In a Nutshell ◆ Summer 2012

NNNNNOOOOO. 158. 158. 158. 158. 158 Community newsletter of the City of Walnut Creek Community newsletter of the City of Walnut Creek Community newsletter of the City of Walnut Creek Community newsletter of the City of Walnut Creek Community newsletter of the City of Walnut Creek SUMMER 2012SUMMER 2012SUMMER 2012SUMMER 2012SUMMER 2012

www.walnut-creek.org

Budget balanced,fiscal problemsstill looming

See KEYNOTE, Page 7

A tale of two soldiers for Memorial Day

Bob Tharratt, left, and Dick Ingraham willbe the Memorial Day keynote speakers.

Plastic or metal? Newmeters accept both

The City is on track to adopt abalanced operating budget for2012-14, but with the caveat that

serious shortfalls continue to lie ahead.Projected revenues can do little toaddress significant needs for maintainingroads, parks and other infrastructure orprovide for adequate investment ininformation technology. The Council met May 15 (after theNutshell went to press) to consider aproposed budget. They will meet againon June 5 and are expected to adopt a2012-14 Operating and Capital Budgetson June 19.

Closing the gapEntering the budget development

cycle, the City was looking at a two-year$2.1 million shortfall. That was before the recommendationto unfreeze a police lieutenant and apolice officer position, and increasefunding for Information Technologyneeds and emergency preparedness.

To close the gap, options included inthe proposed budget presented toCouncil on May 15 follow: ♦ Fee increases aligned to recover agreater portion of service costs; ♦ Service cuts, such as closing CityHall public counters one day a week; and ♦ New revenue, such as advertisingin parking garages and placing mobileretail kiosks in Liberty Bell Plaza. Those steps are expected to achieve abalanced operating budget for 2012-14,but do not address the City’s full capitalneeds.

See BUDGET, Back PageSee PARKING, Back Page

Parking in Walnut Creek got a littleeasier this spring with the installation

of 1,000 solar-powered meters that acceptcredit cards in addition to coins. The newmeters are among the first steps inimplementing an integrated ParkingManagement Plan. The goal of the plan is to makedowntown parking easier to find, whetherat the curb or in parking garages, and tomeet the needs of residents, downtownbusinesses and employees, and visitors.

Also in the works this summer isinstallation of on-street vehicle detectionsensors. These sensors will provideoccupancy data that will help guide parkingmanagement decisions; in addition, thesensors are capable of providing real-timedata that could be pushed out to smartphones and the City’s website in the future.

When Bob Tharratt and DickIngraham met for the first timeduring a dinner meeting at St.

Paul’s Episcopal Church, they beganexchanging personal stories the way newacquaintances often do. Soon, the subject of World War II cameup. Both men were veterans. “I told Bob I was 104th Infantry, and hesaid ‘Holy Cow, that was the outfit thatliberated me!’” says Dick. The two struck up a friendship thatremains to this day. On Monday, May 28,Bob and Dick will share their stories askeynote speakers at the City’s MemorialDay Ceremony. The event begins at 10a.m. at the Civic Park gazebo. Bob was an Army Air Force TechnicalSergeant flying over Nuremberg, Germanywhen his plane was hit by enemy fire inSeptember 1944. The crew prepared to bail out when Bobsaw that the top turret gunner waswounded. He made his way back to theinjured crewmember, got him out of theturret and into a parachute, and helped him

Summer 2012 ◆ In a Nutshellpage 2

Public MeetingsCity Council and allCommission meetingsare televised live andavailable on demand.

Here’s what’s happening

SummerSummerSummerSummerSummerhighlightshighlightshighlightshighlightshighlights(check cable listingsfor showtimes or goto walnutcreektv.org)

Walnut Creek TV is onComcast Channel 28(incorporated WC only),Rossmoor 26, AstoundChannel 29, and AT&TU-Verse Channel 99. Forstreaming video andprograms on demand,www.walnutcreektv.org.

