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Michelle Obama made an appearance at the Costco in Livermore last week. We didn’t, unfortunately, unaware our former first lady would be in the Tri-Valley to tout PLEZi Nutrition’s FiZZ beverage.
It happens, particularly with celebrities pitching products in a local store where we’d be lucky to get a half-day’s notice — in this case, I never got a press release or anything. So our team was left watching Obama’s Livermore moment on Sept. 17 unfold via residents’ social media videos, or read about it after the fact when some Bay Area and national outlets picked up the news in arrears.
An important reality to accept in our line of work is you’re not going to get every story. It’s impossible, unattainable. So I urge my staff not to fret about that part and instead focus on what we can control: Take care of each article you pursue and create an engaging piece of journalism with it.
Still, missing an interesting lead is disappointing. And that’s where tips our readers and our sources are absolutely critical, to help make sure a subject gets on our radar so we decide which ones to back-cover and which to let ride without touching.
There are other cases, too, where you haven’t seen coverage in the Weekly of a relevant news topic not because we didn’t know about it or we passed on it or didn’t have time, but in fact because we’re doing our due diligence to thoroughly report the article.
We’ve had plenty of subjects in each of those categories in recent weeks as we’ve been busy with candidate forums and related election coverage. Here’s a taste …
The Zone 7 Water Agency Board of Directors have had some meaty meetings this summer, with big topics including its PFAS management plan, the Delta Conveyance Project and the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion — the latter of which apparently went belly up this week. We’re working to track each of these.
As we’ve covered the drama of financial allegations lodged by Livermore Area Recreation and Park District directors against the East Bay Regional Park District, we haven’t had a chance yet to highlight recent park news from LARPD: the new turf field at Cayetano Park, the field renovations at William (Bill) Payne Sports Park and the cool communication boards installed at May Nissen Community Park.
For those wondering why Livermore’s flags were lowered earlier this month, it’s because the city was honoring retired city manager Lee Horner (1978 to 1996), who died in June at 91.
Oh, one other Livermore lead: I reached out several weeks ago trying to get an interview after owners announced French Dips and More downtown was closing. I never heard back, and now it’s their final week.
Openings have been on Pleasanton residents’ minds recently.
We’re trying to get a firm date for the new Costco; the company’s website says Nov. 27, but it sure looks closer to ready than that. I’ve heard the Stable Cafe at the racetrack reopened under new management. Driving Hopyard on Monday I noticed the restaurant succeeding Eddie Papa’s was soft-opening, but I couldn’t see the name. And just Tuesday I got a press release about the new Starbird Chicken at 6455 Owens Drive.
We’ve got multiple irons in the fire related to the Pleasanton city government, including the reported “disruptive incidents” at the softball complex, a sidewalk problem at the Ken Mercer Sports Park and the city’s recent appeals court victory in an injury lawsuit that seemed to come down to the question of trail vs. sidewalk.
Kudos to resident Karen Miller, whose recent well-read Letter to the Editor helped us get some initial coverage of her neighborhood issue of large trucks barrelling down First Street at seemingly all hours. That’s a story I wanted to write about, but just haven’t had a chance.
I also can’t find the time to pull anything together yet on Specialty Sales Classics shutting down amid the legal troubles for its owner. Thanks to our blogger Tim Hunt for touching on it a little. We’ll try to do something substantive in-house, but it’s a haul – in the meantime the Press Democrat and the Chronicle have done great coverage of the underlying situation in Sonoma County.
We have multiple California Public Records Act requests filed or in the works in the aftermath of government developments up and down the Tri-Valley. Preparing those is such an exacting process; it’s hard to find the time to keep up with those during the daily grind of local news.
Well, that’s all the space I have in the paper this week and I didn’t even get through my own list. Go figure. Plus, I’ve got hours’ worth of inbox to comb through. I appreciate your patience with me and my team during this busy election season – and please, keep those tips coming.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
