Thursday, January 14, 2016 VOLUME LIII, NUMBER 2 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL Referendum Aims to Overturn Approval of Lund Ranch II With approval of the Lund because getting on the ballot is very 100 vertical feet of a ridgeline. One links 12 homes in the new Ranch II development, the battle difficult with 10% of the registered All of the housing that might development via Lund Ranch Road over its future depends on the out- voters needing to sign within 30 have violated Measure PP was to the Ventana, Mission Hills area. come of a referendum. days. "We felt this was an important eliminated from the plan, leaving The second access road, serving See Inside Section A Supporters of the referendum enough issue to warrant paying a connecting road as the point of 31 homes, would be built along began collecting signatures last people for collecting the necessary contention. Referendum support- Sunset Creek Lane to the Sycamore Section A is filled with Sunday. They have until February signatures." ers believe that Greenbriar Homes' Heights/Bridle Creek neighbor- information about arts, 5 to collect close to 4200 signa- At issue is Measure PP, which plans for one of two access roads hood. people, entertainment and tures. Reportedly, it has been very prohibits structures on slopes of to the development violates Mea- The access road connecting special events. There are easy to collect signatures. In one 25% or greater or within 100 feet sure PP. Whether or not a road is Lund Ranch through Sunset Creek education stories, a variety case, over 80% of those asked of a ridgeline. No grading to con- a structure comes into play with Lane to Sycamore Heights would of features, and the arts agreed to sign the petition. struct residential or commercial arguments made for and against be constructed on slopes of 25% or and entertainment and The supporters say that they are structures is allowed on hillside the definition. greater. In addition, retaining walls bulletin board. paying people to gather signatures, slopes 25% or greater, or within Two access roads are included. (See REFERENDUM, page 5) Jets to Fly Into Livermore During Organization Super Bowl Week to Advocate The Super Bowl will impact for the Arts the Tri-Valley as jets fly into the Livermore Airport. With the major The sounds of clarinets, hand airports booked solid, local air- drums, trumpets, guitars, and vi- ports are being utilized to handle brant voices echoing about the halls the increased air traffic coming of Livermore's elementary schools is a close-held dream of music into the region. lovers. Members of the Livermore Super Bowl 50 will be played Cultural Arts Council (LCAC), February 7, 2016 at Levi’s Stadium composed of 29 arts and educa- in Santa Clara. tion organizations, are banding The Livermore Airport will host together to help these sounds come at least 80 aircraft from Thursday, to fruition. A committee of LCAC February 4th through Tuesday, members with a shared vision has February 8th. volunteered to assist with the cause. Leander Hauri, Airport Man- The committee gathered infor- ager, said that while there will be mation from teachers and school officials. Members wanted to better increased noise, the jets will not be understand what would be helpful the "super noisy" aircraft. to educators and administrators to The positive, he said, is that ensure that every Livermore Val- increased air traffic will generate ley Joint Unified School District additional direct and indirect lo- Photo - Doug Jorgensen (LVJUSD) student receives diverse cal spending. Those arriving will and enriching arts education. With need transportation and hotels, and Former Livermore Valley Unified School District Trustee Bill Dunlop goes over math problems with two support from LCAC, LVJUSD staff will dine in restaurants. They will of the participants in last week's MathCounts competition. For the story on MathCounts, go to page 6. and administration including Su- perintendent Kelly Bowers, Liver- (See JETS, page 5) more Valley Education Foundation, and Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center (LVPAC), the group Brown's Budget Highlights Road Maintenance has launched a new website to connect and energize community California Gov. Jerry Brown spending for such things as roads ing with the issue of how to update 1990s. With new vehicle engine supporters of arts education. said that his new budget proposal and state building maintenance, a structure of revenue that will keep efficiency, consumers are going The committee called the Liver- for fiscal year 2016-17 anticipates instead of creating new programs up with regularly rising costs of further on a gallon of gas, which more Arts Education Alliance another recession in several years. that would add continuing long- road maintenance and repair. cuts into the revenue for road repair (LAEA) seeks to empower and en- He based that view on the past term costs. Brown's budget totals Livermore City Manager Marc and maintenance, said Roberts. hance arts education for all students performances of five years of $122.6 million. Roberts said that the most impor- Livermore and other cities have in the district. The vision includes prosperity, followed by the dot. Spending money on road repair tant benefit in Brown's budget for had to use the general fund for road an ideal core arts curriculum that is com bust in 2002 and the mort- is exactly what Livermore and his city is the proposal to adjust the repair. "There has not been enough inclusive, diverse, and vibrant, pro- gage meltdown in 2007. Pleasanton want to hear, said offi- gas tax upward, to compensate for money available. Some of our viding every grade level from K-5, In his news conference Jan. cials in those cities. The Legislature decades when it was not adjusted. streets are below the standard that with developmentally-appropriate 7, Brown emphasized one-time is in special session currently, deal- The last increase occured in the music instruction. It would foster (See BUDGET, page 6) creativity and multiple pathways Training Next Week (See ADVOCATE, page 2) LCAC Votes For Literacy Tutors to Support With a waiting list of more enough tutors were available, ac- than 100 adult students hoping to cording to coordinator Carey Jones. improve their reading and writing, Tutor training will take place Creative not to mention conversation skills, on three days at Livermore Public Livermore’s Literacy Program Library, she said: January 20, 25 Downtown will start training next week for and 27 from 10 a.m. to 12:30. new tutors. The training will cover topics Project The program has 106 students such as the impact of illiteracy on today and could double in size if (See TUTORS, page 2) At their January 6th meeting, the Livermore Cultural Arts Council (LCAC) unanimously approved the Wheels Asks for Grant to following statement: "LCAC supports an iconic and creative downtown development Run 8 All-electric Buses that supports the needs of the By Ron McNicoll than current Wheels standard-size Workmen install solar panels at the Lab. Livermore Arts and Cultural com- Livermore-Amador Valley buses, a factor that would reduce munity." Transportation Authority, which wear and tear on the roads, said Approaching the 10-year an- operates the Wheels bus service, Tree. Big Solar Energy Project niversary of the major downtown has applied for a $2 million federal The electric bus consists of renovation, Livermore is set to de- grant to buy eight electric buses. 30% fewer parts, 75% fewer brake Is Nearing Completion velop the remaining 8 acres of land Michael Tree, Executive Direc- repairs, and no expensive after- With a view toward harnessing energy from the sunny skies that will in the heart of downtown Liver- tor of Livermore-Amador Valley exhaust treatments. Tree estimated inevitably return, a 3.3 megawatt solar photovoltaic facility is nearing more, bordered by South L Street, Transportation Authority (LAV- that the maintenance savings would completion at the northwest corner of Lawrence Livermore National Railroad Avenue, South Livermore TA), said that the electric buses amount to $135,000 over the life Laboratory near Vasco Road. Avenue and First Street. The land will be carbon-free, which will of the bus. Depending on rain, which can slow construction, the project could be is temporarily being utilized on a dramatically reduce pollution, and These would not be the first all- finished late this month or early next. It should begin generating power daily basis for parking. will cost less for maintenance. electrics in the nation. San Joaquin a few weeks later following testing and start-up. LCAC's advocacy for the down- Each bus would be priced at County operates two of them, and The facility is expected to generate about 6,300 megawatt hours of town development will focus on $850,000, which is more expensive Foothill Transit in suburbs east of electrical energy per year, which is about the amount of energy consumed how it wishes the arts to be repre- than the $750,000 for the hybrid Los Angeles uses an entire route by 970 average California homes in a year, according to figures from sented and involved with the proj- electric-diesel buses that Wheels with electric buses. If Wheels the U.S. Energy Information Administration. ect. To begin, the organization will uses now. However, the fuel sav- receives the grant, it would be For comparison, it will operate at about two and a half times the make known and share interests at ings over the life of the bus would probably the first in the nation to capacity of the big solar energy system at Las Positas Community Col- upcoming City workshops to be amount to $250,000.