More Tales: Water Sport Capitol, Uprooted Crosses, Incoming In Orinda?

Like our Parisian cousins August is the time Lamorindans like to flee their hometown for a trip up the hill or to the beach -- one last family holiday before it's back to school and the kids are burdened by all that homework.

While we are still hearing tantalizing tales of exploits by vacation-minded Lamorindans cavorting in Tahoe and Tampa, those of us holding down the fort at home have a few tales to tell ourselves.

It looks like someone was mucking around out at with several dozen of the markers knocked down or removed last week. No suspects and it's not known why someone would feel so moved but some folks have suggested it's time for the message-memorial to come down. It's not known if the cross removal was meant as a message of its own or mindless vandalism, but Jeff Heaton and supporters are at work replacing the markers.

Over the weekend Orinda residents living behind phoned to report what they swore was automatic weapons fire in their neighborhood, along with questions about who was doing the shooting. Near as we can figure neighbors up that way may have been setting off some unexpended Fourth of July pyrotechnics but nothing sinister, that we know about. We do know that sound does travel, and plays some major tricks on the ears, after midnight around these parts -- so that may have something to do with it.

And then there's the Club's Boys 18 and Under A team -- who waltzed into Stanford on Tuesday and waltzed away with the Junior Olympics Division National Championship -- defeating a number of strong Southern California teams in the process and earning major props in Water Polo circles.

The players, many of whom just graduated from Miramonte and Acalanes, are earmarked to play in Division 1 college programs on both coasts. The buzz, or the bubbles, in swimming circles is that the win puts Lamorinda in the national spotlight as a center of supremacy in the sport.

Nicely done, gentlemen.