Wednesday, May 5, 2010

“News Briefs: Free math tutoring available” plus 3 more

“News Briefs: Free math tutoring available” plus 3 more

News Briefs: Free math tutoring available

Posted: 04 May 2010 10:45 PM PDT

Free math tutoring

The Equity for All Students Parent Association will offer free math tutoring to all high school students. Qualified tutors will help prepare the students for their final examinations in every level of high school math. Students must reserve a one-hour time slot between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. May 10 through 14 or May 17 through 21.

Tutoring will be offered at Boys and Girls Club of Tracy, 735 W. Lowell Ave., and at Altamont Cowork, 95 W. 11th St.

To reserve a spot: 836-9744.

South Side Community Organization dinner

The South Side Community Organization, formerly the Guadalupe Society, will vote in new officers and serve dinner during a Cinco de Mayo-themed meeting from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at El Castillo Restaurant, 600 N. Central Ave.

Tickets are $16 and include dinner and entertainment.

For information: Frank Garcia, 832-7152; or Larry Gamino, 836-9680.

Candidate's campaign meeting

City Council candidate Juana Dement will have a "community campaign meeting" at 7 p.m. Thursday at 1175 Constitution Way.

For information: 832-5002, www.dementfortracycouncil.org or edement@gmail.com.

Give Every Child a Chance

Give Every Child a Chance, a Tracy tutoring group, will offer summer sessions from June 21 to July 29 for students who receive below-passing grades on their final report cards for 2009-10. Those who complete the summer session will have priority for placement in the September tutoring session.

For information: www.gecactracy.org.

Letter carriers' food drive

The National Letter Carrier's food drive will be Saturday.

To participate, place nonperishable donations alongside your mailbox and a letter carrier will pick them up. All food collected in Tracy will be taken to Tracy Interfaith Ministries for distribution to those in need.

For information: Darlene Quinn, 836-5424.

Garage sale

The First Presbyterian Church will have a garage sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Holly Drive in the parking lot between 12th Street and Highland Avenue. Fresh tamales will also be available.

For information: Don Bisbee, 835-0419.

Blood drive

Sant Nirankari Mission and Delta Blood Bank will host a community blood drive from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 22713 Seventh St. in Banta.

For information: Anita Narang, 408-8991.

Small business meetings

The Northeastern California Small Business Development Center at San Joaquin Delta College will offer a one-hour orientation for merchants at noon May 13 at the Tracy Chamber of Commerce, 223 E. 10th St.

Attendees will learn about legal requirements and government regulations pertaining to businesses, sources of financing, how to get free help with a business and a copy of a guide about how to run a business.

The cost is $15.

For information: 835-2131 or 954-5089.

• Briefs announces news about events, organizations and people in the Tracy and Mountain House areas. Items will be considered on the basis of space availability, public interest and timeliness.

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Typical Soriano—hot when it doesn't matter

Posted: 05 May 2010 10:16 AM PDT

Timing is everything in our business, and mine couldn't have been much worse when I suggested the Cubs send Alfonso Soriano to the minor leagues for some long-needed tutoring on the finer points of playing baseball.

Since writing that story on April 15, when Soriano was hitting .214 with one home run, one RBI and a .607 OPS, Soriano has gone from warm to hot to searing. In 17 games since then, he's batting .375 (21-for-56) with six home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.285 OPS.

Even Soriano's chronic poor plate discipline has improved dramatically. He had no walks in 28 plate appearances on April 15. Since then he's walked eight times. His on-base percentage during this latest hot streak is .446. For the season it's .376, which would be a career high for an entire season.

Rudy Jaramillo might be the best move Jim Hendry ever made. Geovany Soto was leading the National League in on-base percentage last week (.500). And it can't be a coincidence that as soon as Soriano begain showing some discipline at the plate, he started hitting home runs in bunches again — five in the last four games after hitting another home run Monday night.

My bad?

Maybe. Maybe not.

It's worth pointing out that Soriano's latest binge includes home runs off Rodrigo Lopez (1-1, 4.50 ERA), Bob Howry (1-0, 7.59), Edwin Jackson (1-3, 8.07), Daniel Stange (0-0, 9.00) and Paul Maholm (2-2, 4.06).

Every good hitter takes advantage of the lesser pitchers in the league, but few feast off low-hanging fruit like Soriano. His legendary hot streaks have one thing in common: a Lance Cormier, a Zach Duke, a Paul Maholm and a David Bush.

It always seems like when Soriano is hot, the Cubs are playing the Pirates. Tom Gorzelanny fed the Soriano monster in 2008 when he allowed two homers to Soriano, who was in the midst of hitting seven homers in eight games. How sweet it must be for Gorzelanny to benefit from a Soriano hot streak after being the victim of one.

