CLEAN CALIFORNIA PROJECT BREAKS GROUND ON A NEW SPORTS FIELD AND TRACK TO BRING SAFE, CLEAN, AND ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR FACILITIES TO ANDERSON VALLEY JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
BOONVILLE — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday morning at Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High in Boonville to mark the start of construction for the Anderson Valley Track to Health and Fitness project.
This $4.7 million Clean California project was made possible through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.2 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, and help communities beautify their public spaces.
This project will feature a new synthetic turf field that can be used for both soccer and football and an all-weather track accessible to students and the community, providing varied fitness opportunities for Boonville residents. The project addresses an important need, as there are no gyms or workout facilities within a 20-mile radius.
The project centerpiece is a state-of-the-art, six-lane running track with a rubberized, artificial surface for track and field athletics and community-wide exercise. The track will be accessible before and after school hours, on weekends and during the summer months.
“This project represents a significant investment in our school and community, creating a space that promotes health, recreation, and school pride,” said Anderson Valley Unified School District Superintendent Kristin Larson Balliet. “We are deeply grateful to Caltrans for recognizing the value of accessible outdoor facilities and for helping us bring this long-awaited project to fruition.”
These improvements will provide a safe and equitable venue for students from low- income families to participate in sporting events and independent soccer leagues in a clean, welcoming environment designed to help residents achieve their individual wellness and recreation goals.
“Through our partnership with the Anderson Valley Unified School District, this project highlights our commitment to improving quality of life in communities throughout the region,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Matthew Brady. “This athletic facility provides a convenient home base for Boonville residents and students to recreate and engage in outdoor activities.”
Representatives from the Anderson Valley Unified School District, Caltrans and Rege Construction joined students and staff for the groundbreaking event. Construction is expected for completion by spring 2026.
Clean California has funded 319 projects statewide to revitalize and beautify underserved communities. Projects are improving public spaces, tribal lands, parks, neighborhoods, transit centers, walking paths, streets, roadsides, recreation fields, community gathering spots, and places of cultural importance or historical interest in underserved communities. Since July 2021, Caltrans’ Clean California initiative and its local partners have picked up more than 2.9 million cubic yards of litter – enough to cover nine lanes of Interstate 5 with trash from the Mexican border to Oregon. Caltrans also hosted more than 650 free dump days in communities throughout the state, resulting in the collection of 15,500-plus mattresses and 57,000 tires. The initiative has enlisted more than 72,000 community clean-up volunteers and created thousands of jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.
For more information, visit CleanCA.com.
AV UNIFIED NEWS
Dear Students, Families, and Staff,
How can it possibly be the last week of school?! It has been an amazing whirlwind of a year. Last week was very special, culminating with the Groundbreaking ceremony as Rege Construction begins their work on the new track at AVHS! We are thrilled to have this long-awaited endeavor underway, and deeply grateful to Caltrans for funding the project. There will be a press release from Caltrans coming soon!
To all parents and guardians: Thank you for entrusting your precious children to AVUSD, whether they are preschoolers who took their first steps onto our grounds last August, or high school seniors who will take their final steps as AV students when they graduate on Thursday, they are an absolute inspiration. We look forward to fun and families, and photos in the coming days. Please join us if you can, as we celebrate the hard work, the joy, and the accomplishments made by these remarkable students!
Fondly,
Kristin Larson Balliet
Superintendent
Upcoming Events - We hope to see you there!
June 10, 6th Grade Promotion
6:00 p.m. at the AVHS Gymnasium in Boonville
June 11, 8th Grade Promotion
6:00 p.m. at the AVHS Gymnasium in Boonville
June 12, High School Graduation
7:00 p.m. at the AVHS Gymnasium in Boonville
Adult Summer School Classes
Adult School summer classes start soon! I'm writing to share our summer class schedule. From early June to the end of July, we will be offering two classes at the Adult School- English as a Second Language (multi-level) and Child Development in Spanish. Please contact 895-2953 or [email protected] if you have any questions or want to register.
Thank You, Kira Brennan!
Mrs. Brennan is retiring! We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Brennan for her passion for student success and her hard work for many, many years in AVUSD. A recent email excerpt from Mrs. Brennan (below) about the Bike Club she started this year highlights her commitment to kids as well as one element of the legacy she leaves behind in our district.
“What I have seen to become a dream come true, and even beyond, are kids moving, smiling, working together, and taking responsibility. Mostly, I see Joy. I have been teaching several kids how to ride a bike. I have witnessed two students who took the time to fix a bike. I have watched students choose to ride bikes in the ASP instead of being on their phones. So, Kudos to all of us for making this happen. It has taken a village. Truly. I would also like to say that this Bike Club will continue into next year, no matter what…”
Thank you, Mrs. Brennan, for your service and for all you have done for kids throughout your career.
ALBION-LITTLE RIVER FIRE BBQ JULY 12, 2025
The Albion-Little River Fire Protection District and Fire Auxiliary cordially invite you to celebrate the 62nd year of our annual fundraising BBQ on Saturday, July 12,2025, from Noon to 5PM at ALRFPD Station 812, 43100 Little River Airport Rd., Little River.
Support our firefighters while munching down on tasty BBQ'd chicken, tri tip, chili beans, corn-on-the-cob, garlic bread and desserts. We will have a wine auction as well as a silent auction for local items, live music, a dessert booth and bar for beer and wine, and this year we are adding a new margarita booth.
Tickets are available at the door and are $30 for adults, $15 for 7-12 year olds, and free for children under 7 accompanied by a paying adult.
Volunteers are needed to help the day before for preparation, to help at the event, and to provide desserts for our dessert booth. We also need volunteers to come in at the end of the event for cleanup. In addition, we are also soliciting donations for our auction. Please contact me at [email protected] regarding auction donations and desserts, Wendy Meyer at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering, or Susy Kitahara at [email protected] for anything to do with the food, as soon as possible.
All Volunteers Will Get A Free Meal.
We're looking forward to seeing every one of you! Thanks for your support.
COMPTCHE FATHER'S DAY CHICKEN BBQ
The Father’s Day BBQ Chicken Dinner benefiting the Comptche Volunteer Fire Department will be back in action Sunday June 15 from noon to 4 p.m. at Firehouse Park, right next to the fire station, a quarter mile south of the Comptche Store on Flynn Creek Road. A great meal is available for $27 for ages 13 and up, $12 for kids ages 7-12. Kids under six eat free.
The chicken will be hitting the BBQ grill served with salad, garlic bread, macaroni salad, beans and homemade pies and desserts. There will be liquid refreshments, a country store, a kids play zone and a raffle. Comptche quilters have hand made award winning quilts for decades and this year the quilt is the Grand Prize finishing the raffle.
Music will be provided by 2nd Hand Grass and New Nashville West.
The Comptche Volunteer Fire Department has been a valued part of the community for over 60 years. This event helps ensure the financial stability of the organization.
Please leave your pets at home.
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