05/16/2013 - The Independent

VOLUME L, NUMBER 20Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013Two High Schools ChosenFor Equity & Excellence ProjectFind Out What'sHappeningCheck Out Section ASection A is filled withinformation about arts,people, entertainment andspecial events. There areeducation stories, a varietyof features, and the arts andentertainment and bulletinboard.SummerMarket OpensIn LivermoreThursday, May 16, from 4to 8 p.m., The City of Livermore,Livermore DowntownInc. and the Pacific CoastFarmers Market Associationwill be celebrating PCF-MA’s 25 th Anniversary ofmanaging Markets throughoutthe San Francisco BayArea. PCFMA has beenLivermore Downtown Inc.’smanaging partner in downtownLivermore since 1997.At 5:00 PM, Mayor JohnMarchand, Vice Mayor StuGary, City Manager MarcRoberts, Livermore DowntownInc. Board PresidentIvy Faught , LDI ExecutiveDirector Rachael Snedecorand Alameda County SupervisorScott Haggerty’sOffice will be on hand for theofficial season ribbon cuttingand launch of the ThursdayNight Market Season. RibbonCutting will take place atthe Band Performance areaon the Fourth Street side ofCarnegie Park.This will be the firstThirsty Thursday of the yearfrom 5 to 8 p.m. Live musicwill be provided by CrawdadRepublic, a local southernrock and Cajun fusion band.Wine tasting will featureConcannon Vineyard, SaveMe San Francisco, Cupcakeand Darcie Kent. Beer tastingwill be by Sierra Nevadaand Schubros Breweries.(See MARKET, page 2)ComentsAsked onWheels ServiceThe Livermore AmadorValley Transit Authority(LAVTA), operator of theWheels bus service, is seekingpublic input on proposedservice changes planned totake effect in August 2013.Service changes are proposedfor the routes 1, 2, 3,8, 9, 10, 11, 12(v), 14, 18,70x(xv), 501, and 701.Proposals to be consideredinclude changes toalignments and adjustmentsto schedules and frequenciesto make the systemeasier to navigate. Routes 11and 701 will potentially bediscontinued. Details of theproposed service changesare available online at www.wheelsbus.com and at theLivermore Transit Center,LAVTA AdministrativeOffice, and all Tri-Valleylibraries.Public meetings willbe held at the followingtimes and locations: Mon.,May 20, 5 to 7 p.m. DublinLibrary, 200 Civic Plaza;Tues., May 21, 5 to 7 p.m.Veterans Memorial Building,Pleasanton; and Wed.,May 22, 5 to 7 p.m. RobertLivermore Community Center,4444 East Ave.In addition, a public hearingwill be held in connectionwith the LAVTABoard Meeting at 4 p.m. onMonday, June 3, 2013 at theLAVTA Administrative Office1362Rutan Court, Suite100, LivermoreWritten comments canbe sent to the LAVTA Boardof Directors, 1362 RutanCourt, Suite 100, Livermore,CA 94551, or by e-mail tomchiu@lavta.org no laterthan June 3, 2013.The Livermore ValleyJoint Unified School District(LVJUSD) has been selectedto participate in the EqualOpportunity Schools (OES)AP/IB Equity & ExcellenceProject.The program is part ofthe Google Global ImpactAward Project.Equal OpportunitySchools partner with school,district, county, state, andnational leaders around thePhoto - Doug JorgensenStudents at the Livermore Valley Charter School have created bicycle wheel art under the direction of their teacher,Regina Leyva. The work will be displayed this Saturday during the Amgen Tour.Livermore Gears Up for Amgen EventBy Carol GrahamLivermore will host theAmgen Tour of Californiabicycling race this Saturday,May 18. It is an event thatbrings international attentionand countless visitorsto the city.The Amgen Tour of Californiais a Tour de Francestylecycling road race. TheCity is hosting the start ofStage 7 from DowntownLivermore to the top of Mt.Diablo.By Jeff GarbersonAn Alameda County juryawarded five former employeesof Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratorya total of $2.7 million lastweek in compensation forestimated losses sufferedwhen they were laid off in2008, allegedly in violationof an employment contract.The jury decision appearsto be the tip of a complexlegal iceberg that has the potentialto cost the companyBy Ron McNicollDublin City Councilmembershave given staffdirection concerning choicesin the Dublin Crossingsdevelopment proposed byIrvine-based SunCal. DublinCrossings is being createdSECTION AArt & Entertainment........... 8Bulletin Board.....................11Milestones ........................12MAIN SECTIONClassifieds.........................11Insidecountry to close race andincome enrollment and successgaps in challenginghigh school courses and advancedclasses. The goal isto improve student engagement,achievement, collegereadiness and success.Granada and LivermoreHigh Schools are two ofonly 79 high schools fromacross the U.S. that wereselected to participate in themost rigorous study to dateon the impact of AdvancedTo celebrate being chosenas one of eight stagingcities for the race, the city,area businesses and local associationsare offering daylongfestivities throughoutthe downtown area.The day kicks off withthe Breakaway from CancerWalk at 10 a.m."The half-mile walkingcourse begins at the CarnegiePark start line," saidDavid Rashe, City PermitUncertain legal future$2.7 Million Awarded ToFormer Lab Employeesthat operates the Laboratoryfar more than the $2.7million jury award – or thatmight melt away and cost itlittle or nothing.The company that operatesthe Laboratory iscalled Lawrence LivermoreNational Security. It issueda statement saying that it“respectfully disagrees”with the jury’s verdict andthe $2.7 million award.The statement also said(See LAWSUIT, page 9)Extra Tax For FutureResidents Is in Negotiationon 187 acres surplused bythe Army at Camp Parks.The plan has been innegotiation since last May,when the city council thenwas consulted. The matterwas brought back to the(See DUBLIN, page 5)Editorial..............................4Mailbox...............................4Roundup...............................3Short Notes.....................12Sports................................. 6Obituaries.........................9Placement (AP) and InternationalBaccalaureate (IB)on college completion forLatino, African American,and low-income students.The 79 selected high schoolswill receive match-fundedtechnical assistance andcapacity-building supportto fully close AP and IBparticipation gaps and raisestudent success.Although “challenginghigh school courses” and“advanced classes" can beCenter Manager and LocalOrganizing CommitteeChair for the Amgen Tour."Livermore is one of the fourstages chosen for the walk,and we're the only one that'smaxed out so far with 150participants."Breakaway from Canceris a complementary componentto the Amgen race.It's designed to increaseawareness of the importantresources available to cancerpatients, care givers and thepublic including preventioneducation, patient care, advocacysupport and financialresources. The other stagingcities hosting the walkthis year are Escondido,Santa Clarita and SantaBarbara.The Amgen Tour's TravelingLifestyle Festival willprovide a central gatheringarea for attendees and spec-(See AMGEN, page 2)Photo - Doug JorgensenPleasanton residents tried their skills at chalk paintingduring last Saturdays "Big Draw" in the downtown.defined in many ways, EOSfocuses on the AP and IBprograms, which provide theclearest measurable standardaligned with college-levelwork.The cost to the district is$18,000 in matching funds.Livermore SuperintendentKelly Bowers told theschool board last week thatto qualify for the program,there first has to be an identifiedgap, a demonstratedcommitment to provide equitableaccess to all classes,and processes in place toachieve the effort to closethe gap. One example ofa program in place is thegreen engineering academyat Livermore High School.Half of the students enrolledfall into the at risk category.Bowers and both comprehensivehigh school principalsattended an invitationonly Google Global ImpactAward Project meeting to(See SCHOOLS, page 9)LivermoreSeeks to'Smooth'Rate HikeGarbage rates will bechanging in Livermore forthose who use smaller containers.The city council onMonday approved recommendationsby staff to adjustrates to reflect changes incustomer use. The new rateswill go into effect July 1.The current waste and recyclingcontract with LivermoreSanitation is designedso that ratepayer revenuecovers the cost of providingthe service. However,revenues generated by ratesare not matching the costsdue to on-going residentialservice downsizing and thepractice of large commercialaccounts “opting out” ofthe system by self-haulingmaterials.Judy Erlandson, PublicWorks Manager, told thecouncil that if there wereno rate increase above theamount allowed in the contracteach year, by year eightof the contract, customerswould see a huge spike inthe cost of service. Thatwould occur, because thecontract does not require abalance between revenueand cost until year eight. Atthat time revenue and costsmust balance.Because rate year 4 (FY13/14) is an index-basedyear, the city council isrequired to approve a minimumrate increase of 0.8% toreflect the allowed indexed(See HIKE, page 4)PleasantonSchools PutSTEAM IntoCommunityEventThe Pleasanton UnifiedSchool District put plenty ofSTEAM into its presentationto community and businessleaders who were invitedto an education summit atAmador Valley High School.Nearly 100 attended theevent on May 8 designedto show the audience howthe district is carrying outthe curriculum for the 21stCentury, explained superintendentParvin Ahmadi.In recent years, schooldistricts have focused onclasses called STEM, referringto the initials for Science,Technology, Engineeringand Math. Pleasantonhas added an A -- the Arts-- to show equal status withthe sciences, said Ahmadi.To demonstrate that, thedistrict displayed art work(See STEAM, page 2)PET OF THE WEEKIt’s no stretch to say Sophie is eager to meet you! Thegorgeous calico gallops up to visitors of Valley HumaneSociety’s Kitty City. Sophie is 3-1/2 years old and dreamsof an exciting life in the interiors of a suburban jungle withloving caretakers who respect her wild side. Take your nextsafari to VHS and visit Sophie Tuesdays through Saturdaysfrom 10 am – 4 pm and Sundays from 12 noon – 4 pm. VHSis located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton. For moreinformation about Sophie, or our upcoming Garden Touron Sunday, May 19, please call (925) 426-8656, or visit www.valleyhumane.org. Photo credit: Valley Humane Society

PAGE 2 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013AMGEN(continued from page one)tators. It will take placeon Second Street betweenSouth Livermore Avenueand L Street. The festivalfeatures cycling vendors,cancer awareness education,family activities, food andentertainment."There will be live music,a unique and innovativebike show, crafts for kidsand a clown on a unicycle,"said Livermore DowntownExecutive Director RachaelSnedecor. "There will alsobe valet bike parking betweenJ and K Streets."The race begins at 11:35a.m. It's 92-mile route rangesfrom Tesla Road to theByron Highway, throughMorgan Territory, and finishesatop Mount Diablo.The cyclists will startin Downtown Livermoreat Carnegie park, turn ontoFirst Street before makingtheir way out on NorthLivermore Avenue as theyhead to Contra Costa County,and the towns of Byronand Mountain House. Theypass back through Livermoremid-afternoon beforethey make their ascent up tothe peak of Mt. Diablo."Livermore will have avirtual finish because there'sno room on top of MountDiablo," said Rashe. "Therewill be large-screen TVsdowntown so people canwatch the race live, andactually see the finish at thesummit while attending theLifestyle Festival downtown."The Tour will be broadcastlive on NBC and NBCSports Network in more than216 countries and territoriesworldwide.Although the tour beganin 2006, this is the thirdyear Livermore has hosteda staging area. Independentstudies suggest the financialbenefit and economicimpact of being a Host CitySchedule:10:00 am – Team buses begin to arrive downtown on M,N and O Streets. Visitors can meet and mingle with the riders.10:00 am – The Breakaway from Cancer parade walk beginsat 3rd and K Streets. Celebrate Livermore’s Cancer Champion,Dee Williams, and other local participants as they completetheir walk. For more information about this organization, visitwww.breakawayfromcancer.com.11:35 am – Stage 7 begins at Carnegie Park at 3rd and KStreets with a parade loop along 3rd St., P St., and First St., aleft-turn on Livermore Avenue, and then off to Morgan TerritoryRoad for a ride through the hills and countryside.Approximately 2:00 – 2:30 pm – The riders return for apass-through coming over Patterson Pass Road, Cross Road,Tesla Road, and along the entire length of Livermore Avenue,under Interstate-580 and off to Mt. Diablo.10:00 am – 4:30 pm – The Stage 7 “Finish Festival” occursin downtown Livermore – 2nd, J and K Streets -- due to thelimited space at the peak of Mt. Diablo! Have fun visitingthe vendor booths, music, food and activities. Watch the Mt.Diablo finish on big screen TVs from 2- 4 pm.For more details on road closures and the race log, visitthe City’s website at www.cityoflivermore.net. For generalinformation and fun facts, read the City’s Facebook postingson its page at “City of Livermore City Hall”. Updates arealso supplied via the City’s Twitter account at www.twitter.com/CityofLivermore. For cycling-focused information aboutStage 7, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages/stage7.html.for the Amgen Tour is typicallyin excess of $1 million,primarily stemming fromlodging, dining, and shoppingincome, according to apress release.Showcasing Livermore'sattributes is another benefitof hosting the race. FirstStreet Wine Company inpartnership with Cuda RidgeWines is offering a commemorativewine called TheTour. The Cabernet Franc -Merlot blend includes smallamounts of Petit Verdot andMalbec.The Tour's label was createdby local artist ReinaHernandez, showing an elegantdepiction of CarnegiePark and Mount Diablo, therace's starting and endingpoints. The artwork will befeatured on tiles for sale atFirst Street Wine Company,a quilt kit at In BetweenStitches, and on jewelry,coasters and key rings atOutside In. All are located indowntown Livermore.Boston Responders BenefittedFrom Alameda County TrainingCongressman Eric Swalwellattended the House ofRepresentative's first hearingon the Boston MarathonMARKET(continued from page one)For more details, go to www.livermoredowntown.com.Free bike valet servicewill be available at the Cornerof Third and K Street,sponsored by AlamedaCounty Supervisor ScottHaggerty’s Office and theLivermore Area Recreationand Parks District.Pacific Coast FarmersMarket will be adding thefollowing to the nightsfestivities: Photos galleryshowing of farmers and foodpurveyors who have been apart of our association, livecooking demos, Kid activities,5 free anniversary bagsfor first 25 people to signup for our market email,and Mini cupcakes whilesupply last.Enter to win a grand prizedrawing at all our marketswho have anniversary celebrations.One winner willbe drawn for a grand prize of$2500.00. One name will bepulled from the Livermorefarmers market entries and aperson will win $25 in carrotcash and a bag of produce.Mr. Carrot will be therewith a special give away- one per person will wintheir choice of 25 baskets ofblueberries or 25 baskets ofstrawberries for $.25bombings, and noted thatpolice response at the scenewas aided by a program inAlameda County.Swalwell, a member ofthe House Committee onHomeland Security, askedquestions at the hearing May9 of Boston police commissionerEd Davis.Swalwell said that the UrbanShield regional responsestrategy used by Boston areapolice and fire personnel torescue victims, and chasedown the two identified suspects,was developed by AlamedaCounty Sheriff GregAhern and the department.Davis told Swalwell andthe committee that the departmentprovided "us agreat service. We went toAlameda County twice (fortraining), and then talkedEXCEPTIONAL NEEDS NETWORK PRESENTS:TEXAS HOLD’EMTOURNAMENTAll proceeds to benefit summer camp fordevelopmentally delayed childrenADULTS ONLY — 21 YEARS AND OVERFirst Prize: $500 / BBQ Dinner, Beer,and Wine Available For PurchaseAll SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOMEAND ENCOURAGED TO PLAYBUY-IN $60 before 5/24, receive extra $300 chips.The Livermore Art Associationhas incorporatedthe cycling race's visit withthe May 18th InternationalFascination of Plants Day.Local artists and childrenwill celebrate the importanceof plants by decoratingbicycle wheels with creativeplant themes. They will bedisplayed at downtown businessesand along the path ofthe Amgen Tour.A display of art, photographsand poetry aboutbicycles and bicycling,called "Everything Bicycle,"will be on display May 11through June 30 at PrudentialCalifornia Realty, 1780First Street, Livermore, inthe Vine Cinema Plaza.Following the tour'sLivermore stop, the eighthand final stage of the AmgenTour of California takesplace on May 19th, beginningin San Francisco, crossingthe Golden Gate Bridgeand ending in Santa Rosa.about incorporating what welearned on the East Coast."Boston held two exercisesof its own, and learnedin the first one that communicationwith the fire departmentwas not sufficient. "Wewere able to correct that,"said Davis. It made a bigdifference when the tragedyoccurred at the marathon,he added.Swalwell asked whetherany reduction in HomelandSecurity funds for UrbanShield, possibly fromsequestration of funding,would hurt the program.Davis said that it would."Without this type ofprogram, we don't knowwhat we don't know. If wefind gaps in the system afteran incident, it's too late,"said Davis.FRIDAYMay 316-11 P.M.Veterans MemorialHall522 South L StreetLivermore, CAContact Denise Gil @ 925-998-4914 orariel2kids@aol.com or ENN @ 925-215-2281www.ennetwork.orgLab Looks to Reduce StaffThrough Voluntary RetirementLawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory willoffer a voluntary separationprogram for up to 600employees. Director ParneyAlbright made the announcementlast Thursday.The National NuclearSecurity Administration hasapproved the Self-SelectVoluntary Separation Program(SSVSP), which willbe available to all careeremployees. The programwill offer one week of “considerationpay,” or base salaryper year of continuousservice, up to 26 weeks.The SSVSP is being offeredas a means to addressSTEAM(continued from page one)from Amador Valley andFoothill high schools, theAmador jazz band played,and the Foothill choir sangthe National Anthem.A video clip from "Romeoand Juliet," with musicwritten for it by a student,was shown."It's really important torevere all subjects. When wetalk about the whole child, itdoes include humanities, andsports, and everything else,"said Ahmadi."The people you saw inthe jazz band, 'Romeo andJuliet,' and the chorus arethe same students you wouldsee in STEM classes," saidAhmadi.The audience also heardpresentations from teacherTroy Dennis about a newSTEM class in engineering,called Project Lead theWay (PLTW). It is part ofa national curriculum thatinvolves partnering withuniversities for the trainingof district teachers.Ahmadi told The Independentthat one of thevalues of the intensive engineeringprogram is thatstudents can sample theclasses in high school, tomake sure that's where theywant to spend their collegetime.Lisa Highfill, a teacherat Fairlands ElementarySchool, showed the audiencehow the coming core curriculumin 2016 will changelearning to involve moreexploration by students in avariety of learning modes.Ahmadi said that businesspeople in attendancewere asked if they had aninterest in partnering withthe district. It might involvebeing a speaker in a classroom,hiring a student internat a business, mentoring staffor students in one's field. Itcould also include hostingbudget challenges in fiscalyear 2014.“Although there remain anumber of unknowns abouthow the budget request forFY14 would flow down toour Laboratory, it is clearthe budget proposal will facean uphill battle in Congressthis summer, with continuingdebates about reducingfederal spending, a possibleFY14 sequester and the debtceiling,” Albright explained.“It is our hope that implementingthe SSVSP now,rather than waiting for additionaldetails on the FY14budget, will put the Laboratoryin a better posture tostudents on field trips, orlending support to any specialprojects in their fields.This was the first suchsummit. Ahmadi said theYou’re Invited!Friends and Family DayUnitarian Universalist Church in Livermore1893 North Vasco Road, Livermore925-447-8747www.uucil.orgSunday, May 19th, 10:30am-1:00pm“Give Them Not Hell, Give Them Hope”Rev. Lucas Hergert, preachingChildren’s Religious Education classes begin at 10:30am.Nurture your spirit and reach out to your community.Children invited to enjoy our new playground after the service!Come Look Us Over!address whatever budgetrealities we’ll face in FY14and beyond.”The SSVSP applicationprocess will begin May 8,with exits from the Labscheduled by June 13.Though all career indefiniteemployees may apply forthe VSP, Albright said applicationswill be reviewedto ensure the Laboratoryretains the necessary skillsmix to meet its missions.Following completionof the SSVSP, the Laboratorywill conduct a reviewof the remaining workforceconsidering the funding andskills needed to position theLaboratory for FY14.district wants to hold oneannually. "We look at thisas a community event toguide us. Collaboration,community and creativityare important," said Ahmadi.Pleasanton Firm Names SorkinTÜV Rheinland, Pleasanton,has named Gary SorkinSmart Grid Business DevelopmentManager. In hisnew role, Sorkin will providesupport to the company’sElectrical Group drawingon more than two decadesof his data communicationsexperience. Sorkin is basedin the Pleasanton, Calif.,office, which also houses aSmart Grid Test Laboratory.Sorkin joins TÜV Rheinland’steam after havingworked with the company asSmart Grid Business Developmentcontractor. Beforethat, he served as SmartGrid Business DevelopmentManager for NationalTechnical Systems (NTS) inCulver City, Calif., where hedesigned and developed programsfor specification compliance,functionality, andinteroperability for variouscommunications protocols,standards and technologies.During his past consultingrelationships he workedwith utilities, alliances, standardsorganizations andthe government, includingZigBee®, SunSpec Alliance,EnOcean®, the USNAP Alliance,the Federal CommunicationsCommission, Wi-Fi, WHQL, WPC (Qi),Microsoft, and many more.For more informationabout TÜV Rheinland, visitwww.tuv.com/us.TED xLivermorex=independently organized TEDeventCome join us for a transformativeday of stimulating thinking…Creating ourFutureInnovate +EducateJune 8 th , 2013Las Positas CollegeVisit www.tedxlivermore.com for event and ticketing information.

Pleasanton's East Side Plan Will Be in School Board SpotlightThe Pleasanton schoolboard has not taken a standyet on whether or not thedistrict will need to build aschool in the area coveredby the city's East PleasantonSpecific Plan (EPSP).Community DevelopmentDirector Brian Dolanis slated to attend the board'smeeting May 28 to presenttrustees information aboutthe development alternativesfor the study area's 350developable acres.Another 700 acres in theplan area consists of abandonedgravel quarries thatZone 7 Water Agencies willbe using for flood controland water basin recharge.The city knows there willbe more development onits north side near the EastDublin/Pleasanton BARTstation. The school board hasassumed in its remarks overthe past several years thatan elementary school wouldbe located somewhere inHacienda Park not far fromBART.However, it has not beenclear to the board whethera second new elementaryschool will be needed inthe city. Much of it dependson the type of housing anddensity that will be plannedfor the East Side.The East Pleasanton SpecificPlan (EPSP) Task Forcehas been meeting monthly,and reviewing alternatives.The school question drewa letter from Julie Testa, alongtime community activistwho has focused on adequateschool housing.Testa asked the task forceto request a report from theschool district that woulddiscuss current debt onschool facilities and currentcapacity of schools, beforethe committee makes anyrecommendations regardingthe need for a school in EastPleasanton.Testa said that Pleasantonschools are already overcrowded,and adding moreschool children will makematters worse. Testa citedstate Department of Educationstandards that called forbigger campus sizes to housethe number of students currentlyat the city's two highschools. She pointed out thatthe city's elementary schoolsare all above the 600 enrollmentcap outlined in thegeneral plan. She also saidthat the district is using existingdeveloper fees to payoff outstanding debt, whichhas been reported by staffin school board discussions.Superintendent ParvinAhmadi told The Independentthat the district has beencommunicating with the cityat its monthly liaison meetingsregarding its needs.The district has neverappeared before the EPSPtask Force to make a formalpresentation. "However, cityThe Independent, MAY 16, 2013 - PAGE 3staff is aware of our needs.They work with us directly,"said Ahmadi.Some elementary schoolsare overcrowded now inareas of new growth, saidAhmadi. Any future newgrowth areas definitely willadd to that, she stated.Dreammakers LuncheonLivermore Valley Chamber of CommerceDreammakers and RisktakersAwards Luncheon will be held Thurs.,May 30 at the Poppy Ridge Golf Coursein Livermore.Keynote speaker is Bill Goldstein,Deputy Director of Science and Technologyat the Lawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory.The program and lunch begin at noon.Cost is $45 per person for members, $55per person nonmembers. Contact theChamber at 925-447-1606 for furtherinformation and reservations.Poppy Ridge Golf Course is lcoated at4280 Greenville Rd., Livermore.Contract for TrailThe Livermore Area Recreation andPark District Board of Directors approveda resolution to award a contract for theconstruction of the Robertson Park Trailand Respite Area.GradeTech Inc. of San Ramon wasawarded the contract for the project,which will start once the Livermore Rodeois finished. The project was originallyproposed in 2006 as a developer-built improvementby O’Brien Homes, developerof the nearby Arroyo Crossing subdivision.In early 2011, the District statedits preference to complete the projectmanaged in-house, funded by park feespaid by Arroyo Crossing Inc. This methodwas expected to be a more efficient useof public funds.The board received an update on severaldistrict activities.LARPD helped run a free bike valetat the Wine Country Festival on May 4and 5, and will also offer a free bike valetduring the AMGEN Tour downtownLivermore on Saturday, May 18.Swimming pools are now open forrecreational swim weekends at the CommunityCenter from noon to 6 p.m., plusMonday, May 27, for Memorial Day.Swalwell EndorsedHouse Minority Leader Nancy Pelosihas endorsed Congressman Eric Swalwellfor re-election to the 15th CongressionalDistrict in 2014, “Working women andfamilies in California’s 15th district havea champion in Congressman Eric Swalwell,”said Leader Pelosi. “In the AlamedaCounty District Attorney’s Office,he fought tirelessly to assist and protectvictims of domestic violence and humantrafficking. In Congress, he has alreadyproven a critical leader in the drive tostrengthen the health and economic securityof America’s middle class, fromhis stalwart support for a comprehensiveViolence Against Women Act to equalpay for equal work to investments in theeducation of our children."FOR A RETIREMENT WORTH THE WAIT,the wait is over.THIS YEAR, ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS.Stoneridge Creek, the retirement community unlike any other in Northern California,opens in Pleasanton this year. That means life without the hassles of landscaping,housekeeping or maintenance of any kind is close enough to see, with restaurants, anopen-air pool, fitness center and spa, art studio, walking trails, performing arts theatreand more, all included. Add in unlimited access to a full continuum of care, if everneeded, and you’ll discover you can expect more from retirement.For a sneak peek of California’s newest Continuing Life® community before it opens,call or stop by to visit our model home.5698 Stoneridge Dr. | Pleasanton, CA 94588StoneridgeCreek.comCALL 1-800-984-4279 BEFORE WE’RE COMPLETELY RESERVED!Continuing Life Communities Pleasanton LLC, dba Stoneridge Creek Pleasanton, has received authorization to accept deposits from the California Department of Social Services.

