When the clock chimes midnight after New Year's Eve on Saturday, we will officially say goodbye to 2022.

A monumental year in many respects for the Tri-Valley saw some major achievements on the local, regional, national and international stages come to the forefront in the second half of the year.

The general election was the gift that truly kept giving for our journalists between July and December. So many of our most important stories focused on the campaigns, candidates and ballot measures in front of local voters -- not to mention another successful election forum series for us.

The city councils in Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and San Ramon each saw new members elected into office, two of the three school facilities bond measures narrowly passed and a progressive private civil rights lawyer, Pamela Price, defeated internal candidate Terry Wiley to become the next district attorney in Alameda County -- part of a major shakeup for countywide law enforcement, when coupled with the primary election victory of Sheriff-Elect Yesenia Sanchez.

Although our election coverage dominated headlines throughout the last six months of 2022, it wasn't the biggest headline. That belongs to the team of scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who just weeks ago recorded a milestone of historic proportions by achieving fusion ignition for the first time. The news put Livermore innovation on the worldwide map.

That's just the tip of the iceberg of the many significant stories we highlighted between July and December. Catch up on those storylines and photographs in our Year in Review Part II. We've added two fun features as well this year: A list of our Top 22 stories from 2022 according to PleasantonWeekly.com data, and our editorial team's personal picks for their favorite story and their best story of 2022.

Hope you enjoy!

July

* Downtown Pleasanton sees a familiar sight -- red, white and blue filling Lions Wayside Park -- as the community's traditional Fourth of July festivities return for the first time since the pandemic hit.

* Dublin is ready to proceed with work toward a new Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space project after receiving $2.29 million in state funding.

* The East Bay Regional Park District reopens the Del Valle East Beach to swimming with a caution advisory, while the West Beach at Lake Del Valle in Livermore remains closed due to blue-green algae.

* Livermore Valley wineries celebrate the return of Taste Our Terroir, a four-day affair offering 13 events, including a winemaker dinner in an olive orchard, an electric bike tour, a sensory extravaganza and more.

* Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown announces her intent to seek a second term in the general election, becoming one of the first local officials to confirm their reelection plans ahead of the fall campaign season.

* The Rincon Branch Library in Livermore marks its milestone 30th anniversary with a community celebration featuring games, treats, music and more at the satellite facility within May Nissen Community Park.

* Ailsa Rehkopf, a vice principal at Walnut Grove Elementary School in Pleasanton, is taking the reins of operations at Greenbrook Elementary School in Danville after being appointed as the school's new principal.

* Beverly Lane, a former Danville mayor and 28-year member of the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors, confirms that she will be stepping down at the end of her current term this fall.

* A sales tax measure that would provide more subsidized child care and preschool for low income children in Alameda County is upheld by the Alameda County Superior Court as the judge sides with local officials arguing simple majority (not two-thirds) required for specific tax placed on ballot by voters. Measure C was approved by 64% of voters in March 2020 but challenged in court.

* Mission Valley Rock Company, which operates a sand mining facility in Sunol, must pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle allegations it discharged untreated wastewater into Alameda Creek last year, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.

* Teachers in the Dublin Unified School District are poised to see an 8% salary increase, following a months-long negotiation process that saw a majority of unionized educators in the district in favor of striking at one point.

* Kelly Bowers, the outgoing superintendent for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, will take over as the new CEO and president of Three Valleys Community Foundation.

* American singer-songwriter Ben Folds, best known for fronting the eponymous alternative rock band that strung together several hits in the 1990s, has been announced as the new headlining act for Livermore Valley Arts' annual Brilliance at the Bankhead fundraising gala in September. He replaces previously signed headliner Randy Newman, who had to step aside for health reasons.

* Livermore City Council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution certifying environmental documents and approving ballot initiative language to extend sanitary sewer service beyond the urban growth boundary to serve wine country uses. The initiative will appear on the ballot citywide as Measure P.

* The Pleasanton school board signs off on the final plan to purchase an office complex in the Hacienda Business Park for $23.28 million to serve as the new district headquarters location, with the costs to be recovered via the future sale of the current district office property on Bernal Avenue.

* Outgoing Milpitas principal Francis A. Rojas is moving to Dublin, where he has been appointed as the founding principal of Emerald High School, which is under construction with Phase I on track for completion in December 2023.

* After months of community debate, Pleasanton Unified School District Superintendent David Haglund has announced that he will ask the City Council to remove the Donlon Elementary School field from Pleasanton's Housing Element site inventory list -- a move that leaves "Save Donlon Field" advocates grateful.

* Stanford Health has purchased a five-building office complex inside the Hacienda Lakes office center in Pleasanton for nearly $60 million, new space needed to help meet the growing demand for health services in the Tri-Valley. A rebrand of the local hospital system to Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley (dropping "ValleyCare" from its name) is soon to follow.

* Livermore resident Antonio Vargas is killed and two others are injured in a shooting at Granada Bowl after a bar fight escalates into gunfire. Roger Aleman Garcia is later arrested and charged with murder in the case.

* Pleasanton police continue to investigate 10 catalytic converter thefts that were reported on the same day in the city.

