In brief: Piedmont opens nomination period for Nov. 5 candidates

PIEDMONT

Piedmont residents interested in running for the City Council or Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education can now pick up nomination documents with the city clerk by appointment as of Monday this week. Piedmont voters will elect candidates Nov. 5 to fill two seats on the City Council and three on the Board of Education.

Councilmember Conna McCarthy and Board of Education members Hilary Cooper and Veronica Anderson Thigpen are eligible to run for a second term while Mayor Jen Cavenaugh and Board of Education member Cory Smegal are termed out.

The nomination process can be complicated and filing deadlines are strict, so interested residents should get started as soon as possible. Below are guidelines for Piedmont citizens interested in running.

• Make an appointment to get your candidate documents: Contact City Clerk Anna Brown at CityClerk@piedmont.ca.gov or 510-420-3040 to schedule an appointment. At your appointment, the City Clerk will walk you through the nomination process, reviewing documents, deadlines and rules. Plan to spend 30 to 60 minutes.

• Review the basics of the process online: Prepare for your appointment by reviewing information about running for office on the city website. This will give you an idea of  what to expect and an opportunity to identify questions you want to ask during your appointment.

• File your nomination documents by Aug. 9. Nomination documents must be filed in-person at the City Clerk’s office. It’s a good idea to file documents early so you have  time to correct any issues.

A list of people who have pulled or filed nomination papers will be available online at piedmont.ca.gov/vote2024. Seats on the City Council and Board of Education are volunteer positions. Find more information online about the November election or running for office at piedmont.ca.gov/elections. Contact the city clerk for any further questions.

— city of Piedmont

OAKLAND

Head-Royce student balances internship, sports, volunteering

Before Oakland’s Micah Nyamuzuwe starts his senior year soon at Head-Royce School near the Oakland hills, he’s making the most of his summer through a prestigious eight-week paid summer internship through the Bank of America’s Student Leaders program.

Micah and four other East Bay and San Francisco teens selected for the internship are working with Junior Achievement of Northern California to help bring financial education to more local youth.

Nyamuzuwe is also captain of Head-Royce’s men’s varsity basketball team, a volunteer for Book Buddies, a program that pairs high schoolers to read books with fourth-graders, and a mentor for the Heads-Up program, made up of first-generation college-bound students of color from Oakland public schools.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Bank of America’s Student Leaders program, which first launched in San Francisco and Oakland in 2004 to provide teens with work skills and career pathways. The program’s capstone is a weeklong leadership summit in Washington, D.C., with 300 other Student Leaders from across the nation.

— Bank of America 

U.S. Rep. Lee tests positive for COVID, delays public events

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, has tested positive for COVID-19. She has postponed all public events until cleared by her doctor. She released the statement below on Tuesday.

“Yesterday, I learned that I have contracted the latest strain of COVID-19. Fortunately, I feel fine and I am in good spirits. I will remain in isolation and follow the direction of my doctor.

“I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and adhere to public health guidelines as we experience this uptick in cases around California and across the country. This should serve as a reminder that our fight against COVID-19 is not over.”

For California’s latest public health guidelines, visit bit.ly/4bPBwl9 online. For the latest guidelines online from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

Lee applauds $15M for East Bay hydrogen fuel cell buses

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, on July 9 issued a statement celebrating the federal Transportation Department’s announcement awarding $15 million in funding for the Alameda County-Contra Costa Transit Zero Emission Bus Implementation Project.

The funds will buy new hydrogen fuel cell buses and initiate a workforce development program to train staff on zero-emissions technologies and improve service and reliability while also improving air quality.

In April of this year, Lee joined with her Bay Area colleagues, Democratic U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell, John Garamendi and Ro Khanna in a letter supporting AC Transit’s application for the grant.

“As the representative to California’s (Congressional) 12th district, I am excited to announce new federal funding to expand the zero-emissions bus program in the East Bay,” Lee said. “AC Transit is a national leader in clean public transportation, and this project will not only improve air quality through zero-emissions technology, but also create good paying jobs in the green energy economy.

“I thank the Department of Transportation and the Biden-Harris administration for their continued commitment to a cleaner and healthier environment. East Bay residents deserve safe and reliable public transportation.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also weighed in.

“Today, 117 communities, including the East Bay, are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies across 47 states replace old buses running on dirty, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.”

— U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee’s office

PIEDMONT

Lantern Projects helping residents in Sri Lanka, elsewhere

Recent contributions to Lantern Projects in May and June provided numerous items to those in need in the developing world, including medical supplies, school uniforms, playground equipment, food, dance costumes, school supplies, toilets, water wells, hospital supplies, drinking water, clothing, blankets, oxygen tank and more.

All of the funds received go to the projects, and every donation really helps. Current Lantern Projects (identified by number) include food in Sri Lanka (#498), supplies for refugee camps in Greece (#499), a water tank and supplies in Kenya (#500) and chairs, tables and arts and crafts supplies in Cambodia (#501).

Tax-deductible donations can be sent via check in any amount, identifying the project number and payable to Lantern Projects, to 51 Glen Alpine Road, Piedmont, CA 94611-3522 (include your name and email address). To donate via credit card, lanternprojects.org online.

— Lantern Projects

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