From left: Chamber president Sylvia Jorgensen; winning Aklan Boy Scouts team members Eric Jorgensen, Ruth Helsel, Ed Isely, Joe Squeri, Patricia Young, and Michele Poloka; Rotary president Sue Breedlove. Photo Cathy Dausman
A buzz of excitement filled the air of the Orinda Masonic Lodge the evening of April 25 as Sue Breedlove, president of the Orinda Rotary Club, took the stage. Clad in a yellow and black-striped costume, black antennae headband and white synthetic wings, Breedlove grabbed the mic and announced the start of the first ever Orinda Trivia Bee, presented by Orinda Rotary and Orinda Chamber of Commerce.
What is the name of the Pillsbury doughboy? Muffled whispers filled the room, as members of the Lamorinda Weekly Team debated between Puffy and Puff, before settling on Poppin' Fresh (the correct answer).
Sixteen teams participated in four rounds of trivia queries. Team Lamorinda Weekly was tied with the Orinda Arts Council for first place at the end of Round A. Though some argument had ensued over the meaning of antepenultimate, the team was doing well. Round B brought 20 more questions, including a local fact about the elevation of Orinda and a challenge to name a popular Vietnamese sandwich. The Weekly fell to second place, with four other teams tying for first. By the end of Round C, tension had grown, with team members debating over the third color in a barber's pole and the lyrics to YMCA. Round D proved the most challenging for the members of Team Lamorinda Weekly, none of whom knew the common name for sodium hypochlorite (bleach).
At the end, four teams were tied at 69 points each; the Weekly eked out a total of 66 points. Based on their scores in Round D, the orange-shirted friends of the Aklan Boy Scouts were deemed the winners of the evening and rose to the stage to claim their prize - an $800 check made out to their favorite non-profit organization.
Before you print this article, please remember that it will remain in our archive for you to visit anytime. download pdf (use the pdf document for best printing results!)