* Officials at the Dublin Unified hold a special meeting with the goal of addressing criticism and exploring options in the wake of publicized written conversations involving three trustees. DUSD's attorney argues no Brown Act violations occurred, but some are still calling for an external investigation into the matter.

* The Pleasanton school board approves notices of completion for the construction of new classroom buildings at Foothill and Amador Valley high schools, two major projects funded through Measure I1.

* The family of Shawn O'Donnell, who was born and raised in Danville, is grieving her death after being struck and killed by a truck while bicycling to work in Washington, D.C.

* Freelance writer Kate Bradshaw recounts her experience hiking with her sister from Fremont to Livermore, a three-day, 28-mile trek through Ohlone Regional Wilderness Preserve.

* At a Contra Costa County coroner's inquest hearing looking at the death of 33-year-old Tyrell Wilson in Danville last year, a civilian jury finds unanimously that Wilson's death came "at the hands of another person other than by accident" -- akin to the legal definition of homicide. Wilson died after being shot by now-former Danville police officer Andrew Hall.

* A group of residents voice their concerns regarding the 2023-31 Housing Element site list including the Pleasanton Unified School District headquarters property for potential affordable housing during a recent City Council meeting.

* Following longtime advocacy for increased bike safety measures on Mount Diablo, workers begin construction on a project that will provide 30 new bike turnouts on roads aimed at safely accommodating the flocks of cyclists who ride in the area.

* Pleasanton City Council approves revised traffic mitigation plans and proceedings to carry out the construction of a Costco in Pleasanton.

* Dublin officials are reviewing applications for two different Chick-fil-A restaurants in the city. One proposed location will be canceled later in the year.

* San Ramon resident Amit Bhardwaj and Pleasanton resident Srinivasa Kakkera are arrested on insider trading charges for activities that allegedly saw them generate more than $5 million in illegal profits alongside others involved in the scheme.

* Dublin High alum Jon Thalblum goes viral for a grab he makes on a line drive in foul territory while working as a ball boy for the Oakland A's.

* Danville-based 300 Venture Group acquires the Stoneridge Shopping Center property that houses the JC Penney storefront in Pleasanton.

* EBRPD Director Ayn Wieskamp, a former city councilmember and parks director in Livermore, announces her upcoming retirement from the Board of Directors after more than 20 years representing Ward 5.

* The contentious Eden Housing development planned for downtown Livermore continues to spur debate following the city's decision to not process a resident-submitted referendum petition to overturn the City Council's approval of an amended disposition, development and loan agreement for the project.

* San Ramon's Golden Skate roller rink no longer has a firm closing date, following an uptick in attendance and community support for the facility, and delays with permitting and development for a townhouse project for the site.

* Dublin resident Roni Gage, 39, is killed after being struck by an SUV while walking in the southbound lanes of Dougherty Road. Police allege the driver, Giovanni Fissore of Livermore, was intoxicated with his child in the vehicle.

* Denton Carlson, a captain with the San Ramon Police Department, is promoted to police chief.

* Monte Vista High alum Brooke Starn wins the women's division of the San Francisco Marathon.

* Pleasanton school board places a $395 million general election bond measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.

* The Livermore Municipal Airport's development policy is temporarily suspended amid plans to create new regulations that will better align development procedures with city requirements and industry standards.

* The Pleasanton school board hires Jonathan Fey, a local resident who has worked in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, to be the new principal for Amador Valley High School.

August

* Dublin Unified trustees discuss revisions to the board's policy on electronic communications, following controversy over conversations revealed by public records during the adoption of new trustee-area maps earlier this year.

* Newly formed community group Move Eden Housing files a lawsuit to take their efforts to force the city to process their referendum petition a step further. They seek to overturn the council's May approval of a development agreement for the 130-unit affordable housing project.

* Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority reveals plans to consolidate paratransit services with County Connection.

* Pleasanton native and Amador Valley High School alumnae Anastacia Snyder is honored as this year's Assembly District 3 Woman of the Year in Butte County for her work with Catalyst Domestic Violence Services.

* Questions abound about Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley after the apparent discontinuation of its popular Friendly Visiting Program speaks to leadership instability at the nonprofit.

* California Attorney General Rob Bonta files an amicus brief in the case of Save Livermore Downtown v. City of Livermore, supporting the city's request for dismissal or expedited review of the pending appeal challenging its approval of the Eden Housing development under the California Environmental Quality Act.

* Upon the city's ongoing 40th anniversary festivities, Dublin releases a new documentary, "Dublin: The Making of a City".

* The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office urges community members to attend a court hearing in Sacramento that will determine if a man convicted in 2011 of torturing and beating a teenage boy in Tracy will be granted parole. Anthony Vincent Waiters was arrested at his workplace in Pleasanton in 2008.

* More than 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health professionals in Northern California and the Central Valley begin what organizers call an "open ended strike" amid stalled labor negotiations.

* Livermore school board votes to place a $450 million facilities bond measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.

* Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley confirms its plans for a merger with CityServe of the Tri-Valley, citing mutual benefits and additional programs for in-need populations in the region.

* Tri-Valley water agencies have unveiled a new website that is focused on educating residents and businesses about the region's water supply reliability.

* Pleasanton native Stephen Piscotty is released by the Oakland Athletics in a personnel move seen as the last-place A's clearing more roster space for prospects to gain major-league experience at the end of a lost season.

