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Friday, September 03, 2010
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Running With Purpose
Local Duo Entering Marine Corps Marathon
|  | | Lacing up the running shoes, local residents Mike Pitassi, right, and Gregg Churchill, center, will be running in the Oct. 31 Marine Corps Marathon in memory of James Layton, the son of Brent Layton, left, of Escalon. The younger Layton, who grew up in Riverbank and Escalon, was a Navy medical corpsman, killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan in September 2009.
Marg Jackson/The Times
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It was almost a year ago when the unthinkable happened ... the loss of one of the region's own overseas. Navy medical corpsman James 'Doc' Layton, a Petty Officer Third Class, was killed while tending to the wounds of an injured Marine in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. The 22-year-old medic died Sept. 8, 2009. He was a graduate of Vista High School in Escalon and had grown up in the Escalon and Riverbank areas.
Now, in his honor and in recognition of the sacrifice of all service men and women, local runners Mike Pitassi and Gregg Churchill of Escalon are in training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of October. Both men are currently seeking donations in hopes of raising money for the Semper Fi Foundation.
For Pitassi, whose own son was also involved in a military incident around the same time as James Layton, the run has an even more personal note. While his son, a Navy SEAL corpsman, was safe, the son of friend Brent Layton paid the ultimate price.
"For a long time I couldn't even look Brent in the eye," Pitassi admitted, noting that as fathers with sons in the military, the two share that bond but Layton's loss is something Pitassi cannot even begin to comprehend.
"Here they were, two boys from the same area of California, thousands of miles away (from home) and just a few miles apart ... "
One lived through what easily could have been a deadly attack; the other was killed in the line of duty. James 'Doc' Layton was the son of Brent Layton and Nikki Freitas. He was buried in a ceremony with full military honors at Burwood Cemetery in Escalon last Sept. 17.
Pitassi said there is a special sense in preparing for this marathon.
"I've never run for any other purpose other than to try to go faster," he said of working to reduce his times from race to race.
Now, the goal is much bigger - honoring those lost in service to this country and raising $5,000 to give to the Semper Fi Foundation.
Brent Layton, for his part, said the fact that Pitassi and Churchill are running in memory of his son means a great deal.
"I'm honored my friends would run, not to honor just James, but all our Marines, all our veterans," Layton said.
The former law enforcement officer has become an activist for veterans' issues and has made many trips to Sacramento, as well as the local offices of state and federal legislators. He has also been back to Washington, DC and has another trip to the East Coast planned for the fall, keeping tabs on several bills to benefit veterans.
"Ninety-nine percent of the injuries aren't seen," Layton explained, noting that TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, may not be visible like the loss of an arm or a leg, but they are prevalent among vets returning from overseas.
"Not only do these kids deserve the support, but the families as well," Pitassi added.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 |
| Opinion
| | Stuff 'n Nonsense
A Love So Strong | On the day this column reaches the newsstands, my oldest son will turn 17. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that concept. Was it really 17 years ago that I brought that nine-pound, 10-ounce kid into this world? I guess so. When I look into his eyes, I see the boy he was, but when I pull back, I see the young man he's turning into.
It's a bittersweet thing, to watch your kids grow up.
This boy changed our lives in ways only a firstborn can.
When the nurse put my son in my arms, I remember being dazed, exhausted, but mostly terrified. Who said I was ready to be a mother? How could the hospital allow me to leave with this precious bundle when I was little more than a kid myself? I was a child, playing house, enjoying the idea of having a baby. But as I stared into his deep, brown eyes, it got very real, very fast and I wasn't ready. Here was this helpless infant, depending on me, when I didn't have a clue as to how to care for him. And to compound matters, I didn't feel like a mother. I kept waiting for this rush of maternal love for this little stranger and yet I felt empty. My husband, on the other hand, fell in love with his son the moment he was born. I remember watching as my husband, barely old enough to drink, wearing a funky bandana and operating on very little sleep, cradled that small bundle in his arms as if he were the most precious thing on earth. Whatever I wasn't feeling yet, my husband found in abundance. He delighted in being a father, finding his way easily and without reservation while I floundered, too ashamed to admit I worried I'd never be a good mother because I felt so detached from this tiny being that shared half my DNA and demanded my every resource. I was afraid I'd never feel right, never feel what I was supposed to. For the first three weeks of his life, I relied on my aunt to be his primary caregiver. She loved and kissed him, gave him the affection he needed. She even gave him his first bath. I was too afraid of breaking him, of doing something wrong, to try.
