Hercules Express, Issue 5

EXPRESSTHE HERCULES

A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR THE CITY OF HERCULES

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TUESDAYMarch 19, 2013

Issue 5

Kids Expo........................8Sports.........................9Community Calendar....10Real Estate.....................11

Inside this Issue

Pet of the Week...............2Letters to the Editor.......2LED Sign..........................3Sycamore North..............3Local Spotlight................7

Happy

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• see SAFEWAY page 12

PG&E will take over Hercules Municipal Utility

Parcel C deal with DeNova Homes failsBy Alyssa Morrisey

• see PARCEL C on page 12

By Alyssa Morrisey

Developer threatens litigation

The City of Hercules is sell-ing its troubled public utility to one of the largest companies in the state, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The sale will eventually eliminate the City’s control over the Hercules Mu-nicipal Utility (HMU), and pay off the bonds the city took out to pay for its expansion to the Promenade, Bayside and Bay-wood neighborhoods.

The sale comes with a hefty price tag. At their regular meet-ing on March 12, the council

awarded a $300,000 contract to legal firm Davis Wright and Tremain LLP, experts in the en-ergy industry. The City hopes the firm’s expertise will help negotiate the best price and contract for the HMU as well as expedite the process.

Former Deputy City Man-ager, Liz Warmerdam has also said the sale should come as a relief to households and busi-nesses who use HMU, who often see astronomical gas and electricity bills. HMU Manager Bob Streich explained earlier this year that HMU customers

are currently paying at a rate 40 percent higher than that of PG&E, and that a larger util-ity company should be able to operate at a drastically lower rate.

The sale of HMU comes months after Hercules citizens passed Measure N last June, a ballot initiative authorizing the sale of the utility. The city prepared two rounds of bidding before approving the sale to PG&E.

While the city is in a hurry to wash its hands of HMU, the

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No news proved to be bad news for the 11 month old deal between developer DeNova Homes and the City. City Man-ager Steve Duran announced in his February 4 City Manager’s Report that the feasibility peri-od for the purchase of the Parcel C, known also as the Walmart site, expired on February 1 with no final sale reached.

Duran credited the expira-tion of the purchase agreement to extra beaurocratic hurdles imposed by the State. The property once belonged to the former Hercules Redevelop-ment Agency (RDA).

DeNova Homes had plans to turn the 17-acre site on John

Muir Parkway into a 350 unit, high-end apartment complex. The deal proved controversial, with many residents voicing op-position against the plans. The company entered into a pur-chase and sale in June 2012.

The City is now attempting to expedite sale of the property by marketing it to other inter-ested developers, as proceeds from the sale must benefit a $6.5 million court settlement with AMBAC Assurance Corp. To make matters worse, anoth-er nearly $2 million in court or-dered payments to Oliver Con-stuction - over debt left behind by the RDA - is due March 31.

Duran has said the site will

City declares June 4 special electionUtility User Tax measure to go before Hercules voters

Measure A, a proposed two percent hike and modernization of Hercules’ Utility User Tax (UUT) cleared its last hurdle on February 26 when the City Council declared a special June 4 election.

The Hercules Fiscal Ac-countability and Services Pro-tection Measure was brought forward to generate approxi-mately $1 million for the City’s general fund each year, thus almost eliminating its $1.2 mil-lion structural deficit. The city plans to make up the remaining deficit by increasing the solid waste franchise fee for Rich-mond Sanitary Services. While the two actions would not yield enough money to begin restor-ing scrapped City services, staff are confident they will prevent further cuts from occurring.

Unless funds are raised by the end of the fiscal year, June 30, staff members have said the council will have to decide whether to cut more police po-sitions or axe Hercules’ Parks and Recreation programs, in-

cluding the senior center, all sports and all child care pro-grams.

The City Council declared a state of fiscal emergency dur-ing their meeting on February 12, which will allow the tax measure to pass by a simple majority.

Likely to passIt looks as though the mea-

sure may also have the blessing of the community, as a poll of 361 Hercules voters revealed 56 percent were in favor of the measure. This was the finding of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates (FM3), a research firm subcontracted by City political consultant Lew Edwards Group to test the wa-ters for the City’s new tax mea-sure.

FM3 polled landlines and cellphones across the city from an office in Pennsylva-nia. Aside from gauging vot-ers’ willingness to pass the tax, FM3 also found an increase in confidence in City Council and staff members.

“I am happy to report that

By Alyssa Morrisey

• see ELECTION page 12

Find out more

Safeway pitches new shopping center on Sycamore AvenueBy Alyssa Morrisey

A Safeway recently built in Burlingame, CA with rooftop parking.

After months of negotiation with the City, Property Devel-opment Centers (PDC), a sub-sidiary of Safeway Corpora-tion, held two meet and greet sessions with the community on March 14 and 16.

PDC has been trying to place a Safeway on the 14 acre plot of land on the south side of San Pablo Avenue known as “Sycamore Crossing” since 2007.

Until now, plans for the Safe-

way anchored shopping center have been held up by a deed restriction placed on a large chunk of the parcel by nearby Lucky Supermarket. The property is dissect-ed by a creek, with the deed restriction apply-ing to the larger chunk of land on the west side of the property. Deb Karbo, Vice Pres-ident of Development at PDC told residents that Safeway and City staff were unsuccessful in having the deed restriction

lifted through the court.However, Safeway is now

actively pursuing a more urban supermarket style with parking on the roof, or a podium design where drivers, in a sense, enter

Lions take over Hercules LibraryAthletes from Yee’s Martial Arts in the Willow Avenue

Shopping Center strapped on traditional Chinese lion cos-tumes and performed a dance for children to celebrate the beginning of Chinese New Year. While the dancers have performed for crowds in Hercules each year at the cultural festival for a number of years, this year they took their show

to the entrance of the Hercules Library.

• see HMU on page 7

NEWS2 THE HERCULES EXPRESS Tuesday, March 19, 2013

No story is too small for the Hercules Express. We welcome your news and your opinions on any topic.

The Express reserves the right to edit articles and let-ters submitted. Opinion pieces should not exceed 500 words, and letters should not exceed 250 words.

Do you want to get your news into the Express? Send all text and photos to [email protected]. Emails with no subject line will not be opened. The deadline for submitting news, photos and opin-ion items is the Thursday before the coming issue.

Send us your news

Editor and PublisherAlyssa Morrisey

[email protected] Hamilton, Pam Jacobs, Timothy Laubach, Joline Ashby, Natalie Tiezealy Special Thanks

Vigil Beth Rapiz

1511M Sycamore Avenue, #113, Hercules, CA 94547, (510) 992-3171

SportsMike Wade

LETTERS AND COLUMNS

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Pet of the week

Dear Editor,In her letter to the editor on

February 12, Chris Kelly states she would gladly give up the $78 she pays for a pair of shoes in order to pay the proposed utility tax for her two adult household.

I, on the other hand, am a widowed senior citizen on a limited budget. My last pair of shoes cost $9 at the Wal Mart store in Richmond - giving that up will not go far toward my

tax bill. Perhaps if Hercules had al-

lowed Wal Mart to go ahead and build, that tax revenue would have precluded the need to keep increasing taxes on homeown-ers. And, perhaps the money Hercules paid to terminate the deal and re-purchase the land could have gone toward keep-ing the city from declaring an-other fiscal emergency.

Beverly Melcome - 36 year resident of“The Trees”

New tax is more than the cost of shoes

Dear Editor,In the article in [the Febru-

ary 12 issue of] the Hercules Express, RecycleMore‘s sug-gestion that retailers prohibit free distribution of “single use” paper and plastic bags is anoth-er example of the “nanny state” run amok.

First of all, these bags serve more than a “single use.” I use my paper bags several times for many different purposes such as storing items, carrying books and clothing from one lo-cation to another, and as waste paper bags in the house. Once they have served their purpose, I recycle them. I know of many people who use plastic bags for the same purposes.

Secondly, the article states that RecycleMore “speculates” that Hercules residents use 12

million plastic and 1.7 mil-lion paper bags per year. (They make no distinction between biodegradable or traditional plastic bags.) The agency also “believes” that the ordinance would prevent 128 million plastic and 16.9 million paper bags from filling landfills ev-ery year. Speculating and be-lieving certainly are not sound scientific approaches.

Before we throw the baby out with the bath water, how about some concrete evidence and common sense? In the meantime, let residents have control and choice over paper, plastic or none of the above.

Wendy HarrisonHercules Resident

Grocery bags a thing of the past?

Your freedom of speech mattersAlways have your two cents with letters to the Hercules Express

Dear Editor,Placing an LED freeway

sign on Sycamore Avenue next to the clock tower may be the worst idea yet in a city with a long, sad history of bad ideas. Silicon View believes it will bring the city about $200,000 every year, but this is purely speculative. There is no evi-dence to prove the sign will generate that kind of revenue.