* Clark Conover, who was formerly a vice principal at Granada High School, is stepping into the role of principal this school year.

* The Pleasanton school board approves a reorganization plan for the Information Technology Department that will see tech specialists assigned to multiple schools and work off a dispatch model.

* Pleasanton Unified welcomes back students for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

* Dozens of Parkside residents packed inside the Pleasanton City Council chamber celebrate as council members voted against constructing a recycled water fill station in their neighborhood.

* Pleasanton City Council approves a request from staff to move forward with the planning process for the Stoneridge Shopping Center redevelopment framework.

* Two California Highway Patrol officers are praised for saving a woman from a fiery crash on westbound Interstate 580 in unincorporated Alameda County just outside Livermore.

* The president of a Livermore-based East Bay Rabbit Rescue says bunnies are coming in at an "alarming rate", and the group needs help.

* Pleasanton resident Jong Park, 67, dies in a solo-vehicle crash at the southbound Bernal Avenue offramp along Interstate 680.

* A two-year pilot project is launched that will examine the viability of a transit pass that is compatible with every public transit agency in the nine-county Bay Area.

* The Tri-Valley Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars win the Babe Ruth 14 World Series contested in North Dakota.

* Pleasanton City Council approves the floor layout and site plans for the multimillion-dollar project to renovate the historic Century House.

* The city of Pleasanton welcomes Susan Hsieh to her first day as the new director of finance. Hsieh has more than 20 years of experience in finance and operations management in the private and public sectors.

* Two men face multiple felony charges after prosecutors allege they robbed an off-duty police officer at gunpoint in Dublin and fled into Oakland before ultimately being caught in yet another armed Rolex watch theft reported in the Bay Area this summer.

* The Danville team wins the Little League Intermediate World Series contested in Livermore.

* Longtime incumbents Karen Stepper and Robert Storer will be reappointed to the Danville Town Council after being the only candidates to file for the general election.

* On the second anniversary of the passage of Pleasanton's tobacco retailer ordinance, city leaders and youth advocates gather at Foothill High to provide updates on the effects the regulations have had on the city.

* Ray J. Garcia, a former prison warden at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, is indicted on allegations of sexually abusive conduct towards female prisoners and lying to government agents about it.

* Danville resident Andrew Oliver Kallick, 33, who worked as a noon duty monitor at John Baldwin Elementary School, is charged with possession of child pornography by the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.

* Swarms of small flies that are invading downtown Pleasanton in higher numbers than usually expected have prompted city leaders to work with the county in finding out if there are any additional contributing factors to the increase.

* One pilot who died in a midair plane crash in Watsonville has been identified as 32-year-old Stuart Camenson, a San Ramon Valley High School alumnus who grew up in Alamo.

* Dublin school board reviews the results of an outside audit done to determine the causes for a nearly $200 million shortfall for bond-funded district construction projects revealed publicly 18 months ago. Findings mainly cite planning miscommunications, staffing turnover and failure to account for inflation, land costs and additional construction fees, primarily around the new Emerald High School. However, the audit did not report any elements of fraud or suspicious actions by district officials.

* A revised application to construct a five-story, mixed-use building on the edge of downtown Pleasanton with no onsite parking was sent again to city staff for approval months after an initial rejection -- and in light of recent state housing laws, residents and city leaders will likely not be able to push back.

* Kwangson "Sonny" Kim, a once well-known youth golf instructor in the Tri-Valley, faces up to 18 years in prison after being found guilty by an Alameda County jury of continuous sexual abuse of a minor student and other related charges.

* Livermore resident and Amador Valley High alumnus Jensen Ybarra is killed in a solo-vehicle crash while vacationing at his family cabin in the town of Arnold in Calaveras County.

* San Ramon Valley officials join executives from Standard Communities at a currently vacant lot on Alcosta Boulevard for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the kickoff of construction on a 100% affordable senior housing project.

* Christine Lutz, one of the three candidates to qualify for the election ballot for PUSD Board of Trustees Area 2, announces that she will be withdrawing from the race -- although her name will still appear on the ballot.

September

* Nurses from Kaiser Permanente facilities in the greater Bay Area and throughout the state picket to protest the health care giant's alleged refusal to address concerns about health, safety and short staffing.

* The FDA authorizes a pair of COVID-19 booster vaccines that are specifically formulated to target the omicron variant of the virus and two of its most common subvariants.

* Chick-fil-A has signed the lease for a second location in Pleasanton, in the vacant restaurant space Sweet Tomatoes once occupied before the buffet chain went bankrupt early in the pandemic.

* Devin Williams Jr., a first-year Alameda County sheriff's deputy, is arrested and charged with allegedly killing married couple Maria Tran and Benison Tran in their Dublin home, leaving the community and his department reeling with as many questions as answers about what happened. Williams' family contends he had been romantically involved with Maria Tran.

* Tri-Valley communities, like the rest of California, avoid rotating power outages thanks to successful conservation in the face of a record-breaking heat wave and the highest power grid peak demand in state history.

* An Alameda County Superior Court judge denies community group Move Eden Housing's temporary restraining order request to prevent the city of Livermore from completing the sale of the city-owned project site intended for a 130-unit affordable housing development.

