Save the date! National hero Karl Rove coming to Lafayette!

I have a confession to make: I have a fascination for maniacal geniuses, who, without any sense of remorse, shame, or common human decency, cold-bloodedly seek power and influence over other people's lives, including over world events. For example, I often think, I wouldn't be fuming and ranting on a local, community blog if I had long ago channeled my inner Vladimir Putin. Gosh, my sphere of influence would have been so much wider--and deadlier!

I could have been more like political strategist Karl Rove, who is best known as President George W. Bush's top advisor--or, rather, as "Bush's Brain."

Anyway, Rove, a "great American" (to borrow the words of Sean Hannity)  is coming to Lafayette on March 30.  Contra Costa Times Political Editor Lisa Vorderbrueggen reported in her column Sunday that Rove will be speaking at a lunch event sponsored by Political Vanguard, the conservative web site of California Republican Party Vice Chairman Tom Del Beccaro. All proceeds for the event will go to the Contra Costa Republican Party.

"It's unclear how much it will cost to bring Rove to Lafayette or who will pay," Vorderbrueggen wrote. "Speaker fees are negotiated and can vary wildly."

If you want to more information about Rove's appearance in Contra Costa County, go to the Political Vanguard's website--although as of late Sunday, the Rove appearance page was still under construction.

RIP Spin Ultra Lounge? Given their state ABC record, maybe not

There’s a “Coming Soon” sign in the always attractive sliding glass door of the now former Spin Ultra Lounge on Locust Street.

So, Spin is no more, but that spot, under its most recent name and former titles, has not exactly had the tidiest of records, if you look at that property's disciplinary history with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

ABC records show that Spin’s owners were slapped with 30-day suspensions twice over the past year, for a variety of liquor license violations--as well as food service violations.

Spin, according to one online review, was said to serve “really great pizza.” Hmm. Maybe that assessment is questionable.

The most recent suspension, which was to end just last month, involved allegations that the establishment served “adulterated” food.

That is, according to ABC guidelines, and the state Health and Safety code, food that “bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it injurious” to human health. Food is further defined as adulterated "if it consists in whole or in part of any diseased, contaminated, filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance.”

Appetizing, huh?

In any event, Spin Ultra Lounge is no more, judging by that sign I recently spotted in the window. No indication from state ABC records whether the new establishment moving in has sought a license to serve alcoholic beverages.

Hint, hint: Maybe some snoops at Walnut Creek Magazine know what’s going to go in that space.

What's with the creepy baby mannequin in a downtown Walnut Creek store window?

Is it just me, or is there something about this very life-like mannequin that makes me worry that Walnut Creek has been hit with an invasion--an Invasion of the Body Snatchers--and that pretty soon our town will be filled with Pod Babies. And Pod People.

Or, has that Pod-ification of our population already started to happen? You tell me!

So, I was out and about last night, strolling up and down our lovely downtown streets, and came across a store that sells baby gear, and I saw this and other mannequins modeling the coolest of the cool baby fashions and baby accessories. The clothes and high-tech baby bathtub and other gear was cool, but the mannequins ... I don't know, seeing them gave me this cold, tingling feel running up and down my spine.

Well, if Walnut Creek is indeed under attack by alien invaders, remember what we learned from the classic 1956 sci-fi filmm Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  Don't go to sleep! Because that's when your alien double, growing in a pod hidden by the alien leaders in your garage, emerges from its pod and takes over your identity--and your soul. 

Another Walnut Creek parking inconsistency? North Locust Garage fees

In going to a play at the Lesher Center last night, I parked in the the North Locust Garage, right next door to the center.

As on pretty much most Friday and Saturday nights, when the Lesher Center is staging one or more productions, the garage was charging a Special Event parking fee.

That fee is $5. (Wasn't it not long that ago that it was $3? I know, I know, the city is facing tough budget times...)

