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Marking 20 years
                                                                      since Sept. 11
                                                                                                    Page 5

VOL. XXII, NUMBER 33 • SEPTEMBER 10, 2021                               WWW.PLEASANTONWEEKLY.COM

                                             5 NEWS    Zone 7 mandates 15% water use reduction

                                            14 PULSE   Tri-Valley sees 5 fatal crashes in 10 days

                                            16 TRI-VALLEY LIFE       ‘Got Faith?’ at the Bankhead
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
         
                            
                               
                              
                             
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Page 2 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
VALLEY VIEWS                                    BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI

                   Rethinking
                   vacations
W           e are still discovering
            the fallout from the pan-
            demic of the last year
and a half. Heck, we are still ex-
periencing the pandemic. And one
                                          Russian River, visit Bodega Bay (be
                                          sure to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s
                                          “The Birds” first). Another draw
                                          in that area is the little town of
                                          Occidental with its Union Hotel,
activity/industry to sustain a blow       which used to serve ravioli family-
has been travel.                          style dinners that were to-die-for. I
   The world used to be our oyster,       see from the website that this has
so many locations beckoning, so           changed, although ravioli are still
little time. My favorite overseas         on the menu.
destination became Berlin 20 years           My husband and I loved spend-
ago when my son moved there. We           ing the day in San Francisco with
have varied each trip to include          friends. We would BART in and
other destinations — London,              just explore. One memorable day
Prague, France, other areas of Ger-       we walked up The Embarcadero
many — and Berlin itself became           to Levi’s Plaza, across from Pier 23,
an even stronger magnet after my          then through the plaza to locate
son’s twins were born, exactly five       the staircase that climbs up and
years ago today.                          up through picturesque backyards
   But otherwise the pandemic has         until you reach Coit Tower. After
made me rethink my definition of          inspecting the old murals at the
a vacation. I am talking about trips      tower’s base, we continued down
undertaken just for fun, as a break       Telegraph Hill Boulevard until we
from daily life, for a change in          were in North Beach. It sounds
scenery and to see and experience         ambitious now but I don’t re-
something new.                            member it being particularly tiring,
   Television ads are urging me to        although I did pause to catch my
keep my vacations — and dol-              breath on those uphill stairs.
lars — in California. I totally buy          Here in the East Bay, it is my
into this. Partly to support my           mission to convince everyone to
fellow/sister Californians, but also      drive to the peak in Mt. Diablo
because there is so much in our           State Park. Perhaps because I re-
Golden State that I have yet to see       member my family going there
and do.                                   from San Jose for a picnic when I
   If you are like me, you only go        was a child — and that was before
to some of our local “tourist” sites      freeways. But it is a place I bring
when people visit from out of             out-of-town visitors and also just
town, which is when I finally took        visit by myself now and then.
an Alcatraz tour. But now may be             My second mission is to intro-
the time to explore more on my            duce folks to the Eugene O’Neill
own, plus there are places I would        National Site in Danville. The
like to revisit, such as the 17-mile      grounds are relaxing, the views
drive at Pebble Beach.                    are stunning and the Tao House is
   One California vacation goal of        fascinating as is the story of O’Neill
mine is a tour to view lighthouses;       and his wife Carlotta Monterey.
apparently there are 30 still stand-         In Berlin I’m happiest at an
ing and 16 of them are open to the        outdoor cafe sipping a Milchkaf-
public. A whole coastline of sand,        fee, letting the Euro scene unfold
waves and sea sunsets is within           before me. Here, too, I love sitting
a few hours’ drive, or you could          outside, enjoying a snack or a meal
make a week of it. The mountains          and people-watching.
are, sadly, out of bounds for now.           After I visit Berlin, I plan to stay
   The Pleasanton Senior Center           close to home because there is so
has its VIP Travel, although it is        much nearby to explore and enjoy.
currently closed. I took a daytrip        Does anyone have day trips to
with them to Apple Hill some years        recommend? It would be great to
ago, a carefree way to let others         hear from you: dciardelli@Pleasan-
handle the logistics that I will cer-     tonWeekly.com. Q
tainly consider again.                        Editor’s note: Dolores Fox Ciardelli
   Wineries! The Livermore Valley                  is Tri-Valley Life editor for the
is right here. And Napa, Sonoma                 Pleasanton Weekly. Her column,
and Russian River wineries are not         “Valley Views,” appears on the second
that far away. While you are at the            and fourth Fridays of each month.

About the Cover
The Amador Valley and Foothill football teams have both opened their 2021
campaigns with 2-0 records. Sportswriter Dennis Miller previews both Pleasanton
high schools’ seasons inside, on Pages 12-13. Foothill photos by Natalie Walsh.
Amador photos by Elizabeth Thomsen. Cover design by Doug Young.
                                                             Vol. XXII, Number 33
                                                                                       Pleasanton Weekly • September 10, 2021 • Page 3
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
Streetwise                                                ASKED AROUND TOWN

                                                                                                         How do you cope with the
                                                                                                         stresses of your daily life?
                                                                                                                                            John Weller
                                                                                                                                            SVP sales and marketing
                                                                                                                                            I used to snack a lot when feeling
                                                                                                                                            stressed. During the pandemic though,
                                                                                                                                            I’ve started cycling instead. I think it is a
                                                                                                                                            much better outlet for me than snacking,
                                                                                                                                            and on top of that, I’ve lost a ton of
                                                                                                                                            weight and feel great.
                    65 Bay Area locations.
                   66 if we count your couch.                                                                                               Stan Schultz
                                                                                                                                            Senior account executive
                         In-person or virtual visits at                                                                                     I drink beer and ride my bike. Amazingly,
                                                                                                                                            I’ve never gotten injured or been issued a
                              LPSR Pediatrics                                                                                               PUI (pedaling while under the influence),
                                                                                                                                            which is a real thing you know.

                                                                                                                                            Stephen Hubbard
                              genpeds.stanfordchildrens.org                                                                                 Fermentation scientist
                                                                                                                                            Meditation affords me a bit of
                                                                                                                                            psychological distance from stressful
                                                                                                                                            circumstances; it enables me to
     www.LivermoreArts.org                        TICKETS              or call 925.373.6800                                                 deliberately choose my response to life’s
                                                                                                                                            realities as opposed to being flung from
                                                                                                                                            one mental state to the next. Secondly, I
                                                                                                                                            find that training with barbells reorients
                                                                                                                                            my mental state.

                                                                                                                                            Vicki Hubbard Retired
                                                                                                                                            So, I try to get some gratitude journaling
                                                                                                                                            in before my day starts. That’s a
                                                                                                                                            great way to process how I feel with a
                                                                                                                                            positive bent on what’s good. Then I get
   Starring                                                                                                                                 exercise by walking, hiking, swimming
                                                                                                                                            or bicycling. When I start my day with

   VANESSA                                                                                                                                  gratitude and physical activity, it’s
                                                                                                                                            bound to be a less stressful day.

