The City of Dublin had a number of exciting Santa Claus sightings during December! On Thursday, December 1st, I donned a Santa hat to serve as master of ceremonies at the City’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The event featured musical performances by the Wells Middle School Jazz Combo and the 145 member Dublin Unified Elementary School Choir, which represented each of Dublin’s elementary schools. As the concert came to a close, Santa himself appeared to the delight of the nearly 600 guests who came to enjoy the concert and the cookie and hot chocolate reception that followed.

Later that week, on Saturday, December 3, an old-fashioned St. Nick arrived in the ‘jingle bell wagon’ pulled by the vintage Kolb tractor at the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums. The day’s festivities began with The Holiday Tea which was held in the “Little Classroom” of the Murray Schoolhouse. Now in its third year, the popular Holiday Tea was sold-out well in advance. Guests enjoyed traditional tea fare in the cozy room complete with crackling fireplace and portraits of Dublin’s founders. The Tea was followed by the Holiday Winter Market, an event that welcomed over 600 visitors to celebrate the season. Children visited with St. Nick in St. Raymond Church while parents snapped holiday photos. Outside, children enjoyed playing in faux snow, listened to Victorian costumed carolers and made ornaments for wildlife which were hung on a redwood tree in the park. Inside the Sunday School Barn visitors made a variety of old-fashioned decorations including orange pomanders, and popcorn and cranberry garland. An assortment of holiday vendors sold their wares inside the Hay Barn. Riders on the tractor-pulled wagon were given sleigh bells to jingle as they went around the grounds. The Dublin Lions Club set up an inviting food court in the courtyard of Old St. Raymond church, where they sold hot soup, pretzels, mulled wine, cider and strudel. The park was at its holiday best!

The following week, Santa brought smiles to the 478 people who attended Breakfast
with Santa on Saturday, December 10 at the Shannon Center. The breakfast benefited the Dublin High School Irish Guard Band who served the meal and provided entertainment as well. In addition to a photo opportunity with Santa, guests of all ages enjoyed hot
pancakes with syrup, sausage, juice and fruit prepared with the help of the Band Boosters and the Dublin Lions Club.

The final holiday event of the season was held Sunday, December 11th at the Dublin Senior Center. The
Bay Bells presented “Welcoming the Season,” a holiday hand-bell concert featuring over 100 bells and chimes. While Santa was not in attendance, the sounds of the hand-bells heralded the joy of the holiday season. Approximately 100 attendees of all ages enjoyed the 45-minute concert that has become a popular annual tradition here in Dublin. Clearly the City has been a very nice place to live, work and play with all this attention from Santa!

Tags: Tim's Travels by Tim Sbranti
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I was happy to host the monthly meeting of the Alameda County Mayors Conference on December 14th. The meeting was held at the Dublin Heritage Park and was catered by Johnny Garlic’s, and the other Mayors and City Managers in attendance raved about both.

In addition to conducting our monthly business, a special presentation was given by Valley Christian Pastor Roger Valci on community service. He talked to the other City leaders how the faith community can get involved and play a positive role in helping the community, using the example of the thousands of hours VCC has volunteered within the City helping our local non-profits. Many of the other City leaders were impressed and pledged to create similar partnerships with their own faith communities to help address their needs.

Speaking of the faith community and community service, I’ll be looking to conduct a Pastor’s Summit soon to review the Eastern Alameda County Needs Assessment Study. We’ll be reviewing the report to identify the service gaps and how we can work together to address them. I’ll also be looking to create a Human Services Task Force for the City to address these issues, and am hoping to work with others in the Tri-Valley to create a one-stop center for all of the local service providers to have a space to assist the community.

Tags: Tim's Travels by Tim Sbranti
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It was the end of an era on Thursday, December 22nd as Diane Lowart retired after 26 years as the City of Dublin’s Parks and Community Services Director. Nearly 100 people gathered for a reception honoring Diane, as many speakers (myself included) paid tribute to her tremendous commitment to the City and her remarkable record of accomplishment.

During Diane’s tenure, the City successfully built over a dozen new community and neighborhood parks, including Fallon Sports Park, Emerald Glen Park, and the Dublin Heritage Park. The modernization of all of the City’s existing parks also took place during her time as Director, as she did an excellent job guiding a series of 5-Year Capital Improvement Plans. In addition, Diane oversaw the construction of the brand new Shannon Community Center along with the construction of the Dublin Senior Center and Dublin Library. The City also developed many innovative recreational programs and services and has won numerous statewide awards. Locally, many residents cite the quality of our parks and services as one of their favorite parts about living in Dublin.

Although Diane’s leadership will be missed, one of her other lasting legacies beyond the facilities and programs she left behind was the staff that she effectively trained. I am happy to report that her longtime assistant Paul McCreary has taken over the Department, and we are confident that the same standard of excellence that Diane set will continue for years to come.

Tags: Tim's Travels by Tim Sbranti
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