One-Vote Margin Ends Hope of a Livermore BART Extension
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Thursday, MAY 31, 2018 VOLUME LV, NUMBER 22 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL One-vote Margin Ends Hope of a Livermore BART Extension By Ron McNicoll ing new trains, a second Transbay tube, improvements for handicapped Livermore’s 50-year dream of a promised BART rail extension patrons, and refurbished stations. See Inside Section A vanished on a 5-4 vote of BART directors. Board Vice President Nick Josefowitz summed up the majority’s Section A is filled with At the board’s meeting May 24, four suburban BART directors, led preference by saying that his predecessor from San Francisco was on information about arts, people, by the Valley’s representative, John McPartland, voted for the rail exten- the board for 24 years, and voted for all of the service extensions during entertainment and special events. sion, which was favored by many Livermore residents in attendance. that period. Josefowitz said that voters chose him over the previous There are education stories, a Supervisor Scott Haggerty, and residents of other Valley cities also board member four years ago, because he promised to stop extensions, variety of features, and the arts spoke, including Pleasanton Councilmember Arne Olson, who expressed and put the money instead into improving what already has been built. and entertainment and that city’s support. The Dublin City Council was on record in support. The other side of the 5-4 vote was told by Fremont director Tom bulletin board. However, directors in the five urban districts — four of which include Blalock, who pointed out that the system expanded over time. As proj- San Francisco in their boundaries — voted against the extension. They ects were completed, more money was available for maintenance. The pointed out the need to rehabilitate BART’s core infrastructure, includ- (SWee BART, page 10) The Independent Recommends Spanish Faith Zone 7 Water Board: Dennis Gambs and Olivia Sanwong Formation Measure A: Yes 16th Assembly District: Program Ends Catharine Baker After 20 Years 15th Congressional District: The Catholic Community of Eric Swalwell Pleasanton (CCOP), a parish community including St. Augus- tine and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Concern Raised churches, has changed the lan- guage format offerings in its Faith Over New Formation program. Under the leadership of Father Paul Minnihn, CCOP offered a Spanish language Community option for Faith Formation, its youth faith education program for College Formula 1st and 2nd graders. On May 20, By Richard Yates without prior notification, families At the May 15 Chabot-Las arriving to register their children Positas Community College Dis- for the Spanish language program trict (CLPCCD) Board meeting, for the coming 2018-19 year were representatives from Chabot’s told that it was no longer offered. Classified Senate and Student Erika Coolidge, a CCOP pa- Senate both voiced concern about rishioner and volunteer with the the implications of Governor Jerry Catechists of the Spanish Faith Brown’s proposed new funding Formation program, wrote her Photo -Doug Jorgensen formula for community colleges. frustration and disbelief on the The 14th Annual West Region Challenger Jamboree was held at the Dublin Sports Grounds. Pictured Zaheer Ebtikar, the Chabot Stu- CCOP website after finding out are teams taking part in the opening ceremonies. The Little League Challenger Division® was founded dent Senate President, advocated about its removal, “After 20 years in 1989, and is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual against implementation of the new of catechism in Spanish, and my challenges. model, citing a financial burden on 13 years as a volunteer in the Ca- the district. Noell Adams, Chabot tholicism program in Spanish, the Classified Senate President, simi- Catholic Church of Pleasanton is larly voiced concern on behalf of closing its doors to the Hispanic the college’s classified employees. community without any warning, The Governor’s January budget and without any comment. They Expert Describes Growth of Russian proposal and May revise change just closed the doors. There are the apportionment funding formula registrations for your children, for community colleges from the but only in English. For me, I will Strategy Aimed at Countering U.S. current model based almost ex- look for another community. I am clusively on enrollment to a one tired of fighting against racism, By Jeff Garberson ment. tant Secretary of Defense during where 60% of the funding is based where there should not be, in ‘My In recent years, Russia has de- A clear improvement in Russian the Obama administration. She on enrollment in general, 20% is church,’ where other people are veloped not only military forces military prowess, particularly its was recently named President and based on the enrollment of low- welcomed with open arms, but but also political and information ability to integrate land and air CEO of the U.S.