The Weekly Roundup, May 18, 2023

Friday, May 12, 2023 | What's Doing in Lafayette?

Celebrating the End of Another School Year

The Acalanes Senior Car Rally has become a new tradition and this year's rally takes place downtown this afternoon. Starting at 5 p.m., families with graduates will drive along Mt. Diablo Blvd. from Oakwood down to McDonalds and back again. Note: This is not parade on closed streets - the rally travels with the flow of normal traffic.

The last day of school for students in the Lafayette School District is Thursday, May 25. For high schoolers, the last day of school for the Acalanes Union High School District is Friday, May 26.

Check Out the Variety of Volunteer Opportunities at Lafayette Community Day

Make a difference in Lafayette! Join us as a volunteer at the second annual Lafayette Community Day on June 3. You can choose to help with creek restoration (three locations!), weeding, gardening, picking up litter, painting, assembling donated items for unhoused community members, cleaning (indoor and exterior options), and helping with the lunch for all volunteers. There's something for everyone! Volunteers aged 12 to 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Read more and register at lafayettecommunityday.org.

Thanks to Everyone Who Took Actions as Part of the Lamorinda Zero Waste Challenge!

The Lamorinda Zero Waste Challenge ended this week. 131 participants took actions to save CO2 and overall, Lamorinda earned 186,940 points. Since each point represents one pound of CO2 reduced (or 1 gallon of water saved), that means Lamorinda saved 186,940 pounds of CO2!

In terms of the friendly competition:

• Moraga earned the most points overall during the Challenge (99,880 points)
• Orinda came in second
• Lafayette had the largest % point growth during the challenge (17% increase)

Although the Lamorinda Challenge has ended, the countywide Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge is ongoing. Sign up to receive step-by-step actions and resources to reduce our carbon footprint in five priority areas. Join your neighbors in taking action to save water, energy, and money together. It is easy to get started: Create a free profile for your household on the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge website.

Know someone who has done great work in sustainability in our community? You can nominate them for a "Sustainable Hero Award" from Sustainable Contra Costa before July 1.

Springtime Weed Abatement Deadline is Sunday, June 4

As fire season grows near, property owners are responsible for managing their vegetation to create defensible space to meet Contra Costa County Fire Protection District's minimum standards for weed abatement. Read more about your weed abatement responsibilities on Con Fire's website. Also, please note the deadline for Lafayette is June 4 - Sorry for the typo in a previous issue that said June 5.

City Meetings & Events

City Council Meeting on Monday Night: The City Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. with several presentations:

• Annual Update from the Design Review Commission
• Annual Update from the Planning Commission
• Mount Diablo Education Center at Mitchell Canyon

Other items for consideration include:

• Burton Valley Elementary Traffic Calming Pilot Project Final Recommendations
• Recognizing June 19th (Juneteenth) as a City Holiday

See the full agenda for staff reports as well as information about how to participate in or watch the meeting. Meeting information is also available at www.lovelafayette.org/calendar

This week's top meetings: You can sign up for meeting notices. To view all of next week's public meetings and their locations, please visit our calendar. Other top meetings this week include:

Design Review Commission at 7 p.m. on May 22

Crime Prevention Commission at 6 p.m. on May 23

Senior Services Commission at 3:30 p.m. on May 25

Community News & Events

Lafayette Rotary Club's 28th Annual Concert at the Res This Sunday: Enjoy live music from amazing local bands and musicians - participating bands this year will be Acalanes High School, Stanley Middle School, The Rossmoor Big Band, Edna Brewer Middle School, and Roosevelt Middle School. 100% of the net proceeds from this event to support the music programs at these schools!

This year's concert will honor Lafayette Rotarian Dick Holt, one of the founding organizers of this event and featuring his favorite musician, George Gershwin.

The Lafayette Rotary Club will be selling food and raffle tickets to raise funds for the local school music programs in Lamorinda and Oakland. If you can't make it out to the Res, you can still buy raffle tickets online at rotarylafayette.org/product/raffle-tickets/ Or, donate online at e.givesmart.com/events/uZh/. More information at www.rotarylafayette.org or Facebook event page

Edith Piaf:Beyond Paris Skies at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday Night: SonoMusette, featuring native Parisian singer Mimi Pirard, transports us back to mid-1900s Paris through the evocative songs of Edith Piaf. This is the Paris that still lives for many of us in our memories… and in our imaginations. 8 p.m. show. Tickets/More Info: https://www.townhalltheatre.com/beyond-paris-skies

Change to Exhibit in the Lafayette Library Public Art Gallery: At the direction of the artist, the reception previously announced for Monday evening has been cancelled. The exhibit at the library closed early, however, it is still available to see online. For more information about the Public Art Gallery located in the lobby of the Don Tatzin Community Hall, or to see the current show, visit the Public Art Committee webpage.

