VOLUME LII, NUMBER 41 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015 TVLC Is Approached to Start Charter School in Elk Grove Parents in the Elk Grove the Elk Grove talks go any Zukoski told The Inde- CCSA, a non-profit group, charter school is the offer School District are asking further. TVLC includes an pendent that, if approved by helps people form charter of $1000 per student for the Tri-Valley Learning Cor- elementary school and a the board, Elk Grove could schools. the first year of a start-up, poration (TVLC) in Liver- middle school in Stockton, open in 2016-17. The other Elk Grove is 70 miles said Zukoski. Source of the Find Out What's more to start a new charter and a K-8 school in San three opportunities, if ap- from Livermore. Parents money is a grant put up by school in their community, Diego. proved, could open in 2017- there are interested in hav- Netflix founder Reed Hast- Happening which is between Stockton Further, it came out in 18. Zukoski emphasized that ing the school. An attempt in ings, who is a supporter of Check Out Section A and Sacramento. board discussion that there they are only possibilities 2012 to start a school fizzled, charter schools. Section A includes The TVLC board, which may be opportunities for now. but since then Gary Davis, Hastings' interest is in school news, information met Sept. 24 in Livermore, TVLC to embrace up to For the Elk Grove school, a charter school supporter, locating high-performing about programs at the Bank- told acting CEO John Zu- three more schools, and have TVLC staff has been talking has been elected mayor, said charter schools in the sub- head Theater and Firehouse koski that they want to know them open by 2018. to the California Charter Zukoski. He said that he had urbs between Sacramento Arts Center, and special all of the financial ramifica- The opportunities men- School Association (CCSA) talks with the mayor, and and Stockton that would events and people. Look for tions for the existing five tioned were a high school about the potential for in- they were positive. serve the families of state calendar listings. TVLC schools, including and a second K-8 in San volving TVLC in the "Gold- One potential attrac- legislators and their staffs, two in Livermore, before Diego, and a high school in en State Charter School." tion to ease formation of a (See SCHOOL, page 4) Stockton. No Clear Vintage Hills, Direction to Dougherty Air Zone 7 Blue Ribbon Meetings Schools Two local schools were The possibility of tele- among the 29 California vising Zone 7 Water Agency public and four private regular board meetings has schools in the state that been examined by the ad- are being recognized as ministrative committee. The 2015 National Blue Ribbon committee did not provide Schools. any clear recommendation The announcement was for the full board, which is made last week by U.S. slated to discuss the issue at Secretary of Education Arne its regular meeting Oct. 21. Duncan and State Superin- The three-member com- tendent of Public Instruction mittee met Sept. 29 to dis- Tom Torlakson. cuss six different televising In Pleasanton, Vintage packages offered by Tri- Hills Elementary School was Valley Community Televi- selected. In Dublin, Dough- sion. erty Elementary became the The committee focused first school in the history of on the Option 3 package, the Dublin Unified School which staff recommended, Photo - Doug Jorgensen District to be named a Blue if the board wants televi- Airplanes, aerobatic performances, exhibits, and more were all part of the 50th anniversary of the Livermore Ribbon School. sion. It is the same option Airport celebration and open house last Saturday. The recognized schools used by LARPD, the only are required to be perform- special district in the Valley ing in the top 15 percent of that televises its meetings. schools statewide as mea- Option 3 does not offer a Future of Golf Course Yet to Be Determined sured by state assessments. live broadcast, but does re- Dublin Superintendent By Carol Graham This September, the com- to circulate a Request for are scheduled to be mailed cord the meeting, broadcast Stephen Hanke stated, it at a later time, stream it A set of back-to-back pany announced it is going Proposals (RFP) to identify within a week. The footprint a new lease operator and of the area to be surveyed “Clearly, the district com- on-line, and provide video community meetings held by out of business after facing the City of Livermore Mon- annual operating deficits of to conduct a community caused a point of contention, mitment to student learning on demand. The package survey to evaluate support with many asking for a city- and the dedication and hard includes web hosting and day night revealed