Channel information

White HouseChronicle

The 6th annual Chevron Family TheatreFestival takes place Saturday, July 21 from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This exciting event will

feature more than two dozen professional familyperformances in the Lesher Center for the Arts’three theaters, lobbies and outside areas. Freeactivities and events will surround the Center,transforming the LCA and the plaza out front intoa day-long festival of fun, arts and entertainmentfor local families and visitors. Performances inside the Lesher Center’s threetheaters are just $5 per person, run 45-60 minutesand are appropriate for all ages. Among theperennial favorites will be Leslie Carrara and herbest friend Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street,right. For tickets, www.lesherartscenter.org or 925-943-SHOW..

Family Theatre Festival returns July 21

From Sesame Street to Walnut Creek: Leslie Carraraand her best friend Abby Cadabby at the LCA.

Art & Wine Festival June 2 & 3

On June 2 and 3, theWalnut Creek Chamberof Commerce & VisitorsBureau presents the31st annual Art & WineFestival, Flavors of theCreek, at Heather FarmPark. Admission is free,and so is parking at theShadelands office parkwith continuous freeshuttles (on-site parking is $8). Visit www.walnut-creek.com or call 925-934-2007.

Opera in the Park on June 24

Free learn-to-swim lessons for adultsTeam members and coaches from Walnut CreekMasters, a local chapter of United States MastersSwimming, are offering free swim lessons to non-swimming or novice adults who want to learn toswim. The goal of the new program, Swimming SavesLives, is to help adults enhance their water safetywith a unique approach developed by renownedWCM Head Coach Kerry O’Brien. The series of three, one-hour sessions will takeplace from 6 to 7 p.m. on August 27, 28 and 29.Contact Dave Skvarna at skvardc@yahoo.com forregistration information.

Free Festival Opera performance and family-friendly fair on Sunday, June 24 at Civic Park.Opera character mask-making for children, andlocal arts and crafts booths. Open seating on thelawn; bring a blanket and a picnic, but leave Fidoand glass containers at home. The Fair and seatingopen at 4 p.m., performance begins at 5 p.m.

Antiques show at Shadelands

The Walnut Creek Historical Society hosts thepopular Antiques and Collectibles Sale & Showfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 10. Admissionand parking are free; food and beverages will besold. Shadelands Ranch Museum, 2660 YgnacioValley Road. Call 925-935-7871.

Second Saturday Walks with Mayor

Join other community members the secondSaturday of each month for a walk through WalnutCreek led by the Mayor.Walks start at 10 a.m.and are usually donebefore noon. Planned forthis summer are:June 9, Shell Ridge OpenSpace; July 14, LindsayWildlife Museum to Acalanes Open Space;August 11, Rossmoor (open to all).Guides to each walk, along with instructions onwhere to meet, are available at www.walnut-creek.org/walks or call 925-943-5895.

• Succulent Terrariums – A Miniature Oasis 9 to11 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Learn how to constructand maintain different types of terrariums, andleave with a completed terrarium to enjoy. $35.• A Flower Garden in a Jiffy 9 to 10:30 a.m.Saturday, June 23. Learn to draw up plans for aflower garden that attracts beneficial insects andprovides beautiful bouquets. $20.• In the Fold – Recycled Paper Art, 9:30 to 11 a.m.Saturday, June 30. Use old magazines and greetingcards to make gifts, mobiles and decorated boxes.$15 adults, $5 for children over 10.

Gardens at Heather Farm workshops

A weekly news andpublic affairs programairing nationwide onPBS. Host LlewellynKing and a rotatingpanel of experts offerinsightful newsanalysis with a dashof dry humor.

May 28 -Memorial Day

Living Historyprograms featuringWalnut Creekveterans who servedin WWII and theKorean War will beaired repeatedlythroughout the day.

Creek Currents

Coming up in June,Ruby Lopez gets aroller skating lesson,from the cast ofXanadu. Plus,Brendan Moran joinsthe annual CreekClean-Up, hosted byFriends of the Creeks.

