trivalley views 03.29.2010 - section 1

IN THIS ISSUE...Budget shortfall: Dublin projects a $4.6-million deficit for 2010-11 PAGE 4

Spring cleaning: Professional organizer gives tips on tackling clutter page PAGE 10

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Tri-Valley celebrates St. Pat’s Day PAGE 5

‘It s great to be Irish!’

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March 29, 2010 TriValley ViewsPage 2 March 29, 2010 TriValley Views

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TriValley Views March 29, 2010 TriValley Views March 29, 2010 Page 3

AROUND THE TRI-VALLEY

BY JEB BING

When my 14-year-old grandson Jordan Nally asked me to join him on

a YMCA trip to Sacramento, I envi-sioned rafting down the Sacramento River followed by a campfire supper and a sing-along. Was I surprised. This was a statewide Youth & Gov-ernment program that involved most of the YMCA organizations in California, including 28 high school students and three advisors from the Tri-Valley YMCA. As I walked to the Capitol and hotel meeting rooms, I found myself among 2,500 smartly dressed teenagers on their best be-havior, each carrying thick binders with a 46-page “Model Legislature & Court” program schedule. The boys wore suits and ties, and since this was a five-day conference, they had to know how to tie their own ties each morning, which was a first-time challenge for some. The girls were also dressed profession-ally. For everyone in this freshman to senior age group, the dress code for this convention was far different from the high school campuses they represented. The trip, under the direction of Kelly O’Lague Dulka, executive di-rector of the Tri-Valley Y, and Jeff At-wood and Tim Stier, program direc-tor and associate program director, respectively, culminated the model legislature and court program year for the Y. Its delegation along with the others participated using the ac-tual chambers of the State Supreme Court, Assembly and Senate to study and conduct mock state government work while producing a daily news-paper to cover all the developments. The Tri-Valley Y had been prepar-ing for six months for this confer-ence by attending weekly meetings and also by holding two prepara-tory conferences in central Califor-nia. The freshman division of Youth & Government is called Forum and several of the local Y’s ninth graders distinguished themselves. In a rigor-

ous political campaign, I’m proud to say that my grandson Jordan was elected Speaker of the Assem-bly, which made me glad I was on scene to cheer. Other local leaders who were also elected to key posts were Grant Bonham, chosen at Sen-ate Clerk; Vidya Awasty, Assembly Clerk; Madison Brinnon, Senator of the Year; Morgan Ingram, runner-up Senator of the Year; Dena Ben-ham, Editor-in-Chief of the Forum Press; and Edward Wang, Editor of the Forum Press. Albi Solana came home with the Y’s Political Action Committee (PAC) Team Award for his leadership and initiative as a lobbyist. At the weekly delegation meet-ings preceding this conference, each delegation was required to write at least one bill to take to Sac-ramento for the Senate and Assem-bly to debate. Annie Dulka (Kelly’s daughter), the Tri-Valley’s bill spon-sor, wrote and debated a bill that seeks to amend the elections code to allow a person that is defined as homeless to use a homeless shelter as their place of residency for the purpose of voting. Her bill quickly moved through the Assembly and went on to the Senate. Mind you, this was serious busi-ness. Besides the program, the California YMCA model legislature printed a thick booklet each day of the convention that listed 284 different bills that were written by individual Y organizations. Assem-bly Bill 120, for example, written by the Wilmington branch of the YMCA of metropolitan Los Ange-les, sought to amend regulations for provisional driver’s licenses. I was honored to be part of the “V.I.P.” luncheon. Held in the grand ballroom of the Hyatt Regency, the room was packed with YMCA sup-porters, legislators and sponsors. I sat with the Palo Alto delegation, which operates half a dozen Y’s on the Peninsula. Familiar with those Y’s and their swimming pools and large workout rooms, I couldn’t help but ask the Tri-Valley Y’s Dulka why we don’t have a big YMCA facil-ity here. I quickly found my name added to her donors’ list of those willing to help build one.

Teenagers shine at Youth & Government Day

ABOUT THE COVER Mayor Tim Sbranti (center) is flanked by other mem-bers of the Dublin City Council as he waves to crowds during the city’s an-nual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Shown are (from left to right) Councilwoman Kate Ann Scholz, standing on lower step; Councilman Don Biddle; Sbranti, and Councilman Kevin Hart. Photo by Jeb Bing.

