Thursday, June 23, 2016 VOLUME LIII, NUMBER 25 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL City Council Urged to Place Initiative on November Ballot Council Urged to Place John- to qualify the measure were 4,017 ber 8, 2016 general election ballot. Bill Wheeler, head of Citizens son Drive Initiative on November signatures. They noted that the issue should be for Planned Growth (CFPG), spon- Ballot The initiative was submitted decided by the voters as quickly sors of the initiative, referred to See Inside Section A The petition drive to place an to the Alameda County Registrar as possible. They also pointed out the initiative as polarizing. "I've Section A is filled with initiative on the ballot to limit of Voters and Pleasanton City that holding the vote in November heard great arguments on both information about arts, people, the size of retail stores in the pro- Clerk on June 13th for signature would cost the city much less than sides. I hope the council will let the entertainment and special events. posed Johnson Drive Economic verification. it would if the vote were delayed process proceed and not make it a There are education stories, a Development Zone (JDEDZ) has At Tuesday's city council meet- until Spring 2017. political issue. Place it on the bal- variety of features, and the arts gathered over 7,000 signatures ing, speakers urged the council to Friday, August 12 is the dead- lot. By doing so, we will find out and entertainment and from Pleasanton voters. Needed place the initiative on the Novem- line to place an item on the ballot. (See INITIATIVE, page 10) bulletin board. LAVTA Zone 7 Looking at Sets 10% Driverless Service Voluntary Driverless shuttles may be in the Valley's future. Goal to The shuttles are one of two innovations introduced by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Save Water Authority as part of the changes Zone 7 Water Agency has of- in service approved recently by ficially terminated its drought state the board. of emergency, but has gone on LAVTA will partner with trans- record as urging water customers portation network companies to voluntarily save water at a rate (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, to 10 percent lower than the baseline reach commuters in neighborhoods year of 2013-14. big buses cannot serve and explore driverless shuttles to solve first and The vote was unanimous at the last mile issues to connect people June 15 directors' meeting. to stations. Carol Mahoney, manager of Customers will receive a dis- Integrated Water Services, said counted rate when they use Uber, that the Valley water retailers, who Lyft, or a taxi participating with the are the customers of Zone 7, have transit agency within the project either taken a similar position, or areas. intend to do so soon. “The City of Dublin is excited The State Water Resources about the participation of TNCs Photos - Doug Jorgensen Board is allowing jurisdictions in our transit system,” says Dub- One participant relaxed for a moment at the Alameda County Fair while waiting to show goats. For to self-certify that if they have lin Mayor David Haubert. “Real more photos, go to page 6. enough water supply for the next time, dynamic ridesharing in more three years, they can bypass the suburban communities of the Bay existing state quotas. Area is an increasingly popular and The exception relates to efforts efficient transportation option that to promote conservation, such can reduce congestion.” as not watering lawns more than The LAVTA Board also ap- twice a week, not hosing off drive- proved and directed staff to seek Dublin, Fremont Schools Join ways, and not washing vehicles, partners and funding for a near unless the hose has a controlling future driverless shuttle demon- spray nozzle on it. All agencies stration project in Dublin. Proceedings on Level III Fees Suit Alameda County Supervi- and their customers are expected sor Scott Haggerty commented, The Dublin and Fremont School amicus curiae (friend of the court) to present evidence. The State Al- to follow those rules. “Electric, driverless shuttles are Districts petitioned a court to join brief. location Board (SAB) had issued The Pleasanton City Council being tested throughout the world a lawsuit against the California Filing the brief would not make an order that says developers are voted on June 7 for 10 percent as viable short-trip solutions to Building Industry Association the two school districts direct subject to paying Level III fees, voluntary conservation, but did connect people to mass transit. (CBIA) to be allowed to file an parties to the suit enabling them not terminate the state drought With high density residential and See LAWSUIT, page 4) declaration, said Pleasanton Di- business centers near the two rector of Operations and Water BART stations in Dublin, the envi- Utilities Kathleen Yurchak. From a sioned demonstration project will practical standpoint, not ending the cover areas where conventional official state drought emergency means of transportation simply Signs of Dementia Can Appear Early is a semantic difference, since the aren’t viable, especially given the By Carol Graham Livermore residents Tom and his years before diagnosis." 