From: Sunol Community
News
Save Our Sunol Column
March 1998
By: Pat Stillman
| Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. --A.E. Houseman from The Loveliest of Trees |
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With luck, the worst of El Nino is over. Blossoms, buds and other harbingers of Spring are everywhere. While walking down Kilkare Road one evening under a rising full moon over Pleasanton Ridge, we were joyfully surprised to see in the creek nearby, a beautiful mallard duck enjoying an evening swim in Sinbad. What a moment!
Our January and February meetings included two expert speakers who addressed us on issues of major local importance. We appreciate them coming to Sunol.
At our January meeting, Jeff Miller from the Alameda Creek Alliance gave an update on reintroducing steel head trout and salmon to Alameda Creek and his group's efforts to remove or alter physical obstacles to fish migration. The Alliance has expanded its interests into Fremont along the Alameda Watershed area. More information can be obtained by contacting the Alameda Creek Alliance at P.O. Box 192, Canyon, Ca 94516 or visiting their web site at www.formulate.com.alamedacreek.
We were pleased to greet our new member, Finlay Boag, of Pleasanton, who is providing major pro bono legal work for SOS. We are very grateful for his valuable support. Thanks also to Gary Chambers who has agreed to help update our web site.
In February, our guest speaker was Geoff Cooper, PhD, a chemist and spokesperson for the Safe Water Committee. He addressed the controversial proposal by Zone 7 to introduce a reverse osmosis operation that would inject treated sewer water into the ground water basin.
The filtering membrane used for this process may not prevent certain toxins and dangerous materials from entering the drinking water supply. The issue will be discussed before the Zone 7 Board at their April 15 meeting, at 7 p.m. at 5997 Parkside Drive in Pleasanton next to the Sports Park. Most of us in Sunol use Zone 7 water.
Cindy Ehling, Nancy Davis, Sarah Mills, Thea Silberman and Leanne Heine provided delicious refreshments for our January and February Meetings. Nancy Davis also chaired the SOS refreshment committee for the Sunol Repertory Theatre March 21 performance.
Pleasanton Mayor
Ben Tarver and the City Council Members met recently with Mayor Willie
Brown and other S. F. dignitaries to sign an agreement on the Bernal Avenue
development proposal. A verbal understanding that eliminates the prospect
of the Renaissance Faire from locating here was reached.
This is wonderful news but we need to be cautious until it is part of
their written agreement and all bills are paid. Don't take your
signs down yet! Bob Frillman and I have requested a resolution from
the Sunol Glen School Board opposing the Faire. It will be presented next
month, hopefully, for Board approval.
Our Sunol/SFPUC Working Group met Monday, March 23. PUC Commissioner Dennis Normandy responded to complaints about S.F.’s handling of flooding of the school yard and the Harland’s property by saying he would urge the Commission to re-examine its participation. We requested a formal apology to the school and the Harlands. We also discussed Alternative S and its inclusion in Commission deliberations on the fate of the quarry expansion.
A Water Temple restoration fund-raiser is planned for April 25 at Elliston Winery with Gerry Beemiller as the Chair. Call me at 862-2263 for more information.