8+ min ago (715+ words) A judge has ruled that Alameda County and its Board of Supervisors did not follow procedure when it appointed former interim supervisor Dave Brown in 2021." "This is a victory for open and transparent government," said Marcus Crawley, president of the Alameda County Taxpayers" Association, which filed the suit. "We sued because the Board used confusing and misleading language in the agenda to hide their intention to quickly appoint an "insider" to fill Supervisor Wilma Chan"s seat, so soon after she unexpectedly died." On Nov. 3, 2021, Supervisor Chan was killed after being struck by a car while walking her dog. With the District 3 supervisor seat vacant, the board had 60 days to appoint a replacement." An agenda was posted four days before the Nov. 16, 2021 meeting with an item to make a decision regarding the appointment. At the meeting, the board decided to…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago (267+ words) Celebrating my first dry Thanksgiving Today, the fourth Thursday in November, is the day that President Abraham Lincoln set aside as a national holiday to remember the blessings that have showered us and our country. Our republic will turn 250 next year with a huge year for sports here in the Bay Area as well as nationally with the World Cup. I will readily admit that I find journaling a major challenge'I do set aside time for reading and devotions daily'but coupling that with writing things down either morning or evening has taken more discipline that I can routinely apply. It has worked for planned, finite seasons. My Kaiser counselor had been advising me for more than a year to give it up'a step that I was unwilling to take until last year. For background, other than three eight-day healing mission…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago (754+ words) Three national laboratories in the Bay Area will participate in the Genesis Mission, a federal program aimed at accelerating scientific innovation and discovery through the use of artificial intelligence. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park are three of 17 national labs that will be a part of the project. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to launch the Genesis Mission, which is aimed to bolster scientific advancement and help the United States stay ahead in the race for global technology dominance. Headed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the program will build an integrated AI platform using scientific datasets from each national laboratory to help train models that test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and help accelerate scientific breakthroughs. "We're really excited," said Chris Tassone, associate lab director of energy…...

3+ day, 20+ hour ago (877+ words) Agri-tourism is one of the big draws of this valley," said Derek Eddy, owner of Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa in Livermore." It's key to the Livermore Valley's sustainability, Eddy added as he leaned against the wine bar set up at Purple Orchid Oct. 23 for a gathering of local officials and organizational leaders called, Celebrating Livermore's Agricultural Bounty: Agri-tourism's Growing Impact." Hosted by the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce, the event aimed to celebrate and promote education, entertainment and recreation focused on wineries, breweries, ranches, rodeos, farmland and open space." While the tone of the event was largely positive, the subject of unincorporated areas south of Livermore lacking sewer services arose as an issue for the wine country and potential lodging in the area." The area's established agricultural presence combined with our fabulous downtown shops and restaurants position Livermore…...

3+ day, 20+ hour ago (645+ words) The city of Pleasanton ended the 2024-25 fiscal year with a $7 million surplus, which the City Council acknowledged as part of an unaudited report from city staff during its Nov. 18 regular meeting. While city officials noted the overall actual General Fund revenues and expenditures were in line with the city's 2025-26 balanced budget adopted by the council in June, one-time funds such as last minute development fees presented a notable comparison between the budgeted numbers and the actual spending, which the council reviewed and ultimately approved last week. "There's going to be people who are in the community wondering why we have a surplus and it's really important to recognize that we budget conservatively and we do it on purpose so that we don't have to draw in reserves at the end of the fiscal year," City Manager Gerry Beaudin said during…...

4+ day, 47+ min ago (1282+ words) Section 9.06.030 of the Pleasanton Municipal Code states: "Beginning June 1, 2024, it is unlawful for any person to operate a gasoline-powered leaf blower at any time in the city." "A violation of this chapter may be documented by an administrative citation " issued by a police officer or community services officer of the police department, or a code enforcement officer of the community development department." I invite members of those agencies to visit any residential neighborhood in the city on any weekday to witness how extensively these code provisions are being observed. I'll supply the earplugs. The MAGA crowd must be quaking in their boots after getting shellacked in these off-year elections. Your regular writers have double downed on their hero president's childish name-calling. Stupid, ignorant, communist, imbecile, and my favorite, scalawags! I would bet that most people would look at my diploma…...

4+ day, 6+ hour ago (957+ words) Community leaders, organizers, volunteers and contributors joined in celebration earlier this month at The Power of Giving, the annual showcase of the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance. "A strong, engaged crowd" of nearly 370 people (representing more than 70 local nonprofits) filled the Bankhead Theater to reflect on the year that was, to look ahead to 2026 and to honor the organization's 2025 Impact Maker Award winners, TVNPA President/CEO Kathy Young told me by email before this long holiday weekend. "The Power of Giving was a tremendous success," Young said. "The feedback we've received is that the evening was inspirational, fun and filled with hope " which is exactly what we were aiming for." "For me, the biggest takeaway is what happens when the community comes together to lift up the people and organizations working every day to improve lives," she added. "It's a true celebration…...

4+ day, 16+ hour ago (431+ words) This year, give the gift of a lasting impact. Ensure your community stays informed for generations to come by supporting local journalism. Pleasanton's reputation for positive appearances made the rounds last week when national bloggers and aggregators picked up on a listing from earlier this summer that declared Pleasanton as the cleanest city in California." Actually the survey from the landscaping industry website LawnStarter ranked the "Dirtiest Cities in the United States" (measuring the cleanliness, or lack thereof, in 300 of the biggest cities across the country) " and Pleasanton found itself at the bottom of the list, a very good place to be in context." How will you give back this season? Create a lasting impact close to home " help local journalists uncover the stories that matter. Pleasanton placed as the No. 9 "least dirty city" in the U.S., and the best in…...

4+ day, 16+ hour ago (500+ words) A local veterinarian could be facing disciplinary action by the state for allegedly diverting prescription medication from the practice for personal use. The accusation was filed with the California Veterinary Medical Board on July 10, alleging that Surya Chaudhri of Animal Medical Center of Pleasanton used his position to illegally obtain the opioid midazolam from the practice for unauthorized uses. No citations or fines had been issued as of Tuesday. Chaudhri's license remained active, and the practice at 3901 Santa Rita Road is still open. The office had not returned a request for comment as of Tuesday morning." The accusation filed this summer comes following an investigation that kicked off in 2023, during which allegations emerged from Animal Medical Center's co-owner that Chaudhri had been diverting midazolam from the pair's other practice " Acadia Pet Center in San Jose " to their Pleasanton location." The…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago (714+ words) State and local leaders came together last week to celebrate the completion of the Highway 84-Interstate 680 interchange upgrades in Sunol, lauding the years-long investment to improve commute and safety conditions through the Tri-Valley for the following decades. The nearly $244 million project, which first started more than 10 years ago, represented the final step in bringing the state's Highway 84 up to expressway standards between I-580 in Livermore and I-680 in Sunol " "strengthening connectivity for commuters, freight, and regional travelers, Caltrans officials said." Caltrans District 4 Acting Director David Abuehl called the project "a tremendous investment in regional mobility and safety in a press release issued after the Nov. 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony. "This corridor is a vital link between the Tri-Valley and the South Bay, and through strong collaboration with our partners, we've delivered a safer, more efficient route that will serve travelers and communities for decades…...