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VIEWSTriValley

©2010 Embarcadero Media

ART & PRODUCTION

Lead DesignerTrina Cannon

DesignersLili CaoKristin Herman

Ad Services Sandy Lee

ADVERTISING

Advertising ManagerMary Hantos, Ext. 123Account Executives Paul Crawford, Ext. 113Karen Klein, Ext. 122

Real Estate SaleAndrea Heggelund, Ext. 110CIRCULATION MANAGERBob Lampkin

PUBLISHERGina Channell-Allen

EDITORIAL

EditorJeb Bing

Features EditorEmily West

TriValley Views and TriValleyViews.com are products of Embarcadero Media’s East Bay Division, which publishes Pleasanton Weekly, Danville Express and San Ramon Express

A special budget report re-viewed by the Dublin City Coun-cil shows declining future revenue projections and a reported budget shortfall of as much as $4.67 mil-lion in Fiscal Year 2010-11. City Manager Joni Pattillo re-ported that needs for essential city services continue to exceed revenues. She said the city has already had to utilize one-time economic uncertainty reserves to balance the current budget. “This growing deficit will affect our ability to maintain current levels of service to the community in the long term,” Pattillo said. The $4.67 million budget gap does not include more than $2 million in state takeaways from Dublin this year or any future state takeaways that are currently being discussed in Sacramento, Pattillo added. The city’s ongoing budget problems are primarily due to the lagging economy which has negatively impacted property and sales tax revenues, she explained. These two funding sources to-gether make up over 70 percent of the city’s operating revenues. In the last two years, Dublin’s sales tax revenues have rolled back to less than what was received in 2001 and property tax revenues per capita have decreased by 13 percent. “Many people don’t realize that the city is only allowed to keep 24 cents out of every property tax dollar and only 10 cents from every dollar collected in sales tax,” said Pattillo. “For its part, Dublin has already slashed mil-

lions in city operating expenses to address the budget gap in its previous year and current year budgets.” “However, the city cannot con-tinue to maintain current service levels without putting a substan-tial strain on emergency reserve funds,” she added. “Without ad-ditional revenue, the city will be forced to examine cuts in services.” “We are focused on trying to protect and maintain the services that the community relies on, such as the number of firefighters and paramedics needed to keep emergency response times short, saving lives,” Pattillo said. “While we want to protect and maintain our emergency responses times, the city can’t ignore the fact that more than half of Dublin’s operat-ing budget is comprised of costs relating to public safety and these budget areas must be examined.” “Dublin’s population includes a significant number of seniors who depend on the city having reliable emergency response services,” the city manager noted. “It would be devastating if we could not meet the needs of all of our families, including our senior population.” The City Council will be taking up the budget discussion again in April and will continue to get input from the community on its priorities for Dublin. “It is important we hear from residents on what types of ser-vices they want protected as we address these serious budget is-sues,” Pattillo said.

—Jeb Bing

March 29, 2010 TriValley Views

The Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (ACCMA) invites you to upcoming transportation workshops.

VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEET R A N S P O R T A T I O N W O R K S H O P S

The ACCMA is considering placing a local Vehicle Registration Fee on the November 2, 2010 ballot. This fee would help fund transportation improvements throughout Alameda County. The Vehicle Registration Fee could fund programs that:

■ Repair and maintain our local streets and roads.■ Make public transportation easier to use and more efficient.■ Make it easier to get to work or school, whether driving or using public transportation.■ Result in the reduction of pollution from cars and trucks.

For more information, or to be notified about the progress of this project, visit www.alamedacountyvrf.org or contact ACCMA at (510) 836-2560

Provide input on what programs this fee should fund at one of the following PUBLIC WORKSHOPS. All workshops will be held between 6:30 AND 8:30 P.M.

■ SAN LEANDRO: Thursday, March 18 Bay Fair Center Mall, 15555 East 14th Street■ FREMONT: Wednesday, March 31 Fremont Library, 2450 Stevenson Boulevard■ DUBLIN: Thursday, April 8 Dublin Library Community Room 200 Civic Plaza■ OAKLAND: Thursday, April 15 City of Oakland Hearing Room 3 One Frank H Ogawa Plaza

Dublin projects up to $4.6-million budget shortfall for 2010-11

State ‘takeaways’ and slowing economy taking their toll on city revenue

Despite a modest rise last month, Bay Area home sales continue to stagnate, according to the latest figures released today by San Di-ego-based real estate analysts MDA DataQuick. The report said 4,987 new and resale homes were sold in the nine-county Bay Area in February, up 2.8 percent from January but down 0.9 percent from the same time last year. Since DataQuick began record-ing statistics in 1988, the average number of Bay Area home sales in February is 6,413. This February’s numbers were the second-lowest for the month since 1995. DataQuick said some buyers are worried about job security, while others can’t get financing or have found only a small inventory of homes for sale.

“The market remains fundamen-tally off kilter,” MDA DataQuick President John Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Despite the widening stability seen in the housing market in re-cent months, the outlook remains murky,” Walsh said. He cited un-certainty about the housing mar-ket’s response to government re-duction of the housing stimulus, the sagging economy, and whether more foreclosures are on the way. The median price for sold homes in the Bay Area in February was $354,000, up 1.1 percent from January and up 20 percent from the same time last year. San Fran-cisco had the highest median sale price in the Bay Area at $627,500; Solano County had the lowest, at $208,500.

