Profiles
by John M. Zukoski on November 6, 2011 | 
No Comments | Topics: Local Issues · Opinions · Profiles
As California’s court system becomes overwhelmed by the ever increasing case load, the Golden State is forced to scale back on delivering justice in order to balance the budget. The Alameda County Court system recently slashed services at the Pleasanton courthouse. Pleasanton’s courthouse cutbacks are part of a dramatic state-wide contraction that is set to worsen in the coming years. The San Joaquin County has arguably experienced the most dramatic cutback in services where its entire small claims court division has been completely gutted. In response to the clear sense of urgency confronting the justice process, Dublin resident and attorney Jonathan Van Ee has designed a solution to expand justice in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties dramatically while simultaneously cutting costs.
“Not only can mobile devices bring videos to you, they can also put justice in your hands,” said Van Ee. “Expanding the court system with technology is critical for Alameda and Contra Costa County residents because budgetary pressures are forcing dramatic cutbacks – those counties can no longer provide the same level of services with the traditional courthouse infrastructure.”
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by Around Dublin Team on March 18, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Profiles
Dr. Janice Liao and Dr. George Shiao of Dublin Smiles Dentistry will be participating in two Remote Area Medical® (RAM) expeditions in April. RAM’s first Northern California expeditions will be held in Sacramento April 1-4 and in Oakland April 9-12. Dr. Liao and Dr. Shiao will be volunteering on Sunday April 10th, and they would like other dentists in the area to join them. Dublin Smiles Dentistry is located at 6601 Dublin Boulevard, Suite K in the Shops at Tralee Village. “We’re only volunteering for one day, but we really don’t deserve any credit for it. We’re just simple volunteers. We both feel we’ve been blessed with the skill to provide dental care and want to give back when we can,” said Dr. Liao.
RAM is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne relief corps dedicated to providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world. Founded in 1985, RAM is a publicly supported all-volunteer charitable organization. Volunteer doctors, nurses, pilots, veterinarians and support workers participate in expeditions at their own expense in some of the world’s most exciting places.
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by John M. Zukoski on February 4, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Profiles · Things To Do
Dublin resident Roger Mueller-Kim recently realized a lifelong dream of becoming a contestant on the lionized game show Jeopardy. He will be appearing on tonight’s edition of Jeopardy on ABC at 7PM. Mueller-Kim is a teacher in Castro Valley and has lived in Dublin with his partner Brandon for the past eight years. Mueller-Kim auditioned for Jeopardy back in September 2010 after successfully qualifying through an online exam earlier in the year.
Since childhood, Mueller-Kim had always wanted to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Qualifying for the show had been a challenge for Mueller-Kim, because the show had previously required all contestants to fly to the show’s LA studio for the qualification round. Once the show’s producer put the qualifying exam online, Mueller-Kim knew he had to go for it. After proving he has the smarts by acing the exam online, Mueller-Kim flew down to LA and dazzled the show’s producers with his charming personality and photogenic look.
When asked about meeting Jeopardy’s legendary host Alex Trebek, Mueller-Kim shared that the show kept the contestants fairly insulated. “We didn’t really get a chance to speak with Alex. Our three handlers ensured that we didn’t speak with him or our friends and family before the show,” said Mueller-Kim continued. “They wanted to ensure that none of the contestants could gain an unfair advantage.”
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by LVCP on January 3, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Profiles · Schools
Tri-Valley Learning Corporation (TVLC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Lauren Kelly as Principal of Livermore Valley Charter Prep (LVCP). Ms. Kelly is excited to meet the LVCP students and families as she assumes her new role in early January.
Lauren Kelly graduated from San Francisco State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcasting and Communication. She received her California Clear Teaching Credential in Mathematics and Journalism in 1989, along with her Master of Education in Secondary Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was a participant in the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI). In 2002, Ms. Kelly returned to UCLA’s PLI where she earned a second Master of Education in Educational Administration, as well as her Administrative Credential.