   WILLIAMS
   accompanied by the
                                                                                                                                            Michael Hubbard
                                                                                                                                            High school student
                                                                                                                                            I find art and music can be extremely
                                                                                                                                            helpful in dealing with day-to-day
                                                                                                                                            stresses. When I get overwhelmed by an
   Livermore-Amador                                                                                                                         assignment, I just sit down at a piano
                                                                                                                                            or pick up a ukulele and start playing,
   Symphony                                                                                                                                 without any particular song in mind. It
                                                                                                                                            helps me focus on something that isn’t
                                                                                                                                            stressful and it re-centers my mind.

   saturday                                                                                                                                                      —Compiled by Nancy and Jeff Lewis

   SEP 11                                                                                                Have a Streetwise question? Email editor@PleasantonWeekly.com

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                                Phil and Muriel Dean • KKIQ • The Independent
Page 4 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
Newsfront
DIGEST                                   Zone 7 declares drought emergency;
Recall election here
   Tuesday (Sept. 14) is the
final day to turn in your ballot
                                         mandatory 15% water use reduction
for the statewide election over
whether to recall Gov. Gavin                   Water agency warns of ‘significant potential for the situation to be worse next year’
Newsom.
   Vote-by-mail ballots must be                 BY JULIA BAUM                  sure our community has enough            2020 — Zone 7 officials said it            serious drought and there is a signifi-
returned to the U.S. Postal Ser-
vice, turned in to a polling place
or placed in a designated drop-
box (such as outside Pleasanton
City Hall) by Tuesday afternoon
                                     D        ry conditions combined
                                              with low water storage this
                                              year prompted the Zone 7
                                     Water Agency Board of Directors
                                     to unanimously declare a drought
                                                                               water in the immediate future.”
                                                                                  For the second year in a row,
                                                                               continued dry conditions and low
                                                                               storage have limited the agency’s op-
                                                                               portunities to purchase water. After
                                                                                                                        “has determined more significant ac-
                                                                                                                        tion is necessary in order to ensure
                                                                                                                        water reliability in 2022.” According
                                                                                                                        to General Manager Valerie Pryor,
                                                                                                                        more than 85% of the agency’s water
                                                                                                                                                                   cant potential for the situation to be
                                                                                                                                                                   worse next year. The water we save
                                                                                                                                                                   this year will help us next year.”
                                                                                                                                                                      A “Stage 2 Shortage Emergency”
                                                                                                                                                                   and local drought emergency resolu-
to qualify to be counted.
   Voters can also cast their        emergency last week, including            requesting a 10% voluntary conser-       demand comes from municipal and            tion were also approved at the Sept.
ballot in person at the polls        mandatory 15% water use reduc-            vation from 2020 water demands           industrial use, and the rest is agricul-   1 special board meeting. The local
between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.            tion for all Zone 7 retailers.            in March, the agency increased its       tural use.                                 declaration will expedite construc-
on Election Day. The Alameda            “This is an important step in en-      request to 15% in July, to align            “Mandatory conservation is result-      tion projects to improve water sup-
County Registrar of Voters’ Of-      suring long-term water reliability for    with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide       ing from worsening drought con-            ply reliability like the Valley Pump
fice has also scheduled acces-       the Tri-Valley area,” said Board Presi-   initiative.                              ditions as well as voluntary con-          Station, which is slated to move its
sible voting locations from 9
                                     dent Angela Ramirez Holmes in a              After falling well short of their     servation being below requested            target completion date of summer
a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday,
Sunday and Monday for early          statement after the Sept. 1 vote. “We     target goal — water savings in July      amounts,” Pryor told the Weekly.
voting, including five locations     need to take this action now to make      were about 7% compared to July           “My general message is that this is a             See WATER on Page 10
in Pleasanton. To learn more,
visit acvote.org.
   The recall ballot has two
parts. The first requires a Yes or
No answer. It asks: “Shall Gavin
                                                                                                                                                                      Marking
Newsom be recalled (removed)
from the office of Governor?”                                                                                                                                         20 years
If more than 50% of voters
say No, Newsom continues as
governor. If more than 50% say
                                                                                                                                                                     since 9/11
Yes, Newsom will be removed                                                                                                                                           Events in Tri-Valley
from office.
   The second part allows a                                                                                                                                           to commemorate
voter to pick one replacement
candidate from a list of 46 can-                                                                                                                                     anniversary Saturday
didates. If the recall earns ma-
jority Yes in question one, then                                                                                                                                            BY JEREMY WALSH
whoever has the most votes                                                                                                                                            Saturday will represent a som-
among the replacement candi-
                                                                                                                                                                   ber anniversary across the nation
dates (no matter how few and
even if they don’t win a major-                                                                                                                                    as Americans reflect on the 20th
ity) will become governor in                                                                                                                                       anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001
late October.                                                                                                                                                      terrorist attacks.
                                                                                                                                                                      Officials and residents will com-
Veterans outreach                                                                                                                                                  memorate the occasion in a variety
                                                                                                                                                                   of ways in the Tri-Valley, including
   The Pleasanton Public Li-
brary (400 Old Bernal Ave.) will                                                                                                  FILE PHOTO/COURTESY OF PDA       several special events throughout the
host the VA Palo Alto mobile            Downtown Pleasanton’s annual Concerts in the Park series is returning for its first show since 2019 when Public            anniversary with a mix of public dis-
medical outreach team to fa-            Eye takes the stage on Sept. 12.                                                                                           plays and personal remembrances.
cilitate exams, consultations and                                                                                                                                     “Twenty years ago, Amy King, a
referrals for enrolled military
veterans.
   The drop-in event will run
                                        Concerts in the Park coming back                                                                                           United Airlines flight attendant, left
                                                                                                                                                                   her home in the early morning hours
                                                                                                                                                                   to start her workweek. Her story,
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on                                Public Eye playing first show on Sunday afternoon                                                         her life, is just one of the thousands
Monday (Sept. 13) in front of                                                                                                                                      creating a ripple effect of impact on
the library. VA reps will be able
                                                 BY JEREMY WALSH               “Concerts in the Park were en-          had been working hard to solidify           family, friends, and the world. Yet,
to provide information to veter-
ans, spouses, caregivers, family           The popular Concerts in the         joyed by residents in the past, and     an answer.                                  telling her individual story reminds
members and survivors and as-           Park series will be back in down-      it’s another event in our down-            “Since my arrival in May, the            us of how precious life is,” said
sist with veteran enrollment for        town Pleasanton after a one-year       town that is popular with resi-         No. 1 question I’ve fielded has             Dublin resident Deborah Lloyd, who
VA care.                                hiatus due to the coronavirus pan-     dents. I look forward to a great        been, ‘When will PDA bring                  will be one of the keynote speakers
                                        demic, shifting to Sunday late af-     turnout for the first concert this      back the Concerts?’ Grant told              at the 9/11 anniversary ceremony at
‘Tri-Valley Sports                      ternoon shows in 2021 beginning        Sunday.”                                the Weekly. “For so long, due to            the Alameda County Fairgrounds in
                                        this coming weekend.                       Produced annually by the PDA,       lockdowns and financial limits,             Pleasanton.
Final’                                     Organized by the Pleasanton         typically on Friday nights during       we simply did not know. Sundays                “Amy was 29 years old, and she
   TV30 has brought back “Tri-          Downtown Association, the free         the summer months, the Concerts         this fall, we have an answer 100%           was my sister,” Lloyd added in a
Valley Sports Final” for its 17th
                                        concerts will run from 4-6 p.m.        in the Park series was canceled         thanks to our generous full season          statement released by Alameda
season covering team and in-
dividual high school sports in          Sundays from Sept. 12 through          in 2020 like many other large           sponsors.”                                  County Supervisor David Haubert’s
the Tri-Valley, with hosts Ian          Oct. 17 with viewers able to watch     public events in Pleasanton and            “For over 30 years, Concerts             office, a lead organizer of the 20th
Bartholomew and Tim Sbranti.            from Lions Wayside and Delucchi        the rest of the Bay Area due to the     in the Park brought Pleasanton              anniversary event.
   Throughout the 2021-22 sea-          parks.                                 COVID-19 pandemic and associ-           residents, neighbors and visitors              Ceremonies like those in the Tri-
son, an outstanding athlete will           “It’s good to see another home-     ated health guidelines.                 together downtown,” added Terri             Valley honor the memories of the
be selected by TV30’s sports staff      town favorite, Concerts in the             New PDA Executive Director          Terry, PDA board president and              2,977 people killed in the terror-
as the “Athlete of the Week” —          Park, returning and indicating a       Zac Grant said he knew the fate         owner of the Cellar Door.                   ist attacks on that fateful Tuesday
the first recipient was Foothill        return to a bit more normalcy,”        of Concerts in the Park for 2021           “The outcry is crystal clear,            in 2001 when four airliners were
quarterback Nick Walsh. Watch           Pleasanton City Councilwoman           has been at the front of many resi-
on your cable access channel or
                                        Kathy Narum told the Weekly.           dents’ minds, and the organization           See CONCERTS on Page 9                          See 9/11 on Page 10
at tv30.org. Q
                                                                                                                                                     Pleasanton Weekly • September 10, 2021 • Page 5
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
NEWSFRONT

