He got the Obamas the fancy mitts

<p>The day President Obama appears at a baseball game wearing a black-and-</p><p>silver glove will be a good day for Rob Williams.</p><p>Rob is a former standout baseball player at Montgom-</p><p>ery High, SRJC and U/Hawaii who now sells custom SSK-brand gloves and bats to Big League players, including Pablo Sandoval.</p><p>Through The Panda, Rob got to know Giants owner Bill Neukom. A week before the World Champions' visit Monday to the White House, Rob received a late-night call from Mike Murphy, the team's equipment manager.</p><p>Calling for Newkom, Murphy asked if Rob could get four monogrammed SSK gloves made ASAP as gifts from the Giants to the First Family. Rob got on the phone to SSK in Japan. </p><p>Thrilled by the request, the company suspended regular production at a glove factory and made the rush-ordered Obama gloves its top priority.</p><p>Rob had thought to make them Giants black-and-orange but opted for black and silver, not only for simple elegance — they're the colors of the President's pet White Sox.</p><p>FedEx delivered the gloves to Rob in Santa Rosa last Friday. He drove straight to AT&T Park and gave them to Newkom as he readied for the trip to D.C.</p><p>The gifts were a big hit at the White House. And now, Rob awaits the day that Obama goes to a ballpark to throw the first pitch or just take in a game, and the world sees him wearing that mitt.</p><p>BADGERED, BOTH: No one felt good about what happened after a houseguest in Forestville heard wild noises the other night and peeked beneath a parked car.</p><p>You can imagine the sensations that coursed through him as he spied a growling badger. His hostess, Arrow Olesky, figured the animal posed a threat to people, pets or both and dialed 911. </p><p>A county animal-control officer drove out to Olesky's place. And shot the badger.</p><p>Olesky feels terrible but figures she did the only thing she could do.</p><p>For future reference, Doris Duncan of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue welcomes calls from people who feel threatened or frightened by wildlife at 526-9453 or, for after-hours crises, 486-0226.</p><p>“We could have done something (non-lethal) about that badger,” Doris said.</p><p>FOR JIM'S FAMILY: The food will be familiar and plentiful at a reception following 11 a.m. Friday services in Marin for slain deputy and Petaluman Jim Mathiesen.</p><p>Pasta King Art Ibleto is contributing a catered meal. He hopes guests will be generous at the donation jars because every dollar will go into a trust fund for the deputy's wife and two sons.</p><p>IF YOU'RE GOING to tonight's sold-out Monte Rio Variety Show, you should know that the time to pre-claim a space is from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. You you can set out lawn chairs, but no blankets.</p><p>Also, a raffle will include a special Fender Stratocaster guitar signed by Mickey Hart, Zac Brown and other past and present stars of the Bohemian Club show that's rocked Monte Rio for 100 summers.</p><p>Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.</p>