PAGE 4 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013EDITORIALOriginal StoriesRuth Gasten's proposal to establish aspeakers bureau is a good one. Speakerswould bring real life experiences to historicaltopics that are meaningful globally andlocally.Most of those who have signed on areolder. Their stories range from fighting inWorld War II to escaping the Killing Fieldsof Cambodia. Others have tales to tell aboutgrowing up during an earlier era in Livermore.Gasten refers to them as "Original SourceSpeakers."We hope others will volunteer to pass ontheir knowledge by signing on to the list ofavailable speakers.HIKE(continued from page one)increase. In rate year 8, if noadditional adjustments weremade, an approximate 15%revenue increase would berequired.Staff proposed institutinga system of "smoothing"to reduce the impact. Theincrease would be focusedon the 20 gallon and 32 gallonresidential containers.Smoothing would graduallyincrease the cost of service.Under the increase guaranteedby the contract, thisyear the 20-gallon ratewould rise from $16.76 to$17.61 a month and 32-gallonwould go from $26.96 to$27.51. Under smoothing,a 20-gallon container ratewould go up to $18.91 permonth; a 32-gallon containerrate to $28.01. The cost ofservice in this year is approximately$50 per singlefamilyhousehold per month.The increase over andabove the guaranteedamount would be creditedback to users in years 8through 10 of the contract.Councilmember LaureenTurner asked if the netamount out of pocket costis the same as it would beif the rates were to spike inyear eight?City Manager Marc Robertsnoted that over $2 millionwould be paid and $2million credited. "Undersmoothing, the contractordoes not end up with onepenny more."Councilmember Bob Woernerwas concerned thatproviding the revenue earlycould reduce the incentiveon the part of the serviceprovider to drive real costsdown. He suggested thatduring negotiations that thecity obtain more certaintyon minimizing the real costsin the later years of thecontract. "The more moneythe contractor has, the lessincentive there is to reducecosts. I don't want to minimizethe incentive to reducereal costs," stated Woerner.Secondly, he said that thetime value of money betaken into account when theearly payments are creditedback in later years.Early years are based onindexing, starting in year 8,the price of service is basedon the real cost, not the indexedcost.Roberts suggested that anoption would be to require alist of the actual costs at theend of the year. Smoothingwould be made conditionalon review of the costs.Roberts also agreed thenegotiations would takeinto account the time valueof money.Councilmember StewartGary wondered whether thesmoothing money would goto the city or the contractor.Roberts said that it wouldgo to the contractor, whowould then credit the moneyback to customers.Kent Kenney, partnerand manager of LivermoreSanitation, told the councilthat the issues faced by thecompany are unprecedented."I have never seen customersmigrate the way theyhave. In the first year of thecontract, there were 300020-gallon users; now thereare 7400 resulting in a lossof $1.3 million in revenue.The current trend amountsto a loss of $200,000 in revenueeach year. Our workloadis the same. We are willingto work with staff to providethe information on the costof providing service."The council also votedto approve a discount onorganics and recycling servicesfor larger commercialcustomers to discourageself-hauling of materials;and an income-based discountto assist qualifiedmembers of the communitywith residential solid wastecollection costs.COUNTY ENERGYCOMMITTEEThe council joined otherValley cities in decliningto join the Stopwaste.orgenergy committee.Laureen Turner notedthat concerns include "missioncreep," with Stopwasteexpanding its areas of focus,and weighted voting thatcould result in loss of localcontrol. Three cities and thecounty would have enoughvotes to approve any requestedaction.Stewart Gary commentedthat Tri-Valley cities are ableto accomplish a lot of goodtogether. If there is a need forcollective action, the citieswould work together.Livermore parents questionsDistrict’s cyberbullying policiesBy Patricia KoningA parent of a Livermoremiddle school student saysthe Livermore Valley JointUnified School District’spolicies on cyberbullying arelacking and causing harm tostudents.“My hope is that by exposingthese flaws and sharingthem with the community,positive changes willhappen within the District. Ihope that through this otherchildren might be saved fromthe negative impact the currentpolicy has had on mychild,” she says.Her child was the victimof malicious and profaneposts on the photo sharingwebsite Instagram.Cyberbullying is a regularoccurrence in Livermore.In the 2011-12 CaliforniaHealthy Kids Survey, 15% ofseventh graders at MendenhallMiddle School reportedthat they had been victimsof cyberbullying. At the endof February, three juvenileswere arrested after makingthreats on Twitter to oneof the victims of ChristineHubbs of Livermore, theso-called “Hummer Mom”who was convicted in 2011of having sex with minors.The Livermore parentsays school administrationshowed her child maliciousInstagram posts directed ather [the child]. The parentsays she was never notifiedby the school administrationand the malicious posts weretaken off Instagram beforeany action could be taken.“Parents need to be notifiedand told of their rightsto prosecute. A school psychologistshould be madeavailable to speak with vic-Solar Partnership Receives $1.7 MillionThe California EnergyCommission (CEC) hasawarded $1.7 million to apartnership between LawrenceLivermore NationalLaboratory and Cool EarthSolar Inc. (CES) to conduct acommunity-scale renewableenergy integration demonstrationproject at the LivermoreValley Open Campus(LVOC).CES is the prime awardeeand is contributing an additional$1 million in matchingfunds to the CEC amount,while LLNL will provideadvanced R&D support forthe effort.This project will test anddemonstrate a model for howcommunities can generatesolar energy, forecastingthat solar generation anddeveloping energy managementtools to adapt to thatforecast. The net result willbe a community that is ableto reduce its total consumptionand place more relianceon clean, locally availablerenewable resources.In 2012, CES also signedan agreement with SandiaNational Laboratories thattims,” says the parent. “Theprincipal was wrong not tocall me and I believe sheimpeded a potential policeinvestigation.”Assistant superintendentChris Van Schaack says thatcyberbullying can be difficultto investigate becauseschool staff members oftenreceive reports second- orthird-hand and the posts areoften gone by the time theyinvestigate.“We’ve had cases inwhich students tell us thatthey’ve received threateningor inappropriate text messages,but that they’ve beenerased. It can be more difficultfor us to follow up onthose,” he says. “Althoughwe cannot discipline studentsfor comments that wecannot verify, we use thosesituations as an opportunityto educate students about theimpact that comments onsocial media sites can have.“If we can identify thestudents involved we willtake immediate action. Dependingon the nature of theoffense, this often includescontacting the police, whowill conduct their own investigation.Additionally,the police have the abilityto contact the social sitesdirectly and have the offensivematerial removedimmediately.”The District implementednew curriculum at all gradelevels this academic yearthat addresses digital literacyand online citizenship.“Our goal is to teach onlinesafety and responsibilitystarting in kindergarten andcontinuing through highschool,” says Scott Vernoy,director of student services.could make solar energymore affordable and accessible.Sandia researcherswill help pilot, characterizeand validate CES’ inflated,photovoltaic (CPV)technology. The company’sequipment will be located ona five-acre site known as theClean Energy DemonstrationField on the LVOC.LLNL will contributeadvanced solar forecastingand building energy managementfor improved efficiencyand peak load shavingwhile Cool Earth SolarInc., also of Livermore, willprovide concentrating CPVtechnology -- an innovative,low-cost, community-scaleconcentrated photovoltaicsystem.By accurately forecastingthe timing and amount ofsolar generation in a communitysetting, this projectaims to demonstrate thatmore dense penetrations ofphotovoltaics (PV), on acommunity’s distributiongrid are possible.The highly accurate andlocal forecasts developedunder this award will link to“In the past, we focusedon middle and high schoolstudents.”The District’s two SchoolResource Officers also conducteda cyberbullyingseminar last year; Vernoysays that program will berepeated in the future. He’salso hoping to start a parentspeaker series in the 2013-14school year that will covercyberbullying in addition toother topics, such as suicideprevention, alcohol and drugabuse, and kindergartenreadiness.“We need an ongoing approachto cyberbullying. Socialmedia is still relativelynew and always changing,”says Vernoy. “Our goal is toinstill a culture of responsibilityfor how we treat eachother online.”The District’s disciplinecode states that “cyberbullyingincludes the transmissionof harassing communications,direct threats, orother harmful texts, sounds,or images on the Internet,social media, or other technologiesusing a telephone,computer, or any wirelessor other communication device.Cyberbullying also includesbreaking into anotherperson’s electronic accountand assuming that person’sidentity in order to damagethat person’s reputation.”The discipline code alsostates that “individuals withinformation about the activity[cyberbullying] shallbe encouraged to save andprint any electronic or digitalmessages sent to themthat they feel constitutecyberbullying and to notifya teacher, the principal, orother employee so that thebuilding controls in the communityso that the systemcan be adjusted to smoothfluctuations in demand andshave peak loads. Reducingpeak loads would reduce theneed to build and use more“peaker” plants – fast startcarbon-based generationplants used to stabilize thegrid by providing additionalgeneration quickly in highdemand periods. This projectwill demonstrate on a microscale a model that couldbe expanded and replicated.Utilities are increasinglyconcerned by the effect solarintermittency has on loadacross the grid and its potentialto unbalance powergeneration and demand andoverload circuits. In someareas, distribution circuitsexperience large ramps dueto high penetrations of PVand clouds quickly dissipating.“This is an issue that canbe addressed by better solarpower forecasting to allowactive balancing on the grid,including adaptive buildingenergy management,” saidWayne Miller, LLNL’s leadmatter may be investigated.”The discipline code extendsto bullying that occursoff campus if it is “in a mannerthat causes or is likely tocause a substantial disruptionof a school activity orschool attendance, shall besubject to discipline, whichmay include suspension orexpulsion, in accordancewith District policies andregulations.”In 2011, the Californialegislature passed AB 746,the Cyber Bully PreventionLaw, which declaresthat posts made on socialnetwork sites are coveredunder the Education Codeanti-bullying provisionsand allows school officialsto suspend student violators.California law allowsfor the suspension of a studentfor bullying, includingbullying by electronic acts.Prior to AB 746, however,the law did not expresslyprovide that transmission byposting messages on a socialnetwork site is included inthe definition of an electronicact.The Livermore parent hasrequested that cyberbullyingbe a topic at a future LivermoreSchool Board meeting.“I also have suggested thatthe District create a parentand student task force toprovide input on cyberbullyingpolicies. My hope is thatLivermore can be a leader inthe fight against cyberbullyingand that as communityawareness raises, Californiacan develop stricter legislationto combat this problem.I also hope that parents willbegin to check their children’semails, Instagram,and Facebook messages.”on the project. “This projectwill develop and test theefficacy of this approach.”LLNL’s role includesoptimizing, testing and deliveringa short-term (up toan hour ahead) solar powerforecasting capability thatwill enable higher penetrationsof solar by providingmore predictable informationon solar generation,allowing better managementof the variable and intermittentsolar power production.Livermore also will developand demonstrate improvementsin building energyefficiency by using environmentaland renewableenergy forecasts to optimizeHVAC controls. This will betested at building 690 at SandiaNational Laboratories,which has extensive HVACSCADA infrastructure thatcan be used to implementand verify the technique.In its role, CES will develop,test and deploy 100kW of concentrated PVmodules, which has distincteconomic and environmentaladvantages over traditionalflat panel PV solar.(Opinions voiced in letterspublished in Mailboxare those of the author anddo not necessarily reflectthe opinion of The Independent.Letter Policy: TheIndependent will not publishanonymous letters, nor willit publish letters withoutnames. Abusive letters maybe rejected or edited. Frequentletter writers may havepublication of their lettersdelayed. Letters should besubmitted by e-mail to editmail@compuserve.com.)(INLAND VALLEY PUBLISHING CO.)Publisher: Joan Kinney SeppalaAssociate Publisher: David T. LowellEditor: Janet ArmantroutThank YouKathy NarumPleasantonI write this letter withmany people to thank for mysuccessful campaign for thevacant seat on the PleasantonCity Council. But first, Imust acknowledge my fellowcandidates, who helpedmake this one of the mostspirited campaigns ever.Though our views oftendiffered on how to providethe best for Pleasanton, itwas evident we never lostThe Independent (USPS 300) is published every Thursday by Inland Valley PublishingCompany, 2250 First St., Livermore, CA 94550; (925) 447-8700. Mailed at Periodical PostagePrices at the Livermore Post Office and additional entry office: Pleasanton, CA 94566-9998.The Independent is mailed upon request. Go to www.independentnews.com to sign upand for more information. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Independent, 2250First St., Livermore, CA 94550.Advertising rates and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (925) 447-8700during regular business hours or by fax: (925) 447-0212.Editorial information may be submitted by editmail@compuserve.com.that goal.I thank the many localresidents who supportedme by posting yard signs,distributing campaign literature,waving signs onstreet corners and writingletters to the editors amongother tasks. It was hearteningto see and feel yourenthusiasm. Thank you alsoto the editors for donatingthe space for all the lettersgenerated.Finally, I thank all of youin the community who castyour vote for me. As a citycouncilperson, I will workto preserve our city’s qualityof life, which is your priorityand mine, too!Thank YouCheryl PerryLHSAA, PresidentFour years ago, a groupof LHS alumni got togetherand formed a 501(c)3 nonprofitorganization to supportthe Livermore HighSchool students, faculty andadministration who havebeen faced with decreasingfinancial support fromour governments. Moniesraised are put back into LHSas needs are identified andprioritized. Fundraisingevents also allow alumnifrom any year to get togetherand re-connect with pastclassmates.On behalf of the LivermoreHigh School AlumniAssociation (LHSAA) andthe LHS Band, I wouldlike to thank all of the attendeeswho attended ourfirst Crab Feed on April12. Through the generousdonations of Livermore'smerchants and friends, theevent raised over $11,000.The LHS Band will havetheir new jackets and hassome additional monies tocover other incidental costs.The LHSAA also shared inthe profits which will allowthem to contribute to thenext need(s) identified byLivermore High School.LHSAA is so fortunateto have such a wonderfulcommunity that supportsits' efforts to invest in ourchildren's futures.Thanks to all of you.MarriageWalter D. HarveyLivermoreThe institution of marriagebetween a man and awoman has existed in culturesworldwide for manymillennia. Consummationof those marriages is largelyresponsible for propagationof the human species andthe family/clan-orientedcultures that evolved. Samesexpartnerships are incapableof fulfilling this vitalrole; they serve a distinctlydifferent purpose. This fundamentaldifference in societalroles, and the relatedspecial significance thathas been given to the term“marriage” for so long by somany, need to be understoodand respected by the samesexcommunity as it seeks itsplace in society. The samesexcommunity should workwith the rest of society andgovernment entities to comeup with appropriate terminologyfor state-licensedsame-sex partnerships (e.g.“civil unions”) consistentwith their different societalpurpose. Once this is done,equal legal status must beestablished. Failure to doboth will result in a festeringsore that “POLITICAL correctness”cannot heal.Farmers MarketMary McMahonLivermoreHooray HoorayThe sixteenth of MayFarmers MarketKicks off today.

DUBLIN(continued from page one)council at its May 7 meetingfor further direction.Talks have been slow,said both sides. Further,Councilmembers Abe Guptaand David Haubert havereplaced CongressmanEric Swalwell and termedoutCouncilmember KasieHildenbrand since the councillast visited the issues.None of the decisionsfrom councilmembers onMay 7 were unanimous.A proposed CommunityFacilities District (CFD)that would impose taxes onDublin Crossings residentsreceived the green light fromthree members: Mayor TimSbranti, Haubert, and Gupta.Sbranti said, "I on thefence, but leaning against it,when two opposed it." Sincethen, he has received moreinformation, and seen how itworks in other cities.Don Biddle and KevinHart spoke against the CFD.Both were concerned becausethe taxes that would beimposed on Dublin Crossingsresidents might discouragehome sales. The taxeswould pay for an estimated40 percent of infrastructurefor which the developerotherwise would have to pay.The taxes would amountto $2200 to $3700 annuallyper household, depending onassessed valuation. Haubertsaid that adding that numberto the taxes already inDublin, would bring DublinCrossings taxes up to about$29,000. "It's a small fractionof an overall sales priceof $600,000 or $700,000,"said Haubert. (The $29,000is 4.1 percent of $700,000.)One condition on Sbranti'svote was that the CFDbe capped at 1.75 percent ofassessed valuation. Goingto the full 2 percent limit setby Proposition 13 would notleave any room for a schooldistrict parcel tax, if anotherone were proposed.SunCal land acquisitionmanager Joe Guerra saidthat with a 1.75 percent cap,there would be room for12 parcel taxes of the $96amount raised by the schooldistrict's Measure L in 2008.SCHOOLS FIGHTFOR MORE LANDDublin school superintendentSteve Hanke askedthe council to negotiate forone more acre to be addedto SunCal's proposal for an11-acre elementary schoolsite next to the proposedcommunity park.Although one more acremay not sound like much, itis important because of Dublin'sexpanding school sizesto accommodate growthduring a highly acceleratedinflux of children intothe district. Enrollment isgrowing by 5 to 7 percentper year.Hanke said more teachersand classrooms will be neededon the Dublin Crossingsite. The school board haschanged its policies twicein the past few years on thesize of elementary schoolsites, going up from 8 acresto 10, and more recently12 acres, to accommodatelarger schools.Hanke said the districtwants larger "more efficient"sites to handle the growth.Amador elementary is thenext school that the districtwill build. It will house 900students. The school boardhas set a policy of 750 studentsper elementary school,"plus or minus 100," saidHanke.Hart, who was a twotermschool trustee electedin 1996, said that when hefirst served on the board,enrollment per school was450 students. "Now it is 600more. It's an absolutely criticalissue for the schools,"said Hart."We need to do somethingyesterday, or we'llhouse kids in portables, orone kid in a family will goto school here, and anotherthere," said Hart.The council agreed thatthe future school site shouldbe 12 acres.Dublin is considering sixportables for John GreenElementary school at GleasonDrive and Fallon Road.Parents have circulated apetition opposing the useof portables. The parentsare concerned about moretraffic, which they see as adanger to children enteringand leaving school grounds.WHO SHOULD BUILDCOMMUNITY PARK?The council also discussedthe size of a communitypark and who shouldbuild it. An upgrade fromthe developer's proposed 26acres to 30 acres was supportedby Sbranti, Biddle,Hart and Gupta. Haubertdid not add his support.He said his support woulddepend on what accoutrementsare included in thepark. Increasing the size 4acres takes possibly $4 millionout of the developer'spocket, "which would buy alot of accoutrements."On the question of parkconstruction, Haubert, Hart,and Gupta said that theywere fine with the city designingthe park as well as a5-acre neighborhood park.However, SunCal shouldbuild the city park, whichit can do more cheaply thanthe city .Haubert said that perhapsDublin would received thefinished park faster if thedeveloper were to build it,since some of the city's parkamenities have been slow incoming in the past. He addedhe would have to know someestimate of completion timesby both city and developer.Sbranti and Biddle preferredthat the city both designand construct the park.Biddle said, "We have beengood about building parksin a timely manner. Theypay the fees, and we buildthe park."The tradeoffs in suchareas as school site sizeand park size figure intothe whole financial mix in afinal agreement that will benegotiated between the cityand SunCal.A representative of thecity's consultant, KeyserMarston, reminded the councilthat as negotiations standnow, the city's benefits willinclude a $2.5 million parkmaintenance endowment,There would also be acontribution to constructionof a pedestrian bridge forthe Iron Horse Trail to crossDublin Boulevard, "if thatmoves forward," said theconsultant.There also would be a"community benefit payment"to the city to assist inbuying the county surplusauthority's 8.7 acres at thecorner of Dublin Boulevardand Arnold Street.In return, the developerwould pay an $11 millionbuyout of the city's affordablehousing fee requirement.The normal requirementwould elicit $26 millionfrom SunCal. The CDFwould also be a benefit,because it picks up 40 percentof SunCal's constructioncost.Staff will review thecouncil's statements, andreturn to negotiations withthe developer soon, saidpublic information officerLinda Smith.Residents RequestChanges at Alviso ParkSeveral Pleasanton residentshave organized a groupthey hope will improve theAlviso Adobe Park.Last week during thepublic comment period, theyasked the Pleasanton CityCouncil to establish a taskforce to address what theysee as the missing piece atthe park - interactive displays.Dolores Bengston, one ofthe members of Friends ofAlviso Park, said the goal isto provide unique active interpretivecultural programsand interactive displays. Thegroup would also like to seemore amenities, such as agarden, storage facilities andrunning water. "The park iscurrently programmed forvisual impact, not activeuse. We hope to be able toassure that the park reachesits greatest potential," statedBengston.Kurt Kummer, who wasserving on the Parks andRecreation Commissionwhen the park opened fiveyears ago, said, "It is a beautifulPark. However, mostpeople only go once. Theywalk through and that's it.The things that the city isdoing are great. We just needto do a little more."The Alviso Adobe CommunityPark tells the story ofCalifornia from its earliesthuman history.Located between OldFoothill Road and FoothillRoad, on the west side ofHighway 680, the site tellsthe story of California fromits Native American beginningsto the days of Spanishranchos managing herdsof cattle on the original12,000-acre Rancho SantaRita, through a period in theearly to mid-20th centurywhen it was a popular dairy,and finally to its present useas a community park.POET LAUREATEThe city council approvedthe appointment ofSandra Harrison Kay as thecity's new poet laureate. Shetakes over from CynthiaBryant, who resigned.Kay told the council thatshe has been a direct beneficiaryof the city's literaryprograms. Serving as poetlaureate provides a way forme to contribute and to keepgrowing as a person.VOLUNTEER AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Volunteer Advisory Bodiesare the perfect place to get involved and make a difference in your community. The Cityof Livermore is seeking Livermore residents for the following bodies:Beautification Committee: Reviews and recommends to City Councilbeautification projects for parks, roadsides, medians, city gateways, and standards forlandscape maintenance districts. Public outreach achievements include Earth Day, ArborDay and Annual Appearance Awards. Meets: 1st Wednesday at 6:00 pm, MaintenanceService Center, 3500 Robertson Park Road. Next meeting: 6/5/13.Historic Preservation Commission: Responsible for identifying,protecting and preserving Livermore’s historic resources. Their successes are visiblein the beauty of Livermore’s historic structures and landmarks. Meets: 1st Thursday at7:30 pm, Council Chambers, 3575 Pacific Avenue. Next meeting: 6/6/13.Livermore Housing Authority: The purpose of the Authority is toadminister and oversee the 125 low-income housing units at Leahy Square. Additionally,the Authority oversees the Section Eight Certificate Program and the Voucher Programfor subsidized housing. Meets: 2nd Wednesday at 5:30 pm, 3203 Leahy Way. Nextmeeting: 6/12/13.Livermore Area Youth Advisory Commission: The Youth AdvisoryCommission brings together the youths and adults, and private and public sectors of thecommunity to address responsibility for the care, health, safety, welfare and education ofLivermore’s young people. Meets: 1st Monday at 7:00 pm, Robert Livermore CommunityCenter, 4444 East Avenue. Next meeting: 6/3/13.Applicants to City Advisory Bodies are required to attend at leastone meeting of the Advisory Body applied for prior to the interviewand must reside within the City limits. For an application or moreinformation, contact the City Clerk’s Office at 925-960-4200 or online atwww.cityoflivermore.net.Applications are due to the City Clerk’s Office by Friday, June 7, 2013, 5:00 pm.Order Your Bone Density Scan TodayThe Independent, MAY 16, 2013 - PAGE 5Photo - Doug JorgensenCyclists head down First Street in Livermore on Bike to Work Day.Bike to Work DayDraws ParticipantsHundreds of Tri-Valleycyclists participated inBike to Work Day onThursday, May 9. Over550 cyclists visited the two“Energizer Stations” set upat both Dublin/PleasantonBART stations to distributerefreshments, T-shirts,and bags of giveaways tobicyclists participating inthe Bay Area event.Station hosts includedthe Cities of Dublin andPleasanton, Hacienda BusinessPark, Dublin Cyclery,Alameda County PublicWorks, REI Dublin, andWorkday; Alameda CountyTransportation Commissionalso distributed materialsat one of the stations.Participants were alsoentered in the local BikeMonth Raffle for prizes donatedby contributing sponsors:ABC Music, Amici’sPizza, Athens Burgers, BJ’sRestaurant, Buffalo WildWings, Chipotle, Crank2,Earl Anthony’s DublinBowl, Extreme Pita,Extreme Pizza, FrankieJohnnie & Luigi Too, GetBOne Up OnOSTeOpOrOSiSLow bone mass affects women andmen. if you are a woman over 50your risk becomes much higher.Simple common sense life choicescan reduce your risk—healthy diet,active living, reduced alcohol andsmoking. Osteoporosis is bothpreventable and treatable. DuringOsteoporosis Awareness Month,the pleasanton Diagnostic imagingCenter reminds you to order yourbone density scan today.We offer advanced imaging services:• MRI (1.5 T short bore)• CT scan• HOLOGIC MammographyPleasanton DiagnosticImaging Centeraccepts most insurers,including Medicare.Physician referralsare required.Fit Yoga,The Habit Burger Grill,Half Price Books, MauiWowi Hawaiian Coffee andSmoothies, Livermore Cyclery,Mike’s Bikes, NothingBundt Cakes, Peet’sCoffee & Tea, PerformanceBicycle, Red Smoke Grill,Rockin’ Jump, SportsAuthority, Sweet andSavory Café and Bakery,Target, Trader Joe’s, ValleySpokesmen, Vito’s PizzaExpress, World of Shoes,& Yogurtland.• Computer-aided detection (CAD)• Ultrasound• Digital X-ray4211 Rosewood Dr., Suite 5, Pleasanton, CA 94588( Rose Pavilion Shopping Center off of Santa Rita Rd.)925.467.1400www.PleasantonImaging.comFor more information or to schedule an appointment for yourbone density scan, please contact us at: 925.467.1400

