Thursday, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 VOLUME LVII, NUMBER 39 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL Nonprofit Chabot-Las Positas Hosts Panel On Racism College Considers By David Chircop Student Housing Earlier this month, Bay By Deborah Finestone facilities. Area leaders shared personal “This is quite a long stories via Zoom during a Chabot-Las Positas Community College Dis- process for us,” said Owen forum on race and racism Letcher, the college dis- sponsored by the Tri-Valley trict officials are consider- ing whether to build housing trict’s vice chancellor for Nonprofit Alliance (TVNA). facilities and bond program. At the beginning of his career, attorney James Head – and TVNA panelist – was “In California, 11 of the 116 involved in public inter- est work in a rural town in community colleges offer housing southern Georgia. for students, mostly in rural areas He provided free help to Georgians who could not or districts that serve multiple otherwise afford legal rep- counties, where commuting resentation in routine matters before the court. Head, who may be prohibitive.” is African American, walked into the courthouse that day for students, but it would be “A lot of people say we with a white client he was need housing right now, but representing in a divorce years before anyone could move in. building anything, develop- matter — the lawyer wearing The setting sun silhouettes a construction crane near the Dublin East BART station. ing any campus construc- a suit and tie and carrying a Due to ongoing air quality issues, the sky has a smoky red hue. (Photo - Doug Jorgensen) What started as concerns among the board of trustees tion, takes several years briefcase, the client in blue of planning, design and jeans and an open collar about homeless students led to a feasibility study construction before it could shirt. Dublin be occupied.” “The bailiff actually to gauge demand and start the conversation about At the last board of asked me if I was the defen- trustees meeting, outside dant,” recalled Head, who is Mayor Hopefuls Address Issues cost, financing options and now the president and CEO who would manage new (See HOUSING, page 16) of the East Bay Community By Ron McNicoll make you a good fit for • Should Dublin slow down Foundation, which manages Three candidates are the job? Please describe residential growth, or is it more than $800 million in on the ballot for Dublin your priorities and how too late to do that? What Pleasanton charitable assets. Mayor — Vice Mayor Arun you would accomplish has been the impact on Head was joined on Goel, Councilmember and them. schools? Is there a need the panel by Jackie Bou- former Vice Mayor Melissa • As a councilmember, to change the residential Mayoral Candidates vier Copeland, Founder of Hernandez, and Regina Pan- what achievements are growth rate? Black Philanthropy Month gelinan. you most proud of, and • Is Dublin doing enough and founder and CEO of The Independent reached what were your greatest to create housing for low Share Perspectives challenges? and very low-income the WISE Fund; Harold out to all three candidates By Aly Brown been to represent residents. Roundtree, president and via email and phone calls • What have you done al- people? ready and will do in the • What are your views of Candidates running for I didn’t feel that the council CEO of UNCLE Credit to make contact. Pangelinan at that time (in 2010) was Union; and Caretha Cole- did not respond. Candidates future to tackle the chal- past and future business the mayoral seat in Pleas- lenges of COVID- 19 growth? anton met with The Inde- accessible to me, and I was man, the former board chair are listed alphabetically. frustrated that they didn’t for Dignity Health, one of Their statements have been in terms of the health • What policies have you pendent this week to share and unemployment of supported to help shape their background, views and seem to represent what the the largest health systems in edited for length. residents were wanting.” the nation. vulnerable residents, the development in Dublin? long-term goals. The candidates were economic effect on lo- What, if any, concessions From policing and clean Should she win the may- Head talked about his asked the following ques- oral seat this November, organization’s shift in recent cal businesses, and the were you able to extract water to development and tions: City of Dublin’s financial from developers when COVID-19’s impact on Brown’s central focus areas years toward a social justice • How does your back- will include steady growth focus, which he believes pre- strength and programs? making discretionary ap- the region, Karla Brown, ground and experience Monith Ilavarasan and Jerry in compliance with state pared it to quickly establish a (See DUBLIN, page 13) housing mandates. Due to COVID-19 Fund. This fund Pentin discussed their