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Authors presentation to San Ramon Valley TK-3rd grade students cancelled over content deemed unsuitable

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The Day the Books Disappeared cover. Source: Amazon.com

For their “picture book…about banning books”; instructed not to speak about “books with queer representation”

Book bans deemed “hoax” by U.S. Dep’t of Ed regarding removals from school libraries

By Allen D. Payton

Two authors of a book about book “banning” did not conduct a presentation to 4- to 9-year-old students at Country Club Elementary School in the San Ramo Valley Unified School District, recently because “parts of the presentation were not suited to” the “youngest learners in TK to third grade” according to a letter dated Oct. 29, 2025, from Superintendent CJ Cammack. Both sides point fingers at the other for the event’s cancellation.

The authors, Joanna How and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, were going to speak about their picture book entitled, The Day the Books Disappeared about the banning of books. According to the description on Amazon.com, “This book about books celebrates themes of empathy, interconnectedness, and the value of diverse and differing perspectives.”

But that message, according to the superintendent’s letter, “was overshadowed by a presentation focused on book banning that extended beyond the developmental level of our youngest students.”

According to the authors, when they arrived, the principal met with them in an office and told them to “only talk about the book” and “not to speak about book bans or the types of books being banned, specifically books with queer representation.”

According to the superintendent, “district staff reached out to the organization we partner with on author visits to share concerns and request that the presentation be adjusted for a younger audience before the scheduled visit to Country Club.  When no response was received, staff respectfully made the same request to the authors when they arrived on campus. The authors declined to modify their presentation to align with our requests and chose to leave without presenting.”

However, the authors claim they “were not allowed to present.”

Superintendent’s Letter

Cammack’s letter reads:

Oct. 29, 2025

Dear Parents/Caregivers, Staff, and Community Members,

I would like to address a situation regarding a recent author visit for some of our TK-3rd grade classes in SRVUSD, which has garnered some media and social media attention. On behalf of the District, I’d like to offer some important context.

Recently, co-authors of the book, The Day the Books Disappeared, visited some SRVUSD elementary schools. Concerns were voiced by site principals that parts of the presentation were not suited to our youngest learners in TK to third grade (4 years old – 9 years old).  Specifically, the book’s message of kindness, empathy, and understanding was overshadowed by a presentation focused on book banning that extended beyond the developmental level of our youngest students.

Based on this feedback, district staff reached out to the organization we partner with on author visits to share concerns and request that the presentation be adjusted for a younger audience before the scheduled visit to Country Club.  When no response was received, staff respectfully made the same request to the authors when they arrived on campus. The authors declined to modify their presentation to align with our requests and chose to leave without presenting.

SRVUSD values and supports author visits as well as inclusion of diverse books, perspectives and dialogue as meaningful educational opportunities for our students. We support and believe in the strength of our richly diverse community. We remain committed to providing engaging, age-appropriate learning experiences in the classrooms and on our campuses that reflect the best academic and social-emotional interests of our students, aligned with their developmental levels.

Sincerely,

CJ Cammack

Superintendent

——————-

Source: Instagram

Authors Respond

In a message posted on their Instagram page on Wednesday the authors wrote:

“We are deeply saddened that we were prevented from meeting with young readers at Country Club Elementary in San Ramon, California during our tour for The Day the Books Disappeared, a picture book we wrote about book banning, illustrated by Dan Santat.

When we arrived, students were waiting for us in the library, but instead of taking us to meet them, the principal pulled us into an office and told us to ‘only talk about the book.’ When pressed, she told us not to speak about book bans or the types of books being banned, specifically books with queer representation. We responded that this would be out of our integrity, and that we would not change our presentation. Despite district approval for our visit, the principal informed us the directive came from above and excused herself to call her district supervisor. Forty minutes later, students were sent back to their classrooms, and we were not permitted to present.”

The two also wrote on Instagram, “Students of Country Club Elementary, we hope you know that your community is better because you are in it. We see you. We celebrate you.

