Fund Drive for Pleasanton Schools to Begin
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VOLUME XLVII, NUMBER 10 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 Fund Drive for Pleasanton Schools to Begin By Ron McNicoll appeal through the news media to back through the community tions continue with the classified specifics will be cited in the A drive to raise an estimted the whole community to donate fund-drive effort. employees’ union, which has information coming to parents $900,000 by June 1 to save Pleas- to the district. The district has been looking shown signs of making some and public. anton school programs will begin As occurred last year in a at a projected $8 million shortfall concessions in the best interests The list at the board meeting late this week or next week. two-month, quick-start drive that for the next fiscal year, which be- of the district. March 2 shows four hours of a The school district will open raised $450,000, two established gins July 1. That’s the best guess Already declared saved by technology specialist per day the drive with a letter to parents foundations will act as central so far about the impact that a still the administration and the board, at each elementary school for a asking for their donations to save collection points. They will turn unsettled state budget for next because of concessions and ad- total of $202,500. Five hours of a specific programs. The $900,000 the money over to the district. year will hold for schools. ministrative staff voluntary cuts, library assistant position per day Find Out What's is a ballpark estimate, said district The foundations are Pleasanton Some Pleasanton programs have been such major items as at each school costs $152,000. public relations officer Myla Partners in Education (PPIE) and that were headed for cuts have class size reduction, reading, PE, Figures were not applied Happening Grasso. The figure had not been Pleasanton Schools Educational been saved by the teachers and science specialists. yet to various student support firmed up in time for The Inde- Enrichment (PSEE) foundation. union’s one-year concessions The board approved a list programs. Those needs will be pendent’s deadline. The school board at its meet- on their new three-year contract of specific things that trustees determined at individual sites. Check out the The letter to parents will be ing March 2 approved a list of with the district. That savings would like to see brought back They will make up part of the second section followed in a week or so by an programs that could be brought will total $4.5 million. Negotia- or preserved for next year. Such (See DRIVE, page 10) Section II is filled with information about arts, entertainment and special events. There are educa- tion stories, a variety of Oak Grove Referendum features, and the arts and entertainment and bulletin board listings. Debate Is Underway Campaigning was underway year legal battle, the issue will on the Oak Grove referendum now go to the voters. There has at last week’s Pleasanton City been controversy over whether Sandia Good Council meeting. arguments criticizing the devel- Comments made during the opment were correct as presented Place to Work council meeting led Mayor Jen- by the opponents of Oak Grove. Sandia National Laborato- nifer Hosterman to declare, “Ap- The development includes 51 ries’ California site in Livermore parently the Oak Grove debate custom home lots. is ranked eighth among the win- has begun here and now.” Co-chairmen of the “No on ners in The Scientist magazine’s 8th annual Best Places to Work The development is located in Oak Grove Committee,” Karla for Postdocs survey. the southeast hills of Pleasanton. Brown and Kay Ayala, began “This year’s award winners After being approved by the what will likely become an on- represent an array of forward council, it was referended. Fol- going part of council meetings thinking institutions that are lowing the settlement of a two (See OAK GROVE, page 2) open to changing in support of the values and needs of its postdocs,” said The Scientist in a press release announcing the winners of the survey. The ‘Time to step up’ Scientist cites “remuneration Photo - Doug Jorgensen Retiree Group Hopes to and compensation” and “family Juliette Goodrich and Lynn Owens read a book written by Goodrich about the oldest burning light Reach Its Fundraising Goal and personal life” as strengths of bulb in the world, “The Little Light Shines Bright.” They were at Arroyo Seco School in Livermore. Sandia/California. To arrive at its rankings, The For the story, go to Section II. The UC Livermore Lab Re- documents that reveal a trail of Scientist tallied 3,105 responses tiree Group is approaching its health care policies and contrac- from its postdoc audience. Re- financial goal of raising enough tual decisions that evolved over spondents