This is a petition for turning away from Indians, Warriors or any other designations offensive to Native Americans, and changing the John Swett High School nickname to "Iron Aces" in honor of long time Tormey resident/iron worker Al Zampa and any and all other Port Costa-Crockett-Tormey-Rodeo, California area workers who have endeavored to create rather than destroy. Moreover, we propose using the current Al Zampa bridge logo in association with Iron Aces nickname as well.

About Al Zampa:

“In 1987 Al Zampa’s life was given a literary dimension when local writer Isabelle Maynard wrote a play entitled The Ace. The play, which carried the subtitle of ‘An ironworker’s story of heroism, risk, and recognition on the Golden Gate Bridge,’ was based on Al Zampa’s experience on the bridge.” Playwrite Maynard further wrote, “’I decided to write a play about the bridge, because I’m an immigrant… how do you write about a bridge? You have to have human beings to make a play… I eventually came across the story of how Al Zampa had fallen off the bridge, broken his back, and went back to bridgework. I realized that the way to go with the play was to reduce the bridge to one man’s experience building it. It’s really a story of the human spirit. So, once I had the subject narrowed down, I made some inquiries and found out that Al was retired and living in Tormey, There wasn’t even a sign to mark the entrance to Tormey. He lived in a little house at the end of Old Country Road. He was a very charming man and a bit of a flirt. He spoke like a poet. After interviewing him I wrote the first draft of the play very quickly. Al’s grandson, Don, was very helpful too. That whole first part of the play, Don helped write that. I mean, I don’t know what ironworkers talk about at work…’ The Ace was well received, got generally good reviews, and was later adapted and performed at KFPA radio in Berkeley.”

From Spanning The Strait, Building the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge