Lamorinda CERT’s Duncan Seibert is honored, new personnel announced
Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) announced at its June meeting that longtime Program Manager Duncan Seibert, who has served in that position for 16 years, has…
Civic
Orinda Car Show turns focus on Porsche through the decades
The 22nd annual Orinda Classic Car Show will be held on Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Orinda Classic Car Center at 61 Orinda Way in Orinda Village. Admission is…
Orinda recognizes wildfire threat, takes steps to mitigate
Recently Orinda has continued its efforts to try to improve wildfire safety in the city by renewing its contract with Ladris – a disaster evacuation modeling platform for…
Orinda bids goodbye to Sheri Smith, welcomes new City Clerk
Sheri Smith, who came to Orinda as Sheri Spediacci in September 2016, is retiring after 10 years of service as City Clerk. City Manager Linda Smith has announced the appointment…
Moraga Candidates Night on Oct. 6
Moraga Citizens Network, a nonprofit organization in Moraga dedicated to encouraging civic, recreational, and community engagements, will be hosting a Moraga Candidates Night on…
Moraga Historical Society sponsors Antiques Roadshow-type event with Michaan’s Auctions
The Moraga Historical Society encouraged the public to clean out their closets, attics, and garages in order to “find out if a family heirloom has monetary value in addition to…
Zenbrosbreaks opens trading card shop in Moraga
A unique store has opened in Moraga’s Rheem Valley Shopping Center. Brothers Ben and Matt Scheve have seen their childhood dreams become a reality with Zenbrosbreaks, a new…
Lafayette Art & Wine Festival returns, Sept. 19-20
One of the largest annual festivals in Contra Costa County – The Lafayette Art & Wine Festival – will return to downtown Lafayette on Saturday, Sept. 19 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)…
Reasonable Books & former Lafayette Book Store unite over ‘The Speed of Light’
Dave Simpson, the owner of the former Lafayette Book Store, was so confident his patrons would love Elizabeth Rosner’s “The Speed of Light” as much as he did that he offered…
City Council appoints two incumbents, one new member in lieu of election
The Lafayette City Council decided how to fill their three open seats, two seats for four-year terms and one seat for a two-year term, during a special meeting on Aug. 20. The…
Keeping the lights on at Town Hall Theatre
With rising costs of groceries, rent, gas and just about everything, it’s harder for patrons to plan an evening out and for spaces like theatres to provide the opportunities…
Candidates and Measures for November election finalized
With the closure of filing for the November General Election, the candidates and measures that will be on the ballot are coming into focus. The races specific to Lamorinda include…
Wildfire inspections and other preparations heat up in Lamorinda
For the past few months, Moraga and Orinda residents whose property did not comply with fire codes were sent pre-citation notification mailings emblazoned with the words “Notice…
Moraga acquires two more pieces of art located off of St. Mary’s Road
The Town of Moraga is fast becoming an outdoor art gallery thanks to the efforts of the Art in Public Spaces Committee (APSC). Two new installations are gracing the town along St.…
Lamorinda councils hear about transportation projects, local legislation during annual tri-city meeting
Members of the Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda city and town councils heard updates on current and pending legislation, as well as on proposed transportation projects and funding…
OPD officer steps into newly created position for community benefit
The position of “Day Officer” has been filled by Chanel Taliaferro, who started working for the Orinda Police Department two years ago. The new position was created by Orinda…
OIS student Aiden Meng recognized for spelling bee performance
Aiden Meng, a seventh-grade student at Orinda Intermediate School, was celebrated at the Orinda City Council meeting on July 21 for his accomplishment of tying for sixth place at…
Orinda enjoys a grand National Night Out in the park
Orinda kicked National Night Out up a notch this year. In the week preceding the annual event, the Orinda Police Department decided to build some interest in the competition with…
Town Council approves Technical Disruption Policy
The State of California’s Senate Bill 707 required that “all legislative bodies” offer remote public access for Town Council meetings effective on or before July 1, 2026.…
Historical interpretive banners liven up the bandshell in Moraga Commons Park