Sweet Tuesday Presents: John McCormick on May 23: The May "Sweet Thursday" Author Series features author John McCormick on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. in the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library. Mr. McCormick will discuss his book The Chinese in Napa Valley: The Forgotten Community That Built Wine Country. This is a free event, but registration is required at tinyurl.com/sweet-may23. Sweet Thursdays author talks are presented by the Friends of the Lafayette Library & Learning Center. Past recorded Friends events can be viewed here: tinyurl.com/FriendsLLLC-YouTube

"Coffee" with the Mayor on Friday, May 26: The Lafayette Chamber will host "Coffee" with Mayor Carl Anduri at 8 a.m. next Friday via Zoom. Questions can be submitted in advance to [email protected]. Register for Zoom link at https://lafayettechamber.org/coffee.

Lafayette Hillside Memorial Annual Memorial Day Vigil: This event on Monday, May 29 starts at 5:30 p.m. and is open to all. There will be music, poetry, and remarks by selected area representatives. For more information visit www.lafayettehillsidememorial.org

Help Fund the Community Foundation's 2023 Excellence Grants. Act by June 1 to Double Your Donation: Thanks to a few very generous donors, every dollar you donate to the Community Foundation of Lafayette will be matched dollar for dollar. Learn more about the impact your donation makes on nonprofits helping our community on the Foundation website.

What is your teen planning to do this summer? Check out the Lafayette Library SWELL Center. Starting June 5, the Center is open for students grade 6 to 12.The center offers a space for teens to gather with friends, engage in creative activities and games, or just hang out.

One Book, One BART: BART Launches First Book Club for Riders: Show your BART ticket or Clipper card to receive a 20% discount on Stay True by Hua Hsu at Reasonable Books in Lafayette Station, Orinda Books in Orinda or other participating independent book sellers. The book is a bracing coming-of-age story set in 1990s Berkeley that recently won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Memoir. Discover more BARTable activities and contests by visiting bart.gov/bartable and signing up for their BARTable This Week newsletter.

Reminders & Miscellaneous

2023 Taste of Lafayette a big success: Read more about Tuesday's wonderful event downtown on the Chamber's website, including a link to event photos!

Memorial Day Holiday: City Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, May 29.

Lamorinda School Bus Passes Now Available: You can purchase Lamorinda School Bus Passes online for the upcoming school year. The cost of a round-trip annual bus pass works out to only $5.64/day. Not only is it a convenient way for students to get to school, but it also reduces traffic congestion.

Training and Educational Programs for Business Owners: The Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners - SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Women's Business Centers - continually offer training and educational programs.

California Mortgage Relief Program: Helps homeowners statewide who have fallen behind on their housing payments due to pandemic-related financial hardships. Programs are available to help with mortgage relief, partial claim loan deferral, property taxes and reverse mortgages. Visit CaMortgageRelief.org anytime or call 1-888-840-2594 during office hours.

Summer Recreation Classes and Programs: There are still summertime classes and programs available for all ages. See the schedule at www.lafayetterec.org.

Lafayette Planning Applications and Major Development Projects: Want to know the planning applications that the City's Planning Department is processing? You can visit the Planning Applications Received page for the latest application information. Curious about construction taking place around town? Information on major developments that are underway can be found on the City of Lafayette Major Development Projects website.

Preparedness Tip: Do you know an older family member or neighbor who might need extra help while preparing for disasters? Visit ready.gov/older-adults for tips to help them

• Set up emergency alerts on their phone
• Make sure their go kit includes medicine
• Practice their emergency plan with you

City of Lafayette Notifications: Sign up for meeting agendas and Lafayette's publications here: bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications.

Cultural Observations and Celebrations

The City Council has proclaimed May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month in Lafayette.

Celebrate our diversity by learning more about these upcoming cultural observations and celebrations:

21 World Day for Cultural Diversity

25 Africa Day

25 to 27 Shavuot (Jewish)

29 Memorial Day - City Administrative Offices closed

Photo for the Week

May is National Bike Month. On Thursday, we participated in the Bay Area's annual Bike to Work (or Wherever) Day by hosting an "energizer station" in the morning at Lafayette Plaza. For bike resources, visit www.511cc.org/btwd.

Quote for the Week

Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.

- Nora Ephron

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The Weekly Roundup is prepared for the Lafayette Community, City Council and Staff. If you have thoughts about this week's Roundup, a contribution for a future edition or a photo to be considered for the "Photo of the Week", please email the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst/Public Information Officer, Suzanne Iarla.

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