Latest News Articles From The San Ramon Tribune

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Brunch With Santa

Santa ClausCome and spend brunch with Santa Claus on Saturday, December 8'th at three different times at the Alcosta Room in the Community Center. Sessions include 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, and 12:30 PM till 2:30 PM. Pre-registration is required. Sign-up early for visiting with Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves for a variety of brunch treats. Both children and adults must register. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Click here for more information for Brunch With Santa.

ALCOSTA ROOM
COMMUNITY CTR
12501 ALCOSTA BLVD

SAN RAMON
CA, 94583

Phone: (925) 973-3200

David Benoit "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Photo by Andrew VonBank/Associated Press

Join Jazz pianist David Benoit and his band as they bring life to Vince Guaraldi's magical music from the Peanuts Christmas Specials. "Christmastime Is Here," "Linus & Lucy's Theme," and other favorites sparkle under David’s masterful touch. An accomplished musician and Grammy winner David Benoit's career successfully spans both the jazz and classical worlds. Relive the joy of youth with your favorite Peanuts songs performed masterfully by David Benoit and his band.

Does this man know how to have a good time?

Sunday 12/9/07 4:00 PM
Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center
10550 Albion Way
San Ramon, CA

Ticket Information

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas The Night Before Christmas
A realistic dramatic and musical story based upon the inspiration for Clement Moore's famous poem. This heartwarming play is a reminder of all the family traditions for the holidays. The excellent holiday performance for the entire family has two acts and a Victorian turn-of-the century drawing room setting. The show has been described as 'Heartwarming and delightful...' -Chicago Tribune

Order Tickets

Monday, November 19, 2007

Stop The Lawsuit Now!


Stop the Lawsuit
Email
citycouncil@sanramon.ca.gov


Hi, my name's Doug Burr, and I live in San Ramon, California.

Eighteen months ago, the principal of this school (Hidden Hills School, San Ramon) asked me to help and get some stop signs in front of the school so our kids would be safe when they walk to school.

So, I asked the city, and they said no. So, I wrote an initiative to put on the ballot, and let the voters decide. Well, the city sued to stop me, and I think that's wrong.

I think democracy is what makes this the greatest country in the world. And I'd like to ask this entire country to e-mail Mayor Wilson and the San Ramon City Council, and ask them to stop the lawsuit.

God Bless America

www.stopsignsinwindemere.com

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Friday, November 9, 2007

30,000 Cars Per Day By Year End!

The County Master Plan estimates 30,000 cars per day; the posted speed signs will change to 45 miles an hour when the connection to Camino Tassajara is opened by the end of this year.

The cities of Danville and Dublin are putting pressure on the County to open the connection sooner to move their traffic onto San Ramon streets. Commuters from Livermore to Walnut Creek are expected to take Camino Tassajara to Windemere Parkway to Bollinger to avoid the 580/680 interchange.

Camino Tassajara/Blackhawk residents are expected to use East Branch Parkway (in front of Windemere Ranch Middle School) to avoid the evening backup on 580. They will remove the stop sign on East Branch at Arlington Way.


Stop Signs In Windemere NOW!


What are we asking for?

Stop signs at 11 intersections and 30 miles an hour posted for all of Windemere Parkway and East Branch Parkway!

Windemere Parkway is classified as a regional collector like Bollinger Canyon Rd. Every intersection on both of those roads has either stop signs or traffic lights.

The majority of intersections on Windemere Parkway have no traffic control.
What else are we asking for?

The Mayor and the San Ramon City Council must act! We want the City Council to pass an ordinance stating the stop signs will be installed and the posted speed signs changed to 30 miles an hour. We want this prior to the City of San Ramon taking control of Windemere Parkway.

Waiting until the City of San Ramon has jurisdiction is a delaying tactic.

