At the December 10 meeting, the West Contra Costa County school board will discuss a new proposal that would have Richmond’s Leadership Charter School move onto the site of Castro Elementary School. The proposal was abrupt and some say it speaks to the discord among board members.

Veteran school board member Charles Ramsey placed the Leadership relocation on the agenda. Ramsey says that if Castro closes as planned in June, then they should consider putting Leadership at the site. The charter school is currently housed at Gompers High School in Richmond, which is also set to close at the end of the year.

The meeting’s original agenda was to swear in its two latest members: Antonio Medrano, a retired teacher and Tony Thurmond, a member of Richmond’s city council. The inaugural meeting usually has a celebratory spirit, filled with friends, family members and other supporters. However, Medrano believes the Leadership proposal was put on the agenda as a divisive strategy with the intent to get a lot of reaction. “To do that side run, on the remaining days of the old school board to me is not fair,” said Medrano. “I would use a stronger word but I’ll just say it’s not fair.”

Medrano is not only against the move but he also disagrees with how it was proposed. He only learned of the proposal through an email.  After talking with contacts at both schools, Medrano realized very few people were informed about the potential relocation. “We have to involve the community and it has to be transparent,” he said. Medrano believes the old school board members have a history of ignoring community input. “What they’re doing is indicative of what they’ve been doing for the last four years,” he said.

In fact, Medrano and others have said school board president Karen Pfeifer, Madeline Kronenberg, and Charles Ramsey had a tendency to vote together, creating a 3-2 divide that was impossible to penetrate. Valerie Snider, a member of the Save Castro Park and School group, says their alliance made the two remaining school board members, Audrey Miles and David Brown, “ineffectual.”  Brown decided not to run for reelection.

With this thought in mind, Snider and her group members directed their efforts to prevent Pfeifer’s reelection in November. Despite having over $100,000 in campaign contributions, Pfeifer lost the race. The election brought two new school board members, Medrano and Thurmond, with strong community ties. Snider believes their addition will change the dynamics of the school board and will provide school board member Miles with much needed support on votes. “We’ve broken that block now that Karen Pfiefer is gone,” said Snider. “And not only are we happy that she’s gone but we actually feel excited about Antonio Medrano and Tony Thurmond.”

Although many residents have embraced them, not everyone is happy with Medrano and Thurmond joining the school board. School board member Charles Ramsey is one of their most vocal critics. “I oppose both of them. They’re good people but I don’t believe we share the same philosophy,” he said.

Before they were even sworn into office, the new elects had their first challenge.
On November 12, the board held an open meeting to discuss school closure criteria.  President Karen Pfeifer was noticeably absent. The district’s superintendent Dr. Bruce Harter presented his case for the closures through a series of charts and graphs that illustrated the dire financial straits the districts now faces.

Enrollment has been steady decreasing over the last five years, an almost 12 percent decline since 2002. Year after year, expenses have continued to grow even as the budget shrinks. The district will need to cut $1.5 million each year for the next two years according to the approved budget. They plan to reach their goal by selling district owned property, reducing services, containing the costs of benefits and school consolidation. Closing an elementary school will save $300,000 and $800,000 for a middle or high school.

School board member Ramsey projects they will need to close five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.  Its tough.  It’s not a nice place to be,” he said. “Life does not have an infinite amount of resources. You have to try to make good decisions within the tax base that you have.”

Both Medrano and Thurmond believe the district should examine test scores, facility conditions and geographic equity of every school in the district before making a decision about closures. This would include even recently built schools such as LovonyaDeJean in Richmond and El Cerrito High School, a suggestion that increased the divide between them and the old board members. “I don’t think that’s compliant with our fiduciary duties to be good stewards of the money that we have been possession of,” said Ramsey. “I think that would be a tragic mistake.”

Save Castro leader Snider believes the school board had an obsession with rebuilding schools in El Cerrito. Before the November elections, three of the five school board members, including the president, were residents of the city. “They continually said El Cerrito needs a middle school. However this is not the El Cerrito Unified School District, its the West Contra Costa Unified School District,” Snider said.  Miles, Medrano and Thurmond are all Richmond residents who will bring attention to struggling area schools like Kennedy High and Adams Middle School.

