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MAY 2017 • ALAMO TODAY • PAGE 1
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COUNTY APPROVES LICENSE PLATE READER PRIMAVERA: A FESTIVE CELEBRATION OF ART By Jody Morgan TECHNOLOGY FOR ALAMO
By Sharon Burke
At its April 18 meeting, the County Board of Supervisors approved a request from Sheriff David Livingston to install automatic license plate reader cameras at key intersections in Alamo. The license plate readers (ALPRs) utilize technology that automatically scans and records each vehicle license plate passing by an intersection, notes
Alamo Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS) celebrates 40 years of bringing together local artists of all ages and their patrons with Primavera, one of the Bay Area’s oldest annual art festivals. On Saturday, May 6th and Sunday, May 7th the show is open from 10 am- 5 pm at Danville’s Blackhawk Plaza. Sales from Primavera as ADAS President Megan Parks-Haller, ADAS Founder Beth well as the Black- Batchelor, Blackhawk Gallery Business Manager Tom Lemmer. Photo courtesy of ADAS. hawk Gallery (open seven days a week all year) help provide the resources used by ADAS to fund the Art in the Schools Program. This year ADAS is offering grants to high schools and middle schools within the San Ramon Valley Unified
See Primavera continued on page 28
the time and location, and keeps that information in a database only accessible by law enforcement. For instance, if a stolen car entered Alamo at one of the camera monitored intersections, the Sheriff’s office would know within seconds that criminals were in town. Law enforcement officers throughout the state are able to enter “hot” license plates in the system so that a “hit” on a hot license plate would automatically alert local authorities. License plates involved in Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts (elderly persons at risk) will also be targeted by the system. This project is the brainchild of Lieutenant Jason Haynes, who supervises 20 deputies and five sergeants working out of the Sheriff’s Valley Station located in Alamo Plaza. Lt. Haynes researched and proposed the ALPR program after repeated requests from the Alamo Police Services Advisory Committee (P2B), the Round Hill P5 Advisory Committee, and the Diablo Community Services District Board for additional crime prevention solutions for our area as property crimes and residential burglaries spiked in the 680 corridor the past few years. The ALPR program cost of $278,600 is funded with a creative combination of revenue, as Lt. Haynes put together a coalition of private and taxpayer funding. A total of $50,000 has been allocated from the County Service Area P-2, Zone B funds which are derived from an additional police tax for approximately 3,000 Alamo households and from downtown Alamo businesses. An additional $95,000 was raised from private donations from Alamo
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Local Postal Customer
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA
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NEW ALAMO FIRE STATION OPENS SOON
By Sharon Burke
At the March 7 meeting of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council, San Ramon Valley Fire Chief Paige Meyer stopped by to personally deliver the good news that newly built Fire Station 32, which serves around 75%
The old station on Stone Valley Rd. was built in 1958. Visit page 20 to see progress on the new station.
of the Alamo community, will be ready for service late May. Hampered by the record rainy Volume XVII - Number 5 winter and spring, as were other con3000F Danville Blvd. #117, struction projects in Alamo, the new Alamo, CA 94507 station is still on schedule and below Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 Fax (925) 406-0547 budget. Ground saturation from the rain prevented pouring of the concrete Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher driveways at the station until recently, Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com Sharon Burke ~ Writer but interiors are finished and ready The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do for occupancy. Five firefighters call not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today
See Station cont. on pg. 20
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