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At this time of year we are all wondering: Where has the year gone? Take a look at some of the news covered by the Danville and San Ramon Express in 2011 and you will see that the last 12 months were full of newsworthy events.
From little Brandon Lin born 7 minutes after midnight on Jan. 1 to the revelries and nostalgic get-togethers Saturday night, 2011 has been a full year, with events that were fun, interesting and significant to our valley.
January
* Brandon Lin, son of Su-Lyn and Peter Lin of San Ramon, is the first baby born in 2011 at ValleyCare Medical Center Saturday morning, arriving at 7 minutes after midnight.
* Trial begins for Ernie Scherer III in the double slayings of his parents, Ernie Scherer Jr., 60, and Charlene Abendroth, 57.
* The Pleasanton Weekly, the Express’ sister publication, is named the winner of this year’s “Business Philanthropy Award” by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce.
* Danville resident Maj. Evan J. Mooldyk is killed in a non-combat related incident in Khowst province, Afghanistan on Jan. 12.
* Cal High grad Enrique De La Campa is arrested for attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a male guest at his ex-girlfriend’s home on Feb. 10. De La Campa fled on foot before being caught by police on Interstate 680.
* The founder of Tri-Valley University, Susan Xiao-Ping Su, who owns two homes in Pleasanton, is charged with money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud.
February
* West Pleasanton/Dublin BART station opens with great fanfare on a rainy Saturday.
* Former Cub Scout leader and Danville resident Michael Vawter is sentenced to four years and three months in prison for possessing child pornography videos.
* East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) holds informational meeting in Pleasanton about changes recommended for Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreational Area, including eliminating the waterslides.
* City Council OKs land use changes in Hacienda Business Park that will allow for construction of a high density, 840-unit housing project with half the units to serve those with low-to-moderate incomes.
* Borders announces bankruptcy and the closure of its San Ramon and Pleasanton stores.
* Union marks one-year anniversary of Castlewood Country Club locked out workers with a protest march that halts cars for half a mile.
March
* City Council ratifies EBRPD Master Plan to run the Iron Horse Trial through Hacienda Business Park, closing the missing gap in the 28-mile trail that mainly follows the old Southern Pacific Railway right of way.
* The Danville Planning and Heritage Resource commissions approve final development plans for the Danville Hotel project. Redevelopment plans include 5,700 square feet of restaurant space, 9,515 square feet of retail and 19,370 square feet for 16 to 18 residential units.
* Pleasanton Weekly disburses $147,000 raised in its 2010 Holiday Fund campaign to five nonprofit organizations.
* Jury receives its final instructions in the murder trial of Ernie Scherer III, then takes less than 11 hours to find Scherer guilty on two charges of murder for financial gain. He is later sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences.
* A man robbed the Chase bank at 661 San Ramon Valley Blvd. on March 7 and escaped with $20,000.
* Army Specialist Jameson Lindskog, 23, of Pleasanton is killed in an apparent roadside bomb explosion near Kabul, Afghanistan.
April
* Stephen Tanabe, a former sheriff’s deputy, pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy in a “dirty DUI” case that had at least five men arrested in Danville. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of accepting a bribe and three counts involving an assault weapon.
* The U.S. Army Reserve and SunCal sign a property exchange agreement to allow new military facilities at Camp Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in exchange for 180 acres to be developed into a Dublin master-planned community.
* Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton offers lodgings for some of 10 mixed breed dogs removed from a home of animal hoarders in the Sacramento area and helps with their removal.
* La Ultima, the New Mexican restaurant which has occupied a prime Hartz Avenue locale for 32 years, officially shut its doors on Saturday, April 30.
* Christopher Michael Carroll, 36, the Manteca man who sped up to 100 mph on the freeway with his wife on the hood and finally stopped in Pleasanton, is found mentally competent to stand trial.
* California High grad Jacqueline Crinnion is the first San Ramon Valley resident to win Cosplay Girl of the Year. A form of performance art, Crinnion creates her own costumes based on comic book and cartoon characters.
* Pleasanton Weekly is recognized by the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA), winning second place in the Public Service category among all state weekly newspapers in its circulation category for its 2010 Holiday Fund campaign and the series of stories that supported it.
May
* San Ramon Valley High sophomore Allison Bayliss is believed to have jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge on May 23. Vigil and community search efforts were held for the 15-year-old.
* Ernest Scherer III is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole with special circumstances for financial gain for the murder of his parents, Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Charlene Abendroth, 57, in their Castlewood home in March 2008.
* Christopher Michael Carroll, 36, will spend the next five years in state prison after admitting guilt in a negotiated plea deal to domestic violence Feb. 25 that led to his wild drive on the freeway with his wife on the hood.
* The Pleasanton Weekly uncovers a door-to-door solicitation scandal. Mr. Mom, a charity claiming to help children who have aged out of foster care, aroused suspicion with its questionable fundraising tactics and lack of proper nonprofit documentation.
