January 1, 2004


Street Talk by Shari Kaplan

What New Year's resolutions have you made for 2004?
(Asked at Almaden Lake County Park)

"We hope to get out and exercise more and enjoy the valley and visit all the different city and county parks because they're beautiful, and they're free if you're a senior. We enjoy walking, and we have more of an excuse to get out and take lots of walks now because of our 4-month-old golden retriever puppy, Ben."

Albert Annella, 66
Blossom Valley
Retired auto parts sales

"In January I'll be 14 so I'll be looking for a job. My mom looked on the Internet and saw I could get a job here at the lake. I'd like that because I love nature, water, animals and people. I might be able to be a junior lifeguard or help the park rangers. I also want to do well in eighth grade and when I graduate I hope to get into Leland High School. My neighborhood school is Pioneer, so I'll have to apply to go to Leland."

Nicole Piligian, 13
Almaden Valley
Middle school student

"I want to pay more attention to my health, exercise more regularly and eat a little better. There are probably a million other things I should do. I really need to get my house and my life organized, [and] then I'd be less stressed! I'd also like to read more. And I'd like to expose my 5-year-old son to more adventures and find out what his next interests will be."

Donna Bennett, 49
Cambrian
Registered nurse

"The closest thing I have to a resolution is probably to work off the few extra pounds I put on between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I generally run for exercise; my usual routine is to run four days per week. Every year, around this time of year, we go down to Mexico and make a mad dash to learn Spanish better, but we never really do."

Dean Case, 53
Almaden Valley
Foster care and adoptions

"I want to get better at swimming and get faster at riding my bike and 'scootering'—riding my scooter! I'm pretty good at swimming; I finished the Marlins classes at Almaden Valley Athletic Club and I want to get into the Orcas level. I might also want to run faster, because when you run fast, you get more of a breeze and that's more fun."

Iain Case, 7 1/2
Almaden Valley
Elementary school student

"The big earthquake in Iran really shook me up. I want to help people more than I have before. I want to find out what God wants me to do and hopefully he'll guide me. I became a mom this year and that makes you find out things about yourself that you didn't know before. I feel God's given me a gift, and now I want to give something back. I'd like to help the situation in Iran and also do some charity work around here."

Nazli Zafaranchi, 32
Blossom Valley
Dentist