By Roz Rogoff
About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and...
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About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and saved my barbs for my Commentary page. I had some political differences with the City Council at that time and particularly with the majority dubbed "The Gang of Three," by the San Ramon Valley Times. In 2003 new Council members were elected and the Council was more balanced and fiscally conservative, but I continued to write the Observer until 2009. At that point I decided I wanted to concentrate on my commentaries. So I requested a meeting with the editor and publisher of the Danville Weekly about taking over the San Ramon Observer. My timing was very apropos since the parent company, Embarcadero Media, was planning to release an online San Ramon Express that April. I was offered a "blog" under the name "San Ramon Observer" for my commentaries. I like to inform residents about what is happening in San Ramon, especially on city government and local politics. When I don't have anything to write about on those topics, I just write about anything I am doing or thinking about.
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When I was a kid I loved Halloween. I loved to dress up and pretend to be a fantasy character. One year I bought a makeup kit with a gray wig and dressed up as an old lady. Now that I am an old lady, that doesn't seem like such a fun costume.
I went trick or treating with my older brother and the real old lady next door didn't recognize me. I was so proud I fooled her. Either that or she fooled me by pretending she didn't recognize me.
Now I dislike Halloween. It's a nuisance to jump up every 10 minutes to answer the door and hand out goodies. I don't give away candy. I haven't for years. I prefer to give something I can eat if there are any leftovers. Last year I gave away little boxes of raisins. I love raisins.
This year I gave away snack packs of Goldfish. I love Goldfish. I love anything with cheese in it. The snack packs come in a package of nine lunch-box size bags. These are a little high-end for a Halloween giveaway. I bought four boxes for a total of 36 packs.
The little kids started coming just after dark. I went through the first three boxes of Goldfish in about an hour. Older kids came around 8 pm. I ran out of Goldfish at 8:15. I had one pack left that I saved for myself. I put a sign on the door that I was closed for the night and turned off all of the lights so nobody would come. They don't knock if the lights are out.
Years ago, when I lived in Culver City, I remember kids being brought into my neighborhood from some of the rougher neighborhoods in Los Angeles so they could trick or treat in a safer environment than wherever they lived. I thought it was sad that they had to be driven a few miles to go door to door without fear of harm.
I don't know if any of the children who came to my door came from outside of San Ramon. I didn't recognize all of the children or parents who came around last night, but I'm sure most were from the neighborhood.
San Ramon is a very family-oriented community with lots of young children. It's a nice, safe place for kids on Halloween.