VOLUME XLIX, NUMBER 12 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 EBRPD Explores Future of Water Slides Although the water slides at port said the facility has "reached ducted by inspectors they hired in cilities for handicapped people. splash pads and picnic tables. Shadow Cliffs won't be operating the end of its useful service." the winter, and then come back Ultimately, the important However, directors know there this summer, East Bay Regional Members of the operations with a plan to hire an engineering decisions on the issue would be is no money now to proceed with Park District (EBRPD) directors committee bypassed that recom- consultant to write a report. made by the full board. that plan in the near future, said have taken the first step to pos- mendation, and chose another If the committee decides that If an operator could make a Wieskamp. sibly have them in use in future alternative, which eventually the costs are too high, it might go of it, the committee appears If the slides could be refur- years. may evolve into asking potential end the project at that point. willing to allow more than 10 bished and operated, it's a good There is no guarantee the water slide operators to bid on However, if it looks as if it might years on a lease, if that would idea, because they have served slides would remain. However, repairing the facility and operat- be feasible for a potential opera- help ensure the project's success, so many Tri-Valley families, said Find Out What's the possibility is a switch from a ing it. tor to bid, then it's possible the said committee member EBRPD Wieskamp. staff recommendation at a com- However, first the committee committee will seek bids. Director Ayn Wieskamp. Her dis- Refurbishing the slides would Happening mittee meeting March 15 that wants to obtain an accurate es- The bids would include pay- trict includes Shadow Cliffs. be a win for EBRPD, because Check out the said the four slides should be timate on what the upgrade will ing for all of the capital costs of According to the park's new no tax money would go into the removed, and the area put back cost. Members asked staff to take repair and the adaption to new master plan, the water slide area arrangement. The recreational second section to its natural condition. A staff re- a good look at the inventory con- standards, such as restroom fa- eventually will be redone with (See SLIDES, page 4) Section II is filled with infor- mation about arts, entertainment and special events. There are education stories, a variety of features, and the arts and enter- Six Industry tainment and bulletin board. Projects to Be Aided by Lab's High Performance Computing Six industry projects have been selected for the advance- ment of energy technologies us- ing high performance computing (HPC) at the Lawrence Liver- more National Laboratory. The projects will be managed by the Lab’s High Performance Livermore City Council-member Computing Innovation Center Stewart Gary is wearing one of (HPCIC). The HPCIC is located the t-shirts that will be available in LLNL’s open campus, an open for purchase. research and development area for collaboration with industry, academia and other government Bring Back the agencies. Called the “hpc4energy incu- Fireworks Fund- bator,” this pilot program aims to innovate and accelerate the raiser Set development of energy technol- A “Help Bring Back The Fire- ogy and boost U.S. economic works” fundraiser will be held competitiveness in the global Thurs., March 22 at the Robert Photo - Doug Jorgensen marketplace by teaming industry Livermore Community Center. The annual parade celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Dublin was held last Saturday, March 17. Many of the marchers were decked out with the scientific and computing The festivities are planned in green colors and shamrocks. The parade is hosted by the Dublin Lions Club. The weekend include entertainment, an Irish Tea resources at national laborato- from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Cottage, arts and crafts, food and fun for all. ries. Cresta Blanca Ballroom. The companies selected are Entertainment will include GE Energy Consulting; Robert acoustic Classic Rock/Folk per- Bosch LLC; Potter Drilling Inc.; formed by Roger Kardinal. ISO New England; United Tech- Wine and beer tasting will be Ramirez Will Be New Zone 7 Director nologies Research Center; and provided by Little Valley Winery, Angela Ramirez Holmes will statewide, it serves as the only The other two spots are being Ramirez told The Independent GE Global Research. Thomas Coyne Winery, Wente replace Chris Moore on the Zone election for the Zone 7 board. filled by incumbents Sandy Figu- that she learned of the Zone 7 These companies will collabo- Vineyards and Sierra Nevada. 