Happy Fourth of July everyone. The weather seems perfect for a day full of family, friends and fun.

If you plan on attending the fireworks show at the Moraga Commons tonight, remember that parking fills up quickly, so the earlier you arrive, the closer you will be to the park. The temperature is expected to be around 60 degrees later tonight, so bring a jacket to the celebration.

Let’s make this a safe holiday. If you are going to drink, make sure you have a designated driver. Police have announced that they will be cracking down on drunk drivers and people not wearing their seatbelts.

Lafayette’s Boy Scout Troop 241 had seven of their scouts earn the prestigious honor of becoming an Eagle Scout this year. The seven new Eagle Scouts were recognized on June 21 at an awards ceremony.

The seven new Eagle Scouts, in alphabetical order, are Ian Berkland, Malcolm Brudigam, Keegan Covey, Andrew Kephart, Pearson Lyverse, Bradford Prescott and Jason Quinn.

In order to earn the honor of Eagle Scout, each scout must organize and carry out a community service project. Troop 241’s group of new Eagle Scouts’s projects included building new picnic tables and improving trails at the Lafayette Community Center and Park, building an emergency escape path at the Bentley School, and building a picnic area at St. Perpetua church.

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District board of directors voted Thursday night to extend Chief Pete Nowicki’s contract by four months, despite opposition from the local firefighter’s union.

Nowcki’s previous contract expired June 30 and Stephen Healy had been serving as acting chief over the past two days. Nowicki’s contract extension is effective July 3.

The developers of the Orinda Gateway, or Wilder, Project are expected to resume building within the next few weeks now that the financial problems surrounding the development have been cleared up.

A group of investors came to an agreement with the lender of the project, Merrill Lynch, to pay off the full $180-million mortgage and finance the remainder of the project. The original developer of the project defaulted on the mortgage, stopping building in March.

All liens against the property that could cause potential future problems are also being paid as part of the agreement.

The Orinda Gateway project is located just east of the Caldecott Tunnel.

The Fourth of July is one day when Lamorinda really comes together as a community to celebrate our national holiday. While the fireworks show at the Moraga Commons may not be as high budget as shows in San Francisco, it is a unique event where the sense of community can really be felt.

The night portion of Moraga’s Fourth of July Celebration will start at 6:45 p.m. when local singer Amanda McDowell will sing the National Anthem.

Music will be played by Larry Lynch and the Mob from 7:00 p.m. until the fireworks begin. The fireworks are tentatively scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m., but that time can vary depending on how fast it gets dark.

A food booth is also open at the event until 9:00 p.m.

The Lafayette Rink at the Lafayette Community Center is currently hosting a “Wheels on Wednesday” event every Wednesday during the summer. The event goes from 10:30-11:30 a.m. It costs $3 per person.

All ages are welcome to bring their skates, rollerblades or scooters to the rink to enjoy a fun time before the day gets too hot. Music and games are also part of the event each week.

The last “Wheels on Wednesday” of summer will be August 12.

On Friday, August 14, the Rink will host a dodgeball event. Participants will play in a dodgeball game from 7:30-8:30 p.m. After the game, players can stick around to watch the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” which is expected to end around 10:00 p.m.

While most of the Fourth of July parties, barbecues and fireworks will happen in the afternoon and evening on Saturday, there are two “fun runs” taking place in Lamorinda Saturday morning.

Orinda is hosting their 5K Fun Run and Haley’s Run For a Reason, an event benefiting the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Program, from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Shortly after the runs begin, a 2K family walk will begin. The run will start in front of the Orinda Community Center. Runners (and non-runners) can eat a pancake breakfast at the Community Center from 7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Moraga is hosting a 5-mile run and a 2-mile run/walk, which will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Montessori School. The “Kiddies’ Run” will start at 8:00 a.m. and all participants will receive a free pancake breakfast.

Former Campolindo star pitcher Aaron Poreda thought his dream came true in 2007 when the Chicago White Sox selected him with the 25th pick in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Poreda had to earn his place on the major league team by heading off to the minor leagues first.

After showing his solid skill set as a pitcher during his minor league stint, the White Sox recently called him up to the major league team.

On June 12, Poreda made his first appearance for the White Sox, giving up only one hit in 1.2 inning against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Poreda has now made a total of five relief appearances, allowing only four hits in five innings, while managing to strike out six batters. Poreda has more wins (one) than runs allowed (zero).

Early forecasts had the temperature reaching 100 degrees in Lamorinda this weekend. Those numbers have dropped to the low 90s, but those hot summer days are finally here.

The forecast is showing nothing but sun from here on out, although the temperature highs are expected to drop to the low 80s as the week progresses.

One thing people in Lamorinda often underestimate is the UV index, or strength of the sun’s rays. The typical hot, sunny summer day in Lamorinda will register a 10 out of 10 on the UV index, which means if you forget to wear your sunscreen, a burn is almost a guarantee.

The man who was convicted in December of the 1978 rape and murder of Lafayette mother Armida Wiltsey at the Lafayette Reservoir was sentenced to death Thursday.

Darryl Kemp wasn’t connected to the case until 2002 when DNA evidence was reexamined using modern technology. At the time, Kemp was already serving a life sentence in a Texas prison for multiple rape charges.

This is the second time Kemp has been sentenced to death. He was first sentenced to death in 1960 for the rape and murder of a Los Angeles woman. Kemp was paroled after the death penalty was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. He was released from prison only four months before he murdered Armida Wiltsey .