Film Fest success
An estimated 1,500 people attended the second annual Danville International Children’s Film Festival held downtown last weekend with 75 films screened from around the world. Awards were given out by festival director Tim Neeley, celebrity guests, and town and festival officials. Jamieson Montgomery of Alamo won Best Young Filmmaker Short for “Crazed Thoughts.” Next year’s festival is scheduled for May 19-21.
Parks district OKs Sycamore open space
The East Bay Regional Parks District unanimously approved plans for the Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve in Danville last week. The preserve, 700 acres located on the valley’s two bordering ridgelines, is expected to open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians sometime this summer.
The approval was expected, but the hearing was notable for its lack of public opposition. Two members of Danville’s Parks and Leisure Services Commission spoke in favor of the preserve, which has been in the works for decades.
At previous meetings, some neighboring homeowners had strongly opposed opening the area to public access, citing traffic, privacy and other concerns. More recently, the district received about 20 mixed public comments to its final land use plan for the preserve on a range of issues, said EBRPD board member Beverly Lane.
Over the past year, the parks district met with concerned residents, which resulted in some modifications to the plan, mainly relocating one entrance and eliminating signs at neighborhood access points. It will not build any developed facilities but will extend existing trails and install gates, signs and trailheads.
Parks officials say local residents will be the primary beneficiaries of the new preserve and they don’t expect safety and traffic problems in area neighborhoods.
Naming new elementary schools
School board members reacted to name suggestions of two future elementary schools in the Dougherty Valley at their May 17 meeting.
Terry Koehne, Community Relations Coordinator, was head of the naming committee. He and fellow committee members deliberated over names and asked for feedback on the district’s Web site. Koehne presented the committee’s first and second choice for both schools at the meeting.
For the new school in the Gale Ranch development, which is scheduled to open in August 2006, the first choice was Monarch Grove Elementary and the second choice was Quail Run Elementary.
For the new school in the Windemere development, which is scheduled to open in August 2007, the first choice was Sherwood Elementary and the second choice was Windmill Canyon Elementary.
Superintendent Robert Kessler was forthright in his opinion of the names. He thought Quail Run was effective for the elementary school at Gale Ranch but felt the committee should go back to the drawing board for the Windemere elementary school. The school board agreed with Kessler. Suggestions can be submitted at the school district’s Web site, http://www.srvusd.k12.ca.us/.
