Independent, locally owned and operated! Delivered bi-weekly to all Need to contact us? 925.377.0977 Lamorinda homes & businesses $ Volume 03 Issue 6 read it online: www.lamorindaweekly.com 925-377-0977 Wednesday, May 27, 2009 What's the Buzz in Lafayette? By Cathy Tyson Town News 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 The Buzztones are Back! Life in Lamorinda 5, 7, 8, 9 verything old is new again. Customer loyalty dents’ support of local businesses. Dedicated shopper ztones. “It was absolutely nuts,” said lead singer David Letters to Editor 6 and supporting your town never go out of style. reunion, classmate reunion, even a band reunion – this Martin. The band came together in 1979, changed the E is a love fest you don’t want to miss. line-up in 1981 and went their separate ways in 1989, Public Forum 6 That’s why the Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring It’s also a chance to meet the merchants who although “We’ve all stayed friends.” Real Estate 12 the “Try Lafayette First Thank You Party.” Residents are invited to Plaza Park on Friday June 5 to enjoy keep Lafayette so vital, and possibly rub elbows with “We have this weird, wonderful relationship, like Business 13 complimentary refreshments and the fabulous retro former classmates and Buzztone fans from Acalanes, four wacky brothers with great chemistry. When we Schools 14, 15, 16 sounds of the Buzztones. Merchants truly appreciated Miramonte and Campolindo who have stayed in the sing together there’s this magic that happens,” said In the Back Yard 17 the support of long time customers who really did area since their respective glory days of high school. Martin, referring to the Buzztone vibe of humor, antics Not to be Missed 18, 19 make an effort to shop Lafayette first. Locals of a certain age probably remember and fun. Many residents know him as David Van Service Directory 18 The very popular local band is reuniting for a fondly Wednesday nights at Abernathy’s in Walnut Overveen, son of Jop and Irene Van Overveen. Dining 20 few special events including this celebration of resi- Creek, waiting in lines out the door to listen to the Buz- ... continued on page 2 Sports 21, 22, 23 Advertising Classified 22 HOW TO CONTACT US 22 Shop Moraga 24 NEW LISTING IN ORINDA Charming Ranch-style home nestled into one of the best professionally landscaped .54 acre This Week Read About: lots in the Orinda Country Club. This home is sunny, open, airy and has great light all day Next Steps for the Downtown Plan 2 long. A one-level home, it offers wonderful views of Las Trampas and other local hills Compromise on Specific Plan? 3 through many windows. Enjoy a modern kitchen, three spacious bedrooms, and two baths. There are dual pane sliders and walls of glass in the master suite, family and living rooms. Crest View Residents Take On Council 4 This home is terrific for adult and family entertaining. $1,075,000. Voices of Lafayette 5 Photographers Finish First with Us 7 April Matthews Village Associates 93 Moraga Way, #103, Orinda, 925-254-0505 www.villageassociates.com • www.dreamhomelamorinda.com ASSOCIATES Culinary Art at Artisan Bistro 9 REAL ESTATE Open Sunday 2-4 Designer Clothes in Moraga? 13 H1N1 Arrives, Schools Stay Open 14 LAFCO to MOFD, Woman Marine Corps Arrest Made After Student’s Death 15 Campo Boys Swim to the Top 21 Moraga, and Orinda—Keep Talking Vet Shares Story of Service Mats Advance in NCS Play 21 By Andrea A. Firth By Jennifer Wake epresentatives from the town of Moraga, the city of Orinda, and the Mor- hile history often focuses on how have considered. She joined the Marine Raga Orinda Fire District (MOFD) drew a collective sigh of relief as a Wwomen filled openings at factories Corps Women’s Reserve. subcommittee for the Local Agency Formation Commission of Contra Costa as ‘Rosie the Riveters’ during World War II, Soon after, Sinnott found herself at PRSRT STD PRSRT more than 300,000 women served in the Camp Lejeune in North Carolina with hun- PAID U.S.POSTAGE AD-VANTAGE County (LAFCO) decided to defer recommendations to annex the MOFD or the city of Orinda to ConFire, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection Dis- military between 1941 and 1945. dreds of other women recruits, and thou- trict. Although the three agencies (MOFD, Moraga, and Orinda) have not been In February 1945, when the war was sands of men preparing for deployment in complete agreement about all things related to fire service delivery financ- still raging in Europe, Catherine Sinnott overseas. ing over the past year, the triumvirate had collectively rejected any attachment (who was 21 years old at the time, and who While more than 70,000 women were to ConFire—a large metropolitan fire agency which serves nine cities and sev- now resides in Lafayette) decided to help part of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps eral unincorporated areas stretching from