Theater fight splits Livermore council
( 04/18/2002 03:01 AM PDT)
[San Ramon Valley Times]

"THE SHIFT OF POLITICAL POWER in Livermore, as in San Ramon, is making for some entertaining City Council debates.

Despite getting a public tongue-lashing at last week's council meeting, Livermore Mayor Marshall Kamena, part of a newly elected council majority, isn't backing down from questioning the motivation of the two council members who'd voted against proceeding with land-purchase negotiations for a downtown performing arts center.

"I just think the truth hurts sometimes," Kamena said this week, after council members Tom Vargas and Lorraine Dietrich chided him at the April 8 meeting for his televised comments about their opposing votes on the matter.

Vargas and Dietrich said Kamena was well aware they had voted March 25 against proceeding now with discussions on a land purchase because of concerns about the legal process, not because they're opposed to the 1,500-seat theater at South Livermore Avenue and Second Street...."

8:02:36 AM     

Bypass stretch to open
( STAFF REPORT, 04/18/2002 03:01 AM PDT)
[Daily Ledger]

"...After a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Friday, the long-awaited central part of the 9.3-mile-long bypass will open to through traffic for the first time.

The middle third of the bypass cost the Bypass Authority $22 million to build. Construction will start on Segment 1 from Highway 4 to Lone Tree Way in 2004. Roadwork is also due to start on the southernmost portion to Vasco Road in 2004, depending on funding...."

>>>What the brief article fails to mention is that the $22 million was raised, primarily, by fees of $5,000 per house from new homebuyers...collected since the mid-'90s.

7:54:07 AM