A new decorative feature to Moraga Commons Park is an installation of five historical interpretative banners hanging against some prominent columns of the bandshell. The display…
Hacienda’s La Sala building headed for demolition
Moraga’s Hacienda de las Flores, which can be seen through a grove of trees from Moraga Road, was built in 1916. The La Sala building, a later addition to the property, was…
Last ride for Hank & Frank Bicycles after more than a century
More than 100 years after Hank & Frank Bicycles first rolled onto the scene along East 14th Street in Oakland, its legacy of serving the East Bay riding community in downtown…
Stanley Middle School welcomes Ann Kim back as principal
Ann Kim first joined Stanley Middle School in 2006 as a special education teacher. She spent three years in that role, before becoming an elementary school reading specialist, a…
Terraces tensions resurface during City Council parcel consolidation hearing
At a public hearing during the June 22 Lafayette City Council meeting, city planners and the attorney for O’Brien Land Company stated their case for the consolidation of 10…
Saint Mary’s College placed on accreditation warning
The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) sent a letter on July 9 to Saint Mary’s College President Roger Thompson, issuing a warning that the school’s…
Lafayette Reservoir tower lowered as part of earthquake retrofit work
After years of planning and objections from Lafayette residents at public meetings, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has begun the retrofitting of the tower in the…
Hours of talking, but no new action on senior housing development's preschool impact
With work scheduled to begin this summer, The Orinda Pre-School (TOPS) has been raising concerns about the construction of the Vista Verde senior housing development. …
Nomination period opens for local office elections
This month residents will have the opportunity to put themselves forward for positions on local town and city councils, elementary school boards, the Acalanes Union High School…
Orinda to help businesses spruce up exteriors
Last month the Orinda City Council voted to provide money to local businesses to help them update their façades. The program will provide up to $10,000 for projects costing under…
Remembering the first female Moraga mayor: Sue McNulty Rainey
In what became a milestone in Moraga, Sue McNulty Rainey was elected to the Town Council in 1974 – the same year that the Town was incorporated. Not only was she the lone…
Parks and Rec updates Town Council on Open Space community engagement
For the past year, Moraga's Parks and Recreation Department has held several community engagement pop-ups to determine what direction residents would like to see its parks take…
Park Theater construction moves forward
The Park Theater renovation is in full swing and work continues on the foundation, including formwork for foundations installed, rebar, and concrete pour as well as demolition of…
Crossing Guard Controversy
When 11-year-old Kai walks to school from Second Street, which is densely populated with renters, she carefully crosses Mt. Diablo Boulevard on her own, before later crossing a…
New Oak Hill condo development breaks ground
City of Lafayette dignitaries joined Diamond Construction on June 25 to break ground on Oak Hill, an 85-residence luxury condominium community at 1001 Oak Hill Road in the heart…
Lafayette and Housing Action Coalition Settle Lawsuit over Housing Element Laws
The City of Lafayette has reached a settlement of a lawsuit brought by Housing Action Coalition (“HAC”), which alleged that the City’s Housing Element failed to comply with…
Notable improvements to Rheem Valley Shopping Center
The scaffolding has come down, and anyone visiting the Rheem Valley Shopping Center recently has noticed the visible improvements to the buildings’ façades. Repairs have been…
Orinda celebrates USA’s 250th anniversary with parade and festivities
On a moderate, sunny morning, The Orinda Association, with the help of many sponsors, threw a giant Fourth of July party to mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of…
Street Rehabilitation Construction Project to affect several of Moraga’s main roads
The Moraga Town Council passed a measure approving the 2025 and 2026 Street Rehabilitation Project (CIP 25-401, CIP 26-401) during its May 27 meeting. In doing so, a…
MOFD Demonstration Garden work begins
Work has begun on a demonstration garden at Moraga-Orinda Fire District Station 42 on Moraga Road across from the Rheem Shopping Center. Upon completion, the garden, a joint…
Board of Supervisors appoints Aaron McAlister to lead Con Fire
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on May 12 appointed Aaron McAlister as Fire Chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire), which covers…