Election letters Pages 15-16 VOL. XXI, NUMBER 29 • OCTOBER 23, 2020 WWW.PLEASANTONWEEKLY.COM Downtown’s spooky stories adapt well for this year’s Virtual Ghost Walks Page 12 5 NEWS PUSD eyes reopening elementary schools Jan. 4 8 NEWS Pleasanton candidates drum up campaign money 14 PULSE Local woman killed in overnight Orinda crash different world, safer care “If you are in need of care or have questions about your health, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us whether it’s through the emergency room or through your physician. We have safe practices in place and your health is our number one priority.” —Tracey Lewis Taylor | Chief Operating Officer, Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare The world is ever-changing. At Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare, we’re adapting to safely deliver the same, excellent care you have always relied on. Whether you Star need primary care or our world-class specialty services—including cancer care, QUALITY cardiovascular health, neuroscience, and orthopaedics—we’re here for you. RATING RATED BY THE CENTERS for MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES We’re taking every precaution to protect your health: Awarded the highest quality • Testing for COVID-19 before most procedures and to track the health of ranking by the Centers for Medicare our workforce & Medicaid Services (CMS) • Rigorous standards, including COVID-19 health screenings at entrances, comprehensive PPE use, enhanced air filtration, and application of chemicals and UV light to sanitize spaces • Convenient care, with expanded access to remote video visits and contactless check-in/check-out available through our MyHealth app when visiting our facilities in-person To learn more and book an appointment, visit: stanfordhealthcare.org/resumingcare Page 2 • October 23 2020 • Pleasanton Weekly VALLEY VIEWS BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI Quarantine: Time to get fit? n March we sat around stunned, “In the Berkeley Hills, they don’t watching reports on the virus, walk. Billy had a doggy door so he Iand saying we couldn’t wait for just went in and out,” Betsy said. this soon to be over. “Everybody is walking here, groups Then as normalcy remained out wearing masks. It is such a friendly of reach, we got into gear and began place.” creating masks for ourselves and oth- Now, with its exercise classes on- ers. We launched bonding activities line and in the afternoon, she is able for our families. We mastered Zoom. to join two each weekday plus one We cleaned out closets, used up our each on Saturday and Sunday. baking supplies and learned new “They have a variety of wonder- ways to shop. ful classes, a mixture of stretching, Now, seven months into shelter- strength and aerobics,” she said. ing, some of us are reassessing our Betsy also swims laps three times activities. Are we making the most of a week and meets with a trainer each this time? Should we be using it to Tuesday and Thursday. take online classes? To exercise more She eats two meals a day, one and perfect our diet? around 10 a.m. and the other about We’ve been warned about the 4 p.m. Now, at Stoneridge Creek, Quarantine 15, named after the meals normally served in the dining notorious Freshman 15 pounds room are delivered or picked up to added that first year in college. I be eaten at home. Betsy also meets was proud that my clothes still fit friends at the outdoor Koi Café. until I read about a man back East But she still enjoys eating, she who spends evenings on an exercycle said. When shopping, she checks out while watching TV and had lost 100 packaging to choose items lower in pounds since March. calories. Then I heard about Betsy Smith, Stoneridge Creek is starting to 79, who lives at Stoneridge Creek hold exercise classes in person but right here in Pleasanton and has Betsy prefers to join online at home. lost 25 pounds. I managed to reach “I turned my spare bedroom into a her during a break in her exercise fitness studio, with my 27-inch iMac, regimen. and it feels like it’s just the teacher Every morning Betsy walks her dog and me — with my dog watching Billy, a mini poodle mix, around the me,” she said. one-mile loop in her neighborhood. She noted she still has more weight “But he has to stop and smell ev- to lose, lamenting that her new mus- erything, so this takes 45 minutes,” cles seem to add weight. But she is she said with a laugh, plus she’s been also pleased that the classes give her doing this for years. structure, making “my whole day go What has changed is her by really quickly.” afternoons. I find it an incentive to exercise Betsy used to be busy with the if I use my calendar to record each University Section Club, which she day’s effort: walk, swim, yoga, Denise joined after moving to Berkeley Austin workout. Filling in the little in 1994 for her husband Neville squares encourages me to work out to work as a scientist at Lawrence each day, or at least six days a week. Berkeley National Laboratory. She OK, sometimes