A system of fear can only be fought by an even stronger ecosystem of courage, and we’ve witnessed the ripples created by remarkable acts of bravery across the country on behalf of students and learning. We can all choose to be part of an ecosystem of courage. Together we can fight for our freedom to read.

With love,

Joanna and Caroline”

————

Books Removed from School Libraries Labeled “Banned” Deemed “Hoax” by U.S. Dept of Education

Most of the books claimed to be banned in the U.S. have merely been removed from school libraries due to their content not being age-appropriate for students. According to Pen America, the effort “predominantly targets books about race and racism or books featuring individuals of color and LGBTQ+ people and topics, as well those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence.”

That organization’s Banned Book List of 2025 claims the top books include, A Clockwork Orange in which “teen protagonist Alex creates mayhem before undergoing aversion therapy to curb his violent tendencies;” Sold which “tells the story of Lakshmi, a 13-year-old girl in Nepal who is sold into prostitution;” Last Night at the Telegraph Club “set in 1954…when 17-year-old Lily Hu visits a lesbian bar;” Forever, which the author says she “wrote it because her daughter wanted to read something where kids could have sex ‘without either of them having to die;’” and All Boys Aren’t Blue, a memoir by “prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson” which, according to Amazon, “delves into sensitive subjects such as consent, sexual abuse, and the complexities of growing up in a society that often marginalizes queer identities…aiming to provide both a voice for young queer individuals and a guide for allies. The title itself reflects the multifaceted nature of masculinity and the societal pressures surrounding it, with ‘blue’ symbolizing traditional masculinity and the violence often faced by queer Black individuals.”

A January 2025 press release entitled, “U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax” announced a decision by its Office for Civil Rights that, “dismissed 11 complaints related to so-called ‘book bans.’ The complaints alleged that local school districts’ removal of age-inappropriate, sexually explicit, or obscene materials from their school libraries created a hostile environment for students – a meritless claim premised upon a dubious legal theory. Effective Jan. 24, 2025, OCR has rescinded all department guidance issued under the theory that a school district’s removal of age-inappropriate books from its libraries may violate civil rights laws.

“By dismissing these complaints and eliminating the position and authorities of a so-called ‘book ban coordinator,’ the department is beginning the process of restoring the fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “The department adheres to the deeply rooted American principle that local control over public education best allows parents and teachers alike to assess the educational needs of their children and communities. Parents and school boards have broad discretion to fulfill that important responsibility. These decisions will no longer be second-guessed by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.”

Questions for District Staff Go Unanswered

District communications staff were asked where the letter can be found on the district’s website because it’s not under Newsroom and Media in the Communications and Community Relations section, the name of the organization that they “partner with on author visits” as mentioned in the letter, and why the superintendent’s letter wasn’t sent to the media, as they issue press releases on a regular basis. But they did not respond prior to publication time.

Please check back for any updates.

SFGate.com and Mike Burkholder of ContraCosta.news were sources for this report.

Pittsburg author publishes first children’s book

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We Are Twins cover and author Larena Baldazo. Photo by Railroad Book Depot

Larena Baldazo’s “We Are Twins” based on experience with own daughter

Sales benefit Pittsburg Arts & Community Foundation

Pittsburg resident and now local author, Larena Baldazo, has launched her first children’s book, We Are Twins.

The story recognizes differences while celebrating similarities, especially among children with unique learning styles and special needs. This simple story packs a big message for young readers, with a goal of bringing awareness to everyone’s needs and fostering inclusiveness.

This book aims to serve as a tool to start the conversation and lead with intentionality. We Are Twins focuses on two friends, Luli and Valentina, to explore the idea that it is our differences that make us special, and our similarities are what spark long-lasting friendships. At first glance, the girls are nearly complete opposites, how can they be twins? Do people have to be exactly alike to become and stay friends? Read it for yourself and find out!