 Pleasanton council approves water rate hikes for PFAS funding plan
                                              Mayor Karla Brown warns, ‘It might get expensive’ for some ratepayers
           BY JULIA BAUM                  fees, and debt financing to pay the               $6 million will be allocated to the      is being planned for by the end of        it. I think where there is risk is
   Pleasanton water ratepayers can        estimated remainder of the project.               project for the fiscal years 2023 to     2023, after the Water System Master       the cost to do it annually,” Yamello
expect a bigger water bill in the fu-        During a presentation on Tuesday,              2025 capital improvement program         Plan is completed, staff said.            said. “We’ve tried to do testing on
ture after the Pleasanton City Coun-      city staff said ratepayers will pay               (CIP), with $4 million of that going        Councilmember Valerie Arkin            our water to see how quickly you
cil unanimously approved a funding        an up to $11.60 increase on their                 to the water fund’s annual allocation    said residents have shared concerns       basically go through the material
plan for final design of the city’s       bimonthly water bills under the                   to the CIP.                              about “the sheer high cost of this        and have to replace it to remove the
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances       funding plan, assuming a 4% inter-                   Another $5.3 million in water         endeavor” and are “wondering, is          contaminants, and that’s where we
(PFAS) treatment and wells rehabili-      est rate. Actual water rates charged              connection fees will also be allocat-    there a guarantee that this is going      focused our efforts.”
tation project on Tuesday.                would be adjusted accordingly,                    ed, for about 11.5% of total project     to work.”                                    Yamello added, “I’m fairly confi-
   “If you’re a big, big water user, it   should actual interest rates be lower.            costs. The current water connec-            “Is there anything we can recoup       dent that there’s industry proof out
might get expensive,” Mayor Karla         Staff said the strategy will reduce the           tion fee fund balance is $4 million,     if for some reason it doesn’t work?”      there that it will remove contami-
Brown said before casting her vote        impact to water rates while ensur-                which could be entirely allocated to     Arkin said. “Because it’s a huge in-      nants; it’s just going to become how
at the Sept. 7 council meeting.           ing funding is available when the                 the project. According to staff, the     vestment, huge amount of taxpayer         expensive is it for us at our site.”
   City officials are currently pro-      project is ready for construction or              remaining $1.3 million in water con-     dollars, and I have gotten that from         In an effort to recover PFAS miti-
ceeding with the estimated $46 mil-       obtaining equipment.                              nection fee revenues will come from      the public.”                              gation costs, city officials also filed
lion project’s final design to address       “This is going to ensure opera-                future collections, but the city would      Todd Yamello, city utilities plan-     a lawsuit against manufacturers of
the detection of PFAS — synthetic         tional reliability of our wells, some-            likely need to borrow against those      ning manager, said the PFAS treat-        fire-fighting foam and the chemicals
chemicals found in common house-          thing I think we’re at risk for one,”             future collections to ensure funds are   ment media “is commonly used              used to make them. The lawsuit was
hold items like paint and known           Councilmember Kathy Narum said                    available “in a timely fashion.”         to remove lots of different con-          consolidated before the U.S. District
to be harmful to humans — in the          on Tuesday. “To have that reliable                   The city, which collects the fees     taminants and it’s done successfully”     Court in South Carolina, along with
city’s wells. About $3.3 million for      source of clean water for $5 a month              from new development to offset           with projects already using the same      over 500 similar lawsuits.
design costs has already been al-         on average ... is actually less cost              impacts on the city’s water infra-       material to remove PFAS, including           While it’s uncertain if the city’s liti-
located from the water operating          than I thought to construct this                  structure, has not updated its water     many federal remediation sites.           gation will be resolved or a settlement
fund, leaving $42.7 million in water      project would be.”                                connection fees since the 1980s. An         “I don’t think there’s a lot of risk
operating funds, water connection            Under the plan, an additional                  update of the water connection fees      in the media being able to remove              See RATE HIKES on Page 10

    Legislators reach agreement with governor to preserve Tesla Park
                                 Deal seen as triumph in decades-long battle to protect land from motorized recreation
         BY CIERRA BAILEY                 (OHV) use on the land.                            $18.3 million for the estimated          off-road enthusiasts will keep their      vehicle recreational use,” said Bran-
   After several years of advocacy           If approved by the Legislature                 current value of the land, plus $2.4     current park and receive funding          don Dawson, director of the Sierra
efforts, Tri-Valley legislators Assem-    next week, the agreement will end                 million that the fund used for plan-     to develop another park on land           Club California.
blymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan             plans to expand the Carnegie State                ning the current park’s expansion,       that’s more suitable to that kind of         “Sierra Club California and our
(D-Orinda) and State Sen. Steve           Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA)                  officials said.                          recreation.”                              local allies have advocated for de-
Glazer (D-Orinda) are one step            into the 3,100-acre Tesla parcel —                   Another $11.5 million will be set        Bauer-Kahan shared similar sen-        cades to protect Tesla Park. This
closer to a victory in the fight to       located just southeast of Livermore               aside for planning and construc-         timents and praised the environ-          agreement represents a major vic-
preserve thousands of acres of wil-       — which scientists have described                 tion of an alternative off-road park,    mentalist groups and residents who        tory for environmentalists across
derness outside Livermore.                as a biologically unique habitat and              while $1 million will go toward          supported the efforts to preserve         the state,” he added.
   An agreement was reached               Native Americans have long con-                   transitioning the Tesla property         the land.                                    Dawson also expressed gratitude
Monday between Gov. Gavin                 sidered to be a sensitive historical              into a non-OHV park, officials said.        “We are incredibly thankful that       to the two Tri-Valley legislators for
Newsom, the Legislature and Cal-          site, according to Glazer’s office.                  “This is a win-win for all in-        the governor has seen Tesla Park’s        moving the initiative forward.
ifornia Department of Parks and              The land will become a new state               volved,” Glazer said in a statement      value and included it in the ongo-           “I want to thank Senator Steve
Recreation to protect the Alam-           park closed to motorized recreation               on Labor Day. “Our community             ing protection of critical natural        Glazer and Assemblymember Re-
eda-Tesla Expansion Area (Tesla           upon approval. The state will reim-               and region gets to preserve this nat-    resources,” Bauer-Kahan said.             becca Bauer-Kahan for their persis-
Park) from off-highway vehicle            burse the off-highway vehicle fund                ural and cultural treasure while the        “It has been my great honor to         tence to protect this valued land.
                                                                                                                                     fight alongside Senator Glazer, the       This would not be possible without
                                                                                                                                     Sierra Club, Friends of Tesla Park        their championing of the area.”
               PLEASANTON DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION PRESENTS                                                                              and countless organizations and              This landmark agreement comes
                                                                                                                                     individuals to ensure this land will      nearly two years after Newsom