—Bay City News Service

Home sales in Bay Area up 2.8% over January, but

still less than year ago‘Market remains fundamentally off kilter,’ analyst says

BY JEB BING Just over 1,400 registered Iraqi voters cast ballots at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasan-ton recently, one of eight polling locations across the United States where Iraqi Americans who still retain their Iraqi citizenship had the chance to vote. There were 18.9 million Iraqis eligible to cast ballots in last Sun-day’s national elections in Iraq with an estimated 60 percent turn-out. They voted to fill 325 seats in the Council of Representatives, Iraq’s parliament, representing the country’s 18 provinces. Voting outside of Iraq occurred in the U.S. and in some of the 15 other countries where Iraqis are living, including the United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Canada and others in the Middle East and Europe. There were no exact fig-ures available on those eligible to cast ballots abroad. Estimates on turnout have ranged anywhere from 300,000 to 3 million. This was Iraq’s fifth nationwide vote since 2003, but only the second for a full four-year term parliament. Every voter, including the es-timated 1,400 who voted at the fairgrounds, walked away with a purple ink-stained finger, evi-dence of casting a ballot. Although there were 6,000 candidates in the election, most voters said they had made up their minds long before reaching the polls. Iraqi voters huddled in casual circles at the fairgrounds to discuss the election before and after cast-ing their ballots. Vans also shuttled voters in from other cities. The calm here contrasted sharply from Iraq, itself, where 36 people were killed in mor-

tar and rocket attacks in vari-ous Baghdad neighborhoods. In Iraq, counting took place at the

polling stations at the end of voting, under the gaze of United Nations observers.

1,400 Iraqi Americans cast ballots in recent election

County fairgrounds serves as polling location for Iraqis eligible to vote

JEB BING

Top photo: Groups of Iraqis congregate to discuss candidates in Iraq’s national parliament election before voting at a polling booth set up at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. An estimated 1,800 Iraqi Americans who are registered to vote in Iraq traveled to Pleasanton, one of eight voting stations set up in the U.S. Lower photo: Iraqi Abas Altuwarish and his family from Sunnyvale show their purple fingers after voting in the Iraqi national elections.

TriValley Views March 29, 2010

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After more than a decade of research, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently unveiled technology that they say could save 3.4 billion gal-lons of diesel fuel each year in the trucking industry. At a news conference inside a wind tunnel at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, scientists explained how reducing the aerodynamic drag of a semi-truck can increase the truck’s fuel efficiency, saving $10 billion in diesel fuel costs annually. Aerodynamic drag is caused by pressure differences around the vehicle, and at highway speeds semi-trucks use more than 50 percent of the energy produced by the vehicle engine to overcome that drag, according to scientists.

About three weeks ago, scien-tists brought a semi truck to the wind tunnel, owned by the U.S. Air Force and located at Ames. There, the truck has been under-going tests, according to Kam-biz Salari, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Scientists have learned that in-serting a gap-seal plate between the truck and the trailer, base flaps on the side of the trailer in the rear, and an underbody device on the base of the trailer that blocks air flow beneath the truck can in-crease fuel efficiency by up to 12 percent, Salari said. The technology to reduce the aerodynamic drag still needs about 2.5 to three years to com-plete before it can be put on the

market, Salari said, but testing the truck in a wind tunnel helps move the process forward. “This is a significant step to-ward reducing the United States’ dependency on fossil fuels,” Law-rence Livermore National Labora-tory director George Miller said. The wind tunnel, which is large enough to fit a Boeing 737 plane, became operational in 1987 and functions as a test zone for para-chutes, helicopters, planes and other vehicles, according to David Duesterhaus of the Ames Research Center. Wind blows up to 100 knots in the tunnel and can simulate what-ever speed is needed, Duesterhaus said.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

Livermore Lab unveils technology to save truckers billions of gallons of diesel fuel

‘Significant step toward reducing the U.S. dependency on fossil fuels’ says Lab Director George Miller

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Col-leges has reaffirmed the accredi-tation for Las Positas College in Livermore and its sister campus Chabot College in Hayward for the next six years. The accreditation received by the Chabot-Las Positas Commu-nity College District officials was part of the year-long process where both colleges conducted extensive self-studies and pre-pared written reports for the commission. Accreditation team members visited both campuses and met

with faculty, staff and students. “The reaffirmation of our ac-creditation is a reflection of our

self-inquiry process as a col-lege,” said Dr. DeRionne Pollard, Las Positas College president. “The report commends Las Posi-tas for our quality of instruction and our commitment to student success. We are delighted with the results.” Copies of the reports are avail-able through the college websites (www.laspositascollege.edu and www.chabotcollege.edu) as well as the district website (www.clpccd.cc.ca.us) and in the col-lege libraries. To learn more, call Laura Weaver, 485-5215.