In a Nutshell ◆ Summer 2012 page 3

To commemorate the 150th anniver-sary of the Civil War, the WalnutCreek Library Foundation has

selected MichaelShaara’s novel TheKiller Angels for the2012 One City OneBook: Walnut CreekReads program. The winner of the1975 Pulitzer Prize forFiction, The KillerAngels tells the story ofthe three days of the Battle of Gettysburgthrough the eyes and thoughts of thevarious commanders of both armies. The book was selected in anticipationof the Walnut Creek Library’s hosting of adistinctive national traveling exhibit,Lincoln: The Constitution and the CivilWar, opening in Walnut Creek on Dec. 12. Read the book this summer and thenparticipate in various Walnut Creek Readsevents in September and October. Significantly, the community events willkick off on Tuesday, Sept. 11 with theexclusive West Coast appearance of JeffShaara, Michael Shaara’s son, who haswritten both a prequel (Gods and Gener-als) and sequel (The Last Full Measure) tothe book. Tickets go on sale June 4. Copies of The Killer Angels will beavailable at the public libraries, Rossmoorlibrary, or local bookstores starting June 4.More information is available on theWalnut Creek Library Foundation website,www.WCLibrary.org, or at the libraries.

Civil War novel is2012 ‘Walnut CreekReads’ selection

Center REP displaysits breadth of talent

with a wildly entertainingseason of performancesfor 2012-13. Kicking off the year isthe off-Broadway hitLucky Stiff, a musicalmurder-mystery farce,running Aug. 31- Oct. 7. Other productions are: Steve Martin’s TheUnderpants, a wild andcrazy satire, Oct. 19 - Nov.17. Status Update, theWorld Premiere of a comedy with music,Nov. 1 - 18. A Christmas Carol, an inspiring holidaytradition, Dec. 6 - 16. Old Wicked Songs, about the powerand bond of music, Feb. 1 - March 2.

Center REP’s lively 2012-13 season

Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit, March 29 - April 27. Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the NewWorld, winner of the Steinberg 2012 NewPlay award, April 25 - May 12. Sweet Charity, the multi-Tony award-winning musical, May 17 - June 22.

Gallery transformed into summer speedway

There is still time to register for Recre-ation summer camps. With weekly sessionsand over 30 summer camps to choose from,there’s something for everyone. Try LegoCamp, Crazy Chemistry or Carpentry. Summer also means time for watersafety. The City’s aquatics program offersswim lessons at Clarke Memorial SwimCenter and Larkey Swim Center. A newopen water swimming session for ages 15and over will be at Clarke on Aug. 18. Bothpools offer recreational swimming. Visit www.WalnutCreekRec.org.

Summer recipe: campsand swimming and fun!

“At first my daughter Sophie was a bitapprehensive,” recalls Denise Santorowhen asked about Arts, Adventures andAcademics (AAA) summer camp. “It wassomething new so she was timid, but shefound out that she really loved it.” Now in its 30th year, AAA is a uniquearts-based program for K-9 grade. Thispopular program offers half- and full-dayoptions with financial aid available. Children choose from a variety ofclasses in the morning, led by

enthusiastic professionals and theafternoon offers outdoor adventures. Sophie, now a third grader, found lotsto choose from. “She even took a cooking class,” saysDenise. “I think having such a largeselection of activities to pick and choosefrom was a good thing for her.” The program culminates with an openhouse on Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the AAAsummer camp, go to www.arts-ed.org.

Bedford Gallery presents Cardburg2012: The Super Track from June 10

to Aug. 12, featuring artist-designedremote-controlled cars and a custom builtracetrack made entirely out of recycledand repurposed materials. Gallery visitors will be able to race theirown cars, compete against friends, andexperience the thrill of racing. On Wednesday, June 20, BedfordGallery docents will offer a racecarbuilding workshop at the Gallery inconjunction with the Walnut CreekLibrary. First, kids can start with an hourof related activities at 2 p.m. in the library,including a hands-on workshop helpingthe library build a window cityscape.