The school board next major contention may also involve Castro’s site. The school is expected to close in June. However, that may change if Medrano has his way. “It’s not going to close. We have the votes to say no. The old board: yes. The new board: no,” he said.

The December 10 meeting will held at 6:30PM at Lovonya DeJean Middle School and will be last meeting of the year.

Students practice at the Sport Fencing Center in Richmond.

BY FERNANDO GALLO //

Karen Ladenheim has been operating the Sport Fencing Center in Richmond for seven years, bringing a lifetime of fencing experience along with her as she coaches East Bay youth on the art of swordsmanship. The El Cerrito resident gives us some insight on the center, her students and how we all have a little swordsman inside of us.

BY SWETA VOHRA //

A popular, vibrant radio class at El Cerrito High School is highlighting the importance of youth voice and activism.

Check out the video below to listen to what’s going on. Also be sure to check out this link for more info and to listen live!

www.worldoneradio.org

BY ALEXIA UNDERWOOD //

In a time of economic strife and hardship, laughter appears to be prevailing.

The house was packed at the Contra Costa Civic Theater in El Cerrito for Saturday night’s performance of Greater Tuna, a “comedy with Tex Appeal.”

Theater-goers laughed and guffawed the night away at Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard’s comedic play about small-town life in Texas. Directed by Mark Manske, the comedy showcased two actors – Joe Fitzgerald and Kyle Nash – who each play 10 characters, contrasting an impressive variety of costumes, voices and physical mannerisms.

The crowd was mostly middle-aged, and seemed more than willing to put their woes aside for an evening of outlandish accents and caricatures. “Wow, that was really funny,” an audience member commented to her partner as they walked out the doors at the end of the show.

The performing arts, traditionally an under-funded and vulnerable member of the entertainment sector, have not yet experienced the funding cuts that other industries have, according to several East Bay performing arts venues.

“Our season ticket sales have held pretty steady this year,” said Alex Ray, house manager on Saturday evening as audience members streamed around him to purchase snacks and drinks during the 15-minute intermission. “Attendance is actually up a bit from last year.”

Brit Johnson, the theater’s general manager, agreed. When asked if the down-turn in the economy had affected attendance, he responded, “It hasn’t. We actually think it may be a boon. They talk about ‘staycations’ – I call it ‘stayculture,’” Johnson said, referring to the national trend of people opting to stay home and save money rather than travel for the holidays.

Another reason could be timing. “Season tickets were sold in July and August – before things got horrible,” Johnson said. Season ticket sales actually went up this year, from about 9,004 to 9,036 – a slight increase, but still an increase – in a time when few organizations or businesses are seeing any hope at all.

Theaters don’t appear to be scaling back their production schedules, either. Nine, a musical, will open in the first week of February. Johnson also said that the theater was planning a 50th anniversary kick-off event on April 25.

“We’re actually experiencing record ticket sales right now,” said Terence Keane, director of public relations for the Berkeley Repertory Theater. Several recent shows have been extended by a week or two, and Yellowjackets, a recent production, exceeded its ticket goal.

“In terms of ticket sales, we are building on a very successful several years of increased sales,” he said. “It’s kind of bucking a national trend.”

The national trend is one of cutting back, as Americans prepare for an uncertain economic future.

Keane attributed the increase in ticket sales to the quality of the productions as well as the local appeal of certain production choices, such as Yellowjackets, a play set at Berkeley High and written by a Berkeley High graduate, Iatamar Moses. However, half of the theater’s budget comes from endowments and donations – other sources that may still be affected by the economy.

“Naturally, in this economic climate, we‘re very anxious about how this will come together,” he said. “We’re holding our breath here…to see what happens.”

Mark Gilbert, director of the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts which hosts performing arts groups said that they were in the process of transforming into a performing arts center for children and youth.

“Historically, activities for kids and youth tend to be a little more recession proof than adult’s activities,” Gilbert said. He thought that parents would rather sacrifice their own entertainment than their children’s, when money is tighter than usual.

“I would expect we would be less affected,” Gilbert said, “but we’ll see.”

San Pablo Avenue is a major economic force in El Cerrito, supplying the community with everything from nail salons to novelty shops. Now, a new plan to regulate future development along this major thoroughfare is nearing completion.

