and learning means to me improving my intellectual life. It will let me be more assertive in my opinions. I would like to travel through the books to feel like I am in the place and time that the books are describing. Maybe that way I will be able to understand more of what people and civilizations have contributed to mankind. Right now I feel so far behind the people that surround me and are the members of my family. Some of the things that I would like to experience as a result of reading are ' going to the university, getting a degree, and getting knowledge. For the rest of my life, I would like to read one book a week, because up until now I have not been able to read the ' first one. That way I can compensate for what I have not been able to do up till now. By Eduardo Martinez Reasons to Read 1. Reading a Story is like watching a movie but better. 2. Reading is like opening a window into knowledge. 3. Anything you want to know about you can find in books. 4. If you read a story then watch it in a movie, you will be disappointed in the movie version. ' 5. Depending on the book you read, you can be sad, scared, happy, angry, excited, in suspense, or feel adventurous. ' By Joe L. Garcia ' 39 Reasons to Read When I gO to a restaurant, I can read and order off the menu. I don't have to say I'll.have whatever she's having. Also I don't have to point and say I'll have that when ' all it says is "made to order."I'm able to follow directions on how to assemble things. I like picking up a newspaper and being able to figure out the articles. I was proud and happy to read my first book and I did a good job. ' I'm looking forward to reading to my great grandchildren. When I read better, my self-esteem will improve. By Floyd C. ' Reasons for Reading I Want tO read so I can understand better. , You can read every day, for example,newspapers, so you can understand what is going on in the world. I want to have fun reading. People tell me that reading books is better than seeing the movie. Reading a mystery makes you not want to put it down. It can be exciting. ' I have gotten pleasure out of people reading stories to me, and I would love to do the same for other people. I want to be able to understand memos and notices and newsletters at the workplace. By Angel L. Grant 40 , Self-Expression 7i N Az 1 1 ti c� vk>: t S 1S .�.x., yrs �� �.._;:...>:..'•.�:....:� .. � ..'+_ ��,�iiµ�y�,• , nn ^• Y + bra "We have come a long way..." -Ike "Reading has opened up a whole new world that I finally feel I belong to. It's like I have come out of the shadows." r -Doug Humphrey 41 1 Friday Night at the Mosque Before you go you must take a shower and put on clean clothes. You need a scarf to cover your head. Be inside the mosque before 7:00 p.m.,but take off your shoes first. The Mullah(priest) speaks in Farsi and English. If you don't understand Farsi you can use a head phone. You can find head phones in the closet. Just get it yourself. The headphone translates into English the words of the Mullah. If the mosque is crowded you can sit on the floor. The service is around two hours or three hours, but you can leave early. The directions are: take 24 to the 14th Street exit. Then turn on Madison. The mosque is across the street from McDonalds in Oakland. By Zarefa Aziz 1 Ramadan Ramadan is a special month for Muslim people. Muslim people fast all month. We are allowed to eat from 5:15 until 4:30 AM. At the end of Ramadan everybody goes The da to the Mosque to pray. y is called Namoz-eet. By Zarefa Aziz 42 � Colors i As I sit here Looking up into the black endless sky On our Nation's birthday. Bombs bursting overhead With all the colors of the flag ' red white and blue. We have come a long way ' In 224 years. I hear the Star Spangled Banner ' in the background With.a tear in my eye ' I say there is no better place to live. ' By Ike 43 1 My Life Today I felt good coming to the library to learn to read and to use the computer. Thanks to Lynn for teaching me. I love to read, and I am doing it for myself. I met new people in he Lab and at the meetings. Also I am learning main ideas and using the computer. I am hoping to learn as much as I can. I want to surprise my children. I know I can do it. Two years ago I did not know how to drive. I told my kids I was going to learn, and I did it. Now I can drive and go anyplace. My