Soriano's penchant for picking on the meek is no big deal during the regular season. A win is a win (though the Cubs are just 8-9 in their last 17 games, even with Soriano on a binge). It's during the playoffs that it seems to matter. Soriano is a career .213 hitter in the postseason. Even after productive seasons with the Cubs in 2007 (.299, 33 homers, 70 RBI) and 2008 (.280, 29, 75), Soriano hit .107 in the playoffs (3-for-28, all singles).

So while it was premature to bury Soriano in April, just keep in mind that as red-hot as he is, his production always has its limitations.

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Class notes

Posted: 05 May 2010 10:05 AM PDT

Liberty Ranch PTSA

Liberty Ranch High School PTSA will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12 in the school library.

Free Tutoring

The Galt Adventist Church is sponsoring free tutoring for grades 1-6 on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. at 619 Myrtle Avenue in the fellowship hall. For more information, call 745-2417.

GHS Music Boosters

Due to Thursday night band practice at 7 p.m., the Music Boosters have changed their meetings to the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. in the GHS band room. Booster members may apply or be reregistered for $5. Three persons are needed to fill board positions. The membership year runs from September through August. For more information, contact Fred Fordis at fffordis@yahoo.com or Ruth Sweatt at r.sweatt@comcast.net.

Class Reunions

The Galt High School class of 1990 will hold its 20-year class reunion on Saturday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Dante Club in Sacramento. Details are posted on the GHS Class of 1990 Facebook page, or you can contact Sandy Barron at 209-747-1114 or aandsbarron@aol.com for more information.

A Web site has been made for alumni of the Galt High School Class of 1970 to log onto to add their profiles, get in touch with old friends, and get updates on coming reunions. Log onto Galt70.com so the next reunion will be a success as alumni keep in touch with each other. For more information, log on or call Melody at 745-4905.

Galt High School Blast from the Past reunion for classes 1970-1980 will be held Aug. 14 at Lady of Fatima Hall in Thornton. Contact Susan Dixon by email with your name, address and phone number at s4dixon1@netzero.com. Volunteers are needed to help find addresses.


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' American Idol ' top 5 recap: Michael Lynche, Lee DeWyze liven up Frank Sinatra night

Posted: 04 May 2010 08:11 PM PDT

BY Soraya Roberts
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Tuesday, May 4th 2010, 9:54 PM
Updated: Wednesday, May 5th 2010, 8:10 AM

It was anything but smooth sailing for "American Idol's" Top 5 Tuesday night.
 
Well, for everyone but Lee DeWyze and Michael Lynche.
 
Crooner Harry Connick Jr. was the guest mentor for Frank Sinatra night and despite all of his hands-on tutoring, most of the contestants - including MamaSox - were underwhelming. But it wasn't for want of trying, Connick Jr. went so far as to play the piano for each performer.
 
In first place, blue-eyed Lee DeWyze proved himself worthy of the Ol' Blue Eyes moniker. The ex-painter sang "Thats Life" and sounded like a 70s Elton John at several transcendental points in the song. The judges loved it. Ellen went so far as to say he "would have won it all if it was the last night." Kara added that he could "win this thing" and Simon said it was "by far for all of us the best performance of the night so far."
 
Big Mike issued almost as much praise with his croonily delicious rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight." Mike slipped into the bobby sox genre as smoothly if it were his own skin and the band fell into step. Randy said, "Mike is in it to win it!" And Simon praised it as "fantastic" and said that "everything just clicked."
 
But Mike and Lee were like welcome strangers in the night when it came to the rest of the contenders.
 
Aaron Kelly, the first to hit the stage, looked as though his mom had combed his hair and dressed him in his bestest duds. He sang "Fly Me to the Moon" and Kara thought the 16-year-old should fill the stage more, like Sinatra did, who she claims was as shrimpy as Kelly.
 
Connick and Casey James seemed to share a connection. Before his performance, Connick was yelling at at Mr. Ponytail not to screw up, in a jokey way. Unfortunately he did. With his hair slicked back and sporting a pink shirt, Casey tried his hand at singing without his guitar. It did not go well. None of the judges seemed to like it, but Kara was the worst. She said his vibrato sounded like "a little lamb" and that he needed to control it. Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.
 
Huh, Anthony Hopkins in the audience, probably for his grandkids.
 
Crystal Bowersox took the stage with some major Tammyy Wynette hair and an uncharacteristically loungey black dress. Her voice seemed to have lost all its personality as she sang "The Summer Wind." Though she threatened to be drowned out by the back-up band, Kara DioGuardi praised her phrasing, which Sinatra apparently did well too. Simon complained she was too soft in the beginning, which Crystal jumped on. She said, "If you were singing softly to your lover, you'd sing it sweetly."
 
The actual sweetest moment of the night came at the beginning of the show and, surprise, surprise, Simon was involved. Sinatra's daughter, who was in the audience, came forward to give Simon one of her father's monographed hankies. And instead of his usual peacock-y demeanor, Simon dissolved into a genuinely surprised fanboy.
 
Mamasox sucking was a surprise but Simon getting emotionally tongue tied? Priceless.

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