The Berkeley Gazette from Berkeley, California • 3

ijigi The INDEPENDENT GAZEnE Mon Sept 22 19803 AC Transit is no longer a teen come October 1 But neither is oV 6 Papa Nick for that matter Vs r1'V it ta'5 iV 9 By JOHN ADAMS The wheels of AC-Transit will have turned for 20 years this Oct 1 and 79-year-old Nickolas Papa Nick Alevizos has seen them all Alevizos did not start his career in public transit with the current bus district He dates back to 1921 when just five years off the boat from his native Greece he started his own jitney bus service in downtown Oakland only to merge with IS other jitney operators in 1934 to become part of the old Key System When that Key System was purchased by the voters and became AC-Transit in I960 Alevizos came with it to become a manager of the Richmond Division Thus began a colorful chapter for both Alevizos and the transit district Not content to merely push paper across a desk Alevizos became one of the most popular characters in the area by dressing as Santa Claus at yuletide and wheeling through the East Bay in the AC-Transit "Santas Express a bus decorated to match his jolly old elf costume Alevizos became an East Bay legend a legend that will live on after his retirement Jan 1 Not to be limited to Santa roles he eventually added appearances as Abraham Lincoln Christopher Columbus and Uncle Sam on appropriate days of the year But Santa Claus remained as Alevizos longest-running roll it is a holiday ritual he first began in 1933 Alevizos knows public transit has not always been as happy an experi- An AC Transit Mack bus tearful farewell when the district retired the model in 1965 ence as todays plush buses suggest He remembers the old jitney wars hen private bus operators literally battled for areas and passenger dollars in the East Bay It was Alevizos who organized a jitney drivers association to work out some of those differences without bloodshed But even Alevizos could not have visualized the transit system that exists today with a staff of 2050 providing 70 million passenger rides a year The current yearly budget is $74 million two-thirds of which comes from regional state and federal sources as a result of the passage of In 1970 a 10-cent senior citizen fare was introduced and on Sept 11 1972 AC-Transit buses began serving BART stations throughout the East Bay In was 1974 when the system unveiled its prototype small bus a luxury cutdown version of its standard coach Service was extended to Concord and Pleasant Hill in 1975 With the Bicentennial in 1976 the system began serving Moraga and Orinda and in 1977 services were extended to Pittsburg Antioch and Brentwood and in 1978 a contract was signed to extend services to northwest Contra Costa Countv Proposition 13 The system operates across 600 square miles of Alameda and Contra Costa counties with transbav trips to San Francisco as well But it did not happen overnight On Oct 20 1959 voters approved a $165 million bond issue to acquire the old Key System Transit Lines and buses actually began rolling on Christmas Day 1960 In 1965 the last gas-burning Mack bus was retired giving way to the more efficient CMC diesels In 1966 the 77-passenger articulate buses named "Freeway Trains" went into service and in 1967 the installation of two-way radios began KBMUD aks for county aid in controlling motorists visors EBMUD asked for a new county ordinance that would apply the state vehicle code to the EBMUD private roads The utility said motor vehicle violations in those areas are an increasing problem It noted that there were IS recent violations in the two recreation areas within a week's time MARTINEZ East Bay Municipal Utility District is asking Contra Costa County to help its rangers cut down on the rising number of violations committed by motorists on private roads within the EBMUD San Pablo and Lafayette reservoir recreation areas In a letter to the county board of super Papa Nick Alevizos aboard AC Transit's Santa's Express action man LOOKING FOB YOUR Ourcarriersdotheirbesttogive you outstanding service but sometimes they miss It is important to us for you to receive your paper If ithasnot been delivered by 5:30 PM PLEASE give us a call and we will see that you get one All calls for same day service must reach the IG circu'ation department by 6:45 PM CALL 236-2100 Rodeo only 799-0102 Crockett only 787-1760 Martinez is 30 530 omy) 228-2833 