complex $91,000, a figure that would issues surrounding the fu- be more than double if it for an assessment district to wide survey. work of our teachers, staff, chapterizing the meeting's ture of the Springtown Golf included needed improve- help fund golf-course op- "Why is there an assess- leadership and parents is agenda, so that viewers can Course and the concerns ments. erations," said Public Works ment district for a public golf reflected in this important skip directly to the item they of residents over possible "The goal of the meeting Director Darren Greenwood. course for the City of Liver- award. Congratulations to want to see. outcomes. was to provide an update to "The purpose of the meet- more?" asked one attendee, the Dougherty community No formal vote was tak- The public golf course, the community that the golf ing was not to make any to audience applause. on receiving this much de- en. However, each mem- operating as an enterprise, course would be temporarily final decisions regarding the "The survey area was served recognition.” ber expressed his or her has been leased to Sycamore closed on October 15th, and course." chosen to correspond to the Board President Amy thoughts. Board president Landscaping since 2008. to outline City staff’s plan Both the RFP and survey Miller, added, “The Board is and committee chair Sarah (See GOLF COURSE, page 5) thrilled that Dougherty Ele- Palmer told The Indepen- mentary is being recognized dent that it is difficult for the with such a prestigious na- public, especially parents, Lab to Pay $37.25 Million to tional award. We are proud to attend Zone 7 meetings. of all of our great schools Having meetings available Settle Lawsuit over Lay-offs in Dublin and this honor for on TV, with time shifting Dougherty is both an affir- (using a DVR or archiving The claims of 129 of the the encouragement of Judge mation of the dedication of (See ZONE 7, page 4) plaintiffs in the long-running Robert Freedman of the our staff and students, and lawsuit over lay-offs brought Alameda County Superior that we are doing the right by 130 former workers Court, the parties engaged things for our students.” Talk On Use of against the Lawrence Liver- in a months-long mediation Interim Pleasanton more National Laboratory that resulted in the settle- School Superintendent Jim Supercomputer have been resolved through ment. The Lab continues Hansen said, “We are so a settlement under which the to deny any wrongdoing in proud of the hard work and To Explain Laboratory has agreed to pay connection with the circum- dedication of our Vintage Dangerous the former employees a total stances underlying the work Hills staff and students. A of $37.25 million in contract force reduction. designation of this caliber Heartbeats damages. J. Gary Gwilliam of truly is a whole community A talk in Pleasanton next One plaintiff did not set- Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, effort.” Wednesday evening will tle her case. Cavalli and Brewer of Oak- New Vintage Hills Prin- describe a joint project of The lawsuit arose out of land, California, represented cipal Ann Jayne declared, Lawrence Livermore Na- a 2008 workforce restructur- the workers. “This award reflects the ded- tional Laboratory (LLNL) ing at the Laboratory, which The staff attorney for the ication, pride and multiple and IBM in which research- impacted more than 1,000 local Lab watchdog group, efforts of our teachers, staff, ers apply the power of a employees who were let go. Tri-Valley CAREs, Scott and community to meet the supercomputer to explain In 2013, the claims of five Yundt commented, “We are needs of all our students.” how dangerous irregular “test plaintiffs,” out of the celebrating a long-overdue National Blue Ribbon heartbeats can lead to sud- 130, were litigated in two victory for justice for work- Schools will be honored at den death. separate jury trials. The first ers." a national awards ceremony The talk is scheduled to trial, alleging breach of the Yundt continued, “On the on November 9-10, 2015 begin at 7 p.m. at a regular plaintiffs’ employment con- one hand, I am happy and in Washington, D.C.. Each meeting of the Valley Study tracts, resulted in a victory relieved 129 of the work- winner will receive a plaque Group at Castlewood Coun- for the five test plaintiffs and ers bringing suit will be and flag. Blue Ribbon win- try Club. a damages award of $2.73 compensated. On the other Photo - Doug Jorgensen ners may fly this flag at Reservations and ad- million. The Laboratory hand, the terminations were Over the weekend, a “Tree Sweater Forest” appeared in their schools as a mark of vance payment of $32 per prevailed in the second trial, the result of the Livermore downtown Livermore.