Pleasanton School District to Send Early Layoff Notices Cutting 75 Positions the Pleasanton Unified School Affected Is Not Yet Known
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VOLUME XLIX, NUMBER 10 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 Pleasanton School District to Send Early Layoff Notices Cutting 75 Positions The Pleasanton Unified School affected is not yet known. The cuts as possible, through em- from cuts last spring. Although was one of the programs brought District will be cutting 75 full- human relations department will ployee concessions, parent and those positions are functioning back for the current year. time equivalent (FTE) positions review seniority lists and other community donations, and any now, they automatically lapse Other trustees said that BRP according to a current plan. factors used in determining who positive budget news in mid-May back into non-existence, unless can be restored later this spring, Teachers and classified persons will receive the notices. from Gov. Jerry Brown. the board is able to bring them but Hintzke said there is no cer- serving in those jobs will be The 75 FTE's will represent The school board made the back. tainty of it. It is better to take it Find Out What's notified by March 15 concerning a savings of $5.5 million, which reduction of 21.7 of those FTE's Trustees Valerie Arkin and out of the cuts column now, to en- potential layoffs for the coming the district must cut now in order at its meeting Feb. 28 on a 3-2 Jamie Hintzke voted "no" on the sure its preservation, she said. Happening school year. to send layoff notices to teachers vote. motion to make the cuts. They Arkin made an earlier mo- Check out the Some of the positions are by the March 15 deadline. At The other 53.5 FTE's cut agreed with all the cuts, except tion, which was defeated 3-2, to shared-time, so the exact num- subsequent meetings, the board by the district were on a list of for the elimination of the Barton keep BRP off of the list of cuts. second section ber of employees who will be will work on restoring as many positions that had been restored Reading Program (BRP), which Section II is filled with infor- (See SCHOOL, page 5) mation about arts, entertainment and special events. There are education stories, a variety of features, and the arts and enter- tainment and bulletin board. McNerney, Garamendi, Dublin Plans Stark Blast St. Patrick's Water Bill Festivities Passage Dublin’s annual St. Patrick’s Local congressional members celebration will be held the responded to passage of House of weekend of Saturday, March 17, Representative (HR) 1837 with St. Patrick’s Day and on Sunday, sharp criticism, saying that it will March 18. spell economic and environmen- Weekend festivities begin tal disaster for the Delta and the with the Annual Firefighter’s Central Valley. Pancake Breakfast at Fire Sta- Although HR 1837 did pass tion #16 (located on Donohue the House on a mostly partisan Drive and Amador Valley Blvd) vote of 246-175, predictions for at 7:00am on Saturday morning. it are a death in the Senate, where Green pancakes will be featured. the Democratic majority is ex- Tickets can be purchased at the pected to aid California Senators door for $5 each. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Next head over to Amador Boxer in defeating it. Valley Blvd or Village Parkway In another Delta development, and find a good seat for the the Bay Delta Conservation Plan 29th Annual Dublin Lions Club (BDCP) released the routes of Parade. Bring chairs or take three alternate plans that could advantage of the bleacher seat- carry water from northern Cali- ing available on Amador Valley Blvd near Oil Changers. Over fornia water sources through a 80 entries including equestrian bypass at the Delta. riders, clowns, marching bands, Zone 7 Water Agency, the val- bagpipes, and more will step-off ley's water wholesaler, has been promptly at 9:30am. Photo - Doug Jorgensen following HR 1837. The agency During the parade, Mayor Tim Saturday, March 3 was opening day for the Livermore Girls Softball Association. Wendy Vasquez, a parent of two of the league's played a strong role in helping to Sbranti and City Councilmem- players was selected as a winner in the Chevrolet Diamonds and Dreams contest. It included a field make-over. The field was shape the BDCP plan. bers will be riding in a star-span- dedicated as part of opening day ceremonies at Joe Michell School. Pictured is Oakland A's mascot Stomper greeting players. For Zone 7 is a state water contrac- gled float, representing Dublin’s more information, see sports notes, page 6-7. tor, and pays for the State Water “All-America City” status. There Project for water. However, Zone will also be a special “30th Year” 7 also wants to be aware of legis- float, on which some dignitaries lation that affects