The reason for this special charge, according to the city's website, is that the garage uses special event staffing when there are large events at the Lesher Center. Actually, I agree with the city using this strategy on these special event nights. It makes entering and leaving the garage much easier, when you are likely to have hundreds of people, leaving a show and trying to get out of the garage all at once.

However, I was struck by what to me seems to be a contradiction in the garage's fee policy. So, I pay $5 for the Special Event parking, but the maximum All Day fee that you can be charged is $3. This is according to the city's Parking website and signs posted at the two entrances to the garage.

How can the city charge $5, when the maximum you would be required to pay daily is $3? Sure, in the grand scheme of things to get bothered about in life, I'll admit this one rates pretty low, but I'm still scratching my head over it. 

"We are not thugs!": Open Carry guys hold their biggest demonstration yet in downtown Walnut Creek

Around 50 to 60 members of Bay Area Open Carry, wearing unloaded guns and ammunition clips strapped to their belts, turned up at Buckhorn Grill in Plaza Escuela Saturday to enjoy a meal and to demonstrate their legal right in California to openly bear arms. (Other estimates put the number of members attending at 100.)

"It's time for citizens to arm up," said Gus Konstantaras, 50, of Antioch, who said he was a former military police officer and former officer for the police department in Pittsburg and a department in Louisiana. "It's a right. If you don't exercise it, you will lose it."

Gus--who added that he introduced his two kids to guns, starting when they were eight years old--said it's especially important for citizens to arm up because of all the murder, raping, maiming and other mayhem that is occurring in our communities.

Hmm. Sure, some Bay Area communities have high rates of violent crime. When I mentioned that Walnut Creek is not known for a high number of shootings, murders, and other violent crimes--and asked why his group didn't do their demononstrations of crime deterrence in more violent crime-ridden communities like Richmond--Konstantaras said members of this loosely organized group are not "vigilantes" or a "militia."

They are just "responsible citizens," he said. And they worry about how the state's budget crisis and the bad economy is causing cuts to local police departments. He and others at the demonstration contend that gun control leads to increase in violent crime. 

Gus and another guy became a bit incensed when I mentioned that some readers of my blog were uncomfortable or annoyed by the idea of their members--civilians and not uniformed police officers--coming to Walnut Creek to show off their--uh--guns. This other guy, heavy-set with a beard who was videotaping the demonstration, asserted that Open Carry members are probably better trained in how to handle weapons than many police officers. That might, indeed, be true.

Oh, and Gus added that the group had been in contact with Walnut Creek police and even met up with police near Marie Callenders in the CVS shopping center, so that officers could check and make sure that they were carrying their guns in accordance with state law.

By the way, my 11-year-old son came along with me to the demonstration. (We had to do our regular Saturday morning Starbucks run, after all). My son ended up finding the whole event very interesting. He watched as different reporters (including his mom) asked questions, and photographers snapped photos, and a KTVU news crew taped for a broadcast.

My son and I popped into Buckhorn Grill and snapped a photo of two guys (top photo). One was a steely-eyed guy named Charles (on the left, who was sporting a Glock Model 22 40-caliber pistol). The guy on the right was named Robert, who was packing a Para Ordnance 45-caliber pistol, and wearing a T-shirt proclaiming himself as "Christian American Heterosexual Pro-Gun Conservative."

Robert was a friendly guy. In fact, most of the Open Carry people we talked to were friendly and forthright. Anyway, Robert asked my son if he was scared to see so many people in a restaurant armed with guns.

"No, not really," my son said. "You're just exercising your rights as citizens and you're not going to go around shooting people."

"That's right," Robert said.

Oh, and by the way, there were no protesters from "the other side." That would be the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. To be more precise, my son and I didn't see any protesters while we were at Buckhorn Grill, but we had to take off early, so maybe the protesters showed up after we left. Gus, the former cop from Antioch, complained that the Brady campaign had been "harassing" their group by, for example, posting negative comments about them on the Internet. 