Watch the slideshow below to learn more.

BY SWETA VOHRA//

Clear glass jars of red, white, black and bamboo-infused rice line the kitchen counters in the home of Caryl Levine and Kenneth Lee. Pictures of rice farms and farmers in exotic locations hang on the walls in the hallway. Books and articles on global agriculture, entrepreneurship, and rice cultivation are neatly stacked on a bookshelf and strewn across the coffee table.

These earthy images, products and colors don’t simply decorate the home; they illustrate the life that Levine and Lee follow. This quaint house on a quiet street in El Cerrito is the headquarters for Lotus Foods, Inc. Levine and Lee, co-founders of Lotus Foods, are self-proclaimed lovers of rice. But more than that, they are using their love of rice as a tool to connect Americans with small family farms in places like India, Madagascar and Bhutan.

What Levine calls, “a small company with a big mission,” Lotus Foods offers American consumers “hand-crafted,” high-quality rice from private family plots in remote areas of the world. The vision of the company is to “support sustainable global agriculture” by encouraging production of locally grown rice “enabling the small rice farmer to earn an honorable living.”

The root of Lotus Foods grew from a marketing research trip back in 1993 by Levine and Lee. Both set out to travel the world in an effort to find sound entrepreneurial ideas to implement in the United States. “We wanted to do something but we didn’t know what,” says Levine.

They came back with 90 different ideas jotted down on paper. “I still have the list,” says Levine as she points to the corner shelf.

But one of their experiences stood out among all the others says Levine. Taking a break in a rural region of China, Levine and Lee were served steaming bowls of black rice, something they had never seen before. The roasted nutty flavor of the black grains pleasantly surprised them and provoked Levine and Lee to ask about the rice. The locals explained this black staple was well known for increasing blood circulation and longevity and therefore was served only to the Emperor for many centuries. “Ken had the perfect name right then and there – the Forbidden Rice,” says Levine.

The taste, the nutritional value and the compelling story behind this black rice planted the idea of selling traditional, hand-grown rice to Americans, a market that they believed was still untapped at the time. After spending months researching the rice market as well as some of other business ideas, Levine and Lee decided to undertake this nascent plan and grow it into a business. The “Forbidden Rice,” as it is still called today, was the first on the list of products.

But the challenges were great. “It’s all about relationships,” explains Levine, “ and we were innovators in this market so nobody knew what we were.”

The first relationship to cultivate was between the company and the local growers. Lee spent months traveling to and from remote areas in India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Africa visiting with farmers and understanding the methodology used for the grain production. He would seek out non-profits that already worked in many of these regions and explain the business concept of Lotus Foods. Slowly, by establishing trust, farmers started to supply rice to the Lotus food line – Kalijira rice from Bengal, black rice from China and Carnaroli rice from the Andes.

Besides building partnerships, the locals also had to be trained on the proper preparation, sorting, and cleaning of the crop. Most of these farmers were accustomed to selling only in their local markets where cleanliness and sorting are much less emphasized compared to American markets. By teaming up with local non-profits and other agricultural organizations in these regions, Lotus Foods was able to teach growers the methods of rice production for the global market.

The company also had to forge bonds with their American consumers. “We had to educate the market on why [our rice] was better,” says Levine.

The first target market was the “upscale foodies” and “white tablecloth restaurants” which they knew always look for new additions to their menu that look attractive on plates. The Lotus rice products were pitched as having cooking quality – they cook in less than 30 minutes, tasting better, and carrying high nutritional value. Then Levine and Lee targeted specialty food stores like Williams-Sonoma, followed by natural food stores like Whole Foods and eventually grocery stores like Safeway. Today, Lotus Foods has about one million dollars in sales annually around the country.

As a result of paying premium prices and high costs of shipping, Lotus Food products are pricier than the traditional commodity rice, says Levine. But she says with the nutritional quality, consumers will “save on doctor’s bills in the future,” and feels that spending a little more on high-quality rice is justified. Plus, it is indirectly in support of family farms across the world.

