Peeking Over the Fence

'Peeking over the fence' is a new feature in which the editor peeks over the fence at some neighboring and far-flung Patches and finds some good reading. We hope you find it good reading as well. Let us know in the comments if you want more of this. Would you like more yarns from Northern California — or is Cinnaminson, New Jersey, just fine with you?

Old guy makes good. Don't you just love a story about an old guy making good? Or an old guy jumping high? Meet Willie Banks. He just became the oldest American to clear six feet in the high jump.

Willie's secret? A diet. Since January, he's gone from 203 to 183 pounds. Willie is 56. He's fifty-six years old and he could jump over Jerry Brown and clear him by a couple inches. Clear the bar on Camp Pendleton Patch.

Get angry. This type of story gets my blood boiling. Lori Stilley lied about her "miracle" recovery from bladder cancer, just as she lied about having cancer, police say.

All the while, she was promoting a fund-raising banquet that raised more than $8,400 and other money-making schemes. She sold an e-book that pulled the heartstrings about her daily fictitious struggle with cancer, allegedly. This story comes from a place with a musical name: Cinnaminson, New Jersey. I think they put cinnaminson on their apple pies there. Go to Cinnaminson Patch.

The Old Grey Lady. The New York Times prints the news that's fit to print, even in the East Bay. The Old Grey Lady took an overview of the Pete Stark-Eric Swalwell congressional race in the 15th district (from Fremont to San Ramon) to explain California's new primary system. Stark is an entrenched liberal Democrat, and Swalwell is a moderate Democrat challenging him.

The primary pitted two Democrats against each other rather than a sacrificial Republican. “What we’ve noticed is candidates in California playing to a wider ideological audience as a result of the top-two primary, instead of tailoring their message to a very narrow base,” political observer David Wasserman told the Times. Read all about it on Dublin Patch.