Ms. Kelly taught 6th grade math and science at Olive Vista Middle School for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1997. She then moved to Milken Community High School from 1997-2002, where she taught 7th-10th grade Physical Education. While at the private high school, Ms. Kelly was a new teacher “buddy,” led the middle school athletics program as its Athletics Director, acted as a high school mentor, and coached basketball, cross country, softball, and volleyball. Ms. Kelly appeared in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 2002 through student nomination.
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by John M. Zukoski on January 2, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Profiles
Just in time for Super Bowl XLV in early February, Alameda sports legend A.J. Lil’ Arnerich will be sharing his thoughts about the Super Bowl from the referee’s perspective at the Dublin Rotary Club’s January 4, 2011 meeting. Lil’ was a multi-sport official for 35 years. Dublin Rotary Club meetings are held every Tuesday 12:00PM-1:30PM at the Dublin Ranch Golf Course Clubhouse. Members of the public are welcome to attend. The cost of lunch is $18. Please check the Dublin Rotary Club’s website for more information.
Born into a well-known and highly-regarded baseball family of six brothers, Lil’ was a three-time All-City shortstop at McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA. In 1946 Lil’ was selected to the United States All-Star baseball team. Lil’ attended St. Mary’s College and signed with Casey Stengel and the Oakland Oaks in 1948. Lil’ worked for the City of Alameda’s Parks and Recreation department for 35 years and served on Alameda’s City Council for 10 years.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 8, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Profiles
Thanks to a generous sponsorship gift from a local volunteer, Shakespeare’s Associates will resurrect its “Bothwell Series” Spring productions in 2011 with David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre. “Intimate theater is the best, but per person, it is expensive to produce,” said artistic director Lisa Tromovitch. As a result of the cost considerations, Shakespeare’s Associates cancelled the “Bothwell Series” last year. This year, Joan Boer, a longtime volunteer, stepped forward. “She approached me about producing a show at the Bothwell in memory of her late husband, Garret Boer,” said Tromovitch. “Ironically, the play that I had been hoping to do there was a show he had acted in himself, and unbeknownst to me at the time, was also being brought back on Broadway.”
To remember Garret appropriately, his friends contributed to a fund that provided theatrical lighting for the West End Theatre at the Bothwell. “The Bothwell’s West End Theater has housed three excellent Shakespeare’s Associates productions in recent years, Art, Proof, and Copenhagen,” said Boer. “This new production continues the series, as well as the Bothwell’s proud record of service to the arts community. In particular I’m thinking of Garret’s old theatre group, the Cask and Mask Players, which in the early days staged intimate theatre evenings in this same space. I’m glad to support this asset to the community.”
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by John M. Zukoski on October 13, 2010 | 16 Comments | Topics: Profiles
This year’s California gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the more grueling contests the State has seen in years. Recent news of a Jerry Brown staffer’s referring to Meg Whitman as a “whore” has definitely ratcheted up the tension in an already heated election season. Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay, has reportedly spent over $100M of her own money so far in the campaign. Unless Meg wins, she probably will not be able to recuperate much of her investment from post-election fundraisers. Born into a political family, Jerry Brown has served the State of California in various capacities over most of his adult life. Jerry’s bid for the governor’s mansion may be his last shot at a second stint as the head of the State of California.
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by Around Dublin Team on October 2, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Profiles
The Tri-Valley Animal Rescue (TVAR) is a 100% non-profit, 501c(3) charitable organization, which is run solely by the commitment of volunteers. TVAR relies on donations and contributions from the community. Having no overhead or payroll expenses, all resources are focused on helping homeless animals in the Tri-Valley area. The loving volunteers at TVAR would like to spotlight an adorable kitty named Abigail and a cute puppy named Huff.
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by John M. Zukoski on September 30, 2010 | 18 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Profiles
Barbara Boxer, who has represented the State of California for three terms in the U.S. Senate, is facing the toughest electoral challenge of her political career from newcomer Carly Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO. In a poll released on September 24th, the longtime Democratic incumbent is pulling slightly ahead from her Republican challenger in the Field Poll by 47 percent to 41 percent. Still, the lead seems too narrow for a well established incumbent, and the Republicans believe they have a shot at winning this seat in the U.S. Senate on November 2nd. As exciting as this race is on the national level, how will the election of Boxer or Fiorina impact residents in the Tri-Valley?
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