Bonus! Library teams up withBedford on kids’ workshop

Cardburg 2012: The Super Track

Afterwards, parents and children canwalk over to the gallery for a free racecarbuilding workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. and freesame-day admission to the Gallery. Space is limited for the racecar buildingworkshop to 25 children. To register, callthe Bedford Gallery, 925-295-1417.

Arts, Adventures and Academics celebrates 30 years

Xanadu is on stage at the Lesher Center through June 23.Don’t miss this hilarious show on skates! Call 943-SHOW orvisit www.centerrep.org for individual or season tickets.

Summer 2012 ◆ In a Nutshellpage 4

New City Clerk for Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek residents are overwhelmingly satisfied withthe quality of life in their home town, and give highmarks to nearly all City services, according to a citizen

survey conducted in January. The survey was sent to 2,000 households selected at randomby the National Citizen Survey; 37 percent responded.The Cityalso used the National Citizen Survey in 2007, which gives theadvantage of being able to compare how residents feel todaywith how they felt during the economic boom years. And how do they feel? According to the survey responses,pretty darned good: ♦ 96 percent rated the quality of life in Walnut Creek asexcellent or good. ♦ 97 percent would recommend living in Walnut Creek tosomeone who asked. ♦ 93 percent plan to stay in Walnut Creek for the next 5 years.

A safe, clean community Safety ratings were virtually unchanged from 2007; with 97percent reporting feeling “very” or “somewhat” safe in theirneighborhoods and in the downtown during the daytime. Only 8 percent reported feeling “somewhat” or “very” unsafeafter dark in their neighborhood and in the downtown. Among the characteristics receiving the most favorable ratingswere the overall image or reputation of Walnut Creek, thecleanliness of Walnut Creek and shopping opportunities. The two characteristics receiving the least positive ratingswere traffic flow on major streets and the availability of affordablequality housing.

Rating services and those who provide them Libraries, parks and police services were among those servicesreceiving “excellent” or “good” ratings of 90 percent or better. City employees continue to excel in the eyes of the public,receiving a 90 percent “excellent” or “good” rating for knowledgeand an 89 percent “excellent” or “good” rating for courtesy. The survey also asked residents how important it was that theCity direct resources toward each of the six Council Goals usedas part of the City’s Priority Based Budgeting process. The goals are: A Safe Community; Arts, Recreation andLearning Opportunities; Economic Vitality; EffectiveTransportation and Mobility Options; Stewardship of the Natural

And the survey says: Lifein Walnut Creek is good

and Built Environment; and Strong Neighborhoods and a Senseof Community. All of the goals were rated as “essential” or “very important”by more than three-quarters of respondents, confirming thevalidity of the Council goals to the community. Conversely, noneof the goals was rated as “not at all important” by more than 1percent, considered statistically insignificant. Survey results are available on the City website, www.walnut-creek.org.

Citizens participating in the 2012 Citizen Survey rated Walnut Creekas an excellent place to raise children and to retire, a community forall ages. Proving that point (and enjoying one of the City’s highlyranked parks) is Harriet Chamberlain (standing, left) with grand-daughter Diane, and great-granchildren Kyla and Liam.

Deputy City Clerk Suzie Martinez, right,was promoted to City Clerk on April 13following a competitive recruitmentprocess. Martinez joined the City ofWalnut Creek in 2008. Previously, sheworked for the town of St. Helena. She has a bachelors’ degree in BusinessAdministration from California StateUniversity, Sacramento. In addition, sheearned her Certified Municipal Clerkdesignation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