* Cricket players and fans in Pleasanton will soon be able to compete and practice on a new field set to be constructed at Ken Mercer Sports Park following the City Council's decision on the location.

* Pleasanton City Council votes unanimously to pause the PFAS treatment and wells rehabilitation project, which was intended to address water quality and purification, because of rising costs and other factors.

* One of the employees at FCI-Dublin facing allegations of sexual misconduct in ongoing investigations at the women's prison has died by apparent suicide. Nicholas Theodore Ramos was placed on leave amid allegations he attempted to initiate a "sugar daddy relationship" with an inmate in 2016.

* Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory celebrates its 70th anniversary.

* The five candidates for Pleasanton City Council debate in an election forum moderated by the Pleasanton Weekly, the first in a series of forums hosted by Embarcadero Media's East Bay Division in the Tri-Valley.

* Dublin is poised to see a new Asian grocery option, H Mart, that has proven popular across the country since its founding and in the Bay Area since the debut of neighboring stores in recent years.

* A Contra Costa County jury convicts San Ramon resident Erik Triana, 51, on a majority of counts after making threats of gun violence against State Senator Scott Wiener earlier this year in response to a vaccination bill introduced by the legislator.

* EBRPD enters into an agreement to consider purchasing a 768-acre Finley Road Ranch property, the largest portion of unprotected open space adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park.

* Altamont Corridor Express trains are briefly impacted by the national rail worker labor negotiations impasse.

* Dublin officials unveil Don Biddle Community Park, a new 30-acre park located on a former portion of Camp Parks Army Base.

* California Attorney General Rob Bonta and five county district attorneys announce an $8 million settlement with Safeway regarding alleged violations of environmental laws at its 71 gas stations across the state, including in the Tri-Valley.

* Nicholas Moseby, a longtime cheer coach in the San Ramon Valley who recently began a teaching career with SRVUSD, is arrested and charged with committing lewd acts against teenagers.

* Livermore Area Recreation and Park District celebrates its 75th anniversary.

* Former Pleasanton mayor Bob Philcox, who served on the City Council in the 1970s, dies at his home surrounded by family at age 88.

* Seven Tri-Valley schools, including Hart Middle School in Pleasanton, four in SRVUSD and two in Dublin, are named National Blue Ribbon Schools.

* A teenager from Livermore faces a potential murder charge after allegedly crashing into another car while trying to flee authorities after a sideshow in Sacramento County, seriously injuring a pregnant woman and killing her unborn baby.

* One project slated to break ground in fall is aiming to help Pleasanton residents grow their own food in a sustainable, water-conserving manner -- a community garden and farm at the Bernal Community Park.

* North Coast Section officials are weighing two proposals for changes to the East Bay Athletic League.

* Artists in this year's Paint Pleasanton event got the full en plein air experience that the Bay Area has to offer, but the weather couldn't put a damper on the outdoor competition.

* Two Danville physicians have merged their professional and personal lives in the wake of their young daughter's diagnosis of an ultra-rare genetic disorder, seeking to address a void in modern medicine that they've become especially sensitive to in the past year through their nonprofit Moonshots for Unicorns.

* Rachel Gray, 49, of San Leandro is identified as the motorcyclist who died in a crash at the intersection of Isabel Avenue and Airway Boulevard in Livermore.

* The Livermore Police Department is honored by its peers as the 2022 Agency of the Year for the California Narcotics Officers' Association Region 1.

* Alameda County supervisors vote to ban the rodeo practice of wild cow milking in unincorporated parts of the county, while an amendment to the ordinance cleared spurs, bucking straps and non-release ropes for continued use.

* The Pleasanton school board receives an update about how the district has been implementing its new sexual harassment procedures by increasing communication and changing the overall culture of accountability on campuses.

* San Ramon City Manager Joe Gorton announces that he plans to retire from the city government early in the new year to cap a public service career of 35 years that also included time as San Ramon's police chief.

* Alameda County sheriff's officials believe 47 deputies who allegedly failed a psychological exam and now have desk jobs will pass the exam when they retake it and get their guns and peace officer powers back. The audit was prompted by murder charges being brought against then-deputy Devin Williams Jr.

* Pleasanton City Council sends a proposed ordinance, which includes additional accessibility design standards for certain types of new residential developments, back to city staff for further review and discussion.

* San Ramon's largest corporate resident is staying in the city for the foreseeable future, with Chevron Corp. signing a new lease to move its global headquarters into Bishop Ranch while also selling its namesake corporate park down the road back to Sunset Development to keep the 92-acre property in local hands.

* Livermore is starting to become known for its public art installations throughout the city, particularly the large murals dispersed throughout downtown on various building walls. One of the newest displays in town is not only intended to capture attention visually but also sends a message to the community to "Dream Big".

* Vallejo resident Rex Lee Bell, 69, who owns a guitar instruction business and is a registered sex offender, is arrested by police on allegations of sexual abuse involving a child in a San Ramon home.

October

* BART's current mask requirement expires, but the agency's Board of Directors approves a new resolution that would allow for the mandate to be reinstated when public health officials require indoor masking in their respective jurisdictions.

* Livermore Pride celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month all October long with a series of diverse, community-based events with the goal of fostering queer connection and education.

