BART Route to Livermore Subject of Debate
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VOLUME XLVIII, NUMBER 16 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011 BART Route to Livermore Subject of Debate Which BART extension choice That decision led citizens to route, it is estimated that 6,414 Specific Plan calls for a review of the freeway would destroy the would be better for Livermore? launch an initiative campaign to new units would be needed. The housing in the downtown when rural character of the landscape. That is the subject of an ongo- keep BART on I-580. downtown-Vasco route would 1400 units have been added. They use the same argument as ing debate among Livermore The two sides of the debate of- require 1,515 new units above Currently, the count is at around those who oppose the downtown. residents. fer different views on the impacts those included in the Downtown 1000. They argue that large park- Large parking garages and large One route follows the free- and whether an option could be Specific Plan adopted in 2004. ing garages and large numbers of numbers of high rise, high den- way with stations at Isabel and funded. CHARACTER high rise, high density buildings sity housing units near Isabel Greenville Road. The other op- The main issue has to do with The group circulating the would be needed to meet the and Greenville roads would be tion leaves the freeway at Portola, the requirement that 3,850 homes Keep BART on 580 initiative housing requirements. They use built on what is now open space, goes underground to a station in be built within a half mile of declares that bringing BART the East Dublin BART station as much of it outside the urban the downtown, then rises above each station. The numbers can be into the downtown would re- an example of what people could growth boundary. Essentially, Find Out What's ground beyond the downtown averaged between two stations. quire massive development that expect to see. the type of development Dublin ending at a station at Vasco Housing currently built or in the would change the small town Those who want BART to has approved would be allowed Happening Road. general plan for future develop- character of the area. They point come to the downtown note that in North Livermore. At Isabel, Check out the The downtown-Vasco route ment can be counted towards the out that there are 3600 potential the requirement to build hous- structures would either violate was selected as the preferred numbers. In the case of the 580 units planned in the Downtown ing near BART stations along the height restrictions(See BART, pageunder 4) second section alternative by the BART board. Specific Plan. The Downtown Section II is filled with infor- mation about arts, entertainment and special events. There are education stories, a variety of features, and the arts and enter- To a Stanford Scientist, the tainment and bulletin board list Oceans Tell an Alarming Volunteers Story about Climate Sought for By Jeff Garberson spoke to the Valley Study Group. A prominent Stanford Uni- Global temperatures have been Dublin Pride versity oceanographer believes rising for the past 100 years or so, The 26th annual Dublin Pride the oceans are a clear indicator with the steepest rise measured Week celebration will take place of the state of the climate. The since about 1970. Yet he consid- between May 7 and May 14 this story they are telling is an omi- ers the term “global warming” year. Dublin Pride Week is an nous one. something of a diversion. annual event that seeks to dem- For more than three decades, In the first place, there’s a lot onstrate ways in which individu- the oceanographer, Robert Dun- more than warming going on. als, families or groups can act to bar, has been a leader among Ocean levels are rising faster “Build a Healthy Community.” scientists trying to understand than predicted, threatening in The events encourage people the dynamics of complex systems the foreseeable future to displace to work to improve our world that govern climate around the coastal populations and ruin low through environmental aware- world. lying agriculture with increased ness and volunteerism. He is an award winning teach- salinity. The following events and ac- er as well as researcher. His work The ocean’s acidity is increas- tivities will be occurring this year has carried him and his students ing slowly as more carbon diox- throughout Pride Week: to places like Kenya, New Zea- ide dissolves, stressing marine • Volunteer Day - Saturday land, Galapagos and, perhaps life that forms the basis for the May 7 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 most importantly, Antarctica, food chain that much of humanity