Levine relates a story from 1994 when they had met with the minister of agriculture in Bhutan. At that time, Bhutanese exclusively grew red rice, a huge part of the local diet. However, since there was no lucrative market for the staple crop, the minister was considering importing rice from India and getting rid of several of the farms. The locals were resistant. When Lotus Foods offered them a global outlet, Bhutan was able to sustain its long tradition of growing red rice. “We kept the bio-diversity alive,” says Levine, and today, the Bhutanese red rice is the country’s only export to the US.

“It’s a win-win situation,” says Levine. “We feel good about our work.”

Levine and Lee had no idea 15 years ago that this is the work they would be doing. In fact, living in El Cerrito was completely by chance and maybe a little luck. Levine was teaching music at the University of Hartford and was offered a job at UC Berkeley. Knowing nothing about the Bay Area, Levine relied on her cousin who lived in the East Bay to find a place for her and Lee. Levin’s cousin found a house in El Cerrito that was being sold by a friend and told Levine to call about it immediately.

“I had no idea where El Cerrito was, but I knew I needed a place to live. And my cousin loved the house,” says Levine. She called the owner from somewhere in Wisconsin on her cross-country drive to the West Coast, and bought the house.

A decision made on the whim turned out to be beneficial in the long run. Besides falling in love with the city, Levine says the location of El Cerrito for Lotus Foods is fateful. With such natural and specialty food stores like El Cerrito Natural Grocery, Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods nearby, there are not only numerous outlets for their rice but also a lot of local support.

With this support and their established relationships, Lotus Foods is now taking a new step forward in their business. A new method of rice farming called System of Rice Intensification, pioneered by a Cornell professor, is transforming the way rice is being grown worldwide. According to a New York Times article in July, this new system requires less water and produces a higher yield of crops. Cornell University contacted Lotus Foods to offer an international market to farms that have implemented this new system.

“This is an opportunity to revolutionize the way rice is grown,” says Levine. She and Lee jumped at the chance and are currently in the works with Cornell and its partners in this new endeavor.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Lotus Food rice products are going strong in local and national markets. The clear jars that line the counters in Levine’s kitchen are for the rice lovers in them, and they are also the display of Lotus Food’s product line – brown rice from Bengal, red rice from Bhutan, black rice from China.

But whether it’s black or brown, there’s one thing that Levine can guarantee when they pick their rice for Lotus: “It’s gotta taste great.” And they can assure you that they do.

BY N’JERI EATON//

Silvia Figueroa worked at The Red Onion, a popular El Cerrito burger institution, for over 10 years before buying the restaurant with her husband Alfredo in January 2006. Just four months after they celebrated their first anniversary as owners, Alfredo was gunned down during an armed robbery.

Alfredo’s death was among several violent robberies in El Cerrito that prompted the city council to unanimously adopt the Video Surveillance Ordinance Act in October 2007. Businesses had until October 31 to comply with the law.  However, an influx of last minute orders created a backlog for local security companies.  El Cerrito Police Commander Mike Regan estimates about 40 percent of required businesses are still in the process of getting cameras installed. Those business owners have either a projected installation date or they have been given a 30 or 60-day extension for financial reasons.

Although the ordinance is for the safety of customers and staff, it can still be a financial burden. Regan believes that the new law has hit smaller owner-operated businesses hardest. The city’s redevelopment agency provides matching funds for businesses that need financial assistance. Even businesses that are exempted from the law are opting to install video surveillance equipment. The city offers matching funds for them as well.

The ordinance applies to specific businesses: convenience stores, check cashing businesses, firearms and second-hand dealers, liquor stores, shopping centers, banks and carry-out food restaurants.

A monitor displays the various security camera angles.

The law requires a continuous digital video surveillance system to provide high quality images for police. It also specifies the number and location of cameras dependent on the size of the store. The police department recommends that cameras be placed in entrances and exits, at each register, as well as in loading docks and parking areas.

Since her husband’s death, Figueroa has been extra cautious. She has two video surveillance system installed in her restaurant. She installed the first camera herself before the ordinance passed. Several months later, Figueroa had another system installed by ADT Home and Business Security Systems.

Besides providing a sense of security for her staff and customers, Figueroa believes the cameras have been effective in deterring some crimes. “I don’t have problems with vandalism because they know someone is watching,” she said.

