The Orinda City Council cordially invites members of our community to participate in a celebration and ribbon-cutting for the City's newest public park on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 5:30pm. Pine Grove Park has been under construction as part of the Pulte Orinda Grove project and is now open for sports play. The new park includes upgraded sports turf, restrooms, and a tot lot. Pine Grove Park is located on Altarinda Road adjacent to the new Orinda Union School District building.  

 

For additional information, please contact the construction manager

Steve Patterson, Park Engineering at (510) 701-0319

What's your transportation vision for Contra Costa? What programs should  the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) invest in? Should BART be extended, put more buses on the road, fix local streets, create more bike lanes, make our streets more pedestrian friendly, or improve our highways?

All these questions and more are part of an outreach effort by the CCTA and they'd like to hear your ideas to keep Contra Costa moving.  CCTA is responsible for maintaining and improving Contra Costa's transportation system by planning and funding key projects, like the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore, Highway 4 widening, and BART system extensions. The agency also helps maintain local streets, reduce traffic congestion, and make Contra Costa safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Their work helps you get where you need to go!

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority is updating the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) in collaboration with Contra Costa municipalities, local agencies, and input from the public. The CTP is a plan for the next 25 years of transportation investment in Contra Costa that outlines a vision, and establishes goals, strategies, and other actions to help make projects and programs a reality.

CCTA wants to know what transportation issues you think are important so we can prioritize where to spend valuable time and resources - BART? Buses? Highways? Local roads? Pedestrian paths? Bicycle routes? Do you have new ideas? You tell us. This is your chance to participate in setting the priorities for our transportation system and suggest your own bright ideas for new projects and programs in Contra Costa.

There are many ways you can participate:

• West County Public Workshop: Monday, September 22, 2014, 7pm, Hercules Community Center (Gym), 2001 Refugio Valley Road, Hercules
• Telephone Public Workshop: Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 6pm, Dial 877-229-8493 and pin# 1126642 when prompted.

2.  Participate in CCTA's online survey at: www.KeepContraCostaMoving.net, to tell us your priorities, share your bright ideas, and see what other ideas have been submitted.

3.  Call 925-256-4720 or email 2014CTP@ccta.net to have a copy of CCTA's survey mailed to you

We encourage you to use one of the ways listed above to participate in this important planning effort. Your opinions and ideas will help shape Contra Costa County's transportation planning for the next 25 years. Don't miss this opportunity!

Public Works and Engineering Services

Ivy Drive Sidewalk and Improvement Projects  

In early September, the Public Works Department held a public meeting at Orinda Intermediate School (OIS) to inform the residents about upcoming projects within the Ivy and Coral Drive's neighborhoods. The Department mailed 650 letters to property owners to invite residents to the meeting to hear a presentation, ask questions, and provide their input on two federally funded projects; 1) Ivy and Coral Drive Sidewalks with Safe Routes to School Funds; and 2) Ivy Drive Pavement Rehabilitation with Transportation Improvement Program funds.

The Ivy and Coral Drive Sidewalks project is proposing to construct 5' sidewalks along the eastside of Ivy Drive between Risa Drive and Fiesta Circle; and along the north side of Coral Drive between Ardith Drive and Eastwood Drive. The sidewalk would be placed right behind the existing curb. These improvements will require the City to coordinate the relocation of private improvements such as landscaping, irrigation, and some hardscape that are within the City's right of way which extends approximately 12' behind the existing curb. City Staff met with the affected property owners previously in August to notify them of these encroachments.

At the recent meeting, Staff also asked for input for future sidewalk projects along Coral and Ivy Drives that would terminate at Moraga Way.  Staff presented a preferred alignment of placing sidewalk along Ivy Drive generally on the east side of the road because there is a higher proportion of residents living on the east side of Ivy Drive to avoid pedestrians crossing Ivy Drive except for a centralized location near the school. A sidewalk along the west side of Ivy Drive would likely lead to more pedestrian crossings at each side street intersection. The majority of those in attendance would prefer the sidewalk on the west side of Ivy Drive which is the same side OIS is located. Staff will continue to evaluate the location of future sidewalks based on this public input.

The Ivy Drive Pavement Rehabilitation project will reconstruct the roadway pavement from the northern Moraga Way intersection to Fiesta Circle (north). The project will involve rehabilitating the pavement surface and making minor roadway/drainage conform improvements.