I also wouldn’t believe for a minute that freeway signs could provide exposure for local businesses. I don’t know of any local businesses that can bid against the likes of Coca Cola, major television networks and Hollywood production studios for a seven second ad space. Even if they could, seven sec-onds is not enough time for lesser known businesses to cre-ate brand recognition.

What the sign will do, how-ever, is [create] light pollution for people living in central Hercules, disrupt the view of the rolling hills and change the character of the town. Let’s not also forget that it could affect property values dramatically.

There is no bright side... to placing a freeway sign in the middle of a peaceful suburban town. No freeway signs for Hercules.

- Hugh Campbell

No room for LED signs

Find previous issues of the HERCULES EXPRESS at www.herculesexpress.com

The Hercules Express reserves the right to screen letters for content, and refuses to publish items it finds derogatory, malicious or deliberately misleading.

Lucky is a 6-year old male white Toy Poodle who is looking for a special person to care for him. He has a great zest for life but prefers not to take long walks. He would do well in a quiet home and would be very happy in an apartment or small home. For more information call Animal Refugee Shelter at (510) 230-3758 or visit their website at www.animalrefugee.org.

Dear Editor,My family and I moved to

Hercules just over year ago. We were previously living in Oakland and we wanted to live in a safer community, with more green space and a slower pace of life. We were delighted when we found the City of Hercules.

We thought of it as a small gem tucked in between Pinole and Rodeo. It looked like a cheerful place to live. As we were looking at houses in the area, I remember thinking how nice it was to see so many people at Refugio Valley Park in the early evening. There seemed to be a lot of families in the area and the city seemed to offer a lot of services to people with young families. I love the green spaces in Hercules. I like the small community feel. I really enjoy using the many parks in the City. It is a peaceful place and seems to be a safe community and I certainly feel safe in the streets. We were genuinely thrilled to be moving here and thought, and still think, that this would be the community where we would raise our family.

About three months after we first moved in, we received a letter from the City Manager communicating the many financial difficulties the City faced. I must confess that I had not known about the shenanigans of the previous administration. When I did some research on the matter I was deeply and profoundly shocked. It seemed crazy that so much money had disappeared and nobody stopped it. I am pleased that the current Council

and City management seem to be under more scrutiny from the community. We all need to act as a watchdog for those in power.

My concern is that the City will be irrevocably changed with all of the land sales that are in the pipeline. I know we need the money, but I hope the Council and the City will consider that they may be destroying the unique character Hercules enjoys.

What is the way forward? It seems to me that Hercules needs to be taken seriously again. This is a serious time for serious people. We need the Council and City leadership to rebuild the reputation of Hercules in order to overcome this crisis. We need to open up an honest dialogue with the State of California – they don’t need another bankruptcy and I would hope that if they know that the leadership they are dealing with is honorable we could work out a solution together. This is equally true of businesses that want to move in the area. They need a stable environment to trade in.

Now is not the time for showboating. We need to stop with the threats of dissolving the police department. We need to stop the petty arguments and disagreements between council members. We need our inexperienced City Council to learn the ropes quickly and efficiently to be effective leaders for our community. We all need to pull together overcome this crisis to weather the storm and move on to bright and dynamic future.

-Tom Howard

Hercules, a rare gem with uncertain future

NEWS 3THE HERCULES EXPRESSTuesday, March 19, 2013

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Sycamore North sale prolonged once more

Residents living near the Tyvek covered building on Syc-amore Avenue will have to wait a while longer to see progress in turning the eyesore into a re-tail and apartment complex.

While the City’s purchase and sale agreement with Presi-dio Development Partners LLC, was scheduled to close escrow on February 21, the developer asked to extend the deadline until June 20. The City Coun-cil approved the move at their meeting on February 26.

However, while drafting the amendment, developers Mark Conroe and Brad Blake came forward with yet an-other amendment pushing the date back to July 19. The final amendment also tacked in addi-tional changes, namly specify-ing that UCBNB could collect their $250,000 deposit back, that they posted when the con-tract opened. However, Mark Conroe, President of Presidio Partners, operating as UCBNB Partnership, insisted this will be the final hold-up, and that con-struction will begin promptely in July.

The proposition ruffled feathers among council mem-bers, who worried that the part-ners may approach the council yet again with more changes. The City still faces the threat of being back at square one again should UCBNB decide to walk away from further negotiation in July.

Though, Conroe said he is “90 percent sure” the project will go through.

“We have spent a lot of time and a lot of effort and over $500,000, and we’re about to spend another $500,0000 on this project. We wouldn’t do that if we weren’ fairly confi-dent,” Conroe told councilors about his committment to fin-ish the project.

UCBNB had until last Fri-

day, March 15 to walk away from spending the money to have their architect complete construction documents. While the partners could walk away in July, Conroe argued the City will at least benefit from the amount of work done to bring the failed project into fruition.

More DelaysConroe explained his rea-

sons for pushing back the proj-ect were to do with rising costs. In a letter to council members, Conroe wrote that “there was significant inflation in con-struction pricing during the second half of 2012.”

The company will spend between $300,000 to $400,000 for their architect to revise con-struction documents - value engineering out certain costly parts of the project, plus the cost of extra time spent on the project. Conroe said for exam-ple that crews will have a less pricey finish on the exterior of the building, as an example of value engineering. Conroe also said he is fairly certain costs would decrease in the summer of 2013.

“We are committeed to start-ing construction and complet-ing this very important project as soon as possible,” Conroe wrote. He noted UCBNB has been in talks with the City to take over construction of the building for a total 18 months for “no compensation.”

“We are fully committed to realizing the city’s vision for this project,” he continued.

In the meantime, the City will have to continued to spend approximately $27,000 per month until the close of escrow on site security, insurance and

By Alyssa Morrisey

LED sign proposal discussion faces scrutiny from Planning Commission

The Hercules Planning Commission discussed the sensitive proposal of placing a bright LED freeway sign an-chored on Sycamore Avenue, facing both sides of I-80 near the Hercules exit at their last meeting on March 4. Thus far, Commissioners do not ap-pear to be wooed by the sign’s promises of lucrative rewards.

Commissioner Kenneth Morrison was absent from the meeting.

According to Silicon View, the company that first pitched the LED sign proposal to Her-cules, the sign could bring be-tween $200,000 and $250,000 per year to the City’s ailing general budget, based on how much their identical sign in Silicon Valley earns.

The sign would sit on city-owned land, next to the clock tower and the Creekside Shop-

ping Center.Alternatively, Planning

Commissioner Robert Reber outlined a parcel near John Muir Parkway, a plot of land near the Shell gas station and behind Kinder’s Meats and Deli as other city-owned sites that could accommodate the sign. Though, he explained, both sites would have an im-mediate impact on residential neighborhoods.

Reber said a third site, along the freeway near the bor-der with Pinole would have no impact on neighbors, though Caltrans rules prevent any off site advertising there.

Reed Lewis, a Silicon View representative said the compa-ny had proposed similar signs to several cities throughout the I-80 corridor, with “a majority” of them considering the signs.

“What we see here [in Her-cules] is proximity to the Car-

quinez Bridge, proximity to the 4 turn-off... and you’re near the 580-Richmond Parkway exit to go into Marin. So you’re in sort of a unique location where you have a lot of influence because

there’s... highways going many different ways,” Lewis said.

Lewis, and other Silicon View representatives have said local businesses will be provid-ed the occasional opportunity to use the billboard for their own advertising. According to Lewis, there is even room for pro-bono advertising. He cited a gun buy-back advertise-ment requested by the City of

By Alyssa Morrisey

• see LED SIGN page 12

City Clerk Doreen Mathews to retire in June after 19 years of serviceBy Alyssa Morrisey

“These signs cannot be removed once they go up,”Richard Mitchell

City Clerk and Adminis-trative Services Director Do-reen Mathews announced she will retire last month, after 19 years of service to the City of Hercules. Her position will terminate on this June 30, at the end of the fiscal year.

Mathews acknowledged her retirement will be a wel-come change, after a turbulent last three years. Mathews took on mammoth work load after the City reduced its staff lev-els by 40 percent, often keep-ing staff members in the office past midnight and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when City offices are supposed to be closed.

Mathews recently saw the City through a number of changes in leadership, an his-toric special election in 2011, the dissolution of the Hercu-les Redevelopment Agency and a slew of audits and pub-lic information requests, not to mention the City’s near bankruptcy.

With little assistance, Mathews has quietly main-tained daily operation of the City by preparing meeting

minutes and agendas from various City boards, man-aging the City’s numerous contracts, voting records and paperwork, receiving and pre-paring other legal documents and coordinating between each of the City’s depart-ments.

“Doreen has been an ex-ceptionally valuable and pro-ductive employee and, espe-cially the last few tumultuous years, has gone well above and beyond the call of duty,” City Manager Steve Duran wrote in his February 2 week-ly manager report.