* Voters in the Sunol Glen Unified School District are poised to decide a $10.9 million general obligation bond on the Nov. 8 ballot to help fund several big-ticket projects like replacing the roofs, upgrading outdated facilities and modernizing classrooms.

* Brentwood resident Chad Flores, 28, dies and a Livermore man is seriously injured when their cars collided head-on along North Vasco Road just outside the Livermore city limits before dawn.

* John Clauser, a Walnut Creek-based physicist who previously worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is named a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in physics for his pioneering work on quantum information science.

* LivermoreVine.com celebrates its first anniversary of providing local news in the Livermore Valley and greater Tri-Valley region.

* Alameda County's homeless population grew 22% over the past three years and is approaching 10,000 people, according to the release of official point-in-time numbers.

* Dublin High teacher Ramany Kaplan is selected as an Alameda County Teacher of the Year.

* Anne Giancola, a Pleasanton Civic Arts Commission member who works as the visual arts and education manager at Livermore Valley Arts, and Dennis Baker of the Alliance for the Visual Arts were among six winners of the 2022 Alameda County Arts Leadership Awards.

* Livermore-based UNCLE Credit Union assumes control of the operations of Moore West Federal Credit Union of San Leandro, marking the third strategic merger for UNCLE in recent years.

* Yolanda Fintschenko is hired as the new executive director of i-GATE Innovation Hub, based in Livermore.

* Bill Danko, a member of Pleasanton's American Legion Post 237, is named California Legionnaire of the Year for 2022 for his work with the local veteran community.

* More than 30 people are interviewed and their stories about growing up in the small town will be featured in an upcoming book "Cruising Down Memory Lane: Stories of Pleasanton in the 1950s".

* The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, an organization that supports wineries, growers and wine aficionados in the Livermore area, announced it has rebranded its name and will now go by the Livermore Valley Wine Community.

* First-year Valley View Elementary School principal Julie Plaisance resigns after just over three months on the job, meaning whoever takes her place will be the fourth permanent principal the school has seen in the last three academic years.

* The union representing Kaiser Permanente mental health therapists reaches a four-year agreement with Kaiser to bring a months-long strike to its conclusion.

* EBRPD sees the completion of a series of renovations for one of its most popular attractions in Alameda County: the Sunol Visitor Center.

* Amador Valley High is featured on the Wikipedia main page.

* The Crayon Initiative, a nonprofit based in Danville, hires Bernadette Shanahan-Haas as its new executive director.

* Weekly investigates Move Eden Housing, yet another incarnation of a political action committee that has plagued Livermore for at least a decade backed primarily by Livermore Independent publisher Joan Seppala and her relatives and allies.

* Citizen group Move Eden Housing is ordered by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Michael Markman to post a $500,000 bond to nonprofit developer Eden Housing, Inc.

* Pleasanton City Council authorizes staff to allocate $363,755 from the water utility enterprise fund and put that money toward a new capital investment project that would develop and analyze water supply alternatives.

* Finding a place to park in downtown Pleasanton just got a little easier as city officials ceremoniously cut the ribbon for a newly improved parking section at Civic Park.

* Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton announces that she will not be filing charges against ex-sheriff's deputy Andrew Hall for fatally shooting Tyrell Wilson in Danville in March 2021 -- the same former officer now incarcerated after an October 2021 conviction for a prior on-duty fatality.

* Kameron Patricia Reid, a 38-year-old former inmate at Santa Rita Jail, is being sent to prison for seven years for distributing fentanyl that killed a fellow inmate at the Dublin facility in 2021.

* Nelson Chia -- who is arrested for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, prominent Oakland dentist Lili Xu -- dies by suicide later that day at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, officials said.

* Weekly contributor Deborah Grossman recounts her experience on the new Livermore Wine Trolley.

* Dublin city leaders and community members celebrate at a recent ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for the final phase of the 60-acre Fallon Sports Park.

* A young man from Pennsylvania, Joshua Hall, accepts a plea deal in federal court for threatening to kill Tri-Valley Congressman Eric Swalwell in a series of "terrifying" phone calls two months ago.

* The Dublin Planning Commission provides its recommendations to the City Council for a proposed rezoning in East Dublin for a large mixed-use SCS Development project, following months of discussion, research and deliberations by city officials.

* Enrique Chavez, a former correctional officer once employed at the Federal Correctional Institute facility in Dublin, pleads guilty in federal court to abusive sexual contact with a female prison inmate.

* The Pleasanton Downtown Association announces the hiring of its new executive director, Bridget Karl, the former president and CEO of the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles County.

November

* The atmosphere is tense inside the Pleasanton City Council chambers as the council members vote 3-2 to increase their monthly pay by 10% following strong remarks from Mayor Karla Brown.

* Steve Lanza, a longtime Livermore resident and college educator, will soon be sworn in as the seventh trustee on the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board of Trustees after being the only candidate to file for the Area 7 seat.

* Alameda County Supervisor Dave Brown, who filled the seat of the late Wilma Chan last year, will stand trial next month in a legal challenge over whether he is eligible to sit on the county Board of Supervisors.

* Livermore father Justin Pittman, 22, is arrested and charged with murder in connection with the August death of his toddler daughter Francesca who was found to have toxic levels of fentanyl in her system.

