VOLUME XLIX, NUMBER 5 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 BART Would Provide Access to Jobs in Livermore Extend BART to Livermore portation projects in Alameda lion for the Livermore BART a majority of the population change the wording for a BART in order to transport people to County over a 30-year period if extension along I-580 to Isabel in the county and the Board of extension to Livermore, concern jobs there, a number of speakers voters were to approve a ballot Avenue, a bone of contention for Supervisors to qualify for the about the loss of funding for tran- argued. measure planned for the Novem- those who want the money spent November 2012 ballot. The cities sit oriented development (TOD), Many declared that fairness ber 2012 election. The measure elsewhere. and county must vote up or down and lack of specificity around should be honored, since Liver- would ask voters to increase the The measure is a one-time on the TEP. wording for a student bus pass. more residents have been paying sales tax from a half cent to a full chance to obtain the funding, Hearings on the TEP are The bus pass language was for BART for almost 50 years. cent. If approved, the tax would which for Livermore would be scheduled at the Livermore City changed from “potential” proj- Health issues provided another become permanent. seed money to obtain the total Council on Feb. 13, the Alam- ects to “successful” projects theme, since pollution caused Both a subcommittee and the estimated for the BART exten- eda County Board of Supervi- would be funded throughout the by traffic continues to impact the Alameda County Transportation sion. Special legislation allowed sors on March 27, Dublin City life of the measure. Find Out What's quality of life in the Tri-Valley. Commission Board of Directors the election for November 2012 Council on April 3, Pleasanton Several commissioners point- The comments were made approved the TEP. Twenty com- to add a half cent to the current City Council on April 17 and the ed out that funding for TOD Happening during two public hearings held missioners voted in favor of the half cent tax. If it were to pass, BART board on April 26. would be available through MTC last Thursday on a proposed plan, Supervisor Keith Carson the TEP list would be built out. The main talking points from as part of the One Bay Area Check out the Transportation Expenditure Plan was opposed. One commissioner The proposed measure will members of the public who plan. second section (TEP). The $7.7 billion TEP was absent. need to be supported by a ma- wanted the TEP revised during The final plan increases AC Section II is filled with infor- would guide spending on trans- The plan provides $400 mil- jority of the cities representing two hearings included a desire to (See BART, page 10) mation about arts, entertainment and special events. There are education stories, a variety of features, and the arts and enter- tainment and bulletin board. Dogs Who Detect Drugs Pleasanton, Will Be Police Reach Allowed on Tentative Campuses By Ron McNicoll Agreement Pleasanton school trustees have approved use of a drug- The City of Pleasanton and detecting dog in campus parking the Pleasanton Police Offi- lots and students’ locker areas. cers’ Association (PPOA) have The vote was 5-0 at the board reached a tentative agreement on meeting Jan. 24. On a separate a memorandum of understanding motion, trustees agreed to wait (MOU). until the district approves a Before becoming final, the change in its policy to include agreement needs to be ratified by how canines will be used. The members of PPOA and approved vote on that motion was 4-1, with by the city council. The council Jeff Bowser voting “no.” will vote on the proposal at its The board held a thorough Feb. 7 meeting. discussion on the item at its PPOA includes 83 sworn po- meeting Jan. 10. The intention lice employees, 61 police offiers is to use a dog from time to and 12 police sergeants. Under time, to sniff at cars and lockers. the new MOU, there will be no Police and school officials said pay increases. Union members the procedure is to discourage will begin picking up employee students from bringing drugs on retirement contributions, a two campus, not necessarily to make tier retirement program will be arrests. Caution would be taken implemented; and retirement to guarantee students’ procedural health benefits were changed. rights. The new agreement is is ex- Now that use of canines is ap- pected to save the city approxi- proved, trustees will add a section mately $2.4 million through the to the board’s policies to provide 2013-2014 budget. specifics on the use of the dogs. The current MOU expired Trustees will look at the draft May 31, 2011. Photo - Doug Jorgensen resolution on Feb. 14, with an The expiration date of the eye to voting final approval Feb. proposed MOU is May 31, 2014, Monday marked 23 years since the kidnapping of Ilene Misheloff from the streets of Dublin. To mark the day, Ilene’s family and friends participated in a Candlelight Walk and Ecumenical Prayer Service. 