The City is currently in the process of hiring Mathews’ replacement.

• see SYCAMORE NORTH on page 12

NEWS4 THE HERCULES EXPRESS Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Find the Express for

FreeAt these locations:

The Hercules LibraryHercules Senior Center

Hercules City HallAnna’s Flowers

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Creekside CafeJackson Hewitt Tax

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Sunflower BakeryBig Lots

Newly elected BART Di-rector Zakhary Mallett rein-vigorated hopes to extend the transit system to Hercules when he appeared before council members on Feb-ruary 12. After be-ing elected by vot-ers last November, Mallett envisioned BART stations in San Pablo, Pinole and Hercules. Mal-lett said as a board member, he will work with the independent West Contra Costa Transpor-tation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), on which Council Member Sherry McCoy is ap-pointed, to make this a reality.

“There seems to be unani-mous interest in Contra Costa [County] to look at this,” Mal-lett told council members.

Mallett, a self-proclaimed “transit advocate,” said that while West Contra Costa Coun-ty’s the I-80 corridor is the most congested stretch of freeway in

the East Bay, it is the area least served by BART.

“More than 80,000 riders use the [El Cerrito] Del Norte station making it the second most congested East Bay station in terms of

home origin stations, and nearly 60 percent of those passengers live North of both El Cerrito and Richmond,” Mallett said. “So, there’s a great need for re-gional transit improvements in this corridor to say the least.”

He added a new station in Hercules would ideally be placed on a parcel next to I-80, though discussions about exact locations for the proposed new stations would take place at the City level.

While BART has consid-ered extending the transit sys-tem north on the I-80 corridor for decades, Mallett said that population growth now neces-sitates the change.

“Hercules has accounted for an enormous part of that growth over the last 10 years and with that there is an increase in de-mand for transportation,” Mal-lett said.

Mallett to petition for Hercules BART stationBy Alyssa Morrisey

Wanna volunteer?

How to reach your elected offi cials

Hercules Planning Commission becomes a trio, two vacancies remain

111 Civic Drive, HerculesCity offices are open M-Th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are closed on

Fridays(510) 799-8200

Hercules Mayor, John Delgado510-245-6518 ext. 3012

[email protected] Mayor Myrna de Vera

510-245-6518 ext. [email protected]

Council Member Sherry McCoy510-245-6518 ext. 3013

[email protected] Member Dan Romero

510-245-6518 ext. [email protected]

Council Member Bill Kelly510-245-6518 ext. [email protected]

County Supervisor, District 5, Federal D. Glover

(925) [email protected]

Bart Board of Directors, District 7, Zakhary Malle� (510) 464-6095

[email protected]

West Contra Costa School DistrictSee page 10

State Assembly, Nancy Skinner D-15(510) 286-1400

State Senate, Loni Hancock D-9(510) 286-1333

US Representa� ve, Mike Thompson CA Dist-5

(707) 645-1888

Hercules Planning Commis-sioner Mike Bowermaster will hand in his hat at the end of the month. His term expiration will leave three vacancies on the Planning Commission - one of which was created after the passing of late Commissioner Jose “Joey” Bibal.

Vice Chair Richard Mitchell has applied to renew his posi-tion, though a City staff report reveals that no residents have stepped up to fill in the two chairs that are now empty. The City Council will vet all appli-cants and eventually make all commission appointments.

Bowermaster said he has decided to move out of Hercu-les, and therefore will not seek a second term.

Bowermaster noted that “the problem is Hercules,” but said little more about his decision to resign, adding that “Hercu-les has enough going on with-out me opening up yet another basement full of skeletons.”

“I wish the best for poor old Hercules, and all the great people who live here, and all of the great people who have done work here. This is an amazing place,” he later added.

The Hercules Planning Commission’s influence has fallen by the wayside in recent years, with 17 out of 24 regu-lar meetings cancelled in 2012, and three of six cancelled so far this year. The City and Council have continued to make many land use decisions in closed session sans discussion from the planning commission.

However, going forward, the council has agreed to run more decisions by the commis-sion. The group will now lead the discussion about forming a

new general plan to replace the largely ignored Central Hercu-les Plan. They will also now discuss the proposal to allow a giant LED billboard near the Hercules exit on I-80.

To make up for the dearth of regular meetings, the council will also discuss a resolution to limit the number of absences for each planning commission-er from six to three per year at meeting this spring.

17 of 24 regular meetings were cancelled in 2012 and three of six cancelled

so far this year

By Alyssa Morrisey

Garbage rates increase by nearly 15%By Alyssa Morrisey

Richmond Sanitary Ser-vice (RSS) is set to increase city-wide garbage collection rates by 5.5 percent. The City of Hercules will then add an-other 5.8 increase, by upping its franchise fee for Richmond Sanitary, totalling an increase of 11.34 percent.

The rate hike amounts to just over $2 monthly, bringing the price of collection of a 35 gal-lon container to $20.74. Billing occurs on a quarterly basis.

The change was effective as of January 2013, meaning

residents will see their rates in-crease by up to 15 percent on their next bill. Supposedly, gar-bage rates will then level off in 2014.

The City’s franchise tax increase on garbage collec-tion will yield an additional $140,000 in much needed rev-enue to the City’s general bud-get annually.

The City’s franchise fee on Richmond Sanitary guarantees the company an exclusive right to do business in Hercules.

Richmond Sanitary will re-tain its senior discount only for the 35 gallon container. About

500 residents use the discount-ed rates, which will rise by about $2 per month. In keeping with new state and county stan-dards to recycle more waste, residents have been forced to use smaller garbage contain-ers while using larger recycling containers. Over 85 percent of the city uses the small, 35 gal-lon garbage container.

Rates could have climbed even higher. Richmond Sani-tary Service initially asked for its own increase of over 11 per-cent at the beginning of 2012.

The City Council tabled the

County Supes support County Waterfront plan

The County Board of Su-pervisors introduced an ini-tiative meant to spur growth along Contra Costa County’s waterfront, from Brentwood to Oakley during their Febru-ary 26 meeting. As part of the Northern Waterfront Initiative, the Board of Supervisors will address each city involved to create a new “Strategic Plan on Northern Waterfront Economic Development,” by the end of this year.

It aims to map out areas for potential development along Northern Contra Costa Coun-ty’s 92 mile long bay shoreline. It excludes parks, wetlands and other open spaces protected from development, and focuses on the “working waterfront,” areas currently occupied by in-dustrial, commercial, railroad, and maritime uses.

“We want to strengthen our assets and make the area more attractive for new businesses that will provide good-paying jobs to improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Su-pervisor Federal Glover, chair of the Board of Supervisors.

“The Northern Waterfront Initiative could be a major kick-start to Contra Costa County’s economy,” he added.

Per the 2010 census, Glov-er, a Herculean himself, over-sees much of the affected area including Hercules.

The Board of Supervisors hopes to form a task force to overcome barriers to develop-ment, including old refineries and military buildings.

If talks are positive, the county may sponsor an annual Waterfront forum and create an inter-agency oversight board.

By Alyssa Morrisey

Hannah Ranch holds fl ag ceremony, celebrates statewide recognitionBy Alyssa Morrisey

• see GARBAGE page 11

Hanna Ranch Elementary held its second flag raising cer-emony last Friday, March 8. Staff and Principal Greg San-tiago raised the American, the California and their California Distinguished School flag in front of representatives from State Senator Nancy Skinner’s office, Mayor John Delgado and other council members, Hercules police and staff from the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Dis-trict.

The school has much to cel-ebrate. Hanna Ranch is one of only 387 schools in California to be recognized as a Distin-guished School. The California Distinguished School Award honors schools that have dem-

onstrated educational excellence for all students and prog-ress in narrowing the achievement gap. That places Hanna Ranch in the top five percent of California Schools.

R e p r e s e n t a -tives from Skinner’s office presented Hanna Ranch with a certificate of recognition for its academic achievements.

Though, Santiago said that the school will not “rest on our laurels,” after receiving the honor, and strive toward con-tinuous improvement.

He added that the ceremony is a chance to recognize staff students and family members

that make the school what it is.“We want to create pride

with our students and want our students to have a lot of spirit,” Santiago said.

“We want our students to be strong and happy... and be well prepared for the world ahead of them,” he added.

Community members, Hanna Ranch staff and the entire student body attend a March 8 ceremony.

NEWS 5THE HERCULES EXPRESSTuesday, March 19, 2013

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City honors late Planning Commissioner Jose Bibal

Late Hercles Planning Commissioner Jose “Joey” Naidas Bibal was honored posthumously with a plaque and proclamation at a recent City Council meeting on February 26. Bibal passed away on January 19 after suffering multiple complications from a kidney transplant. He was 62 years old.