We Are Twins is now available in-store and online at the Railroad Book Depot. Oh, and shipping is free! The book retails for $19.99 and 30% of each sale goes toward arts and literature programs through the Pittsburg Arts & Community Foundation.

Order here or buy it in-store at: 485 Railroad Avenue, Pittsburg, CA.

About the Author
With a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Digital Media, and a plethora of blog posts as a writer for Baby Center’s Spanglish Mamis channel, Larena Baldazo’s passion has always been for storytelling. Over the years, her creativity led her down a path of marketing, creating content for social media, and web producing for brands and big names such as the San Francisco Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and then on to public service.

Behind the stories, the photography, and the Instagram lives, Larena’s first job is being a mom. She and her husband live in Pittsburg, and if you look at the illustrations in this book closely, you may see some familiar spots if you know the area well enough. Just after Larena’s daughter turned three years old, she was diagnosed with 100 percent hearing loss in her right ear and a learning disability. With little information, so many questions and a lack of guidance, Larena quickly learned that she needed to be her daughter’s advocate to get her the support services she needed. Whether that was in the doctor’s office or at school.

We Are Twins is inspired by her daughter, not only because of her journey, but because this was something she would often say when she felt a connection with someone or shared the same interest. Once again, Larena’s daughter had introduced her to a new way of thinking…that it is our differences that make us special, and our similarities are what spark long-lasting friendships.

Martinez author offers “My Interview with Joe DiMaggio”

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Matt Sieger (far right) and Joe DiMaggio. Courtesy of Matt Sieger

“Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio was a Martinez native

By Matt Sieger

In the summer of 1974, between my junior and senior years at Cornell University, I was freelancing for the Ithaca New Times, a weekly newspaper in Ithaca, NY. My editor suggested I write a feature story about the Oneonta Yankees, a New York Yankees farm team in the New York-Penn League.

The NY-P, founded in 1939 as a Class D League as the PONY (Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York) League, became a Class A league in 1963. The NY-P is now the oldest continuously operated Class A league in professional baseball.

Oneonta is about a two-hour drive from Ithaca. My only problem was that I didn’t have a car. But back then, many young people hitchhiked. It was not yet considered very dangerous (although in 1973 the FBI did put out a poster warning drivers that a hitcher might be a “sex maniac” or a “vicious murderer”!). I guess I didn’t look like either, so I managed to hitch a ride to Oneonta.

Oneonta is a small town (around 16,000 people then, 14,000 now) nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. In the 1940s and 1950s, the town supported the Oneonta Red Sox, a Boston farm team in the now-defunct Canadian-American League. Frank Malzone, the Golden Glove third baseman for Boston in the fifties and sixties, played at Oneonta in 1949.

The Yankees took over the franchise in 1967. Notable Oneonta Yankees alumni include Don Mattingly (1979), Bernie Williams (1987) and Jorge Posada (1991). During my visit in 1974, the roster included Dennis Werth, a catcher who played in the big leagues for parts of four seasons and whose stepson is Jayson Werth, the retired All-Star outfielder. Also on the squad was Mike Heath, then a shortstop, who spent 14 seasons in the Major Leagues, mostly as a catcher. The president of the team was Sam Nader, cousin of the famous consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

The team played at the well-groomed Damaschke Field, where attendance averaged around 1,000 a game. Admission was $1.25 for adults and 60 cents for children.

I had intended to just spend the day, do my interviews and hitch a ride back home. But General Manager Nick Lambros informed me that I happened to arrive the day before Famous Yankee Night, an annual promotional event when the team brings in a former Yankee star.

Well, the star that year was Joe DiMaggio! The next evening 3,000 people jammed into Damaschke Field to see Joltin’ Joe before the game. He signed autographs, talked with the fans and took a few swings for old times’ sake.

I wouldn’t be able to stay that late, but Mr. Lambros invited me to a small press conference the next afternoon on his backyard patio. So, after sleeping the night on the floor of an apartment shared by some of the players (one of them was Lou Turco, a pitcher I had played summer baseball with in New Jersey), I headed over to the press conference.