13 year-old Ilene Misheloff vanished while walking home 28. District officials said the text slightly over two years from the will be easy to add, using other date the document becomes op- from Wells Middle School in Dublin on January 30, 1989. The investigation into Ilene’s disappearance continues in an effort to return Ilene safely to her parents. There is currently a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the districts’ policies as a guide. erationally effective. This short- Bowser said that he voted er contract allows for greater person(s) responsible for Ilene’s disappearance. against the second motion be- flexibility to make adjustments cause “a sense of urgency trumps should the economic environ- the delay.” Especially “scary” is ment change significantly. Dublin Saw Advances in 2011 that if drugs were in a vehicle, The proposed contract does it could bring a DUI situation, not include any wage adjust- By Carol Graham advice for my team? As for the plan for the city cies rose, and new restaurants and When Dublin Mayor Tim said Bowser. He thought current ments. “That startled him a little bit. itself, Dublin has been playing parks were advanced. general policy covered the use of The cost to fund the CaIPERS Sbranti met President Barack He looked at me, kind of puzzled offense – with notable results. At “2011 was a banner year in Obama at the recent 80th Confer- at first, then said, ‘Play defense. the State of the City address and our city’s history,” said Sbranti. dogs on campus. pension program is comprised Trustee Jamie Hintzke ques- of two parts. The first is a vari- ence of Mayors in Washington Play good defense and everything luncheon held on Wednesday, “We enjoyed the distinction of DC, he decided to ask for some else on the court will take care of January 25 at the Shannon Com- being named an All-American tioned whether a policy might able employer rate which is create the impression that “we expressed as a percentage of advice. itself.’ As he was walking away, munity Center, Sbranti noted City – the only such award in “I know you’re a basketball shaking hands he turned back and Dublin’s striking achievements in California this year.” Designated don’t trust kids.” She thought salary for covered PPOA em- that statistics about expulsions ployees (in FY 2011/2012, this player,” Sbranti said. “I coach repeated, ‘Play good defense,’” 2011, recognizing that residential by the National Civic League high school basketball in the city Sbranti added, laughing. “We’ll development returned, retail va- to the top ten U.S. communi- over drugs might not justify rate is 24.1%). The second is a where I’m a mayor. Do you have fixed 9% contribution for which make sure we do that.” cancies were filled, office tenan- (See DUBLIN, page 8) (See DOGS, page 5) members are responsible. The City has been paying the 9% contribution on behalf of its (See AGREEMENT, page 9) Preparing For Lawsuit Over Layoffs, Former Employees Blast Lawrence Lab Five former employees de- in Oakland. They held a press Earlier this month, pre-trial nounced Lawrence Livermore conference last week to discuss legal actions appeared to under- National Laboratory last week the motivation for their suit. cut at least two of the complaints for the callous and allegedly il- They are among 130 who brought against the Laboratory. legal way it laid them off in 2008, filed formal complaints with One complaint was that there was shortly after a new contractor the California Department of no funding shortfall that would took over the facility with prom- Fair Employment and Housing, create the basis for the layoffs ises of improving efficiency. according to a fact sheet issued in the first place. The other The five are suing the Lab in a by their attorney, Gary Gwil- claimed evidence of blanket age collective action that is scheduled liam of Oakland. A total of 440 discrimination against all the to be heard on February 27 in employees were laid off by the plaintiffs. Superior Court Judge Alameda County Superior Court Laboratory. (See LAWSUIT, page 4) Livermore Downtown, Inc. Hands Out Awards Bob Coomber on one of his climbs.