                                                          2021
                                                                                                                                     be protected and enjoyed by all of        vetoed the original Assembly Bill
                                                                                                                                     California’s citizens,” she added.        1086 co-authored by Bauer-Kahan
                                                                                                                                        The fight to protect the land          and Glazer, which attempted to

                                                      CONCERTS IN                                                                    began in the late 1990s when State
                                                                                                                                     Parks’ Off-Highway Motor Vehi-
                                                                                                                                     cle Recreation Division purchased
                                                                                                                                                                               address the longstanding battle by
                                                                                                                                                                               giving the state the option of selling
                                                                                                                                                                               a piece of the SVRA to either a local

                                                        THE PARK                                                                     Tesla Park without an appropriate
                                                                                                                                     acquisition environmental impact
                                                                                                                                     report (EIR) or public review being
                                                                                                                                                                               government or nonprofit entity for
                                                                                                                                                                               conservation purposes.
                                                                                                                                                                                  Both houses of the State Legisla-
                                                                                                                                     conducted, according to Glazer’s          ture approved the measure. The bill
                                                                                                                                     office.                                   passed on the State Assembly floor
                              SUNDAYS - 4pm-6pm                                                                                         Since then, Sierra Club Cali-
                                                                                                                                     fornia and its partners have vehe-
                                                                                                                                                                               56-21 and then in the State Sen-
                                                                                                                                                                               ate 30-10. However, it was struck
                                6HSWHPEHU2FWREHU                                                                            mently opposed opening the area           down upon reaching Newsom’s
                                                                                                                                     to OHV recreational use. The use          desk.
                         /LRQV:D\VLGH3DUN FRUQHURI1HDO )LUVW                                                                  for motor vehicles was challenged            At the time, he said in a veto
                                                                                                                                    in court, and earlier this year,          message that “there is no evidence
                                      2021 BAND LINE UP                                                                              the judge ruled that the EIR was          that the department has failed to
                                                                                                                                     inadequate and that State Parks           conduct sufficient study of this
                  4&15&.#&3]`16#-*$&:&                            SEPTEMBER 26 | "9-%$                                        needed to redo it. In the ruling,         property or is mismanaging this
          SEPTEMBER 19 | %645#08-53"7&-&34                            0$50#&3]`+&''3*$,&545)&%*3530"%#"/%                the judge opined that preservation        state resource. The park was pur-
                                                    additional bands to be announced soon
                                                                                                                                     would be the best option for this         chased for the benefit of all Cali-
                                                                                                                                     land.                                     fornians and should remain a state
  5)"/,:06500634&"40/410/4034Ǣ                                                                                                     “We applaud the decision by the        park.”
                                                                                            0HGLD6SRQVRU                           California Legislature and Admin-            This new agreement with New-
                                                                                                                                     istration to preserve the important       som was announced just over
                                                                                                                                     ecological value and biodiversity of      a week before the gubernatorial
                                                                                                                                     Tesla Park by banning off-highway         recall election. Q

Page 6 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
NEWSFRONT

     Livermore Mural Fest uses art to
 celebrate culture, promote philanthropy
       Mural tours benefiting Goodness Village rescheduled for Saturday
         BY CIERRA BAILEY              We are ready to celebrate arts,        “Pictures 4 People” in 2018 that
   Creative arts agency OnlyUp         culture, our collective history and    featured paintings of the faces of
and Livermore’s Commission for         our connectedness now more than        members of the unhoused com-
the Arts teamed up for the second      ever. It is really humbling to be a    munity. By auctioning off the art-
year in a row to bring new and         part of,” he added.                    work he created, Thompson raised
vibrant public art displays to the        Aside from brightening up the       nearly $8,000 for local charities. In
city’s walls and buildings.            streets of Livermore with colorful     2019, Thompson was named the
   Livermore Mural Fest is an event    art, the Mural Fest initiative also    Weekly’s Tri-Valley Hero for Arts &
launched in 2020 that brings art-
ists from all over the Bay Area
                                       has a philanthropic component,
                                       with all proceeds from tour ticket
                                                                              Culture for his “Pictures 4 People”
                                                                              initiative.                             Get as low as 0% APR
together to share their work and
grow the local artist community.
                                       sales being directed to Livermore
                                       Valley Craft Beer Foundation to
                                                                                 “Small businesses and for-profits
                                                                              can have a role in solving the prob-    on balance transfers
   “It’s a cool community project
to be able to get artists involved
                                       support Goodness Village, a new
                                       sustainable “tiny home” commu-
                                                                              lem,” Evans said. “We may not be
                                                                              able to house people but we can         for 11 months!1
locally, to bring some talent re-      nity located in Livermore that         write about it, sing about it, talk
gionally, to give an opportunity for   provides affordable and perma-         about it, paint about it and make it    Consolidate your high-interest debt onto an
some artists here who might not be     nent housing options for local         so that other people look because       UNCLE Mastercard credit card and enjoy an
quite ready to jump on a big wall      people experiencing chronic            so often, homeless individuals are      extensive list of features and no annual fees.
to work alongside some artists who     homelessness.                          unseen,” she added.
maybe are,” said artist and OnlyUp        OnlyUp’s director of operations        In addition to the downtown
founder Trent Thompson, adding         and engagement and fellow artist,      murals, OnlyUp is installing four       Apply today!
that he wants to build the art scene   Marielle Evans, told the Weekly        mini murals at The Well at Sunset
in the area and inspire local youth    that money from their fundraising      development — formerly Sunset           /LPLWHGR΍HUWKURXJK
and other people to make art.          initiatives will go toward develop-    Plaza — located at the corner of        October 25, 2021.
   With painting beginning on          ing new mini murals throughout         Concannon Boulevard and Holmes
Aug. 21, four brand-new murals         Goodness Village to help beautify      Street. Evans said that although
                                                                                                                                                                                     Scan to learn more.
were installed by a diverse group      the campus and offer a “colorful,      businesses are not open there yet,
of contracted artists with a fifth     welcoming home environment.”           the developers have said that the
planned for the old Dom’s Out-         Some of the funds will also go         community is welcome to visit the       1
                                                                                                                       Balance transfers must be completed between 8/18/2021 and 10/25/2021 to be
                                                                                                                      eligible for a promotional APR for 11 months. The promotional APR applicable to
door Outfitters building — which       toward creating an art and maker       plaza to view the artwork.              transferred balances for 11 billing cycles will be based on the purchase APR as of
will soon be the new home of           program for residents at Goodness         “We are so thankful that Liver-      8/18/2021. For complete disclosure details, please visit
                                                                                                                      www.unclecu.org/balance-transfer.
Purpose-Built Trade Co. — making       Village.                               more is a place that really supports                                                                  )HGHUDOO\LQVXUHGE\1&8$
for a combined total of 12 murals         “One of their big dreams is to      these innovative art installations
downtown, which also includes          create a makerspace for the resi-      and frankly, innovative small busi-
last year’s works.                     dents there and to allow them          ness,” Evans said.
   Tours of all the completed mu-
rals were initially planned for
                                       to potentially do micro-enterprise
                                       through maker and trade and
                                                                                 Organizers said that this year’s
                                                                              murals were sponsored by the            Enjoy a Career as a
Aug. 28 but were pushed to this        allow them to have the dignity of      city of Livermore Commission for
Saturday (Sept. 11) due to the
combination of extreme heat and
                                       entrepreneurship and artistry and
                                       also to potentially create an income
                                                                              the Arts, Purpose-Built Trade Co.,
                                                                              Livermore Valley Performing Arts        Black Tie Chauffeur
poor air quality, according to the     stream for both the village and for    Center, Livermore Shakespeare
organizers.                            the residents by offering maker        Festival/SPARC Studio, Vaughn’s
   “We live in a time and space        markets and that kind of thing,”       Barbershop, The Well at Sunset,         We train you to become a Professional.
where more people are becoming         Evans said.                            Giselle De Sousa Real Estate, Pen-
aware of our interconnectedness,”         Helping housing-oriented non-       nyweight Brewery, Wente Vine-
                                                                                                                      Full-Time positions available. Flexible
said artist and organizer Arthur       profits is a part of the fabric of     yards, Nicole Sweeney Real Estate,      schedule. Stay connected with
Barinque, who was also previously      OnlyUp. Evans said that in the         the Real Estate Alliance Livermore
a member of the Livermore Com-         past, they’ve supported CityServe      and Mony Nop Real Estate.               your community and enjoy a
mission for the Arts.                  of the Tri-Valley, Sunflower Hill         More information about Mural         career driving for our elite
   “The fact that there are now more   and Tri-Valley Haven, among other      Fest and the mural tours is avail-
than a dozen murals in downtown        local organizations.                   able at www.onlyupteam.com/             Chauffeur Team.
Livermore is a sign of the times.         Thompson created the series         muralfestival. Q