(I don't know, Gus. You're a nice guy, and it sounds like we have different world views and opinions about certain issues, like the root causes of violence in America. But, anyway, if the Brady campaign folks are posting opposing viewpoints about your organization on the Internet, that might be them exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech.)

UPDATE: As of 1:15 p.m., some of the Open Carry guys (and gals) were standing around outside Starbucks across the street from Buckhorn Grill. I saw them as I was driving to Safeway to do some grocery shopping. I saw Gus and Robert. As you might have read in the Contra Costa Times this morning, Starbucks nixed a request from the Brady campaign to ban display of weapons in their coffee houses.

Open Carry guys to be a Buckhorn Grill this morning

Members of Bay Area Open Carry, who advocate the open display of guns in public, will take their Walnut Creek demonstration to Buckhorn Grill in Plaza Escuela, near the Cheesecake Factory and across the street from Starbucks. The Mayor of Claycord first reported their new location late last night.

The Open Carry members had planned their meetup at California Pizza Kitchen this Saturday morning at 11, but were told by CPK that they were not welcome.  The Open Carry members wear unloaded guns as well as ammunition; they wear them proudly as a statement of their legal right in California to openly bear arms in this manner.

Here's what the Open Carry members say on their forum about their new location. And, how they are upset that someone leaked out this information. They wondering about who the spies are amongst them.  

Information on the meetup location got out. The Brady Campaign is HAMMERING on the location management . The Brady Campaign have threatened today to make postings claiming that the Buckhorn Grill is not safe for the public to patron !!!!!!

GET ON THIS ASAP!!!

Send in your emails to The Buckhorn Grill supporting law-abiding citizens rights

This will likely be featured all over Bay Area TV media tonight and tomorrow. Tune in.

GET OUT AND SUPPORT THIS EFFORT

The Buckhorn Grill has "The Best Tri-Tip on the Planet" and we plan to buy a lot of it tomorrow !

Besides media, they expect protesters. In any event, one forum poster said, "Even tho it goes without saying, be on your best behavior! Do not engage any protesters! We are a friendly bunch, only out to enjoy a meal and have a good time!"

In the meantime, the Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association issued an alert this week to its members about the possibility of an Open Carry demonstration today:

"The question of whether a business establishment may refuse service to an individual openly carrying an unloaded firearm is determined by the business establishment and its own rules. We recommend that business establishment consult with their own legal counsel in making a decision on this matter."

Suspicious guys eyeing Foothill Middle School students, as Concord police release images of suspects in one kidnapping and reveal that another girl made up her story of being grabbed and chased.

As Concord police continue to hunt two men suspected of abducting an Oak Grove Intermediate School girl on January 28, her story is being followed by sightings of other suspicious men in Walnut Creek and another girl’s false claim of someone trying to abduct her.

Walnut Creek School District Patty Wool, in an e-mail alert to parents, says that the Walnut Creek Police Department are investigating a report that two Hispanic males, in a white GMC van, on Thursday drove by three Foothill Middle School students and stared at them in a disturbing way. 

The students described the van as a late 1990s GMC model with tinted windows on both sides. The driver was described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s and early 30s, while the passenger was described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s or early 30s, with a triangular goatee, long slender nose, navy or black baseball hat, and a rusty brownish jacket.

Wool said the Concord police are investigating a similar incident involving a white van.

She is apparently referring to the case of a 13-year-old Oak Grove Intermediate School girl who says that a man in a white van drove up to her as she was waiting to be picked up at about 6 p.m. Friday from an after-school event. The girl told police that the man called her over, engaged her in a conversation, and grabbed her arm. After she broke free and as she was running back to the school, a second man chased her.

The Mayor of Claycord, quoting Concord police, is reporting now that this girl made up the story about the attempted kidnapping. 

While the girl did see a white van pass by her, as she waited in front of the school, the most that happened was that the driver of the van whistled at her. He didn’t stop, and he didn’t try to grab her, and no one tried to chase her.