Bibal’s wife Imelda and daughter Xylona Bibal accepted a framed copy of the proclamation from Mayor John Delgado on his behalf.

“My dad really enjoyed living in this city. I know that he wanted to do something to give back to the city that did so much for him,” Xylona Bibal said.

The proclamation called Bibal a “humble servant,” and a person of “extraordinary courage and strength.”

Mr. Bibal is a long time resident of Hercules. Bibal was born in Badoc Ilocos Norte, Philippines and spent much of his childhood in Quezon

City. He graduated from the University of the Phillippines, Los Banos in 1973, with a BS in Forestry, after receiving a full scholarship from the Department of Forestry. After graduation, Bibal served as an instructor in the College of Forestry, while also studying for his graduate degree. He then completed his MS in Forestry, with a major in wood science and technology in 1976.

Bibal came to the United States in 1980 to pursue a doctoral degree at University of California Berkeley, under a fellowship granted by the World Bank. While at Berkeley, Bibal was an active member of Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity, serving as President of the Northern California Chapter. He was ultimately recognized by the fraternity for his efforts through the presitious appointment as the life long president of the northern California chapter.

Bibal lived in Hercules for many years, and in 2007

was appointed to the Hercules Planning Commission. He served three total terms as commissioner. Under his tenure, the planning commission undertook the review and approval of the Sycamore Crossing Initial Plan Development, the Waterfront District Masterplan update and development agreement, the Town Centrale project among variuos other projects.

Vice Mayor Myrna De Vera thnked Bibal’s family for sacrificing time with him, to allow him to serve the city.

“I had the honor of working with him for four years,” De Vera said. “His heart was really for the community.

Council member Sherry McCoy, who also served with Bibal on the commission, also thanked the family.

City revisits Central Hercules Plan

After nearly 15 years, the City of Hercules is looking to update its general plan. The Hercules Central Plan, adopted in 2000, is a blueprint for resi-dential and business growth, transportation, public facilities planning, air quality, energy consumption and numerous other elements.

The plan to turn Hercules into a “new urban” community laid the groundwork for the building of Hercules’ Prom-enade, Bayside, Baywood neighborhoods, the soon to be developed Bayfront neighbor-hood ITC projects, and the failed New Town Center and Sycamore Downtown area, among many other projects. Over the years, many of the plan’s elements were ignored or overlooked, in favor of bringing larger developments quickly.

Hercules Planning Direc-tor Robert Reber said the last general plan update cost over $1 million to create and was several years in the making. In June 2000, the City held a week long “Design Charrette,” inviting citizens, and a team of renowned architects, city plan-ners, economists, illustrators, and other experts to help draft features of the plan.

The City also encouraged creativity and community in-volvement by holding town hall meetings, a tour of a “new urban” community in Florida, a

“hands-on” design session, and design studio. Results from these meetings are part of what made the Central Hercules Plan endearing to its long-time residents

Hercules can no longer summon that amount of cash for such an undertaking, as funds collected from building permits that were supposed to be set aside for a general plan update were instead siphoned into the general fund. Though, Reber said the conversation about drafting a new plan is long overdue. Not updating the plan in a timely matter has also made the city ineligible for cer-tain funds.

“My recommendation is to figure out what [are] the city’s and citizen’s objectives and goals and then for staff to try to figure out what are the ways to subsidize that,” Reber said.

He added that not updating the plan could cost Hercules in the long run, and that making planning updates on a piece by piece basis, rather than having a large scale city plan creates conflict.

“There are some inher-ent conflicts between what is being proposed and what is allowed under the zoning or-dinance,” Reber mentioned, citing the City’s LED freeway sign proposal, Parcel C and the proposed Safeway on the Syc-amore North site as examples. With retail in a slump thanks to the economic collapse in 2008, the City Council has shifted its efforts from designing an urban core for Hercules, to marketing lots to residential and big box store developers.

“The fire sale mentality needs to stop,” Mitchell said.

He added the market is now beginning to recover, and with it the possibility to attract brav-er developers willing to break-away from traditional suburban design.

His department, and the Planning Commission will lead meetings with the com-munity, the City Council and other stakeholders in sculpting a new path for development in Hercules.

The public, and Reber urged the Planning Commission to conduct their own independent discussions with the council and community staff and the public about what terms and conditions Hercules should bring to large developers who are purchasing the last of Her-cules’ lots - areas once desig-nated for Hercules’ new walk-able, modern downtown.

An image from a town hall meeting held in May 2000 from the City of Hercules website.

Ohlone Elementary received three separate grants this year to help fund new programs. The grants provide a much needed source of funding for West Contra Costa District schools hit by hard economic times. Many have been effected by budget cuts and Ohlone Elementary is no exception.

A grant won by Tory Cox, who teaches Special Education in grades three through five, paid $191 for a electricity lab and a magnet lab for his students, many of whom are autistic. Students will use the equipment to build circuits and learn about electrical currents and magnetization. Second grade teacher Chandra Sherr won a grant for new P.E. equipment. Both Grants were awarded by DonorsChoose.org, a nationwide, online charity organization that helps teachers acquire funding for projects and materials.

Principal Mickie Giacomini

also won a safety grant from the Community Awareness and Emergency Response Organization (CAER) to pay for walkie-talkies for emergency situations. The CAER, a non-profit group that facilitates public safety in Contra Costa County, offers grants to help pay for emergency preparedness in schools and other agencies.

Additionally, Jane Yee was awarded a Target grant. Each year Target Corporation offers grants to public schools and non-profit organizations to support the arts. The grant awarded from Target will be used to fund a special dance unit for P.E. which will be taught by the Marin Dance Company.

Giacomini said the school is operating more effectively thanks to staff who have worked diligently to obtain the grants necessary to keep the school running. She also commented that her staff has been, “instrumental in finding funding for their school.”

Ohlone receives three grants for new programsBy Natalie Tietzealy

By Alyssa Morrisey

Hercules 2020www.herculesexpress.com

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FEATURES6 THE HERCULES EXPRESS Tuesday, March 19, 2013

HMHS Band to play at A’s Game to raise funds for music programs

Broadway Rhythm Dance Studio opens at Creekside Center

Broadway Rhythm Dance Company

Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, BalletAges 3 and Up

Now in Hercules!

At the Creekside Shopping Center1511 Sycamore Avenue, Suite J

Coucilwoman Sherry McCoy cuts the ribbon during the grand opening party for Broadway Rhythm Dance Studio.

The advanced dancing class performs to a mix of 80’s tunes for visitors.

Broadway Rhythm Dance Studio dancers lead a lesson in “Gangnam Style.”

Dancers tap to a mix of top 40 hits

A small crowd gathered inside the Creekside Shop-ping Center for a ribbon cut-ting and grand opening party for Broadway Rhythm Dance Studio. The small dance studio, owned by expert dancer Trina Araby relocated from Rodeo earlier this year. The Hercules Chamber of Commerce pro-vided a formal ribbon cutting ceremony, with Council mem-ber Sherry McCoy wielding the giant scissors.

“It is great to have new businesses in Hercules, espe-cially those that bring the arts into our community,” Chamber of Commerce Director Sylvia Villa-Serrano said.

Dancers from various age groups turned up to show their support, many of them have been taught by Araby for a number of years. Young adults in Araby’s advanced course demonstrated their skills by performing a 1980’s dance film themed routine. Others held signs, welcomed visitors, handed out prizes and set up a face painting booth for young-sters.

Others performed 1990s hip hop, and tap routines. Araby also held a hula hoop compe-tition and taught visitors the steps to “Gangnam Style.”

While Broadway Rhythm only recently moved to Hercu-les, many of Araby’s students already reside in Hercules. The studio has also been involved in the Hercules Chamber of Com-merce for a number of years.

By Alyssa Morrisey

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your door every month. Just call 510-992-3171, email [email protected].

The Hercules Middle High School marching band was invited for the second time to play at the Oakland Athletics stadium on May 17. The march-ing band hopes to raise money for its underfunded music pro-grams by selling tickets to the game and splitting the proceeds with the baseball team.

The performance is part of a year-long fundraising process, necessary to maintain the music programs. On the forefront of this is effort is HMHS band and choir director Jeff Barrington, who regularly has his students play at birthday parties for do-nations. He also promotes the A’s game tickets through fli-ers in stores. Barrington sums up his perspective with a joke, “pay or we’ll play.”

Barrington says his determi-nation comes from the difficult circumstances facing the pro-gram. For one thing, his march-ing band does not have enough uniforms to compete profes-sionally. During competitions, they are docked points for not

following the dress code. In fact, Levi Strauss, the maker of Levi Jeans, gave a recent $975 do-nation to the band from through the company’s giving program, which only bought four uniforms.

