Infrastructure Projects on Front Burner
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WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Student’s Speech Senior Savings Chance of rain MADISON STUDENT’S SPEECH FIND OUT HOW TO GET CLOUDY late Saturday HIGHS: 53-58 } HIGHLIGHTS FUNDRAISING LOW-COST OR DISCOUNTED 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 } DRIVE ................................... 2 INTERNET SERVICE .............. 9 LOWS: 42-47 SanSan LeandroLeandro TimesTimes AN INDEPENDENT HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SERVING SAN LEANDRO, ASHLAND, SAN LORENZO AND SHEFFIELD VILLAGE VOL. 27 • NO. 9 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017 SAN LEANDRO • CALIFORNIA Infrastructure Projects on Front Burner Street repairs, city pools, WiFi part of capital improvements By Amy Sylvestri San Leandro Times The City Council heard about residents call us every day,” said plenty of potential projects at a Cooke. special workshop Monday night For example, he said one to help prioritize the budget for man called to ask about getting San Leandro’s infrastructure. a sound wall on the freeway ex- Projects will include street re- panded near his home. The cost of pairs, a new pool, and expanded see PROJECTS, page 14 WiFi. Keith Cooke, the city’s en- gineering director, presented the council with a tentative six-year CV Pushes plan of all the projects necessary to keep San Leandro running. Cooke said a fine balance Back on PHOTO BY JIM KNOWLES must be struck between spending on maintenance on exiting prop- erties and creating new projects. Pot Shops “I like to think of it as a Mural in the Manor healthy diet,” said Cooke. “We By Amy Sylvestri can’t spend all of our funds on San Leandro Times Kelly Ording worked on her mural last week near the intersection of Farnsworth Street and Manor Boulevard. treats.” The Alameda County Board Ording’s mural is one of three underway in San Leandro, along with one on Abrams Court and Merced Street. Cooke called things like road of Supervisors is proposing an maintenance the “vegetables” ordinance that will increase the and projects like park expansions number of cannabis dispensaries “dessert.” in the county, allowing up to five The engineering department in the county’s unincorporated estimates $29 million in capital areas. improvement spending next fiscal Currently, there are two dis- Trees Will Be Cut for Rapid Bus Line year and they are in the process of pensaries operating in the Eden asking the City Council for fund- Area, one on East Lewelling By Amy Sylvestri ing in the two-year budget that’s Boulevard in Ashland and one San Leandro Times in the process of being created. on Foothill Boulevard in Cherry- Construction has begun on Cooke said that, while creat- land. The new ordinance would the long-anticipated AC Transit ing the list of prioritized projects, authorize one more dispensary in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line they surveyed the public and that the Eden Area and the other two from downtown Oakland to San the public is often who calls his in the eastern part of the county, Leandro, but in order for the sta- department’s attention to infra- but no exact locations are set. tions to be built, dozens of trees structure needs. Over the past few months, the along the International Boulevard “The list continues to expand, see POT, page 14 and East 14th Street corridor are being removed. A total of 25 trees in San INSIDE YOUR TIMES Leandro will be cut down and 17 trees will be planted to replace ■ NEWS Auto ......................6 them, according to Robert Lyles, Man arrested after escaping Calendar.................4 spokesman for AC Transit. But on I-880. Page 3 Classified Ads ........ 12 the saplings that will be planted Crime ....................3 are much smaller than the de- ■ FOOD Crossword ...............5 cades-old trees that currently line Getting down to basics Homes ................. 10 the street. with beans. Page 5 Home Services ....... 12 The $200 million BRT proj- Inquiring Reporter ... 15 ect, which has been called "light ■ SENIORS rail on wheels" by AC Transit, is a Letters ................. 15 Choosing an appropriate Lifestyle .................7 9.5 mile rapid route with bus-only Medicare policy. Page 9 lanes and some raised loading Obituaries ............. 