SuzieMartinez

Suzie Martinez

In a Nutshell ◆ Summer 2012 page 5

Three significant pieces of public art are coming soon toWalnut Creek. First, two fountains on Main Street arebeing completely redone by

two separate artists workingindependently. Passersby may have noticed theframing already taking place in frontof the Mechanics Bank fountain.The artist working on the fountainin front of Wells Fargo will be onsite in late May or early June doingthe installation of that piece. Toward mid-summer, the Handof Peace, a 32-foot tall sculpture byrenowned sculptor BeniaminoBufano, will be installed at its newhome in Civic Park near the northentrance of the Walnut Creekdowntown library this summer. The monumental piece, utilizingcopper, mosaic and stained glass, isa preeminent example of post-warart. It was first purchased in 1967for $50,000 for the Quail Court Office Park. The sculpture was removed from its original home at QuailCourt in 2010 by Westlake Realty to be professionally restoredby Artworks, a Berkeley foundry. The Chang family, currentowners of the piece, has generously loaned it to the City for 25 years. The projects are paid for through developer contributions tothe Public Art In Lieu fund, not general tax dollars.

Summer means roadwork, and WalnutCreek is no exception. Several roadwayprojects in downtown Walnut Creek willbe done between June and September toimprove traffic signal operations androad infrastructure. Project areas are: ♦ Newell Avenue between Main Street and Maria Lane ♦ South California Boulevard between Botelho and Newell Also, a new sidewalk will be built between 1459 and 1479Newell Avenue to provide a continuous pedestrian path in anarea heavily used by Kaiser employees, patients and visitors.

Buena Vista sidewalk installationThe City has received a State Grant through the Safe Route toSchool program and will be applying this toward the Buena VistaAvenue and Parkside Intersection Safe Route to School Project. The project includes installation of a new sidewalk to closesidewalk gaps near the intersection of Buena Vista Avenue andParkside Drive. This will create a continuous sidewalk connectingthe residential areas in northwest Walnut Creek to schools,churches, public transit and downtown Walnut Creek. Prior to the start date of each project, message signs will beposted alerting drivers to the upcoming work. For more information, visit the City’s website, or contactEngineer Alex Wong, 925- 943-5899 ext 2239.

Roadwork alert!

Public art projects bringthe excitement outdoors

‘Hand of Peace’ byBeniamino Bufano will beinstalled in Civic Park.

New commissioners were welcomed, and outgoing commission-ers thanked, at a reception at the Bedford Gallery. The ArtsCommission has been restructured, and all five commission seatswere newly appointed. Above, from left are Carol Fowler, PollyBradbury, Joe Bologna, Glynnis Cowdery and Jane Emanuel. TheArts Commission guides implementation of the Public Artprogram and Public Art Master Plan.

Daphne Cothren (at left, withhusband Robert) wasappointed to a two-year termon the Design ReviewCommission. Also joining theDesign Review Commissionfor a four-year term is MarilynWeiss.

New Commissioners

Advisory Committee being formedfor West Downtown Specific Plan

The City Council is looking for two residents and onebusiness owner to serve on a Citizens Advisory Committee

that will create a draft West Downtown Specific Plan. The candidates must live or own a business within the planarea, which is generally bounded by the BART station to thenorth, Mt. Diablo Boulevard to the south, I-680 to the west, andCalifornia Boulevard to the east. The purpose of the Specific Plan is to plan for new homes andbusinesses between Mt. Diablo Blvd and the Walnut CreekBART station, preserve the Almond-Shuey neighborhood, andplan for ways to make it easier to walk and bike between theBART station and downtown. The first meeting of the West Downtown Specific Plan CitizensAdvisory Committee will be Tuesday, June 12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.at City Hall in the 3rd Floor Conference Room. There will be a total of seven meetings through December2013. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday, May. 24.The application is available at www.walnut-creek.org/westdowntown, or contact Andrew Smith in the PlanningDivision, 925-943-5899 ext. 2213, or via email at asmith@walnut-creek.org.

Summer 2012 ◆ In a Nutshellpage 6

The City’s Boundary Oak Golf Course is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Boundary Oak Golf Course has beenrecognized by Audubon International as acertified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

The Audubon Cooperative SanctuaryProgram for golf courses provides informa-tion and guidance to help courses pre-serve and enhance wildlife habitat andprotect natural resources.