Police have been enforcing the new law one business at a time. Each time a business installs a video surveillance system, a representative from the police department inspects it to make sure it is compliant with the ordinance. One of the key elements they examine is camera placement.  “We want to make sure camera angles are consistent with getting facial shots of people,” said Regan.

Failing to observe the new law will come at a price for owners. If the police department finds a business without a video surveillance system, they will issue a notice to the owner. The owner then has 30 days to provide proof of compliance or they will be issued a citation of up to $500.

Figueroa encourages reluctant owners to think of the El Cerrito Police Department when deciding to install cameras. “They just want everything they can get to prosecute criminals. They just want to help us,” said Figueroa.

Since the passing of the ordinance, the police department has had success in using video surveillance in connection with several ongoing investigations. “Video alone will not get a conviction but it will certainly help,” Regan said.

Silvia Figueroa watches over the customers in her restaurant.

In addition to the video surveillance cameras, Figueroa suggests that owners take extra steps to ensure their safety. She recommends keeping every light on during business hours, especially for employees who use the back exit, and calling the police if they feel threatened. Figueroa cites the help of the local police for getting through the tough times. “They are wonderful people.  They’re giving me all the support I need to keep going,” she said.

During the first year after her husband’s death, Figueroa frequently called the police and asked for a patrol car to survey the area if she felt unsafe. The calls are less frequent now, but she has remained impressed by the police department’s response.  “They always come, they’ve never denied me,” she said. “I thought I was going to be a bother, but it’s not like that. They’re really flexible.”

Ordering his chai tea latte in the El Cerrito Barnes and Nobles, Nabeel Awan sports a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie as he checks text messages on his phone from his friends. On this rainy Saturday evening, Awan could be mistaken for any other typical American single 27-year old man relaxing on a weekend.

But the texts that he exchanges are not about the night’s parties, girls or the next NFL football game. Instead, Awan and his Pakistani friends are talking about the great non-American pastime. They are furiously commenting on the day’s heated cricket tournament played in Fremont. Awan, captain of his team, explains that their opponents had to forfeit because of late players but still forced Awan’s team to play a match.

Playing cricket for Awan and his Pakistani teammates is like breathing. “You can’t grow up in Pakistan or India without playing the game daily,” says Awan. Once he migrated here, Awan, like many other young South Asian men, found existing cricket leagues based in Fremont. Every Saturday there are matches, which bring Pakistani and Indian from all corners of the Bay Area, from Richmond to Hayward to San Jose. For Awan, every Saturday is a taste of his home country.

Seven years ago, a month after September 11, 2001, Awan landed in America for the first time at San Francisco International Airport. And he braced himself for the worst. Before traveling to America, a long-time friend from Pakistan who lived in New York tried to convince Awan to stay home. He warned that the mood of America had become increasingly anti-Muslim. In fact, Awan’s friend had quit his job and planned to return to Pakistan.

But coming to America was Awan’s destiny. “We always knew we would come here,” says Awan as he reflects back on how his family made it all the way from Karachi, Pakistan to El Cerrito, California.

The Awan family spent several years in the late 1980s in Dubai seeking work. But when job offers looked bleak, Awan’s father called upon a friend already working in the East Bay in hopes of better opportunities. With a position secure through his friend, Awan’s father left for America in 1990. Without any family support in Dubai, Awan’s mother and his older brother and younger sister packed up everything they had and moved back to Karachi, where his mother’s family lived.

For the next 11 years, Awan’s father worked as a manager of a cab company here in El Cerrito, but the wages were not enough. To support the three children and herself, Awan’s mother was forced to work full-time in Karachi, an uncommon and difficult feat for a woman in Pakistan at the time. As Awan looks back he admits that he never appreciated what his mother did for them in all those years in Karachi. “We were so naughty and she had to put up with us and support us,” says Awan.

Nike. Disneyland. Video games. Those are the words Awan associated with America when he was young. As he grew older, Awan began to ponder how he would make a life and a career across the world. What kind of job would he have? What kind of friends would he make? Although this country seemed far off to Awan at the time, there was no question that he would also come here – it was just a matter of when.