SUNDAY SERVICE Your paper should arrive by 8 AM If you miss your paper PLEASE cal! us For same day service all calls must reach us by 9:15 AM Check your area number above fSave Big Bucks' ON TUES WED THUR SEPT 23 24 25 'V PM HomeStyle Food Fresh new menu daily Salad Bar Beverage Dessert Sundaes All Included CHILDREN 2SC PER YR THRU 12 YRS ALL YOU CAN EAT 637 El Portal Center San Pablo roomajjote 233-1558 ing for a recording of The Desert Song" I have such a record featuring Gordon McCrae and Lucille Norman Please forward this to the party who wrote your column FC El Sobrante Dear FU: Your letter is being forwarded to IW of Berkeley who will be most grateful Thank you for writing the column The Action Man: Could you tell me what BART did with all the soil taken from the construction of its tunnels? VD Berkeley Dear Vl): Most of the soil from the BART tunnels was sent out to sea where it was dumped outside the Golden Gate Bridge Some soil was also dumped along parts of the Marin shoreline The Action Man: For the past five years I have collected bingo prizes tor convalescent homes in the area 1 often visit during bingo games and have found in the past that the prizes were well used But it has recently come to my attention that some of these hospitals allow their help to also play for prizes Can you check this out We give prizes for the patients not the stuff of the hospital MME1 Sobrante Dear MM: The Action Man contacted the hospitals you listed All of them denied such a practice However if you note anything of this nature in the future please write again Prizes meant for patients should be used for that purpose Any abuse of such prizes will be followed up by this column The Action Man: A resident of Berkeley wrote you ask Albany plaits Back to School nipht Wells Fhrgo Express Stop The bank that never closes ALBANY Parents and people interested in the affairs of Albany High School are invited to attend Back to School night Wednesday with a program beginning at 6:45 pm in the school gymnasium After welcoming remarks by student body president Stanley Chin Albany High principal James Walker will introduce staff members Visitors will then attend 15-minute classes following the pattern of a regular school day "While it is difficult for each parent to converse with each teacher about his child there is time for the parents to become familiar with the student schedule the teachers the overall purpose ot each course grading policy and teacher expectations" Walker said "It is hoped that following this visit parents will feel free to schedule conferences with teachers and a students counselor or advisors at some future time" The school site council will present the school improvement plan at 9:30 pm in the school cafeteria The Wells Fargo Express Stop is open for business 24 hours a day 7 days a week It's like a bank outside the bank An automatic banking machine that can take care of most of your banking needs In seconds You can get cash anytime Up to $100 a day Make deposits to either your savings or checking account Transfer funds from one account to another Check your balances Make payments on any Wells Fargo loan Master Charge or Visa account Its as easy as dialing a telephone Stop by your local Express Stop and give it a try BERLITZ Alameda Berkeley 2260 Otis Drive 2144 Shattuok Avenue 1800 Solano Aver no Oakland 151 Fortieth Sheet 3450 Avenue 415 Twentieth Stieet There are also Express Stops in these cities Berkeley Burlingame Concord Cupertino Danville lafuyettq Larkspur Livetmore Los Altos Menlo Park Mill Valley Mountain View Napa Palo Aito Pleasant Hill Pleasanton Redwood City San Carlos San FYancisco San Mateo San Ratael Santa Rosa Sunnyvale Vallejo and Walnut Cieek Wells Fargo Bank The next time you travel abroad feel more at home by speaking the native language Since 1878 We teach you a second language the same way you learned your first by hearing it and speaking it You'll learn to think and converse in your new language in just a few weeks And with the world paio Alto (415) 323-0076 famous Berlitz Method its easy and fun San Jose (408) 377-9513 to learn any new language Call today for San Francisco (415) 986-6464 a no-obligation appointment Oakland (415) 444-2828 ami if ti imme'sinn 4tp rojifttfi'Pd service marks of Th Berhit Schools of languages of Amenra Inc Tianvatuv1 mrvi ps Avemitnp Schools ii countries ofldwid Meml)r FDiC.