Get to Know (Y)our New Pleasanton Neighbors!

Get to Know (Y)our New Pleasanton Neighbors!

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Posted on Friday, October 7th, 2011

Seeing that it’s Friday, I thought I’d brighten up the morning with a little non-legal feature on a new neighbor here in the East Bay.

Our Pleasanton office recently changed ownership & is now being managed by US Arts and Design, a professional art institute that also has facilities in Los Angeles.  They’ve recently moved up to Northern California and we couldn’t be happier to get to know them.

The Pleasanton site is run by Omar Morineau, who trained at the Accademia di Belle Arte in Florence, Italy after completing his undergraduate studies with a degree in Fine Art. A couple dozen students, ranging between the ages of 5-18 years old come in for regular programmed instruction.

Omar teaches alongside Hillary Thompson, who earned a Masters in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University. She loves working with kids and helping them to find a passion in visual arts.

At the younger levels, it’s fun for kids just to learn a few visual arts vocabulary words while building a relationship with creative expression. At that age, High schoolers who attend the programs use the classes as an extra-curricular supplement to art classes at school, or to work on fine-tuning their skills in preparation for college applications. Many universities will request a portfolio of work, and US Art Centers can help build a professional collection that showcases the artist’s talent.

Whatever the age, Omar and Hillary have the technical and interpersonal skills to help young artists grow and find their passion for painting, drawing and design.

Here is some of the great work that’s been created in the US Art Center studios:

We’re sure appreciative of Omar and Hillary, and wish them the best of luck in the space! If you’re interested in lessons for yourself or a friend, head to their website to register for classes!


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Pleasanton takes microwave technology, reduce California bike accidents

Pleasanton takes microwave technology, reduce California bike accidents

Posted on Monday, August 1st, 2011

If cities, which is a priority for bike security, can you not much better than California's Alameda County, which do East Bay bike Mecca, which includes Berkeley. But Alameda County is also home to one of California's most unexpectedly innovative cities when it comes to bicycle safety technology: Pleasanton. Pleasanton is in fact microwave sense use when cyclists near an intersection, which are the light to stop cars and enable the cyclist by certainly raises.


Pleasanton is the safest nor the most dangerous Bay area city, when it comes to bicycle accidents. But looks far more bicycle accidents than any other County in Northern California, San Francisco, Alameda County including according to the Bay citizen. Between 2005 and 2009, for example, 3,444 cyclists motorcycle accidents in Alameda County, compared with 2,284 in San Francisco County, were involved in. This is probably one of the reasons that Pleasanton has decided to get innovative about bike safety. "I would like to know, we are bike-friendly,", SR. said the city transportation engineer Joshua Pack. "We are not active, yelling and screaming, we do it, but we are behind the scenes."


Pleasanton installed one who these censors on the corner of Foothill road and Stoneridge was drive first in January 2010 and the trial period so successfully that six have already added urban planners to the microwave sensors, and four additional plan. But InsideBayArea reported that throughout California and as far as that on the bike sensor technology are very interested in Tennessee and approached with questions about its effectiveness and implementation of Pleasanton removed elsewhere.


Residents and officials in the Pleasanton are confident that the sensors, the cost of $4,000 to $5,000 will drastically improve every bicycle safety. "Before (the light) so much time, so that you more difficult to make it cycle had not to be." They also wanted to get caught in the middle. And if not, you were the light to come a sitting duck for people, "Pleasanton cyclist said Jim Ott."


This is part of a regional California streets to make more complete for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Cities have proposed new programs that would make the roads safer by reducing the number of vehicle lanes in favor of the bike trails and more sidewalk space for cyclists throughout Northern California. Such programs that move to the front in cities such as San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Clara, to reduce vehicle speeds and to promote an approach of "Share of the road" in the city.


I am very optimistic about what Pleasanton microwave sensor technology, as well as complete streets proposals throughout the State. But these are not a substitute for normal steps you need to take to ensure your own safety while cycling. Obey all traffic signs and wear the appropriate safety equipment, every time, if you get on a bike, to prevent avoidable motorcycle accidents. And keep in mind, enjoy the streets!


Photo credit: Dylan Passmore


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