* Pleasanton city staff present what some council members said was a bleak and depressing report on the 2022 state legislative session, which included several housing-related bills recently signed into law.

* Barone's Restaurant, known for offering quaint fine dining downtown for more than 27 years, announces that it will be shutting its doors for good after its last day of business just before Christmas.

* Steve McCoy-Thompson, executive director of the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation, confirms that he will be stepping down from his role in the coming weeks after more than six years of service.

* Black Student Union members at Foothill High School tell the Weekly that they felt like the Pleasanton school district had ghosted them after listening to student concerns about armed school resource officers.

* A small but significant piece of land adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park that has been eyed by Save Mount Diablo for decades as part of what's been dubbed the "Missing Mile" is now one step closer to being part of the environmental nonprofit's efforts to connect and restore pieces of land on the mountain in the name of conservation.

* Dublin Unified officials hold "topping off" ceremony, marking a major milestone in the ongoing Emerald High School construction project.

* Pleasanton resident Jesus "Jesse" Ocampo Mangabay, 35, has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for the Valentine's Day morning crash on Hopyard Road that killed Ana Paula Munaretto and seriously injured her son, the Weekly learns.

* Work begins to convert Dublin's former police headquarters property into a new Cultural Arts Center.

* The LAVTA Board of Directors appoints Christy Wegener as the agency's new executive director.

* Ballots are cast in the 2022 general election and county election staff continue to tabulate eligible ballots on Election Night and the days beyond. The Measure I bond in PUSD, Livermore mayor and Alameda County district attorney runoff elections are two close contests to watch.

* With clearly decided margins in favor of the slow-growth candidates, incumbent Julie Testa and newcomer Jeff Nibert control their respective Pleasanton City Council races while the formality of Mayor Karla Brown's reelection unopposed is confirmed. Testa defeats Committee on Energy and the Environment Chair Joel Liu and former PUSD trustee Jamie Yee to win District 3, while Planning Commissioner Nibert is victorious over Dean Wallace for District 1.

* The Pleasanton community -- and the music world at large -- is mourning the loss of performer, composer and synthesizer pioneer Don Lewis, who died surrounded by family following a brief illness. He was 81.

* Angel Beth Green, 46, of Sacramento is killed after her vehicle was involved in four separate crashes in quick succession on I-680 near the San Ramon-Dublin border.

* The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority announces a settlement with the families of eight victims of last year's shooting at the Guadalupe Light Rail Yard, including Dublin resident Jose Hernandez III.

* California Attorney General Rob Bonta confirms the filing of a lawsuit against 18 manufacturers for allegedly producing toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" that have been proven to cause harm to human health and the environment.

* A trifecta of fall and winter illnesses are striking children, with one, respiratory syncytial virus, surging throughout the Bay Area, the state and the country.

* ACE announces that its trains will now run on 100% renewable diesel fuel, making it the first commuter rail service in Northern California to make the switch.

* The Pleasanton City Council and city staff commit themselves to an aggressive December meeting schedule in order to adopt the city's new Housing Element by the statutory deadline of Jan. 31.

* The Weekly opens its 21st annual Holiday Fund, which runs through mid-January to raise funds in support of eight Tri-Valley nonprofits: Axis Community Health, CityServe of the Tri-Valley, Hope Hospice, Open Heart Kitchen, PPIE, Sunflower Hill, Tri-Valley REACH and Valley Humane Society.

* Open Heart Kitchen leaders hire John Bost to take over the role from current Executive Director Heather Greaux, who will be transitioning to CFO.

* Pleasanton City Council unanimously approve a quick-build pilot project that will create a protected bike lane on West Las Positas Boulevard between Hopyard Road and Hacienda Drive.

* Criminal charges will not be filed against the driver of the vehicle that hit and killed Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan nearly one year prior in the city of Alameda, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley says.

* BART finishes the 2021-22 fiscal year with a balanced budget due in large part to federal relief funding and more sales tax revenue than expected.

* Dublin Vice Mayor Jean Josey and Planning Commission alternate member Kashef Qaadri secure the first and second seats for the City Council, beating out former planning commissioner Lynna Do in the general election.

* After nine days of uncertainty since Election Night, John Marchand declares victory for his second stint as Livermore mayor by defeating Mony Nop in a narrow contest. Evan Branning defeats Carol Wahrer for City Council District 1, and Ben Barrientos beats Mel Chiong for District 2.

* Amador Valley High admin secretary Laurie Walker is elected to the PUSD Board of Trustees for Area 2, finishing ahead of main competitor Urvi Shah. (Christine Lutz, who qualified for the ballot but bowed out of the campaign, receives nearly 9% of the vote regardless.) Former city planning commissioner Justin Brown will be the Area 5 trustee after earning the seat unchallenged.

* After nearly two weeks of counting, PUSD's $395 million Measure I bond earns a tight victory at nearly 57.2% Yes (needing better than 55% to pass).

* Pleasanton and its neighbors are set to see a 5.5% rise in the annual rates for wholesale water services from the Zone 7 Water Agency for each of the next four years after its Board of Directors votes 5-2 to approve the price increase.

