HIT THE JACKPOT . . . Reach Fitness Manager Eddie Pratt, Sr. has been buying Super Lotto tickets at a liquor store on University Avenue in East Palo Alto for about four years, and more recently, sending in Fantasy 5 coupons. His dream finally came true when he was called to take part in the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine in Sacramento last month. He dropped five balls in five slots, and won $75,000. "I always thought (I'd win)," Pratt said. As for what he plans to do with the money, "I'll do what I do with all my money. Invest it," he said.
BIG GAME HYPE BEGINS . . . From Web pages to corporate sponsorships, the 100th Big Game, coming up between the Cal Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on Nov. 22, will have no shortage of hype. Last week, public relations representatives announced a list of Big Game activities and corporate sponsorships, from a Big Game Day Cisco Systems seat cushion giveaway to a Nike Kids' Day, and "Axe Games" competition. For Big Game information on the Internet, go to www.calbears.com or www.gostanford.com.
SAFETY FOR KIDS . . . Among the food and art booths at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on Aug. 23 and 24, will be another kind of booth aimed at the safety of children. The "KidsID" booth, staffed by the Palo Alto Elks, will give parents an identification document with a high-quality photograph of their children and an area to record vital statistics. Authorities say one of the most important tools to help recover a missing child is having a good photo. One out of seven missing children who have such a photo are recovered because of that photo. The goal of the booth, which will be in the children's area near Kipling Street and University Avenue, will be to increase awareness about missing children and educate parents on steps they can take to protect their children.
CHAMPIONING CLEAN AIR . . . Former Palo Alto City Council member Ellen Fletcher has been named one of seven Bay Area residents who are 1997 "Clean Air Champions." Fletcher's award, presented by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, was for "working tirelessly for a bicycle-friendly Palo Alto." Fletcher, who can be seen about town on her bike, spearheaded Palo Alto's adoption of the first comprehensive bicycle parking ordinance in the nation, bike lockers and showers at many work sites, and bike racks in retail areas. Senator Byron Sher, (D-Redwood City) (also a former Palo Alto council member) was also among the winners, for his "Clean Air Career." Sher authored the California Clean Air Act, and had a role in almost every piece of legislation introduced in the legislature since 1980 that had to do with clean air.
NAMES AND NOTES . . . The Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has five new members on its board of directors: Laura Burmeister, Martha Edwards, Michelle Ferrari, Ruth Hirschfeld, T.V. Raman and Dave Yewell . . . Joyce Compton of Dale Johnson Travel in Palo Alto has been elected to the Western Association of Travel Agencies' board of directors.
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