Wednesday, May 2, 2018 • Vol. 12 Issue 5 Independent, locally 26,000 copies owned and operated! delivereddeli biweekly to LamorindaLa homes & businesses 925-377-0977 www.lamorindaweekly.com FREE Photo courtesy Andree Soares/Star Creek Land Stewards Here come the goats! By Nick Marnell t may not sound as romantic as the swallows returning contracted with Star Creek Land Stewards of Los Banos for a shal of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, said of the association Ito Capistrano, and no hit song has been recorded (yet) goat herd to clear vegetation in the open space west of Happy members. “They were super receptive to our fi re safety sug- about their activities, but the return of the goats to Orinda Valley Road and north of Sundown Terrace, toward Orinda gestions and they applied to the Diablo Fire Safe Council for Downs signals a rite of the Lamorinda spring: time to prepare View Road. a mini-grant.” The council offers cost sharing of up to $5,000 for wildfi re season. “The neighborhood was proactive. They ran with it, and per project to create defensible space, according to DFSC rep- The Orinda Downs Homeowners Association has again did a lot of neighborhood outreach,” Kathy Leonard, fi re mar- resentative Cheryl Miller. ... continued on page A8 Advertising Letters to the Editor A11 Community Service B4 Not to be Missed B8-B9 HOW TO CONTACT US B9 Classifi ed C2 Shop Orinda C4 Lafayette’s planning commission PG&E to close St. Mary’s cranking back into action By Pippa Fisher Road for the summer he city has appointed its fi rst re- meeting that he and Mayor Don Tatzin, By Sophie Braccini Tplacement commissioner to allow as members of the subcommittee, are acifi c Gas and Electric Co. informed the The work plan that was approved by both the planning commission to get back to holding ongoing interviews together with Pcity of Lafayette and the town of Moraga councils will start south of the South Lucille work. the two remaining commissioners, Gary that it would have to replace a mile of pipe Lane intersection in Lafayette on June 7 and Following the mass resignation of Huisingh and Steven Bliss. under St. Mary’s Road in the coming months. a fi rst section of the road will be closed all fi ve of Lafayette’s seven planning com- Anderson said that they are not The plan as it currently stands will completely the way to Driftwood Drive until July 20. The missioners as a result of the new stricter eliminating any candidates at this point close the arterial from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday work on the second section from Driftwood confl ict of interest policies, the commis- and that interviews would continue into through Saturday, from June 7 to Aug. 17. Drive to the south of Bollinger Canyon Road sion was left unable to function. The city May. However they had decided that if The utility is seeking encroachment per- should end on Aug. 17. During construction, council voted to reduce the number of a uniquely qualifi ed candidate presented mits from both municipalities to execute its through traffi c will be rerouted from 7 a.m. to commissioners from seven to fi ve in the it would be good to appoint them right plan, but several questions surfaced during the 7 p.m. and residents with no other access will short term and has temporarily taken over away. public presentations that were held last week: be permitted on the road one at a time. The last the reigns as a planning commission. Anderson said that Mason had agreed Why there and why now? Will the new pipe be phase, replacement of the valve at South Lu- Now, with the appointment of Greg to the new confl ict of interest policy, ex- safe? How will emergency access be handled? cille Lane, will be completed after Aug. 17 but Mason – a senior structural plans exam- plaining that he doesn’t work in Lafay- A major PG&E communications effort is should not require closing St. Mary’s Road. iner – and the remaining two members, ette. expected in the coming weeks. About 40 Lafayette residents live on Dirftwood the commission will be up to three, Those interested in volunteering on When PG&E fi rst came to meet the two cit- Drive, Shire Oaks Court, and Cattle Shute Road enough to form a quorum. the planning commission should go to the ies it proposed a 100-day plan that would have with no other outlet than that section of St. Mary’s City attorney Mala Subramanian city website http://www.lovelafayette. partially closed the arterial, sometimes allow- Road. In Moraga the entire Bluffs neighborhood advised the council that it is released of org/city-hall/commissions-committees/ ing for one-way traffi c, but would have affect- of over 100 homes will be blocked at some point, planning commission duties except for planning-commission for an application ed the school commute. Both staff teams asked