The Council will want the transportation department to do a traffic study. The result of the study will be that a road designed for 55 miles an hour traffic should be posted at 45 miles an hour and have the current configuration of traffic lights. The county has already done the study. (see new info below)

This is a political decision, not a traffic department decision.
Windermere Parkway Stop Signs
Join us at:

www.stopsignsinwindemere.com
Update and new information: The county is no longer planning on raising the speed limit to 45 mph, it is the City that plans to raise the speed limit to 40 mph.

Submit your San Ramon articles and information to the San Ramon Tribune for publication consideration.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

San Ramon Sues Their Own Residents

San Ramon, CA
The City of San Ramon has sued to stop Doug Burr, resident of San Ramon, for bringing forth the Stop Signs and Speed Limits Windemere Initiatives, and to prevent the initiatives from being placed on the ballot.

"I just want the children in this neighborhood to walk to school in safety," said Doug. The City Council then voted in closed session to authorize the lawsuits.


Doug Burr spoke at a previous City Council meeting in September 2007, requesting that the City Council take action and support a resolution which would keep the speed limit on Windemere Parkway and East Branch Parkway at 30 mph instead of the County's plans to increase it to 45 mph. (see new information update below)

Windemere Public and School Safety ZoneWindemere San RamonWindemere, San Ramon, CA : Google Interactive Map

Mayor H. Abram Wilson thanked Mr. Burr for bringing this item to the Council's attention and stated that he will forward this item to appropriate City staff to evaluate. The Mayor announced that, "resident safety is of paramount concern to the Council and that this is not a Dougherty Valley problem but a City problem." The Mayor said, "Council will follow the proper procedures so that any action taken will be done legally." Reference.

Look At The Legal Action Taken!

San Ramon City Sues to Stop Safer Streets for Children!

Mayor H. Abram Wilson's "proper procedures" according to a closed session of City Council was to promptly file not one, but two legal lawsuits against Doug Burr for bringing initiatives forward that will reduce the speed thorough a section of Windemere where children go to school. The proposed initiatives include reducing the speed limit back down to 30 mph and the placing of a number of stop signs in the residential neighborhood where parks and Hidden Hills Elementary School are located.

The City "maintains that the initiatives are invalid because it 'embraces more than one issue' to wit: establishing a speed limit of 30 miles per hour on Windermere Parkway in the Windemere Development; and, establishing a speed limit of 30 miles per hour on East Branch Parkway in the Windermere Development."

Doug Burr disagrees with the City's legal conclusions and maintains "that the Proposed Initiative does not 'embrace more than one issue.'"

The city is taking the same tact with the stop signs initiative, and filed a second lawsuit against Doug on the stop signs initiative.

So, the City wants a judicial determination and is suing Dour Burr for a judicial declaration of invalidity on the initiatives, for costs of the suits (each suit estimated to be over $25,000 in damages to the City), and for any other further relief as the Court deems just and proper; as a way of preventing him, or any others from getting the petition on the ballot. (Speed Lawsuit and Stop Signs Lawsuit PDFs)

Doug has set up a Winderemer website with more information about the Stop Signs in Windemere at www.stopsignsinwindemere.com.

Here is what the residents of Windemere want.

Stop signs at 11 intersections and 30 miles an hour posted for all of Windemere Parkway and East Branch Parkway!

Windemere Parkway is classified as an arterial like Bollinger Canyon Rd. Every intersection on Bollinger has either stop signs or traffic lights. The majority of intersections on Windemere Parkway have no traffic control.

All of the intersections are in front of schools, on intersections children use to walk to school or in front of parks.

What intersections specifically?

1. East Branch Parkway and Arlington Way (There was a stop sign, it has been removed)
2. South Bellingham Way and Windemere Parkway
3. Silva Way and Windemere Parkway
4. Kearney Way and Windemere Parkway
5. Holborn Way and Windemere Parkway
6. Windside Lane and Windemere Parkway
7. Albion Rd and Harcourt
8. Albion Rd and Silva Way
9. Craiglee Way and Harcourt Way
10. Sherwood Way and Baker Way
11. Sherwood Way and Melbourne Way

San Ramon's Alcosta Blvd., south of Bollinger Canyon Rd., is a good example of what they want. If the City can put stop signs and a 30 mph speed limit there, why can't they put them in Windemere?
Russian Hammer and SickleThe Stop Signs in Windemere website has over a 125 petition signers listed with many more signing up and are outraged by what the City of San Ramon is doing to their own people.