—Emily West

Las Positas, Chabot colleges accredited again

Report commends Las Positas for its ‘quality of instruction’

BY JEB BING Green has been seen throughout the Tri-Valley, and we aren’t talking about the environment this time. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations started early this year, with Tri-Valley merchants seizing the advan-tage with Irish-themed merchan-dise ranging from flags and banners to fancy green-iced cakes. For those with a taste for green beer, it was a do-it-yourself exercise at many watering holes, as a Cali-fornia rule no longer allows bar-tenders to serve green beer because of a state health code that prohibits tampering with already-certified products. So, with a squish of dye, the beer can still come out green. Always, though, the biggest cel-ebration is the Dublin (California, that is) St. Patrick’s Day parade and fair, where Mayor Tim Sbranti and the City Council waved to thou-sands of spectators along down-town streets for the two-hour-long parade. But perhaps the most genuine Irish politician in the parade was County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, an Irishman whose ancestors hail from Cork County in Ireland. The largest county on the Em-erald Isle, in Cork County three things are taken very seriously, Haggerty said: sports, food and politics. This may explain many things about Haggerty who has served on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors representing Tri-Valley communities for the past 13 years. “My dad was the Irish in the fam-ily and I have many great memories from St. Patrick’s Days of past,” said Haggerty. “I’ve been told that when my ancestors immigrated here the family name was originally O’hegerty. After their arrival in the U.S., and like so many immigrant families, O’hegerty evolved into Haggerty.” Descended from immigrants, Haggerty has a deep appreciation for the contributions of those that come to this country seeking to work towards a better life for them-selves and their families. “I encourage my children to learn about and enjoy the best

of their Irish heritage,” he said. “My daughters learned Irish dance and I always enjoy watching them perform. And riding in the Dublin Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and all the related festivities has become a fun tradition that the entire family looks forward to each year.” Haggerty, by the way, lives in Dublin, a fitting place for an Ameri-can descendant of a Cork County O’hegerty. This was the 27th year that Dublin has hosted its St. Patrick’s Day Festival. The two-day celebra-tion included a pancake break-fast, parade, street fair and the annual Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk marathon. With an estimated 100,000 at this year’s event, Dub-lin’s observance of the Irish holiday is right behind San Francisco’s, al-though Dublin, Ireland draws half a million people to its week-long event. Throughout the two-day festi-val, more than 100 arts and crafts booths filled Dublin’s Civic Center parking lot, selling wares, some even with an Irish flavor. Irish music, carnival rides, international foods and drink added to the attrac-tion for the thousands who trekked through the fair both days. We were there, too, with repre-sentatives of TriValley Views, the Pleasanton Weekly, as well as www.sanramonexpress.com and www.danvilleexpress.com, demonstrat-ing to the public how easy it now is to access local news.

‘It’s great to be Irish!’ Tri-Valley celebrates St. Pat’s Day

JEB BING

Dublin Sister City Association celebrates its relationship with Bray, Ireland, with this float-load of supporters in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festival.

“Riding in the Dublin

Saint Patrick’s Day

Parade and all the

related festivities

has become a fun

tradition that the

entire family looks

forward to each year.”Scott Haggerty, County Supervisor

“The reaffirmation

of our accreditation

is a reflection of our

self-inquiry process

as a college.”Dr. DeRionne Pollard,

Las Positas College president.


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With a growing interest in liter-ary arts in the Tri-Valley, it is natu-ral for the area’s poetry festival to expand as well. In its ninth year, the Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival in Pleasan-ton is back with new workshops, contests, an awards banquet, arts events and a keynote address from storyteller Bob Jenkins. The two-day event is hosted by the city as well as the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council and will take place from April 17 to 18 at the senior center, located at 5353 Sunol Blvd. Due to popular demand from young writers, the festival has mostly expanded in its offerings for teens. “We have a full two days of teen workshops,” said festival co-chair Dave Wright. “We’ve never had more than two workshops (for teens) before.” The focus on supporting young poets is a passion of Wright’s, who has chaired the festival for all its nine years. “People who get into writing and expressing themselves early on carry it with them their whole lives,” he said. “A lot has to be put into words and the fact that people are putting into words what most deeply touches them in poetry and prose, that starts early on.” Wright, who has taught at Las Pos-itas College in Livermore for several years, said he’s often had students say they knew they were going to be writers from as young as age 6.

“I see these opportunities as life changing,” he said. “They have ex-periences that really set them off.” In addition to programs for teens, there are workshops for children, starting at age 6, as well as adults. There are also some new types of workshops, including songwriting lyrics and storytelling, the latter thanks to keynote speaker Jenkins. Wright is also excited for the mini courses: “On the Chapbook” by Rebecca Foust and “Putting the Pieces Together: The Six Elements of Fiction” by Ann Parker. These mini-courses, he said, allow people to go more in-depth as each carries over from Saturday to Sunday. In addition to literary arts, there will also be other art forms for the community to enjoy. The Pleasan-ton Art League will have a free ex-hibition that is open to the public from 1 to 2:30 p.m. April 17. Also during that time will be the popu-lar Literary Row, a reception and book signing that connects authors with readers. There are also vari-ous musicians that will be playing throughout the weekend. All of these newest features are quite a jump from when Wright and others put the event together in 2001. It has grown to attract about 100 people from near and afar. First held at CarrAmerica be-fore the Pleasanton Senior Center, the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Coun-cil is excited to eventually move the festival to the Firehouse Arts Center next year. Wright said he hopes the venue between Railroad Avenue and Lions Wayside Park would allow them to have more music and art in addi-tion to the literary event. It would also help bring more people into

restaurants and shops downtown, he added. Until then, the literary arts lovers can sign up for this year’s event, with the final registration deadline April 9. A full-weekend package is $160-$185 for adults and $120-$145 for teens. The Saturday youth session is $15-$20. One-day only packages are also available. Tickets to the awards banquet on Saturday night are $35. Details as well as registration and contest forms can be found at www.pleasantonarts.org.