However, this girl’s embellished story is not to be confused with an incident the day before, on January 28, involving another Oak Grove Intermediate student. Concord police say they are taking this situation seriously and have released these sketches of the suspects, which were published on Claycord. The Mayor says that the top sketch is of the driver; the bottom sketch is of the passenger.

This incident involves a girl who says she was picked up by two men in a black SUV, as she was walking to school at Oak Grove. She said she was driven around for several hours, then dropped off, uninjured, at an undisclosed location in Walnut Creek.

BART to start charging parking fee at Pleasant Hill station

Starting February 22, drivers who park at the Pleasant Hill station will be charged a $1 daily parking "fee." According to BART's website, this fee will be charged to those who park at the station on weekdays from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Parking fees help us meet our difficult financial challenges and maintain the quality service that you’ve come to expect," the website says.

Are you Team Las Lomas, Northgate, or Acalanes?

Sure, it’s Super Bowl weekend, and maybe a lot of people’s attention is focused on Sunday’s showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

But listen up! Some of our best and brightest East Bay teens will be vying for a major championship themselves the day before: the team that wins Contra Costa County’s 2010 Academic Decathlon. Some 150 ninth through 12th graders will compete this weekend to represent Contra Costa County at the California Academic Decathlon, to be held in Sacramento, March 12-15. This year's Nation Academic Decathlon will be held April 21-24, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The county’s decathlon, which has taken place over two Saturdays, will conclude this Saturday. Directed by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) , the Academic Decathlon provides an opportunity for ninth-12th grade high school students to compete as individuals and teams in a series of 10 academic tests and demonstrations that include: art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, essay, interview, and speech (prepared and impromptu). Close to 150 students have been studying and preparing for this event with their coaches since September. This year, the theme of the decathlon, including the Super Quiz Topic, is the French Revolution.

According to Jonathan Lance, who is with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, there will be a maximum of three students in each of the following divisions: Honors (3.75-4.00 GPA), Scholastic (3.00-3.74 GPA) and Varsity (2.99 GPA and below).

I’m in awe of kids these days who excel in various ways: sports, arts, academics. I know it can be fashionable to grumble about how “kids these days" are spoiled brats with way too much personal freedom, as well as disposable income to spend on video games, mobile devices, and drugs.

I’m sure that’s the case for some kids. But I also come across 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds who definitely have their s--- together better than I did at that age. They are polite, motivated, curious, passionate, idealistic. They have grand ideas about changing the world, and they already have their blueprints in place for making that happen. And, frankly, I think they are under so much more pressure to fit into some kind of 21st century definition of “success.”

I want to give a shout out to the various teams competing this Saturday in the finals of the county’s 2010 Academic Decathlon. Besides Las Lomas, Northgate and Acalanes, which are attended by Walnut Creek students, the other teams vying for the championship are: American (Fremont), Antioch, California (San Ramon), Campolindo (Moraga), Freedom (Oakley), Miramonte (Orinda), and Pittsburg.

Lance says that more than 1 million students have participated in the United States Academic Decathlon since 1968. It has become known as the first and most comprehensive program to promote and recognize academic achievement for all students.

Saturday’s event will take place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m in the gym at Los Medanos Colleg, 2700 E. Leland Rd., Pittsburg. The SuperQuiz begins about 2:30 p.m., finishing around 3:45 p.m.

The Academic Decathlon Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Contra Costa County Office of Education (Stewart Building), 77 Santa Barbara Rd., Pleasant Hill.

For more information about the Academic Decathlon, contact Karen Rice, Event Coordinator, CCCOE, 925-942-3400, or krice@cccoe.k12.ca.us.

RIP, I guess: Citizens for Walnut Creek, the town's notable slow-growth advocates

Citizens for a Better Walnut Creek was a political group that, in the 1980s helped establish building heights limits in Walnut Creek. It also created the group, Residents and Advocates for More Parking and Reduced Traffic (RAMPART), that unsuccessfully tried to block the recent proposed Neiman Marcus department store in Broadway Plaza.