14 platforms along a center median PHOTO BY AMY SYLVESTRI 38,500 EVERY THURSDAY Seniors ..................9 see TREES, page 5 Twenty-five trees will be cut down in San Leandro for the new rapid bus line. THE LARGEST FREE-DELIVERED NEWSPAPER IN THE EAST BAY 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017 San Leandro Times MEETING Veterans Resource Center Madison Fundraiser Sets a SCHEDULES Looking for Volunteers Record After Student’s Speech The Veteran’s Resource Cen- vides access to books, DVDs ■ CITY COUNCIL ter (VRC) at the San Leandro and pamphlets on various topics School raises $2,700 Council meets on the first and third Main Library, 300 Estudillo Ave., including: Veterans benefits, for Leukemia & Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in helps veterans as part of the state- registration with the CALVET Lymphoma Society City Council Chambers, City Hall, wide program “Veterans Connect program, registration with Fed- 835 E. 14th St., San Leandro @ the Library.” eral e-benefits, transitioning James Madison Elementary For more information, call the The center is currently un- from military to civilian life, holds a “Pennies for Patients” City Clerk at 577-3367. derstaffed and looking for new finding jobs, surviving change fundraiser each year for the Leu- ■ volunteers (volunteer training is and managing post-traumatic kemia & Lymphoma Society and SAN LEANDRO part of the program). If you are stress disorders. the school usually raises about SCHOOL BOARD interested in volunteering or for Veterans can make an ap- $1,700. Board meets on the second Tuesday more information, call 577-3992. pointment to meet one-on-one This year, they went all out of each month at 7 p.m. in the The center provides assis- with a Volunteer Veterans Benefit and had a goal of $2,000. But City Council Chambers, City Hall, tance through trained volunteers Coach by leaving an appointment that was before fifth grader Ami- 835 E. 14th St., San Leandro. who can connect veterans and request at the library or via email ra Hutcherson gave her speech. For more information, call their families to benefits and to [email protected] or This year, Madison School raised Michelle Mayfield at 667-3522. resources. The center also pro- by calling 577-3991. $2,759. Amira has been in remission from leukemia for almost five years. She loves to share her story to bring awareness to cancer, and to be a voice for those who lost Kindergarten Information their fight or who continue to San Leandro Times fight cancer. In her speech, Amira said she An independent hometown Nights Set for SLZ Schools newspaper serving was grateful for the Leukemia & San Leandro, Ashland, The San Lorenzo Unified at 6 p.m. Lymphoma Society. Her mom San Lorenzo and School District is having Kinder- Dayton School, March 8 at and dad had insurance but they Sheffield Village garten information nights to meet 5:30 p.m. had high co-pays and the society PHOTO COURTESY OF LEX HUTCHERSON EDITORIAL teachers, principals and staff and Del Rey School, March 22 helped pay those bills. They also get information. The informa- at 6 p.m. provided her parents with peer- Madison School student Amira Hutcherson who gave a Fred Zehnder speech in front of the whole school poses for a photo with Editor and Publisher tion nights for each elementary Grant School, March 1 at 6 p.m. to-peer support, connecting them school are on the following dates: Hesperian School, March 1 with other families who had a Principal Gerry Grotke and fourth grade teacher Danille Jim Knowles Bay School, March 15 at at 6 p.m. child with cancer. Gallagher. Managing Editor 6 p.m. Hillside School, March 29 “Without the Leukemia & [email protected] Colonial Acres School, at 6 p.m. Lymphoma society I wouldn’t Amy Sylvestri March 22 at 6:30 p.m. Lorenzo Manor School, have been able to receive the care City Editor Corvallis School, March 28 March 8 at 5 p.m. I had,” Amira said. [email protected] Music Fest to Raise Funds Steve Schaefer Auto Editor For School Music Programs Contributing Writers City of San Leandro’s Home Come to see San Leandro and In Your Head. Buzz Bertolero bands at the Cherry City Music Doors open at 6 p.m. Dona- Martha Kennelly Earthquake Strengthening Course Fest 2017 at The Englander on tion of $25 at the door, or $10 Mel Lavine Saturday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. for students. to benefit music programs in San All the proceeds from this Carl Medford The City of San Leandro is again offering its nationally recognized and award-winning Home Earthquake Strengthening Course to homeowners. This is a “do-it-yourself” course geared Leandro schools. show, organized by Keep Music Linda Sandsmark towards owners of older, raised-floor homes. Homeowners will be shown how to identify and Join the fun with the bands Rockin’ Foundation, benefit Maggie Sharpe strengthen structural weaknesses in their homes. Upon completion of this four-day course, each the San Leandroids, Future/Past, music at San Leandro public PRODUCTION homeowner will have a customized blueprint for their seismic project. Pugsley & the Dugger Brothers, schools. Howard Morrison If you own a hillside home, please contact the Division of Building & Safety at (510) 577-3405. Manager Avoid Greg Benson When: March 9, 14, 16 and 21 LIVING TRUST Art Director This is a four-day course. Probate Moxie Morrison GIVE MORE TO YOUR LOVED ONES! Assistant Where: 999 East 14th Street, San Leandro Grant Deeds OPERATIONS City Hall Plaza, south of the Police Department, Power of Attorney - Wills & Trust Services Claudette Morrison behind the California Conservatory Theatre DP LEGAL SOLUTIONS Business Manager 2016 Lewelling Blvd., San Leandro, CA 94579 ADVERTISING Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.