                                                                                                                      Call 925.487.7741 or
                                                                                                                      Email your Resume to
                                                                                                    ARTHUR BARINQUE
Cameron “Camer1SF” Moberg’s completed “Welcome Home” mural at 167 N. Livermore Ave., featuring elements of            hiring@blacktietrans.com
nature and wildlife to highlight the beauty of Livermore and California as a whole.
                                                                                                                                                   Pleasanton Weekly • September 10, 2021 • Page 7
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
NEWSFRONT

       New administrators join LVJUSD for 2021-22 school year
                                                  Promotions, retirements, new hires recognized by school board
         BY CIERRA BAILEY                                                                                                                                                         development
   Livermore Valley Joint Unified                                                                                                                                                 and Title I. Be-
School District is now three weeks                                                                                                                                                fore this promo-
into its 2021-22 in-person school                                                                                                                                                 tion, Estrada-
year. In preparation ahead of the                                                                                                                                                 Hidalgo      was
start of classes, the district wel-                                                                                                                                               principal      of
comed several new staff members                                                                                                                                                   Vineyard Alter-
and bid farewell to some longtime                                                                                                                                                 native/Adult Ed-
employees.                                 Tracie               Chris             Michelle         Carla Estrada-           Shari               Jason                Zandra       ucation School.
                                         Christmas             Connor             Dawson              Hidalgo             Johnston           Krolikowski             Texeira
   At the Board of Education’s Aug.                                                                                                                                                • Shari John-
17 meeting, deputy superinten-         director of curriculum Vicki Scud-      of students who have been part             • Chris Connor, director of el-       ston, coordinator of equity and
dent Chris Van Schaack gave a          der after 53 years with the district.   of the district, her classes, her       ementary education. Connor is            early literacy. Johnston was for-
presentation introducing the new          Officials shared a video montage     schools for so many years.”             also new to LVJUSD this year and         merly principal of Jackson Avenue
district administrative changes        celebrating Scudder’s tenure with          In addition to Scudder’s retire-     was previously principal of Wal-         Elementary.
as well as new individual school       the Livermore school system dur-        ment, officials told the Weekly         nut Grove Elementary School in              Other district changes include
administrators.                        ing the board meeting last month.       that the curriculum department          Pleasanton.                              the promotion of Michelle Daw-
   At the district level, the com-        “She began her time in this dis-     was restructured to include new            • Jason Krolikowski, director of      son from communications special-
munity engagement, curriculum          trict when Lyndon Johnson was           roles and responsibilities in part      secondary education. Before join-        ist to coordinator of community
and special education departments      president,” Van Schaack noted in        after former director of curriculum     ing LVJUSD, Krolikowski had a            engagement, following Rambo’s
saw significant transitions, includ-   his remarks honoring Scudder.           Kevin Grier left to accept the posi-    one-year stint with Palo Alto Uni-       retirement.
ing the retirements of former di-      “She’s been in a number of roles,       tion of superintendent of Loma          fied School District as director of         The district also welcomed
rector of community engagement         she’s done an extraordinary job.        Prieta School District. The changes     student services. Prior to that, he      Zandra Texeira as the new coor-
Philomena Rambo after 16 years         There’s no way to sum up the            include:                                was the principal of San Ramon           dinator of special education. Tex-
with LVJUSD and former assistant       impact she’s had on the thousands          • Tracie Christmas, director of      Valley High School in Danville for       eira was previously assistant prin-
                                                                               assessment and accountability.          three years. Before San Ramon Val-       cipal at Canyon Middle School
                                                                               Christmas is new to LVJUSD this         ley High, Krolikowski was prin-          in Castro Valley and prior to that
    Many                                                                       year. She previously worked as a        cipal of Foothill High School in         she worked as a program supervi-

