From Mike Zampa’s column Friday:

“WHAT AM I THANKFUL for this Thanksgiving? Next Thanksgiving. The school board just gave it back.
If you have children at Acalanes, Campolindo or Miramonte high schools, you’re probably relieved. Our elected board members flip-flopped last month. They scrapped plans for a radically altered 2008-2009 calendar.

Instead, they voted for a more traditional school year. It’ll begin in late August. It’ll end in mid-June. And it’ll preserve the holidays we hold dear — President’s Day, New Year’s Day and Regis Philbin’s birthday.

Why did our school board do this? Because they listened to reason and their constituents. It was a first in American politics.
In fact, good-government wonks now hope that voting for things that make sense becomes a trend.”

Waitresses in Moraga cafes report they served more customers than usual this morning. Seems when it rains, area residents all turn out for fancy coffee drinks and minestrone soup they can’t readily find at home.

Perhaps it was the slick roads but drivers on Moraga Road were driving UNDER the posted speed limits today. But drivers on Moraga Way were testing the limits, according to those signs that measure a driver’s speed. Do those signs work? Do you slow down down when you see them?

Change the sheets. Company’s coming. You can blame “Sunset Magazine.” The guide to western living has made Lafayette a destination, says Mike Zampa.

We were anointed in an August story titled “Picnic in Lafayette.” The article urges day-trippers to “Spend a day by the reservoir in Northern California’s East Bay.” Read it yourself by visiting “http://www.sunset.com/sunset/travel/california/article/0,20633,1641592,00.html.>
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Then weep. Why? Because this changes everything.

Lafayette used to be a nice place to live. You just didn’t want to visit there. Now we’ve been outted.

Look for a package of stories in the Friday Sun about crime in Lamorinda and practical tips on protecting yourself, your family and your property. Unlike other areas in the East Bay where violent crime is a concern, Lamorinda crime stats center mostly on robbery, burglary and stolen vehicles.

Moraga police continue to investigate reports that turkeys were deliberately run over by some young people in a car earlier this month. They are trying to locate witnesses who might have seen the incident.

From the Orinda police log:

Tuesday, June 26
ID THEFT — A Knickerbocker Lane resident received a notice from WalMart that her application for a credit account had been denied — but she had never applied. She checked her credit, and found she had an outstanding balance of $1,000 on a Banana Republic account she had never opened. She put a fraud alert on her credit card.

Monday, July 2
THEFT — Police investigated a report that a man entered the Linda Vista home of his ex-wife, and stole $6,000 worth of jewelry.

Tuesday, July 3
THEFT — Someone stole tools and a Porsche 911 from a detached garage on Tahos Road.

Friday JUNE 13
THEFT — Someone stole $3,900 worth of equipment and tools from vehicles parked at a PG&E substation on Bear Creek Road.

Saturday, July 14
VANDALISM — Someone drew on a rental truck parked on Irving Lane. A peace symbol, a heart, the words “rock and roll” and an expletive were written in pink paint.

For coverage of the Lafayette Criterium bicycle event, click here

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6386396?nclick_check=1

Wondering what those choppers were doing at Briones Regional Park Sunday afternoon?

Rescuing two bicyclists who crashed into each other, according to our police reporter.

The accident occurred at 2:33 p.m. on the Table Top Trail, said Battalion Chief Ed Borden of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District.

The injuries were not life-threatening, but the area was too remote for ambulances to reach. Two helicopters flew the riders to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, Borden said.

A third CALSTAR Air Ambulance remained on the scene later Sunday after developing potential mechanical problems, authorities said.

A brush fire off Bear Ridge Road in the Sleepy Hollow area of Orinda threatened three homes and damaged an outbuilding this morning before crews from the Moraga-Orinda Fire Department contained it.

Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer had this to say about the blaze:

“It is another example of how our city is living close to the edge in terms of fire safety.

We need our residents to exercise great care in maintaining fire safe conditions around their property.

We also need to upgrade our water pipes to ensure adequate water volume for emergencies.

If it had been a windy day, this hillside fire in the middle of a dozen homes could have been a citywide conflagration.

Our fire crews, with help from the county and state, did a great job in getting the fire under control before any life or property was lost.”

The fire started about 10:30 a.m., apparently from a mechanical failure on a drilling rig working in the area. The driver of the rig suffered minor to moderate burns and refused treatment, said Battalion Chief Bryan Collins.

Fifteen fire engines and two helicopters were called to the fire, which burned about one and a half acres, he said. Collins credited low winds and otherwise cooperative weather for helping firefighters contain it.

Reporter Katherine Tam is writing about how Lafayette officials might abandon efforts to cap the number of signs allowed on residential property — a provision some saw as key to preventing another display of crosses.

The Lafayette City Council meeting is 7 p.m. Monday at 500 St. Marys Road.

Read her story and return to ContraCostaTimes.com next week to read what action the council took.

– Aaron Crowe