—Emily West

Poets unite with annual gatheringRegistration is open for the ninth Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival

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COURTESY DAVE WRIGHT

Poet Cheryl Dumesnil leads a poetry workshop at a past Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival.

2010 Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival schedule

Saturday, April 17

8:30 a.m. – Festival registration and breakfast

9:15 a.m. – Opening ceremony

9:30 a.m. – Keynote address

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Morning workshops

1 to 2:30 p.m. – Buffet lunch, music, literary row, PAL fi ne arts show and reception

2:30 to 5 p.m. – Afternoon workshops

5:15 to 7 p.m. – Festival banquet and awards ceremony with music and door prizes

Sunday, April 18

9 a.m. – Breakfast

9:30 a.m. to noon – Morning workshops

Noon to 1 p.m. – Buffet lunch

1 to 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon workshops

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BY JEB BING Nurses, physician’s assistants, dental assistants and others who provide medical care at Alameda County’s two correctional facilities staged a one-day walkout March 9, charging their private employer with unfair labor practices, over-staffing levels and workplace safety at the facilities. The workers are members of the United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU-UHW), part of the Service Employees International Union, a national union with 2.1 million members. They were joined on the picket line by SEIU International President Andy Stern. Healthcare services at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and at the Glenn Dyer Detention Center are con-tracted out to Prison Health Ser-vices, a Tennessee-based for-profit corporation. It holds a $77-million, three-year contract with Alameda County to provide medical services at the two facilities. “This is about the selfishness of an out-of-state corporation — Pris-on Health Services — with earn-ings of over a half-a-billion dollars that is pocketing taxpayer dollars instead of using the money to ben-

efit the county and our people as it promised,” said Maxine Persky, a nurse at the Santa Rita Jail for 10 years. In a statement signed by Adriana Surfas of the SEIU-UHW, the union accused Prison Health Services of launching “a campaign of threats and intimidation against workers including notifying employees of a seven-day illegal lock-out following Tuesday’s planned one-day strike, and cancelled workers’ approved vacations.” The union statement also said that in its contract with the Alame-da County, Prison Health Services budgeted for a 10-percent increase in wages and healthcare benefits in years two and three of its county contract.

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Alameda County District Attor-ney Nancy O’Malley was assured of another four years in office March 13 when no one filed papers to chal-lenge her in the June 8 election. A group of about 30 prosecutors from her office who joined her at the Registrar of Voters office in the basement of the Rene C. David-son Courthouse cheered O’Malley when the 5 p.m. filing deadline passed. O’Malley, 56, became Alameda County’s first woman district at-torney under controversial circum-stances last Sept. 15 when the Alameda County Board of Supervi-sors voted to appoint her to fill the last 15 months of Tom Orloff’s term. Orloff had suddenly announced his retirement after 15 years of heading the office. Two of the five board members, Keith Carson and Nate Miley, ab-stained from voting for O’Malley, saying at a contentious three-and-a-half hour hearing that they thought the board should take more time and get more public input before making an appointment. Several board members said San Francisco Chief Assistant District Attorney Russ Giuntini, who was an Alameda County prosecutor for many years and headed one of its branch officers, had contacted them seeking to be appointed and it wouldn’t surprise them if he ran

against O’Malley this year. But San Francisco district at-torney spokesman Brian Buckelew said today that Giuntini has de-cided not to seek election to the Alameda County post at this time. He said Giuntini was unavailable to comment today because he’s busy dealing with problems with the San Francisco Police Department’s crime lab, which are forcing his office to drop charges against many drug suspects. O’Malley, who lives in the city of Alameda, has been in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for 25 years and served as Orloff’s top assistant for the last 10 years of his tenure. She comes from a prominent legal family. Her father, Bill O’Malley, served as Contra Costa County’s district attorney for 15 years and later was a judge there. Her brother, Bill O’Malley, a for-mer prosecutor and judge, is run-ning to be Contra Costa County’s next district attorney in the election in June. And Contra Costa County Pre-siding Judge Mary Ann O’Malley is Bill O’Malley’s wife and Nancy O’Malley’s sister-in-law. O’Malley said, “I’m thrilled” and said the fact that no one will run against her in the election “takes a lot of weight off of me.” O’Malley said she can now focus

on running the District Attorney’s office but she will still spend time meeting with the public. When she filed for the office on Monday, O’Malley said, “I have worked tirelessly on behalf of the victims of crime” and is proud to be a nationally recognized expert on the advancement of victims’ rights. She said she helped create the Alameda County Family Justice Center, which is a one-stop shop for the victims of family violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse and the sexual exploitation of minors.