To get such a certification, the coursehad to show a high degree of environmen-

tal quality in a number of areas, includingwildlife and habitat management, chemicaluse reduction and water conservation.

Boundary Oak is the 38th course inCalifornia and the 969th in the world toreceive the designation.

Boundary Oak Golf Course is owned bythe City of Walnut Creek. To learn more,visit www.playboundaryoak.com.

Floods are one of the most commonand widespread of all natural disasters.Walnut Creek is no exception. Floods in2002 and 2005 resulted in thousands ofdollars of flood damage to properties. TheNational Flood Insurance Program hasmapped the 100-year floodplain or SpecialFlood Hazard Area (SFHA) within WalnutCreek. Over 500 Walnut Creek propertiesare in the floodplain.

The City maintains the floodplain mapsand will determine whether a property iswithin or outside of the SFHA and providethe base flood elevation, if shown on the

Flood map information for Walnut Creekmap. This free service is provided tohomeowners, lending institutions, realestate agents, and insurance agents.

To find out if a property is in the SFHAcontact the Engineering Division at 925-943-5839. Additional information about therequirements for purchasing floodinsurance will also be provided.

The City also maintains copies ofElevation Certificates for new andsubstantially improved buildingsconstructed since 1991. ElevationCertificates may be reviewed at City Hall.

Insects and animals can make us sick.That’s why the Contra Costa Mosquito &Vector Control District has beenprotecting the people of Contra CostaCounty from insects and animals, alsoknown as vectors, since 1927. CCMVCD’s services have grown fromworking to prevent mosquito-borne illnessalone, to working to prevent discomfortand diseases that rats, mice, skunks,

Free protection from insects and animalsground-nesting yellowjackets, and tickscan inflict on people as well. The District provides inspections andadvice for controlling these vectors at nocost to residents - your tax dollars atwork. For more information or to requestservice for an issue involving the vectorslisted above, call 925-771-6184 or visitwww.ContraCostaMosquito.com.

Boundary Oak Golf Course recognizedfor environmental excellence

Heritage Day at Borges Ranch Walnut Creek history comes alive from11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16 as theCity celebrates Heritage Day at OldBorges Ranch. Step into the Carriage Barnfor movies from the Niles Essanay SilentMovie Museum and meet Borges familymembers in the historic 1901 RanchHouse. Local organizations will be onhand to share information on gardening,beekeeping, quilting, and spinning. Therewill be music and dancing and free ponyrides for children. Food will be availablefor purchase or bring your own picnicbasket. Park at Northgate High School; $5per family charge for the shuttle. Noparking is available on site except forvehicles with a placard. Contact RangerDan Bylin at 925-943-5899 ext. 2162.

Open Space eventsand adventures

The 4th annual Ancient Ways will beSaturday, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. atSugarloaf Open Space. Learn to toss theatlatl and rabbit stick, and take part ingames and native crafts designed for thewhole family. The event is free. No food isavailable, so bring a picnic basket.Questions? Call 925-943-5899 ext. 2665 oremail Weidman@walnut-creek.org.

Volunteer in the Open Space The Walnut Creek Open Space isrecruiting volunteers to assist Rangers.Volunteers are needed to work at OpenSpace sites, patrol trails, staff the historicsite and help to maintain trails. For moreinformation, contact Open SpaceSupervising Ranger Nancy Dollard, 925-943-5899 ext. 2135 or dollard@walnut-creek.org.

Ancient Ways event for theprimitive in all of us

In a Nutshell ◆ Summer 2012 page 7

=

Two WalnutCreekAquanuts

alumni are headedto London thissummer for the 2012Olympic Games.

Maria Korolevawill compete in theOlympic Duetcompetition withMary Killman, aformer Santa ClaraAquamaid. Koroleva trained with theWalnut Creek Aquanuts from 1999-2008.Fellow Aquanut alumni Caitlin Stewart isthe duet team alternate. The Olympicsbegin Aug. 5.