PAGE 6 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013Nina Hayes: a senior at GranadaHigh School with a weightedGPA of 3.92. She has earnedfour varsity blocks in swimming.Nina was selected First Team All-League as a sophomore in boththe 200IM and the 100 backstroke.She was an NCS finalist in 2010,2011 and 2012 and her team’sMVP in both 2010 and 2012.Nina plans to attend UCLA andwill major in CommunicationsStudies – Television Development/Promotion.Maryann Gong: a senior atGranada High School with aweighted GPA of 4.47. She hasearned four varsity blocks in bothcross country and track. Maryannwas selected Second Team All-League as a freshman in crosscountry and was selected FirstTeam All-League her last threeyears. She is the GHS recordholder in the 3200 meters and wascaptain of both the cross-countryand track teams. Maryann plansto study Computer Science andEngineering at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology.Yuri Ahn: a senior at GranadaHigh with a weighted GPA of 3.57.She has earned four varsity blocksin golf and was elected to the All-League First Team as well as theAll East Bay first team for the pasttwo years. Yuri placed 5 th in NCS in2011 and placed 3 rd in NCS in 2012.Yuri plans to major in Business atUC Riverside and will play on thewomen’s golf team.Trevor Houghton: a senior atLivermore High School where hehas a weighted GPA of 3.39. Hehas earned three varsity blocks intrack, and two in football. Trevorhas served as the LHS AthleticCommissioner and is the StudentAthletics Club President. Heplans to attend Cal Poly San LuisObispo and major in ConstructionManagement.Mackinley Morgan: a seniorat Livermore High School with aweighted GPA of 3.72. He hasearned three varsity blocks inlacrosse and three varsity blocksin wrestling. Mac was voted MVPof his lacrosse team and receivedan All- League Honorable Mentionhis junior season. Mac obtainedthe rank of Eagle Scout in the BoyScouts and plans to major in SportsMedicine or Sports Managementand pursue playing lacrosse at thecollegiate level next year.Patrick Leary: a senior atLivermore High School where hehas a weighted GPA of 3.38. Hehas earned three varsity blocksin track and one in cross country.Patrick was selected First TeamAll-League in Cross Country andparticipated in the CIF State Meet.Patrick plans to attend ArizonaState University’s W.P. CareySchool of Business.Kyle Campiotti: a seniorat Granada High School witha weighted GPA of 3.14. Hehas earned four varsity blocks inwrestling, two varsity blocks infootball and two varsity blocks inbaseball. Kyle was named FirstTeam All-League in both footballand wrestling and was namedto the 3 rd Team All East Bay infootball and First Team All EastBay in wrestling. Kyle was an NCSwrestling champion. He plans toattend Chabot College and playfootball.Jordan Thrailkill: a seniorat Granada High School witha weighted GPA of 3.92. Hehas earned two varsity blocksin baseball, has won the EBALbatting title and been selected AllLeague First Team. Jordan is thesenior class secretary and plansto attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispowhere he will major in Kinesiology.Ryan Kirby: a senior at GranadaHigh School with a weighted GPAof 3.76. He has earned four varsityblocks in baseball and has madethe EBAL first team and been anEBAL Honorable Mention. TheGHS baseball team is currentlyundefeated and ranked secondin the nation. Ryan was namedto the pre-season All State teamand the pre-season Third AllAmerican Team. Ryan has signeda letter of intent to play baseballfor the University of San Diegowhere he will major in BusinessAdministration.Audreyannna Walke: a seniorat Livermore High School witha weighted GPA of 3.46. Shehas earned four varsity blocks insoccer and will have earned twovarsity blocks in track by year’send. She was an All-LeagueHonorable Mention her freshmanyear and was selected First TeamAll–League her junior and seniorseasons. She was also selected tothe All East Bay team. Audreyannaplans to attend the University ofArizona on a soccer scholarshipand will major in physiology in theCollege of Medicine.Kylee Southwell: a LivermoreHigh senior with a weighted GPA of3.67. She has earned four varsityblocks in soccer and was namedto the EBAL All-League SecondTeam and was also an All-LeagueHonorable Mention. Kylee hasparticipated in home building andworking with orphans in Cambodia.She plans to attend UC San Diegowhere she will continue to playsoccer.Boosters Recognize High School Scholar-AthletesBy Carol GrahamOn Monday, May 20th,the community is invitedto support 12 deservinghigh school seniors at theLivermore-Granada Boostersannual banquet.“The banquet will be theculmination of the Boosters’annual efforts and willfeature the announcementof the 2013 OutstandingScholar-Athletes from bothLivermore and GranadaHigh Schools,” said BoosterMike Morgan. “All 12finalists will be introducedwith anticipation building asthe winners of the Olympianawards are announced.”The four winners, onemale and one female fromeach high school, will eachreceive a $2,000 scholarshipto the college of their choice.The remaining eight finalistswill each receive a $500scholarship.“The finalists and winnersare selected by a committeeof Boosters directors,”said Morgan. Applicationsare distributed earlierin the year, with dozens receivedby the committee.“The selection process islong and detailed, with threeboys and three girls fromeach school becoming finalists.These twelve finalistsrepresent the top studentathletes. They are evaluatedfor scholarship excellence,exceptional athletic skill andperformance, sportsmanship,and academic and civicparticipation.”Several weeks prior tothe banquet, a luncheon washeld at Beeb’s Sports Bar &Grill at the Las Positas GolfCourse during which eachfinalist gave a short presentationsummarizing his orher achievements, elaboratingon sports careers, andspeaking about future plans.“They always do an exceptionaljob,” said Morgan.“The winners are selected bythe committee following theluncheon.”Also during the banquet,Granada and Livermorecoaches will present awardsto the most outstanding maleand female players for allteam sports. Another popularfeature of the banquetwill be the traditional showingof the video “Rivals,” afilm depicting the athleticcompetition between thecross-town high schoolsthroughout the current year.“The banquet is a highlyanticipatedevent each year,”said Morgan. “I can vividlyremember the event as asenior at Livermore High in1965. It was an event thatwe all looked forward to.”The Livermore-GranadaBoosters Club has supportedathletic and academic excellencesince 1949. The clubwas formed by a group of localbusinessmen and headedby Judge Joe Schenone tosupport the athletes of LivermoreHigh School, the onlyhigh school it town. Thefirst Olympian scholarshipwas awarded in 1958. WhenGranada High was establishedin 1966, the Boostersbegan awarding scholarshipsto both schools. As women’ssports gained popularity,scholarships were awardedMaria Carlson: a senior atLivermore High School with aweighted GPA of 4.11. Shehas earned four varsity blocksin swimming and one in waterpolo. Maria qualified for NCSher sophomore year in freestyleand qualified for NCS her seniorseason in breaststroke. She placedin the top 8 at NCS her junioryear. Maria plans to attend TheUniversity of Wisconsin. She willmajor in Chemistry and swim forthe Division I Badgers.to one male and one femalefrom each school in 1978.“Since 1958 the Boostershas awarded approximately$200,000 in scholarships toLivermore athletes,” saidMorgan.The banquet begins at6:30 p.m. and will be held atthe Robert Livermore CommunityCenter. Tickets forthe barbequed tri-tip steakand chicken dinner cost $25.All varsity athletes are invitedto attend free of charge.To donate or purchasetickets, visit www.livermoregranadaboosters.org.This year's finalists arepictured above the story.The Wild U15 competed for their first ever State Cup final.They have been ranked #1 in the state since August of lastyear. Last season the Wild took 2nd place in the NationalChampionship in Chicago Ill and are looking forward togoing to Colorado for the National Finals once again. Wildfaced Diablo FC on Cinco de Mayo for the State Cup Final.Both teams displayed superior skill and athleticism. WestCoast proved too much to handle though as Miciah Madisoncollected a perfect pass from Demi Gonis and slotted a shotpast Diablo FC goalkeeper to put team Wild on the board. Inthe second half, Wild’s tactical formation transition stiffenedthe oppositions attack and Kasidee Wiley took a pass fromMelissa Ellis and struck a perfectly placed shot in the cornerof the net putting the Wild up by two. The Wild’s defense wasled by team captains Megan Amick and Emilie Allum, with theamazing efforts from GK Amanda Valentine, Miciah Madison,Jacey Luzzi and Autumn Smithers who shut down Diablo FCsuper star forwards. The battle in the midfield was dominatedby West Coast players Tori Nicolo, Carleigh Hufana, RachelTungol, Demi Gonis and Sydni Lunt.West Coast SoccerU14 West Coast Wonder shockedModesto Ajax when they came backfrom a 2-0 deficit to take the NorCalPremiere State Cup Championshiptitle in golden goal overtime. DespiteAjax pulling ahead 2-0 early in thefirst half, Wonder continued to digdeep. After working the ball out ofthe back, Michia Madison drove upthe right side beating three defendersto score the Wonder's first goal. Thebeginning of second half brought arecharged Wonder to the field. A cornerkick sent into the six by McKennaButi was buried in the net by Madisonto even the score 2-2 in the 54thminute. While fending off an overlyaggressive defender, Madison againbeat defenders up the right side, cutinside and placed a beautiful shot toput Wonder up 3-2. Soon after Ajaxevened the score at 3-3. Golden Goalovertime brought the best out of WestCoast Wonder as they immediatelypushed forward. A hand ball in the boxprovided a perfect opportunity to sealthe title. Lesley Jimenez stepped up tothe line and placed a beautiful penaltykick in the left corner to bring WestCoast Wonder the first place trophy.West Coast Kryptonite U17played in their 3rd straight State Cup,coming away with the win. After goingdown 1-0 to a strong Alliance team inthe first half, team Kryptonite did notwaiver and drew upon their experienceto pull back a goal scored by BrookRittmann tying it 1-1. Adaurie Dayakwould get the go ahead goal off a cornerassisted by Ebony Ezeji and ReganSmithers. Kryptonite kept threateningin the attack led by Kelly Smith,Stephanie Pawek, Brooke Rittmann,Autumn Smithers and Adaurie Dayak.The midfield responsibilities werehandled by Amber Lennier, MireyaMagana, Madison Souza, Kate Lipmann& Jessica Hufford. Kryptoniteknown for their tough defense wasanchored by captains Grace Cabri &West Coast Kryptonite U17 played in their 3rd straight StateCup, coming away with the title. The team once again in2013 will get the opportunity to represent Northern Californiaas they go back to the National Championship for a thirdstraight year. In 2011 West Coast Kryptonite won the NationalChampionship held in Boise Idaho and finished 2nd in 2012in Waukegan Illinois. Kryptonite will be heading to AuroraColorado in July with their younger sister U15 team WestCoast Wild to try one last time for a National title. Picturedare ( top from left) staff coaches Stuart Rafferty, MarlonFernandez, Katie Poynter, Kate Lipmann, Jessica Hufford,Autumn Smithers, Grace Cabri, Regan Smithers, Ebony Ezeji,Adaurie Dayak, Amber Lennier, Rachel Leonard, MadisonSouza, Head Coach Troy Dayak, Asst Coach Karen Dayak;(bottom) Stephanie Pawek, Mireya Magana, Alison Lau,Tayler Lennier, State Cup, Haley Crook, Kelly Smith, andBrooke Rittmann.Rachel Leonard, Regan Smithers AllieLau and Ebony Ezeji all played greatand Goal Keeper Haley Crook came upwith some big saves. Central Cal Allianceput some pressure on but couldnot keep Mireya Magana from gettingthe game winning goal as she weavedthrough the midfield and blasted a shotover ACC goal keeper in the secondhalf. ACC would get a late goal butwas not enough to defeat the two timestate cup champs. Kryptonite wonState Cup in 2011, Premier State Cupin 2012 and State Cup again in 2013will get the opportunity to representNorthern California as they go backto the National Championship for athird straight year.Pleasanton Girls SoftballPleasanton Girls Softball Leaguescores:T-Ball: Bringhome.Scentsy.usvs. Maverick Networks: The firstcoach-pitched game and Bringhome.Scentsy.us and Maverick Networkswere on fire. For the home team,Saanvi Trivedi was a super pitcher,Kensington Abrew threw the ball to1st, where Bella Ehrlich caught it andmade an official out. Kensington wasalso the team's home run hitter. TaylorCohn rounds out the list of on-fire playersfor Bringhome.Scentsy.us with anout at 1st and a hit to the outfield offthe coach. Top players for the visitingMaverick Networks for fielding andbatting were Sarah Bull, Delaney Leeand Olivia Marcoux.Micro White: Bob Frey RealEstate / Remax vs. Maher EducationalServices: For Bob Frey Real Estate /Remax Keri Maggiora caught a fly ballat shortstop in the first inning. MakennaMelvin had a great turn as pitcher. PiperNothelfer did a good job at 1st base.Top Players: Bob Frey Real Estate /Remax - Keri Maggiora, MakennaMelvin, Paige Nothelfer; Maher EducationalServices - Lena Garuda, GraceGianfortone, Vivian SkeateBob Frey Real Estate / Remaxvs. GFI Stainless: For Bob Frey RealEstate / Remax, Abigail Harmon,Piper Bailey, and Kelly Maggiora allhad great at bats. For GFI Stainless,Hayley Luther made a catch at 2ndbase, Lucey Konnoff did some greatpitching and Sarah Deckinger was apowerful hitter. Top Players: Bob FreyReal Estate / Remax - Piper Bailey,Abigail Harmon, Kelly Maggiora; GFIStainless - Sarah Deckinger, LuceyKonnoff, Hayley LutherMicro Teal: Ohana Bros. IslandStyle Chips & Popcorn vs. LarryDamasar State Farm: Jaymie Gardnerhit a line drive to 2nd base in the 1stinning. Strong hit to outfield by AbigailKops. Kaitlyn Price caught two ballshit towards 1st base and tagged out thebatter. For Larry Damasar State Farm:Alexia Garcia had three nice hits andpitched a fantastic inning. Alexis Volkinghad three hits. Kelsey Harringtonmade an awesome catch at 1st basefor an out and also hit the ball well.Larry Damasar State Farm vs.Brandon McGuire State Farm Agency:The final game of the season betweenLarry Damasar State Farm and BrandonMcGuire State Farm Agency wasa great game with a lot of good playson both sides. For Larry DamasarState Farm Alexis Volking and EmilyHolling each pitched for the first timethis season and did fantastic. MaureWiley pitched a great inning and hadthree nice hits. For Brandon McGuireState Farm Agency, Isabella Collinswas tough and made some great playsat pitcher. Isabella Alvarez made hercleanest play of the season on a playto 1st. Olivia Marquez did a great jobpitching and her practice at home ispaying off.Tri-Valley Swim America vs.Larry Damasar State Farm: ForTri-Valley Swim America, AlyssaLadrillono pitched a fantastic inningand had three nice hits. Maria Gutierrezpitched well and did a great jobcatching and at the plate. MadisonCribbs played well in the field andhad three nice hits. For Larry DamasarState Farm, Alexia Garcia continued tohit the ball well going three for three.Grace Damaser had a nice hit off theopposing pitcher and almost made asensational stretching play at second.Sophia Damaser had three nice hits.Mini Teal: Sonshine Preschool 9,(continued on page 8)

The Independent, MAY 16, 2013 - PAGE 7Good news…CareMore (HMo and HMo snP) is now in your neiGHborHood!even better news…you May still qualify for one of our MediCare advantaGe Plans!Find out if you qualify for one of Medicare’s Special Election Periods. 1We’re new to your neighborhood but we’vebeen providing innovative and focusedhealthcare for more than 15 years. Call us tomeet with one of our health benefits advisorsand see if you might be eligible for a MedicareAdvantage plan from CareMore. Or join us atone of our upcoming meetings to learn moreabout CareMore’s popular plans.Whether you have Original Medicare, or alreadyhave Medicare Advantage, you might qualify for aSpecial Election Period 1 and may not even know it.You may qualify if: 2• You recently moved.• You are aging into Medicare.• You qualify for Medicaid.• You can get extra help paying for your prescriptions.• You manage a chronic medical condition.• You recently lost your Medicare Advantage coverage.• Or you recently lost employer group coverage.RSVP today for one of our friendly, informational events to learn how one of our Medicare Advantage plans can be theperfect fit for you.Thurs. 5/16, 5/30 • 1:00 PMCoco’s7505 Dublin Ave.DublinSat. 5/18 • 10:00 AMCareMore Care Center4270 Rosewood Dr.PleasantonWed. 5/22 • 10:30 AMHickory Pit3064 Pacific Ave.LivermoreTues. 5/28 • 10:00 AMDenny’s6455 Owens Dr.Pleasanton1-877-211-6614(TTY users should call: 711)Reference Code: TI_May8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Se habla Español.1Special election periods constitute periods outside of the usual IEP, AEP or MADP when an individual may elect a plan or change his/her current plan election.2Criteria for qualifying during SEP is determined by the plan at time of enrollment. Some restrictions may apply. Contact plan for more info.CareMore (HMO & HMO SNP) is a coordinated care plan with a Medicare contract. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete descriptionof benefits. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or copayments/coinsurance may change onJanuary 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. This information is available for free in other languages. Please contact MemberServices at 1-800-499-2793; TDD/TTY users should call 711. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week (October 1 - February 14) and Monday - Friday (February 15- September 30). Esta información también está disponible de forma gratuita en otros idiomas. Por favor llame al departamento de servicios para miembros al1-800-499-2793 (los usuarios de TTY deben llamar al 711), de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m., 7 días a la semana de octubre 1 a febrero 14 y de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m. de lunes aviernes de febrero 15 a septiembre 30. For more information contact CareMore. A sales person will be present with information and applications. For accommodationof persons with special needs at sales meetings, call 1-800-499-2793; TTY users should call 711. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week (October 1 - February 14) andMonday - Friday (February 15 - September 30).Y0017_021304A_CHP CMS Accepted 02122013

