DOUGHERTY VALLEY H.S.PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GRAND OPENING
The new 600-seat Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center in San Ramon opened Nov. 18 with a highly entertaining performance of Beach Blanket Babylon, the long running San Francisco musical. The cabaret group’s high energy traveling cast stole the show. There was also a specially created and very funny tribute song about San Ramon. After the show, invited guests enjoyed local food and wine at the After Party at the Dougherty Station Community Center.

Before the curtain lifted, San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson welcomed the crowd, and then gave a rousing acappella rendition of “Sunrise, Sunset” from “Fiddler On The Roof.”

The Concord Blue Devils gave a rousing pre-show percussion concert.

Photography by Tod Fierner

ALEX ROY AT ENIGMA MOTORS
Car enthusiasts, race car drivers and anti-authoritarians from the Tri Valley and beyond converged on Enigma Motors in Dublin Nov. 26 to meet Alex Roy, the underground record breaker of the New York to Los Angeles Cannonball Run in 31 hours and 4 minutes in 2006. Roy beat the record of 32 hours and 7 minutes set in 1983. Roy’s adventures in below and beyond the radar extreme rally driving have been immortalized in his new book, “The Driver”, as well as a film to be released in 2008. On Monday night, Nov. 26, he autographed the book, showed off the tricked-out Team Polizei BMW M5 car, and discussed his exploits.

Shawn Akbarpour, owner of Enigma Motors accompanied by Salvador Solorzanoof Enigma, hosted the evening. Guests were able to check out the BMW M5 and all of its non-officially sanctioned, police-evading equipment in addition to Enigma’s other exotic European cars. Alternative media writers including Damon Lavrinc of Autoblog.com and author Timothy Ferriss of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” plus Gumball 2007 Rally drivers Andrea Zurek and Steve Schimmel, among others, stopped by to support the man, the book and the car.

Photography by Evelyn Orthwein