Since 1968, Aquanuts swimmers haveearned hundreds of National andInternational titles, as well as numerousOlympic medals. Currently under thedirection of former Olympian and HeadCoach Kim Probst, the team has won 90gold medals in National, Regional andAssociation competitions combined in thefirst four months of 2012 .

The 2012 Walnut Creek Aquanuts teamincludes 77 athletes ranging in age from 6-

Homegrown Olympians head for London

Former WalnutCreek AquanutMaria Koroleva

‘Celebration of Champions’The Aquanuts present “Celebration ofChampions,” an exhibition of all 2012competitive team routines, at the ClarkeMemorial Swim Center from 5:30 to7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Tickets are$15 at the door. www.aquanuts.org.

The Walnut Creek Aquanuts perform.

24, novices to Olympians. They train year-round, primarily at Clarke Memorial SwimCenter at Heather Farm Park, but also atLarkey Pool and Diablo Valley College .

bail out. Only then did he retrieve his ownparachute and jump from the crippledplane. Bob and the rest of the crew werecaptured and held for eight months.During his last four months as a POW, Bobwas force-marched through Germany. Hewas liberated on April 26, 1945, and movedto Walnut Creek in 1949 with his wifeJeane. Bob was awarded the DistinguishedFlying Cross and POW Medal in 2000. Dick joined the Army in February 1943and was selected for the Army SpecializedTraining Program, which offered a commis-sion and accelerated college education.But that plan went by the wayside with theimpending D-Day invasion. The Armydiscontinued the specialized trainingprogram and dispersed the bulk of thecadets, including Dick, to Infantry units tosupport the invasion. Dick was assigned to the 104th InfantryDivision, and landed in Cherbourg, Francein September 1944. The Division pushed

into Belgium and Holland before enteringGermany. They met elements of theRussian Army on the Elbe River. It wasthere that Bob Tharratt was liberated bythe 415th Regiment of the 104th InfantryDivision. Dick was discharged as a Sergeant onDec. 13, 1945 and moved to Walnut Creekin 1961. His wife Sally is a Walnut Creeknative. Since meeting at St. Paul’s some 15years ago, Bob and Dick became friends.They look forward to sharing their storiesat Walnut Creek’s Memorial Day ceremony. Other highlights of the Memorial DayCeremony include music by the WalnutCreek Concert Band under the direction ofHarvey Benstein. Chaplain Dwane Michael of John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System will give theinvocation and blessing, and the NationalGuard will present the colors and close theceremony with the traditional laying of thewreaths at the Veterans Memorial Plaza. North Broadway between Civic Driveand Lincoln Avenue will be closed duringthe ceremony.

Memorial Dayfrom page 1

Community non-profits, public schoolsand libraries, and other public agenciesare invited to submit a volunteer projectfor the 2012 Community Service Day, to beheld Saturday, Oct. 6. This is an excellent way to showcaseyour organization to a new audience ofvolunteers. Last year, more than 1,000 volunteersturned out to build, paint and plant atvarious locations around Walnut Creek,benefitting non-profits, schools, artsorganizations and open space. Two-thirds of the 1,000-plus peoplewho volunteered had no priorinvolvement with their project sponsor. All of the 42 project sponsors said theywould definitely host a CommunityService Day project again, based on theirpositive experience. Projects must be appropriate for arange of ages and abilities, and beaccomplished in about four hours. For guidelines and submittal form, goto www.walnut-creek.org/service. Projects must be submitted by Friday,June 29. Projects submitted early may beused in the initial volunteer publicity, sosubmit as soon as possible. Questions?Email ServiceDay@walnut-creek.org.

Community Service Daynow accepting projects

The First Tee 12-week summer sessionwill begin on Monday, June 4, at 4 p.m.Four-day summer camps will be offeredfrom 8 a.m. to noon the weeks of June 26-29, July 17-20 and August 14-17. The First Tee programs teach youngpeople life skills that allow them to facechallenges at home, school and play in aconstructive manner. For information, visitwww.thefirstteecontracosta.org or call 925-686-6262 ext. 0 and ask to speak to Angela. Adult volunteers are always welcome.Contact Jerry Hicks (jhicks@astound.net)if you would like to volunteer.