plus the residents of unincorporated county land two cases it has already started on. form and for details of the commission’s PG&E for a shorter alternative that would im- whose sole outlet to civilization is Bollinger Can- City Council Member Mike Ander- work plan. pact the road only when school is out. yon Road. ... continued on page A12 son explained at the April 23 city council Civic News A1-A14 Life in Lamorinda B1-B10 Sports C1-C3 Our Homes D1-D16 Councils discuss planning Orinda Lamorinda high Lafayette and housing at Tri-City runner school golf teams Juniors meeting – page A14. fi nishes prep for NCS – Kitchen Fire Districts A8 32nd page C1. Tour on Boston May 19 – MOFD board split on Marathon page D1. stormwater fee – page A8. – page B1. Page: A2 LAMORINDA WEEKLY 925-377-0977 www.lamorindaweekly.com Wednesday, May 2, 2018 THE DANA GREEN TEAM PROUDLY PRESENTS... 115 WILDERNESS LANE, LAFAYETTE 5 PASEO LINARES, MORAGA Public Meetings JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! City Council 4351± SQ. FT. HOUSE + .60± ACRE LOT 4188± SQ. FT. HOUSE + 1.53± ACRES Monday, May 14, 7 p.m. UNRIVALED NEW CONSTRUCTION 2015 CUSTOM MORAGA RETREAT Lafayette Library & Learning Center, Offered at $3,985,000 115WildernessLane.com Offered at $2,625,000 5PaseoLinares.com Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Planning Commission CALL ME FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW THESE EXCITING NEW LISTINGS! Monday, May 7, 7 p.m. LAMORINDA’S #1 REALTOR SINCE 2011 Lafayette Library & Learning Center, Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. 925.339.1918|LICENSE # 01482454 DANAGREENTEAM.COM Design Review Monday, May 14, 7 p.m. Lafayette Library & Learning Center, Green award winners educate and inspire others Arts & Science Discovery Center, By Pippa Fisher 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. School Board Meetings Two Lafayette residents were learned how to build an aquapon- Acalanes Union High School District recognized for their contribu- ics system for the school to be used Wednesday, May 2, 7 p.m. tions to helping the city achieve its by the AP environmental science AUHSD Board Room environmental goals. classes and the biology classes as 1212 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette The Environmental Task Force, an example of symbiotic, closed- www.acalanes.k12.ca.us now in its 11th year, selected win- loop system. Kelsey inspires her Lafayette School District ners based on the candidates’ ac- classmates in sustainable practices. Wednesday, May 30, 7 p.m. tivities reducing their footprint, Leach won “for educating local Regular Board Meeting helping achieve the city’s environ- residents on the climate crisis.” District Offi ce Board Room mental goals and inspiring others in Many in the community know 3477 School St., Lafayette the community. Leach for his research on air qual- www.lafsd.k12.ca.us Campolindo High School stu- ity, and his presentations to the Check online for agendas, meeting dent Kelsey Levante and Lafay- city council on particulate matter. notes and announcements ette resident James Leach received Trained by the Climate Reality City of Lafayette: their recognition at the April 23 city Project and the author of “The Sus- www.ci.lafayette.ca.us council meeting. tainable Way: Straight talk about Phone: (925) 284-1968 Kelsey won “for inspiring and global warming – what causes it, Chamber of Commerce: educating the Lafayette community who denies it, and the common www.lafayettechamber.org about environmental sustainability.” sense transition to renewable en- A member of the Campolindo ergy,” Leach has worked with Sus- Environmental Club, Kelsey helps tainable Lafayette to promote air From left: James Leach and Kelsey Levante Photo City of Lafayette/Jeff Heyman in the garden after school and has quality monitoring. Heyman joins city staff in new communications role By Pippa Fisher here is a new face at the city of- serving in Cambodia, Rwanda, An- staff does not currently have,” said a good photographer as well,” says Tfi ces. Jeff Heyman has joined gola and former Yugoslavia. City Manager Steve Falk in a press Falk. the city staff in its newly created Heyman, born in San Fran- release. In fact residents are quite likely role of communications analyst. cisco, spent his teenage years in Heyman will be beefi ng up the to spot Heyman at city events or Heyman started in the new po- Alamo. He is a graduate of San city’s social media presence, facili- wandering along the streets of La- sition April 9, coming to the city Francisco State University in fi ne tating dialog on platforms such as fayette with a camera in hand. from the Oakland-based Peralta art photography and broadcast NextDoor, Facebook, Twitter, and Heyman lives with his wife College District where he headed communications.