The Contra Costa Times reports that the group, “best known for spurring slow growth measures in the 1980s and 1990s, has officially closed its political campaign account with Walnut Creek — and, by extension, with the state.”

The group has told the Times that is no longer has dues-paying members but that the “core group is still there” and is ready to “mobilize if needed.” This is according to co-founder Ed Skoog, also a former mayor.

For example, the group had some money “sitting there for a long time” and decided to donate $600 to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum.

Citizens for a Better Walnut Creek, formed in 1984, is “perhaps best known for bringing about Measure A in 1985,” the Times Elisabeth Nardi reports. “Measure A placed limits on building heights in Walnut Creek, basically freezing heights at then-existing levels.”

The Times adds:

While Citizens for a Better Walnut Creek have legally disbanded, don't count them out. "We are still alive," said Skoog. "We are not going gung-ho on anything in particular right now, but as issues come, you will see our flag flying."

Walnut Creek defined by Urban Dictionary

In several posts, I've been asking readers to share their views on how they view this fair East Bay suburb that they either live in or visit. What do they see for its future? Should it become more urban, or should it retain a sense of Mayberry?

Well, a reader has suggested a good place to find some answers to the question of what makes Walnut Creek Walnut Creek. It's dictionary, specifically, the online Urban Dictionary. This is a very useful resource for anyone in 2010, especially if you want to understand what your kids are talking about or you want to attempt to sound cool in front of your kids. (Good luck with that!)

Urban Dictionary is the place where you can find answers to such pressing questions as how to spell "beyotch," and what is "Grand Theft Impairment" (The 4-hour period of time that you cannot drive or function in society due to playing Grand Theft Auto.)

Anyway, it is, like Wikipedia, reader written and edited, so you have to accept that some bias and personal opinion will seep into the definitions. And, the demographics of contributors appear to skew younger. But here is how the authoritative Urban Dictionary contributors define Walnut Creek, California. There are 11 entries. I thought No. 5 was particularly insightful. Some excerpts (with spelling retained):

1. It's getting bigger and better. has a lot of stupid people. but the number of cool kids is catching up. : - )
2. Hella cool city in NorCal.
3. Population is filled with rich preps, wanna-be-ghettos, pretty girls, or really good skateboarders. All the kids know how to have fun, including parties every night, alcohol for illegal age, joy riding, and tagging walls. Corey Duffel (pro skateboarder) is from w.c.
4. The local high school is predominantly inhabited by:
(but not limited to)
--Rich kids who have adopted the Southern California surfer look and lifestyle, while still maintaining a prep sensibility. I.e. toting a longboard everywhere you go, wearing a parka, and flip flops, whilst inhaling a scalding starbucks frappuccino.
--Ghetto imitating white kids (most likely also rich)
--These fellows are a puzzling breed, while these lads are probably your former best friends from Walnut Creek Intermediate, the same ones who used to wear ac/dc shirts and had skater cuts. Somewhere along the transitory line between 8th grade and freshman beginning, they discovered Mac dre and keak da sneak, and all was lost. Now they spend their time getting hyphy on the weekends and before 1st period. While still trying to figure out why everyone stares in bewilderment at the length of their t-shirts.
Everyone else: Now apparently walnut creek has fostered itself a fresh crop of 'scenesters' 'hipsters' and the like.
--Whether these be confused children who gage their ears, and listen to 3oh!3 and norma jean. Or the guy who can't get over syd barrett, looks like lou reed, wears porkpie hats and rolls his own cigarettes, and has an affinity for all things vintage. There are reported sightings of both of these types throughout the charming township of Walnut Creek.
5. Walnut Creek is a city in the Bay Area with an amazing downtown, good schools, and fun things to do if you know the right people. While the downtown is famous for its high end stores like Betsey Johnson, it also has cool underground thrift stores.
6. Well, can't include this one, because it's a little risque--with references, for example, to teen sexual activities--for my supposedly family-friendly blog.
7. A pretty boring city filled with sluts and wanna-be ghetto people. at least it's close to fun places like oakland. lots of drugs in most of the schools here.
8. A s---- sack town that's full of police and dumb blonde socal people. The socal immigration started around the same time as the remodeling of the downtown area, which was a few years back (around '00). Before then, walnut creek was just a small quiet town. At that time, walnut creek also became a magnet for wiggers, thugs, brodys, beaners, and just about [anyone] around the bay area who could afford a BART pass. Basically there are no "locals" in walnut creek anymore.
9. An almost all white, small town with little to do but sample music at Barnes and Nobles.
10. Can't include this one either because of racist terms.
11. Nothing ever happens here and the local hang out is the small downtown area. None of the couples under 18 ever have sex because they are all to stupid and cowardly to do so.