As we sat on the patio sipping lemonade, Mr. Lambros emerged through the screen door of his home and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Joe DiMaggio!” And behind him came the dapper, dignified Yankee Clipper himself.

As a 21-year-old cub reporter, I was in awe as DiMaggio sat down in a lawn chair right next to me. He would turn 60 in November, but apart from the silver hair, he looked like he could still be playing center field for the Bronx Bombers.

As I wrote in my August 24, 1974, article for the Ithaca New Times, “Even if he can no longer hit that high inside fastball, the grace and dignity that characterized him on and off the field still shine through.” What impressed me most was how unassuming and approachable and congenial he was. Here was the great Joe DiMaggio in a tiny town with just a few folks out on the patio, and he treated me and the others with the utmost respect, taking time to fully answer all our questions.

Here’s the portion of the article from my interview with him that day:

The Yankee Clipper reminisced: “I think I played in one of the most beautiful eras in baseball. At that time you had a different type of fan and a different type of ballplayer. We used to sit in the hotel lobbies and talk baseball for hours. Nowadays all the players have business interests and other things on the side to think about. But I don’t blame them for that.

“As far as ability, that’s hard to say. There were only eight teams in each league when I was playing. Today you have 12, and I believe that’s diluted the talent a bit. Also, they’re bringing along young ballplayers a little too quickly, so that they come out of the minor leagues unrefined. I remember when I was coaching for Oakland and Reggie Jackson first arrived. He couldn’t catch a fly ball. We’d hit it to him, he’d pound the glove a few times, and the ball would drop 20 feet behind him. I’m not kidding.”

Jackson has come a long way since then, and DiMaggio says it’s because he’s a hard worker. He feels that natural ability goes only so far. “There’s no perfect ballplayer,” said the man who may have been the closest to it. “We all strive for it but there’s no one who ever gets there. I worked for hours and hours in practice just charging ground balls.”

After talking a little about his famous 56-game hitting streak, his daffy roommate Lefty Gomez and the great Yankee manager Joe McCarthy, DiMaggio was goaded into answering one of the most frequently asked questions: “What was your greatest thrill in baseball?”

“I’ll tell you one of them,” he replied. “Putting on the New York Yankees pinstripes in spring training for the very first time.”

It was such a thrill to interview the Yankee Clipper that day. Who knew that 44 years later I would move to Martinez (Joltin’ Joe’s hometown) and get to share this story with readers of the Herald.

Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978. Matt lives in Martinez. This article first appeared in The Vacaville Reporter.

Local author to speak at Brentwood Library luncheon fundraiser in February

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Tickets available; Dan Hanel’s books make great Christmas gifts!

Get your tickets now for the Friends of the Brentwood Library Author’s Luncheon fundraiser on February 7, 2024. Enjoy good food, good wine and a good chance to hear local, award-winning author Dan Hanel speak about the early 20th century wine industry in Contra Costa, including Winehaven, the largest winery in the world, the subject of his most recent novel, Beneath the Tangles Vines.

Hanel has been an educator for over 35 years – as an award-winning science teacher when he received the Eukel Teacher Trust award for outstanding teachers of Contra Costa County and was named the Distinguished High School Science Teacher for the State of California. He is also an award winning school administrator serving at the high school, district, and county office levels.

Hanel grew up in Richmond, CA and received a degree in Biology from U.C., Berkeley and a Masters in Education from Cal State University, Hayward. Dan, his wife, and their dog, Luna, currently live in Brentwood, CA . . . in the shadow of Diablo.

Half the $40 ticket price is tax deductible, plus tickets make a great stocking stuffer – availableat Author’s Luncheon | Friends of the Brentwood Library.

And don’t forget, a set of the In The Shadow of Diablo series makes a great gift.

Learn more about Hanel and his books at danhanel.com.