PAGE 8 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013Photo - Doug JorgensenThe LVCP (Livermore Valley Charter Prep) varsity girlssoccer team, comprised of freshman and sophomores,advanced to the NCS playoffs in their first year of play.The lost 1 to 0 to Redwood in the first round. LVCPfinished the regular season with a 11-7-1 record.Larry Damasar State Farm 3: SonshinePreschool played a good game with bighits by Nina Balestreri, and great outsmade by Ava Silversmith and EmmaSeitz. Larry Damasar State Farmplayed strong with great pitching byMorgan, big hits by Emma, and Peytonmaking a huge play on defense.Renee Huber State Farm Insurance8, Kaelin Construction Inc. 7: ReneeHuber State Farm Insurance's KennaAsmussen hit a triple in the first inningand a single in the second. Shealso pitched a great inning, allowingno runs. Sydney Vorhees scored theteam's first run in the second inningand pitcher Advika Deodhar was onfire striking out six players and gettinga base hit in the third inning. KaelinConstruction Inc. played a great game.Sofia Blaschka got two hits and tworuns, Makenze Mapes got two hitsand one run, and Jessica Lund's singlestarted a four-run rally that nearly wonthe game.Mini Black: Athen’s Burger 9,Maher Educational Services 8: Bothof these teams played tough in thismid-week battle. Julia Novi did agreat job pitching the entire game forAthen’s Burger and Grace Haubnerwas tough in the circle for MaherEducational Services. Offensively,the Athen’s Burger players showedgreat skills running the bases, puttingrunners into key positions for scoring.Samantha O’Brien got a base hit and 2RBI, Olivia Soble got a base hit and aRBI, and AJ Molina also contributed abase hit. Alex Stokoe came up to bat inthe bottom of the 5th with 2 outs and gota key base hit that scored 2 runs, tyingthe game at 8.. Defensively, Athen’sBurger continues to make great plays.Avery Clark fielded a grounder at shortstop and beat the runner to the bag forthe out at 2nd. Julia Novi again demonstratedher fielding skills by goingafter a ball and getting the out at 1st.Olivia Soble also fielded a groundercleanly to get the out at 1st. KayliShimanuki continues to be tough atshort stop catching a pop fly for an out.Riley Gilletti worked hard defensivelyfor Maher Educational Services. Withbases loaded and 2 outs, she made agreat play at 2nd to stop an Athen’sBurger rally and end the inning. Shealso contributed offensively with abase hit and 2 RBI. Caelin Cavanaugh,Kristen Gonzales (RBI) and RachelSingh (2 RBI) also contributed basehits. Defensively, Grace Haubner andAlyssa Reiner were quick to makeplays to teammate Rachel Singh forouts at 1st. Caelin Cavanaugh wastough behind the plate and also inleft field catching a pop fly for an out.Minor Teal: Lee Jagoe Architecture4, Securities America 1: Greatduel last Saturday between the All-starpitching of Lee Jagoe Architecture andstellar defense by Securities America.This epic battle formed early withfantastic shutdown innings by HaileeWeinstein on the mound. She wasbacked up superbly by Olivia Hwangand her amazing defensive skills.Charlotte Whiting took the hill for thefinal 3 innings and struck out severalSecurities America players on her wayto a victory. Securities America put upa valiant battle, especially in the fieldwhere Julia Thomas put on a clinicat 2nd base diving left and right andstopping any ball hit in her generaldirection. Raquel Espinosa flashed theleather at short stop as well. Offensewas hard to come by, but Anika Nicolaswas the big hitter of the day and stoleseveral bases. Top Players: Lee JagoeArchitecture - Olivia Hwang, HaileeWeinstein, Charlotte Whiting; SecuritiesAmerica - Raquel Espinosa, AnikaNicolas, Julia ThomasDiversified Mortgage 11, CentralPainting 8: For Central PaintingKristen Greene had several key infieldscoops to throw the runner out at 1st.While Kamryn Flemings and PeytonPozzi both made important outs for theteam; as well as connected well withthe bat for RBIs. Even with great playingby Central Painting, DiversifiedMortgage played to win. Ella Hughes(catcher), Amanda Mero (pitcher) andAudrey Simmons (pitcher) led theirteam by playing both a great offensiveand defensive game.Major Teal: Maher EducationalServices 9, Alain Pinel Realtors 8:Maher Educational Services cameback to win the game in the bottomof the 5th inning. The score was 0-8and the girls came back to win 9-8.Maher Educational Services: AlyssaCrumrine started off the rally with ahit and two RBI. Kennedy Scoffieldhad a single with two RBI. AnnecyRocca had the walk-off double whichknocked in the tying and winning runs.Alain Pinel Realtors: Emily McElroydid a great job hitting. Brenna Adamshad two hits. Jorie Fanfa had a greatgame with three hits.Major Black: Greg JefferiesAcademy 11, Maverick Networks 10:Top Players: Greg Jefferies Academy -Shelby Cabral, Kara Haynie, HannahSchott; Maverick Networks - MichaelaCabral, Kaitlyn Jones, Alia PaulLivermore American LLLivermore American LittleLeague scores:T-Ball: Muckdogs vs. Scrappers:Top players Muckdogs: Sean Nelson,Adrian Zarsange, Caleb Ragan; Topplayers Scrappers: Mickey, Mason,Amaya. Adrian scooped up a singleshot to third and darted to third to tagthe base. Andrew stopped a shot to thepitcher and ran down a play to tag himout. Not only did Andrew exemplifygreat defense but he also show greatoffense with a line drive blast to theout field. Lucas stopped a shot to thepitcher and threw out a runner on first.While on shortstop Ryan picked upa grounder and ran down a player atthird. All players on both teams hadmonster hits.Single A: Cardinals 18, Angels 19:The Angels eked out the win against theCardinals 19 - 18 in a thriller that culminatedin Justin Grumm's walk-off,one-out, RBI single in the bottom of thesixth. Facing a six run deficit going intothe sixth, Cardinals' batter, SebastianKirby, started the six-run comebackrally with a sixth-pitch single up themiddle. Six runs later the Cards hadevened the score at 18. Angels' thirdbaseman,Xavier Dillon, saved theinning for the defense by making twoconsecutive, unassisted force-plays toend the Bird's rally and set the stagefor the Angels' walk-off win. TheCardinals hit the ball hard all day andnotched seven doubles for the gameincluding the back-to-back combofrom Brandon Von and Braden McRaeto start the game. Xavier Thorpe addedtwo doubles to the tally in his 4 for 4outing, knocking three runs in andscoring once. Three Angels' battershad perfect outings: Trent Terkuerstand Justin Grumm went 5 for 5 andJosh Raborn went 4 for 4. Tristan Webbhad an impressive defensive outing inthe fifth inning at pitcher making twoplays to first and a running catch toend the Cardinals' outing. Top playersAngels: Trent Terkuerst 5 for 5, 2B, 4R, RBI; Justin Grumm 5 for 5, 4 R, 5RBI; Josh Raborn 4 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI.Top players Cardinals: Xavier Thorpe4 for 4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI; Brandon Von 3for 4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI; Nico Temorres3 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBIGiants 11, Angels 12: The Giantswere hot at the plate early and jumpedout to a 7 – 1 lead after two innings andwere comfortably ahead 11 - 6 afterfour. However, the Big Guys wouldnot score again while the Angels postedfive runs in the fifth and one more forthe win in the bottom of the sixth:Angels 12, Giants 11. Joseph Burbachput himself in scoring position with adouble to center-field in the bottomof the sixth for the Angels and scoredthe winning run on Tristan Webb’sRBI single. The Angels’ offensewas anchored by A.J. Hattaway andXavier Dillon who were both perfectat the plate and combined for 7 hits,4 runs, and 3 RBI’s. The Giants wereled by Jake Salhoff who went 3 for4 with a double, two scores, and anRBI. Jake also executed an unassisteddouble-play in the fourth inning bycatching a pop-up at second-base andalertly forcing-out the Angels' runneron second as he attempted to tag-up.Cole Ebel and Caleb Francis roundedout the Giants’ attack combining forfive hits and three RBI’s.Angels 19, Cardinals 20: The Cardinalsexacted revenge from the Angelsin a rematch, 20 - 19, in another one-runthriller to end the regular season. Inthe bottom of the sixth, with the scoretied, two out, and a runner on second,Brandon Von's pop-up managed tofind the left-field grass in front of thediving defenders. Fleet-footed DuaneNoel celebrated Christmas early byscoring from second base on the playto win the game for the Red Birds.The Cards' slugger, Riley Durant,was an HR shy of the cycle, hitting 4for 4 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs. XavierThorpe and Brandon Von were bothperfect at the plate combining for 9for 9 hitting, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Forthe Angels, Trent Terkuerst made twosparkling defensive plays as first basemanin the third inning. The Angels'first-base platoon of Josh Raborn,A.J. Hattaway, and Connor Kenyoneach contributed an unassisted forceat first for the defense. Justin Grummprovided the offensive fireworks forthe Angels, hitting two doubles andamassing 5 RBIs on 3 for 4 hitting.Hattaway, Xavier Dillon, and JackBleier were all perfect 3 for 3 at theplate, and Bleier contributed an RBIdouble for the losing cause.AA Division: Giants 3, Angels12: Adams and Nicholas with 2 popout catches for the out. Betz with adouble/2rbi. Both Maxwell and Schawanteswith solid singles in the 3rd for2 RBIs. Angels top players: DuncanMaxwell, Parker Schwantes, LutherHart; Giants top players: Adams,Tanner Wright alludes the tag to score the winning runin the bottom of the 7th inning of a game between theGranada Little League 90s Gold team and the PleasantonNational Little League 90s Gold team. Photo - Bill NaleCinco de Mayo wasn't the only thing the Mavericks team hadto celebrate as they posted their first tournament victory in2013 at the Hayward tournament. The Mavericks Fastpitch12U travel team pounded out 44 hits and 38 runs in 5 games.The girls backed up their stellar performance at the plate withsolid defense. It was this defense that helped Melanie Larondepitch a one hitter on Saturday and a no hitter on Sunday. TheMavericks' bats came alive at the end of the game to comehome tournament champions with a final score of 9-7. Picturedare (from back left) Coaches Daniel Woolley, Eric Scher, DougRoberts, Steve Pepperdine, and Brian Kohndrow (center fromleft) Allison Scher, Jordan Beakey, Emily Andrassy, KylieRoberts, Rachael Gomez, Melanie Laronde, and BriannaWheelock, (bottom from left) Tatum Hayes, Katlyn Woolley,Allison Sprugasci, Tori Trautwein, Olivia Kohndrow, andMadeline Addington. Not pictured is Coach John Sprugasci.Nicholas and Betz.Orioles 15, Angels 9: The Orioles'Kendall Lemmons pitched her firstgame at the AA level and got her firstwin. Wilder Mann and Ryan Bondboth had great hits to the outfieldand showed excellent base running.The Angels' Parker Schwantes hit asolid double in the 5th inning scoring2 RBIs. Orioles top players: KendallLemmons, Wilder Mann, Ryan Bond;Angels top players: Kevin Grant,Parker Schwantes, Karl Meyers.AAA Division: Giants 6, Padres7: The Giants and the Padres playedanother very close game decided inextra innings. For the Padres, JohnJoiner had an outstanding day on themound. He pitched 5 strong inningswith 9 strikeouts and only allowed 1run. Michael Grant smashed a doubleto center field and stole his way aroundthe bases to score in the 4th inning. JordanRedditt displayed his outstandingskill with multiple defensive positionsas catcher and at first base. For theGiants, Aden Calvacanti helped theGiants score early in the 1st with anexplosive triple that went over 200 feetto the fence. Joe Doughty was impressive,going 2 for 3 with a single anda double, and skilled base running tocross the plate in the bottom of the 6thto tie the game. Jeffrey Fairbanks wasawesome both at the plate and on thefield, hitting a single and a double with2 RBIs, along with two great defensiveplays in the 4th inning to knock downwould-be base hits and get the runners.After 7 innings, the Padres held theirone-run lead to decide the game intheir favor 7-6.Giants 15, Orioles 10: The Giantsand the Orioles met up Saturday forthe last regular season game. For theOrioles, Chase Richards ignited a 4-runrally in the 1st inning with a singleand skilled base-running, eventuallystealing home. Jake Hager excelledas catcher in the 2nd, picking off aGiants' runner on an attempted stealto second. Elijah Nuddleman launcheda single in the 3rd with a RBI, fuelinganother 4-run inning for the O's.For the Giants, Michael Bearden wasamazing at first base, catching a highpop-up that disappeared in the sun, andthen later making a back-handed snagof a hard line-drive in the 2nd inning.Jack Volponi played an outstandinggame, going 3 for 3 with 2 singlesand a double, blasting several sizzlingline-drives down the third base line.Giants infielder Adam Chapman wasphenomenal at both shortstop andthird base, routinely scooping hard hitgrounders on the run and then firingthe ball to first to get the runner everytime. In the end, the Giants claimedthe win 15-10.T-Ball: The American LivermoreMudcats had there final game. Playersshowed much improvement from thefirst to last game. Ethan Pelkey wins"Best Swinger In Such A Small Package;"Brahm Weintraub earned the titleof "Mr. Consistency;" Angeline Dillonalways has a big smile on her face anddeserves the title of "Happiest Player;"Amelie Hart will be forever "CoachesFavorite;" Leif Kavanagh was alwaysfirst to practice, first to games wasthe "Hardest Working Player;" NoahVentura was the most "Intense Player"with always having such focus keepingthat eye on the ball; Noah Blake won"Golden Glove" of the season; ChrisLorenz always entertained with his"Team Spirit;" Mason Woodward was"Most Improved Player" of the season;Ethan Valencia won the last game ballof the season and also deserves the titleof "Silver Slugger;" Jayden Buress hadthe "Best Arm" with some incrediblethrows; Elijah Borja the "Best Swing"by hitting some great doubles, andlast but not least, Landon Vallejo gets"MVP" of the Mudcats with somestellar hits, perfect throws, and somegreat catches, always with a smile andgreat attitude.Livermore National LLLivermore National Little Leaguescores:Majors: Giants 13, Rangers 5:Giants outstanding players: NolanKitsuse pitched 4 shutout innings.The Giants' hit parade was led byJoey Stangl, who had 2 hits, and JakeDenett who had 2 hits and 2 RBI's.Rangers outstanding players: JacobWard displayed outstanding defensein the field. The Rangers' pitching wasled by Grant Ikeda and Sean Haley,who pitched 2 scoreless innings tostart the game.A's 5, Rangers 2: A’s outstandingplayers: Jacob Vane anchored the A’son defense by pitching 4 innings andonly giving up 1 earned run. MichaelFriesen and Eric Griffin both hitdoubles. Rangers outstanding players:Ryan Hanley pitched an outstandinggame for the Rangers giving up only1 run. Jacob Ward and Colton Berlinneach hit doubles in their first at bats.Rangers 5, Diamondbacks 4: TheDbacks pulled out a 5-4 victory. TheDbacks opened the scoring in the firstwith a single by Dylan Silva drivingin 2 runs. The Rangers answered inthe bottom of the inning with GarrettBarker driving in a run. In the 3rd, theRangers scored 3 with hits from ColtonBerlinn, a booming double to rightfrom Barker, and a single from SeanHaley. Strong performances on the hillby Eric Ruloma (Rangers) and JoshGoldstein (Dbacks) kept the offensesoff balance all day. The Dbacks ralliedin the top of the 5th to score 2 to tiethe game with hits from Brett Oelrich,Grant Gomes and Cameron Larsson.In the top of the 6th, with 2 outs, theDbacks' Jordan Canning walked, thenmoved into scoring position on a stolenbase bringing up Dane Winslow.Winslow delivered a clutch single todrive in Canning to give the Dbacksa 1 run lead. In the bottom half of theinning, Goldstein gave up a lead offsingle to Barker and retired the nextbatter, but Dane Winslow came on inrelief to strike out the last 2 batters toperserve the win for the Dbacks.AA Division: Pirates vs. Yankees:The Pirates came out and played theirbest in this nail biter. With the basesloaded Cameron crushed a ball intodeep right field for a 3 RBI triple. Somegreat defensive plays were also madeincluding a pickup by second basemanRyan McKinzie who got the ball tofirst baseman Xavier Armas for an out.The Pirates' game ball was awarded tothird baseman Graedon Beeler for anamazing play which ended the game.For the Yankee's - they received greatdefense with awsome plays from LukasStifter and Nathan Bruan. Sean StottsLivermore Fusion SC’s U10 Maroon Girls team kept theirwinning ways intact over the weekend with victories overPleasanton Rage and Mustang Pride. In Saturday’s gameversus Rage, Livermore Fusion started strong with a passfrom Kaleigh Castillo to Danielle Castro for a Fusion 1 – 0lead. Then Castro followed her first goal with an assist toLily Redell who scored to make the game 2-0. At the startof the second half, April Philips made it 3 – 0 with a strikefrom midfield for the score. Ashleigh Ward (pictured) scoredthe final goal to give Fusion the 4-0 win over Pleasanton. Itwas no contest in Sunday’s game as Fusion beat MustangPride 5-1. Lily Redell scored the first goal making it 1-0. ThenKaleigh Castillo lit up the field with four goals. April Phillipsand Aliva Ganz shared goalie duties in the win, limiting thePride to just one score.Pictured is Leslie Jimenez who scored the OT goldengoal for the West Coast Wonder to give them the StateCup title.started off the inning playing secondmaking a throw to first base caught byKade Ornellas for the first out of thegame. Riley Scott made a great throwto home plate to James Foley makingthe second out of the inning. XavierLortie ended the inning catching a popfly. Caleb Penner picked up the speedstealing second base. Jared McQuilliamstole second for the Yankees.Noah Roe was hot at the plate scoringa double and bringing home RBI's.Yankees vs. Red Sox: In 1st inningJames Foley stopped the Red Sox fromscoring by catching a great pop fly playingshort stop. Noah Roe threw fromRF to James Foley at first, who thenthrows the ball to catcher Sean Stottsfor the out.. Xavier Lortie hit a harddouble scoring an RBI for Yankees.Brayden BlackLock hit a solid singleto first then stole second. Lukas Stifterhit a two RBI double to center field forthe Yankees.Red Sox vs. Giants: Game ball forthe Red Sox went to Michael Mal, whohas a way stepping up and getting thathit when it really counts. Jordan Dennettalso deserves some kudos for hisperformance at the plate. Jordan went3 for 3 with a smash to the fence thateasily brought him in to second witha stand up double. For the Giants, itwas a game to remember for CalebBogdanov and Isaac Romero withsolid hits. Teammate Shane Pollardwas able to get on base and also did agreat job as a pitcher.Pirates vs. A's: For the A's, KyleDenton pitched a quick 1st inningwith 3 strikeouts. He then went on tohit a triple in the 4th inning. TannerGriffith (T-Man) pitched a quick 5thinning with 3 strikeouts and playedgreat offense scoring 3 runs.Diamondbacks vs. Red Sox: TyClappin and Joshua Nixon receivedthe game balls. Ty had a terrific dayat the plate going 3 for 3, and a reallygood day on the mound closing out theinning with only 14 pitches. Joshuaalso had a great day at the plate andmade a great grab on a hot grounder toshort making the tag on the runner andnearly getting the double play at 1st.The Diamondbacks' Jacob Kellehermade an awesome out at first. PitcherHayden Henry made a spectacular playto Thomas Schnapp at first for anotherout. Larry Wisely really owned hisposition on first base with two back toback put outs. Michal West cracked oneinto the outfield for a double to drivein two teammates. Jonathan LindbergLivermore Cinemasmade a great hit and chalking up a ribbie.Tommy Wisely III made a gamestopping play at first with an out. RedSox came away with the win.Yankees vs. D'backs: The Diamondbackscame out ready to strikewith some star plays by Michal Westwho hit two triples resulting in 3 RBI'sand Thomas Schnapp who hit a triplewith 1 RBI. Cameron Angotti threwthe ball to first baseman, "LightningLarry" Wisely for the first out of theevening. Shortstop Dominic Gozzomade a spectacular play with a throwto Jonathan Lindberg for an out atthird. Pitcher Hayden Henry turnedin his usual top performance. TheDiamondbacks came back rattling witha win. For the Yankees, Noah Roe hit adouble for 2 RBI's starting off the gamewith a bang for the Yankees. NathianPerez was hot, catching an awesomefly ball at 2nd base to end the inning.He then hit a double to earn the gameball. James Foley was super hot on themound, throwing only 11 pitches andending the inning with all strike outs.Giants vs. Pirates: Pirates' pitchersgave their best throwing hard intothe zone. The Pirates rallied late inthe game with several notable hits.Game ball winner Noah Corpuz hadan excellent day at the plate going twofor three to drive in several runs. TheGiants really showed off their defensiveskills during their face off with thePirates. The pitchers managed to strikeout a few players. On offense, BradenIllingworth and Nathan Nagengaststole a few bases. Kamden Johnson(continued on page 10)Spinning& Weavingwith the Treadles& Threads GuildMay 25, 10am-4pm$5 per person1356 S. 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LAWSUIT(continued from page one)that the company is “especiallygrateful” that thejury rejected a charge thatit had retaliated against oneof the five plaintiffs, ElaineAndrews.The uncertainty concerningpayment of the$2.7 million monetaryaward results from thecomplexity of dozens ofrelated cases that are underconsideration beyond thefive that were decided lastweek.In 2008, the Laboratorylaid off 440 employeesand some 500 contractorsfollowing budget cutbacksthat were instigatedin Washington, D.C. TheLaboratory’s fundingcomes primarily from theNational Nuclear SecurityAdministration, which ispart of the US Departmentof Energy.Of the employees whowere laid off, 130 filed suitthe following year, allegingbreach of contract andage discrimination.The judge in the case,Robert Freedman, separatedthe complaint intotwo parts and chose fiveof the 130 plaintiffs to goto trial on the breach ofcontract allegations alone.Simple arithmetic producesa dramatic pictureof the benefit to plaintiffs– and the financial risk toLawrence Laboratory NationalSecurity – assumingfuture cases yield the sameresult as the five decidedlast week.If five breach-of-contractclaims generated $2.7million in awards, then 130following the same patternmight produce about $70million. That’s withoutmoving on to age discriminationaccusations,which carry the potentialfor punitive damages underCalifornia’s Fair Employmentand Housing Act.However, as one attorneynoted who is familiarwith employment law, thispicture may be deceptive.“You can’t just extrapolatethe first five cases to 125others. They may havenothing in common. Detailsof their cases may bevery different,” said theattorney, who spoke on thecondition of anonymity.Apart from the uncertaintyof outcomes, payoutsfrom the breach-of-contractawards may be postponeduntil the age discriminationcases are decided.These cases could takeyears, given the potentialfor drawn-out trials andappeals.It is not yet clear howFreedman will decide tohandle the remaining 125breach-of-contract lawsuits.Will he schedule 125individual trials that mightstretch out over years?Twenty-five groups of five?A single, large group?The Laboratory couldalso appeal last week’sawards, delaying the process.It has not announcedwhether it will do so. “Weare considering our options,”it said in its statement.As for the age discriminationcases, JudgeFreedman has scheduleda hearing for May 16. Hehas already ruled that theLaboratory’s layoff policywas not intentionally discriminatory.That rulingwas satisfying to the Laboratory,which continues todefend its layoff policyas lawful. However, theruling’s effect on eventualtrial outcomes and awardsremains to be seen.It does have an immediateimpact on one practicalmatter: how to pay for thelawsuit. The Laboratoryhas a budget that will supportlegal defense indefinitelywhile the plaintiffsmust either raise their ownfunds or hope that theirlaw firm can proceed onthe promise of attorneysfees from a settlement orverdict.While most of the BayArea’s news coverage hasemphasized the David vs.Goliath victory of the $2.7million jury award, a morecareful look makes it difficultto separate negotiatingrhetoric from legalsubstance.The plaintiffs are representedby the Oaklandlaw firm Gwilliam, Ivary,Chiosso and Brewer, whichat the moment is denied attorney’sfees both becausethe fees are not allowedin contract violation casesand because the jury ruledthat there was no retaliationagainst plaintiff Elaine Andrews.A verdict of retaliationwould have openedthe possibility of attorney’sfees.Future rulings and verdictswith regard to agediscrimination may or maynot change this dramatically.Age discriminationawards can reach manymillions of dollars, includingpunitive damages andfees for attorneys.Gwilliam, Ivary issueda press release earlier thisweek boasting about the$2.7 million settlement andsuggesting that the firm isready and anxious to try theremaining cases in the fullexpectation of winning futurelegal battles. AttorneyGary Gwilliam was quotedin one report as welcomingthe possibility of a negotiatedsettlement.The Laboratory alsocontinues to emphasizethat the 2008 cutbacks were“painful” and were forcedon it by federal fundingcutbacks. “Lab managerswere forced to balancetheir desire to maintain theLab’s talented workforcewith the need to fulfill itsnational security missionwithin the fiscal constraintsimposed by Congress,” itsaid in a statement.The case that financialhardships are not its faultbut were imposed by fundingcutbacks from Washingtonis reinforced by therecent announcement thatit is seeking voluntary staffreductions of up to 600employees because the socalledbudget “sequester”has generated so manyfinancial uncertainties forthe coming fiscal year.Even after five years,there is considerable bitternessamong former Laboratoryemployees at whatthey see as a pattern ofunfairness in how lay-offswere instituted as wellas the loss of UC healthcare coverage. A lawsuit ispending over health carecoverage.On the plaintiffs’ sideof the legal case, attorneyRandy Strauss, of Gwilliam,Ivary, said in an interviewthat those laid offhave been “looking forjustice” for nearly fiveyears. He said that lastweek’s jury verdict was“absolutely a victory . . .for us and especially for theclients, for whom this hasbeen a very long battle.”Awards to the five plaintiffswere: Elaine Andrews,$242,711; Marian Barraza,$443,299; Mario Jimenez,$853,010; Greg Olsen,$704,234; and James“Rocky” Torres, $485,783.“We have proven thatthe layoff was conductedin bad faith,” Strauss said.“There’s no reason to believefuture trials will comeout differently in the caseof other plaintiffs. They(the Laboratory) violatedthe contracts.“We expect be able toprove that in court.”The Independent, MAY 16, 2013 - PAGE 9SCHOOLS(continued from page one)receive information regardingapplying for an EqualOpportunity Grant.The program will beginat Granada this fall andLivermore next year. Bowersnoted, "Even thoughthe program won't beginofficially at Livermore thisyear, the district won't ignorethe needs at the school." Sheadded that the decision forseparate start dates has beenappealed. Livermore is on awaiting list for this year.Alberto Solorzano, principalof Livermore HighSchool, stated “Our partnershipwith Google will allowa greater opportunity for ourstudents to have more accessto higher level coursesenabling them to thrive inthe greater global society.”At Livermore, Solorzanonoted that 84 students havebeen identified as needing toenroll in AP classes to closethe achievement gap.Philomena Rambo,Granada High School principal,said, “It’s importantfor students to graduate fromhigh school prepared to succeedin college or a career.Our upcoming work withEqual Opportunity Schoolswill strengthen our effortsto challenge all students withthe most rigorous coursespossible, making their highschool diploma a true indicatorof their mastery ofhigh school courses as wellas a viable passport to theirfuture. Granada studentscurrently have access to14 Advanced Placementcourses. We look forwardto increasing enrollment inthose courses and addingmore so that we can engageand challenge all students ata highly rigorous level. Thisopportunity to work withEOS will strengthen ourabilities as a staff to meet theneeds of all students."Granada has a target of38 more students to meetthe mark needed to closethe achivement gap. Rambostated that too often studentsnever have the opportunityto take AP classes. "WithGoogle's support, we hope toachieve equitable enrollmentin two years."Part of the program willbe to determine what prohibitsstudents from taking APclasses. As a nation we needto change the idea that somecourses are off-limits andthat enrollment is a naturalprogression in development.The second year, the goalwill be to create a highschool with a challengingenviornment for all who attendthe school, said Rambo.Students will be selectedusing deep data that indicatestheir readiness forgreater challenges. In thelong run, Equal OpportunitySchools aims to shift perceptionsof what underrepresentedstudents can achieveif given equitable learningopportunities. The projectwill be the first ever goldstandard,random (schoollevel)assignment study ofthe impact of AP and IB oncollege completion.Bowers reported, “Researchproves and we affirmthat exposure to rigorousand advanced courseworkensures preparation andstudent success in highschool and post-high schoolwork, college graduationand careers. Livermore isan increasingly diverse communitywith changing demographics.Our enrollment inAP courses should reflectour diverse constituency.We have made consciousefforts to simultaneouslyrestructure and reculture tobuild an infrastructure thatpromotes equity to changeoutcomes for students. Everyleadership team meeting,professional development,Leadership Institute andworkshop in the recent pasthas been equity-focused, aswe deeply examine our policies,practices, protocols,initiatives and decisionmakingthrough an equitylens, and modify them inthe areas of equitable access,outcomes, opportunities,discipline, and support forstudents."Carl DeanMartindale Jr. “C.J.”Carl Dean Martindale Jr.“C.J.”, 29, of Oakley, passedaway Saturday, May 4, 2013.He was born to Carl andJessica Martindale, July 22,1983, in Oakland; Ca. C.J.graduatedfromLivermoreHighSchoolin 2001and receiveda BA inConcrete Management fromCalifornia State University,Chico. C.J. was in a committedrelationship with hisfiancé Nicole Hart. Theywere not only companionsbut each other’s best friends.C.J. worked in the concretemanagement field beforehe was newly hired byGhilotti Bros., Inc.to work asAssistant Project Manager.He was passionate aboutadvancing in his career andworked hard to reach hisoccupational goals.C.J. was known for hismagnetic personality andbeing the life of the party.He had a compassionateheart that loved others morethan himself. C.J. was funny,witty, and influential. C.J.will be remembered as aleader, risk-taker, and allaroundloveable kind of guy.C.J. is survived by hisparents: Carl and JessicaMartindale, of Murphys,his sister: Cheree Munoz,of Murphys, and his fiancé:Nicole Hart, of Oakley.A celebration service washeld Friday, May 10th, atSunset Community Church,Livermore, Ca.Arrangements by CallaghanMortuary.Jose M. Gandara Sr.Jose M. Gandara Sr., 88of Brentwood, CA , passedaway peacefully with hisfamily by his side on May1, 2013 at Kaiser Hospitalin Antioch, CA. He was bornin Havana, Cuba to SalvadorGandara Sr. and DoloresRodriguez. He was precededin death by his loving wifeof 60 years, Maria Gandara.Jose was a passionateand extremely loving manwho enjoyed caring for hisgrandchildren, cooking, automechanics and music. Joseis survived by his children,Jose M. Gandara Jr., MaritzaGandara, Jorge Gandara,Mayra Gandara, ElizabethGandara-Trenholm, elevengrandchildren and elevengreat-grandchildren.Memorial services arebeing held on May 17,2013, 12 p.m., St. Michael'sChurch, 458 Maple St.,Livermore, CA 94550. Josewill be laid to rest at St.Michael's Cemetery, 3385East Avenue, Livermore,CA 94550.Arrangements by CallaghanMortuary.Mary Darlene ExcellDec. 12, 1922 - May 8, 2013Darlene was a resident ofLivermore and the Ranchingcommunity for over50 years, previously livingin Palo Alto and Los AltosHills. A loving wife, mother,grandmother and friend, shewas known for her words ofencouragement, her warmsmile, and her unconditionallove. Darlene never met astranger she couldn’t sharea story with. She loved herhome in the hills but was atrue Citygirl wholovedtravelingand hadmany adventureswith herhusband,f a m -ily andfriendsthroughout her 90 years.Family and friends were themost important things inher life, she treasured themmore then gold and she willforever be “Our Heart.”Darlene was preceded indeath by her husband DonaldA. Excell and her daughterLucinda White. She is survivedby her children Sandyand Craig Miller, Pam Sarti,Kathy and Myron Mathe,Sherri Lowe. and DorothyCordova; her grandchildrenMike Mathe, Francesca andKen Orr, Ashley Lowe, andMary and Keith Fake; andher great grandchildren AveryOrr, Delany Orr, andDonald Otto Fake.A Memorial Service willbe held at Callaghan Mortuaryon May 18, 2013 at12pm.In lieu of flowers the familyrequests that donationsbe made to the LivermoreJr. Rodeo Assoc. in honorof Darlene Excell. to theLivermore Junior RodeoAssociation , P.O. Box 1173,Livermore Ca. 94551At the rising ofthe sun and at its goingdown we remember her.At the blowing of thewind and in the chill ofwinter we remember her.At the opening of thebuds and in the rebirth ofspring we remember her.At the blueness of the skiesand in the warmth of summerwe remember her.At the rustling of the leavesand in the beauty of autumnwe remember her.At the beginning of theyear and when it endswe remember her.As long as we live, she toowill live; for she is now a partof us, as we remember her.When we are wearyand in need of strengthwe remember her.When we are lost and sickat heart we remember her.When we have joy we craveto share we remember her.When we have decisionsthat are difficult tomake we remember her.When we have achievementsthat are based onhers we remember her.As long as we live, she toowill live; for she is now apart of us, as we rememberher.Renee T. Lee1917-2013Livermore native Reneepassed away May 8, 2013at the age of 96. She waspreceded in death by herloving husband, Kelly Lee,and her beautiful daughters,Annamarie Kennedy andKaren Wilson.She is survived byher daughter Mary Lattig(Glenn), son-in-law DouglasWilson; grandchildrenMaryann McBee (Greg),Jon Kennedy (Katie), PatrickKennedy, Terri Kennedy,Kelly Gilbert (Mark),Jennifer Murphy (Dave),and many beloved greatgrandchildren, nieces andnephews.She lived her last fiveyears at Auburn RavineTerrace and came to viewher caregivers as part of herextended family. "Blessedare those who knew you andthose that called you friend.You enriched each life thatentered yours right to thevery end." Renee was sostrong in her faith and herlove for her family. She willbe forever loved and missed.A celebration of her lifewill be held on May 25 atnoon at 676 Vivian Drive,Livermore, CA. In lieu offlowers, donations in Renee'sname made to SutterAuburn Faith Hospice,11775 Education Street,Suite 201, Auburn, CA,would be appreciated.Lorraine Nora ChowResident of LivermoreLorraine was born onNov. 2, 1933 in San Francisco,CA andpassedawayon Sat.,May 11,2013 inLivermore,C A . ,she was79 yearsold. She loved being withand caring for her family.She was preceded indeath by her husband Harryin 1991. She is survived byher children, Kathleen Bequette,Karen Eeds, ColleenWong; her grandchildren,Chris Bequette, VanessaTaylor, Alex Bequette, NathanielEeds, Simon Eeds,Sean Eeds, Rachel Wong,Amy Wong; great grandchildren,Jaidis Eeds, XanderBequette, Jadeyn Taylor, andPaizleigh Bequette.A Funeral Service will beheld on Sat., May 18, 2013at 3:30PM at Callaghan’sChapel, 3833 East Ave.,Livermore, CA. Final restingplace will be at MemoryGardens Cemetery in Livermore.newspaper ad clean up_newspaper ad 1 11/1/12 12:52 PM Page 1On-CallCleanup!ree times over a 12 month period, residentsof single-family homes in the City of Livermore*can schedule collection of up to 3-cubic yardsof garbage plus one appliance or e-waste item.*is service not available to residents of multi-family homesor in unincorporated portions of Livermore.Call or visit our website for more information.925-449-7300www.LivermoreSanitation.com