Though, the band believes that putting themselves out there can help promote music programs in general. Many schools across the West County School District are cancel-ling their music programs. In fact, Lupine Hills, Hanna Ranch and Ohlone Elementaries do not have theirs anymore. The band recently played at those same schools to get kids inter-ested again in music. HMHS is also one of the only secondary schools left in the district with a solid music program.

Barrington said that in his

25 years of teaching experi-ence, he has never before seen such a lack of music in elemen-tary schools. Barrington must now cope with huge skill gaps between newcomers and re-turning musicians. Though, he remains optimistic and wants everyone to know the music programs are still here.

By Alyssa Morrisey

The Hercules Middle High School Marching Band plays at an Oakland Athletics baseball game in 2012.

Marching band members pose with Oakland A’s elephant mascott.

FEATURES 7THE HERCULES EXPRESSTuesday, March 19, 2013

What do you want yourcity to look like in 2020?

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this this SpringSpring

Hercules’ only medical marijuana dispensory shuts doors

The Hercules Health Cen-ter has been a mystery to many residents since it opened in the North Shore Business Park on Alfred Nobel Drive in 2010. Its exit from the building is no ex-ception. HHC promptly moved out in early March, but did not give a reason.

The company’s website now has the business listed as the “Hercules Holistic Center,” at 706 Alfred Nobel Drive, Her-cules, across from the Mechan-ics Bank headquarters.

Like many new franchises across the state that distribute medical cannabis, HHC expe-rienced a number of recent set-backs.

According to Hercules Po-lice, Hercules Health Center co-owner Edward Garcia-Bres-lin was arrested and transport-ed to the Martinez Detention Facility, after police discovered stolen property in his residence while serving an arrest war-

rant.Furthermore, while state

law permits the sale and pos-session of marijuana for medi-cal purposes, for those with a prescription, the business was never formally allowed to op-erate in Hercules. According to City Manager Steve Duran, the City must first pass a resolution allowing cannabis clubs to op-erate within the city before any can set up business there. With more immediate budget con-cerns, the Council has never taken up the issue.

More than just a place to buy pot for medicinal purposes, the Health Center sold a variety products from creams to sprays, made from a variety cannabis mixtures, some claiming to be free from THC, the chemi-cal giving users that “high” feeling. Other non-traditional miracle cures, many rumored to have shockingly positive re-sults were also sold.

By Alyssa MorriseyGelateria Naia has sweet ties to Hercules

Chris Tan and Trevor Mor-ris, have been making gelato in Hercules for nine. After ex-panding their company, Gelate-ria Naia in 2004, the duo moved into a kitchen and packaging facility in Hercules off on Al-fred Nobel Drive, across from the Mechanics Bank headquar-ters.

“The main difference [be-tween ice cream and gelato] is that gelato has less butter fat,” Morris said, noting that a typi-cal Ben and Jerry’s ice cream consists of nearly 80 percent fat, while theirs contains rough-ly four percent.

The company is known for their unique bar gelato, a one of a kind gelato popsicle. Morris said the bars distinguish them in a market crowded by various ice cream makers. The bars are sold inside the Lucky Super-market in Hercules.

More uniquely, Gelateria Naia’s products contain no added sugars or heavy syrups, often found in other ice cream brands.

“You taste the flavors more intensely,” Morris said. “That’s why our pistachio tastes so much more like pistachio and not like fat.”

The company formed ties with local farms and other fran-chises to provide the flavors for their gelato. Among the popular flavors is a whisky, made from actual single malt whisky from St. George Spirits based in Al-ameda. Other flavors include

coffee, made from Bay Area based Blue Bottle Coffee beans, and pistachio, made from Cali-fornia grown pistachios.

Tan and Morris managed to strike a deal with Whole Foods Supermarkets across northern California and Nevada, who now carry the scoop gelato brands. They also now have their own retail outlets in Wal-nut Creek and San Francisco.

Morris joined Tan’s Ital-ian style ice cream company in 2002 when it was based in Berkeley. Since moving to Hercules, the company expe-rienced a whirlwind of growth, and now has two kitchens and 15 employees. They may even look to hire five more for the upcoming, busy summer sea-son. Morris said the company has nearly reached capacity at its Hercules facility.

“Our long term plan was to open a retail store in the front of the building,” Morris ex-plained. “But we needed the

room for a new kitchen and freezer storage for our scoop gelato.”

Morris said the two have been looking for ways to recon-nect with the community since giving up on their Hercules re-tail store, such as offering tours of the facility and tastings. Though plans have continu-ously been put on hold as the company quickly establishes itself as a Bay Area favorite.

By Alyssa Morrisey

Gelateria Naia makes their bar gelato and scoop gelato in their kitchen in Hercules

Jason Williams blends roasted pistachios.

Daniel Phan peels a fresh mango.

next phase of the sale may take between six to 18 months, de-pending on a number of issues. If the sale ends up taking longer, the City will have to answer to its bond holders. According to Finance Director Nickie Mas-tay, HMU is currently $700,000

behind on its bond payments. Among the factors that could delay the process is the City’s lack of financial record keep-ing before 2010.

City Manager Steve Duran said a purchase and sale agree-ment with PG&E is likely to go before the council by this May.PG&E will then seek regula-tory approval from the state for the transaction.

HMUContinued from page 1

FEATURES8 THE HERCULES EXPRESS Tuesday, March 19, 2013

School meetings open to the publicWCCUSD School Board meeting, Mar. 20Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Dejean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond.WCCUSD Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, Mar. 27Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. at the Facilities Operations Center, 1300 Potrero Avenue, Richmond.WCCUSD Community Budget Advisory Committee, Mar. 28The school board appointed community-based advisory group discusses budgetary issues. They will meet Thursday, March 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Alvarado Adult School, 5625 Sutter Avenue, Richmond.WCCUSD Community Budget Advisory Committee, Mar. 28Thursday, March 28 at 4 p.m. inside DeJean Middle School Library, 3400 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond.WCCUSD Special Education Community Advisory Committee, (CAC), April 8 Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at Cameron School, 7140 Gladys Avenue, El Cerrito.JSUSD Governing Board special meeting, Apr. 10District office board room, 400 Parker Avenue, Rodeo.

Kids Expo showcases resources for parentsBy Alyssa Morrisey

Over one thousand kids and their parents were invited to test out local family-friendly venders at Hercules Chamber of Commerce’s second Kids Expo on Saturday, March 3.

The event was sponsored by multi-city agency, Recy-cleMore, and by Phillips 66, formerly Conoco Phillips.

Families wandered through a maze of booths set up by local venders including day care services, private schools, summer camps and other kid-centered businesses.

Children played games, had their faces painted, en-tered raffles and went home with oodles of free promo-tional items from pencils to childrens books provided by the Friends of the Hercules Library.

Some vendors provided en-tertainment. Betty Buttons the Clown created an assortment

of balloon animals for children, and the contestants from Miss Hercu-les also made an appearance to pro-mote their pageant that takes place April 14.

Others used the opportunity to promote their fam-ily friendly options. Travel agents, insurance brokers, churches, nonprofits like Her-cules Relay for Life, among others, also promoted their services.

The Powder Keg Pub in Hercules, Abby’s Grill, La Strada Restaurant and Moun-tain Mike’s Pizza each pro-vided food.

Hercules is a hot spot for kids. A large percent of households in Hercules con-tain at least one minor. Her-culeans also spend more than the national average on toys,

family vacations, lessons, summer camps and other family associated activities.

Families who visited every ta-ble were entered into a raffle and some walked away with War-riors tickets, fam-ily passes to the Lawrence Hall of Science, free admission to The Jungle Fun and Ad-venture Center in Concord, among other prizes.

Briana Kelly has her face painted by Donna Now of Donna’s Designs.

Cura Jeung (left) and sister Cami assemble a sailboat using materials and tools provided by Home Depot.

The RecycleMore Mascot makes an appearance to demonstrate safe recycling practices.

Sara Kazmi of Little Munchkins Academy, and daughter Laila pose with their bounty of raffle prizes.

Betty Buttons the Clown fashions a balloon poodle for Sofia Martinez and Sara Kwong.

Spring City Wide Garage Sale sign-up ends April 10

Registration has begun for the 2013 Hercules Citywide Garage Sale, co-sponsored by the City of Hercules and the Hercules Sister City Association. The registration deadline is Wednesday, April 10, 2013.

Hercules residents can pay $20 to have their house featured on a map of garage sales. On the day of the event, maps listing registered addresses will be available for sale for 25 cents each starting at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Hercules Public Library at 109 Civic Drive (off Sycamore Avenue). Those having garage sales are expected to be open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Forms are available on the Hercules Sister City website at http://www.tsushima.home.comcast.net or the City of Hercules website at http://www.ci.hercules.ca.us. Call 510-724-7063 for more information.