Does class size matter?

It's been all over the news: how another budget crisis in Sacramento means another spring of budget crises for local public school districts, a desperate situation that could lead to the layoffs of many more teachers and the increase in class sizes in all grades.

For this school year, Mt. Diablo Unified, one of the hardest hit in the Bay Area, already eliminated class size reduction in grades K-3. That is, it raised the number of students per class from 20 to 30.  K-3 class size reduction was introduced in California back in 1996, and districts were given incentives when they managed to keep class sizes in grades K-3 at 20. This also applied to some core 9th grade classes, such as math and English.

For this school year, Walnut Creek also raised K-3 class sizes from 20 to 25.

A lot of us parents like the idea of small class sizes because we believe our kids will potentially get more one-on-one time with their teachers. I'm sure teachers like it, too. Many education experts agree that students, over time, do better, academically and behaviorally in smaller class sizes.

"I am heartsick that some California school districts are backing away from class size reduction, a reform that is being whittled away in this terrible budget climate," wrote Delaine Eastin, who was state superintendent of schools when class size reduction was implemented. She was sharing her views in a City Brights blog on SFGate.com. "The decision to undermine class size reduction, to lower the number of days in the school year, to lay off teachers, counselors, nurses, crossing guards, to close schools, to reduce preschool, to reduce honors classes and even to raise fees at our colleges and universities is a shame and a disgrace."
Some experts, however, think that, ultimately, what counts is good teachers. A bad teacher won't do any better with 30 students than she will with 20. These experts say that California's class size reduction experiment cost the state billions of dollars that could have been better spent on improving teacher quality and other reforms that would have made our schools the models of excellence that they once were.
 
What do you think? What has been your child's experience in a small class, or in a large class. Are you scared about what's going on right now with the disaster that is public education financing?

Pho's Saigon Noodle House is open; Newell Avenue's second Vietnamese noodle restaurant

Is it time for a Walnut Creek Vietnamese noodle shop smackdown? What with two Vietnamese noodle restaurants within about a block of each other?  

Pho Saigon opened last week in the space in Newell Place that formerly housed Taxi's. It is  part of a chain of Vietnamese noodle houses, and is named for the classic, casual Vietnamese dish, pho (pronounced "fuh"), which typically consists of white rice noodles served in a clear broth, along with variations of seasonings, vegetables, and meat.

Pho Saigon is a long time coming (I snapped this photo in July). A Yelp reader heaps praise on it, nearly a week following its grand opening last Thursday: "Woo hoo! Just what Walnut Creek needs, authentic Vietnamese food. ... The menu is extensive with pho, rice dishes and drinks. They served us chrysathemum tea and even had spicy bun hue. ...A little more expensive than your typical hole in the wall pho shop but worth it. Their " small bowl" is actually a large at most other restaurants.