the other major who’ve represented Dublin very Legislation Would Provide Tax Incentives for Easements water project, the federal Central well over the course of the last Legislation that provides con- sponsors from both Democratic “It is encouraging to see po- importance of what land trusts do Valley Water Project, which is the thirty years will ride. siderable tax incentives to land- and Republican majorities. litical parties come together in to protect our natural resources target of HR 1837. The St. Patrick’s Day Festival On the House floor, Con- will be held on Saturday/Sunday, owners who donate a conserva- The bill puts in place a more effort to preserve agriculture land and open spaces.” tion easement on their land, has permanent version of a recently and open spaces,” said California Through voluntary conserva- gressmen Jerry McNerney, Pete March 17th & 18th from 10am to Stark, and John Garamendi voted 5pm at the Dublin Civic Center. been introduced in Congress with expired tax incentive that grants Rangeland Trust Chief Executive tion easements, Rangeland Trust bipartisan support. The bill, H.R. landowners tax relief for protect- Officer Nita Vail. “Having the works with ranchers to relieve against it. They tried to rally oth- There will be plenty of things ers to vote against it. McNerney to do with up to 200 craft and 1964, has reached 300 co-spon- ing their property by donating a support from both sides of the pressures of development and commercial vendors, an Irish Tea sors and has signatures of co- conservation easement. Congressional aisle hits home the (See INCENTIVES, page 4) (See WATER, page 4) Cottage, an international food court, 3 stages featuring authentic Irish entertainment, and exciting carnival rides and attractions: Livermore Branch Of Curtis Keeps Electric Vehicles Running Smoothly The Arts & Crafts area will By Jeff Garberson forklifts and other electrically pany with about 1,000 employees its size suggests. The PMC Con- for granted. However, the tech- include an Ireland section where A Livermore company that powered vehicles to accelerate worldwide and 2011 revenues of troller product line developed in nology is sophisticated and has festival visitors can browse specializes in electric motor and decelerate smoothly. $150 million. Livermore accounts for roughly evolved greatly in the company’s booths of Celtic clothing, hand- The company is a division The Livermore division em- half of Curtis’s revenues. 27 years of existence, according made Celtic jewelry, and historic controls is among world leaders ploys 68 people. Its influence Accelerating and decelerating to Stephen Post, a Curtis vice Irish books. in providing the technology that of Curtis Instruments, a family- The International Food Court allows golf carts, wheelchairs, owned, New York-based com- on the corporation is greater than electric vehicles may be taken (See CURTIS, page 5) will serve up various cuisines. The Irish menu will feature bangers and mash, boxty, and corned beef sliders. Other non- Irish items include lumpia, jam- Speaker Says Health balaya, and gyros. The entertainment at the festi- val will feature everything from System Is 'Broken' traditional Irish music to Celtic Rock. Tempest, a high-energy By Carol Graham you get money. If you take the Celtic Rock band will headline Described as a hodge-podge time to talk to someone, you the Main Stage, with perfor- of business arrangements, laby- don’t. The system is broken.” mances on Saturday and Sunday. rinthine and irrational, an em- About 50 people attended the The Food Court Stage lineup is barrassment, unsustainable and forum. scheduled to showcase some of unethical, California’s health- The message, delivered by the Bay Area’s own Celtic artists. care system took center stage doctors, legal experts and medi- On the Dance Stage, McGrath at a Livermore-Amador Valley cal care specialists, was clear: By School of Dance will perform League of Women Voters’ forum inserting a third party (for-profit non-stop Irish dance for the entire on February 29. businesses) into the patient-doc- weekend. “I’m here to tell you it’s not tor relationship, costs for medi- Irish Tea Cottage will feature really that bad,” said family- cal care have mushroomed out a Celtic Harpist, Irish arts and crafts, knitting and of course, tea practice doctor Randolph Clarke. of control. Even for those with and scones. “It’s way worse.” medical insurance, treatment can There is no charge for admis- With the explosion of corpo- result in astronomical expenses sion to the festival. Parking is rate-run medical care and insur- or, worse, bankruptcy. free. ance, Dr. Clarke noted, “If you “I’m a little offended,” said Photo - Doug Jorgensen On Sunday morning, the punch someone with a needle, (See SYSTEM, page 9) Clouds add to the color of the scenery in North Livermore.