I thought this sign is great especially as it’s juxtaposed with the the large and predictable RE-ELECT CITY COUNCIL sign. Under the got wilk? signage it says, Vote Kevin Wilk for City Council. Spotted in downtown Walnut Creek in front of CREAM.
When I was growing up kids could dress up and accessorize for Halloween pretty much as they pleased. Times have changed and not allowing toy weapons has become commonplace. This Halloween, all schools in Moraga have decided to take the next step and ban clown costumes for Halloween. Although it’s not an official district decision, I wonder how the schools, independently, came to the decision to ban clown costumes. Has Moraga previously encountered clown scares that necessitated this?
What’ll it be next year, banning monster costumes? Plenty of kids are afraid of spiders. Is Spider-Man next? Will there be a list of acceptable Halloween costumes kids can choose from? Have any other local schools banned clown costumes?
Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
It came as a surprise to me when I parked my car at Broadway Plaza a couple of weeks ago that they still hadn’t started charging for parking at their garages. They were supposed to begin charging September 12th but it’s still free to park. According to a text message from Broadway Plaza, they, “do not have a set date for when [they] will be adding the parking charge”.
Anyone else notice this?
From a reader:
While riding my bike back from Safeway in downtown WC, I noticed a number of large “living areas” that had been cut out and blocked off by homeless residents on the side of the trail opposite the canal between Safeway and Trinity Center. I don’t know how much patrolling that trail gets but my assumption is that if it doesn’t get any attention, it’ll only get worse.
Danville Livery
I’ve been to the shopping center Danville Livery quite a few times over the years, and yet, every single time I park my car, I can never find it when it’s time to leave. I look out at the parking spots, glance at the buildings, and begin a futile search. It’s gotten to a point where I just randomly pick a direction and start walking, hoping to find it. You see, every building in Danville looks IDENTICAL. I can imagine the designers back in 1982 (when it was built) discussing how to get a “captive audience” for this shopping center. “I know, let’s make every single building the same so people get lost and have to spend more time shopping”.
It is nice and shady so it’s enjoyable to walk around and around but a bit frustrating. Am I off base or has anyone else had trouble locating their car?
From Flickr user deanhochman
A reader asks:
I recently moved into the new Agora apartment complex across from Kaiser in Walnut Creek. Tonight was my first night spent sleeping here after moving in, and while everything seemed great, I was woken up at 2am by a large noise. Looking out my window, I saw it was a man with a leaf blower in the Ross shopping center with a truck for cleaning up the parking lot. While I’ve seen those trucks before and they don’t make much noise, the leaf blower woke me up fast and was loud, even through my thick windows.
I researched further and the city forbids any kind of leaf blower or similar device, residential or commercial, from 8a to 7p (9a to 7p weekends). I’d like to know how to get in touch with the management company and/or owners of this shopping center, or who to contact with a noise complaint, but I’m not sure how to go about this process.
Any ideas? Definitely can’t sleep if this happens every night. I just want them to stop with the leaf blower, simple as that, as I’m sure someone is unaware of the ordinance (and/or that people are sleeping across the creek).
PS. It happened again tonight at 1am. The truck is almost as loud as the lead blower. They both seem prohibited according to the city code.
I’ve found what I believe to be the part of the city that is supposed to handle this, but I obviously would prefer to deal with the slow workings of government after just trying to tell the management company to tell the cleaners they can’t do what they’re doing.
A reader writes:
Someone stopped by my building taking photos of the pool, said they were an insurance inspector but my landlord says it’s not possible. Handed me a plastic encased card that had a printout in it saying something about es inspections. Was driving a black sedan, maybe toyota. Super clean cut with a bright white shirt on.
Could this be some kind of scam or is it legit?
I stopped by the Soda Aquatic Center at Campolindo High School in Moraga recently and saw these gigantic solar panels going up in the parking lot. It turns out all four high schools, Las Lomas, Acalanes, Miramonte and Campolindo are getting solar panels installed this summer. Read more about it in this Lamorinda Weekly article here.
From the project webpage:
We are pleased to share with the community that the Acalanes Union High School District will be initiating large solar projects at each of our comprehensive high schools this summer. The installation design for the solar panels will be carports in the main parking lot at each of the schools. The projects will allow us to substantially reduce our carbon footprint (the equivalent of pulling about 350 cars off the road), realize significant savings in general fund operating costs, contribute substantial energy to the “grid” during peak times (afternoon and summer), and model the use of renewable energy to our students.
The AUHSD Governing Board approved a contract to enter into a power purchase agreement with SolarCity in June 2015. There will be zero upfront capital investment as SolarCity will finance, design, construct and operate the photovoltaic solar panels and battery products on each of the District’s comprehensive high schools. Only a few parking spaces (a precious resource) will be lost with the introduction of the carports.
Capitalizing on the latest technologies and current incentives, the District estimates it will save $110,900 in year one, and the net present value of the 20-year contract is estimated to be $2.3 million using a conservative 2% utility inflation rate. Higher electricity inflation rates will result in greater savings for the District.
Spotted near Todos Santos Plaza in Concord. I wonder what the story is behind this store? Very interesting window display.