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If you pay someone to pre-pare your tax return, the IRS urges you to choose that pre-parer wisely. Taxpayers are legally responsible for what’s on their tax return even if it is prepared by someone else. So, it is important to choose care-fully when hiring an individual or firm to prepare your return. Most return preparers are pro-fessional, honest and provide excellent service to their cli-ents.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when choosing someone else to prepare your return:

Check the person’s qualifi-cations. Ask if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization that provides its members with continuing edu-

cation and resources and holds them to a code of ethics.New regulations require all paid tax return preparers including attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents to apply for a Preparer Tax Identification Number — even if they already have one — before preparing any federal tax returns in 2011.

Check on the preparer’s his-tory. Check to see if the pre-parer has a questionable his-tory with the Better Business Bureau and check for any dis-ciplinary actions and licensure status through the state boards of accountancy for certified public accountants; the state bar associations for attorneys; and the IRS Office of Profes-sional Responsibility for en-rolled agents.

Find out about their service fees. Avoid preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund or those who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers.

Make sure the tax preparer is accessible. Make sure you will be able to contact the tax pre-parer after the return has been filed, even after the April due date, in case questions arise.

Provide all records and re-ceipts needed to prepare your return. Most reputable prepar-ers will request to see your re-cords and receipts and will ask you multiple questions to de-termine your total income and your qualifications for expens-es, deductions and other items.

Never sign a blank return. Avoid tax preparers that ask you to sign a blank tax form.

Review the entire return be-fore signing it. Before you sign your tax return, review it and ask questions. Make sure you understand everything and are comfortable with the accuracy of the return before you sign it.

Make sure the preparer signs the form and includes their PTIN. A paid preparer must sign the return and include their PTIN as required by law. Although the preparer signs the return, you are responsible for the accuracy of every item on your return. The preparer must also give you a copy of the re-turn.

Courtesy of www.irs.gov.

Points to keep in mind when choosing a tax preparer

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Hercules East Bay Silver Dolphins swim to victoryBy Timothy Laubach

Many are unaware Hercules has a team of nationally ac-credited swimmers in its midst. Wanting to provide year-long swimming for its growing membership, the Richmond Silver Dolphins came to Hercu-les in 2004 after talks with then Aquatics Manager Angela Cur-tola. Here they became the East Bay Silver Dolphins (EBSD), a non-profit organization nation-ally recognized by USA Swim-ming., the same authority that oversees the US Olympic trials. The East Bay Silver Dolphins are coached by three American Swim Coaches Association-certified coaches Chelsea Col-liver, Jodi Tamosunas and Keri Pock.

Being nationally recog-nized, the East Bay Silver Dolphins’ intermediate and advanced groups compete year round, mostly in the Bay Area. Their beginner, “Spin-ner” group is recreational, but does not compete. Team mem-bers range from ages 5 to 18. This separates them from the Hercules Piranhas, a Summer-only team that is not nationally recognized and therefore less competitive.

With all three swimming sects, combined with seasonal members who drop-in and out, the East Bay Silver Dolphins has maintained a membership that peaks over a hundred dur-ing its busiest months. The team only had 40 members when it first came to Hercules.

Coach Chelsea Colliver said the team tries to foster bonds between members by hosting community events and socials. These range from team movie nights to a trip to an amuse-ment park. They also encourage positive feedback and cheering, Colliver added.

The East Bay Silver Dol-phins also invests in its swim-mers’ futures. Through grants from USA Swimming, the team offers college scholarships to dedicated team members who

maintain a 3.0 grade point av-erage, based on factors like economic need and diversity.

However, it is not all smooth sailing for the group, due to the economic realities of Her-cules and the rest of the coun-try. Thanks to budget cuts, the team has had to increase fines and cut down practice time. If changes are not made, a city budget deficit could even can-cel the team.

Despite that, the East Bay Silver Dolphins is still looking forward to its future. The group has a few swimmers partaking in the 2013 Far Western Short Court Championship, April 4 through 7, after making it through the qualifiers last fall. The team also has a swim meet in Lake Tahoe, CA later this Spring.

Titans softball heats up with win against El Cerrito

Staff photosJunior Alexis Muchtar winds up for a pitch.

Titans Junior Daisy Boutelle catches a flyball.

A group shot of the East Bay Silver Dolphins 2012 season team.

The lady Titans varsity softball team out did them-selves with a home game win against El Cerrito on Friday March 8. The win gave the team its fourth win, and the pre-season is only to heat up. Last week, the Titans also took on St. Mary’s, St. Pat-rick/St. Vincent and Ygnacio Valley.

Each of the girls on the team show particular promise this season. Though returning stars include pitcher and hit-ter Alexis Muchtar with 3 for 4 hits and 2 RBIs against El Cerrito and Kamille Byrd with 2 RBIs. Dominique Washing-ton hit a triple and an RBI, Ju-nior Daisy Boutelle also hit 2 RBIs and 1 for 4.

“We played each other al-

ready... both teams have improved a lot since the first time we played,” Coach Greg Ochs said.

El Cerrito struck out the Ti-tans in the first in-ning, and another in the fourth. The Titans began to inch ahead, however, bringing the score 5-2 by the top of the fourth inning.

An RBI from Kamille Byrd in the bottom of the fourth completely broke El Cerrito’s the momentum, exploiting a weakness in El Cerrito’s right field. During that marathon inning, 10 separate batters slid into home bringing the score 15-2. The game ended in the top of the fifth inning,

with Muchtar striking out one of El Cerrito’s batters, and the rest never making it to first base.

While the fourth inning blitz put the Titans firmly in the lead, Ochs said the team has much to learn about pac-ing.

The team will travel to St. Joseph Notre Dame and John Swett thereafter for the start of the season.

Titans Senior Kamille Byrd hits one of two an RBI’s.

By Alyssa Morrisey

March 8 gamesKeandra’s team defeated Sal’s team 54-48. Ralp Capitly and

Maya Murry Pena both scored 10 points for the winning team. Jordan Sexton scored 20 and Tamera McNeil had 12 points in the losing effort.

Bryan’s team defeated Luis’s team 44-35. Joshua McGann scored 14 for the winning team and Joshua Dejesus had 9 points in the losing effort.March 9 games

Ashleigh’s team defeated Mike’s team 35-26. Jhona Jingco scored 16 for the winning team and Joshua Del Sol scored 6 points in the losing effort.

Andrew’s team defeated Dave’s team 47-44. Troy Jones scored 17 and Justin Maglasang scored 18 points for the winning team and Zamyris Howard scored 22 points in a losing effort.

Trent’s team defeated Mark & Lovell’s team 50-37. Shane Bell scored 19 and Patrick Udenyi scored 11 points for the winning team and Mark Joseph Almarinez scored 14 and Patrick Almarinez scored 12 points in a losing effort.

Varsity baseball falls to Leadership, 5-2 pre-season

The Titans fell 7-2 to Hayward’s Leadership during their pre-season game March 13, making them 5-2. The loss appears to be a minor setback in a promising start to the 2012-13 year that included, among others, an early 15-1 win against KIPP King Col-legiate, a 17-0 confidence booster against De Anza, a 13-0 win against Emery Sec-ondary and a 15-0 win against

Oakland.The team will move on to

face St. Joseph Notre Dame tomorrow, March 20 for the start of the season. St. Joseph is currently 3-3, leading up to the season.

Notably, rising star Mathew Clarine had a stunning 4 RBIs during the Titans’ win against De Anza and Zach Cohen, a junior had 3 RBIs when the Titans faced Mount Diablo on March 11.

By Alyssa Morrisey

SCHOOLS10 Tuesday, March 19, 2013THE HERCULES EXPRESS

Tuesday, Mar. 19, Lawyer in the Library, Immigration Law, 7 p.m.

Immigration attorney Michael Epstein of Epstein Husby Immigration Law will conduct brief individual consultations regarding immigration issues. Drop-in, first come, first served.

Se habla Español. Lo que usted necesita saber sobra la ley de inmigracion.

Tuesday, Mar. 26, Poetry and Spoken Word Slam, 4 p.m.Attention poetry lovers. You are invited to participate in an

upcoming Poetry and Spoken Word Slam at the Hercules Public Library. You can choose to perform or just listen, but people of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend!

This event is sponsored by the Hercules Library and the Bay Area Storytelling Festival. The Slam will take place on March 26 at 4 p.m. in the Hercules Library. There will be an open mic and everyone is encouraged to tell a story, recite a poem, or sing a song.

A number of participants will have the opportunity to attend and perform at the Bay Area Storytelling Festival May 18 at the Cranway Pavillion Conference Center. The Festival is now in its 27th year and brings a wide audience to hear nationally known storytellers. This will be the first year that a Teen Spoken Word Slam will be offered. Call 245-2420 for details.

Wednesday, Mar. 27, H.T.L.P. Presents After School Movies at the Library, 3:30 p.m.