PAGE 10 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013The Livermore Mystics 8th Grade AAU Girl's Basketball teamcompeted in the Modesto Magic Mother's Day Tournament.The team competed in the JV division, which is two levels upfrom their normal division. After two hard fought games andtwo victories the Mystics 8th grade team found themselvesin the championship game against a team made up of highschool sophomores. The players battled the entire game buta victory was not in the cards. Placing second in this divisionwas a sign of how much progress this team has made thisseason. Players are (back row Left to right) Alexandra Kerin,Kiara Steinhorst, Megan Sciascia, Katelyn Johnson, TaylorPeterson, Alexis Rivera, Kassidy Runestrand, Shannon Kai,Jessica Stahl; (middle row) LeRhae Sanders; (front row)Madissen Taylor, and Madeline Hyde.The Livermore Fusion U11 Girls Black team came together fora strong 3-0 win over Benecia Arsenal FC Yellow on Saturday.Both the offense and defense played well. The 3 goals werescored by Hannah Goodman, Audrey Fenner, and AlejandraJuarez. Pictured are Coach Isaac Robledo, Valeria Bond,Alejandra Juarez, Shae Hill, Kelsey Brumm, Hillary Huff,Kylie Neubauer, Audrey Fenner, Alysia Greer, and HannahGoodman. Missing from the picture Lindsey Sutton.was very focused making nice contactwith the ball for a couple of great hitsRed Sox vs. Pirates: Another winfor the Red Sox with the game ballgoing to Joshua Nixon. Joshua wasan HR away from the cycle, he threwa runner out at first from right field,and struck out 3 of 5 batters in the 5thinning to close out the game. KytlerGreen also had a terrific game. Kytlerpitched the 2nd inning striking out all3 batters. Kytler only threw 13 pitches.The Pirates also had a good showing.Kyle Johnson received the game ballfor excellent plays in the field includingcatching not one but two fly balls.Ben Rho had an excellent day on themound throwing the heat in the zone.Diamondbacks vs. Giants: TheD-backs' second baseman, ThomasSchnapp, made a great play for an out.Jacob Kelleher, continued the hold onruns with a remarkable play at first.Diamondbacks' pitcher Larry Wiselyhad a remarkable day on the moundwith a two inning 18 pitch effort. TheGiants' Matthew Ludwig had two nicehits and scored two runs for his team.Jacob Woods was the Giants' MVPfor making an incredibly stealth basesteal and sliding into third right inthe nick of time. However, it was theDiamondbacks who secured a win,with Michal West's incredible out ofthe park grand slam.A's vs. Giants: For the A's, NathanHernandez brought in 4 RBI's. GuyGates made a great defensive play inthe outfield. Both boys received thegame balls. The whole team playedwell and are really having some funout there. What a comeback for thelittle Giants. After being down in thefirst few innings, MVP Ray Castillogot things rolling with a couple ofnice solid hits. Castillo and teammateNathan Nagengast then managed acouple of steals and scored some runsfor the Giants. Braden Illingworth dida great job at pitching to stop the A'sfrom growing their lead and had a daringcatch to close out an exciting game.D-Backs vs. Pirates: The D-Backs'pitcher Tommy Wisely III had animpressive two inning 19 pitch outing.D-Backs' Coby Elola, CameronAngotti and Jacob Kelleher all chalkedup RBI's off of their big league swings.Diamondbacks' Michal West hit hisfirst home run of the season. The Pirateshad a great show at the mound withpitcher Graedon Beeler. On defensefor the Pirates, Ben Rho threw a batterout at first for a key out in the inning.The Pirates' game ball went to XavierArmas who hit a ball deep into left fieldfor a 2 RBI double and made somegreat plays at first base and catcher. TheDiamondbacks brought on their "A"game with doubles by Hayden Henry,Tommy Wisely III and Michal West.With the D-Backs working togetherthey were able to pull off some greatdefensive plays. Second basemanCoby Elola and Larry Wisely shutdowna run at first. Jacob Kelleher, ThomasSchnapp and Dominic Gozzo threwsome great strikes from the mound.With bases loaded and not being shyin the batter's box, James Theberge,Michal West, Tommy Wisely III andHayden Henry chalked up RBI's.Red Sox vs. A's: The entire RedSox team contributed. Game balls wentto Daniel Vergara and Ty Clappin.Daniel had a great night on the hill inhis second game as a pitcher fanning3 of 5 batters faced. He also made agreat play at SS. Ty had a terrific gameas well. Ty hit his first home run of theyear and was responsible for 4 soloouts in a row playing at 1st. For theA's, Guy Gates played well on offense,while Carlos Flores turned in a solideffort on defense.AAA Division: Giants 5, Diamondbacks4: Giants' pitcher AJMoore had an outstanding day on themound. He pitched 4 and 1/3 inningswith 11 strike outs and no runs allowed.The Giants' offense was alive withChristian Grenier, Garret Gomes andMichael Turpin recording a RBI Singleeach. Aiden Follis pitched 3 scorelessinnings for the Diamondbacks. AustinStatham stood firm at catching andJoey Gomez made a great play fromsecond base to Aiden Follis at homefor an out at the plate.Rangers 8, Giants 1: For theRangers: Justin Pestana was a rockon the pitchers mound only allowingone run when he pitched a completegame. Brayden Nunes smashed theball into center field bringing in anRBI and later stealing home. AnthonyMolleson caught a high pop-up at short.Thomas McKnight caught a pop-up inleft field and skillfully threw to 2ndbaseman Julian Quigley for a doubleplay. Julian Quigley had a great dayof hitting with a perfectly placed buntand a notable double. Joseph Mifsudhad the crowd cheering when he stolehome. For the Giants: Cooper Wilcoxhad an impressive hit in the 4th inning.Michael Turpin lead off the 6th inningand scored the Giants' only run.Rangers 12, Yankees 4: For theRangers: Justin Pestana pitched 2 inningsonly allowing 1 run and strikingout 5 batters. Collin McDowell was 2for 2 bringing in 3 runs. Julian Quigleyhad a great day pitching not allowingany runs in the 3rd inning and gettingthe ball to 1st base for 2 outs. ThomasMcKnight hit a powerful right field linedrive bringing in an RBI and advancingto 2nd base on throwing error. JosephMifsud was 2 for 2 on the day scoring2 runs and bringing in an RBI. Forthe Yankees: Shane Waechtler hit anotable double. Gio Fuentas had a greatoffensive day hitting a single. ColbyCairel also showed his skills with animpressive single.Diamondbacks 7, Rangers 6: Forthe Rangers, Julian Quigley scoreda run and drove in an RBI. JacobHutchinson hit a sacrifice ground ballto bring in an RBI and later scoredwhen he stole home in the 3rd inning.Anthony Molleson slid under thetag stealing home in the 6th inning.Gavin Powers played great defenseas catcher and offensively scored tworuns, one which he stole home. Forthe Diamondbacks, Joshua Kim had 2RBIs and Ryan Kelly had 2 runs and2 RBIs, including the hit that broughtin Joey Gomez for the winning run inthe bottom of the 6th inning. JeffreyPatterson got two outs on pop flies.Niles Moy got the game ball for hishard work and improvement throughoutthe season.Giants 5, Yankees 10: Matt Fiedorof the Yankees got the win pitching aperfect 4 innings, backed by some greatdefensive plays by Cody Franco, grabbing2 fly balls as well as making anout at 2nd base. The Yankees' bats werehot early on in the game, with ShaunSmith hitting a double and GiovanniFuentes getting a hit and eventuallystealing home. The Giants fought backduring the 5th and 6th inning scoring6 runs on hits from Gabriel Emfinger,Michael Turpin and Grady Harris.Rangers 9, A's 7: For the Rangers:Anthony Molleson made his pitchingdebut, striking out 7 batters in 3.5innings. Justin Pestana had a great offensivegame hitting two amazing linedrives and scoring two runs. JosephMifsud had two strong hits bringing intwo RBI's and scoring a run. ThomasMcKnight smashed the ball into rightfield bringing in an RBI and scoring arun. For defense, catcher Gavin Powersthrew to shortstop Caelob Stimpsontwice getting base runners out thatwere trying to steal 2nd base.Yankees 9, Diamondbacks 5: TheD'backs scored first with a 3 run firstinning, with Michael Anolin scoringthe first run. The Yankees came backwith 4 runs of their own to take thelead, led by great hitting by ShaunSmith (a single that he turned into atriple). Tyler Blue was 2 for 3 on theday, hitting 2 line drives to right field,helping the Yankees keep their winningdreams alive. The Yankees playedtough and only allowed a single run bythe DiamondBacks. The Yankees wentup on top for good in the 2nd inning byscoring 2 of their own. The game thenturned into a defensive battle with Diamondbacks'pitchers Jeffery Pattersonrecording 4 strikeouts. Shaun Smith ofthe Yankees had an excellent all aroundgame, making 4 infield catches for 4outs. Shane Waechtler also grabbed2 out of the air to help propel theYankees to the victory. Joey Gomezheld the Yankees with solid pitching,giving the Diamondbacks' bats time toregroup. The Yankees' pitching staffwere the real heros keeping things inreach, so kudos to Matt Fiedor, JoshFiedor and Ty Wetzel.A Division: Dodgers vs. A's: Forthe Dodgers: Dominic Hurtado madean excellent out at first base in thesecond inning. Jesse Trinta had threestrong hits with runners batted in.For the A's: Owen Swanson playedexcellent in the field and teammate CalDuarte connected for several nice hits.Dodgers vs. Giants: For the Dodgers:Nate Keaney caught two pop flyballs and made a nice out at thirdbase. Grant Scharnhorst slammed fourdoubles, one in each inning.For theGiants: Aiden Bessolo played a greatdefensive game with two outs. JoeMontoya had a great offensive gamewith a line drive double.Giants vs. A's For the Giant's,Matthew Stahl had a great offensivegame and Aiden Bessolo had a greatdefensive game with multiple outs atfirst base. For the A's Noah Jacobs hisgreat defense at third with unassisteddouble play. Jack W. Hansen for hisdefense while pitching.Giants vs. Padres: For the Giants,Tyler Laymon connected for threeincredible hits, including two doublesto lead the Giants. Aiden Bessiolorecorded three unassisted outs at first.For the Padres, Tristan Weed recordeda great out at first and Tyler Lahowewas responsible for some some outstandinghits.T-Ball: A's vs. Diamondbacks:The teams played their first coachpitched game of the season. For theLivermore Fusion U12 girls' Isabella LaRosa makes amove under pressure against an HSC Bolt opponent.The Fusion U12 girl's Maroon team remains in first placein spring league play.A's, Hayden Druba went 3 for 3 with 2RBI's and made two outs while playingfirst base. Andrew Rodgers also went 3for 3 with a base hit up the line, drivingin a run in the final inning.A's vs. Rockies: For the A's,Thomas Harris was a hitting machine.He went three for three in a coachpitched game bringing in 2 RBI's andwas a standout on defense. Jake Sekanyhit the ball hard at all 3 at bats, ending3 for 3 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's.Giants vs. Cubs: The Cubs andthe Giants played a fantastic gameof coach-pitch baseball. The Giantshad great fielding and showed someexcellent hustle. For the Cubs, ChazPatterson hit a double in the secondinning scoring two RBIs and recordedtwo outs playing first. Elias Ferranwent 3 for 3, earned 3 RBIs,Diamondbacks vs Cubs: TheDiamondbacks played a great gameagainst the Cubs. The Diamnondbackshad several impressive plays andshowcased exceptional defense. Forthe Cubs, Talan Yorn had 2 amazingsingles and earned 1 RBI. GrahamShawler played an outstanding gamewith 2 singles, 3 RBI's, and a home run.Pitcher Justin Pastorius was impressiveon the mound.Livermore Girls SoftballLivermore Girls Softball Associationscores:U8: Lady Sharks vs. PrettyPumpkins: Pretty Pumpkins were leddefensively by Jenn Morrison, DakodaHood and Kate Hankins; StandoutOffensive players: Brianna Yen, BellaRivalie, and Anabella PedrettiGranada Little LeagueGranada Little League results:Minor A: Cardinals 8, Yankees0: A great job of hitting and excellentdefense by the Cardinals led to anotherexciting game. For the Cardinals, CodyJohnston played an outstanding game.He racked up three RBIs on two hits.He also did an excellent job on themound and held the Yankees hitlessover the last inning, with no earnedruns, walked none and struck outthree. There was great pitching by theCardinals as Parker Warner started thegame hot, Alden Schwartz carried thetorch, passing it to Hayden Borg whoturned it over to Johnston. Cardinalsalso had great defensive plays duringthe game. Borg made a fantastic snagand throw at third in the first inning. Inthe third, the Yankees were threateningwith runners on 2nd and 3rd with twoouts when Hudson Lehew made a greatcatch of a tough pop up behind the bagat first base. The Yankees played hardand made many excellent plays. NikkiPietro and Collin Scott were standoutspitching. Nathan Blanton contributeda lot to the team by making somegreat defensive plays. Jake Waltonwas a standout player and played anall around great game on offense anddefense.Athletics 5, Diamondbacks 1: JoeyKeeler was awarded game ball as hesingled sharply in his only at-bat, wasoutstanding behind the plate and atfirst base and showing great leadershipon the field. Lucian Wolf struckout 3 batters with his great fastball inthe top of the 1st. It was a hit paradein the bottom of the inning as the A’sscored all 5 of their runs. Adrian Vargaslegged-out a single to start the inningand was followed by a double by GavinBenitez. Lucian knocked them both inwhen he hammered a double to centerand scored after a single to right byOzzy Cervantez (2 hits on the day)and a long double to right by MarcoWilde. Consecutive sharp singles byAshton Baswell and Connor Rosalesplated the last 2 runs of the inning.Ashton alertly backed up a grounderto 3b in the 2nd inning and made theputout himself. Ozzy worked himselfout of the jam by striking out the final2 batters of the inning. Noah Olivierled off the 2nd with a hard single andwas followed by Joey’s shot to theright side. Wyatt Krauss was robbedof a base hit when he hit a line drivelaser at the pitcher in the same inning.Marco was effective on the hill with 2strikeouts, and was helped by the hustleof right fielder Tyler Fritz backing up1b on an errant throw. Marco made arunning basket catch of a pop-up atshortstop in the top of the 4th. Adrianstruck out the other 2 batters he facedto close out the game.Phillies 7, Rangers 3: The visitingPhillies were up to bat first. TommyChance started the game off with asingle. Luke Palma was up next andadvanced Chance with a powerfulsingle. Christian Clouser came throughwith a single to score Chance. HarmanDhillon came in to pitch. Dhillonheld the Rangers to one run. AdamLaurence pitched the second inning.The Phillies and Rangers were scorelessin the second inning. Keith Purvisstarted the third inning with a single.Dhillon hit a single to keep the rallygoing. Palma hit an RBI single to scoreDhillon. Cole Carnahan tripled to scoreChance and Palma. Clouser singled toscore Carnahan. Elliott Hall was onthe mound in the third. Hall held theRangers to two runs. Dylan Lee startedthe fourth with a single. Laurence hit ahuge RBI double to score Lee. Purvissingled to score Hall.AAA Division: Yankees 0, A's12: The A's defense and offense couldhardly make a mistake. Top defensiveA's players were pitcher Ryan Juricwith 6K, Cooper Meyer, who caught3 low fast flies, and Ian Silveira, whotagged an opponent on second base.Almost every player on the A's gota hit. Top offensive A's players wereRyan Juric with two triple hits, NoahVan Atta with a double, and NickLyndon with 3 runs scored.A's 11, Rangers 9: In a very competitivegame, the A's played a strongdefense and offense to come from behindfor the win. Top defensive playersincluded pitchers Ian Silveira (6K)and Ryan Juric (4K). Max Silveiramade two outs on first with one assistfrom Hunter Houghton. On offense,almost every player collected a hit.Top offensive players were CooperMeyer and Ryan Juric. The Rangersfought back hard. Their top defensiveplayers were Ben Morrisroe, MikeChristian, and Andrew Bates. Their topoffensive players were Mat Rocheleauand Kyle Drobick.Majors: Cardinals 10, Yankees0: The Cardinals' Zack Clark with 7K's, pitched a two hit shutout over 4innings. Zack Macintire recorded 3 K'sin the last inning to lead the Cardinalsover the Yankees. The Zack attackwas helped by teammates CameronSchrader with 2 doubles and 3 RBI'sand Zachary Clark with 2 doubles.The Yankees' pitcher Quinn Ayers,2K's, pitched four strong innings. TheYankees' offense was led by RileyVanTrease and Andrew Haley withsolid singles.Giants 11, Phillies 2: The lastgame under the lights for the 2013season awakened the bats of the Giants.Ethan Vincent led the attack witha single and a soaring double overthe right fielders head. Contributingto the hit parade were Logan Finch,Cameron Stephenson, Ryan Escover,Ian Rasmussen, Grant Borjon, JoshCollum, Diego Wilde and Joey Katen.The Phillies kept the pressure on theGiants throughout the game leavingthe bases loaded in the 1st and secondinnings. The third inning, the Giants'defense was solid with a great catchfrom Sawyer Demarest and an inningending double play, Grant Borjon toRyan Escover to Jordan Collum. IanRasmussen closed out the game witha solid pitching display.A's 0, Phillies 9: Seth Davis andGrant Blockley provided some excitementin the 5th inning with a single anda ground rule double. But it was not theA's day as they were only able to log4 hits. While the defense racked up 7errors and allowed 8 walks. MatthewReddick went 4+ strong, allowing 0runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. DillanMartinez came in to close, allowingonly 1 hit while recording 4 strikeoutsin 1 2/3 innings. Reddick was solid atthe plate as well, going 3-3 with an RBIand 3 runs scored. Logan Greenoughalso came up big with a clutch 2 RBIdouble in the 5th inning to put thegame away.Farm: Giants vs. Orioles: TheGiants played superbly in all aspectsof the game. They were led on offenseby Gavin Bates (four doubles—threeto the wall), Luke Schwarz (threedoubles—one a laser beam thatbounced over the left field wall),Thomas Cooper (batting in the cleanupspot laced an opposite field, baseclearing triple), and Jack Robbins (foursharply hit balls—two for extra bases).Dominic Franco stroked four singlesand played a gritty second base. JoeCooksey called a good game behindthe plate and contributed with twokey hits. Ava Schwarz made a terrificbackhand stab at the pitcher’s moundand twirled to her left, firing a striketo first base. Lukas Cusimano knockeddown several balls at third and midfieldand Natneal Leary thumped toropes into left center for hits late in thegame, when they were most needed.Giants vs. Red Sox: The Giantscontinued their streak of lights-outplay against the Red Sox last weekend.Conner Raridan muscled up on afastball in the third inning and crusheda pea-rod into left center that scoredtwo Giants. Alex Maciel turned on twoThe Livermore Aquacowboys swam at the 'PacificSwimming, 2013, 10 and under championships hostedby Sunn Swimming. The meet was held April 28, 2013at the Sunnyvale Swim Complex. Representing theLivermore Aquacowboys were Minh-Nha Kawamura (8),Daiki Nishikawa (10) and Taber Da Costa (10).pitches and deposited frozen ropes intoleft center, notching four RBIs. ScottyLineweber was a vacuum in centerfield, preventing extra bases on fouroccasions. Scotty also had a key singlein the third that scored two runs. GavinBates, Dom Franco and Luke Schwarzcontinued their dominance at the platewith 12 total hits—six for extra bases.Jack Robbins made a diving tag out toget a runner at third in the third inning.Thomas Cooper had a base clearingtriple in the first to set the game’stone. The Giants have 13 wins on theseason with two games to play. Theycontinue to dazzle Tri-Valley fansfortunate enough to see them in actionat Max Baer Park.Amador SwimmingJason Chen posted a pair of firstplace finishes to lead the AmadorValley High School varsity swimmingand diving team to a 109-71 victoryover cross-town rival Foothill. Chenwon the fly and breaststroke eventsfor the Dons.Chen was far from the only firstplace finisher for Amador. In a meetwhere the Dons quickly establishedtheir dominance, Amador got a firstfrom Anthony Jhong and a third fromAlex Gilchrist in the IM, and CameronKurotori and Kevin McLaughlin followedthat with a 1-2 in the 50 free.After Chen won the fly, BryanHughes took the 100 free and RJ Scott,Jordan Reznick, and Michael Brooksfollowed with a 2-3-4 in the 500 free.Nick Johnston recorded Amador'sother first place finish leading a sweepof the backstroke with Hughes andScott going 2-3.The Amador Valley High Schoolvarsity Dons kept it close for theduration of the meet but, in the end,they couldn't quite close the gap anddropped a 96-90 decision to cross-townrival Foothill.The Dons' divers Lauren Hall, andMorgan Fiske went 1-2 to give theswimmers a six point lead to start with,but the Falcons eliminated that quickly,going 1-2 in the medley relay. In thefirst individual event of the meet thetwo teams split the points with KirstenBrand finishing second for Amador.The Dons fell behind 36-26 afterthe IM despite Eva Chung's secondplace finish, but gained two pointsback when Iris Brand and Lily Gribbelwent 1-3 in the 50 free. For the rest ofthe meet, up until the final event, thetwo teams would continue to trade twopoint differences. Foothill gained twoin the fly and Amador picking up twoin the100 free when Iris Brand, AnnaParker, and Caitlyn Plattel went 2-3-Win gs of Fre edom Tou rCome on out people!‘An Keep ‘Em FlyingNo reservations needed for walk-through tours.See us online for times, directions and details.Scan code to see video of aircraft and moreinformation. Also landing in: Vacaville 5/29 - 5/31,Sacramento 5/31 - 6/2, Santa Rosa 6/5 - 6/7 andConcord 6/7 - 6/9. Go for a flight! Incredible!4. After the Falcons picked up two inthe 500, Amador gained two in the200 free relay.Trailing 74-66 and running out ofevents, the Dons needed a big performancein the backstroke and got it fromKirsten Brand who finished first, but noother Don could finish above fifth soAmador dropped, you guessed it, twopoints farther back. The same scenarioplayed out in the final individual eventwith Chung winning the Breaststrokeand Amador losing two points. Withthe deficit 12 points, the Falcons hadthe meet in hand before Amador gainedsix points in the 400 free relay.The Amador Valley JV Girls swimmingand diving team used their depthand talent to dispatch cross-town rivalFoothill without difficulty 127-59.The Dons finished first in seven of thenine individual events. No swimmerfinished first in more than one event.The Dons also swept a pair of events.The sweeps came in the 200 freewhere Ashley Person, Cynthia Tien,and Francesca Milana went 1-2-3, andin the 100 free where Rachel Bench,Lucy Bell, and Jacqueline Wood all gotto the wall before any Falcons coulddo so. Wood and Bench also went1-2 in the breaststroke. Bell went 1-2with Rebecca Pollitz in the 50 free,and Kaitlyn Schnierer and SophiaHolbrook did the same in the fly withMorgan Werder finishing fifth.The Dons final two first placefinishes were in diving, where LaurenKobayashi topped the field, and in the500 free where Baily Beanland got tothe wall first.The Amador Valley JV boysswimming and diving team dominatedFoothill by a 150-40 score. The Donsfinished first in every event and went1-2 or better in nine of 12 events.Sam Sornsen and Chris Azumastarted the meet out on a good footingfor the Dons by going 1-2 in the 200free. Alec Gauthier and Tom Sornsenfollowed up by doing likewise in theIM. After Eric Li won the 50 free, EvanLee and Gauthier went 1-2 in the fly.Sam Sornsen recorded his secondfirst place finish of the day in the 100free and was followed to the wallclosely by Li who finished second.Jeff Wang and Parth Subramanianrecorded another 1-2 for Amador inthe 500 free, and Wang, Lee, and BenOliver got the Dons only sweep of theday in the next event, the backstroke.In the final individual swimmingevent of the day, the breaststroke, PerryJia and Josh Cole went 1-2. ShawnO'Hare finished first in diving to roundout Amador's first place finishes.For FLIGHT RESERVATIONS or questions call:800-568-8924 or go to www.cfdn.org

