By margins of way over 60%, Livermore voters approved extending sewer lines into the unincorporated wine country to provide more environmentally friendly services for large facilities. Previously, the facilities would be served by septic tanks—the Zone 7 board has a resolution on the agenda this week to approve a septic system at Darcie Kent Vineyards on Tesla Road. Both Wente and Concannon have major production and bottling lines on Tesla—Concannon’s parent company, the Wine Group, imports and bottles wine from around the world. Wente handles its own brands as well as custom bottling for other wineries.
With both measures, which had minimal opposition, easily passing, it should amount to a shot in the arm for the Livermore Valley wine country. Reports had shown that the region had stagnated at about 50 wineries and needed adjustments in public policy to grow more.
Alameda County is headed for a potential law enforcement crisis if the current vote holds and civil rights attorney Pamela Price wins the district attorney seat over veteran prosecutor Terry Wiley. Price easily won the primary where Wiley and fellow prosecutor Jimmie Wilson split the vote. Wiley led Tuesday’s runoff after the election night results, but Price now leads by more than 6,000 votes in the 51-49% race.
She’s cut out of the same cloth as the recalled Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, George Gascon in Los Angeles (a former San Francisco DA) and other progressive prosecutors that treat perpetrators of crime lightly while ignoring the impact on citizens and merchants. Remember the theft gangs ravaging Union Square during the holiday season last year or the summer riots in Portland and Seattle. We need to be watching carefully to be sure that Oakland, which has its share of violent riots/protests, does not devolve further into lawlessness.
As one friend remarked, he and his wife used to like to go to Jack London Square for dinner from his Pleasanton home. He grew up on that side of the hills and worked there throughout his career. Now he and his wife skip Jack London Square. Sad.
It was a happy day for members of The Club at Castlewood that celebrated the reopening of its renovated 50-year-old clubhouse Saturday evening. The place was packed—General Manager John Vest said they’d prepared for 500 and it looked like at least that many came to see the refurbished.
The prime member area is anchored by a three-sided bar and two-way fireplace in the foyer. Helped along by the open bar and the food, folks clustered there. On the other side of the building, the former member’s grill has been transformed into the fitness center with a studio. The prior makeshift gym now is the child care center.
The banquet area, which will continue to be available for rental by outside parties, received new fixtures, paint and floor treatments that freshened it nicely while maintaining its capacity. A formerly under-utilized patio now has become a showcase and will be an ideal place for a cocktail reception with stunning views over the valley after trees were thinned and trimmed.
Smiles and hugs abounded Saturday night as members enjoyed the space for the first time in about 18 months—it had been closed to allow the quickest and most efficient remodel.
Saturday afternoon swing by the Parkway Fellowship, 7485 Village Parkway in Dublin, for free drive-through prayer from members of the East Bay Healing Center. It’s one of our rare gatherings in-person since the Covid lockdowns and we are delighted to invite anyone to come by for prayer for any need or simply a blessing. First come, first serve, no reservations necessary.