—Bay City News

O’Malley will retain post as Alameda County’s District AttorneyAppointed to job 6 months ago, no one challenges her in upcoming election

FILE PHOTO

Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley

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Since this is the first year, some of your favorites might not be on the drop-down menus. If you have a favorite not on the list, feel free to write it in. If we get a significant number of write-ins for a particular location, it will be included in the drop-down.

Around Town

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Epicure

Best American Food Restaurant

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At Home

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We want to know your favorite places to eat, shop, mingle and more

in Dublin!

Balloting in TriValley Views’ first Readers Choice Dublin contest

will be all online between April 2 and May 3 at TriValleyViews.com.

You will need to vote for at least 15 categories and complete

the contact information at the end of the ballot.

You only get one vote! To discourage ballot box stuffing,

your ballot will not be counted until you activate it by responding

to a confirmation email that will be automatically sent to you.

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Facing a projected $56 million budget shortfall by June of 2011, AC Transit recently made perhaps its broadest service changes ever Sunday. The Oakland-based bus agency, which serves parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, said the service changes will impact 108 bus lines, reducing overall ser-vice hours by about 8 percent and saving it about $9.5 million annually. However, AC Transit said that even though the changes are unprecedented and will be felt throughout its services areas it has taken care to retain and even en-hance services for communities who are most in need. Interim General Manager Mary King said in a state-ment: “We did a lot of analysis on who rides the bus,

how the service is used and what kind communities need the service the most. We worked hard to leave no one out.” AC Transit said that given the service reductions that were forced by its bleak fiscal picture, it chose not to simply reduce service hours and is instead reshuffling them, line-by-line, based on demonstrated usage and functionality. In addition to making the service adjustments, the bus agency has laid off some employees, imposed a hiring freeze, improved operating and departmental efficiencies by 15 percent and raised fares to help offset its projected deficit.

—Bay City News

AC Transit, facing $56-million budget shortfall, makes major service cutsBus agency it will ‘retain, even enhance’ service to communities in need

DINO VOURNAS

Fallon Road interchange completedPolitical and civic leaders gathered earlier this month to cut the ribbon marking the completion of the $18 million Fallon Road overpass and inter-change at I-580. Of the total cost, $13 million came from developers Jen-nifer and Frederick Lin and the city of Dublin as transportation mitigation, with the remaining funds coming from the cities of Livermore and Pleasan-ton. The Alameda County Congestion Management Agency also contribut-ed funding towards the auxiliary lane between Fallon and Tassajara roads. In the photo (left to right) are County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Caltrans District Director Bijan Sartipi, Dublin City Councilman Don Biddle, devel-oper Jim Tong (representing the Lin Family), Dublin City Councilwoman Kate Ann Scholz, Mayor Tim Sbranti, Cheri Clasen (representing Congress-man Jerry McNerney), Pleasanton City Councilman Jerry Thorne, former Dublin Mayor Janet Lockhart and Dublin City Manager Joni Pattillo.

BY EMILY WEST Spring has sprung, which means if a New Year’s resolution to be organized has lost steam, consider trying again as the ritual cleaning time approaches. Organizer Emily Wilska said a common clean-up derailment has to do with lofty expectations that stem from the pages of popular magazines such as Real Simple or Martha Stewart. “Anyone has the power and the ability to be organized,” Wilska said. “It’s simply a matter of finding the approach that works specifi-cally for you. There are tons of dif-ferent ways of going about it.” The San Francisco-based profes-sional recently spoke at the Dub-lin Library, where she gave people an overview and direction into a world clear of clutter. “I hope to dispel some myths and for people to feel empowered,” she said. One such myth is that simply cleaning a space will solve the problem. A holistic approach, she said, is likely to leave lasting hab-its. “I can go in and make a room look good, but if we don’t address the systems and habits involved in keeping it up, things are going to return in a week, month or six weeks,” she said. The process, Wilska said, is iden-tifying the overlying goal. More than just being organized, some people want a clean desktop while others want a particular room or space to be functional. Once goals are established, the next step is to deal with the stuff, which Wilska said is the most pop-ular complaint. Making decisions about items comes down to how meaningful they are to people. “Rather than thinking ‘do I need this’ or ‘it fits here,’ when thinking