PAGE 12 - The Independent, MAY 16, 2013Holdener ParkThe Livermore Area Recreationand Park District rangerstaff will present an Eveningat Holdener Park on Sun., May19. Meet Ranger Amy Wolitzerat 7 p.m. at the park, east end ofHansen Road.An extra treat at HoldenerPark is soaproot in bloom – thegorgeous white flowers onlyopen in the evening. This hikewill only be about a mile, buttrails are narrow and steep insome places so wear shoeswith good traction. Park in thelot near the water towers at theeast end of Hansen Road. Pleasecall 925-960-2400 if you needdirections.There is a $5 per vehicleparking fee at either entranceto Sycamore Grove Park. A $2donation is requested to helpsupport the programs unlessother fees are specified. Participantsmay call 925-960-2400 formore information.Poster SessionLas Positas College announcedthat students in itsdiverse array of Science disciplineswill present poster explanationsand answer questionsabout their original research.More than 50 posters are expectedfrom fields of study andresearch including Anatomy andPhysiology, Organic Chemistry,Marine Biology, Math, Microbiology,Psychology, and Zoology.The Las Positas College UndergraduateScience ResearchPoster Session will be heldTuesday, May 21, from 11:00AM to 1:30 PM in the LearningResources Center, Building2000. Welcoming remarks willstart at 11:00 a.m., and willinclude introduction of honoredguests. Local National Laboratoryrepresentatives have beeninvited to attend. The posterswill remain on display throughthe end of the Spring semesteron May 31.Printing costs for large, professional-qualitycolor postershave been donated through theLawrence Livermore NationalSecurity (LLNS) CommunityGift Fund. This is the secondtime that the College has hosteda Science Poster Session. In2011, LPC held a smaller eventusing a modest grant from LLNSand augmented it with Carl D.Perkins Career and TechnicalImprovement Act funds.The Research Poster Presentationis open to the generalpublic. As a community outreacheffort, there is no chargefor admittance but visitors arereminded that the campus hasa $2 parking fee. Daily ticketsare available from vendingmachines in the campus parkinglots. The College is locatedat 3000 Campus Hill Drive,Livermore 94551. For more information,contact Biology ProfessorNan Ho at 925-424-1344or nho@laspositascollege.edu.Landmark MortgageJohn J. Dutra has joinedLandmark Mortgage Groupas a Mortgage Advisor. He isa 20-year veteran in the realestate industry with experiencein financing, land planning,property management/leasingand construction. Prior to joiningLandmark, Dutra was thebranch manager for a mortgagefirm and currently holds severalother titles that include, CEO ofDutra Enterprises, Chair of Cityof Fremont’s Economic DevelopmentAdvisory Commission,a board member of the RomanReed Foundation and Trusteefor the Washington HospitalFoundation.The Dutra Family is knownfor its contributions to the localcommunity through the OneChild – Clothing the Spirit Organizationthat is spearheadedby John’s mother. This is a nonprofitorganization dedicatedto providing disadvantagedchildren with new clothingand school supplies. LandmarkMortgage Group hopes to contributetowards the success ofthis foundation.John has joined Landmark'sPleasanton Branch. ContactJohn at 510-364-0764 or jdutra@lmglending.Visit Tri-ValleyVisit Tri-Valley has flippedthe switch on its renovated website– www.VisitTriValley.com.“Visit Tri-Valley is excited toshowcase this wonderful regionthrough our enhanced website,”said Barbara Steinfeld, VisitTri-Valley President. “We feeleveryone who visits the Tri-Valley will find this websitedynamic and easy to navigate,which will help make for amemorable experience.”This improved connectionwith Visit Tri-Valley makesgathering information aboutthe region even easier. Thewebsite features new, brightercolors along with informationfor visitors, meetings, wine,golf, wedding, dining or themedia. It allows visitors to thesite to access an extensive photolibrary, sign-up for newsletters,and download an itinerary foralmost any type of visit.Check out the renovatedwebsite at www.VisitTriValley.com and be sure to follow VisitTri-Valley on Facebook, Twitterand Pinterest at Visit Tri-Valley.VCS SuperintendentValley Christian Schools(VCS) recently announced theappointment of Chuck Flemingas its new Superintendentof Schools. Fleming’s existingposition as Director of PerformingArts gives him a uniqueadvantage as he transitions intothis new role, bringing withhim the strength of knowingthe culture, mission and valuesof an organization about whichhe is already passionate.Fleming graduated fromBaylor University in 1984LIVERMORE AUTOGROUP2266 Kittyhawk Rd., Livermore, CA 94551www.livermoreautogroup.com800-649-1879SPRING SPECIAL*May not be combined with other coupons, discounts or advertised specials. Max coupon value of $20.00. With this coupon. Expires 5/30/13.LUBE, OIL & FILTERSERVICE SPECIALIncludes:• Change engine oil (up to 5 quarts)• Lube chassis, if applicable• Install new oil filterPlus tax. Most models. Some vehiclesadditional. Includes hazardous wastedisposal fee. Please present couponwhen service order is written. May not becombined with other coupons, discountsor advertised specials.WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13with a Bachelor’s Degree inMusic. In 1994, he entered intovocational ministry, workingin children’s and young adultministry, discipleship, andministry organization, as well asbecoming ordained as a minister.In 2000, Calvary Chapel BibleCollege opened an extensioncampus in the United Kingdomand asked him to establish thecampus and serve as AcademicDirector, which he did for sevensemesters.In 2011, Mr. Fleming receivedhis Master of Arts inTeaching degree from the Universityof Southern California,where he received special trainingin urban education and thechanging demands of moderninstruction. His research includedEnglish language learningdevelopment, academic studentmotivation, and differentiatedinstruction.An installation ceremonywas held at Valley ChristianSchools in the Don DickinsonGymnasium of the High School.Lose Your LawnLearn how to tear out a lawnwithout tearing out your lawn.This free how-to talk given byBay-Friendly Qualified LandscapeDesigner Ann Morrison,owner of Chrysalis Gardens,will provide design and plantselection advice as well as walkyou through converting yourlawn without breaking yourback or your wallet. There willbe a hands-on demonstration ofsheet mulching.The event will be held from10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sat., May18 at Western Garden Nursery,2756 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton.Everyone who attends thetalk will receive a free copy of®• Motorcraft Premium SyntheticBlend Oil & filter change• Rotate and inspect four tires• Check air and cabin air filters• Inspect brake system• Test battery• Check belts and hoses• Top-off all fluidsUp to five quarts of Motorcraft® oil and oil filter. Taxes,diesel vehicles and disposal fees extra. Hybrid battery testexcluded. WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13apr.comexplore the newWhere people, homes and a bit of imagination intersectthe Bay-Friendly GardeningGuide as well as a 20% offnursery coupon. There will bea drawing for additional gardengifts at the end of the talk.Check out more resourcesfor lawn conversion at www.LoseYourLawn.orgPDA AccreditedThe Pleasanton DowntownAssociation (PDA) has onceagain been designated as anaccredited National Main StreetProgram for meeting the commercialdistrict revitalizationperformance standards set by theNational Main Street Center®,a subsidiary of the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation.Each year, the National MainStreet Center and its partnersannounce the list of accreditedMain Street® programs thathave built strong revitalizationorganizations and demonstratetheir ability in using the MainStreet Four Point Approach®methodology for strengtheningtheir local economy and protectingtheir historic buildings.“We congratulate this year’snationally accredited MainStreet programs for meeting ourestablished performance standards,”says Valecia Crisafulli,acting director of the NationalMain Street Center. “AccreditedMain Street programs aremeeting the challenges of thedowntown in the economyhead on and are successfullyusing a focused, comprehensiverevitalization strategy to keeptheir communities vibrant andsustainable.”Laura Olson, executive directorof the PDA, said, “We’rehonored to be recognized againas an elite main street program.This designation recognizesFREEBATTERY TESTDon’t get stuck this spring. Higher & lowertemperatures can take a toll on your battery.Why take a chance? Take advantage of thisdeal instead!Please present coupon when service order is written.May not be combined with other coupons, discounts oradvertised specials.WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13FUEL SAVER SPECIALFree 21 point inspection• Replace engine oil & filter• Check & top off fluids• Rotate 4 tires• Check brakes, belts,& hoses• Fuel conditioner• Test batteryUp to five quarts oil. Taxes and disposal fees extra.Diesel vehicles extra. Hybrid battery text excluded.WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13Live Classical Guitarby Doug WendtEvery third SundayMusic through dinner 6pm-8pmEnjoy fine local beer & wine, great food and friends.Please call for Reservation (925) 243-14771770 First Street, LivermoreFREEBRAKE INSPECTIONPlease present coupon when service orderis written. May not be combined with othercoupons, discounts or advertised specials.WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13MAJOR MAINTENANCE SERVICERecommended every 30,000 • 60,000 • 90,000 milesIncludes:• Replace engine oil & filter (5.0 Models additional charge will apply)• Check & top off all fluids• Check & adjust tire pressure• Rotate 4 tires• Replace air filter• Replace cabin air filter• Perform all factory required lubrications Premium• Ford multi-point inspection• Service kit minor (oil conditioner/water solvent) Service• Perform battery maintenance• Perform fuel induction, fuel injection & throttlebody cleaning servicePlus tax. Includes hazardous waste disposal fee. Additional serviceneeded on some models. See advisor for details. Please present couponwhen service order is written. May not be combined with other coupons.WITH THIS COUPON • Expires 5/30/13$29 95 $39 95 $100 off$179 95the hard work of our organization,our downtown businessesand all our key stake holders.It demonstrates our ongoingcommitment to strengthen anddevelop our beloved downtown,while maintaining its historicalvalue.”$27,000 RaisedThe agents, managers andstaff of Better Homes andGardens Mason-McDuffie RealEstate in partnership with theWorld Transformation Center(WTC), hosted a Charity PokerTournament on Friday, April 26that raised over $27,000 for TheChildren’s Village of SonomaCounty. The event, held at theZio Fraedo’s restaurant in PleasantHill, drew over 200 peoplefrom the company, in additionto partners, sponsors and donors.Funds were raised at theevent through the donations ofmany, including, Land HomeFinancial, who gave the GrandPrize winner a one month’spaid mortgage, up to $5000.The contribution from LandHome Financial Service notonly impacted Children’s Villagebut also made a differencein a homeowner’s life.In addition to the pokertournament, the evening alsofeatured raffle prizes, a LiveAuction and a Silent Auction,in which each Mason-McDuffieoffice donated gift baskets.The Children’s Village,located in Sonoma County,establishes a stable, family likesetting for children in fostercare, minimizing the upheavaland disruption of multipleplacements, and providing theopportunity for siblings fromall over the Bay Area to growup together.Open HouseA family BBQ and openhouse will be held from noonto 3 p.m. on Sun., May 19 tocelebrate the opening of Alanand Sons Automotive. Therewill be an opportunity to win a$50 gift certificate.The business is locatedat 4001 First St., Suite 7A inLivermore. The service includesautomotive and Harley Davidsonservice and repairs. They arespecialists in Mercedes Benz.For more information aboutthis family owned business, goto AlanandSons.com or call446-5106.Dan GamacheBy Appointmentlinda futralBy Appointmentmark kotch Open Sat & Sun 1-4jo ann luisiBy AppointmentLivermore 5800 Eagles Run Rd $1,499,950Immaculate and rare property! 3,332+/-sf singlestory home, excellent condition, 1,800+/-sfbasement, 1,800+/-sf shop/garage/apt., endlessviews! By Appointment 925.251.1111Livermore 1444 Milan Ct $925,000Grace and elegance in this incredible customhome, modern architectural design, grand living,granite slab kitchen, spiral staircase and more!By Appointment 925.251.1111Dublin 4727 Fawn Way $660,000Great one story home in Dublin. New to market,regular sale. 3 Bedrooms 2 baths with open floorplan. Large back yard move in ready.By Appointment 925.251.1111Livermore 825 Dakota Ct $600,000Investors welcome. Beautifully expanded 4 bedroomhome with pool. Currently leased until April2014 at $2550 per mos.By Appointment 925.251.1111jo ann luisi Open Sun 1-4Kat GaskinsBy Appointmentjo ann luisiBy Appointmentlinda futralBy AppointmentPleasanton 3586 Wine Cave Ct $575,000“Diamond in the Rough” Bring your contractorto this beauty. It may take more than paint andcarpet to make this one shine... but SO worth it!By Appointment 925.251.1111Livermore 243 Lloyd St $569,0004bd/2.5ba, handicap compatible, remodeledkitchen, neutral decor, covered patio, spa,arbor, large shed, garden area and more!By Appointment 925.251.1111Livermore 4159 Guilford Ave $525,000Brand new roof and solar for pool. Great location.Beautiful yard. 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THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013THE INDEPENDENT • SECTION ASwingin’ Blue Starsof the USS HornetPerform As FirehouseHosts MemorialWeekend ShowThe Swingin’ BlueStars of the USS Hornetreturn to the Firehouse ArtsCenter in Pleasanton fortheir third annual MemorialDay Weekend appearance.Featuring a back-upswing band, this group offour female vocalists hasbecome iconic in the BayArea and beyond for theirUSO-style performancesshowcasing songs of the40’s and 50’s. This year’sshow is Sunday, May 26, at2:00 p.m.Originally calling themselvesThe Singing BlueStar Moms, the group wasfounded in 2002 by mem-bers of the East Bay BlueStar Moms who had sonsand daughters serving inthe military. Initially, theybegan singing together torelieve the stress of havingloved ones serving in Iraqand Afghanistan, as well asto entertain aging veteransin the Bay Area. Theyselected their repertoire todemonstrate appreciationfor veterans of all wars,while at the same timeincreasing public supportfor troops currently servingin combat.Within a few years, theirhigh-spirited WWII style(continued on page 4)Swingin' Blue Stars ready to perform.Valley Dance Theatrewill present its 2013 springrepertory production, BalletMasterworks, on Saturday,May 25, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.and Sunday, May 26, 2013at 2:00 p.m. at the BankheadTheater.The theater is located at2400 First Street in Livermore.Dancers will performmasterworks such asVitali’s Chaconne andKatchurian’s Masquerade,as well as new pieces byAmerican composer LeroyAnderson. The programconcludes with Arthur Sullivan’shumorous and rarelyYoung Artists Featured Along with Valley Dance Theatre Ballerina/Choreographerand Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Competition Winnerperformed, Pineapple Poll.Valley Dance Theatreballerina/choreographer,Sarah Marlett, has recreatedfour of famous ballerinaAnna Pavlova’s most memorablesolos. Marlett, aSt. Mary’s College senior,has performed with ValleyDance Theatre for 10 yearsand has also designed andconstructed costumes forthe company. She says,“In the early 20th Century,Anna Pavlova strove toinspire a revival of romanticismin ballet. I believeshe knew that the audiencetruly connects more withthe emotional and artisticDying Swan by Sarah Marlett.expression of the story thanwith the technical aspectsof ballet. I choreographedthe piece to replicate herwork as closely as possibleand designed the costumesto imitate her originals.”Marlett performs in theDying Swan segment ofPavlova Suite.Several of Ballet Masterworks’pieces will beaccompanied by the PleasantonCommunity ConcertBand. Chaconne will beaccompanied by DublinHigh School student pianist,Vivian Sung, winner(continued on page 4)

2 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013Pop and Country Star Juice Newton Plays Firehouse Arts CenterJuice Newton has beencalled a lot of things…the“Queen of Hearts,” “Angelof the Morning,” and “TheSweetest Thing,” all titlesof some of her biggest hits.She will play the FirehouseArts Center in Pleasantonwith her trio, includinglong-time musical collaboratorOtha Young, on Friday,May 31, at 8:00 p.m.Her performances includeher songs from country,pop and rock, as well ascovers of artists as diverseas Tom Petty, Buck Owens,and Queen. The show isone night only. Tickets arecurrently available online atwww.firehousearts.org, byphone at 925-931-4848, orin person at the FirehouseArts Center, 4444 RailroadAvenue in Pleasanton.Winner of the Grammyfor Best Pop Female, theAcademy of Country Music’sNew Female Vocalistof the Year, and a People’sPleasanton’s teen co-PoetLaureates are organizingtheir first big event, entitled"Amplified." It will be astaged performance and openmic evening showcasing avariety of local teens. Theshow is set for Thursday,May 23, 6:00-8:00 p.m., atthe Firehouse Arts Center,4444 Railroad Avenue indowntown Pleasanton. Admissionis $5 at the door.The event is unique in thatit is a collaborative effortbetween both Amador Valleyand Foothill High Schoolorganizations. The newco-laureates Arany Uthayakumarand Diana Fu saythat they are excited to presentthis program embracingboth high schools as well asother teen cultural outlets inJuice Newton‘Amplified’ Staged Performance and Open Mic Planned AsPleasanton Teen Poets Laureate Host Event at Firehouse Arts Centerthe area. The event currentlyfeatures poetry, rap and musicperformance, theaterimprov and more. Highlightsinclude members of theaward-winning Creaturesof Impulse Improv team,well-known local rapper JacobKleinberg, and up-andcomingfreestyle rapper JayKim. Scheduled performersinclude members of The Anchormenfrom Amador ValleyHigh School, poets fromFoothill High School’s Teensfor Literacy, and members ofAVHS Writers Bloc.The Pleasanton Teen PoetLaureate selection committeecurrently chooses onelaureate from Foothill HighSchool, and one from AmadorValley High School tooccupy the post for the oneChoice Award, Juice Newtonhas had strings of top-10 hits since breaking intothe business in the 1980s.Juice started her careerin Virginia Beach by sneakingout of her window as ateenager to sing in coffeehouses playing the guitarher mother had given herwhen she was thirteen.California soon called,where she started a folk triothat played intimate clubgigs from the Bay Area toLos Angeles. They beganfeaturing Juice as leadsinger as they moved intobigger venues.She says they touredand toured, and touredsome more. In fact, shewas touring when she firstlearned she had a hit record.Someone called themon the road to tell them thatradio stations were playing“Angel of the Morning”(continued on page 5)year term. Laureate Arany iscurrently a senior at AmadorValley High School, andlaureate Diana is a FoothillHigh School junior. Theircombined duties include recitingpoems at civic eventssuch as ribbon cutting ceremoniesor dedications, andto plan and implement poetryprogramming with thesupport of City of Pleasantonstaff.Any teen interested insigning up to perform maystill contact either Diana orArany: Arany Uthayakumar,aranybarney@gmail.com,or Diana Fu, diana21.fu@gmail.com.Pleasanton Teen Poet Laureates are available for interviews: Arany Uthayakumar, 925-399-5699, aranybarney@gmail.com, and/or Diana Fu, 925-998-7788, Diana.21.fu@gmail.com.

Free Outdoor Concert Series 'TuesdayTunes' and 'Friday Nights LIVE!' DoublesSummertime Music in Downtown LivermoreOn Tuesday evening,June 4, 2013, the hot Latinjazz and salsa rhythms ofEl Desayuno will markthe return of an expandedpopular summertime seriesof free outdoor concertsin the heart of downtownLivermore. “TuesdayTunes” and “Friday NightsLIVE!” sponsored by theLivermore Valley PerformingArts Center willwelcome 22 musical groupsplaying 30 concerts on theShea Homes stage in frontof the Bankhead Theater.The performances featureeverything from acousticfolk and Americana, tosoul, jazz, and classic rockand roll.Free to the public, theconcerts run from 6:30 to8:00 p.m. each Tuesday andFriday evening beginningin June and continuingthrough mid-September.Following the returnof El Desayuno for therelaunch of “TuesdayTunes," “Friday NightsLIVE!” opens on June 7thwith the country rock soundof The Fred McCarty Band.Their appearance coincideswith the 95th AnnualLivermore Rodeo and kicksoff a weekend of countrywestern music inside theBankhead that includes thesweet harmonies and fieryfiddles of the Quebe SistersBand, as well as the returnof famed cowboy troubadourDon Edwards.“Friday Nights LIVE!”was introduced by LVPACin 2011. The concerts havequickly become a populartradition. The series alsosupports the region’s artists,as booking preference isgiven to local musiciansand bands. Audiencesdoubled last year with anaverage of 400 attendees,many of them families withchildren, flocking to theconcerts each week. Somebands, such as El Desayuno,attracted nearly twice asmany. The overwhelminglypositive feedback fromattendees, artists and localbusinesses has encouragedLVPAC to expand this year,reviving “Tuesday Tunes,”a concert series started bythe Livermore DowntownInc. in 2006 and held forseveral years at the FlagPole Plaza at the intersectionof First Street and S.Livermore AvenueLen Alexander, executivedirector of LVPAC,credits the community’sstrong support for thearts and for the BankheadTheater in helping to makethe expanded series possible.The LVPAC Presentsseries at the BankheadTheater features artists andentertainers across a widerange of musical styles andgenres throughout the year.The series has grown fromtwo dozen shows in its firstyear to more than 50 inthe current season with 58projected for the upcomingyear. The success ofthis season, which saw anumber of sold-out shows,helps provide funding for“Friday Nights LIVE!” andfor the addition of “TuesdayTunes.”The expanded outdoorconcert series means theBankhead Theater willbe filled with music bothinside and outside allsummer long. The LVPACPresents series continueswith the rich Mediterraneanmusic of Greek/Canadianguitarist Pavlo, who takesthe Bankhead Theater stageon Friday evening, June28th. The original countrysounds of the Nitty GrittyDirt Band will entertainaudiences on July 7th,followed by the return ofthe inimitable PreservationHall Jazz Band on August9th, and contemporaryflamenco guitarist OttmarLiebert, who makes hissixth appearance at theBankhead on August 28th.Tickets for all remainingperformances in the 2012-2013 LVPAC Presentsseason are available now atthe Bankhead Theater boxoffice.Schedule for free“Tuesday Tunes” concertsin 2013: June 4, El Desayuno,Latin jazz with salsaand soul; June 11, AudioIllusion, classic rock, popand blues; June 18, Bones-Quigley, acoustic rock andsoul; June 25, Rock on Tap,classic rock and roll; July2, Volker Strifler, bluesroots with rock, jazz andLatin rhythms; July 9, TheHurricane Band, classicrock, blues and country;July 16, The Humminbgirdz,soulful blues; July23, Slippery Road, classicand contemporary rock andblues; July 30, Blind Dog,contemporary acousticfolk rock; Aug. 6, ToucanJam, tunes from the 50sto 2000s; Aug. 13, DavidCorrea and Cascada, Latinguitar world music; Aug.20, Lunafish, psychedelicrock of the 60s and 70s;Aug. 27, Max Cruise Band,classic to current music;Sept. 3, Stone Grove, classicrock with an edge; Sept.10, Michael McNevin &the Spokes, original Americana,folk-rock, alt-country.Schedule for free“Friday Nights LIVE!”concerts in 2013: June 7,Fred McCarty Band, country,cowboy, Cajun, classicrock; June 14, 2Endeavor,alternative rock; June 21,Gabe Duffin Band, classicrock; June 28, Blind Dog,contemporary acousticfolk rock; July 5, KNR,pop, country and blues;July 12, Evan Thomas &Papa's Garage, funky soulfulblues; July 19, StoneGroove, classic rock; July26, Audio Illusion, classicrock, pop and blues; Aug.2, Volker Strifler, bluesroots with rock, jazz andLatin rhythms; Aug. 9, TheHummingbirdz, soulfulblues; Aug. 16, Rock onTap, classic rock and roll;Aug. 23, The HurricaneBand, classic rock, bluesand country; Aug. 30, ElDesayuno, Latin jazz withsalsa and soul; Sept. 6,LVPAC Guitar fest Live,opening weekend celebratingall things guitar; Sept.13, Frankie Bones & FireHazard, acoustic folk rock.All “Tuesday Tunes”and “Friday Nights LIVE!”concerts are free to thepublic with open amphitheaterseating and run from6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on theShea Homes Stage outsidethe Bankhead Theater inDowntown Livermore.The Bankhead Theateris located at 2400 FirstStreet in Downtown Livermore.To purchase ticketsfor performances in thetheater, call 925-373-6800or visit www.bankheadtheater.org.THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 32012SEASON2013CALL925.373.6800John HammondA One-Man Blues Strike ForceFRI MAY 17 8pmOde to a Joyous50th SeasonLivermore-Amador SymphonySAT MAY 18 8pmBalletMasterworksValley Dance TheatreMAY 25,26 7, 2pmPete EscovedoLatin JazzEnergizing Music with theLegendary PercussionistSAT JUN 1 7:30pmJane Monheit“Real Jazz Deal” VocalistWED JUN 5 7:30pmThe QuebeSisters BandTexas Fiddle with Three-Part HarmonyFRI JUN 7 8pmRODEO WEEKENDDon EdwardsAmerica’s Country TroubadourSAT JUN 8 8pmLivermoreSchool of DanceSummer Ballet & Jazz RecitalsJUN 15 11am/3pmJUN 21,22,23 7/2pmPavloGuitar Master of Flamenco and Latin RhythmsFRI JUN 28 8pmCLICKbankheadtheater.orgCOME BY2400 First Street • Downtown Livermore