 

Tickets still available to see author and Trump advisor George Papadopoulos speak on book “Deep State Target” in Brentwood May 19

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East Contra Costa Republic Women Federated presents former member of foreign policy advisory panel during 2016 presidential campaign

For an individual ticket visit https://square.link/u/QxL23oBt

For a couple’s ticket visit https://square.link/u/YiLOI20c

For more information email RepublicanWomenECC@gmail.com.

Book signing by author, wife of Pittsburg’s Olympic Gold Medalist Eddie Hart Saturday, Aug. 27

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“I Remember ‘72” offers her perspective of what happened to cause Fastest Human, World Record Holder to be disqualified

By Allen D. Payton

Following publication of the book “Disqualified” by Pittsburg resident Eddie Hart and longtime Bay Area sports reporter Dave Newhouse about Hart’s experience leading up to and at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, his wife, Gwendolyn “Gwen” Hart has penned her own book to offer her perspective. (See related article)

In her book entitled “I Remember ’72: The Road to Munich (My Voice)” Gwen, wife of the Olympic Gold Medalist, World’s Fastest Human at the time, and World Record Holder, speaks from a woman’s point of view. After 50 years of silence, she now voices her held in feelings of what happened to her then boyfriend, now husband on the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summer Olympics.

About The Book

It’s the perspective of a supportive girlfriend, then wife, of the life, tragedy experienced, and dignity displayed by the one-time, Fastest Man in the World and Olympic Gold Medalist Eddie Hart.

“I REMEMBER ‘72 is about perseverance, overcoming and love, which is what life is all about,” Gwen shared. “When situations arise, you’re going to need someone that cares for you, to help you to see that it can be overcome, that you can persevere. Eddie’s fortitude and the love he had from family would be the shining beacon that he would have to hold to and believe in, not letting others dictate how he should live; because Eddie was brought up to not throw stones, because one is thrown at you. He couldn’t afford to be told differently.”

“Life’s lessons are all about choices and what you choose will either help you build your character as a person or it will drag you like the wind blows trash, not having a direction. When things get rough you don’t have the luxury of re-acting but responding. That’s what I REMEMBER ‘72 is about; the man Eddie Hart who responded,” she added.

“A must read for those who appreciate a journey of faith by two who qualified because their hearts are filled with love, Gwendolyn’s My Voice has become their voice,” said Paul Cobb Publisher of the Post News Group.

“I Remember ‘72 provides yet another testimony of how love is the power and the means by which we overcome the catastrophic times in our lives,” Of LIFE and TIME author Clifton L. West III shared.

Get an autographed copy of Gwen Hart’s book and meet Eddie Hart on Saturday, August 27 at 1 p.m. at the Pittsburg Historical Society Museum located at 515 Railroad Avenue.

Book Purchase Information:

Cost: $23.00

Shp/Hld. $4.00

Payment Options:

Cash App: $ghbooks2music

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640 Bailey Rd. #170

Pittsburg, CA 94565

Award winning author of World War II novels Sarah Sundin to hold book signing at Antioch Barnes & Noble Saturday

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 Sarah Sundin with copies of the three new books from her new series at Barnes & Noble in Antioch. Photo courtesy of Sarah Sundin.

Barnes & Noble in Antioch, is all ready for Sarah Sundin’s book signing on Saturday, February 8, 2020 from 2-4 pm. As you can see, they have plenty of copies of the entire Sunrise at Normandy series, Sundin’s latest trilogy. The store is located at 5709 Lone Tree Way.

She has written three other trilogies based on actual events and people during World War II, entitled the Wings of Glory series, Wings of the Nightingale series and Waves of Freedom series.

Sundin, who lives in Antioch, has won multiple awards for her writing and credits her own family’s war-time experience for her inspiration.

“In January 2000, I woke from a dream so intriguing I had to write it down. I proceeded to write a really bad 750-page contemporary Christian romance,” she writes in her bio on her webpage. “That book will never be published, but it led me to join a critique group, attend writers’ conferences, and join American Christian Fiction Writers.”