That day came sometime in late 2001 when Awan’s father, with some help from friends in Pakistan, finally completed the necessary legal paperwork. Awan’s older brother went first and the rest of the family followed a few months later.

On October 10, 2001 Awan stepped out of the San Francisco Airport and readied himself. All the warnings of Muslim hatred were running over and over in his head. “I thought that everyone would stare at us and start to make faces,” says Awan.

But in fact, it was quite opposite. As his mother, sister and Awan stood on the curb with their entire Karachi life packed into six suitcases, not one person stared at them. In fact, even when Awan asked for instructions on how to hail a cab in his thick, rough English, nobody laughed, as he thought they would. Awan’s fears were quelled and he thought America could not be that bad after all.

The family moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Pinole for the next two years. Awan’s father had fallen ill and was contemplating retirement with the arrival of his sons. The first and only priority for Awan and his brother was to get jobs. Having finished an architectural degree in Karachi, Awan had thought to pursue a similar career in the States. But those hopes were quickly replaced by a necessity to find anything that paid.

Having a considerable background in computers through college courses, Awan was hired by a local Pakistani man in El Cerrito to repair them. Although skilled in computers, Awan lacked the understanding of American business. When a customer came to Awan with a small problem such as replacing a simple card, he did not ask for a payment. “I thought why should I charge for something so simple,” Awan says.

Awan lost that job quickly but soon found himself under the wing of another Pakistani businessman from Richmond who owned several restaurants in the East Bay. The owner had been in Awan’s shoes 30 years earlier so he made it a point to help young Pakistani men like Awan become successful.

Awan began working at a Richmond Wienerschnitzel, a fast food chain, and began to learn the ropes of working in the restaurant business. Awan admits to being a bit hot headed when he first started working and jumping to the defensive when people would try to correct his mistakes. “I thought why are other employees telling me what to do,” says Awan. But the owner taught him “to analyze people and situations properly before acting.” Once he did this, Awan became receptive to criticism and felt much more confident in dealing with his co-workers and customers.

During this time, the Awan family moved from Pinole to El Cerrito in 2003. While low crime rate and quality real estate were attractions for the Awan family, the location was the biggest pull. Berkeley holds one of the largest Pakistani populations in the Bay Area. Solano Avenue in Albany houses an Islamic Community Center and a mosque stands in Richmond. El Cerrito brought the Awan family closer to bits of home.

Today, as Awan comfortably sips his latte, all those years of pondering in Pakistan seem far off. Awan found the answers to his own questions of what he could make of his life and career in this country. He now manages the Richmond Wienerschnitizel restaurant and will soon be managing an Indian restaurant in Fremont.

Awan was also able to find a sense of his own community with other young Pakistani immigrants. Besides the weekly cricket rendezvous, if Awan has a craving for Indian food, wants to discuss the latest Pakistan news headline or even curse in his native Urdu, his Pakistani friends are the first ones to call.

Ironically, while Awan enjoys embracing his culture in this new adopted country, his future plans do not include returning to his home country. “It’s too different now. And I just love the Bay Area,” says Awan. He wants of life what most anybody does: a good job and a good home, and he wants to make it happen in the Bay Area.

The first year for Kenny Kahn as head coach at El Cerrito High was marked by comebacks: The Gauchos stormed back from an 0-3 start by winning six of their final seven regular season games, and came from behind in two of those wins with late touchdowns.  But the No. 8 Gauchos could not muster another rally on Friday night, losing to the No. 9 Titans of Kennedy High 34-9 in El Cerrito. With the loss, the Gauchos were eliminated from the NCS Division III playoffs.

Gaucho player Malcolm Carson watches the final minutes of El Cerrito

“When you get to playoffs, you can’t play from behind,” Kahn said. “JFK of Fremont was able to show up and play with intensity, play with tenacity, play aggressively, where there were times where we looked timid.”

The chilly autumn night began strangely as the game was delayed about 30 minutes due to Kennedy arriving late; the Titans had fallen victim to the infamous Bay Area traffic.

But it was the Gauchos who were left out in the cold early, committing a multitude of penalties in the first half. Seven flags went against El Cerrito before halftime, compared to only one infraction for Kennedy. Despite the discrepancy, Kahn wasn’t crying foul at anyone but his own team.