per- spectives and planned ac- this stance, she said she provides direct financial takes pride in her clean- assistance to individuals UC to Renovate Buildings Near LLNL tions, as listed in last-name alphabetical order below. money campaign, which and families experiencing By Jeff Garberson meeting of UC Regents, versity replaced them in accepts zero developer dol- extreme economic hardship A small cluster of build- the job should be finished the 1970s with permanent Karla Brown lars. She would like to see an and nonprofits that serve ings on the east side of Law- in 2021, after which, the buildings on the east side, While Brown served on emphasis on developing af- vulnerable communities un- rence Livermore National facilities will be a sustain- built partly with donations the city council for two fordable housing in regions likely to receive state or Laboratory (LLNL) will able, systemwide resource from the Hertz Foundation. terms since first elected in best suited for high-density become the site of future for the university as a center The foundation’s creator, 2012 as a top vote-getter, housing. She noted those (See ALLIANCE, page 8) collaborations between the for long-term collaborative John Hertz, had developed her involvement with local to be areas near transit or Laboratory and University research and teaching with close ties to Teller and also politics goes back to the “walkable communities,” of California campuses. LLNL. It is an area that has believed in the value of ap- years beforehand, when a but she doesn’t favor transi- Considering Although the land be- been used for educational plied science. PG&E power line was ex- tioning single-family-zoned longs to the U.S. Depart- purposes for many years. The main building was pected to come through her housing into duplexes — PUSD Board ment of Energy’s National At the instigation of Ed- formally called Hertz Hall, neighborhood. She worked noting Pleasanton needs Nuclear Security Adminis- ward Teller, co-founder of but the facility was popular- with her local homeowner smaller, not taller, housing. Candidates tration, the university owns LLNL, the University of ly known as Teller Tech. In association to fund and win “We’re trying to reduce three buildings there known California at Davis opened the decades that followed, a lawsuit to stop the line. impacts, and we wouldn’t By Aly Brown collectively as the Hertz a branch of the University UC-Davis awarded more Later, she fought a housing want multi-story housing Five candidates will cam- Hall complex. The build- of California at Davis at than 400 PhD and master's project that was supposed on the fringe of the city, paign for three seats on the ings have been unoccupied the Laboratory in 1963. The degrees to young scientists to place 51 large homes on making people cut through Pleasanton Unified School for the past two years and facility was the Department and engineers who studied a southern ridgeline. the city,” Brown said, add- District (PUSD) Board this largely unused for the better of Applied Science, empha- there. “They were literally go- ing that she’s interested in November. part of a decade. They are sizing Teller’s belief in the Faculty typically had ing to cut off the top of looking at development In a recent interview with located next to Greenville value of turning science joint appointments be- a ridge to build massive for the Stoneridge Mall The Independent, Mary Jo Road on the north side of to the solution of practical tween Davis and LLNL, houses,” Brown said, further area. “We’re going to start Carreon, Steve Maher, Kelly Eastgate Drive. problems. but non-tenured laboratory noting she was part of the ef- looking at sites throughout Mokashi, Chong Wang and The UC recently com- Temporary trailers pro- staff often taught in order fort to put Measure PP (per- Pleasanton and form a rank- Jamie Yee each took the mitted $5 million to reno- vided the early classrooms to bring their expertise to manent ridgeline protection) ing system. We don’t want time to answer questions vating the site. According on the south side of the the classroom. Teaching at on the ballot, which the vot- sprawl … We need to con- Laboratory, but the uni- regarding their experience, to a statement from a recent (See RENOVATE, page 13) ers passed. “My passion has (See PLEASANTON, page 10) views and goals. Below are their answers in last-name alphabetical order. DUSD Board Contenders Can you please provide your background in edu- Tackle Dublin School Topics cation and what makes By Aly Brown alphabetical order by Area. you a good candidate for the school board? Four candidates will Can you please provide Carreon: My career has campaign for two seats on your background in edu- been dedicated to making the Dublin Unified School cation and what makes a difference in the lives of District (DUSD) Board this you a good candidate for students and families.