* CHP-Dublin officers gather to recognize a solemn anniversary alongside surviving family members of one of their own who died on duty 15 years ago. Officer John P. Miller, 32, was killed in a car crash while en route to pursue a suspected drunk driver in Livermore on the night of Nov. 16, 2007.

* Voters across Alameda County overwhelmingly support the changes to agricultural and open space land-use policy for unincorporated areas, including the Livermore Valley, proposed under Measure D.

* The two contested seats for the DUSD Board of Trustees go to incumbents William Kuo (Area 3) and Dan Cherrier (Area 5), who each outperformed his respective challenger by a nearly 2:1 margin. Kristin Speck earns the Area 2 seat without appearing on the ballot as the lone candidate.

* Hundreds of members of The Club at Castlewood flock to the hillside venue to celebrate the reopening of its clubhouse.

* Measure P, the South Livermore Sewer Extension Project, receives Livermore voters' stamp of approval to move forward, sitting at 66.59% (21,081) Yes votes in the Nov. 8 general election.

* LVJUSD incumbents Emily Prusso and Craig Bueno, along with newcomer Steven Drouin, win the three available at-large seats on the Board of Education in the nine-candidate election.

* New Pleasanton City Manager Gerry Beaudin gets unanimous support from the City Council to revamp the city's longstanding process for identifying and prioritizing public projects, programs and policies initiatives away from the two-year work plan process in favor of crafting a Citywide Strategic Plan.

* Sreeja Nagirimadugu, 30, of Fremont is identified as the passenger killed in a head-on collision on rural Altamont Pass Road in unincorporated Livermore on Thanksgiving Day. The CHP reports that her husband, the driver, was trying to pass slow traffic by entering the opposing lane.

* LPFD's Fire Station No. 3 on Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton opens after being rebuilt into a two-story building with modern tools and amenities that will make firefighters safer and more effective and response times quicker.

* Progressive civil rights attorney Pamela Price will be sworn in as the first Black district attorney in Alameda County on Jan. 3 following a close election race that first had her trailing behind her challenger and longtime county prosecutor Terry Wiley before taking the lead for good.

* Certified results confirm the defeat of LVJUSD's $450 million Measure G. Needing 55% approval to pass, the bond ekes out a slight majority but falls well short of the necessary threshold.

* Sunol voters elect Ryan Jergensen and Peter "Ted" Romo to full terms and Linda Hurley to the short term on the Board of Trustees. They also narrowly pass the $10.9 million facilities bond Measure J for the school district.

* Dublin San Ramon Services District incumbents Ann Marie Johnson (Division 2) and Arun Goel (Division 5) earn reelection. Director Georgean Vonheeder-Leopold already secured the Division 4 seat as the lone candidate to file.

* Jesse vanZee, who ran on a conservative platform focused on parental involvement in the academic decision-making, wins the SRVUSD Area 1 election in a close contest with 42.18% of the vote compared to Michelle Petersen's 40.53% in second place and Jerome Pandell in third at 17.29%. Incumbents Rachel Hurd and Susanna Ordway retained their seats unopposed.

* Construction of a new parking facility expected to add over 500 vehicle spaces near the eastern Dublin-Pleasanton BART Station is now underway. LAVTA and Dublin officials share their reflections on the project.

* Mayor Dave Hudson wins a second term as San Ramon mayor, besting outgoing councilmember Sabina Zafar and challenger Dinesh Govindarao. District 2 Councilmember Mark Armstrong defeats Sara Lashanlo to keep his seat, and DSRSD Director Marisol Rubio beats Parks Commissioner Heidi Kenniston-Lee for City Council District 4.

* Incumbents Philip Pierpont, David Furst and Maryalice Summers Faltings win reelection to the LARPD Board of Directors among a six-candidate field.

* Dublin Police Services has named Kenneth Krainski, 38, as the decedent in a domestic disturbance in Dublin that escalated into his shooting death, with police continuing to believe that the shooting was in self-defense.

* Kristin Connelly will be the new clerk-recorder for Contra Costa County, defeating Vicki Gordon in the runoff election.

* Mike Maxwell wins reelection to the Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 4 over two challengers for the San Ramon Valley-area seat.

* Union organizer Liz Ortega defeats fellow Democrat Shawn Kumagai, an outgoing Dublin City Council member, to win State Assembly District 20. Incumbent Rebecca Bauer-Kahan retains her position over Joe Rubay for Assembly District 16.

* Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Mark DeSaulnier are victorious against inexperienced challengers to retake their respective districts, which include parts of the Tri-Valley.

* Las Positas College's newly constructed horticulture facility and the soon-to-be-completed viticulture building are some examples of how district officials said the college is teaching sustainability while also looking at the Tri-Valley's agricultural history.

* A driver dies after losing control of his SUV while traveling around 100 mph and crashing down an embankment on I-580 east of Livermore. The coroner identifies him as Masseyullah Khwaja, 21, of Fremont.

December

* Revelers gaze toward the sky to take in the colorful display as the holiday tree in downtown Pleasanton is illuminated during a festive ceremony -- although the rain clouds did put a damper on the evening, leading city officials to cancel the annual parade. Livermore goes forward with its scheduled holiday parade that same night.

* The nationwide Get on the Bus program, founded by Pleasanton resident and Ballistic United general manager Tim Ryerson, aims to help more and more kids experience the joys of soccer.