about your space and your stuff, ask what actually deserves to be close to you,” she said. Even motivated people seem to have trouble making decisions over so many items. In deciding what goes and what stays, Wilska said people associate value based on thoughts of potentially needing it in the future, having once paid good money for it, wanting to use it but haven’t found the time, or even feeling guilty for giving it up. By assigning real value to items, people find that they aren’t in fact as valuable as they thought. “People say, ‘I haven’t used this for six months, but it’s taking up a huge chunk of my desktop,’” she said. “They then give themselves permission to take back the space. It’s really liberating for them.” Emotion is a large part of the organization process, which is why many only relent after reaching a breaking point. “They realized that their space, stuff, schedule, file drawer — whatever is feeling disorganized — add significant stress, particularly if they interact with it everyday” Wil-ska said. “Getting organized puts people back in control. We don’t think of it as stuff having control over us, but often that is the case.” Whether the next action to re-gaining control is hiring a pro-fessional or clearing out time to tackle it in a do-it-yourself fashion, Wilska reminds people that it’s not about being perfect. “The gospel of organizing,” she said, “is that it’s not just something that already organized people can do. I’m a strong believer that being organized can help almost every-one.” Wilska also recently put her tips into print with the book “Knack Organizing Your Home: Declutter-ing Solutions and Storage Ideas.”

Clearing out clutterOrganizer Emily Wilska gives tips

to regain control over stuff


March 31IMPROV WITH TWISTED GRAY MATTERTwisted Gray Matter specializes

in short form improvised comedy,

that is created on the spot by us-

ing ideas from the audience. Show

is at 8 p.m. March 31 at Bunjo’s

Comedy Club, 6513 Regional St..

Call 264-4413 or visit www.bun-

joscomedy.com.

April 4FOOLSGOLD: A CREATIVITY WORKSHOP WITH SUSAN WOOLDRIDGEThe event is from 1-3 p.m. April

4 at the Dublin Library, 200

Civic Plaza, Dublin. Join poet and

author Susan G. Wooldridge for

a two-hour afternoon workshop

exploring creativity utilizing poetry,

writing and collage. Susan is a

poet/teacher with California Poets

in the School. Call 828-1315 or

visit www.aclibrary.org.

April 5DINNER BY THE KIDSFrom 10 a.m. to noon April 5 to

9, youth ages 9 to 12 can learn to

plan, buy and cook a four-course

dinner. On Friday, they will fi nish

preparing the menu items, set the

table and sit down to enjoy our

feast. Cost is $100 for Dublin resi-

dents or $115 for non-residents.

Call 556-4500 or visit www.dublin-

recguide.com.

April 10VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONThe class is 1-2:30 p.m. April 10

at the East County Animal Shel-

ter, 4595 Gleason Dr., Dublin.

Do you love animals and have an

interest in volunteering? Tri-Val-

ley Animal Rescue will be holding

an orientation for new volun-

teers. Come and learn about

current volunteer opportunities.

Cost is $10. Call 408-202-6708

or visit www.tvar.org.

April 14LAVENDER — THE WONDER PLANTFrom 7 to 10 p.m. April 14, learn

about varieties, growing, harvest-

ing and using lavender. Make

four lavender crafts, taste both

sweet and savory lavender prod-

ucts. Cost is $36 for Dublin resi-

dents and $39 for non-residents.

Pre-registration is required. Call

556-4500 or visit www.dublin-

recguide.com.

April 16NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE APPLICATION MAZEThe class is from 6:30-9 p.m. April

16 at Las Positas College, 3033

Collier Canyon Rd., Livermore.

Course will provide an overview of

the entire college application pro-

cess including general procedures,

early action, decision, recommen-

dations, writing strong essays, and

strategies for keeping everything

organized. Many shortcuts, time

saving resources, and insider tips

will be provided. Cost $39. Call

424-1467 or visit www.laspositas-

college.edu/communityed.

April 17PLAN TO PLANT A GARDENFrom 9:30 to 11 a.m. April 17,

learn to plant a garden. Bring the

measurements of your garden area,

graph paper and pencil. Instructors

can help plan the layout and dis-

cuss soil, water and sun needs. Cost

is $14 for Dublin residents or $16

for non-residents. Call 556-4500 or

visit www.dublinrecguide.com.

April 25MEXICAN FIESTA DINNERFrom 4:30 to 9 p.m. April 25,

spend Sunday afternoon preparing

a four-course Mexican fi esta. Cook

and enjoy the meal together; leave

with great recipes. The cost per

couple is $45 for Dublin residents

or $52 for non-residents. Call 556-

4500 or visit www.dublinrecguide.

com.

OngoingFREE HEALTH INSURANCE COUNSELINGHealth Insurance Counseling

and Advocacy Program (HICAP)

of Alameda County offers their

service each month and seniors

receive free counseling about

Medicare. Appointments will be

scheduled at the Dublin Senior

Center, 7600 Amador Valley Blvd.

To schedule your appointment

with counselor Ada Schoch, call

556-4511 by the prior Monday.

LPD AAUW LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPThe Local Scholarship Foundation

of the Livermore-Pleasanton-Dub-

lin branch of AAUW is now accept-

ing applications. Applicants must

be women who live, or have gone

to high school, in the branch cit-

ies, be an undergraduate planning

to attend a four-year college in fall

2010. Applications are due April 1.

Call Joan at 484-0602.