The San Ramon City Council's idea of following the will of the people is to rule them with an Iron Fist.

Is this America or is this Russia during Stalin's reign and bringing the Hammer down on the people, or is it Germany under the reign of Hitler? You be the judge.

Post Your Comments Online

Update and new information: The county is no longer planning on raising the speed limit to 45, it is the City of San Ramon that plans to raise the speed limit to 40.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Chevron Looking at Algae Harvesting for Producing Bio-Fuels

Chevron and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Collaborate on Research to Produce Transportation Fuels Using Algae

Joint effort to identify and develop algae strains for feedstock in next-generation biofuels

SAN RAMON, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced today that they have entered into a collaborative research and development agreement to study and advance technology to produce liquid transportation fuels using algae.

Chevron and NREL scientists will collaborate to identify and develop algae strains that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels such as jet fuel. Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., will fund the initiative.

The research project announced today is the second under a five-year strategic biofuels research alliance between Chevron and NREL announced in October 2006. The first involves bio-oil reforming, a process by which bio-oils derived from the decomposition of biological feedstocks are then converted into hydrogen and biofuels.

"We are extremely pleased to join Chevron in this path-breaking research," said NREL Director Dan Arvizu. "NREL operated the Aquatic Species Program for the Department of Energy for nearly 20 years, giving us unique insights into the research required to produce cost-effective fuels from algal oils or lipids. Our scientists have the advanced tools and the experience to rapidly increase the yield and productivity of key species of algae. In Chevron we have found an ideal research partner with the skills and knowledge to transform these algal lipids to cost-competitive fuels and to distribute those fuels to consumers."

"Biofuels will play an increasingly important role in diversifying energy supplies to meet the world's growing energy needs. Chevron believes that nonfood feedstock sources such as algae and cellulose hold the greatest promise to grow the biofuels industry to large scale," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer, Chevron Corporation. "Collaboration between industry, universities, research institutions and government is essential to overcoming the technological and commercial challenges of manufacturing high-quality transportation fuels from unconventional feedstocks. Chevron is pleased to partner with the nation's preeminent renewable energy laboratory in this important research."

Algae are considered a promising potential feedstock for next-generation biofuels because certain species contain high amounts of oil, which could be extracted, processed and refined into transportation fuels using currently available technology. Other benefits of algae as a potential feedstock are their abundance and fast growth rates. Key technical challenges include identifying the strains with the highest oil content and growth rates and developing cost-effective growing and harvesting methods.

About the National Energy Renewable Laboratory

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle. More information about NREL is available at http://www.nrel.gov.

NREL supports the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Biomass Program. NREL is the lead national laboratory of the virtual National Bioenergy Center, which was established to support and help the DOE coordinate the nation's biomass research activities. The center has primary responsibility for carrying out the agenda of the Office of the Biomass Program of the EERE and other related goals. Collaborating with industrial, academic, related EERE programs and other governmental research, development and commercialization efforts is central to that agenda.

About Chevron

Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. We have approximately 58,000 employees, and our subsidiaries conduct business in more than 180 countries. We operate across the entire energy spectrum -- producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing and distributing fuels and other energy products and services; manufacturing and selling petrochemical products; generating power; and developing and commercializing the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables. Chevron expects to spend approximately $2.5 billion on alternative and renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency services between 2007 and 2009. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at http://www.chevron.com.

SOURCE Chevron Corporation

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Algae Bio Diesel

Biodiesel from algae

Matt Mathis, left, and Roger Simmons, technicians with the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management, sample the water in a stock tank being used to grow algae at New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Artesia. Researchers are working to determine the best methods to grow and harvest the algae, which can be used to produce oil for biodiesel fuel. (01/08/2007) NMSU

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