-Russia Founda- income students specifically, and Hispanics are not welcome.” strategies in order to counter what forces in sustained conflict beyond tion, a nonprofit organization 20% on degrees and certificates According to CCOP parishioner it sees as continuing American its borders in places like Syria, is seeking ways to improve relations awarded. Arnoldo Avalos, offering Spanish- efforts to destabilize Moscow and aimed at countering highly capable between the long-time adversaries. As colleges are transitioning to language education to children dominate the international scene, U.S. forces arrayed against it. This appointment was noted operate within the new formula, allows older generations, who according to an expert who spoke Russian military planners have when she was introduced at LLNL they will have two years of con- may only know Spanish prayers, early this month at Lawrence been deeply impressed by the abil- as not merely another observer of tinued, “hold-harmless,” funding to worship with the youth. Avalos’ Livermore National Laboratory. ity of the U.S. to mount extended worsening U.S.-Russian relations at 2017-18 levels. The new funding own family has just such a multi- The U.S. is now the central multiple military efforts on the but “someone who has tried to do model would go into effect starting generational structure. He said that international villain in Russian other side of the world for years something about the problem.” in the 2020-21 fiscal year. it was very important for his own eyes, aided by NATO as it tries to at a time, she said. She spoke at LLNL’s Center On May 18, Chancellor Jannett children to learn to pray in Span- manipulate other countries and the While U.S. wars in Afghanistan for Global and Strategic Research, Jackson submitted a letter to the ish, so they could worship with United Nations to Moscow’s dis- and Iraq may not be looked on a think tank aimed at providing state legislature supporting the new their parents and grandmother who advantage, according to this view. positively here, Russian leaders back-and-forth communications funding model with several recom- know responses in Spanish. The expert, Dr. Celeste Wal- considered them alarming ex- between political and military mendations. Chancellor Jackson, Avalos notes that the Span- lander, is a former member of amples of how the U.S. can project policymakers in Washington and who also serves as Vice President ish Faith Formation program the U.S. National Security Coun- its power abroad, including close the technical community repre- for the Northern Region of the was established over 20 years cil with extensive experience in to Russian borders. sented by Lawrence Livermore, Chief Executive Officers govern- (See SPANISH,M page 8) academia and the Defense Depart- Wallander was a deputy assis- ing board of the Community Col- (See RUSSIAN, page8) lege League of California, has been working with the State Chancellor to improve the funding formula for Diverted Pension Payments California Community Colleges. The May 18 letter, representing Lead To UC Retiree Warnings the position of the CEO Board for the Community College League University of California retir- independent steps for access; for of California, outlines the need ees who use UC’s online system example, entering a confidential for a substantial infusion of base for keeping track of pensions and password and then repeating a funding to build the “institutional investments have been advised number forwarded by email. capacity” of the 72 community to safeguard their accounts after AYSO reportedly plans to im- college districts, many of which reports that a hacker was able to plement its two-factor authentica- “are expecting significant budget divert some monthly pension pay- tion system next year. cuts in 2018-19 due to declining ments to a false address. In the meantime, some UC re- enrollments.” The online system is called At tiree organizations have distributed Recommendations include im- Your Service Online, or AYSO. a warning as well as publishing proving “funding predictability” In response to an inquiry, the Uni- steps that members could take to by using three-year enrollment versity said that it investigated the protect their accounts. averages for funding calcula- incident and found that the pension Much of the information has tions; allocating the $104 million payment diversion was an identity come from advisories sent out by included in the May Revision for Photo -Doug Jorgensen discretionary purposes on an ongo- theft problem, not the result of the UC Santa Cruz Emeriti As- The Veterans Organizations of Pleasanton held ceremonies on inadequate security. sociation for retired faculty. In ing, instead of a one-time, basis; Memorial Day at the Pleasanton Senior Center. The ceremony and increasing the base level with Nevertheless, AYSO is said addition, UC published a question- cost of living adjustments of the to be developing a “two-factor and-answer sheet.