“Family tales drew me to the World War II era,” Sundin continues. “I first submitted A Distant Melody in 2003, and over the next five years I accumulated a pile of rejection letters. In 2008, a submission at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference led to the sale of the Wings of Glory series.”

Since then she has received four more three-book contracts. The Sea Before Us received the 2019 Reader’s Choice Award from Faith, Hope, and Love. Both When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romances of the Last 10 Years,” Through Waters Deep received the 2016 INSPY Award and was a 2016 Carol Award Finalist, and my novella “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in Where Treetops Glisten was a 2015 Carol Award Finalist. In 2011, She received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

When not writing, Sundin teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies and speaks to school, community, women’s, historical, and church groups. Visit her speaking page for more information.

To learn more about Sundin and her books, visit www.sarahsundin.com.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Olympic Gold Medalist, Pittsburg resident Eddie Hart pens book about his tragedy and triumph at the ’72 games

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Eddie Hart with his new book entitled “Disqualified”.

Meet the two-time World Record-holder at Barnes & Noble in Antioch Monday, Dec. 18

By Allen Payton

Having previously equaled the World Record, Martinez-born and Pittsburg-raised Eddie Hart was a strong favorite to win the 100-Meter Dash at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The inexplicable happened, he was disqualified for arriving seconds after his quarterfinal heat. Ten years of training to become the “World’s Fastest Human.” The title attached to the Olympic 100-meter champion was lost in a heartbeat. How could this have possibly happened on athletics’ biggest stage, the Olympic Games?

Hart provides his story in a new book he’s written with the help of friend and former Oakland Tribune sports reporter, Dave Newhouse, entitled “Disqualified – Eddie Hart, Munich 1972, and the Voices of The Most Tragic Olympics.”

A Champion Since High School

Hart moved to Pittsburg when he was eight years old, and attended Village Elementary and Central Junior High. He graduated from Pittsburg High in 1967 where he lettered every year as a member of the track team, in the 100, 200 and long jump. He won “the conference in four events, including the 4×100 relay in 1966, then he repeated in the 100 and 200 in 1967,” Hart shared.

He then went on to attend Contra Costa College in San Pablo.

“That’s where I really blossomed,” Hart said.

It’s where he won the 100 and 200 at the junior college state meet in 1969.

Hart then transferred to U.C. Berkeley where he majored in Physical Education, because he wanted to be a track coach. In his first year, he won the 100-meter race at the PAC-8 championships and placed second in the 200.

Then at the NCAA national championships that year, Hart won the 100 and running anchor, helped his team win the 4×100 relay, as well.

One of his teammates, Isaac Curtis, who went on to play wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, came in second in that same 100-meter race, making it the only time in NCAA history that teammates from the same school placed first and second in the championship race.

“At the end of that year I made the U.S. national team and toured Europe for six weeks competing in various meets,” Hart shared. “We competed in France, in Russia and Oslo, and Sweden, also.”

Champion in the 5,000-meter Steve Prefontaine was on that same team.

“I knew Pre, well,” Hart said.

First Major Challenge

Then in 1971 he placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 at the NCAA Championships due to an injury earlier in the year, having missed half the season and not even competing in the conference championships.

First Comeback

Hart withdrew from school to train for the Olympics and became an assistant to the head track coach in 1972, at the same time. He entered open competition that year and during the meets Hart made the qualifying times in the 100. In fact, he missed the World Record by just 1/10th of a second running 10 flat at the West Coast Relays in Fresno.

Second Major Challenge

Three weeks before the Olympic trials Hart injured his right hamstring while running in the 200 at the U.S. Championships in Seattle. He couldn’t do any starts between that injury and his first race at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon.

“It was terrifying,” he said. “It was tough.”

Then at the trials, “It was a nightmare,” Hart said. “Each race, everyone was ahead of me.  I just kept pulling up.”