        WORLDS
                                                                               regional director for AVID and was      Pleasanton for four years.               sor of special education for the
                                                                               an elementary principal in Castro          • Carla Estrada-Hidalgo, co-          San Ramon Valley Unified School
                                                                               Valley before that.                     ordinator of English language            District. Q
                                  One
                                       MUSEUM                         ttm
                                                                        m       Pilot program proposed in county to
                                                                                 provide safe, legal parking for RVs
                              Now Open                                                          Haubert co-announces plan, which still needs funding
                              Fridays – Sundays                                   A pilot program for safe and
                                                                               legal places for unhoused residents
                                                                                                                       need,” Kimberly Jones of Kaplan’s
                                                                                                                       office said in an interview Sept. 1.
                                                                                                                                                                lawmakers want to address is sani-
                                                                                                                                                                tation. Without sites specifically
                                                                               to park their recreational vehicles     “It’s an issue that can’t be ignored.”   for RV parking, plumbing, sewage
                              Reserved Tickets Required                        was announced recently by two              Jones said Oakland itself has a       removal and sanitation in general
                                                                               Alameda County lawmakers.               great deal of need and the county        are problems.
                              Available at blackhawkmuseum.org
                                                                                  Supervisor David Haubert and         has a lot of resources to address           Those three things pose a health
  World of Nature                                                              Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Ka-          homelessness.                            problem for the county, the law-
       Now Open                                                                plan jointly announced the pro-            But she cautioned that money is       makers said.
                                                                               posal last week.                        needed to pay for the pilot program         The proposal calls for each
                                                                                  It calls for up to 10 parking        and that’s a little complicated.         site to have onsite management
                                                                               sites for recreational vehicles on         While state and federal funds are     to be sure, among other things,
                                                                               city-owned or county-owned land         available to address homelessness,       that trash and sewage are handled
                                                                               with at least one site in each of the   money isn’t earmarked for the RV         properly.
                                                                               county’s supervisorial districts.       issue, she said.                            A city-county collaboration on
                                                                                  “There is such an identified            A big part of the issue the           the issue is important because RVs
                                                                                                                                                                move around the county, including
                                                  Automobile Gallery                                                                                            in unincorporated areas.
                                                                                 Calf                                                                              Haubert and Kaplan suggested
                                                                                 rescue                                                                         in a letter to the public and their
 The Spirit of The Old West                                                                                                                                     colleagues that unhoused residents
                                                                                 San Ramon Valley
                                                                                                                                                                in RVs pay for use of the proposed
                                                                                 Fire personnel
                                                                                 successfully                                                                   sites on a sliding scale based on
                                                                                 removed a calf                                                                 income.
                                                                                 trapped in a storm                                                                To help the residents resume
                                                                                 drain on Labor Day                                                             normal lives, services such as the
                                                                                 afternoon. The calf                                                            opportunity to sign up for Medi-
                                                                                 was stuck inside of                                                            Cal and job programs could be
                                                                                 an 18-inch-diameter                                                            brought to the RV sites.
                                                          Art of Africa          pipe approximately                                                                The two lawmakers also suggest-
                                                                                 125 feet from                                                                  ed as part of the pilot, that each
 Into China                                                                      the entrance.
                                                                                                                                                                jurisdiction where a site is located
                                                                                 “Firefighters
                                                                                 performed a                                                                    provide a local match in terms of
                                                                                 ‘confined space                                                                 land, personnel and/or funding.
                                                                                 rescue’ using                                                    SRVFPD           Work, health, and vehicle-repair
                                                                                 special equipment/                                                             programs may be available at the
                    925-736-2277                                                 techniques to send a firefighter into the small pipe. It was 100                 sites. Places to dump sewage may
        3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle • Danville, CA                               degrees during the rescue and fortunately the calf and its mother were
                                                                                 successfully reunited. #CowReMOOOOVED,” SRVFPD officials said
                                                                                                                                                                be at each RV site or at another
                                                                                                                                                                location. Q
                All COVID-19 protocols are followed.                             on social media sharing photos and videos of the rescue effort.                               —Keith Burbank, BCN

Page 8 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
NEWSFRONT

                                                                                                                        20 21

  Hot, dry weather and                                                                                              PLEASANT
                                                                                                                                O
                                                                                                                      W E E K LY N

   poor fire conditions
 expected through 2021
  Cal Fire chief warns against complacency while                                    Where the Client-Caregiver
          still amid ‘wildfire peak season’                                         Relationship is Everything.
   Hot, dry temperatures and in-             Hazardous material and debris
creased fire risk are expected to con-    removal has already begun in coun-
tinue throughout California through       ties affected by the Tamarack Fire,
at least December, Cal Fire Chief         the Beckwourth Fire, the Dixie Fire,
Thom Porter warned Tuesday.               the Lava Fire, the Cash Fire and the
   With roughly 2 million acres al-       River Fire.
ready burned across California this          According to Cal OES Director
year, the state is on pace with the       Mark Ghilarducci, the debris remov-
number of acres burned at this time       al program is also set to begin in the
last year, according to Porter, who       South Lake Tahoe areas affected by
described the fires of the last two       the Caldor Fire, which had burned
years as “the new reality.”               more than 216,000 acres and was
   “Some have turned to looking           49% contained, as of Tuesday.
forward as if this is now fall, summer       Ghilarducci noted that residents
season is over,” Porter said, referenc-   who begin their own debris removal
ing Labor Day weekend as the tradi-       process without first checking with
tional but unofficial end of summer.      their county could make them ineli-
“We’re right smack in the middle of       gible for the state’s cleanup services.
wildfire peak season.”                       State and federal officials advised
   Ultimately, some 4 million acres       residents to remain alert for poten-
burned across the state in 2020.          tial fires in their area in the coming
   Porter said that while “nobody has     months and be ready to evacuate, if
a crystal ball” to predict how many       necessary.
acres will burn in 2021, a recent            “We need everybody in California
three-month outlook from Cal Fire’s       to keep their eyes open,” Porter
weather forecasters showed consis-        said. “See smoke — call it in, don’t
tently dry conditions, more wind          expect somebody else already did.
events and additional fires.              And if you get evacuation orders,
   Nearly 15,000 firefighters and         get out so we can do our job of
emergency personnel and nearly            protecting lives, property and the
1,300 military personnel are battling     environments.”
the state’s ongoing fires.                   Information about ongoing fires
   State officials are also proceeding    can be found via Cal Fire at www.
with hazardous waste and fire debris      fire.ca.gov/incidents.
cleanup efforts via the California           State residents can also find in-
Office of Emergency Services’ Con-        formation about how to prepare for
solidated Debris Removal Program,         wildfires and potential fire-related
which coordinates with county gov-        evacuations at www.readyforwild-
ernments to clean up fire debris for      fire.org. Q
free.                                                 —Eli Walsh, BCN Foundation

       CONCERTS                           parks to watch the concerts while
                                          enjoying food and drink to-go from
        Continued from Page 5
                                          downtown restaurants or brought
Pleasanton wants their Concerts           from home.
back. We are fired up to have one            Blankets or chairs can be put out
of our all-time favorite bands, Public    at people’s own risk starting at 7
Eye, leading off the 2021 series,”        a.m. on concert day. PDA officials
Terry said.                               reminded residents that they cannot
   A local band known for perform-        use rocks to hold down blankets be-
ing high-energy hits, Public Eye will     cause of potential damage to lawn-
kick off the 2021 series on Sunday        mowing equipment, and the use of
(Sept. 12). Public Eye has been a         plastic tarps, which can burn the
staple at Concerts in the Park in         grass, is also prohibited.
previous years, including perform-           Neal Street will be closed to ve-
ing at the special Pleasanton 125th       hicular traffic between Lions Way-
Anniversary show in 2019.                 side and Delucchi parks to allow for
   The rest of the 2021 lineup an-        a safer concert experience from 3-7
nounced so far will be Dustbowl           p.m. on concert Sundays, according
Travelers on Sept. 19, AXL/DC on          to PDA officials. The parks will close
Sept. 26 and Jeff Ricketts and the        promptly at 7 p.m. coinciding with
Dirt Road Band on Oct. 3. The final       the opening of Neal Street.
two acts are expected to be unveiled         The 2021 Concerts in the Park se-
soon.                                     ries is sponsored by Alameda Coun-
   Performers will take the stage at      ty Fair, Goodguys Rod & Custom
Lions Wayside Park at the corner of       Association, Iron Horse Real Estate
First and Neal streets. Like in past      & Home Decor, Marina Plumbing
years, admission is free and attend-      Company, Pleasanton Farmers’ Mar-
ees can set out blankets and chairs       ket, Pleasanton Garbage Service and
in either Lions Wayside or Delucchi       Visit Tri-Valley. Q

                                                                                       Pleasanton Weekly • September 10, 2021 • Page 9
Marking 20 years since Sept. 11 5 14 - Pleasanton Weekly
NEWSFRONT