* The National Nuclear Security Administration holds public hearings to receive input on a draft document evaluating potential environmental impacts associated with the operation of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

* Craig Eicher, a former member of the Pleasanton Police Department for more than three decades including six months as interim police chief, takes the reins as president of Pleasanton's Community of Character Collaborative. He succeeds Kelly O'Lague, who accepts a nonprofit job in Portland, Oregon.

* Zone 7 Director Olivia Sanwong will be stepping down from her position on the agency's governing board later this month so she can start her new role on the EBRPD Board of Directors. She earned the Tri-Valley's Ward 5 seat with East Bay Parks as the only candidate to file.

* The League of California Cities demonstrates its support for the city of Livermore in the pending appeal challenging the City Council's approval of the 130-unit Eden Housing development.

* Ray Garcia, the former warden of a women's prison in Dublin, is convicted of crimes involving sexually abusive conduct against three inmates and of lying to federal agents, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. "Today's guilty verdict is one important step in our ongoing efforts to root out sexual misconduct within the Bureau of Prisons," federal prosecutors say.

* PUSD and the Association of Pleasanton Teachers sign a memorandum of understanding that both sides say signifies a successful start to next year's labor negotiations.

* More stringent masking rules are reinstated in Alameda County to protect against the spread of COVID-19, applying to emergency shelters, heating centers and county jails.

* Nicholas Garcia, 31, of Castro Valley is killed in a crash at the I-580/I-680 interchange in Dublin, marking the third fatal collision in less than three weeks for the Tri-Valley.

* Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory make international headlines by achieving fusion ignition for the first time, an accomplishment that officials say will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean energy.

* Officials with the city of San Ramon and the e-scooter company Bird debut a partnership between the two entities that aims to increase local transit options and attract commuting residents by offering 150 e-bikes and e-scooters for rent across the city.

* The City Council reviews the state of Pleasanton water amid updates from Zone 7. Key topics discussed include water rates, PFAS chemical monitoring and treatment center plans.

* Pamela Ott, who has been serving for nearly a year as Pleasanton's interim assistant city manager, is promoted to the position on a permanent basis.

* San Ramon Valley High's varsity football team makes a run to the state championship game, where the Wolves tied it late at the end of regulation but fell in overtime to Granite Hills (El Cajon) 31-24.

* Dublin's only Big Lots! store location, one of two in the Tri-Valley, is set to cease operations in the new year.

* The semi-professional United Soccer League W League announces that Pleasanton RAGE are among six expansion teams in the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California will join the league starting in its 2023 season

* Nonprofit Goodwill, known for its second-hand retail stores and donation centers, announces a merger between two of its Northern California branches, a move that will impact stores in the Tri-Valley and greater Bay Area.

* Foothill High School director of bands Efrain Hinojosa faces a criminal charge for an alleged sex crime against a teenage student 10 years ago during his time working in the Ceres school district just outside Modesto, the Weekly has learned. Hinojosa was quietly arrested on the Foothill campus one week prior.

* City officials and community members celebrate the ceremonial grand opening of newly converted pickleball courts at Muirwood Community Park.

* Caltrans begins work on I-680 that will close the northbound lanes overnight for more than a year in the Tri-Valley, starting just north of the junction of Highway 84 in Sunol and eventually going all the way up to Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon.

* A new outdoor pavilion is unveiled in one of EBRPD's most visited recreational areas, Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Pleasanton.

* Santa Clara VTA announces findings from an independent investigation into the May 26, 2021, mass shooting in the VTA's San Jose rail yard that left nine employees dead including Jose Hernandez III of Dublin.

* Representatives from the Livermore Education Association are joined by more than 200 members at the LVJUSD board meeting where they express their need for a significant salary increase.

* An all-wheel pump track is coming to Livermore's Sunken Gardens Skate Park in 2023, following the LARPD board's unanimous approval of the project.

* The Alameda County Board of Supervisors votes 4-1 in favor of an ordinance to prohibit public and private property owners from using a criminal background check when evaluating an applicant for rental housing in unincorporated parts of the county. A final vote is due in January.

* Museum on Main announces the lineup for its 2023 Ed Kinney Speaker Series, the 14th season of the popular series of shows highlighting historical figures.

* Popular dessert chain Crumbl Cookies faces financial penalties following a federal investigation that found child labor violations at 11 franchises, including in the Tri-Valley.

* Pleasanton says goodbye to three longtime elected leaders upon the completion of their final terms: Councilmember Kathy Narum and PUSD trustees Joan Laursen and Mark Miller.

* An airplane crashes into property just east of the Livermore Municipal Airport, injuring the solo pilot late on Christmas Eve afternoon.

* Police arrest a Denver man suspected of a racist and homophobic rant against two young Asian Americans at In-N-Out in San Ramon on Christmas Eve. Video of the exchange is captured in TikTok video, which goes viral, prompting a response from the police chief leading into SRPD's investigation.

* After almost four hours of discussion, the Pleasanton City Council votes to make several modifications to its 2023-31 Housing Element site list, including reducing the number of housing units and buildable acres at the PUSD headquarters and Vineyard sites as well as bringing back the St. Augustine Catholic Church site, which staff originally took off the site list.