4 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013Pleasanton Library Presents Talk by Author of 'Rare Earth'The California WritersClub Tri-Valley Branch hasannounced the winners ofits 2 nd Annual High SchoolWriting Contest. Studentsin grades 9-11 from twelvearea high schools competedfor prizes in fiction, essay,and poetry. A celebration ofthe winners will be held at 2p.m., Sunday, May 19, 2013,at Towne Center Books,555 Main Street, Pleasanton.Winning studentswill receive certificates andswing repertoire gained asolid following throughoutthe Bay Area.On New Year’s Eve2006, the group was theopening act for the re-establishedGlenn Miller Orchestrabefore an audienceof 1,400 big-band enthusiastsand swing dancers onthe USS Hornet. Then inMay of 2007, the group officiallyadded “of the USSHornet” to their name, andder of a top-level politician,the youthful analystlaunches a quest to prove thelink--instantly inserting himin the crossfire alongside thebeleaguered Yakov. To survive,he must prove who isbehind the assassination andwhy the Rare Earth mineralsare being sought with deadlyintent. Rare Earth weavesdrama, high-tech anecdotes,fictional science, and socialconscience to create a novelmodeled after those of MichaelCrichton.Harry Marku is the penname of a local Livermorescientist working in thefields of alternative energy,whose novel is inspiredin part by the charactersand stories he experiencedgrowing up in the Ukrainianand Romanian immigrantcommunities of the WesternCanadian prairies. Althoughremotely settled and seeminglymundane, the peopleof this dying immigrantculture were larger thanWriters Club to Present Awards to Studentsmonetary awards and readtheir writings.Fiction: 1st - A Shadow’sRelease by Jacob Smith; 2nd- Speak Out by Megan Chin;3rd - Diamond Horizon byLindsay Virgilio; HonorableMention - Here Be Dragonsby Jonathan Dadgari, Nowhereby Lauren Furman,Pizza and Psychiatry bySeddon Malchoz, Wandererby Waverly RunionPoetry: 1st - Sentry ofMEMORIAL WEEKEND(continued from front page)cemented their relationshipwith the famous WWII aircraftcarrier-turned-museumin Alameda. In Januaryof 2011, their name waschanged to “Swingin’ BlueStars (from Singing) of theUSS Hornet."Among many memorablemoments for the groupso far, was their performanceat Pearl Harbor forthe dedication of the newVisitor’s Center. Theythe Desert by Kevin Yang;2nd - The Working Classby Waverly Runion; 3rd -Time by Tchantz Ravazza;Honorable Mention - Footstepsby Alison Spencer, HisCastle by Gautam Ramesh,Just One Year by AndreaLudwig, Obesity - Open ‘tilMidnight or Later by JoelleVictoriano, Paranoid by JessicaSherEssay:1st - Oasis by TiffanyKwan; 2nd - What isperformed many of the fanfavoritesthat are includedin their coming FirehouseArts Center show, including:In the Mood, Rumand Coca-Cola, and TheBoogie-Woogie BugleBoy of Company B. Theymix saucy and romantic,jitterbug and jive, with lotsof The Andrews Sistersnostalgia to boot.Tickets are $12-$25,with child, senior, andlife, having survived wars,depression and want afterrisking their lives to escapeacross the Atlantic to forgea future in the New World.They were hard as nails, atrait well suited to survivingthe harsh and unforgivingclimate of Saskatchewanand Manitoba. Drawing onhis workplace experiencesas well, Marku exploresscientific and social themesin his book, such as therejection of science as merehypothesis and devaluationof the human individual.The program is free andopen to all. No registrationis required.For more information,call the Pleasanton LibraryReference Department at925/931-3400, ext 4.India to Me (Who Am I) byPondharshini Sadasivam;3rd - Sunset by AlexandraGladchenko; HonorableMention - Helping Janetand The Three No’s, both byKatie ChanFor more informationabout California WritersClub Tri-Valley Branchcontact Paula Chinick atpresident@trivalleywriters.org or visit www.trivalleywriters.org.group discounts available.Tickets can be purchasedonline at www.firehousearts.org,by calling 925-931-4848, and in person atthe Firehouse Arts CenterBox Office, 4444 RailroadAvenue, Pleasanton. BoxOffice hours are Wednesday- Friday 12:00 noon-6:00pm and Saturdays10:00am-4:00pm, and2 hours prior to performances.Kathleen Martens and Margaret Zhao guest speakers.Book Group to Host Talk onBook about China under MaoMargaret Zhao will lead a book group at LynnewoodUnited Methodist Church beginning May 23 on her life storygrowing up in China under Chairman Mao.The book, Really Enough: A True Story of Tyranny,Courage and Comedy, is co-authored by Margaret Zhaoand Kathleen Martens, both Pleasanton residents. It is thewinner of Best Biography/Memoir 2012 from the SmartBook Lovers’ Sharp Writ Book Awards. Really Enough isavailable online through Amazon.com, or personalized autographedcopies are available through Lynnewood U.M.C.,4444 Black Avenue, Pleasanton.Lynnewood U.M.C. invites the community to participatein this opportunity to learn about Chinese history and personaltriumph by both reading Zhao's memoir and meetingwith the author. The group will be held for four weeklysessions: May 23, 30, June 6, 13, at a choice of two times:10:00 am and 7:00pm.Small groups at Lynnewood UMC facilitate personalsharing and mutual understanding across cultures. Thechurch offers other book groups and bible study classes,which also foster a sense of community and an explorationof one's beliefs.The book group will meet in the church youth room at4466 Black Ave., suite C, across the street from the aquaticcenter. Participants are asked to register by calling the churchat 846-0221. They are encouraged to purchase and read thebook prior to attending the sessions.DANCE(continued from front page)Author Harry Marku discusseshis novel Rare Earthat 7pm on Thursday, May23, 2013 at the PleasantonPublic Library, 400 OldBernal Ave, Pleasanton.There is no charge forthis event. Books will beavailable for sale and signing.Yakov, a maverick geologist,makes an extraordinaryRare Earth mineral find inthe Canadian sub-Arcticand becomes an unwillingpawn in the hands of apolitical cartel. His safetyrelies on Robb, a promisingyoung scientist protectingUS interests in the advancingRare Earth economies.When Robb’s personal coincidencesconnect Yakov’sdiscovery to the public murofthe Livermore-AmadorSymphony competitionfor young musicians,and Amador Valley HighSchool student violinist,Daniel Song.Tickets to Ballet Masterworksare $25 for adultsand $12 for students 17years and younger. Theymay be purchased online atwww.bankheadtheater.org;by phone at 925-373-6800or in person at the theaterbox office, 2400 First St.,Livermore. Box officehours are Tuesday-Saturday,12 noon-6:00 p.m.,and for two hours prior toshow time.

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 5JUICE NEWTON(continued from front page)around the country. “Wehad no clue we had a hit onour hands,” Juice recalls,“but it sure made the nextconcert a ball to do, andthe next one and the nextone.”They began recordingfirst on RCA, then CapitolRecords, then again withRCA for a string of top10 country hits, including“Cheap Love,” “Both ToEach Other,” “Old Flame,”and “Tell Me True,” toname a few.The freshest serving ofJuice is “American Girl,”her most recent albumwith Renaissance Records,produced with OthaYoung who joins her at theFirehouse show. “I wantedthe title ‘American Girl’because, like America,this project offers a lot tochoose from,” Juice says,“and like the changingrole of American womenin business and society,I wanted to re-define theterm. The American girlisn’t so predictable anymore.”Husband Tom Goodspeedis a nationallyranked professional on thepolo circuit and manager ofthe San Diego Polo Club.Juice rides and plays poloin many charity events,often singing the NationalAnthem before mountingup. Her idea of a goodtime is raising family,including keeping up withdaughter Jessica, 13, andson Tyler, 10. “Actually,I’m always ‘on the road’even when I’m supposedto be off,” Juice laughs,“driving to school, soccer,piano, drum, and horse ridinglessons.”A music critic said ofher, “Newton remainsone of the most rivetingperformers in countrymusic, rocking on stageand playing each emotionfor what it’s worth.”Juice credits her enthusiasticperformances to thephilosophy of “owing youraudience more than justgoing through the motions.I go out there wantingto have a good time, andmaking sure the audiencedoes too.”The show is one nightonly. Ms. Newton will beavailable after the concertto sign CDs and chat withaudience members.Tickets are $40, $45,$50, with group discountsavailable. Tickets can bepurchased online at www.firehousearts.org, by calling925-931-4848, and inperson at the Box Office,4444 Railroad Avenue,Pleasanton. Box Officehours are Wednesday -Friday 12:00 noon-6:00pmand Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm, and two hoursprior to the performance.Self Guided Garden Tour to RaiseFunds for Valley Humane SocietyFollow the love of animalsdown the garden pathduring the eighth annualHidden Gardens of the Valley,a benefit for Valley HumaneSociety (VHS). It willbe held on Sunday, May 19from 10 am – 4 pm. Theself-guided tour offers a privateglimpse into ten lovelygardens across Pleasanton.There is an opportunityto explore beautiful flowers,trees and shrubs, decorativefountains and statuary, andarchitectural elements suchas gazebos, decks, outdoorkitchens, and more. Find outjust how that garden doesgrow from Buzz Bertolero,the Dirt Gardener, secondgeneration nurseryman andTV personality. Buzz willbe planted along the routeto meet tour participantsand answer gardening questions.Other hidden gemswill be revealed along theway, including working artistsand the Animal Lover’sBoutique.Tickets are $35 per personand include program,map, and directions. Ticketsare available now at www.valleyhumane.org or ValleyHumane Society, 3670 NevadaStreet, Pleasanton. Admissionto this rain-or-shineevent is non-refundable.Show a ticket at Redcoatsor Handles Gastropub indowntown Pleasanton, andthey will donate portion ofthe bill back to VHS to helpthe animals.Tickets are also availablefor purchase with cash orcheck only at the followingTri-Valley locations:in Pleasanton at Town &Country Veterinary Hospital,923 Main St., TowneCenter Books, 555 Main St.,and Western Garden Nursery,2756 Vineyard Ave; inDublin at Armstrong GardenCenter, 7360 San RamonRd.; and in Livermore atAlden Lane Nursery, 981Alden Ln.For more informationon sponsorship opportunities,please contact MelanieSadek at (925) 426-8656.All tour proceeds benefitthe programs and servicesof VHS.Acts One performers rehearse for opening of 'Alcatraz Realty Company'Trinity Presents Faith Based PlayTrinity Church’s dramaministry, Acts One, willpresent a faith based springplay entitled “Alcatraz RealtyCompany” on May 31st,June 1st and June 2nd.Alcatraz prison, “TheRock," was closed when theState of California, mired ina budget crisis of catastrophicproportions, seized theopportunity for additionalrevenue by selling the islandto the Petralucci family. Inthe play, the family convertsthe rusty old cells into oneof-a-kindluxury apartments.Home, Sweet Home. . . .Or is it?A crooked real-estateagent convinces severalprospective tenants aboutthe glories of living in a convertedprison, including themaximum security benefit –which unbeknownst to themrestricts their ability to leavethe island. They develop aplan that will set them allfree, but first they must getpast the guards. One bravevolunteer makes the firstattempt, but is captured andreturned to the prison, beatenand scarred. They soonrealize that they can’t escapefrom this place, not withouthelp from the outside.Will they make it outalive before it’s too late?- - Don’t miss this play’sconclusion.“Alcatraz Realty Company”is directed by SaraStoebe who has a 30 yearhistory in community theaterwith many SouthernCalifornia and Bay Areacredits. Featured playersare Hannah Peacock, EmilieWiedenmeyer, Scott Ault,Joseph Rojas, Sarah Dane,Scott Miller, Matthew Zareel,Cynthia Zareel, ConnorLayton, Rodney Hale, MattStoebe, Lorin Jensen, DebbieJalanivich, Tina Jensen,and Evelyn Lawson.Performances are at Trinity,557 Olivina Avenue,Livermore on May 31st at7 pm, June 1st at 8pm andJune 2nd at 6pm.Admission is free andeveryone is welcome. Formore information call thechurch at (925) 447-1848.

6 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013Two Featured at Poetry at Ravenswood EventPoetry at Ravenswoodwill feature Susan Kelly-DeWitt and Barbara Brauerfor a Sun., May 19 reading.The City of Livermoreand Poet Laureate Cher Wollardpresent the latest in acontinuing series. The eventwill be from 2 to 4 p.m. withfeatured readings at 2 p.m.An open mic fillows after ashort break.Barbara Swift Brauer isa poet, a freelance writerand an editor whose workhas appeared in such journalsas Nimrod, West MarinReview, The MacGuffin,Spillway, California Quar-terly, and Banabe MountainReview, as well as severalanthologies, including Besidethe Sleeping Maidenand The Place That InhabitsUs. With portrait artist JackieKirk, she is coauthor ofthe nonfiction book Witness:The Artist’s Vision in TheFace of AIDS (PomegranateArtbooks, 1996). Her fulllengthpoetry collection, AtEase in the Borrowed World,was published this year bySixteen Rivers Press. Shelives in San Geronimo.Susan Kelly-DeWitt isthe author of seven booksof poetry plus an illustratedPhoto - Doug JorgensenCottage Preschool hosted a Mothers Day Lunch formoms on May 9 and 10. The students performed a playfor their moms and held a fashion show. A poem wasread by 4-5 year olds. The children thanked their momsfor all their moms do for them.short story “The Audience.”Her work has been includedin numerous anthologies includingThe Autumn HouseAn-thology of ContemporaryAmerican Poetry andWhen She Named Fire: AnAnthology of Con-temporaryPoetry by AmericanWomen. Her poems have appearedin Prairie Schooner,New Letters, North AmericanReview and many otherliterary magazines. She hasbeen featured on Writer’sAlmanac and Verse Daily,and was the recipient of aWallace Stegner Fellowship,The Chicago Liter-Susan Kelly-DeWittary Award, the BazzanellaAward for Short Fiction anda number of Pushcart nominations.She is a member ofthe National Book CriticsCircle and the NorthernCalifornia Book ReviewersAssociation.Admission is $5. Lightrefreshments will be served.Ravenswood is locatd at2657 Arroyo Road in Livermore.For more information,check out www.livermorelit.com,or contact CherWollard at 925-824-4824 orcherw@cherw.comFunds Sought to Help Restore 'Eye of Diablo'Save Mount Diablo hasundertaken the restoration ofthe historic “Eye of Diablo,"the Beacon lit once a yearatop Mount Diablo by localPearl Harbor Survivors tohonor those who gave theirlives at Pearl Harbor onDecember 7, 1941.The group of volunteersis in need of $100,000 to payfor the necessary equipmentand services to restore theBeacon.The Mount Diablo Beaconis the only one thatsurvives.In 1928, a navigationbeacon was placed on theMt. Diablo summit.The Beacon was originallylit by aviator CharlesLindbergh in 1928.The Beacon was shut offLas Positas to PresentWorkshop for NonprofitsThe Las Positas CollegeCooperative Collection willhost a free workshop fornon-profit organizationsseeking funds from foundations,corporations, andgrant-making public charities.The workshop will beheld on Thursday, June13, 2013 from 1:30pm to3:00pm in Building 2400,Room 2414.The session will be ledby Scott Ullman of the SanFrancisco Foundation Center.Offering tips and suggestionson how best toidentify funding sources fornon-profit organizations,this workshop highlights theelectronic resources availablefor use at Las PositasCollege's Cooperative CollectionCenter.The workshop will includea hands-on demonstrationof the Foundation DirectoryOnline, the FoundationCenter's top-tier searchabledatabase providing informationon more than 91,000grant makers and more thana million grant records.Registration is requiredand available online at http://grantspace.org/Classroom/Training-Calendar/Other-Locations/Grantseeking-Ba-sics-2013-06-13-Livermore-CA. For more information,contact Vicki Shipman at(925) 424-1355 or vshipman@laspositascollege.edu.Barbara Brauerdue to the west coast blackoutthe day after the attackon Pearl Harbor in 1941. Itwas relit on December 7,1964 by Fleet Admiral ChesterNimitz to honor thosewho served at Pearl Harbor.It has been lit once a yearon December 7th since 1964by Pearl Harbor Survivors toremember those who gavetheir lives at Pearl Harbor.For information, send anemail to BAnderson@savemountdiablo.orgor go towww.savemountdiablo.orgWenteAnnouncesConcertLine-upThe line-up for the 27thseason of The Concerts atWente Vineyards open withMartina McBride on Wed.,June 26.Tickets go on sale May19.On Wed., July 10, Underthe Sun Tour 2013 will hitthe stage. The tour featuresSmash Mouth, Sugar Rayand Gin Blossoms with specialguests Vertical Horizonand Fastball.Huey Lewis and theNews bring the "Sports"30th Anniversary Tour toWente on Tues., July 16.Counting Crows and theWallflowers perform Wed.,July 17.An Evening with Chicagois set for Mon., Aug. 5.August 19 will featureChris Botti.REO Speedwagon concludesthe season on Thurs.,Sept. 12.Concerts are performedat Wente Vineyards, 5050Arroyo Road, Livermore.For ticket information,go to www.wentevineyards.comTVAR to Participate in PetAdoption DaysTri-Valley Animal Rescue will once again participate inthe fourth annual Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days on June 1& 2, 2013. TVAR will be at two locations: Stoneridge Mallin Pleasanton and PetSmart in Dublin.More than 200 shelters and rescue groups from eight communitiesacross the nation will participate in the adoptionevent, which will place thousands of pets into their foreverhomes. Maddie's® Pet Adoption Days is America's biggestfree pet adoption event.TVAR is a volunteer-based non-profit organization whosemission is to end the unnecessary euthanasia of homelessanimals. Last year alone, TVAR helped over 1000 animalsget adopted into homes in the community.For more information please go to www.TVAR.org

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 7"Gas" (colored pencil)and jersey by KarenBarry; "Rolling Along"(oil painting) by BetteGoosman.DisplayFocuses onBicyclesPhoto - Doug JorgensenTri-Valley Socks held the annual Bras for the Cause walk and fundraiser over theweekend. Walkers raise money in pledges to help end breast cancer through researchand education. The downtown Pleasanton event raised money for the UCSF HelenDiller Family Comprehensive Cancer Program’s Breast Oncology Program (BOP),Axis Community Health, ValleyCare Breast Cancer Services, and HERS BreastCancer Foundation.A display of art, photographsand poetry about bicyclesand bicycling will beon display May 11 throughJune 30 at Prudential CaliforniaRealty, 1780 FirstStreet, Livermore, in theVine Cinema Plaza.The show, titled “EverythingBicycles,” wasorganized by Poet LaureateCher Wollard to celebrateLivermore’s role in the 2013Amgen Tour of California.A variety of paintings,colored-pencil drawingsand original shirt designs,as well as photographs andpoems by local artists andwriters, many depicting pastTour of California races, areincluded in the exhibition.The public is welcome toview the show during regularbusiness hours, Mondaythrough Friday, 9 a.m. to 5p.m., or by appointment withWollard, 925 824-4824 orcherw@cherw.com.East Bay Regional Park District and Local Officials Dig the Dirt May 1An extension of the IronHorse Trail in Pleasanton tolink the Dublin/PleasantonBART station with manylocal destinations was officiallystarted at a ceremonyheld May 1 on the KaiserPermanente campus in HaciendaBusiness Park.Pictured near Iron HorseRegional Trail are (fromleft): Beverly Lane, EBRPDBoard Member; Ayn Wieskamp,EBRPD BoardMember; Jack Bastida, Officeof Senator Ellen Corbett;Kristopher Kokotaylo,Office of Alameda CountySupervisor Nate Miley;Robert E. Doyle, EBRPDGeneral Manager; JerryThorne, Pleasanton MayorJohn McPartland, BARTDirector; Dawn P. Argula,Chief of Staff, Office ofAlameda County SupervisorScott Haggerty; Dick Quigley,Zone 7 Water AgencyBoard Member; ChristyStanker, Office of AssemblymemberJoan Buchanan;Josh Huber, Office of CongressmanEric Swalwell;Satinder S. Malhi, Office ofSenator Mark DeSaulnier;Don Biddle, Dublin ViceMayor; Karla Brown, PleasantonCouncilmember.“This 1.5 mile trail segmentis of extraordinaryvalue to the business communityand major employerslike Kaiser Permanenteand the other 4,000 workerslocated at Hacienda BusinessPark, said East Bayregional Park District DirectorAyn Wieskamp. “It isa significant investment inthe green transportation ofour community. And it is anexcellent example of localpublic agencies workingcollaboratively towards acommon goal.”The paved pedestrianand bicycle trail link providesa safe, non-motorizedroute for adults and kidsto travel between schools,homes, work and shopping.It is located primarilywithin the former SouthernPacific (SP) Railroad rightof-wayestablished in 1891and abandoned in 1977. In1998 a license agreementwas entered into by and betweenEBRPD and AlamedaCounty for the purpose ofconstructing a trail withinthis right-of-way.When completed, thetrail will offer a continuousmulti-use pathway extendingfrom Martinez on theCarquinez Strait to the SanJoaquin County line nearthe Altamont Pass. Thistrail is the second EBRPDproject funded by a $10MU.S. Department of TransportationTIGER II grant,hard-won with the supportof East Bay congressionalrepresentatives.