7 Water Agency board when the The top finishers are elected. ers of Livermore and director vacancy from an e-mail sent out rate with Lab scientists and use Light appetizers will include new terms begin in July. Since three candidates filed Dick Quigley of Pleasanton. by a Tri-Valley elected women's the Lab's HPC to find solutions to nibbles from Double Barrel Ramirez filed for the position for the three seats that were up Moore said that his duties as group. urgent energy-related problems Wine Bar, The Winemaker’s on March 14, the last day of the for election, they were elected San Jose police chief, to which "I was concerned that no one and learn how to employ HPC as Pour House, Flaca’s Salsa & five-day filing extension in the automatically, although it will be he was promoted a year ago, are filed for such an important issue a powerful tool for innovation. Chips, natural dessert sweets by June election. Although the elec- up to Alameda County to make too demanding to serve another (water). I was waiting to see if “By bringing together indus- Gerard’Z Honeybees and cheese tion June 5 is a primary election it official. term on the board. (See ZONE 7, page 4) (See COMPUTING, page 5) and olives. Raffle prizes such as a John Madden autographed football, diamond jewelery, Livermore Music Program Designed to Improve Valley wine, gift cards to amaz- Livermore High School Hosts ing restaurants and more will be Academic and Social Development awarded. A limited number of A violin in the hands of a Bay Area, particularly to schools Two Foreign Exchange Students “I Helped Bring Back The Liver- small child can pay big dividends in Contra Costa and Alameda By Patricia Koning Curro, a student from Sicily, are more Fireworks” T-Shirts will be Greta, couldn’t be more different. in the development of that child, counties. For students in Katherine both spending the academic year “In Italy, we don’t have school available for sale of $20 each. both academically and socially. Walter Collins, California in Livermore through the AFS The donation is $20. For more Paszkolovits’ German classes at sports, dances, school libraries, The idea, called El Sistema, Symphony Executive Director, Livermore High School (LHS), Intercultural Programs USA. even lockers. Relationships with information call 925 290-8295 or was first launched in Venezuela urged the symphony to sponsor “I love to travel, and I wanted go to http://livermorefireworks. it wasn’t hard to imagine what teachers are very formal. School 33 years ago. The program pro- the program as a way of impact- life is like for the typical Ger- to see if the United States is like here is a lot like it appears in the org, http://www.facebook.com/ vides intensive, sustained music ing the lives of students beyond the movies,” says Greta. She also Livermorefireworks, http://www. man high school student, thanks movies.” education to low income children teaching them music. to Charlotte Erlinghagen, an wanted a change from the Italian Charlotte’s cousin studied in twitter.com/livfireworks in an after-school setting. The Collins said he is proposing school system. The Robert Livermore Com- exchange student from Frankfurt, the United States and loved it, so primary goal is to substantially to bring the program to Liver- Germany. Charlotte and Greta U.S. public schools, explains she decided to follow in his foot- munity is located at 4444 East improve academic and social more. "We would leverage the Avenue in Livermore. steps. “Everything is so big here! outcomes for these children, not caring power of the community The streets, the cars, the houses, to train professional musicians. and other arts groups such as the everything,” she says. California Symphony has Livermore-Amador Symphony Charlotte and Greta are two Livermore plans to bring the program to the (See MUSIC, page 4) of 22 foreign exchange students hosted in the Bay Area through Autism Program AFS Intercultural Programs, a Emphasizes youth exchange that operates all Pleasanton Council Delays over the world. The organization Parent Bonding was created by ambulance driv- A national program that teach- ers in World War I and World War es parents how to help autistic Discussion of Ordinance II, known as the American Field children at home through rela- The Pleasanton City Council district, have frontage on Main Service. In 1947, AFS members tionship-building activities will continued an item that, if ap- Street, and are zoned central created a secondary school stu- be presented Friday evening at proved by the council, would commercial. Financial institu- dent exchange program that is the Presbyterian Church in Liver- have instituted new provisions tions are currently permitted now referred to as AFS Intercul- more, 7-9 p.m.