Downtown, roads on minds of Orinda council candidates
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:10:47 GMT

Facing off for the first time, candidates for the Orinda City Council discussed issues ranging from the downtown plan to roads to the fire district.

Three Orinda school board newcomers will face chance of new cuts
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:18:24 GMT

No matter how things shake out Nov. 2, the Orinda Union School District will have a bevy of new faces on its governing board.

Curtain Calls: CCMT stages energy-filled, edgy 'Rent'
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:44:57 GMT

Electrifying energy, wonderful voices, and sexy choreography describe Contra Costa Musical Theatre's production of "Rent," running through Sept.

Center serves families in crisis
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:30:25 GMT

Nalley Marques and Casey Garcia grew up volunteering and each received a $1,000 George Miller Youth Scholarship award at the Monument Crisis Center's seventh anniversary celebration.

Berkeley Police Ask for Public's Help Finding Good Samaritan Who Mailed 2006 Stabbing Victim's Wallet Back
Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:21:14 GMT

Four years ago, Hamed Mirabdal endured a violent attack that left him permanently injured.

Federal spending rises a record 16%
Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:52:31 GMT

Federal stimulus money helped fund construction projects such as the Caldecott Tunnel in Orinda, Calif.

Berkeley police searching for person who sent wallet to crime victim
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:18:29 GMT

Earlier this summer, the mother of a 23-year-old man who was stabbed more than 25 times and robbed in North Berkeley four years ago received his wallet in the mail at their Orinda home.

Orinda man celebrates birthday in unusual way
Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:25:35 GMT

But, as friends and even his wife admit, Steve Meagher is not like most people. "Steve's always been a little on the nut side," said Ralph Gowen, one of about two dozen friends and family waiting for Meagher at the summit Sunday.

Your Turn: Closing pension loopholes
Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:59:14 GMT

A Moraga Orinda Fire District Chief legally spiked his pension by selling back years of accumulated vacation days, jumping his final compensation from $185,000 to a whopping $241,000. A chief of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District increased his annual pension from $193,000 to $284,000, in part by cashing out unused administrative leave ...

California and the City of San Jose Want to Solve Their Economic Woes by Legalizing Pot
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:34:06 GMT

ORINDA, Calif. - With the U.S. suffering a severe recession and California in total economic crisis mode, jurisdictions at all levels are looking for ways to make a few extra bucks without raising taxes.

Curtain Calls: An intimate, and eerie, CalShakes offering
Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:21:35 GMT

So much to choose from as summer comes to a close and theater companies ramp up for fall.

Will San Jose and Other Bay Area Cities Drown in Public Employee Compensation?
Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:16:58 GMT

ORINDA, Calif. 8/25/2010 - While the U.S. wallows in financial doldrums, California is more like the Titanic, ruptured and slowly sinking in icy seas.

Major-injury crash slows Highway 24 in Orinda
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:10:18 GMT

A solo-vehicle crash slowed eastbound traffic outside the Caldecott Tunnel after the driver was briefly trapped in the wreckage, the California Highway Patrol said.

Theater review: Riveting update of 'Macbeth'
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:01:17 GMT

Jud Williford appears as Macbeth and Stacy Ross as Lady Macbeth in the California Shakespeare Theater's modern look at a Bard classic.

The Queen of the Road: Legal to talk on a hand-held cell phone on a bike?
Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:23:55 GMT

I have seen this same incident twice in almost the same situation. Do the same laws go for a bike rider using a cell phone as a person driving a car? Stan Klosinski, Concord QUEEN: You raise an interesting point, Stan; other readers have asked about this too.

Top Tickets: August 20-29
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:46:19 GMT

It's the week of street festivals and theater productions, with three incredible Oakland events celebrating music, food, and culture, and three stage favorites: Macbeth, Rent, and Dreamgirls.

Arts Notes, Lamorinda Sun and Walnut Creek Journal, Aug. 20
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:30:23 GMT

The Moraga Art Gallery will present a new group show, "Favorites," featuring John Diestler's photographs and Nancy Slack's fused glass pieces.

Cell phone crackdown nets hundreds of driver citations in Contra Costa
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:26:04 GMT

Contra Costa law enforcement agencies issued more than 300 citations to motorists caught violating the hands-free driving law -- including one who was caught twice within three hours -- during a two-day crackdown, the California Highway Patrol said.

Valley Stitchers use textiles to create fresh art pieces
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:52:15 GMT

Sardines made out of fabric? That was Jan Muto's fiber arts challenge years ago when, as a member of the Valley Stitchers Guild, she and fellow members where tasked with creating unique projects using a variety of textiles.

Reducing Waste: Schools, and their recycling programs, in session
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:47:38 GMT

Where does the time go? Summer is almost over and it's time for the kids to go back to school.