Wednesday, December 19, 2012 • Vol. 6 Issue 21 ChristmasMonday, December Eve 24 3:30 7:00 & 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. Families 11:00 p.m. Blended / Traditional 26,000 copies Communion / Contemporary Independent, locally owned and operated! Childcare at 3:30, 5:00 & 7:00 p.m., [email protected]. delivered bi-weekly to Lamorinda homes & businesses Celebrating the birth of www.lamorindaweekly.com • 925.377.0977 ... Hope FREE ... Love ... Joy LAFAYETTE-ORINDA PRESBYTERIAN... CHURCHPeace 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette CA 94549 LOPC.org Visitors to Lafayette Reservoir annually decorate this plum tree found on the eastern side of the nearly three-mile paved trail. Photo Steve Hobbs By Cathy Tyson ’m awestruck and amazed at its beauty and at the paved path closer to the water's edge, Hobbs finds some- Enchanted by the quiet solitude of the back country “Iwonderful variety of wildlife there,” says photog- thing new with each journey. His love affair with the trail that loops around the upper ridge of the reservoir rapher and Lafayette resident Steve Hobbs in describing Reservoir began about three years ago when a friend men- property, Hobbs wandered and observed and began to take his fascination with the Lafayette Reservoir. Even after tioned that the rim trail was accessible on foot from photographs of the scenery on the rim. hundreds of hikes on the rim trail and on the popular Mountain View drive. ... continued on page A12 Advertising Quote of the Week: Results.Moraga.Tara “I completely forgot about www.TaraRochlin.com 925.586.3442 [email protected] the pending end of the world, but it doesn’t really matter to me because I’ve always planned on With gratitude for wonderful clients and another successful year. working until the end of time anyway.” Read Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2013 to you and yours! Apocalypse Now? You Decide! on page B2. DFAL Soccer Kicks Off A Note About Our Dons take an early lead in DFAL play - see Sports, pages C1-C3 Distributor Town News A2 - A12 Blackhawk Enterprise (email – Life in Lamorinda B1 - B12 [email protected]) has been Service Directory B9 delivering the Lamorinda Weekly to Food B9 all homes in Orinda, Lafayette and Not to be Missed B10-B11 Moraga since January 2011. The team Business B12 of eight drivers works hard to make Sports C1 - C3 sure you get your newspaper every Classified C2 other Wednesday. Blackhawk HOW TO CONTACT US C3 Enterprise and its team members Shop Moraga C4 would like to wish our readers a Our Homes D1 - D8 joyous holiday season and a very This Week Read About: happy new year. You will also see a Council Farewells A2, A4 flyer from them in this week's issue. No Farewells in Orinda A6 New to MOFD A11 Thank you, Got Olives? Get Oil! B3 Making a Difference B6 Lamorinda Weekly Mistletoe B7 Mayor Days be Merry B9 Life After Massage Parlors B12 First One There C1 Acalanes senior Ben Croze (#19) leads the Dons, currently ranked 10th in the state, in goals and assists. Photo David Lee Independent, locally owned and operated! Life in Lamorinda B1-B12 Our Homes D1-D8 Christmas A Warm Fire Collections on a Cold Night Cathy Dausman looks at Cathy Tyson enjoys some some of Lamorinda's delightful Lamorinda favorite things. fireplaces. Page B1 Page D1 Page: A2 LAMORINDA WEEKLY www.lamorindaweekly.com 925-377-0977 Wednesday, December 19, 2012 The Dana Green Team Proudly Presents... Coming Soon! Charming Saranap Craftsman 0GGFSFEBU tXXX,JOOFZ%SJWFDPN \ /\ Located on a pristine .35±AC lot with sprawling level lawns, raised vegetable beds, charming front porch, rear patios and fresh landscape. Conveniently located close to downtown Lafayette and Walnut Creek, trail and commute routes. Top-rated )*+/01 Dana Green Lic. #01482454 #1 Agent in Lafayette www.DanaGreenTeam.com Thanks and Praise at City Council Reorganization By Cathy Tyson tenure was marked by civility and re- of serving on the city council was spect. making decisions based on what is in Former vice mayor, and now the best interest of Lafayette and all mayor, recently re-elected Mike An- residents. derson joked, “You’re going to miss Longtime council member Tatzin Civic News us, but when you come back you only told Anduri, “I look up to your contri- Public Meetings get three minutes,” referring to the al- butions and your powerful vision for lotted time for members of the public the city. We’re very fortunate to have City Council to comment on issues. had your exceedingly sound judg- Not available at press time “It’s been a pleasure to serve with ment.” He also thanked Federighi as Lafayette Library & Learning Center, you,” Federighi told her fellow coun- the best advocate for the three-minute Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. cil members. “It’s truly been a privi- rule, “A true velvet gavel.” Planning Commission lege and honor. This has been a “It’s been an