COBB — U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, (D-St. Helena) spent the first part of his Halloween trekking around Cobb Mountain Elementary School.
Thompson began his first visit to the school by following Principal Shelley Tan into Sheila Allen”s combined first- and second-grade classroom. Thompson was treated to students” reciting some of their favorite Halloween stories. The congressman then returned the favor by reading a story to the students and getting them to participate along with the story. Thompson visited David Leonard”s third-grade class next. Leonard and Tan asked Thompson to speak to the class about his job, the duty of elected officials, how he considers bills and laws and the benefits of getting a higher education. He also answered questions from the students. After answering a question from a girl dressed as a nun, Thompson said his best Halloween costume was when he dressed as Father Guido Sarducci when he was in college. After the visit with Leonard”s third-graders, the Congressman was introduced to Austin Daley, a 13-year-old Eagle Scout who worked on cleaning up the Boggs Ridge Nature Trail for his Eagle Scout service project. Daley received a donation of $5,000 from Calpine for his efforts for his clean-up efforts. He also received assistance from CAL FIRE hand crews in cleaning up overgrown parts of the surrounding forest. Daley installed signs and benches along the trail as well as laid bark along the trail routes. Daley and his family estimated they cleaned up and laid bark along a couple of miles of the Boggs Ridge Nature Trail. In addition to working on the trail, Daley also helped with the Cobb Elementary Organic Garden. He built and installed picnic tables and extended the garden. “This is incredible,” Thompson said of Daley”s efforts. “Very impressive.”
Following the tour of the trail and garden with Daley, Thompson visited the school”s Halloween carnival. Thompson had his picture taken with a few parent volunteers and Tan before his next appointment in Lake County.