assessed their work- money to begin legal action to decades and were changed only ing conditions and environ- Livermore City Council Votes to try to restore membership in Uni- recently. ments, indicating their level of versity of California health plans. Legal action has always been agreement and importance with Support Appeal of Kennel Approval It needs a final push to reach its a last resort for the retirees group, target of $150,000, according to which has petitioned the Univer- 43 criteria in 11 different areas. That doesn’t mean that anything Sufficient responses — a mini- The Livermore City Council could be approved in other areas, group leaders. sity for reinstatement to health voted unanimously to support the such as North Livermore. goes.” “We are close but not there plans, appealed to the UC Board mum of five — were received The Sierra Club filed the from each of 90 institutions appeal of an approval of a large Mayor Marshall Kamena said, yet,” said Joe Requa, founder of Regents, met with UC General kennel in the unincorporated area “The issue isn’t the quality of the appeal after the County Zoning of the organization. “We have Counsel and secured a promise considered in the rankings. Board of Adjustments had ap- Sandia’s Albuquerque, N.M., of Alameda County. architecture, but the permitted about $125,000 now, with more from newly elected representa- proved it. The matter will now go laboratory ranked 23rd in the The concern was that it would uses under Measure D. It’s my coming in. I’m hopeful, because tive John Garamendi to form set a precedent that could mean opinion that horse boarding is a to the Board of Supervisors. members have voted overwhelm- a committee to investigate the survey. (See APPEAL, page 10) More information on The such urban commercial uses specific permitted use. Boarding ingly to support legal action. It health care situation. Scientist’s Best Places to Work for dogs and cats is not listed. really isn’t certain that we can None of these approaches has for Postdocs survey can visit collect that last $25,000 to make been successful. Most recently, http://www.the-scientist.com/. Innovation Hub Aims to Create Jobs legal action possible. Garamendi communicated his change of heart on forming the Livermore will establish two the recently designated innova- and the Lawrence Livermore Na- “This is the time for people tion for Green Advanced Trans- to step up who are planning to investigative committee, al- nonprofit corporations that are tional Laboratory to designation though he emphasized his inter- projected to help develop high portation Excellence (i-GATE) i-GATE as part of the state’s iHub do so.” Innovation Hub (iHub). The group’s attorneys believe est in pursuing other means of paying jobs in the city. Demonstration Program. reaching an accommodation. The city council on Monday The State of California se- The i-GATE partnership in- its legal case is sound. However, Yucca Mountain lected a proposal by Livermore, it will be necessary to take the The Retiree Group expects directed staff to move forward cludes over 25 other governmen- (See GOAL, page 10) Application with the corporations as part of Sandia National Laboratories, (See iHUB, page 4) University to court to discover Withdrawn The U.S. Department of En- ergy today filed a motion with the New Animal Shelter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission to withdraw the license applica- Be Built in Pleasanton tion for a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain Valley Humane Society In April 2007, VHS moved with prejudice. (VHS) has begun the process to from a small building on Spring “President Obama is fully build a new, 5,000 square foot Street in downtown Pleasanton committed to ensuring that the animal shelter on Nevada Street to a modular building at 3670 Nation meets our long-term in Pleasanton. Nevada Street. The construction storage obligations for nuclear “Last year was a turning point of a new building will allow VHS waste,” said Department of En- for VHS,” said Wendy McNelley, to expand its services to the com- ergy General Counsel Scott VHS General Manager, “Thanks munity and triple the number of Blake Harris. “In light of the to the hard work of our Board animals saved every year. decision not to proceed with the and the support of our volunteers Through a bequest from the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste we are now poised to make our late Joyce Keeler, a former Liver- repository, the President directed dream of a new building come more teacher and animal lover, Secretary Chu to establish the true.” (See SHELTER, page 4) Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and Essay Contest Brings to provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term so- Out Foothill’s Virtues lution to managing the Nation’s By Ron McNicoll anton’s community of character.