However, another Yelp reader said: "This is exactly what Walnut Creek does not need. Although I don't like all of them, there are already plenty of Vietnamese restaurants across all different niches and pricepoints in Walnut Creek and based on my experience with Pho Saigon, I don't expect any of them to be worried."

Ouch.

One of those other Vietnamese restaurants is another noodle shop, R&J Noodle east on Newell Avenue in the Terrace Shops.

One reader on Yelp glowed about it: "I freaking love this place! The only bad thing I can say is that they are NEVER open! They have a great pork sandwich and their soup is incredible, my husband and I usually order both and end up taking home leftovers. The price point is totally reasonable for the amount of food they give you. I also like the owners, they are very friendly and hospitable...total mom and pop business, and I love that."

Other readers, however, were not so enthusiastic. "We've been here three times because we just can't shake that 'we really want this place to be good' feeling. The place seems like its family run, and the are really friendly. The prices are pretty typical of Walnut Creek, I would even say its better priced than most. Unfortunately the food is just kind of blah."

Well, dear Crazy readers, if you've been to either and want to submit your own reviews, please be my guest.  I expect I'll be giving both a try in the next few weeks. 

It sucks for local school districts: Walnut Creek, Acalanes, Mt. Diablo dealing with layoffs, rising class sizes and closure of well-regarded alternative high school

Sorry, if some people find it offensive of me to use the word "sucks," but right now, I can't think of another term that applies to the scary financial situation, in our tough economic times, facing local school districts. 

--Walnut Creek School District is looking at a $1.6 million shortfall in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 budgets. The district has already raised class sizes in K-3 from 20 students per class to 25, cut custodial and other staff and administrative positions. "Unfortunately, to stay afloat in our multi-year budget projections, we will need to cut the Walnut Creek School District budget by another $800,000 to $1 million for next year," says Superintendent Patty Wool. "We will again use our three-prong process of meeting with staff, parents, and management. Then the Budget Review Committee will decide on a final cut list."

--The Mt. Diablo Unified School District: The district has already approved $3 million in cuts, but put off a decision on whether to eliminate the jobs of 23 school secretaries. The district must look at cutting millions more at its February 9 board meeting. According to the Mount Diablo Education Association, the total is at least $30 million. The district already made the decision last year to raise K-3 class sizes this school year from 20 students per class to 30.

According to a post earlier this month on the MDEA Teachers Forum blog: "I couldn't believe what I was hearing at last night's School Board meeting. The $17 million in cuts was horrifying enough. We (teachers and parents) were up in arms about the proposed class size minimum of 28 students, believing that it would kill some AP and Honors classes at some sites. We (parents) were distressed that we would not be able to pay to have our child bused to school. Librarians, music, special education, textbook adoption, custodial services, and the list goes on and on. All of these proposed budget reductions were proposed to meet a $17 million deficit by the 2011-2012 school year. And then there was the news that $17 million was not enough. Actually, the number was more like $35.5 million."


--Acalanes Union High School District: "The Governor's current budget proposal creates a $4.8 million revenue shortfall for the district in 2010-2011," says the staff report for the district's Wednesday night meeting. That means the district is looking at laying of 58 teachers, counselors, librarians, as well as the principal for the alternative high school, Del Oro. That's because the district is also looking at closing Del Oro at the end of this school year.

"Unfortunately due to its small enrollment and standard maintenance requirements, Del Oro High School is costly to operate. Staff conservatively views this site as requiring a minimum of $650,000 to operate annually. Six full-time equivalent positions would be eliminated from service with this proposed action. Del Oro High School has provided a valuable educational option to AUHSD students. Its recognition as a Model Continuation High School exemplifies the successes of students and staff. Due to a drastic need to reduce district expenses, unpleasant alternatives must be considered and acted upon."

Back to what the writer posted on the Mt. Diablo Education Association blog: "Bottom line is that people are scared. People are overwhelmed. ... Given all the added stress resulting from last year's cuts and the uncertainty of the future, we need to be one another's strongest support."