Piedmont Exedra - Piedmont news now

Piedmont Exedra (https://piedmontexedra.com/)

Rain or shine: DBFL’s monthly Bag Sale is Saturday, Dec. 27

From 10 am to noon at the Harrison Street location; shop early for the best selection
The Blotter | Tools stolen from vehicle on Farragut

Three suspects reportedly took part
Survey shows overwhelming support for renewal of school parcel tax

School Board to vote on a resolution in January to renew Measure G and put it on the June ballot.
Support local, independent nonprofit journalism with a donation today

Thank you to those who have already contributed. If you haven't yet donated, there's no time like the present.

AROUND TOWN

Local garden club hosts “Living With Wildfire” community meeting on Jan. 21
Noted photojournalist and dry garden expert Saxon Holt and Fire Chief Dave Brannigan discuss fire-wise landscaping and share tips for safer, more resilient outdoor spaces.
Heavy rain, high winds, outages, flash floods — Bay Area could see it all this holiday week
Santa and his reindeer will be fastening their seatbelts.
Over the river, through the woods… Bay Area airports, roads to be full of holiday travelers
AAA says that the worst time to travel is between noon and 8 p.m. while the best time is before 10 a.m.
‘Her legacy lives on’: Betty Reid Soskin, once the nation’s oldest park ranger, dies at 104
Soskin was a Bay Area icon and a voice of the Black American experience during WWII.
For Georgia Sprague, path to event planning business began at Beach
Daughter of a longtime Beach Elementary School teacher loved helping her mom set up the classroom every year.
Local with Lisa | Magnolia Music School on Grand Avenue
[SPONSORED VIDEO] Meet Kat White, the founder of this remarkable organization created with intention, creativity and care.
Photos | Donuts & Dreidels
A dancing dreidel, jelly donuts, crafts and more drew families to the center of town to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah.
Cancer League’s Holly Ball shines in ‘Black and White’
An elegant evening raises more than $200,000 for groundbreaking cancer research.
The Dish | Dark Chocolate Espresso Pot de Crème
This smooth, decadent classic, rich with espresso and dark chocolate, is perfect for the holiday season.
5 things I love on College Ave. this holiday season
Piedmonter and small business owner of Market, Jen Rego shares tips for local holiday shopping in the community she loves.

CITY NEWS

BART construction to slow evening service between Millbrae, SFO through 2026
If you use BART to get to and from the airport, check timetables for delays.
Police Department lobby re-opens Dec. 22
The re-opening follows the completion of the city's new 911 dispatch center project.
The Blotter | Home possibly burgled on Alta Avenue
Plus: Catalytic converter theft on Pala Ave.
Piedmont’s new fire code is a start. Now it’s time to act.
Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan calls on residents to harden their homes against wildfire
Survey: Help inform swim lesson options at the new community pool
Your input needed as aquatics staff prepare for future operations and aquatics programming.
Faster, cheaper homes: Alameda County taps Oakland firm to advance SHIFT housing pilot
The company, with its “strong design approach,” has a track record of housing development on small, irregular, or undervalued parcels.
Share what you love about Piedmont’s parks and inform a long-term stewardship plan
Community members are invited to share priorities in an online survey.
December Cop on the Block
Chat with a member of the Piedmont Police Department.
Letter to the Editor | Ending Piedmont Play School lease is a breach of community trust
PPS designer Mark Becker and wife Tami urge the city to reconsider their decision.
New Planning & Building permit fees take effect Jan. 1
With some exceptions, permit fees will increase to better reflect actual staff time spent on that type of permit, the city says.
‘Above and beyond’ | City Council affirms its commitment to wildfire mitigation measures at Monday meeting
City updates fire codes for new construction and major renovations.

SCHOOLS

California students with disabilities face ‘terrifying’ special ed cuts after Trump changes
All children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities – in California, nearly 1 million – receive at least some services through Medicaid.
California schools will have to do more to prevent sex abuse under new law
Senate Bill 848 goes into effect Jan.
Letter to the Editor | Kindergarten class inspires with 100% Giving Campaign participation
Co-chair Catie Osborn gives a shout-out to families in Ms. Mayer's K class at Havens.
Survey shows overwhelming support for renewal of school parcel tax
School Board to vote on a resolution in January to renew Measure G and put it on the June ballot.
Piedmont Adult School offers Salsa dance classes this spring
Classes for beginner and intermediate dancers will be taught by Carmela Zavaleta, an experienced Bay Area dance instructor.
Learn about Modern Art at Piedmont Adult School
Dive into Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, and more -- with artist and professor Robert Simons.
Registration now open for Piedmont Adult School Spring 2026 Session
The session starts January 12 and runs through May 30.

CALIFORNIA

Power fully restored in San Francisco days after PG&E substation fire
The outage over a busy holiday weekend affected 130,000 customers.
SF supe calls for hearing on Waymo’s stalled cars ‘making matters worse’ during outage
There were reports on social media throughout the weekend of driverless cars stuck at intersections, their lights blinking, seemingly confused by downed traffic signals.
Caltrans to revise Highway 101 HOV hours after commuter backlash in Marin, Sonoma
Expanded HOV hours introduced in September led to longer commute times, officials said.
California’s minimum wage is increasing in 2026 as Los Angeles debates $30 an hour
Californians will see the minimum wage increase to $16.90 per hour starting Jan.
CARE Court was created to help California’s toughest homeless cases. Why that’s been so hard
More than two years after the program first launched, most people starting the CARE Court process aren’t homeless, and those who are homeless aren’t always getting what they need most: housing.
Judge weighs arguments over whether new antisemitism law treads on teachers’ rights
AB 715, set to go into effect Jan.
Oakland to enforce Sunday parking meters in move that could generate extra $1.6M a year
Sunday metering is a benefit to retail shops because it encourages parking turnover and customer traffic.
Oakland City Council votes to expand police camera network amid sharp privacy debate
Footage and data gathered from the various cameras will then be consolidated into an online database managed by Flock Safety.
Rob Reiner was more than a Hollywood legend. He helped shape California politics
Reiner, a longtime Democratic activist, donor and fundraiser, played a critical role in the legalization of same-sex marriage in California, and he was a driving force behind California’s signature early-childhood development program, First 5.
More adults return to college in California as inflation and job fears rise
Community colleges see enrollment rise for some job-ready programs.
Public comment opens on Marin County’s largest housing development project in years
Plans for the Strawberry site include a new senior residential care facility with up to 100 independent living units and 50 assisted living and memory-care apartments, along with 337 single- and multi-family homes.
Marin planners order deeper environmental review for contested Lucas Valley housing
Developer says county is violating state housing law.
Republicans ask federal court to overturn California’s new Prop. 50 maps
But the Prop 50 opponents’ odds look slim, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority recently blessed Texas’s new maps.
BART fares to rise 6.2% in 2026 as ridership continues to rebound, budget gap persists
Parking prices will also change on Jan.
Bay Area transit agencies roll out next-gen Clipper cards for smoother, cheaper rides
Travelers will be able to use bank cards, whether physical or on their mobile devices, without the need for a Clipper Card.