Lafayette to Martinez and San Pablo her country. She had finished three years at during World War II, hundreds of thousands to Antioch. UC Berkeley, and knew that she could take of women served in other military branches While the LAFCO subcommittee must take their recommendations to advantage of the G.I. Bill, which offered and filled many jobs, including those in all the full Commission for adoption, any annexation to ConFire in the near fu- college or vocational training funding for aspects of food service, transport, mechan- ture seems unlikely. ... continued on page 7 returning World War II veterans, so she did ics, as guards, and as members of marching something many of her friends never would bands. ... continued on page 10 Lamorinda Moms ‘Best of Lamorinda’ Winners Historical Homes of Lafayette By Stephanie Kusinski By Cathy Tyson Lamorinda Moms is a social and support And the winner of the ‘oldest house still club for parents with children under five in standing’ in Lafayette goes to the the greater Lamorinda area. The organiza- charming red home that’s been sitting tion strives to help members enrich their comfortably on the banks of the lives through cultivating new friendships, Lafayette Creek for about 149 years. personal and professional growth, and The “Daley House,” at 3306 Moraga community involvement. Since 1995, Boulevard near Carol Lane, looks Lamorinda Moms ... amazingly well-preserved, although return to: Lamorinda Weekly • P.O. Box 6133 • Moraga, CA 94570 Box 6133 • Moraga, CA • P.O. Weekly return to: Lamorinda Read on page 8 there is some ... Read on page 7 Mailed and delivered to 24,200 homes and businesses in Lamorinda. Mailed and delivered Page: 2 LAMORINDA WEEKLY www.lamorindaweekly.com 925-377-0977 Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Lafayette Lamorinda Community Lafayette Calendar City Council Lafayette’s Natural Resource Dana Green Presents... Community Center, Manzanita Room Four New Reasons to Love Lamorinda! 500 St Mary’s Road Thursday, May 28, 5:30pm Orinda: New to Market and Fabulous… Continued consideration of the Draft 26 Claremont Avenue, Orinda Downtown Strategy and SpecificPlan Monday, June 8, 7pm Lic. 01482454 Open Sunday 1 to 4 pm Extensively remodeled Planning Comm. 7pm 4BD/3BA in great Orinda (925) 339-1918 location! Perfect for Community Center, Manzanita Room [email protected] www.DanaGreenTeam.com moving up or down 500 St Mary’s Road $899,000 Thursday, June 4 Design Review 7pm Lafayette Not Keen on Community Center, Manzanita Room 500 St Mary’s Road Potential Traffic Impact of New Moraga Plan Trail Neighborhood Perfection in Lafayette… Tuesday, June 9 By Cathy Tyson 3322 Beechwood Drive, Lafayette Senior Services 3:30pm oncerned about traffic im- “Lafayette continues to have as well as an assisted living fa- Community Center, Alder Room Cpacts on their roads from serious concerns regarding the cility. Rebuilt in ‘04, don’t By Appointment 500 St Mary’s Road the Moraga Center Specific EIR’s methodology, assump- “Based on standard ITE miss this delightful Thursday, May 28 Plan (MCSP), the Cities of tions, conclusions and mitiga- (Institute of Transportation En- 3BD/2BA w/ detached office & park-like yard! Lafayette and Orinda shared tion measures and maintains gineers) trip generation rates, City of Lafayette: $950,000 the cost of hiring TJKM, a that the EIR fails to comply TJKM estimates that the Mor- http://www.ci.lafayette.ca.us transportation consulting firm, with the California Environ- aga Center Specific Plan would Chamber of Commerce: to analyze data from Moraga’s mental Quality Act (CEQA) generate approximately 522 in- http://www.lafayettechamber.org traffic consultant, Fehr and ….. The EIR fails to fully ana- bound and 488 outbound trips Cheerful Traditional Charmer… Peers (F & P). Basically the lyze impacts on the streets and during the p.m. peak hour. 36 Olympic Oaks Drive, Lafayette TJKM review does not agree intersections in Lafayette and However, F & P’s projected trip with the figure for external trips offers unrealistic or ineffective generation shows 251 inbound Delightful 2329+/- First Open 1 to 4 pm sq. ft. in private - that is the number of trips out- mitigation measures that are in- and 243 outbound project trips gated Olympic Oaks side of Moraga that F & P consistent with the Lafayette during the p.m. peak hours. Community on found, by approximately 50%. General Plan.” These EIR project trip incre- .46 level lot! In a nutshell, how many drivers At issue is the Final Envi- ments are approximately 50 – $1,149,000 Holes in the Ceiling, 5/11/09 An ad- are staying within Moraga to ronmental Impact Report 52 percent less than the compa- ministrator from Michael Lane Pre- school called Lafayette Police to report pick up kids from school, go (FEIR) of the Moraga Center rable outbound and inbound property damage to their shade struc- grocery shopping and so on – Specific Plan.