Congratulations to Dublin’s Gifted and Talented Education Program

by John M. Zukoski on September 30, 2008  |    No Comments  |  Topics:  Schools

Dublin’s 2008 GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program application has received the highest rubric score from the California State Board of Education (SBE). The three year approval rating means that our GATE program has met the most stringent GATE program standards put forth by the SBE. Dublin’s GATE program will now begin to implement this plan.

Please click this link for the important dates for the 2008-2009 GATE program (including the parent education nights, Liaison’s meeting dates/times along with the DUSD GATE Advisory meetings).

Please contact Rick Boster at 925.828.2568 x5401 for more information about Dublin’s GATE program.

Digital Dublin Redux

by John M. Zukoski on September 29, 2008  |    5 Comments  |  Topics:  Development · Local Businesses

Former Dublin mayor Guy Houston once coined the term “Digital Dublin” back in 2000 to refer to our city’s ascent as a player in the high tech office space sector. At that time, Dublin had just landed high tech juggernauts Oracle, Cisco, Commerce One and Sybase. Companies were being drawn by Dublin’s ample inventory of available space to build, business-friendly City Hall, proximity to I-580 and I-680, and pool of highly skilled knowledge workers.

While the tech bust in the early 2000s put a crimp on Dublin’s growth in the high tech office space market, the advantages that were a draw for high tech companies at the beginning of the new millenium are still in play today. A survey of the current landscape in Dublin indicates that we may be at the forefront of “Digital Dublin Redux”. For example, Dublin-based companies like Sybase have been enormously successful in Dublin (located kitty-corner to Hacienda Crossings). With CEO John S. Chen at the helm, Sybase has become a major player in the information management and (more recently) mobile technology fields. Mr. Chen was one of the first to envision the vast potential in the text message processing market. Sybase is now a $1B+/year company with revenue growth of over 15%/year.

You may have also read this article about Dublin-based Taleo. This pioneering provider of talent management software and solutions is located in the Dublin Corporate Center. Taleo has been enormously successful as evidenced by their nearly $150M/year of revenue and 25%+ growth rate. Please click here to read more about Taleo. Another large high tech firm in Dublin is Carl Zeiss Meditec which is an integrated medical technology company specializing in opthamology and surgical instruments. While Carl Zeiss is headquarterd in Germany, they have made their North American home in Dublin, CA. Related to medical technology, Dublin is host to medical device incubator Center for Medical Device Innovations. One of their key products in development is a wireless fetal monitor that will provide expecting mothers with a continuous stream of data related to the functioning of their baby’s heart.

Dublin has also added another arrow to its quiver for attracting businesses – office condos. The Venture Commerce Center on Clark Avenue in Dublin provides entrepreneurs with an opportunity to own their office space vs. the traditional approach of leasing office space. Centrally located just outside the proposed future Downtown Dublin District, the Venture Commerce Center will be a huge draw for nascent high tech businesses that are looking for a great location, flexibility for interior improvements, and a way to diversify their asset base (by holding “hard” assets in addition to intangible assets).

There are many indicators that Dublin is at the forefront of “Digital Dublin Redux”. Dublin has a fantastic future as a hub for high tech product and service innovation. This is great news in that non-industrial high tech companies tend to offer relatively high-paying jobs, create a minimal environmental “footprint”, avoid usurious sewer/water hookup fees for new offices, and are a siren call for the media (which creates a virtuous cycle of attracting other high tech companies).

Weekly Poll: Measure L Parcel Tax

by John M. Zukoski on September 28, 2008  |    78 Comments  |  Topics:  Polls

In November, Dublin voters will have an opportunity to vote on the Measure L Parcel Tax. The Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) voted to place Measure L on the ballot in order to generate operating funds to support our schools. If approved by at least 66.7% of voters, the Measure L Parcel Tax would generate $96/year from each parcel in Dublin for 5 years. All senior citizens and disabled persons would be able to apply for an exemption.

Here are the items that would be funded by the Measure L Parcel Tax (from the DUSD website):

• Fund programs that help all students meet new graduation requirements and promote high academic achievement
• Provide science specialists at elementary schools so students have a strong foundation in science
• Fund needed textbooks and instructional materials so every student receives a 21st century education
• Attract and retain excellent teachers
• Maintain lower class size so teachers can work more closely with students
• Make certain our students sustain high achievement by providing ongoing teacher training in reading, math, and technology.

Based on the voting and comments from a similar poll question three months ago (please note that the amount being considered at the time was $99/year), it seems that Dublin residents have differing opinions about having a parcel tax to provide funds for our school district.

This week’s question is – will you be voting for or against the Measure L Parcel Tax?