First Tee youth program atBoundary Oak Golf Course

Summer 2012 ◆ In a Nutshell

*

*****ECRWSS**POSTAL CUSTOMER

1666 North Main StreetWalnut Creek, CA 94596

NutshellIN APRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

WALNUT CREEK CAPERMIT # 282Published quarterly and mailed to

Walnut Creek residents and businesses

Editor:Gayle Vassar

Communications and Outreach Manager

We welcome your comments and questionsCall 943-5895 or vassar@walnut-creek.org

For past issues, go online at www.walnut-creek.org

CITY COUNCILBob Simmons, Mayor*Kish Rajan, Mayor pro temGary SkrelKristina LawsonCindy Silva

For appointment: Call 256-3504*

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICESLorie Tinfow, Director/Assistant City Manager

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTSandra Meyer, Director

ARTS, RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICESBarry Gordon, Director

POLICEJoel Bryden, Chief of Police

PUBLIC SERVICESHeather Ballenger, Director

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFCITY MANAGER

Ken NordhoffCITY ATTORNEY

Bryan WenterCITY CLERK

Suzie MartinezCITY TREASURER

Ronald Cassano

From page one

Continuing to reduce costs In addition to the changes describedabove, the City continues to look for waysto reduce employee costs. Steps takenover the past few years include: ♦ Reducing staff from the equivalent of392 full time employees in 2006-08 to 339.75. ♦ Contracting out for more services ♦ Implementing a lower “2nd tier”pension benefit for employees hired afterMarch 2012 with the least generous planallowed under the City’s retirement system ♦ Negotiating agreements with all non-safety employee groups to pay the fullemployee portion of pension costs andcontribute more toward their health care ♦ Increasing use of volunteers Negotiations with the two public safetyunions are in progress and any potentialchanges in their compensation are notreflected in the 2012-14 budget proposal.Police managers already agreed to pay 7percent of their 9 percent employeeportion of pension costs.

An uncertain future While the proposed operating budgetis balanced, it does not begin to addresssignificant funding shortfalls identified bythe Community Blue Ribbon Task Forceon Fiscal Health in the areas of

infrastructure replacement and informationtechnology investment. The City isunderfunding these needs byapproximately $4 to 5 million per year. While the City has some reserves thatcould cushion the negative impacts of asecond recession should one occur, orloss of funding by additional Stateactions, it remains vulnerable to larger orlonger term fiscal uncertainties. Other looming issues include the 2010expiration of the parcel tax that pays foradditional library hours; reserves from theparcel tax currently cover the cost of theadditional hours, but will run out by mid-2014. Regional water permit regulationspose an unfunded threat to City revenuesas well; a countywide Clean WaterInitiative that would have providedfunding was rejected by the voters May 7. Over the past four years, the City hassteadily reduced its total expenditures byshrinking the workforce, deliveringservices in different ways, and reducingemployee compensation. Service levelshave also been reduced over time butmost impacts are largely invisible to thetypical user of City services. As the Citylooks ahead, the challenges are likely tobecome more difficult and the impactsmore obvious to the community. For questions or comments about thebudget, contact Assistant City ManagerLorie Tinfow, tinfow@walnut-creek.org.

Budget

Karlan Larson of Traffic Operations tests anew solar-powered meters. The new metersaccept credit cards in addition to coins.

The Parking Management Plan containsmore than 25 action items, includingcreating a single point of contact withinthe City to manage parking issues. Assistant to the City Manager MattHuffaker was selected to fill that position,and is developing an electronic newsletterto communicate with interested parties onparking progress and updates.

Get the latest parking news!

Subscribe to the the WCpark e-newsletter by emailingWCpark@walnut-creek.org.

ParkingFrom page one