son is very proud of me because I learned to drive. He bought me a new Honda Accord. My son is so proud of me he is taking me to Europe. ' My life is going great now. I learned to drive and now I am learning to read. By Abida Khan The Dog We Were going over to Karen's daughter's house when we saw some puppies in the road. She stopped at the house and went in. I told her I didn't want the puppy, but she talked me into it. Then we took it home and decided we didn't want it anymore, so we took it back the next 1 day. Then we got to talking again and decided we did want the puppy, so we went back over to the people's house and got the puppy. She's five months old. We got her rabies shot and got her fixed. She's an Australian sheepdog. She's not very big,but she's a good dog. Her name is ' Abbie. ' By Michael Johnson 44 1 i Voices for Justice 1 AV 5141 1 . . ..:. ....:...: :. . ..:.... .... .. . . ... . .. .... .. . A. >Y'' •nom+'• r: Y2' - .:. ..^R_Ye...S�,'.'.:' .tp �i'R .1':r°��` �•e;e.:.. 'x�`::'�.E4. �'�) r a V3n5 � �.I� M� ix��(�,ia3:;':•^.§'Q.`... �. :::F is t _ "...no more chains to hold me down!" -KC There should be no cracks to fall into. 1 -Colleen McGuire. 45 No Crack To Fall Into I came tO PSC because I felt I had fallen through the cracks in my education process. I was angry. I wanted to be able to read. Reading has brought me an abundance of self-esteem and self-awareness. I can now speak my mind with confidence and stand up to people, if I need to, and say, "No." ' I can now read for pleasure. It's the most powerful thing I've ever done for myself. It's nice to have this feeling. It breaks my heart to see that any child has fallen through the cracks and cannot read. It should never,.ever happen. They should not be in that position. There should be no cracks to fall into. By Colleen McGuire Homeless People 1 If I had a magic wand,I would like to help the homeless people all over the world. I hate to see people on the street sleeping in boxes, wearing dirty clothing. It makes me very upset. 1 By Abida Kahn 46 Freedom Something to Celebrate 1 have been looking back on my life. It seems from the time I was a little child until my mid- 20s I felt as though I was trapped and caged, imprisoned. I could not escape no matter how hard I tried, and I did try really hard! I wanted my freedom. In retrospect this is what I wanted my freedom from.... Child abuse Drug abuse and Alcohol , Sexual misuse , depression guns , memories of broken promises&hearts open caskets ' I wanted my freedom from running from the cops, being chased by the cops, freedom from seeing a sick and twisted world. In the midst of total craziness and chaos I FOUND MY FREEDOM, no more chains To hold me down! ' Here is how I have been set free! I have been redeemed, Saved& forgiven of my sins ' I have found a rock my refuge, Areal Joy ' Free to be who I am God's child I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of love I can stand firm ' I can let go and let God I have an inner peace 47 i I can forgive. I am very thankful for all people that God has put into my life, good or bad. It took me all that to get me where I am now(although I would not want to go through it again). I am extra thankful for my tutor, Elaine, who is helping me find freedom in education, and my husband who accepts me and loves me for who I am. I am thankful for my freedom! Now Let's Celebrate. By KC 48 1 1 Acknowledgements 1 Authors ' Corner is remarkable in its breadth of emotions and experiences, so profoundly expressed by the adult learners whose work appears herein. An equally remarkable contribution is that of the tutors who helped their learners realize the ' freedom and joy of putting pen to paper. Thank you, tutors, for your part in making it happen. 1 Sarah Belinge Suzanne Jehlik Muriel Bentsen Rod Jones ' Helen Beyer Barbara Kingshill Emily Boyd Karin Madura-Carroll Denise Burke Jody Reed Kathy Butler Lisa Ryan Dovie Dake Maureen Ritola Joyce Feil Pat Romak Eva Glazer Sheryl Sacerdoti Annette Guerrero Susan Snyder Pat Sully 1 This publication was made possible in part with grants and donations from: The California State Library The Silver Giving Foundation ' Crosby, Heafy, Roach & May The Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation The RGK Foundation 1 ' For more information about PSC, call 925-927-3250. 49