10 percent voluntary conservation limited parking," Tom Iver was recently shocked caregiver wife, Amy, for 17 years. That was certainly true for Tom. will guide residents. The board approved major to learn he turned 86 last Decem- "Tom was only 70 when he For more than a decade, Amy had The Livermore city staff will changes to the Wheels public ber. He thought he was younger. changed," recalled Amy (names despaired over Tom's increasingly bring the issue to the City Council transit system that are designed to Then again, he has also told his have been changed for privacy). hostile moods and uncharacteristic at its June 27 meeting, also re- provide more frequent buses and barber he's over 100 years old. "Those changes were the first signs behavior. She longed for the man questing Stage 1, which is the 10 new routes in Livermore, Dublin, Such serious confusion about of dementia. His medical assess- she had married, and began writing percent voluntary conservation, and Pleasanton. “These changes time, dates and places is one of ment team said they are finding in a diary to help her cope with an said Livermore Water Resources feature a dramatic new way of the early signs of dementia, a con- out, more and more, that symptoms incomprehensible situation. Then, Manager Helen Ling. (See WHEELS, page 5) dition that has been challenging start appearing as much as ten (See SIGNS, page 6) (See ZONE 7, page 4) Empathy Theme of TEDx Livermore TEDxLivermore team has cho- Valley and the Chamber, notes sen empathy as the theme for its that at home and abroad, the world 2016 meeting. appears increasingly divided. TEDx will be held from 8:00 Income inequality, global and do- a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on June 25th at mestic terrorism, mass migration Las Positas College in Livermore. of displaced people, escalating Global thought leaders, entrepre- racial tensions, and an increasingly neurs, authors, artists, innovators partisan and incendiary political and scientists will present their environment are just some of the ideas on the topic: “The Econom- challenges. Kaye states, "It's time ics of Empathy: Empathy as Cur- to talk about kindness and empa- rency for Building Community” thy. We felt that a TEDx with the TEDxLivermore is supported theme of empathy as a currency by ReImagine Science, the Liver- could help to illuminate the need more Valley Chamber of Com- for collaboration over competi- merce, Innovation Tri-Valley, tion." Common SciSense (Livermore), Kaye adds, "National politics Photos - Doug Jorgensen and i-GATE Innovation Hub. are disturbingly unemphathetic. If The annual Spirit Run took place in downtown Pleasanton on Father's day. This was the 23rd running One of the organizers, Dale we can make a dent in this narcis- of the event with proceeds to support college scholarships for Pleasanton students plus community Kaye, CEO of Innovation Tri- and international projects of the Rotary Club of Pleasanton. Participants had a choice of events, (See TEDx, page 2) including a 10K run, 5K run/walk and a kid's challenge. PET OF THE WEEK A veritable platoon of kittens has taken over VHS, and two- INSIDE month-old Pharah is leading the offense! The spry tortoiseshell is currently issuing commands from our lobby: they plan to MAIN SECTION Sports .................................... 6 infiltrate homes all over the Tri-Valley with cute and cuddly Classifieds........................... 11 Obituaries .............................. 9 maneuvers. Line up and move out to adopt your next kitten from Valley Humane Society today! 3670 Nevada Street in Editorial ................................. 4 SECTION A Pleasanton, Tuesday through Saturday from 10am – 4pm. For Mailbox .................................. 4 Art & Entertainment .............. 8 more information, visit valleyhumane.org or call (925) 426-8656. Roundup ................................ 3 Bulletin Board ..................... 10 Photo - Valley Humane Society/K. Jacoby Short Notes ........................... 9 Milestones ........................... 12 2 The Independent • June 23, 2016 TEDx (continued from page one) Superintendent Selected sistic way of thinking, we Among the speakers, will would be doing something be Alexandra Ivanovitch, to Lead Dublin Schools really important." Ph.D., CEO of Simorga. The Greater Good Sci- She talk about and dem- Leslie Boozer, Ph.D., saw a significant increase ence Center has defined onstrate Simorga’s virtual was appointed the new in graduation rates, A-G empathy as “the ability to reality (VR) technology. Superintendent of Dublin completion rates and student sense other people’s emo- Ivanovitch’s development Schools on Tuesday night achievement. tions, coupled with the abil- of VR technology for teach- by unanimous vote of the In addition, she has over- ity to imagine what someone ing empathy placed her and Board of Trustees.