Dublin Real Estate Update – 9/26/08

by John M. Zukoski on September 27, 2008  |    No Comments  |  Topics:  Opinions

The good news this past week is that the average home sale price in Dublin held relatively steady at $570K. However, this average was based on a total of 3 reported sales:

• 2 new homes at Sonata
• 1 existing home at Arbor Creek

New School of Imagination Facility

by John M. Zukoski on September 24, 2008  |    11 Comments  |  Topics:  Development · Things To Do

Technical Bulletin: Top 10 Blog Posts

by Around Dublin Team on September 23, 2008  |    No Comments  |  Topics:  Announcements

San Ramon Road Trail and Fallon Road Bridge

by John M. Zukoski on September 22, 2008  |    10 Comments  |  Topics:  Public Works

San Ramon Road Trail Improvements – the City of Dublin will be repairing and making landscape improvements to the San Ramon Road Trail beginning later this year with an expected completion by 2010. The existing trail has areas where tree roots have heaved the trail paving to such an extent that Dublin City Staff has received comments that it is difficult to traverse. Here is a time line of the project:

• Tree root barriers will be installed beginning in November 2008.
• The pathway repairs and landscape improvements are expected to be completed during spring to early summer 2009.
• The final phase of the project will be to replace the trail lighting fixtures by sometime in 2010.

The total cost of this project is anticipated to be approximately $210K.

Fallon Road Bridge – residents of Dublin Ranch may have noticed the construction equipment and other ongoing activities to the north of Kingsmill Terrace/Signal Hill Drive. Dublin is working on building a bridge over Moller Creek that connects Fallon Road South (the section that currently terminates at Dublin Ranch) with Fallon Road North (the section that currently begins at Silvera Ranch). The expectation is that this bridge will be completed by September 2009. One interesting note is that the Fallon Road bridge can only be worked on for 4 months of the year to accommodate the 8 month breeding period of the Golden Eagle.

Weekly Poll: Post Office(s) in Dublin

by John M. Zukoski on September 21, 2008  |    5 Comments  |  Topics:  Polls

For the past several years, the City of Dublin and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce have engaged the United States Postal Service (USPS) in a continuing dialogue on methods to improve customer service and address the parking situation at the Village Parkway station. One suggestion has been to build a much larger main facility on Scarlett Court (off of Dougherty Road).

As you can see below, Dublin has approximately 0.7 postal service windows per 10,000 residents. This is approximately a 1/3 of the service windows that Danville has with their two post office facilities.

The USPS has repeatedly expressed that they would prefer to look into ways of maximizing the efficiency of the existing post office, rather than constructing a new main post office with additional service windows. The City of Dublin has also looked into methods for mitigating the parking crunch near the Village Parkway station.

This week’s question is – Should the USPS Build a Larger Main Post Office in Dublin?

Dublin Historic Park Welcomes Kolb Buildings

by John M. Zukoski on September 20, 2008  |    1 Comment  |  Topics:  Parks

On March 4, 2008, the Dublin City Council approved an addendum to the Dublin Historic Park Master Plan to relocate structures and artifacts from the Kolb Ranch to the Dublin Historic Park. Why are the Kolbs so important to Dublin?

The Kolb farm, located on Dublin Canyon Road, was historically linked to the center of Dublin. George Kolb ran Dublin’s General Store, was a school trustee, was Dublin’s postmaster, and established the first library and phone company in Dublin. But, the Kolb connection to Dublin was obscured in 1952 with the construction of Highway 580. When Dublin was incorporated in 1982, the Kolb property was outside of the city’s sphere of influence in an unincorporated area of Alameda County. In 2001, the City of Pleasanton annexed the Kolb property.

In 2006, Carol Strom, granddaughter of George Kolb, asked the City of Dublin if they would like the Kolb house. George Kolb, born in Bavaria in 1867, came to America and made his way to the Amador Valley in the early 1880s. After working at his brother’s store in Pleasanton, George purchased Dublin’s general merchandise store from John Green. George married Wilhelmina Hartung and they lived in a little cottage located behind the store on Dublin Boulevard. They had two sons, Harold and Edwin.

In 1911, George purchased 350 acres from JW Dougherty on what is now Dublin Canyon Road. They built a craftsman bungalow, barns and outbuildings. Their farm was laid out in a logical order so that the family could run the operations. George’s son Edwin married Pauline Bernal and built his own house on the property. Harold married Elsie Kroeger and they had three children: Donna, William and Carol.

When George Kolb died in 1933, Harold and his family ran the farm. Harold Kolb, who lived from 1900-1989, saw many changes, and became an advocate for Dublin. He led a Dublin incorporation movement in 1966 and 1967. Harold preserved the 1856 Murray School building, (located just across the street from their home) and gave regular talks on Dublin’s history.

The Kolb farm prospered in Dublin for almost 100 years. Three generations of the Kolb family have pioneered, ranched and helped to keep Dublin’s history.

Please check out the Dublin Heritage Center at 6600 Donlon Way if you’d like to learn more about Dublin’s rich history.