Slowly, I found my footing as a mother but it was a rocky climb and the learning curve was steep. I made a lot of mistakes, some minor, some not. He was a very good baby, which was a blessing. He rarely cried and when he did, it was never loud and piercing. He was adorable and almost too pretty for a boy. He had gorgeous soft, chestnut curls that no matter how I dressed him, always made people think he was a girl. Eventually, I had to cut those curls and they never came back.
We almost lost him when he was 3; and to this day I carry the weight of the emergency room doctor's condemnation for waiting too long to bring him to the hospital for his cough. By the time I carried his little body into the hospital, eyes rolling into the back of his head, he had such bad bronchial pneumonia that his lungs couldn't pull in enough oxygen to breathe. The doctor told me another hour and he likely would've died.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 |  |
| Sports
| | Soccer Preview
Versatility, Depth Could Be Key For Cougar Kickers |  |
Strength in numbers and plenty of depth should combine to make for an exciting 2010 soccer season for the Escalon varsity Cougars.
Under the direction of fourth year head coach Paul Silva, the squad hopes to challenge for the Trans-Valley League title and also make a return trip to the postseason.
"We have a lot of numbers, a big squad and we have a deep squad, there's quite a bit of talent there," said Silva. "We'll be versatile. We can be a very attacking team and, if need be, we can clog up the middle to make it hard for other teams to score."
Key returners include seniors, midfielder Nestor Mancilla, sweeper Fernando Lopez, a third year varsity starter; defender Edgar Pantoja, and forward Cesar Felix. Also back is junior Carlos Algandar, a forward that Silva pulled up to the varsity midway through last season.
"He has been impressive," Silva said of Algandar. "Cesar Felix is a senior who played on varsity as a sophomore and he's back for me, he's one of the fastest kids out there.
Junior Jordan Hall was also pulled up as a sophomore last year to the varsity level and plays both goalie and midfielder.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | | | Cross Country Preview
Cougars Look For Strong Run Through TVL Cross Country Competition |  |
Strong individuals will have to work together as a team, pushing each other in the pursuit of a Trans-Valley League crown.
Escalon's cross country team boasts some strong returning performers on both the boys' and girls' sides, and those seasoned veterans will be counted on this season to rally their teammates.
Numbers are not as high as they have been in the past, noted returning coach Rick Heflin, making it all the more important for those runners with experience to step up into leadership roles.
"Our boys are a little thin," Heflin said. "We need more boys. We have strong individuals but we need to fill some holes to make a team."
Key returners are junior Josh Vandagriff, sophomore Alec Carpenter, junior Josh Proch, seniors Tanner Roark, Logan Stewart and Stuart Eachus, and junior Jake Carroll.
"The girls have some major talent," added Heflin. "Our key returners there are Janelle Giuntoli (junior), Adriana Delucci (sophomore), Jordyn Walden (sophomore), Sierra Lionudakis (sophomore), Sam Cuddy (sophomore)."
The boys are coming off a year in which they took first place in the TVL but have lost standout performers in graduates Matt Barnum, Clancy Casteel and Philip Plott, and will have to find runners to fill those spots in the scoring line up.
The girls were third place overall last season but with a strong nucleus of returning runners, Heflin said the Lady Cougars may be the ones to catch this year.
"The kids are positive, it's a good environment," Heflin said.
Assistant coaches this year also bring a new level of enthusiasm and expertise to the squad, Malinda Walker - who also serves as the JV softball coach - coming in as Heflin's assistant and Shane Brookshire joining the effort as a volunteer assistant.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | |
| Obituaries
| | Charles Bates | Charles (Chuck) Owen Bates, 77, died Tuesday Aug. 10 after a long and hard fought battle with Peripheral Vascular Disease.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | | | Paul Chandler | Paul Lacey Chandler, 80, died on Sunday, Aug. 8 in Manteca.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | | | John Strand | John Gary Strand, 29, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 12 in Brentwood.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | |
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