* A missing teen from Danville crashes into a parked truck in Brisbane, killing the truck driver. Theodore Liang, 18, was reported missing from his home at approximately 6:30 a.m. on May 10 and may have been suicidal.
* The Board of Supervisors cuts $4.7 million from the county budget, including 42 positions from the probation department, 28 from the sheriff’s office and 12 from the district attorney’s office.
June
* Central Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team Cmdr. Norman Wielsch, former private investigator and Antioch police Officer Christopher Butler, former Danville police Officer Stephen Tanabe and Louis Lombardi, a San Ramon Police Officer on leave, are charged with conspiracy and the sale and possession of marijuana, methamphetamine and steroids as well as possession of assault weapons, embezzlement, receipt of stolen property and bribery. The group pleaded not guilty to all charges
* Alameda County Fair, a Pleasanton tradition since 1912, opens June 22 to run through July 10 with plans to grill a 777-pound hamburger, the largest ever.
* Twenty-three people protesting the ongoing lockout of Castlewood Country Club are arrested for blocking Castlewood Drive in what organizers describe as an act of civil disobedience.
* Alameda County Supervisors vote to proceed with boundary changes that would place Pleasanton in District 4, which is represented by Supervisor Nate Miley, rather than Scott Haggerty’s District 1.
* Blackhawk creator Kenneth Behring is honored at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History with a larger than life-sized bust on the museum’s second floor.
* While on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) answers questions about the 10th district, which runs from Dixon to Livermore, and simultaneously denies requests to see pictures of Osama Bin Laden’s corpse while being called Gary.
* Alamo’s Measure F passes, raising the spending appropriations limit in Alamo to $1.65 million through the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
July
* East Bay Regional Park District police recover about $1 million worth of marijuana plants growing in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness with an elaborate irrigation system tapping the park’s water supply.
* Alameda County Fair breaks attendance records with a total of 452,746 fairgoers, up 8 percent over last year, and well above the previous record of 434,919 in 2009.
* Danville Town Council unanimously approves development plans for Davidon Homes, which rezoned a 15-acre site at 333 Hill Road for 22 single-family homes as well as a new vehicular connection between Blemer Road and Matadera Way to alleviate congestion between Los Cerros Middle and Green Valley Elementary schools.
* The county zoning administration approves plans of Fire Station 32, a one-story, 9,255 square foot station to replace the existing 3,700 square foot station further south on Stone Valley Rroad in Alamo.
* Scary Larry, the “terror” of the Pleasanton DMV and a local legend, retires after 20 years of driver’s license tests and lore.
* I-GATE opens its business hub in Livermore as part of a regional effort to help entrepreneurs and businesses develop clean energy and efficient transportation systems.
* Monte Vista High grad Kyle Weiss is honored as a Huggable Hero for his work raising money to help build soccer fields for kids in Africa. A co-founder of FUNDaFIELD, Kyle was one of 10 nominees to receive a scholarship.
August
* FBI agents arrest former Contra Costa County drug task force commander Norman Wielsch and former Concord private investigator Christopher Butler on a 17-count federal grand jury indictment alleging the pair engaged in police corruption, extortion, armed robbery and drug sales.
* Valley Humane Society receives $175,000 in donations after announcing it needs $125,000 by the month’s end. Community businesses launch fundraisers to keep open the nonprofit no-kill shelter.
* A masked, gun-wielding man held up Comerica Bank on Crow Canyon Place in San Ramon on Aug. 4. The suspect, a black male, ran toward Interstate 680 before police arrived on scene.
* San Ramon resident David Leon shoots himself in the head during a traffic stop on Aug. 18. The 59-year-old was driving on Port Chicago Highway in Concord when the suicide occurred.
* Steve Carlson, 43, is arrested in Santa Cruz, charged with the murder of 14-year-old Foothill High freshman Tina Faelz in 1984, when he was also a freshman.
* SRVUSD tops 30,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year. Much of the new student population is clustered in the Dougherty Valley.
* The town of Danville, along with several other Bay Area cities, files an appeal against the state’s plan to dismantle redevelopment agencies.
* The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approve the new redistricting plan, which moves San Ramon, Danville and Alamo into District 2 and seperates Camino Tassajara, Blackhawk and Diablo in District 3.
September
* A 10-year anniversary memorial of Sept. 11 attacks is held at the All Wars Memorial in Oak Hill Park.
* On Sept. 29, Resource Officer Jeff Phelps retired his badge after roaming the halls at San Ramon Valley High for the past decade. Phelps was the school’s first resource officer and developed a rapport with students and staff that left a lasting impression on both groups.
* The Danville Town Council unanimously votes to adopt smoking and medical marijuana bans within town limits. The Danville municipal code now bans medical marijuana dispensaries within Danville town limits and prohibits cigarette smoking on all town-owned and maintained recreational facilities.