Both projects are expected to start in the summer of 2015 after the school year ends. A public meeting will be held regarding these projects on Thursday September 25th at 6:00 p.m. at the Library Auditorium located at 26 Orinda Way.

Public Works: 

• Continued re-striping stop bars and stop legends on La Espiral, Las Vegas Drive, and the Glorietta Boulevard. neighborhood.
• Finished repairing potholes on St. Stephens Drive and Via Floreado.
• Repaired and trimmed around no parking signs on Camino Encinas at Underhill Road.
• Responded to after-hours call outs for downed trees at Brookwood Road, Las Vegas Road, and Overhill Road.
• Picked up trash on Camino Pablo and Moraga Way.

On Saturday, September 27, 2014 the City of Orinda will participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day sponsored by the DEA. From 9am to 2pm, the lobby at City Hall will be open for anyone wishing to properly dispose of unused or no longer needed prescription drugs.  Although the City of Orinda has a drug drop off bin in the lobby all year round, this event brings further attention and is intended to remind everyone of the problems with excess prescription drugs.  

Per the DEA, did you know...

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse.

• Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor's supervision.
• The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
• The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends - and the home medicine cabinet.
• Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
• Take-back programs are the best way to dispose of old drugs. But if a program is not available:

1. Take the meds out of their bottles;
2. Mix them with something unappealing like used kitty litter or coffee grounds;
3. Seal them in a bag or disposable container, and throw them away.

For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to:

•  www.dea.gov 
•  www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com 
• www.justthinktwice.com

Cal Swim Teams host an Event Benefiting  

Orinda Parks and Recreation

Last Chance to Dine with an Olympic Champion

The Orinda Parks and Recreation Foundation luncheon with the UC Berkeley Swim Team is fast approaching. Do not miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet current and future Olympic Champions and support Parks and Recreation related projects. Tickets are on sale now at http://oprfoundation.org.

The Orinda Association is hosting Candidate Forums in October!

The first forum is for the City Council candidates which 

will be held on Monday, October 6th.  

The second forum is for the Orinda Union School District Board candidates which  

is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16th.

Both forums start at 7:00 PM, in the Library Auditorium, and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters.  

Audience members will be able to submit questions to the candidates.

Questions should be directed to Orinda Association

(925) 254-0800     Email:  oa@orindaassociation.org  

Weekly Crime Statistics for 09-07-14 to 09-13-14

1 - Misc. Burglary                            10 block Wanda Lane

1 - Petty Theft                                  200 block The Knoll

1 - Battery                                        Orchard Road @ Scenic Drive

1 - Residential Burglary Arrest         20 block Muth Drive

1 - Auto Burglary                             10 block Orinda Way

   "The Nation's 2nd Friendliest City" 

October is Discover & Go Month!

Visit your Contra Costa County Library this October and take part in our first ever Discover & Go Month which celebrates our ongoing partnership with Bay Area museums and cultural venues.  Learn how to download free and discounted passes to museums, theatres, aquariums, zoos, and science centers, and enter drawings for awesome Discover & Go prizes!      

October 24 is National Food Day

In recognition of National Food Day there will be a Food Bank Food Donation Barrel at Orinda Library during the entire month of October.  People are encouraged to donate nonperishable, healthy food items.  As a way to doubly celebrate Discover & Go month and National Food Day, and thank you for your generosity, each person who donates food will be entered into a drawing to win tickets to the Oakland Zoo (a Discover & Go venue), including ride passes. 

TEENS: Read Your Fines Away during Teen Read Week, October 13 - 19

Here's how it works: Check in at the reference desk with your library card or photo ID to prove you are in a grade 6-12, or between the ages of 13-18.  Read for one hour in the library to receive a certificate.  Use the certificate on or before October 31, 2014, to clear overdue fines (You can't use it for lost or damaged items, or for manual fees).  Enjoy your Contra Costa County Library card!  It's that simple!  We want to welcome back teens who may not be using the library and checking out materials because of overdue fees. for additional informtion, contact Melanie McCallum, Adult & Teen Services Librarian & Volunteer Coordinator at 925.254.2184 or mmccallu@ccclib.org.

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publicinfo@cityoforinda.org.  

PG&E Gas Line Hydrotesting

Questions about the project should be directed to Rosaline Brown, PG&E Customer Impact Specialist. Her phone number is (415) 744-4160.

The current project schedule is:

• September 24th, Administering the hydro test
• October 8th, Tie the line back into service
• October 22nd, Complete demobilization and restoration

"The Nation's 2nd Friendliest City"