Patterson Irrigator

Shave for safety: Patterson resident Robert Molina vowed to shave his head down to the scalp if his fellow school bus drivers could avoid an accident for 90 days. All 60 bus units passed the test, which meant the state-certified First Student trainer and driver went under the electric clippers in Newman on Thursday. Bus driver Pamela Berrios (left) first trimmed Molina’s head, which hadn’t been hair-free since he joined the U.S. Army in 1975. First Student branch manager Caryn Borba (right) had a front-row seat. Photo by Elias Funez

Bet you can: Above, school bus driver Joe Eclevia points to his already-bald head as First Student branch manager Caryn Borba shaves the head of Patterson resident Robert Molina at the bus company’s offices in Newman. Photo by Elias Funez

Extreme motivation: Molina, a state-certified trainer, challenged his coworkers to go 90 days without a single accident. His latest wager has him shaving off his mustache if the drivers go another six months accident-free. Photo by Elias Funez

The goal: Above, Lon MacDowell, of Patterson pulls back the book sale racks in Apricot Valley Elementary School’s library Dec. 5 to reveal rows of empty shelves. The book fair raised money to buy more books for students. Photo by Elias Funez

Looking for books: Apricot Valley fifth-grader Simone Grice browses through the fair. Photo by Elias Funez