* A Danville resident and former employee of St. Isidore’s Church pleaded no contest to one count of petty theft in a church embezzlement scandal. Virgilo Lukban, 47, must repay part of the $68,0000 he stole from the church.
* Mt. Diablo State Park police and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office deputies raid marijuana growing operation on Mount Diablo, netting from $3 million-$5 million in plants.
* A mother and daughter are sentenced to lengthy state prison terms for their roles in the murder of a 91-year-old Dublin woman and an attack that almost claimed the life of the elderly woman’s grandson in 2009.
* A Danville teen accused of killing his mother in 2006 was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Andrew Mantas was 16 when he killed his 43-year-old mother, Dimitra Mantas, with a baseball bat.
*Four Kid’s Country facilities are put on three-year probation with the state after accusations of negligence.
* Owners of the El Balazo restaurant chain pleaded guilty to immigration, social security and tax evasion. The San Ramon, Danville and Dublin locations are shut down.
October
* After 10 years of moving from place to place, School of Imagination moves into its new 12,000-square-foot permanent facility in Dublin, which was custom-built by Discovery Homes.
* Five SRVUSD schools debut solar panel projects that will produce approximately 3.3-megawatts of solar capacity and is expected to generate more than two-thirds of each school’s energy needs.
* Former Alamo post office employee Emmanuel Odion Esezobor is convicted of stealing public money and passing counterfeit money orders. A federal jury found that Esezobor stole $13,800 and passed counterfeit bills at the Alamo Post Office on seven different days in February and March 2011.
* Los Cerros Middle School student Sagan Richardson raises $2,000 for local schools during a haunted house at the Grange Hall.
* San Ramon Valley High School’s environmental science teacher Cindy Egan won the Sustainable Contra Costa award for an individual dedicated to the environment. The award was presented at the third annual Sustainable Contra Costa (SCOCO) 2011 Leadership in Sustainability Awards Gala on Oct. 7.
* Contra Costa County begins taking control of state prisoners in compliance with the U.S. Supreme court’s realignment -reduction order.
November
* San Ramon Valley High grad Joshua “Chachi” Corral is killed in Afghanistan on Nov. 18. Five community events, including a candlelit vigil and 100-car funeral procession, were held to honor the memory of the 19-year-old Marine.
* Small business owner Bill Clarkson defeated Carol Rowley in the San Ramon mayoral race. Medical director Phil O’Loane joined the San Ramon City Council, beating former mayor Abram Wilson with 33 percent of the vote.
* District 2 Supervisor Gayle Uilkema announces her plan to retire in January 2013 after more than 30 years of public service.
* San Ramon resident Roma Bhatia, 47, is struck and killed while walking on Interstate 680 south of Bollinger Canyon Road. Police continue to seek leads as to why Bhatia was on the freeway and who killed her.
* Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (D-18th) is charged with grand theft for allegedly leaving Union Square’s Neimann Marcus with $2,445 worth of merchandise.
* A mother and daughter, both Danville residents, are killed in an auto collision on Sycamore Valley Road at Brookside Drive on Nov. 8.
* Danville resident Bob Pack, whose two children were killed by a drugged driver, begins circulating a ballot measure that would tax prescription drugs sold in California. Revenue raised by the measure would support the state electronic prescription-tracking database.
* Danville resident Loretta Hale dies from blunt force injuries after driving her SUV into a ravine on Mt. Diablo.
* A manager at Orchard Supply Hardware in San Ramon is arrested on charges of grand theft and embezzlement. Alfred Chavez, 28, allegedly stole $26,000 worth of goods from the Marketplace store.
* A string of residential burglaries take place on San Ramon’s east side. San Ramon Police received seven such reports between Saturday, Nov. 5 and Wednesday, Nov. 9.
* Residents protest outside Chevron headquarters in San Ramon and at banks along Crow Canyon Road in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street protests and bank transfer day in early November.
December
* A Danville man is arrested on attempted murder charges after trying to attack an employee at a Pleasanton pharmacy. The clerk used martial arts to defend himself.
* Danville installs Candace Andersen as mayor, Newell Arnerich as vice mayor during Community Awards ceremony.
* Evelyn Peinado, an Alamo resident and former volunteer at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church is sentenced to 180 days in jail in connection with an embezzlement scandal at the church.
* More cuts loom for SRVUSD as midyear state budget cuts will cost the district an extra $13 per student and cut funding for school buses.
* A home in Danville is raided in connection with an illegal marijuana dispensary in Newark. SWAT teams arrested one Danville resident and uncovered 20 pounds of marijuana, an assault rifle and shotgun, as well as $40,000 in cash.
* Danville Police search for a Bay Point man suspected of stealing electronics from Costco on three separate occasions.