noon. Volunteers are needed where he has made some 30 trips depends on. to help with Senior Assistance, and spent six and a half years of Rainfall patterns change, School and Park Beautification, his life. making it difficult for even ad- Tree Planting, and Creek Clean- He has worked often with vanced societies to be sure of up projects. Volunteers will be Lawrence Livermore Lab climate water resources. In California, invited to a barbeque hosted by Photo - Doug Jorgensen experts as well as with colleagues for example, dams built to catch the Dublin Lions Club at Emerald One young reader meets her companion. from around the world. runoff from mountain snow melt Glen Park following all volunteer “Among climate scientists, will do little to store the increased activities from 12:00 noon – 1:00 warming is undeniable,” he said precipitation that rising tempera- p.m. Registration at www.dub- last week in Pleasanton, where he (See CLIMATE, page 5) linprideweek.com is required. • Fitness Challenge - Get Exceptional Needs Network, healthy and have fun at the same No June Tax Election Means Bigger time by joining the week long fit- ness challenge. Accumulate and Paws to Read a Great Match Stretch for Pleasanton Schools track points by choosing from a By Patricia Koning Arabella, Mojo, Hannah, and started the Paws to Read pro- Although the state budget The fact that the deadline wide variety of healthy activities In recognition of National Rico. gram, which is a partnership with is unsettled, there are indica- has passed for a June tax exten- and lifestyle choices. Autism Awareness Month, two “Kudos to the Livermore Valley Humane Society, about tions of how bad the state’s lack sion election for $12.5 billion in • Food Drive - Food will be great programs came together at Library for thinking outside the two years ago. “With budget cut- of funding for local education revenue to cover one-half of the collected throughout the week the Livermore Public Library last box and planning a program for backs, we were looking for ways might be. projected $26 billion deficit still at both Dublin Safeway loca- week: Paws to Read and the Ex- children with disabilities,” says to engage volunteers to continue Luz Cázares, assistant super- leaves the district without a firm tions and at Volunteer Day. The ceptional Needs Network (ENN). ENN co-founder Susan Hough- offering meaningful programs,” intendent of the Pleasanton Uni- number about its future budget. donations will be presented to the Thirteen children and teens with ton. “The kids really got a kick explains librarian Gary Myer. fied School District, filled in the However, Gov. Jerry Brown Children’s Emergency Council autism read to the popular therapy out of it.” Paws to Read, modeled after a school board about what might be has said that the cuts to education in Dublin. dogs—Kelda, Mitsy, Dash, Elsa, The Livermore Public Library (See READ, page 12) in store. She made her comments (See BUDGET, page 5) • Free Household Hazardous at the April 12 board meeting. Waste (HHW) Collection and Compost Give-a-Way Day, Sat- urday May 14. • Planet Dublin Poster Contest Decades later, Livermore man looks back at Manhattan Project for students, grades K-12. Prizes By Jeff Garberson years ago, growing up in Princ- wouldn’t turn out well. But he the machine operating. years brought the Pacific War include certificates for all partici- Tom Lanahan was always eton, N.J., that he got a job in went anyway, and he turned out That skill and the job that it led to a close without the invasion pants, gift cards and City Council handy. When a machine wasn’t the Princeton University physics to be good at it. He fixed what to were the start of a remarkable of Japan. recognition for the winners of working well, he figured out a department and was tasked with needed fixing, be it a vacuum career that took him to the heart Lanahan, now 90 and a Liver- each category. way to make it run better. When keeping a cyclotron running. leak, an electrical malfunction of the top secret U.S. nuclear more resident, reminisced last • Farmers’ Market Grand it broke, he could fix it. The year was 1941. He didn’t or mechanical defect. He was in weapon program, the Manhattan week about the war years. Princ- Opening at Emerald Glen Park on So it wasn’t too surprising, 70 have a formal degree. Ffor that demand, because he could keep Project, which in the next four (See MANHATTEN, page 12) Thursday, May 12 from 4:00 p.m. reason his father thought the job - 8:00 p.m. with a special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 6 p.m. • Bike to Work Day at the Local Congressmen Stress Dublin/Pleasanton Bart Station on Thursday, May 12, 6:30 a.m.