Asked if he was hesitant, he replied, “Oh, very much so. I was afraid I was going to reinjure myself.”

“You have to run four races,” Hart explained.  “A heat, a quarterfinal, a semi-final and then the final.”

Second Comeback

In the semifinal I was fourth and they only took four to the final. “I barely made it,” he stated.

“It was a wind-aided race and the first five guys ran a 9.9 in the 100 meters and the fifth-place guy didn’t even qualify,” Hart continued. “I was the fourth guy and I was scared to death, because from the finals they only took the top three.”

In the blocks at the starting line, he was still thinking about his leg, which was bothering him.

“This was all the marbles right here, there was nothing to save,” he shared.

“The gun went off and I was in a dream,” Hart explained. “I ran the best race of my life.”

Before or after, “Ever,” he said. “That was it.”

“I was an Olympian, an Olympic trials champion and the World Record holder at 9.9,” Hart stated proudly.

“It was legal, not wind-aided,” he added.

Hart had equaled the World Record in the 100-meter dash, which had been achieved by only two others before. It wasn’t broken until 1991 when Carl Lewis ran it in 9.86.

He also qualified for the Olympics as the anchor for the U.S. Men’s 4×100 relay team, which was made up of the four finalists in the 100-meter race.

From Triumph to Tragedy

About a month later he was with the U.S. Olympic Team in Boden, Maine for a few weeks to train in similar weather as Munich, Germany. They then competed in Oslo, Norway, France and Italy before arriving in the Olympic Village just a few days before the Opening Ceremony.

A few days later he ran and won his heat.

“It was easier to make it to the finals at the Olympic games than it was to make the finals at the Olympic trials,” Hart shared. “Of the top 10 to 15 sprinters in the world, the top 10 were in the  U.S. at that time.”

After all three U.S. sprinters had won their heats, the coach said “let’s go back to the Olympic Village and rest” Hart explained, “because there was so much time between races. But, that was his schedule.”

The Village was only about a mile or less away from the Olympic Stadium. But, the coach had the incorrect time for the start of the quarterfinals.

They rushed back to the stadium, but it was too late for Hart.  He had missed his race and was disqualified. Thus, the title of his book.

Tragedy Ends in Triumph

Hart’s Olympic story didn’t end there. The following week after the tragic murder of the 11 Israeli team members had halted the games for a day for the memorial, Hart once again ran anchor for the U.S. 4×100 relay team. They won that race in World Record time and he became an Olympic Gold Medalist and a World Record holder, once again. See video of Hart’s leg of the race here.

Returning to Pittsburg he was met with celebrations by the Mayor of Pittsburg and the city.

Hart returned to college to complete his degree, and became a paid assistant track coach at Cal Berkeley. He has since started his philanthropic efforts through his Eddie Hart All In One Foundation which holds an Olympian Track Education Clinic at Pittsburg High, each year.

Faith has been a big part of his life, all of his life. Hart has been a member of Stewart Memorial Methodist Church in Pittsburg since elementary school. He’s taught Sunday School for 35 years and for the past 20 years he’s taught the men’s class.

Asked if faith played a part in his Olympic journey, Hart responded, “In every aspect. I grew up in the church, it couldn’t have been any other way.”

“I never prayed to God for success in track,” he shared. “I asked God to give me strength in life to face the challenges as they come.”

“My prayer is that His will be done. God is interested in spiritual things, in our soul not our flesh,” Hart continued. “Ultimately at the end of the day whatever physical things we’ve accomplished here will be left here. It’s about our souls which are eternal. Our flesh is going to burn up. The Bible is clear.”

Asked if his story will become a movie, Hart said, “We’re working on it.”

But, he has to think about who will play the part of him, he shared with a laugh.

His book includes a foreword by Harvard professor, Dr. Cornel West who has been a friend since high school, and whose brother Cliff was Hart’s roommate at Cal.

See Eddie Hart and get your copy of his book signed on Monday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble book store in Antioch at 5709 Lone Tree Way.