five. I am a long way became involved in the club’s many from being in Betsy’s league. activities and took a role in its philan- When I downsized my house- thropy, providing grants for students hold five years ago, I chucked my in financial need. scale because I exercised at the But after Neville died a few years YMCA often enough to weigh my- ago, she decided their home in the self there. Since quarantine, I can Berkeley Hills might be too remote only judge my weight by how my as she aged. After looking for senior- clothes fit, which entails putting living communities, Betsy discov- on “real” clothing with zippers and ered and fell in love with Stoneridge buttons. And that can be nice for a Creek with its home terraces and change, too. Q swimming pools. Editor’s note: Dolores Fox Ciardelli is She moved on Halloween 2017, Tri-Valley Life editor for the Pleasanton became more physically active, Weekly. Her column, “Valley Views,” and gave up her membership in appears in the paper on the second and Weight Watchers. fourth Fridays of the month. About the Cover Gertrude Ellis (Cynthia Lagodzinski), the Rose Hotel ghost, tells of her life after she married into the prominent Ellis family, who built the large general merchandise store on Main and St. John streets. Photo courtesy of Museum on Main. Cover design by Doug Young. Vol. XXI, Number 29 Pleasanton Weekly • October 23, 2020 • Page 3 Ζ P-HUU\3HQWLQDQGΖF\FOHG PLOHVΖ121('$<WRYLVLW Streetwise ASKED AROUND TOWN (9(5<1(Ζ*+%25+22'LQ Are you concerned about a spike in COVID 3OHDVDQWRQ cases as businesses and other services in Ζ PDSDVVLRQDWHF\FOLVWDQGΖZDVDEOHWRULGH Alameda County begin to reopen? E\DQGWDONWRVXSSRUWHUVDERXWRXUSDUNV DQGUHFUHDWLRQDOSURMHFWVWKDWΖZDVSDUWRI Becky Altman Retired )LUHKRXVH3HUIRUPLQJ$UWV&HQWHUȂ7DVN)RUFH0HPEHU I’m not afraid of a surge in COVID cases ZKLFKSUHVHUYHGDQKLVWRULFILUHVWDWLRQWREHFRPHDWKHDWUH because I have full confidence that the FODVVURRPDQGJDOOHU\IRUWKHFRPPXQLW\ guidelines and protocols in place will 3DWHOFR6SRUWV3DUNȂ$GYRFDWHGIRUWKHDFUH2DN keep us safe. As long as businesses and customers follow the recommendations, :RRGODQGVWRSUHVHUYHRSHQVSDFHDQGFUHDWHZDONLQJDQG we will be fine. ELNLQJWUDLOVDQGDGGWUHHVRQ0DULO\Q.DQH7UDLOGXULQJWKLVHIIRUW 6DIHW\%LNH/DQHV *UHHQ/DQHV Ȃ)RXJKWIRUWKHJUHHQELNHODQHVDQGRWKHUVDIHW\ PHDVXUHVRQPXOWLSOHFRPPLVVLRQVDQGUROHVWKDWDUHQRZRQPDQ\RIRXUEXVLHVWURDGV &DOOLSSH3UHVHUYHDQG*ROI&RXUVHȂ)RXQGLQJ7DVN)RUFHPHPEHUFUHDWLQJDQRSHQVSDFH Rick Altman EXIIHUZLWKWKHJROIFRXUVHDQGDGGHGDSXEOLFPLOHKLNLQJWUDLOWKURXJKWKHKLOOV Communications consultant 9HWHUDQV0HPRULDO%XLOGLQJȂ7DVNIRUFHPHPEHUUHVXOWLQJLQDUHQRYDWHGKLVWRULFEXLOGLQJ Yes, I am, because this pandemic has DVDPHHWLQJKDOOIRUYHWHUDQVDQGSXEOLFXVHIRUVXPPHUFDPSVDQGHYHQWV been going on for such a long time now. .HQ0HUFHU6SRUWV3DUN)XWXUH6LWHRI$OO$ELOLWLHV3OD\JURXQGȂ%URXJKWFRQFHSWWR I think people are so eager for life to get VWDIIDQGDGYRFDWHGIRURYHU\HDUVSODQZDVUHFHQWO\DSSURYHGE\&RXQFLO back to normal, that they will get lazy about, and not follow, all of the safety protocols. $V0D\RUΖZLOOOLVWHQWRZKDWHOVHUHVLGHQWVQHHGDQGHQKDQFHRXUFLW\ IRUDOOWRHQMR\ΖWKDQN\RXIRU\RXUYRWH Debbie Sanchez Retired 3DLGIRUE\-HUU\3HQWLQIRU0D\RU_)33& Yes, I am concerned about a spike in COVID cases. I do feel though that places can reopen safely, so long as they implement and adhere to safety measures such as ensuring a reduced capacity, maintaining proper distancing, and most importantly, enforcing mask wearing. for Mayor of Pleasanton Dick Lewis [email protected] Lawyer www.Vote4Karla.com Reopening is uncertain and scary because it is impossible to achieve a zero infection rate. But we need to tough it out, and do what we reasonably can in order to get back to normal. 7 Reasons to Vote for KARLA BROWN for Mayor: 1. PROVEN LEADERSHIP Applying my experience as Vice Mayor, City Jane Edwards Councilmember, 12 local committees, I will continue to be your voice Retired in Pleasanton. Yes. I am most concerned about the opening of indoor operations at bars 2. Only experienced candidate pledging a “CLEAN MONEY” campaign, because when people are drinking they without donations from builders or developers that aim to buy influence. become increasingly less careful. I am also worried about any kind of indoor 3. The only voice for “SLOW AND SMART GROWTH” policies that shaped gathering that involves a lot of people in our award-winning town. close proximity to one another. 4. Safe DRINKING WATER is key. The only candidate on 2 water committees. —Compiled by Nancy and Jeff Lewis 5. HISTORIC DOWNTOWN the only candidate to vote against multi story housing that could replace two existing businesses. Have a Streetwise question? Email [email protected] 6. SAFETY is critical to our quality of life. I support retaining our outstanding The Pleasanton Weekly is published every Friday by Embarcadero Media, 5506 Sunol Blvd., police officers and adding mental health professions when needed. Suite 203, Pleasanton, CA 94566; (925) 600-0840. Mailed at Periodicals Postage Rate, USPS 020407.