absolute pleasure,” wonderful community to live and said City Manager Steven Falk, com- Monday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m. work in.” She reflected on the plimenting the pair for their incisive Lafayette Library & Learning Center, Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. changes that have happened down- analysis and probing questions, civil- New council members Mark Mitchell and Traci Reilly Photo Cathy Tyson town during her volunteer service to ity and for their “fair and respectful Design Review t was the end of an era last Mon- keep the city running. the community, including new busi- treatment of staff.” Both Federighi Monday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. Iday night, as two longtime City With heartfelt comments all nesses and restaurants, a new afford- and Anduri received gifts of Lafayette Library & Learning Center, Council members retired after a com- around, it was obvious the two coun- able senior housing project in the Lafayette-opoly from city staff and a Arts & Science Discovery Center, bined 37 years of volunteer service on cil members stepping down from the works, passing the downtown specific framed small reproduction of the ban- 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette’s Planning Commission dais will be missed. Having won plan, creating a downtown historic ners with signatures of city staffers on School Board Meetings and City Council. Former Mayor seats in the November election, new- district, and the soon to be authorized the back. Acalanes Union High School Carol Federighi sat on the council for comers Traci Reilly and Mark wireless facilities ordinance. Council freshmen Mitchell and District 13 years, serving three times as Mitchell change up the membership Thanking his wife, city staff, and Reilly graciously thanked family and Wednesday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. mayor, and prior to that spent eight of the city council for the first time election volunteers, Anduri went on friends who made their election to the Board Room AUHSD Office years on the planning commission. since December 2006 when Brandt to praise the creation of the environ- city council possible. Reilly called 1212 Pleasant Hill Rd., Lafayette Carl Anduri had been on the council Andersson joined the team. The “Fab mental and senior housing task forces. the transition “pretty amazing,” and www.acalanes.k12.ca.us for 10 years and planning commis- five” –Federighi, Anduri, Andersson, He said his biggest regret was the commented that she is surrounded by sion for six. All told, that’s countless Don Tatzin, and Mike Anderson –had timely repair of all the residential four men at home, her husband and Lafayette School District Monday nights, listening to potential a good working relationship; while roads in the city; Anduri had worked three boys, and now on the dais, once Wednesday, Jan. 9, 4:30 p.m. ordinances, proposed projects, budget they didn’t always agree with each diligently on the Fix our Roads cam- again surrounded by four men. Special Board Meeting dilemmas and task force reports that other at city council meetings, their paign. In his opinion, the hardest part Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. Regular Board Meeting Stanley Library Lafayette Sinkhole on the Mend 3477 School St., Lafayette By Cathy Tyson www.lafsd.k12.ca.us deluge of rain on Dec. 2 caused a Check online for agendas, meeting Atorrent of water that when coupled notes and announcements with upstream debris blocked a Mt. View City of Lafayette: Drive storm drain. All that water swirling www.ci.lafayette.ca.us around eventually chipped away at soil Phone: (925) 284-1968 above the drain and under the roadway and Chamber of Commerce: – voila! A 15-foot sinkhole was born. www.lafayettechamber.org When the roadway collapsed, utilities pipelines also took a hit: PG&E, EBMUD and the sanitary sewer lines needed an im- please... mediate fix. Utility crews rallied to restore service and city engineering staff had to hustle to complete plans in order to get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. Working late into the night, Engineering Services Manager Tony Coe, Senior Engi- neer Farzaneh Sanders and Associate En- gineer Matt Luttropp produced the detailed plans necessary for repair work and man- aged to get the critical paperwork in by a 6 ...thanks! a.m. deadline the next morning in San Photo Cathy Tyson Francisco. ... continued on page A10 12/4 3300 block Mt Diablo Bl Burglary/Theft 11/26 900 block Acalanes Rd (ID) HOLIDAY SALE 3100 block Bradena Ln (auto) 1200 block Monticello Rd (petty theft) Police Report 11/27 3500 block Mt Diablo Bl (petty theft) Read Dr @ Rohrer Dr (auto) Nov. 24 - Dec. 8 400 block Los Arabis Dr (residential) Accident 12/1 100 block Lafayette Cr (auto) 11/26 1600 block Reliez Valley Rd (accident/injuries) 12/3 3600 block chestnut St (petty theft)