                                Newsom announces new Bay Area judges
                                                 Also nominates Alameda County’s Rodriguez to Court of Appeal
  Gov. Gavin Newsom last Fri-               Kirk Athanasiou, 45, a Con-            judge, while Renee Reyna, 40, a            54, a deputy attorney general at        serve as an associate justice for the
day announced eight new Superior         tra Costa County deputy public            San Mateo County Superior Court            the California Department of Jus-       state’s First District Court of Ap-
Court judge appointments in the          defender, and Jennifer Lee, 51,           commissioner, was appointed as a           tice, were the three new judges         peal, Division Three. The nomi-
greater Bay Area.                        a Contra Costa County Superior            new San Mateo County Superior              appointed.                              nation will need to be confirmed
  The appointments, among 22             Court commissioner, were the two          Court judge.                                  Solano County’s newest judge is      by the Commission on Judicial
made statewide on Friday to fill         appointees to Contra Costa County           In Santa Clara County, Brian             Janice Williams, who was serving        Appointments, consisting of Chief
vacant seats, include two in Contra      Superior Court judgeships.                Buckelew, 48, a supervising deputy         as a deputy district attorney with      Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, At-
Costa County, one in Monterey               Jared Jefferson, 37, a Mon-            district attorney with the county,         the county.                             torney General Rob Bonta and Se-
County, one in San Mateo County,         terey County chief deputy pub-            Shella Deen, 56, an attorney with             Newsom on Friday also nomi-          nior Presiding Justice J. Anthony
three in Santa Clara County, and         lic defender, was appointed as a          the law firm Hoge Fenton Jones             nated Alameda County Superior           Kline. Q
one in Solano County.                    Monterey County Superior Court            & Appel, and Rafael Sivilla-Jones,         Court Judge Victor Rodriguez to                        —Bay City News Service

    Work on I-580, I-680 among projects to benefit from federal funding
   Four transportation projects in       million.                                  number and severity of collisions.         allocated for a project along Inter-    connecting Oakland and Alameda.
the Bay Area are going to benefit           Projects approved in Caltrans             • Alameda and Contra Costa              state 680 that will enhance safety      This project will enhance safety
from the California Transportation       District 4 (Bay Area) include:            counties: $4 million allocated for         and extend the service life of the      in the tubes by installing fuel cell
Commission’s allocation of $1.4             • Alameda County: $5.4 million         projects on Interstate 580 in Al-          pavement by rehabilitating north-       power supply systems to maintain
billion for projects to repair and       allocated for a project on Inter-         ameda County, as well as Interstate        bound I-680 by slab replacement,        safety systems in the event of a fire
improve transportation infrastruc-       states 580, 680, 880 and 980 that         680 and Highway 160 in Contra              grinding and placing hot mix as-        emergency.
ture, according to Caltrans.             will enhance pedestrian safety by         Costa County, that will enhance            phalt to improve safety and extend         SB 1 provides $5 billion in trans-
   Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road        installing accessible pedestrian sig-     safety and operations by installing        the service life of the pavement.       portation funding annually split
Repair and Accountability Act of         nals systems and countdown timers         concrete barriers. The project will           • Alameda County: $8.5 million       between the state and local agen-
2017, will account for more than         and upgrading crosswalk mark-             also upgrade guardrails.                   allocated for a project on Highway      cies. Q
half of this investment, or $884         ings. The project will reduce the         • Alameda County: $75.3 million            61 in the Posey and Webster tubes                     —Bay City News Service

              9/11                       LPFD events occurred at 6:45 a.m.
                                         to align with the Eastern Standard
                                                                                   ones, and our first responders. We
                                                                                   are asking you to join us to take a
                                                                                                                              and chief operating officer at Tho-
                                                                                                                              ratec, was aboard Flight 93 on
                                                                                                                                                                      guard, a performance from the
                                                                                                                                                                      Monte Vista High School chamber
        Continued from Page 5
                                         Time of the original attacks.             pause and remember all those who           Sept. 11, 2001 and with fellow pas-     choir and guest speakers.
hijacked and crashed into the                Fire personnel and the public         lost their lives on that tragic day,”      sengers helped divert the hijacked         The keynote address will be de-
World Trade Center’s Twin Towers         will gather at each station’s flagpole    Haubert said in a statement.               plane from a more populated tar-        livered by retired U.S. Air Force
in New York City, the Pentagon           at 9:45 a.m. before a moment of              The event will run from 10-11           get. (Thoratec is now under the         Maj. David Yuers, who served as
outside Washington, D.C., and a          silence at 9:59 a.m. after an an-         a.m. in the Alameda County Fair-           Abbott umbrella.)                       the Air Force Reserve deputy di-
field in Pennsylvania. The annual        nouncement from fire dispatch, in         grounds Amphitheatre and include              Then on Saturday afternoon in        rector and operations officer for
events also recognize the first re-      recognition of the time when the          a performance from the 395th               Danville, the Exchange Club of San      the Joint Reserve Intelligence Sup-
sponders and others who have sub-        World Trade Center’s South Tower          Army Band and speakers such as             Ramon Valley will hold its annual       port Element for U.S. Strategic
sequently died or continue to battle     fell in 2001.                             public safety officials and residents      9/11 remembrance ceremony from          Command based in Phoenix, Ariz.
serious health conditions due to             Flags will be lowered to half-staff   with personal stories such as Lloyd        4:20-5:30 p.m.                          Prior to that he worked directly for
9/11-related illnesses.                  at 10 a.m. and military and public        and Pleasanton native Jim Mc-                 The event will begin with a pre-     the Air Force chief of staff at the
   Like they do every year on Sept.      safety personnel will stand at atten-     Guirk, an Army veteran who had             program flyover at 4:20 p.m. and        Pentagon.
11, the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire        tion and salute at the direction of       just begun basic training when the         procession of local scouts with            Earlier in the week, Las Positas
Department will commemorate the          the fire command leader.                  9/11 attacks occurred.                     American flags at the All Wars          College in Livermore held its an-
anniversary at each of the 10 fire           LPFD personnel will then join            Also in Pleasanton Tom Bur-             Memorial at Oak Hill Park (3005         nual 9/11 remembrance ceremony
stations across the two cities.          others from Alameda County Sher-          nett Lane, between Stoneridge and          Stone Valley Road) in Danville.         virtually on Thursday at 11 a.m. The
   LPFD staff, elected officials and     iff’s Office, Alameda County Fire         Johnson drives near the Abbott                The formal program, “20th Anni-      event was set to include a traditional
community members will be on             Department, Parks Reserve Forces          Laboratories offices, is typically         versary of 9/11: Never Forgot,” will    singing of the national anthem as
hand at the various fire stations for    Training Area and other agencies          adorned with American flags and            start at 4:30 p.m. with club presi-     the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
the events Saturday beginning at         at the fairgrounds in Pleasanton          flowers to memorialize the street’s        dent Tim White and past-president       (ROTC) Air Force honor guard pres-
9:45 a.m. — an adjusted time to          for a 20th anniversary memorial           namesake.                                  and Danville Town Councilwoman          ents the colors. The keynote speaker
allow for more resident attendees        ceremony organized by Haubert.               The late Burnett, a San Ramon           Karen Stepper as emcees. It will        was Dr. Nicole B. Simpson, a 9/11
on the weekend. In years past, the           “We lost family members, loved        resident and senior vice president         feature a joint police-fire honor       World Trade Center survivor. Q