Goings Ona calendar of TriValley events worth a look

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Dublin Pride Week is set for April 24 through May 1 and they need help from the community. Last year, a record-setting 400 volunteers helped in the annual event to improve the community and the world through environ-mental awareness and volunteer-ism. Individuals and groups, in-cluding faith-based and service organizations, worked on projects ranging from helping seniors with household maintenance and yard work, to elementary and middle school beautification projects, such as painting and landscape work. There were also several clean-up efforts done throughout the city. “Dublin Pride Week is a great

tradition that speaks to the very character of our community,” Vice Mayor Kasie Hildenbrand said. “This program demonstrates that, through volunteerism and environ-mental stewardship, residents can truly impact and make a difference in the city.” Youth are encouraged to par-ticipate in the event, which also includes an annual poster contest. This year’s artwork is called “Step Up and Reach Out” by Ariana Castro, an eighth-grader at Wells Middle School. To sign up to help beautify Dub-lin, call 833-6650 or visit www.dublinprideweek.com.

—Emily West

Dublin Pride Week schedule

April 24

8 a.m. to noon: volunteering

noon to 1 p.m.: volunteer barbecue at Shannon Park

2 to 3:30 p.m.: Water Wise Workshop at the Dublin Library

May 1

1 to 2 p.m.: guided nature walk (registration required)

all day: free hazardous waste collection and compost giveaway

Got pride? City looking for volunteers in annual event to improve the community

‘Diwine’ intervention Merlot, poor merlot. Right now, this might be the most unwanted wine in the land. Fortunately, the “bad rap” is unwarranted. Grapes, like clothes and music, go in and out of style and right now, merlot is completely out of style. Why these fads happen is anyone’s guess, but unlike leather ties, this is a fad that will come back. Unfortunately, I follow the trends, too. I have drifted away from merlot andhave become at-tracted to other grapes. It had been months, perhaps even a year, since I sat down with a glass of merlot. I can’t tell you what made me reach for it this time — call it “diwine”

intervention, but am I glad I did. The 2007 Blackstone Merlot, at only $12 a bottle, is a down right steal. When I sit down to review a wine, I check for three things. First is the look of the wine. This wine is a deep red, with very little residue giving a clear finish. Although this does not guarantee quality in wine, it does indicate clean filtering and is appealing to the eye. Second is the smell, my favor-ite part of any wine. This is where you prepare your taste buds for what they are about to experi-ence. As with many Californian wines, this is a fruit-forward wine with odors of nut fruits (plums, cherries, etc.) being most preva-lent. In addition, there is a hint of oak that comes through provid-ing this wine with some needed complexity. Third is the actual taste of the wine. I am of the school of thought that most of the flavors are sensed during the smelling of the wine. The taste of the wine tells me two things. First is where you sense

wine on your tongue. The front of the tongue is sweet, sides are bitter and the back is sour. In this case it was a sweet taste followed with a touch of bitterness. The second part of the taste is look-ing for tannins, which come from the skin of the grapes. The longer the juice stays in contact with the skins, the greater the tannin feel to the wine. I call this the “chewi-ness” of the wine. In this case, the wine has a very soft and silky feel, meaning it is light on the tannins. When you put all of these things together, you end up with a high quality, easy to drink, reasonably priced wine. In matching this to food, I would aim for everyday type food — spaghetti and meat balls, burgers, pizza, etc. If merlot was in style, you would see this wine selling for $5 to $10 more. Just like it is smart to buy an umbrella when it is sunny, now is a great time to buy a merlot. Until next time, cheers!

Don Colman lives in the East Bay and writes a wine blog at

www.nosetoglass.com.

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Donald Lai, M.D.

Morgan Lin, M.D.

Mark Nathan, M.D.

Bahman Nouri, M.D.

Iqbal Omarali, M.D.

Srikrishin Rohra, M.D.

Baijnath Saw, M.D.

Pramodh Sidhu, M.D.

Dineshkumar Thakur, M.D.

John Vu, M.D.

Neal White, M.D.

Christopher Wulff, M.D.

A W A R D S

Elsie

Cardiac Bypass Surgery

Audrey


Gary


Tom

Heart Valve Replacement

T.N.


Tony

Cardiac Bypass

& MAZE

When it comes to your heart, results speak louder than words. And in the eyes of the authorities that

statistically measure outcomes, the heart program at San Ramon Regional Medical Center is among the

best, not only in the East Bay, but in all of California. See the outcome studies for yourself at

www.oshpd.state.ca.us. Perhaps most convincing of all are some of your neighbors…who haven’t missed

a beat. Visit Find-A-Physician on our website, www.OurSanRamonHospital.com or call 800.284.2878.

Making heart history for 10 years…and the beat goes on.

6001 Norris Canyon Road, San Ramon | 800.284.2878 | www.OurSanRamonHospital.com

trivalley views 03.29.2010 - section 1

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