Eugene O’Neill Festival returns Page 14 VOL. XXII, NUMBER 32 • SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 WWW.PLEASANTONWEEKLY.COM ‘Tiny homes’ in Livermore offer safety, security to unhoused residents Page 12 5 NEWS Pleasanton city manager to retire this fall 5 NEWS Livermore community mourns death of teen 18 SPORTS Friday night lights and Monday night football Experience the Difference at The Parkview Proud member of the family Experience The Parkview, a beautiful senior living community located near Centennial Park and the Pleasanton Senior Center. With a wide range of services and amenities available, our dedicated staff will help you create a lifestyle tailored to your needs and preferences. • 24-hour staffing with licensed nurse oversight • State-of-the-art fitness center and engaging 100% exercise classes • Complimentary, scheduled shuttle bus trips for Resident errands, events and appointments Satisfaction • Excursions to restaurants, theaters, museums, Score parks and sporting events • Pet-friendly with landscaped walking trails • Private rooms available in memory care Experience our community and meet our care staff today! 925-398-3933 • theparkview.org The Parkview Assisted Living and Memory Care 100 Valley Avenue, Pleasanton, CA 94566 License #015601283 Equal Housing Opportunity Page 2 • September 3, 2021 • Pleasanton Weekly PLEASANTON LISTINGS WHAT A WEEK BY JEREMY WALSH ‘And the winner is…’ t’s hard to believe September is and “Grand Hotel” really did not already here -- and heck, 2022 hold up, and by the time we finish Iis becoming clearer in view over they might end up being on my list the hazy horizon. of the worst Best Picture winners. 7941 Foothill Knolls Drive What do you have planned for “Wings” (1927), the inaugural Labor Day weekend: A stroll in winner and the only silent film to 4 Bedrooms - 3 Bathrooms - 3,046 Sq Ft - 12,223 Sq Ft Lot downtown Pleasanton for the last earn the award (because of a tech- Weekend on Main street closure of nicality with “The Artist”), tells the Beautifully updated home in highly desired Foothill Knolls with a the year? A trip to the fairgrounds story of aviators in World War I, and downstairs bedroom and full bathroom plus a huge bonus room. to enjoy the return of the Scottish what stood out were the amazing Games? Or maybe just a little down- aerial and ground battle sequences. time at home for the first holiday Well-executed battle choreogra- COMING NEXT WEEK! weekend of the new school year? phy and realistic military setwork are The latter is pretty much what a common thread among other suc- 4868 Dolores Drive I’ll be doing this long weekend -- cessful early winners like “Mutiny on a little R&R at home amid doing the Bounty” (1935) and “All Quiet 4 Bedrooms - 3 Bathrooms - 2,880 Sq Ft - 10,633 Sq Ft Lot some chores, errands and catchup on the Western Front” (1930). workwise. The latter, which follows young Stunning and totally remodeled Pleasanton Hills home with a High up on the goal list for Labor German soldiers in WWI, may be Day is to watch the Netflix DVD one of the greatest war movies I’ve downstairs bedroom and full bathroom. that’s been sitting on our coffee table: ever seen. And believe me, we’ll get “The Great Ziegfeld”, which took our share of war films on our Best VOTED BEST REALTOR & REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE IN PLEASANTON home the Academy Award for Best Picture rewatch campaign. “Caval- AND BEST REALTOR IN THE EAST BAY IN 2021! Picture of 1936. cade” (1933) was another early one, One of our projects for 2021, focusing on a British family through although we haven’t made as much multiple wars until The Great War. Gina Piper progress as I’d have liked so far, has Of course they referred to it as The been to watch all of the Oscar-win- Great War because at that time, even 925.200.0202 • DRE #01201349 ning Best Pictures in chronological when those films were made, World [email protected] order. War II hadn’t happened yet. To me, ElationRE.com Now I don’t treat the Oscars as sitting here in 2021, the context of the be-all-end-all when it comes to that timing is crazy to consider. superior films, but I am fascinated As a journalist, I enjoyed that two by the winner and nominee lists as a of the first eight winners centered on reference point from a movie history newspapermen. TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE FOR AN AMAZING EVENING OF perspective. (Which films or per- The Frank Capra classic “It Hap- formances won, and which ones did pened One Night” (1934), starring not; things like that.) Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert Although I will admit that in all still holds up as a heartfelt romance. of the film classes I took and essays But “Cimarron” (1931), a fictional I read while completing a cinema epic about the Westward Expansion studies minor at American Universi- following Yancey Cravat (yes, that’s ty, I don’t remember whether a movie the character’s real name) and wife won or lost the Academy Award re- Sabra, just fell flat. ally ever coming up. So too did 1932’s “Grand Hotel” Still, as a self-proclaimed movie (great ensemble cast, but hollow buff, I was surprised some months story) and “The Broadway Melody” ago looking through the Best Picture from 1929 (dull plot with unlikeable In support of list to realize how many of the older characters). winners I hadn’t watched. And then Next up we have another New when we saw how many more of the York City musical, “The Great Zieg- TH winners (especially from the 1950s feld,” a biopic about the life of Broad- SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 , 6-10 PM to ‘80s) my wife hadn’t seen, we de- way producer Florenz “Flo” Ziegfeld cided why not just jump in from the Jr. (maybe the “Ziegfeld Follies” rings McGrail Vineyards and Winery • 5600 Greenville Road, Livermore beginning. a bell?). We’ve finished the first eight so Not too far ahead are more famil- far, usually working them in among iar titles like “Gone with the Wind,” Live music by The Bell Brothers • Delicious catered BBQ our other TV, sports and movie view- “Casablanca” and “All About Eve.” ing — because a slower-paced older Let me know about some of your Silent auction • Games, prizes and more! movie, or a three-hour-plus epic, just favorite Best Picture winners, in the doesn’t always seem like a fun watch comments with this story online or during or after a hectic workweek. as I try to get my #BestPicRewatch CULINARYANGELS.ORG/COWBOYS-CABERNET Highlights for me have been hashtag to trend on social media. “Wings,” “All Quiet on the West- And who knows; with streaming ern Front” and “It Happened One rentals maybe we’ll knock two or Night.” On the flip side, “Cimarron” three off our list this Labor Day. Q About the Cover Goodness Village in Livermore is a 501(c)3 public charity that provides “tiny homes” for unhoused Tri-Valley residents. The program was founded in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and officially opened on May 21. We will continue to be in compliance with all state, local and CDC guidelines. Its development was supported and brought to fruition in a collaborative Culinary Angels is a registered 501c3. Tax ID# 84-2906765 community effort. Photo by Cierra Bailey. Cover design by Doug Young. Vol. XXII, Number 32 Pleasanton Weekly • September 3, 2021 • Page 3 Enjoy a Career as a Top news Streetwise Black Tie Chauffeur and local ASKED DOWNTOWN How do you feel about the City of We train you to become a Professional. hot picks Pleasanton’s decision to not extend the Full-Time positions available. Flexible Main Street street closures (to motor schedule.schedule. StaStayy connected with vehicles) beyond Labor Day? yyourour communitcommunityy and enenjoyjoy a Hassan Ritesh Chemical engineer career drivingdriving for our elite Well, as someone who lives right off of Chauffeur TeamTeam.. Main Street, I am positively delighted. I know people enjoy the street closures but The local it is terribly inconvenient for downtown residents. I’ve had cars block my driveway, news you people toss trash in my yard, and it gets very noisy as the night goes on. I look care about forward to having some peace and quiet is one click again on the weekends. away. Robin Taggart Teacher Coming to Main Street when it is closed Receive to cars makes it so easy to see and catch information on up with friends in a safe space. I wish the city would have nurtured that sense of what’s happening community, at least until Halloween. in your community Call 925.487.7741 or by email every day. Email your Resume to Sign up today at Aaron Taggart PleasantonWeekly.com/ Business owner/coffee roaster [email protected] express I think it would have been better if the city had kept the street closures in effect. In fact, if they closed Main Street to www.LivermoreArts.org TICKETS or call 925.373.6800 cars every day, after 4 p.m., I think that would be invigorating to many downtown businesses. If people come downtown and feel comfortable to walk around, they will stay longer and spend more money. Rick Singer Business owner I am thrilled. My Main Street business has suffered terribly from the street closures because people can’t easily find a place to park. When that happens they Starring look elsewhere, for a different vendor, and I lose the business.