           WATER                         recommended to drought rates or
                                         the current rate structure, but all
                                                                                   Lea Blevins told the Weekly that a
                                                                                   report on water supply conditions
                                                                                                                              recommend the first reading of an
                                                                                                                              ordinance to amend the district code
                                                                                                                                                                      require reducing water use by 15%
                                                                                                                                                                      compared to last year, Blevins said,
        Continued from Page 5
                                         Zone 7 retailers — including the          would be delivered to the DSRSD            to align the water shortage stages      adding, “The district will continue to
2023 up a year with board approval       California Water Service Company,         Board of Directors at this week’s          with those required by the state De-    spread the word about the need for
at its Sept. 15 meeting.                 Dublin San Ramon Services District,       board meeting, and the directors           partment of Water Resources, as well    water conservation and will begin
   According to officials, conserva-     and the cities of Livermore and           would “provide direction on declara-       as provide water use restrictions and   to review customer usage and notify
tion efforts made this year “are in-     Pleasanton — will be responsible          tion of a water shortage emergency.”       district enforcement actions for each   customers of overuse.”
tended to help lessen the potential      for deciding how to enforce the              “DSRSD staff will also recommend        water shortage stage.                      While there are many ways that
reductions in 2022.”                     mandatory conservation require-           amending the district code to be              Later this month, DSRSD plans to     users can cut back their water usage,
   “We’re doing what we can now to       ment and what that will look like for     consistent with the recently adopted       recommend adopting the ordinance        Pryor said, “I would also like to
try to prevent more drastic steps in     customers.                                Water Shortage Contingency Plan,”          as well as a separate ordinance de-     remind readers that one of the most
2022,” Ramirez Holmes said.                 In response to Zone 7’s direction      Blevins said.                              claring a Stage 2 water shortage        effective ways to save water is by
   Changes       are    not   being      to retailers, DSRSD spokeswoman              According to Blevins, staff will also   emergency. That resolution would        reducing outdoor irrigation.” Q

                                         settlement is received after incurring    Bureau of Reclamation Smart Water          for loan funds by May 2022.”            pumped by the city, compared to
     RATE HIKES                          debt, the settlement proceeds will be     Program.                                      A proposal to purchase more          an up to 22% rate increase to issue
        Continued from Page 6
                                         used for debt service payments.             The city will also seek a state re-      water from Zone 7 Water Agency          debt. Staff noted that the rate in-
is received, staff said the project’s       A similar approach will also be        volving fund loan; staff said they will    was rejected on Tuesday, on the         crease “associated with debt service
principal debt will be reduced if any    used if the city is approved for a        begin the process to issue revenue         grounds that the city’s water rates     will remain steady and eventually
settlement proceeds are received be-     grant up to $1.5 million for PFAS         bonds, “if it looks like the state is      would jump 42% to purchase the          reduce once the bonds are fully de-
fore incurring more project debt. If a   remediation projects from the federal     unable to meet (the) project timeline      same amount of water currently          feased in 30 years.” Q

Page 10 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
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                                                                                        Pleasanton Weekly • September 10, 2021 • Page 11
BY DENNIS MILLER

  T
                                                           It is not a surprise to either coach as both   Foothill, Granada and Livermore. After next             The Dons add a pair of monster tight ends.  ds.
           wo games into the 2021 high school           entered the season with high expectations and     season, adjustments will be made as to which            Brad Nassar (6-5, 235, Jr.) already has an
           football season, Amador Valley coach         following a five-game, non-league schedule will   teams comprise the two divisions.                    offer from the University of Washington, and   and
           Danny Jones and Foothill headman Greg        enter the East Bay Athletic League season look-      For Jones and the Dons, it is the first season    James Rothstein (6-5, 232, Jr.) is a force. Bothoth
  Haubner would be hard-pressed to ask for much         ing for big things.                               for his team to take on the talent-laden Moun-       are punishing blockers, with Nassar a big time   me
  more from their teams.                                   EBAL is split into two divisions — the Moun-   tain Division.                                       threat as a receiver.
     Both Pleasanton teams have started 2-0. Ama-       tain and the Valley. The Mountain is the more        “In 2019 we told our team we wanted                  Oh, but there’s more. Fullback Kai Burger-  ger- r
  dor thumped Milpitas 37-7, then came and              competitive division, made up of the teams with   to win the Valley and move to                                      meister (6-1, 210, Sr.) may be in
  blanked Bear Creek 55-0 in the second week.           the top records over a two-year term.             the Mountain,” Jones explained.                                         class of his own.
  Foothill opened with a 38-12 win over Castro             This year the Mountain consists of Amador,     “We talked about it all the                                                   “He is the best player  yer
  Valley, then backed it up by rolling to a 43-0 lead   California, Clayton Valley, De La Salle, Monte    time and we went out and                                                     I have ever coached,”    d,”
  before pulling the starters and finishing with a      Vista and San Ramon Valley.                       did it. We now believe                                                                              ally.
                                                                                                                                                                                         Jones said emphatically.
  43-27 final over College Park.                           The Valley has Dougherty Valley, Dublin,       we can do it.”                                                                  “He can catch, block, ck,
                                                                                                             It is a daunting task,                                                       and run. Honestly,  y, I
                                                                                                          but if there was ever a                                                         think he is the best
                                                                                                          right time, it’s now for the                                                                          try.
                                                                                                                                                                                          fullback in the country.
                                                                                                          Dons.                                                                                                en-
                                                                                                                                                                                         He is already the offen-
                                                                                                             “This is a team with                                                         sive MVP for us, andand
                                                                                                          all the right parts,” Jones                                                     he is just as good as an n
                                                                                                          said.                                                                          inside linebacker.”
                                                                                                             For starters, this is the                                                                         nes
                                                                                                                                                                                           At running back Jones
                                                                                                          biggest, toughest Ama-                                                      has a four-player group o p
                                                                                                                                                                                                              ou
                                                                                                          dor team Jones will send                                                                            Jr.)
                                                                                                                                                                        rotating. Miles Tucker (6-0, 185, Jr.),   .),
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   )
                                                                                                          out — and it all starts                                Jackson Ogolin (5-11, 170, Sr.), Marcus       cus
                                                                                                          with the offensive line.                             Hoerz (5-9, 210, Sr.), and Braden Whitworth      rth
                                                                                                                                                                                                                rth
                                                                                                             Left tackle Ryan Brace (6-foot-2, 210 pounds,     (5-9, 165, Jr.) handle the ball.
                                                                                                          senior), and left guard Hayden Roberts (6-1,            “All four of them can run the ball,” Jones   ness
                                                                                                          260, Sr.) lead the way.                              said. “Hoerz is the thunder runner, the rest are are
                                                                                                             “The left side is as good as I have had,” Jones   all speedy.”
                                                                                                          said. “They are big, strong and move well.”                                                         ned
                                                                                                                                                                  Ogolin also starts at receiver, and is joined
                                                                                                             Add in center Dominic Varner (5-10, 170,          by Mateo Castillo (6-4, 195, Sr.) and Brian      ian
                                                                                                          Sr.), right guard Landry Cooper (5-10, 238, Jr.)     Walrath (5-10, 155, Sr.) at the wideout spots.  ts.
                                                                                                          and left tackle Luke Longmire (6-0, 235, Sr.),          Triggering the offense is senior quarterback ack k
                                                                                                          and you have a first rate line.                      EJ Thomsen (5-11, 165). He does everything      ingg
                                                                                                             “This by far the biggest we’ve had in my time,”   Jones asks out of a quarterback and doess it        it
                                                                                                          Jones said of the line. “And we have depth as        well.
                                                                                     ELIZABETH THOMSEN
                                                                                                          well, which is something we have never had.”            “He is a phenomenal leader, and an elite      litee
                                                                                                                                                                                                                li
  Amador Valley quarterback EJ Thomson (2) passes the ball against Milpitas. The Dons defeated               It gets better from there.                        athlete,” Jones said of Thomsen. “He is very    eryy
  the Trojans 37-7.

Page 12 • September 10, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly
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