The Hercules Teen Library Promoters host a monthly movie series at Hercules Public Library. Each month a different movie is screened with a copy on DVD being raffled off among those who attend.

Thursday, Mar. 28, Insiders Club: Yoga, 10 a.m.For adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities:

this is your library too. Join us for a class of simple and gentle stretches presented by Janice DeJesus.

Sunday, Apr. 28, Hercules Parks and Recreation Expo, 10 a.m.

Come to this free event and take a look at all the programs and services that Hercules Parks and Recreation will be offering for Summer 2013. Register for classes and receive 10% off. Meet summer camp day camp and aquatics staff, plus a variety of specialty class instructors, and get your questions answered in person on Sunday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hercules Community Center, 2001 Refugio Valley Road.

Saturday, Apr. 20, Botanic Garden Plant Sale, 10 a.m.Save the date now for this annual event. A beloved Bay Area

tradition, the annual California Native Plant Sale at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden features flowering shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and ornamental grasses, many of which are not available in a commercial nursery. Visitors may explore the Garden and benefit from horticultural advice. Please bring your own boxes to cart home your purchases. The terrific and tireless Regional Parks Botanic Garden volunteers organize the event, and all proceeds directly benefit the Garden.

The Garden is located at the intersection of Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive near the Brazil Building at Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley. Admission is free.

Free events open to residentsommunity CalendarC

Ohlone teacher is fi nalist for excellence award

Ohlone Elementary School nominated one of its teachers, Misuk Nam, as a preliminary finalist for the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (Ed Fund) Teacher of Excellence Award. She is among several staff at Ohlone nominated for the award.

“This is a huge honor, and we are very proud of her here at Ohlone Elementary,” Principal Mickie Giacomini said. “If she is selected as one of the final four winners, she will not only receive a $500 education stipend, but will have the

opportunity to compete for the county Teacher of the Year Award. Our students & staff truly benefit from her professional talents.”

The Ed Fund is a non-profit organization in West Contra Costa County that awards grants and recognizes teachers and staff for outstanding abilities and contributions to their communities. The grants awarded to teachers can be used to help pay for supplies and materials for use in the classroom.

Giacomini said that Nam juggles two grade levels, fourth and fifth, while continually

demanding excellence from her students, and also enjoys the challenge of strategizing a flexible curriculum.

Nam has taught at Ohlone for eight years, and raises funds each year for trips to the San Jose Tech Museum. Giacomini called Nam a role model for her colleagues.

By Natalie Tietzealy

West Contra Costa Unifi ed School Board

President, Madelein Kroninberg(510) 334-9646

[email protected]

Secretary, Charles Ramsey(510) 682-5600

[email protected]

Elaine Merriweather(510) 307-4601

[email protected]

Randall Enos(510) 932-2594

[email protected]

Todd A. Groves(510) 705-3313

[email protected]

How to reach your school board membersJohn Swe� Unifi ed School Board

510-245-4300

President, Jerrold “Jerry” Parsons [email protected]

Brian [email protected]

Norma Jean Cole [email protected]

John [email protected]

Bill [email protected]

WCCUSD1108 Bissell Avenue · Richmond, CA

(510) 231-1100M-F 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

John Swe� Unifi ed School District400 Parker Ave Rodeo, CA 94572

(510) 245-4300M-F 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Two HMHS seniors so far are Ivy League bound

Hercules Middle High School is increasing the num-ber of alumni attending schools like Cornell, Touline and Wash-ington University in St. Louis, thanks to a program encourag-ing students to aim higher. The school offers a chance for stu-dents to prepare for entrance into Ivy League institutions. The school has partnered with the Ivy League Connection, a privately financed program that prepares students for any college they choose.

“Not only do we want them [students] to find a school where they can excel, but we want their eyes opened to op-portunities to finance their edu-cation other than crippling stu-dent loans,” said Don Gosney, one of the administrators of Ivy League Connection at HMHS.

Hercules Middle High School currently has eight stu-dents participating and is in its seventh year with the Ivy League Connection.

So far three of them have been accepted to Cornell Uni-versity via early acceptance programs, according to Prin-cipal Jen Bender. Though, the school has not finished placing students in the programs for the summer.

Students in either their ju-nior or senior year and with a minimum GPA of 3.75 must submit an essay to be admitted into the program. Once admit-ted, the student must sustain high academic achievement to stay in the program. Students are also expected to give back to their communities after suc-ceeding in the program through their professional life.

The program emphasizes

entrance into several majors including law, leadership, physics, business, econom-ics and other subjects. Some of programs are district wide while some are school specific. HMHS has a unique program to help accept students into hotel management courses at Cornell University, though students can apply to any of the district wide programs available.

Akele Newton, HMHS As-sistant Principle and Facilitator of the program explained that the school plans to gain expo-sure and hopes that more stu-dents will be able to participate in the program in the future.

The Ivy league connection encourages students, including many of Hercules’ own to blog about their experiences. There is a link to the blogs on Ivylea-gueconnection.org.

By Natalie Tietzealy

Campus club raises $1,400 for music program

The Hercules Middle High School Save the Music campaign raised a total of $1,400 during the last school year, with $800 raise this year so far. The campus club has been in existence for three years. Filled with students from HMHS’ music programs, the group hopes to help the music programs flourish, while they face an uncertain future.

“We have booking concerts down to a science practically,”

said Jobel Vecino, who has been leading the Save the Music club for almost two years.

The Save the Music club hosts benefit concerts at the school, sells the tickets for admission and provides the food. The club also sells wristbands at events to support their cause. They were even sponsored by the Golden State Warriors for a fundraising event. The group sold Warriors tickets and split the proceeds, they made $120 from it.

The Save the Music club

is hosting a benefit concert on April 12, featuring local bands like The Unobstructed and 5D.

HMHS student Ansley Bonifacio performs with his band Settle the Score at a Save the Music show.

By Timothy Laubach

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There is no doubt that put-ting some work into your home will work wonders when it comes time to sell, but where can you find the most bang for your buck and where are you throwing money away?

Do not make the mistake of throwing away thousands on tiny, homey touches inside the house. There are a few simple things that you can do to im-prove the re-sale value of your home right off the bat.

Though it sounds cliche, it cannot be said enough that first impressions count for prospec-tive home buyers. They care about the curb appeal of the house. Your house needs to look warm and inviting - it should attempt to trigger an emotional response with the buyer. As

they walk to your front door they need to be imagining what the next 10 or 20 years will be like in their new home. Make sure the front of your home looks neat and tidy, preferably with a fresh coat of paint. It may also be worth investing in a new coat of exterior paint to brighten the house up.

Another area that is a great investment is the kitchen. We spend more family time in the kitchen than you do in any other room in the house. With the average price of a remodel nationwide being $27,000 a prospective home buyer may be put off spending top dollar on your home if there is a lot work to be done. An investment of $10,000 on a new kitchen could add $30,000 to the value of your home. If you are on a tight budget, add a coat of fresh

paint and re-face the cabinets. Try to make your home as

neutral as possible when show-ing it off to prospective buyers. Remember just because those gold plated faucets may be to your taste does not mean that they are to everyone’s taste. Likewise the green paint in your living room may put some prospective buys off. While you should not remove all the character of your home, apply-ing new paint in a neutral color in the interior of home can work wonders.

Finally, one thing you might consider to improve val-ue of your home is not to add a swimming pool. You may see the ultimate in luxury; a pro-spective home buyer sees extra money needed to be spent on maintenance.

GarbageContinued from page 4

request, and hired R3 Consult-ing Group to investigate the company’s proposal.

At a City Council meeting in January, William Shoen, Principal at R3 revealed that Richmond Sanitary used a large amount of what he called “un-allowable expenses,” to support their request for increase. For

example, about $300,000 in employee bonus compensation, as well as meals and entertain-ment were quoted as part of the rate review Richmond Sanitary submitted in January 2012. R3 also noticed the company’s bo-nuses increased tenfold since 2002. The City then negotiated with Richmond Sanitary to al-low for about $14,000 in bonus compensation, representing av-erage annual bonuses for 2008 through 2010. The city agreed

to the allow for the bonuses be-cause there is “a corresponding, offsetting financial benefit,” according to a staff report.

As part of the new agree-ment, Richmond Sanitary will also now pay the City $6,000 for blight abatement, such as cleanup of illegal dumping, wetlands and graffiti.

The overall increase will also absorb the $35,000 the city paid R3 in order to investigate Richmond Sanitary’s claim.

By Stephen S. Boater

While not everyone con-siders the once revolutionary Broadway favorite, The Wiz, to be “retro,” young actors at Herucles Middle High School will recreate the musical com-plete with decked out 1970’s attire. The play is a collabo-ration between the HMHS’ theater arts program, and the City of Hercules’ Teen Youth Council.