8 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013ART/PHOTO EXHIBITSLivermore Art Association Gallery,located in the Carnegie Building,offers art classes, unusual gifts,painting rentals, art exhibits andinformation pertaining to the artfield, 2155 Third St., Livermore. Thegallery has been open since 1974and is run as a co-op by local artists.Hours are Wed.-Sun. 11:30-4p.m. For information call 449-9927.Plants and Bicycle Wheels,Celebrate the importance of plantson our planet and their influence onnutrition, our lifestyles and sustainability.Local Livermore artists andchildren will celebrate the impact ofplants by decorating bicycle wheelswith creative plant themes. On May18th the wheels will be displayedby participating businesses indowntown Livermore along the pathof the Amgen Tour of California.Photographs of selected artworkwill be posted on the internationalFascination of Plants Day website(http://www.plantday12.eu/news.htm#01-13).Art Happens, 2nd Thursday of eachmonth, 6 to 9 p.m. DowntownLivermore. Art displays, poetry,entertainment, special events. Forthe brochure go to www.bothwellartscenter.org.Seasons of the Valley, an exhibitof the art of Bettie Goosman isdisplayed at The Purple OrchidInn, 4549 Cross Rd., Livermore tothe end of June. Art can be vieweddaily from 8am. to 6pm. For moreinformation call (925) 606-8855.Imagination Expressed, PleasantonArt League show at Museum onMain, Pleasanton. April 9 throughJune 10. www.PAL-ART.com.Fresh Works III: Annual Open JuriedExhibit. Harrington Gallery atthe Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Avenue, Pleasanton.Admission is free, donations appreciated.Works from 73 establishedand emerging artists using a varietyof media are on display throughSaturday, May 25. Gallery hours:Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from12-5pm; Saturday 11 a.m. to 1p.m.Angela Johal Exhibit at theFigurehead Gallery. "Emanations"explores the life of the “NuclearWoman” that incorporates original60s vintage images and mixedmedia. They are reflective of herlife growing up in a time when therole of the woman was definedby a male-dominated society.Figurehead Gallery is located inthe Old Theater Mall, 2222 2nd St.Livermore. Please visit figureheadgallery.comfor more information.The exhibit may be viewed Wed-Sat12pm-6pm until June 2nd.Exhibit, Cuda Ridge Wines, LouiseGray's colorful abstract art ondisplay through June 30. CudaRidge Winery is located at 5385East Avenue in Livermore.Art in the Vineyard, Livermore ArtAssociation Show at Wente VineyardEstate Winery and Tasting Room,5565 Tesla Rd. Livermore; SundayMay 26, 2013, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.. Art show, demonstrations,entertainment, wine tasting.Gallery on the Green, new art showhosted by Pleasanton Art League.10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 8, WenteVineyards Event Center, 5050 ArroyoRd., Livermore.The Contemporary Landscape, June7 through July 19, 2013. HarringtonGallery, Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. Receptionwith artists, 7 to 9 p.m. Wed.,June 12. www.firehousearts.org.MEETINGS/CLASSESPleasanton Art League, LivermoreArt Association, meeting 7:30 p.m.Mon., May 20, Cultural Arts Building,4455 Black Ave., Pleasanton.Engela Olivier-Wilson will present ademonstration on how to create arepresentation painting of a Californiapoppy fast and accurately usingoils. No admission charge.Ukulele Circle in May, May 25th.Sessions are 2nd and last Saturdayof each month from 12noon-1pm at Galina’s Music Studiolocated at 2222 Second St., Suite 2,Livermore. Confirm participation bycalling (925) 960-1194 or via thewebsite at www.GalinasMusicStudio.com.Beginners are welcome.Bring some music to share withthe group. Ukuleles are availablefor purchase. Small $5 fee to covermeeting costs.Fine Art on Friday, 10 a.m. withArt Critique & Coffee at theCorner Bakery Cafe, PleasantonGateway Plaza. Professional,Local and Emerging Artists of theSan Francisco Bay Area. ContactClaudette for more information 510543-4776.Figure Drawing Workshop, everyFriday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Artists bring their own materialsand easels. Open to all artists.Professional artist models (nude).No instructor. Students under 18need written parental permissionto attend. Cost $20 per session.Bothwell Arts Center, 2466 8th St.,Livermore. Coffee, tea and refreshmentsare available. Call or e-mailBarbara Stanton for more info aboutthe workshop, 925-373-9638 -microangelo@earthlink.net.Preschool Art classes: Thursdaymornings 9:45 – 10:45. Childrenaged 3-5 are welcome to join thisclass. Classes cover drawing,painting, print-making, sculptureand ceramics. For further informationplease contact ThomasinDewhurst at (925) 216-7231 orthomasin_d@hotmail.com or visithttp://childrensartclassesprojects.blogspot.com/Art Classes, For children, teens andadults. Beginner to advanced.Drawing, painting, printmaking,sculpture and ceramics taught byhighly experienced artist and artinstructor, Thomasin Dewhurst.Weekday and weekend classes,Homeschool classes, Specialclasses during school breaksoffered. Please phone (925)216-7231 or email thomasin_d@hotmail.com for further info.Piano and keyboard lessons, Forchildren to adult. Beginner to earlyintermediate level. Half-hour privateclasses or small group classesoffered. Twice-yearly recitals.Please phone (925) 216-7231 oremail thomasin_d@hotmail.comfor further info.PPL/Pleasanton Poetry League,now meeting the 1st Thursday and3rd Wednesday of each month7:00 at The Corner Bakery Cafe inPleasanton. Join us as we challengeourselves to poetically relay ourthoughts, emotions and experiencesthrough poetry. Become a member& share your work - Contact Poetry-OnCanvas@Mac.Com for more infoon Theme Challenges, Membership& Opportunities.The Young Artists’ Studio hasopenings in its 2013 Summer Session.Artist Peggy Frank welcomesinterested students ages 7 throughhigh school to sign up for a weekor more of small group instructionin art. Projects include all kinds ofdrawing, painting, printmaking andsculpture. High school studentsworking on advanced portfolios arewelcome. Peggy has been workingwith young artists in the LivermoreValley since 1980. For informationabout the summer art program orschool year lessons contact her at(925) 443-8755 or email frank.a@comcast.net.WINERY EVENTSLas Positas Vineyards, 1828 WetmoreRd., Livermore.Evening at theVineyards, May 17, Live music byJesse Hendricks, dancing, individualPizzetta and glass of wine. Ticketsare $30 for general public and $25for Wine Club members. For moreinformation or to make a reservationcall 925-449-9463 or visit ourwebsite at www.laspositasvineyards.com.Live Music, The Winemaker's PourHouse, 2241 First St., Livermore,215-2656. www.winemakerspourhouse.com.May 16, 6:30-9:30p.m., Tumble Down House; May 17,7-10 p.m., James Nagel; May 18,7-10 p.m., Northern Static; May19, 4-7 p.m., Gave Duffin; May 22,6:30-9 p.m., Erika Gersten; May 23,6:30-8:30 p.m., BoSco Duo; May24, 7-10 p.m., Amber McDonald;May 25, 7-10 p.m., Papa's Garage;May 26, 5-8 p.m., Jimmy Ashley;May 30, 6:30-9 p.m., Jack Quigley;May 31, 7-10 p.m., Joey T.First Family of Chardonnay CelebrationDinner, Wente Vineyards,May 23, 6 to 9 p.m. hosted byfourth generation winegrower PhilipWente. Sample pairing of Chardonnayand wine country cuisine.Indulge in four courses paired withWente Vineyards Chardonnays.$89 for Club Wente members,$109 nonmembers. Information,456-2405.Wine Wednesdays, Livermore Valleywineries will be hosting "WineWednesdays" each Wednesdaythrough October. One featuredwinery will be open from 5 to 8 p.m.to help guests "wine-down" fromthe work week or just grab a tasteof wine before going out to dinner inthe Tri-Valley. Check for the winerylistings at www.lvwine.org.McGrail Vineyards and Winery, ReleaseParty Celebration, noon-4:30p.m. Sat., May 18, special tastingmenu with 2 newest Cabernets:Clone 8 and Clone 15. Live musicby Anthem Rocks, Olive Oil Tastingby Om Oliva, and Local HoneyTasting by Geraldz Honeybeez.Brustrokes and Wine Notes,painting class, 11-2, Sat., May 25,Tickets are $50. Please purchasetickets at www.brushstrokesandwinenotes.com.5600 GreenvilleRd., Livermore. 215-0717.Murrieta's Well, wine component andfood pairing, array of mustands andmarinades paired with Murrieta'sWell wine. Presented by Sommelier,Dylan Arriaza with food by VinX.6:30 p.m. Thurs., May 16, $20Silver Spur members; $30 nonmembers.Reservations, 456-2395.Murrieta's Well Tasting Room, 3005Mines Road, Livermore.Sunset Sip and Shop at LivermorePremium Outlets, 5 to 8 p.m.Thurs., May 16. $16 per personincludes: 16 - 1oz tastes, a LivermoreValley Wine Country glass andevent program. For tickets and moreinformation, please visit LVwine.org.Participating wineries: ConcannonVineyard, Garre Vineyard andWinery, Las Positas Vineyards, LittleValley Winery, Murrieta's Well, NottinghamCellars, Occasio Winery,Stony Ridge Winery, Tamas Estates,White Crane Winery, WestoverVineyards, Wente Vineyards.The Wine Girls and Friends hostingPaint the Patio Purple, on May24th at 5:30 at The Steven KentWinery, 2443 Tesla Rd, Livermore.This is a dinner event and raffle ofLivermore Wine Country basketsand much more. Pre-sale ticketsare $20, which includes dinner anda glass of wine. Additional wine,soda and water will be availablefor purchase. Guests will rock outto music by the QuickFixx Band.Benefit for the American CancerSociety and Relay for Life. Ticketsare limited to the first 100 guests.Please contact Susie Gazzuolo atsgazzuolo@yahoo.com or contactCindy T at cindy@stevenkent.comin the Steven Kent Winery tastingroom.Dog Day Afternoon, Saturday, June1, 12:00 - 4:00pm; enjoy Dog DayAfternoon at the Estate Winery withyour four-legged, furry friend. Winesavailable by the glass and bottle.No fee for event entry. For informationcall 925-456-2305. WenteVineyards Estate Winery & TastingRoom, 5565 Tesla Road, Livermore.MUSIC/CONCERTSMusic every Saturday in the tastingroom from 12 to 4; open every dayif the gate is open and for sure onFridays, Saturdays and Sundays11 to 5. Red Feather Winery,5700 Greenville Rd., Livermore.Information at 449-1871 or www.redfeatherwinery.comBlacksmith Square, music everySaturday 3 to 6 p.m. in the courtyard,21 South Livermore Ave.,Livermore.Tri-Valley Medieval and RenaissanceCollegium playingsession for amateur musicians,Peter Maund, director. Mondays7:30–9:30 p.m. 7600 Dublin Blvd.,suite 370, Dublin. $25. Informationcollegium2011@gmail.com or925-424-1209 or 925-984-4395Chris Bradley's Jazz Band appearsregularly at: The CastleRock Restaurant in Livermore/on Portola Avenue-- the 2nd and4th Tuesday each month.. from7:30-9:30--Dance floor, full bar,small cover.Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m.Thurs., May 16, Barbara MertesCenter for the Arts, Las PositasCollege, 3000 Campus Hill Dr.,Livermore. 424-1100.John Hammond, May 17, 8 p.m.Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Livermore-Amador Symphony joinedby Valley Concert Chorale andPacific Masterworks Chorus, May18, 8 p.m. Ode to a Joyous 50thSeason. Bankhead Theater, 2400First St., Livermore. 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Jazz Night Concert, vocal andinstrumental, 8 p.m. Sat., May 18,Barbara Mertes Center for the Arts,Las Positas College, 3000 CampusHill Dr., Livermore. 424-1100.Swingin’ Blue Stars of the USS Hornet,Memorial Day show, May 26,2 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org or 931-4848.Juice Newton, “American Girl” and“Angel of the Morning” artist bringsher trio show to the Firehouse ArtsCenter on Friday, May 31, at 8:00p.m. Winner of the Grammy forBest Pop Female, the Academyof Country Music’s New FemaleVocalist of the Year, and a People’sChoice Award, Juice Newton hasstrings of top-10 hits that just keepon coming. Firehouse Arts Center,4444 Railroad Avenue in downtownPleasanton. Tickets $40-$50, withgroup discounts available. Ticketsavailable at www.firehousearts.org,925-931-4848, or at the Box Officeat the center.Pete Escovedo and his Latin JazzOrchestra, June 1, 7:30 p.m.Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org, 373-6800.Stars of Tomorrow Harp Competition,winner’s recital, June 2, 2p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org or 931-4848.Jane Monheit, jazz and cabaret, June5, 7:30 p.m. Bankhead Theater,2400 First St., Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org, 373-6800.The Quebe Sisters Band, Texas fiddlewith three-part harmony, June 7, 8p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 FirstSt., Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.orgor 373-6800.Don Edwards, June 8, 8 p.m.Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Broadway Star of ‘Wicked’ DavidBurnham, June 8, 8 p.m. FirehouseArts Center, 4444 RailroadAve., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.orgor 931-4848.Pavlo, Canadian guitar master,June 28 8 p.m. Bankhead Theater,2400 First St., Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Led Zeppelin Concert Experience,West Coast PerformingArts Presenters, June 29, 8 p.m.Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Martina McBride, 27th season ofThe Concerts at Wente Vineyards,Wed., June 26. Wente Vineyards,5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore. Forticket information, go to www.wentevineyards.comON THE STAGERequiem for a Heavyweight, Role

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 9Players Ensemble, April 26 - May18, 2013: Village Theatre, 233 FrontSt., Danville. $20-$28: www.villagetheatreshows.com,or 925-314-3400; or the Community Center,420 Front St.Playwrights' Theatre, Eugene O’NeillFoundation, Tao House: Sun., May19, 3 p.m. Anton Chekhov's TheCherry Orchard, directed by GeorgeMaguire. Staged readings presentedin partnership with the NationalPark Service, in the Old Barn at TaoHouse, the Eugene O'Neill HistoricSite, Danville. Reservations: $25.www.eugeneoneill.org or 820-1818.Shuttle service to/from Tao Housefrom the Museum of the San RamonValley, 205 Railroad Ave, Danville.Ramayana, the ancient epic tale fromSouth-East Asia. Pleasanton CivicArts Stage Company, Friday, May17, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 18,7:30 p.m.; and 2 p.m. matineeson Saturdays and Sundays May11, 12, 18, 19. Tickets are $10,$15, $18; Child or Senior: $6, $9,$12. Tickets available at www.firehousearts.org, 925-931-4848,or at the Firehouse Arts CenterBox Office, 4444 Railroad Avenue,Pleasanton. Tickets are also availableat the Firehouse 2 hours priorto the performance.Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl, a luminousre-imagining of the myth of Orpheusthrough the eyes of his young brideEurydice. Thursday, May 16, 2013preview 8:00 p.m. Opening receptionMay 17. Runs through June 9,Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., June 1, 2 and8 p.m. and Sundays 2 p.m. DouglasMorrisson Theatre, 22311 N. ThirdSt., Hayward. (510) 881-6777;www.dmtonline.orgShakes at Swirl, LivermoreShakespeare Festival presents twoevents at Swirl on the Square, 21So. Livermore Ave. May 22, 5 to 7p.m., Gary Armagnac, director ofThe Taming of the Shrew, discussesconcept for the show. May 29, 5 to7 p.m. Actors Bill Wolak and SeanHiggins share stories about theircareers and Livermore Shakes2013. Each event $30 includestapas sampler and a glass of wine.RSVP to katie@livermoreshakes.org.Student One Acts, Black Box Theater,May 22, 12:30 p.m. and May 24,8 p.m. Barbara Mertes Centerfor the Arts, Las Positas College,3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore.424-1100.Amplified, a staged performanceand open mic event presented byPleasanton’s Teen Poet Laureates.Thursday, May 23, 6:00-8:00p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Avenue in downtownPleasanton. Performers includeThe Anchormen from Amador ValleyHigh School, poets from FoothillHigh School’s Teens for Literacy,members of AVHS Writers Bloc, improvisationartists from Creaturesof Impulse, and rappers Jay Kimand Jacob Kleinberg. Admission is$5 at the door. For more info, or tofind out how to participate, contactPleasanton Teen Poet LaureatesArany Uthayakumar, aranybarney@gmail.com,or Diana Fu,diana21.fu@gmail.com.Livermore Shakespeare Festivalpresents William Shakespeare’scomic look at the battle of the sexes,The Taming of the Shrew, andthe madcap comedy of manners,The Liar, adapted by David Ivesfrom a farce by Pierre Corneille.The productions play in repertoryJune 20 – July 21 under the starsat Concannon Vineyard. Tickets onsale at www.LivermoreShakes.orgor 1-800-838-3006. For more informationcall (925) 443-BARD.The Golden Follies with guest ChanteuseDarla Wiggington, 2 p.m. June23, Firehouse Arts Center, 4444Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org or 931-4848.Hamlet, San Francisco Shakespeare,Free Shakespeare in the Park,Amador Valley Community Park,corner of Black Avenue and SantaRita Rd., Pleasanton, June 29 toJuly 14, Saturdays and Sundays,7:30 p.m.MOVIESFree Classic Film Series, PleasantonPublic Library, 400 Old Bernal Avenue,1st Thursday of the month, 7p.m. through June 6, 2013. The programis hosted by Candy Klaschus,a film historian who coordinates theHumanities program at Las PositasCollege. The programs are free andall are welcome to attend. PennyJohnson at 925/931-3405.Bishop Ranch Outdoor Movie Night,Fri., June 21, dusk. 6111 BollingerCanyon Road (Bishop Ranch 1),San Ramon. Free summer screeningof Jurassic Park. No reservationsrequired. Note: To ensure thateveryone can see the screen, weask that those attending bring onlyblankets and low beach chairs.The evenings can be chilly in SanRamon – dress warmly.Picnic Flix, movies begin at dusk,approx. 8:30 p.m. Emerald GlenPark, Dublin. July 12: Madagascar3; Aug. 2, Angels in the Outfield;Aug. 23, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3.No pets please. 556-4500 for moreinformation.DANCEValley Dance Theatre, Ballet Master-Works, 7 p.m. Sat., May 25, 2 p.m.Sun., May 26, Bankhead Theater,2400 First St., Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Carolina Lugo’s & Carolé Acuña’sBallet Flamenco, 8 p.m. May25, Village Theatre, 233 Front St.,Danville. Adults $25, seniors $20,children and students w/ID $20.1-800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/329881.Information www.carolinalugo.comForest Fantasia Dance ChangesEverything, Livermore School ofDance, Junior, June 15, 11 a.m.and 3 p.m. Bankhead Theater,2400 First St., Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Dance Changes Everything, LivermoreSchool of Dance, jazz, June21 and 22, 7 and 2 p.m. BankheadTheater, 2400 First St., Livermore.www.bankheadtheater.org or373-6800.Sleeping Beauty with a Twist,Livermore School of Dance Ballet,June 22 and 23, 7 and 2 p.m.Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St.,Livermore. www.bankheadtheater.org or 373-6800.Friday Evening Group Dance! Learnhow to dance with great instructorsfrom It's All About Dancing, newdance every week from Salsa,Tango, Swing and more. Grouplesson starts at 7:30, followed byopen dance until 9:45 in our newlocation at the Bothwell Arts Center,2466 8th St., Livermore; 925-449-9292. $15.AUDITIONS/COMPETITIONSAuditions, 50th anniversary, ValleyConcert Chorale, schedulingappointments for auditions forsingers. Mon., May 13 and 20and Mon., June 3. Auditions andrehearsals are held at the FirstPresbyterian Church of Livermore.The church is located at 2020Fifth Street. The Chorale is seekingexperienced singers with sightreadingskills who enjoy singingexciting and challenging music. TheChorale performs a wide varietyof music ranging from classicalto contemporary, and folk to jazz.To schedule an appointment, call(925) 462-4205.Auditions, The Foreigner, Tri-ValleyRepertory Theatre; June 9, 1 to 3p.m. with callbacks by invitation,June 16. 1020 Serpentine Lane,Suite 101, Pleasanton. Prepare a2 minute comedic monologue; coldreadings from the script may berequested. For an appointment, call462-2121 and leave a messageor email kbreedveld@trivalleyrep.com. Performances will be August17-25 at the Firehouse Arts Centerin Pleasanton.All aboard Noah’s ark! Callingall children and youth to singand dance under the rainbow inBenjamin Britten’s children’s opera,“Noah’s Flood.” The call is out forall creatures great and small toattend a two-week opera camp,July 1-12, and then sail awaywith Mr. and Mrs. Noah on theArk. “Noah’s Flood” will have twopublic performances: July 13 at St.Bartholomew’s Church in Livermoreand July 14 at St. Clare’s Churchin Pleasanton. The opera, recentlyfeatured in the hit movie “MoonriseKingdom,” will be co-producedby Cantabella Children’s Chorusand St. Bartholomew’s EpiscopalChurch. For more informationand to register for the camp, callCantabella at (925) 292-2663,or visit the online registration sitehttp://cantabella.org/opera-camp/.No experience needed. Financialassistance is available.CHORALBlackhawk Chorus, performs Bestof Contemporary Broadway musicfrom Les Miserables, Wicked, JerseyBoys, Lion King, Spamalot andmore. May 19, 3 p.m. BankheadTheater, 2400 First St., Livermore.www.bankheadtheater.org. 373-6800.OPERALivermore Valley Opera Presents aPassionate Afternoon, May 25, 2p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, www.firehousearts.org or 931-4848.A Grand Opera Afternoon, featuringopera, wine and food June 2, 3 to5:30 p.m. Soiree Series hostedby Livermore Valley Opera. RusticMediterranean-style setting.Attendance limited to 90 people.Reservations and information atwww.livermorevalleyopera.com.MISCELLANEOUSPolitical Issues Book Club meetsthe 4 th Tuesday of each month,and reads books about issues andtrends that are driving currentaffairs in both the national andinternational arenas. Topics thathave been covered include politics,governance, economics, military affairs,history, sociology, science, theclimate, and religion. Contact Richat 872-7923, for further questionsWe’re Talkin’ Books! Club is amember-centered book group ledby a small group of book club veterans,with reading selections basedon member recommendations andconsensus. No homework required–share your insights or just listen in!Contact Susan at 337-1282 regardingthe We’re Talkin’ Books! Club.8th annual Hidden Gardens of theValley Tour, May 19, 2013. ValleyHumane Society’s self-guided tourof gardens in Pleasanton. www.valleyhumane.orgAnnual Auction and Dinner, LivermoreHeritage Guild, May 25, DuarteGarage, Portola and L Streets,Livermore. Preview 5 p.m., dinner6 p.m., auction at 7 p.m. Auction isfree and open to the public. Dinner$15. Tickets to the dinner availableat 449-9927, History Center, 3rdand J Sts., Livermore.Spring Antiques and CollectiblesFaire, Main Street, DowntownPleasanton, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May26. www.pleasantondowntown.netSan Ramon Art & Wind Festival,Sunday and Monday, May 26 and27, 2013 in San Ramon’s CentralPark, 12501 Alcosta Blvd. from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Festivalfeatures professional kite flyingdemonstrations, arts & craftsbooths, entertainment on 3 stages,puppet shows, two large kids’activity areas, food booths by localnon-profits and more. The festivalalso includes an early morning hotair balloon launch on May 27th at6 a.m. (weather dependent). Formore information, call the City ofSan Ramon Parks and CommunityServices Department at (925) 973-3200 or check out the website atwww.ArtandWind.comWings of Freedom Tour, May 26, 27and 28 at the Livermore Airport.The Collings Foundation’s LivingHistory Display of Aircraft includesBoeing B-17 ‘Flying Fortress,’Consolidated B-24 ‘Liberator,’ andNorth American P-51C ‘Mustang.’’Visitors are invited to tour theaircraft inside and out for a $12donation for adults and $6 forchildren under 12. World War IIveterans are free. Thirty-minuteflight experiences are available fora tax-deductible donation. Flightson either the B-17 or B-24 are$425 per person. P-51 flights are$2,200 for a ½ hour and $3,200 fora full hour. For reservations andinformation on flight experiences,call 800-568-8924. Livermore Airport,636 Terminal Circle adjacentto the control tower. Ground toursand display will be from 12 p.m.to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 26; from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday andTuesday, May 27 and 28. Flightexperiences are scheduled beforeand after the ground tours. May 26Big Band of Rossmoor” will performduring the afternoon. Locally basedaircraft will be on display Monday,May 28. They include: AT-6s/SNJs/Harvard, T-28s, P-51s, P-40, and aYak 18. Military vehicles of the erawill also be on display. Historicalphotographs and memorabilia willbe displayed. All of this is no extracharge. For further information callKevin Ryan 925.216.4371.Chili Shooters Stampede, June 1, 11a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown Livermore.Taste chili created by downtownrestaurants. www.LivermoreDowntown.com1st Wednesday Street Party, Jumpinto Summer, June 5, 6 to 9 p.m.,downtown Pleasanton, PleasantonDowntown Association, (925) 484-2199, www.pleasantondowntown.netFirehouse First Fridays OpenHouse, June 7, July 5 and Aug. 2,5 to 7 p.m. Activities range fromOpen Mic in the Firehouse Theater,the show in the Harrington ArtGallery to a hands-on art projectfor the kids. Free event. Open to allages. Fireshoue Arts Center, 4444Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org.Livermore Rodeo Parade, 10 a.m.in downtown Livermore, SecondStreet. June 8.95th Annual Livermore Rodeo, June8 and 9 Robertson Park Stadium,www.livermorerodeo.orgAn Evening with Voices from theCivil War, Tues., June 11, 7 p.m.Museum on Main Ed Kinney Lectureseries, Brother and sister performingteam, Ethan and Alyssa Fosterreturn to represent opposing sidesof the American Civil War. FirehouseArts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave.,Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org.Bonsai Show, Valley Bonsai Society5th annual show June 15-16, AldenLane Nursery, 981 Alden Lane,Livermore, 10am to 4pm. Experton hand to demonstrate styling.Finished tree will be raffled.Alameda County Fair, June 20-July18, live horse racing, carnival rides,entertainment, exhibits, animals,etc. Alameda County Fairgrounds,Pleasanton, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

12 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013ValleyCare Receives Gold Plus Achievement AwardValleyCare Health Systemhas received the 2013Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold PlusQuality Achievement Awardfrom the American HeartAssociation for its excellencein the treatment ofpatients with heart failure.This award is given onlyto hospitals that achieve 85percent or higher adherenceSenior Solutions celebratedits 18th year anniversaryin April with the sameowner, same managementand same location here inLivermore.Local resident and ownerJoanne Foy, RN JD, hasresided in Livermore for 25years and commented on theSenior Solutions position inproviding superior servicesfor seniors seeking a widearray of assistance to meettheir personal needs, “TheTri-Valley is a microcosmfor all the changes occurringin the health care system.to all Get With The Guidelines-HeartFailure Achievementindicators for two ormore consecutive 12-monthintervals and have achieved75 percent or higher compliancewith five or more GetWith The Guidelines-HeartFailure Quality Measuresto improve quality of patientcare and outcomes."ValleyCare is dedicatedto being among the top hospitalsnationwide in the careof heart failure patients,”says ValleyCare Chief OperatingOfficer Cindy Noonan.“Implementing the AmericanHeart Association’s GetWith The Guidelines–HeartFailure program is helpingus accomplish this goal bymaking it easier for ourprofessionals to improve the18th Year of Compassionate Care CelebratedWith the increased growthin assisted living care facilitiesit is reassuring to knowthat Senior Solutions hasbuilt a reputation that complimentsthese services byoffering alternative options.In addition to our in-homemedical care, financial andlegal services we want toremind people that our careincludes unique access to a‘Concierge Nurse’."This concept and serviceis on the cutting edge ofwhat is considered 5 StarHealthcare. We are proud tobe the only Private HomeCare provider to offer theexclusive concierge nurseservice.”Senior Solutions providescompassionate, affordablecare delivered byprofessionals including accessto a Concierge RegisteredNurse for all phases ofsenior healthcare needs. Forinformaion on any servicesprovided by Senior Solutionsplease call (925) 443-3101 or visit the websitewww.seniorsolutionsinc.com.Visit Tri-Valley Hires New PresidentVisit Tri-Valley has announcedthe hiring of BarbaraSteinfeld as President.She replaces Grant Raeside,who stepped down last September.Steinfeld joins Tri-Valleyafter spending the last 16years at Travel Portland,where she was the VicePresident of Tourism Sales.Prior to joining the Portlandtourism organization, Steinfeldworked as the InternationalTourism Manager atthe Tampa Bay Convention& Visitors Bureau for eightyears.“We are very excited towelcome Barbara Steinfeldas our new president,” saidFaye Cater, Chair of thetourism bureau board. “Shehas a vast and extensivetourism background and is agreat addition to our team.”Currently Steingeld ischair of the US Travel Association’sDestination Counciland is the past chair of theCultural & Heritage TourismAlliance, of which she is aco-founder. “I am very excitedto lead the team at theTri-Valley Tourism Bureau,”said Steinfeld. “I look forwardto getting to know eachof the cities and promotingthis beautiful region.”Steinfeld joined the Tri-Valley Tourism Bureau onApril 8.long-term outcome for ourpatients,”Get With The Guidelines–HeartFailure helpsValleyCare’s staff developand implement acute andsecondary prevention guidelineprocesses. The programprovides hospitals with aweb-based patient managementtool, decision support,robust registry, real-timebenchmarking capabilitiesand other performance improvementmethodologiestoward the goal of enhancingpatient outcomes andsaving lives.This high-tech, evidencebasedapproach enablesValleyCare Health Systemto improve the quality ofcare it provides heart failurepatients, save lives andultimately, reduce healthcarecosts by avoiding re-hospitalization.Two Las Positas Collegestudents have won prestigiousnational honors andassociated scholarships.Alaina Schofield, a residentof Berkeley, has beenselected to receive a JackKent Cooke FoundationUndergraduate TransferScholarship. She is one ofonly 73 Scholars nationwideselected this year to receivethe award. The scholarshipassociated with the awardis for up to $30,000 per yearfor the final two to threeyears necessary to achieveLivermore Fusion SC held its first ever family bingonight in Livermore. More than 160 people showed upranging from 4 years to 84. Eachw inner chose from anarray of gift baskets donated by Fusion teams. FusionSC's fundraising director Catherine Christian organizedand emceed the event. Ben Graham was the bingocaller. In the photo, the Fusion U14 girls cheer on theirteammate as she claims her bingo.Las Positas Students Win National Honorsa bachelor's degree. It is intendedto cover a significantshare of the student's educationalexpenses.A Las Positas Collegestudent from Tracy, KrisAdhikari has been selectedas a member of the All-USA Community CollegeAcademic Team and a NewCentury Scholar. The toptwenty applicants from theentire nation were chosenfor the ALL-USA AcademicTeam. Only fifty communitycollege students from theUnited States, along withstudents from Canada, andthe Federated States of Micronesiawere chosen as the2013 New Century Scholars.Kris will receive a totalscholarship of $4,500 for thetwo awards.The New Century Scholarsprogram and All-USACommunity College AcademicTeam are sponsoredby Follett Higher EducationGroup, Coca-Cola and arepresented by USA TODAYand Phi Theta Kappa InternationalHonor Society.