VOLUME XLIX, NUMBER 13 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 College Is Open to Exploring Campus Use for July 4 Fireworks The board of trustees that There was no vote on the in- Because the fireworks com- ability insurance needed to move have the volunteers under the oversees Las Positas College is formation item. However, no one mittee is not a designated non- the event forward. There is no umbrella of the city. I think this open to exploring the feasibility on the board raised any objec- profit, the Livermore City Coun- time to put together a structure will be a much bigger and much of Livermore using the college tions to pursuing the idea. cil on Monday took the group to form a 501 c3 committee, he better event.” campus as the site of its next It now appears that pending under its wing as a volunteer added. Brown said the next steps July 4th fireworks community the availability of private fund- group. Assistant city manager The committee is part of the will be to work with the college Find Out What's celebration. ing and finalization of appropri- Troy Brown explained that the nonprofit LARPD Foundation. to develop a memorandum of The Chabot-Las Positas Com- ate permits and approvals, the group could not sign contracts Livermore Mayor John understanding (MOU) and to Happening munity College District trustees Livermore 4th of July Fireworks nor obtain liability insurance. As Marchand stated, “At this point, look at the cash needs of the Check out the heard a brief message about the celebration will move to Las a city volunteer organization, the the city’s active involvement committee. It will take 30 to 45 item at its meeting March 20. Positas College. group would be able to obtain li- makes sense. It’s a great idea to second section (See FIREWORKS, 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- tainment and bulletin board. Transportation Funding Measure Santa Rita Is First in U.S. With Own Qualifies for Ballot Power Microgrid Enough cities with the major- Alameda County over a 30-year Santa Rita Jail is now able ity of the population in Alameda period if voters were to approve to take itself off the power grid, County have voted in support a ballot measure planned for the and provide its own power using of a transportation funding plan November 2012 election. renewable energy. to qualify it for the November Measure B3 would ask voters Alameda County authorities, ballot. to increase the sales tax from a working for four years with The Transportation Expen- half cent to a full cent. If ap- Chevron Energy Solutions, have diture Plan (TEP) would guide proved, the tax would become completed an $11 million project the spending of $7.7 billion permanent. that will store energy on-site in a on transportation projects in (See MEASURE, page 12) large battery array. It is the first operation of its kind in the United States, said officials. Talk Looks at Connection The new system will allow the jail to switch off from the main Between Stress and Health power grid at times when those By Carol Graham either it’s over or you’re over,” power rates are at their highest. It During his recent talk at Las he said. “We turn on the exact will also provide a quick, reliable Positas College, Stanford pro- same stress response for 30-year power back-up when the main fessor Dr. Robert Sapolsky took mortgages.” grid experiences a power outage. the opportunity to explain and The presentation, held Previously, just switching over to elaborate on the curious title of Wednesday evening, March 21, generators created a blackout for his book, “Why Zebras Don’t was hosted by LPC’s Psychol- 10 seconds. Get Ulcers: Stress, Health and ogy Club and Psi Beta, a national The microgrid, which was Coping.” dedicated March 22, will allow honor society, as part of its an- Santa Rita to operate on a much “For 99% of the beasts on nual Brain Awareness Week. The greener basis. Using that green this planet, stress is about three 200 available tickets were sold power and buying main-grid Photo - Doug Jorgensen minutes of screaming terror out within a week of announcing power at lower rates in off- Troy Rhodes (center) heads for the ball during a match. Molly Scheid, West Coast Wicked player on the savannah, after which (See STRESS, page 4) peak hours will save taxpayers (left), watches the action. $100,000 annually. The 113-acre jail site contains fuel cells, five wind turbines and A New Soccer League For Special Needs Children the largest array of solar panels By Patricia Koning Soccer gives him the advantage soccer to the player’s abilities,” the game and stay safe. passion and help these kids have operated by any public agency Troy Rhodes is in a league of of physical activity, being part explains Stewart. Livermore High School var- some fun.” in the nation. Santa Rita is the his own, literally. This six-year- of a group, learning social skills, We Can Soccer meets once sity soccer player Marissa Shied In his first game, Troy scored third-largest jail in California, old with Down Syndrome is the and of course, having fun.” a week on Saturday afternoons. is Troy’s buddy and is actively a goal. “The coaches and play- and the fifth largest in the United first participant in West Coast West Coast coaches Stewart Each one-hour session is split trying to raise funds and recruit ers really greeted him with open States. Soccer Club’s We Can Soccer, a and Carolynn Rafferty started between practice and playing more players and volunteers for arms,” says his father Dusty The jail houses 4000 prison- soccer program for special needs We Can Soccer as part of the in a game with West Coast rec- We Can Soccer. “I got involved Rhodes. “It was a real welcoming ers, has 500 security personnel, children. organization’s spring soccer reational players. Each special because I wanted to do commu- atmosphere.” serves 12,000 meals daily, and “Since he could walk, Troy season. The program is open needs player is paired with one nity service and combine it with The idea, says Stewart, is to needs 3 megawatts of power. has loved kicking a ball,” says his to players of all ages with any or more buddies during the game, something I love – soccer,” she treat the We Can Soccer kids Eighteen buildings cover a total mother Shelli Rhodes. “We Can form of disability. “We adapt the who help the player participate in explains. “I want to share my (See LEAGUE, page 8) of 1 million square feet. Supervisor Scott Haggerty, whose district includes Liver- more and Dublin, attended the Investments in ceremony. Haggerty’s chief of Pleasanton Council staff, Chris Gray, said that Science Help Haggerty believes that the new Focuses on How to installation “will be efficient, and Strengthen the hopefully a trend-setter for others Manage Future Growth Economy to follow.” The Pleasanton City Council opment is an issue. If residential Investments in science and Supervisor Nate Miley, whose has been wrestling with how to development were constrained, technology help strengthen the district includes Pleasanton, said deal with state laws and regional commercial growth would also economy and increase job cre- in an informational video about regulations that impact the city’s need to be constrained, said Bo- ation, according to a story from the project that it is the first time growth. cian. Currently, Pleasanton does the Department of Energy. the county has participated in A subcommittee comprised not limit commercial develop- The article points out that a “this level of partnerships” with of councilmembers Cindy Mc- ment. recent report by the National the private sector and public Govern and Jerry Thorne has He said that one of the objec- Academies notes that the return agencies. been meeting to discuss options tives of a new growth manage- on investment is $1.20 to $1.67 Participants are Chevron En- the city could utilize for growth ment ordinance would be to for every federal dollar spent on ergy Solutions, PG&E, the management. retain the current development research and development (de- Department of Energy, the Cali- Last Tuesday, the entire review process. Growth manage- pending on the industry). The re- (See GRID, page 3) council weighed in on the is- ment should be used to regulate turn occurs when publicly funded sue following a report on the the pace of residential unit con- researchers develop technology subcommittee’s progress to struction consistent with state that either creates industries, or date. Of particular concern are law. Bocian said one option to changes an existing industry. regulations that prevent city’s manage growth would be to The National Labs have a history limiting growth due to lack of establish an annual allocation of making available these tech- infrastructure, such as sewer of units. The allocation formula nologies to entrepreneurs, and capacity and water. would be based on the regional working with industry to transfer Assistant City Manager Steve housing numbers assigned to innovations to market. Bocian noted that any growth the city. For example, 3200 units Recently, America's Next Top control measure must be drafted over a seven year period could Energy Innovator Challenge of- to meet regional housing alloca- produce a set number of 458 units fered start-up companies access tions within an established hous- per year.