“I’m not gonna’ blame the refs on that one – that’s mental mistakes,” he said.

Running back Jerrell Walker was the hero for the Titans in the first half, notching a key interception on defense seconds before halftime and scoring twice on offense. His first touchdown was a 2-yard run that put the Titans ahead 7-0.

El Cerrito answered with an unlikely touchdown run by quarterback Andre Williams, who turned a broken pass play into a 49-yard scramble. The quarterback ran from one sideline to the other without ever crossing the line of scrimmage, then reversed field yet again and found an open path down the sideline for the score. A missed extra point left the Gauchos trailing 7-6.

Kennedy was able to respond at the end of the half after Walker intercepted a pass with less than 30 seconds remaining. He then made sure the turnover paid off by catching a 38-yard touchdown pass with only 3.4 seconds left on the clock. The pass was nearly intercepted by a Gaucho defender, but the miss left Walker all alone for an easy score.

Although the offense stalled due to turning the ball over and penalties, the Gauchos found themselves trailing only 14-6 at the half. They seemed poised for a comeback in the third quarter when they emerged from the locker room and made a series of strong defensive plays.

“Where (Kennedy) got us initially was on just getting off the ball – just real quick get-offs,” said El Cerrito Defensive Coordinator Dan Shaughnessy. “And we were able to clamp that down by blitzing the backers.”

After forcing the Titans to punt on their first possession of the second half, the Gauchos used two 20-plus yard passes to set them up for the go-ahead score. But the Kennedy defense held, and the Gauchos settled for a 20-yard field goal to draw within 14-9 with 7:07 to go in the third quarter.

Although their defense continued to play well, turnovers doomed the Gauchos late in the game. The momentum swung in Kennedy’s favor when the Gauchos fumbled away a punt return at the end of the third quarter, setting the Titans up in good field position. They quickly took advantage of the turnover, scoring a third touchdown on a 3-yard run by Dane Dismuke to push the lead to 21-9.

The score would change again just three plays later when El Cerrito fumbled on its own 2-yard line. Dismuke added a second touchdown run less than two minutes after his first score and, despite a botched point-after attempt, the lead had swelled to 27-9.

“We’re human and we do make mistakes – unfortunately, those mistakes came out to be costly in the overall outcome of a football game,” Kahn said.

The Titans scored once more in the final minutes on a scramble by quarterback Trevor Damewood with the game already out of reach. That scramble capped a nine-and-a-half minute span in which the Titans racked up 20 unanswered points.

“We wanted to be even more aggressive (in the second half) and it just didn’t work out,” Shaughnessy said. “(Kennedy) didn’t have any situations where there was some guy late to get on the field, or too many guys in the huddle or anything like that.”

El Cerrito finishes the season at 6-5, a one-game improvement over its 5-5 campaign in 2007.

The Titans improve to 6-5 and will advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in school history. The win also avenges a 52-14 first-round blowout the Titans suffered at the hands of the Gauchos in 2006.

“I’m satisfied with the game play of (the seniors), I just wish that these mental mistakes that we make could be minimized,” Kahn said. “We tried to stick with what we had and give everything that we had, but in the end, what can you do? One team comes on your field and shows you up.”

After the game, Kahn talked about his first year walking the sidelines for the Gauchos and the future of his departing seniors, whose high school football careers have come to a close.

“I think that there’s so much to be said about an 0-3 team that ended up making the playoffs, coming in second in the league,” Kahn said. “We have some guys who are going to do some tremendous things in this world… I love these kids to death, and I know that this isn’t the end of the road for the El Cerrito Gauchos, and this is not the end of the road for many of our seniors.”

BY FERNANDO GALLO AND DANIEL MCGLYNN//

The economic downturn is having a devastating effect on companies and employees alike – news of layoffs comes almost daily. But at a local level, one group also dealing with the downturn is seldom mentioned: day laborers. These workers, the majority of which are undocumented Latinos, have little choice but to stand and wait for jobs that are never guaranteed. El Cerrito Focus visited the Home Depot parking lot on San Pablo Avenue twice recently to talk to laborers and find out how they are dealing with these tough times. Listen in on how they’re dealing with today’s economic crisis.