Under the direction of Joyce Thrift, the cast of mid-dle and high school students had their first peformance last Thursday, March 14 in the HMHS theater in front of a sell-out crowd. The curtain will close on the Spring musi-

cal with a Sunday Matinee on March 24.

The musical was writ-ten by Charlie Smalls, and is based on William F. Brown’s retelling of the early twenti-eth century book and film The Wizard of Oz through the lens of African American culture.

The play hit Broadway in 1975, winning several Tony Awards.

HMHS joins many theater companies across the country that produce the play with a multicultural cast. The origi-nal play was written for an all-black cast, with the racial component of the production often proving too difficult for many public schools to ac-

commodate.Many also think of the

star studded cast of the film, which premiered in 1977 that included the likes of Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell and Richard Pryor among others. Thrift is quick to point the original play is very different.

Thrift said the talented theater students hold nothing back from the original musi-cal, enthusiastically perform-ing favorites like “Ease On Down the Road,” and Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.

Tickets are available at the door, though performances often sell out early.

By Alyssa Morrisey

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again be marketed for office, research and development, retail and residential uses by consultants CBRE and Cush-man & Wakefield. Meanwhile, staff will negotiate with Oliver Construction and AMBAC to push back collection dates.

Potential Lawsuit The City may add to its

extensive list of legal battles. City Attorney Patrick Tang

announced that DeNova has threatened legal action against the City over their part in the ex-piration of the feasibility period after closed session last Febru-ary 12. The City as Successor Agency to the RDA Oversight Board discussed the topic on February 21, and the Council met with legal advisors at sev-eral meetings in March during closed session. No agreement has come forward thus far.

Parcel CContinued from page 1

the overall mood of the com-munity has improved since last year,” Mircalla Wozniak, Se-nior Associate at Lew Edwards Group said.

“Though, there are still con-cerns about corruption, waste and inefficiency and a lack of transparency,” she added.

Wozniak urged council members to educate voters about steps that it has already taken to control the deficit, and show transparency and fiscal accountability to ensure safe passage of the measure.

FM3 found 50 percent of those polled thought the City was doing a fair or good job. Meanwhile, only 41 percent believed the City was “head-ing in the right direction,” only 31 believed that last year. Despite the perceived lack of confidence, Measure O, which imposed a half cent sales tax increase in Hercules, passed by roughly 70 percent last June, when it needed only a simple majority.

Tax MeasureAside from bringing the

City’s UUT rates from six per-cent to eight percent (in line with rates in surrounding cit-ies), the measure will also ap-ply a new Telecommunications Users Tax, and Video Users Tax, which will tax everything from cellphone communica-tions to broadband internet and cable to voicemail services. All video services other than satellite, will also be taxed. A federal law currently protects satellite providers from similar taxes.

Council members struggled to place an expiration date on the tax. FM3 Research Associ-ate Shakari Byerly advised the council that residents were 15 percent more likely to pass the measure if it were to expire af-ter five years rather than ten.

Council members worried however that five years may not be enough time to turn around the City’s financial situation.

“We cannot continue... ev-ery year, having to declare a financial emergency,” Council Member Dan Romero said.

“I think we’re short selling

ourselves if we go five years,” he later added.

Romero lobbied the council to consider extending the tax to between six and ten years. However, council members decided the err on the side of caution, and sunset the measure after five years in order to en-sure its passage in June.

“I think most people want us to come back in five years and prove... to them that we got our house in order, and that there’s no more issues about trust. And, we’re all hoping that at that time property values will be up and it will be a much different proposition.” Mayor John Delgado said.

“In order to provide the ser-vices we have, we need that extra million dollars and we’re not getting it from the county. So, if we want to have those services, a tax like this is how we’re going to do it,” Delgado later said.

Ballot language is available from the California Secretary of State and the Contra Costa Registrar of Voters.

Election

San Mateo on the company’s Silicon Valley sign that helped generate participants.

Reber said the City’s current rules against new pylon signs, and electronic signage would need to be stripped by the com-mission and City Council, as well as rules placing size limi-tations on any signage in public areas. If the project were ap-proved, an independent study of the sign’s light pollution would need to be conducted.

While a previous attempts to invite developers of LED signs into Hercules were met with staunch opposition from the public, speakers at the meeting included a mix of supporters and opponents.

Owners of the Sycamore Hills by the Bay senior hous-ing complex, Semik and Laurie Oungoulian, said the billboard would disturb its many resi-dents, and would put others off from renting there in the fu-ture. Laurie Oungoulian said that half of windows in the Sycamore Hills complex would have a direct view of the sign if built in the proposed spot on Sycamore Avenue.

Others worried about the impact the sign would dimin-ish the character of the com-munity.

“This is going to be the de-fining aspect of our main exit to Hercules, the exit with the bill-board” Jeff Wisniewski said. “That’s how people are going to know to get off at Hercules no matter what we do.”

Wisniewski added the signs are against the city’s latest ef-fort to restore and update the Central Hercules Plan drafted in 2000.

Others, on the other hand

welcomed the freeway sign as an opportunity not just for cash, but to have an architec-tural highlight.

John Swett Unified School Board member Jerrold Parsons told the city the sign could help advertise the town, its schools and local businesses.

“I think there is a wonder-ful opportunity to advertise the school districts, and the good of what is happening in Hercu-les,” Parsons said.

Planning Commissioners, however, sounded dubious about the sign’s benefits.

“These signs cannot be re-moved once they go up... we can’t change our minds,” Vice Chair Richard Mitchell said.

Mitchell asked that the City’s legal department weigh in on this issue, noting that once Hercules grants a special planning permission to Silicon View, other sign developers may sue for the right to build similar signs on I-80 within Hercules’ borders.

Mitchell also pointed out that the City will have little to no control over what advertis-ing goes on the sign, whether it be beer ads or chevy ads. He also said the signs advertise-ments, which appear for a few seconds each, are not a prefer-able place to list the City’s at-tributes.

Commission Chair Clerita Hart agreed with Mitchell that a residential landscape may not be a good place for an LED freeway sign.

“I understand the financial aspect of this but the City does seem to be dealing with that in other ways,” Hart said.

The Planning Commission agreed to discuss the issue again during their next meet-ing, likely in April, to give absent commissioner Kenneth Morrison a chance to weigh in.

LED SignContinued from page 3

A rendering of the proposed billboard, provided by Silicon View.

SafewayContinued from page 1

general conditions of the con-tract, unless they seek an ad-ditional amendment for relief from the costs.

Some residents expressed frustration over delays to the project’s construction. The Sycamore North project halted completely in 2010, and has re-mained vacant ever since. The City re-hired constractor Oliver and Company to weatherize the structure, giving it its current Tyvek white look.

Sycamore North was origi-nally slated to be about 96 be-low market housing units, plus 40,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space. Presidio Develop-ment Partners obtained a gen-eral plan amendment and other permissions from the City and

Planning Commission to turn the project into “Town Cen-trale” a roughly 140 unit apart-ment complex with roughly 12,000 sq ft. of ground floor retail space, and four live-work units.

Sycamore NorthContinued from page 3

the store. Karbo said the latter costs millions more, thus PDC is more predisposed to a design that includes rooftop parking.

As for the remainder of the property, PDC suggested bou-tique style cafes, restaurants and shops, residential units or a mixture of each. Ideally, Karbo said, the site should include a gas station. She added the site has had some interest from small apparel, pet food and other retailers.

“We think we have a great opportunity here to add some retail that really benefits Her-cules,” Karbo said.

She added the shopping center should be a local hub that residents can access by foot, shop for groceries, hang out and have other shopping needs met.

Karbo said PDC has yet to come forward with plans for the site, and is soliciting input from residents about their de-sires for the vacant lot.

Reaction from residents ranged from ardent support to concern. Community members quickly shut down conversa-tion about adding residential units to the site. However, many were enticed by the possibility of attracting more restaurants and eateries to the City. Most were pleased that Safeway’s plans did not include a large one-story lot with a sprawling parking lot.

Karbo also mentioned she was familiar with the Central Hercules Plan, and that the Safeway shopping center could easily fit within its parameters.

Other residents tossed out a number of architectural sug-gestions and safety concerns. Karbo agreed with many that the exterior of Safeway could

be designed to blend in with its Bayside and Sycamore North neighbors. She also suggested that a traffic engineer take a look at traffic flow on San Pab-lo Avenue for traffic slowing measures.

Some also worried that Safeway’s gravitational pull would detract from the new Bayfront residential and retail district, the city’s new “down-town.” Though, Karbo suggest-ed a formula for which the two could peacefully co-exist was possible.

Karbo also disinclined a suggestion by developer John McNellis that Safeway build a shopping center on the former Market Hall site.

“The Red Barn site does not allow us to create that retail synergy that Safeway needs,” Karbo said.

“This is the only site in Her-cules that works for us.”

Hercules Express, Issue 5

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Transcript of Hercules Express, Issue 5