News & Events from the Lafayette Chamber |
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Monday, February 14, 2022 |
Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Office Hours by Appointment only:
Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
Please call for an appointment; masks required inside.
Closed for President's Day Holiday, Monday Feb. 21.
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Contra Costa to Lift Most Indoor Mask Mandates on Feb. 16
Lafayette Businesses – here is what you need to know
In alignment with the State, Contra Costa and 10 other Bay Area counties and the City of Berkeley will lift universal mask requirements for vaccinated people in most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday, February 16. The move comes as cases and hospitalizations have begun to rapidly drop around the state and region.
Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. Businesses, venue operators and hosts may determine their own paths forward to protect staff and patrons and may choose to require all patrons to wear masks.
Bay Area health officers continue to strongly recommend masks be used as an effective tool to prevent the spread of the virus especially when case rates are high, or when additional personal protection is needed.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) continues to require masking in K-12 school settings but has indicated adjustments to the state’s policies will be shared in the coming weeks. For early education programs, such as preschool and childcare settings, CDPH continues to require masking for children older than age two. Read more here.
Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA.
Cal/OSHA and Statewide Industry Guidance on COVID-19
COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards
The COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards remain in effect. The workplace standards were updated in December 2021 to include minor revisions related to returning to work after close contact. The revisions became effective starting on January 14, 2022. In addition to these requirements, employers must follow public health orders on COVID-19. The latest order from the California Department of Public Health on February 7, 2022 requires the use of face coverings by all employees in certain circumstances. This order becomes effective on February 16, 2022. More information on the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards is available in Cal/OSHA's Frequently Asked Questions.
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Lafayette Chamber Connectors!
Wednesday, February 16, 4:30pm, online via Zoom
Join us for a unique take on networking.
This group discusses current challenges members are having with their business, big or small. Share your ideas and fresh perspectives with other members. Participation is encouraged and appreciated. We are ALL in this together!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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Mayor Gerringer's State of the City Address
In case you missed it, or just want to watch again - 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 - here is the video from Mayor Gerringer’s 2022 State of the City Address held online Thursday, February 10.
[Since we had some technical difficulties during the livestream with sound from pre-recorded videos, this version has been edited to correct the sound issues during the photo slide show and more importantly, so you can hear the wonderful Stanley Middle School Symphonic Band performing Tall Cedars March by Eric Osterling.]
Thank you Lafayette Chamber Board President Fred Steingraf for the introduction, the Mayor, City Staff and Bob Athayde and for all the kind words about the Lafayette Chamber and our community.
The recording starts with an engaging slide show representing only some of what we love about Lafayette! WATCH NOW! https://youtu.be/PQ4Ztd29yVA
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Welcome Lilikoi Boba Lafayette!
Lilikoi Boba is excited to open their doors officially to Lafayette and bring the taste of their signature Boba Vacation to our community!
Lafayette Chamber members and the community enjoyed a warm Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, February 12! View photos. View video.
Lilikoi is located at 3488 Mt. Diablo Blvd., across from the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.
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Thank You Renewing Members!
The following members renewed their membership February 7-13, 2022. Curious about your membership status? Contact us.
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This week's member shout out goes to our members in the Acupuncture / Acupressure, Chiropractors, Health Care / Wellness, Health Food / Nutritional Supplements, and Hospice categories.
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Lafayette Young Professionals Meetup!
Cheers to 2022 and meeting in person!
Yo Pros is designed for the younger crowd ranging in age from 21-39 years old, with “young at heart” always welcome. This is a place where young professionals can tap into our local business community and really develop relationships that will be with us for the rest of our lives. Guests welcome!
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We want to hear from you!
Lafayette Chamber Connectors was originally formed to be a networking meeting, but soon evolved into a forum for business people to share challenges they are having with their business and allow for other members to brainstorm and share solutions.
We are looking to make some fundamental changes to Connectors and your answers will be critical in helping us shape the new Chamber Connectors.
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Work Interrupted 2022 Summit
ADP would like to invite you to our upcoming complimentary Workplace Summit on February 23, starting at 8am PT. This is NOT a webinar, it's an interactive session to discuss the top challenges associated with 2022 like fighting employee burnout, leveling up your leadership game, and what’s really on employees’ minds. You can attend the portions you find most interesting.
To register, please contact Brent Hottman at 916-220-2543 or Janna Harrell at 904-742-9850.
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Tonight’s Lafayette City Council Meeting
Monday Night’s Lafayette City Council Meeting will start with a closed session at 5:00 p.m., then a special (open) joint session from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the Mission Statement Sub-Committee of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to review and approve the draft Mission, Vision, and Values statements as recommended by the General Plan Advisory Committee. The regular open session starts at 7:00 p.m. You can read the draft statements and more about GPAC’s community-driven process in the staff report here.
Items to be discussed in the regular session include:
➡ Presentation by RecycleSmart on SB 1383 which sets methane emissions reduction targets for California; ➡ Presentation by Townsend Public Affairs to provide a legislative update and an overview of local government ballot initiatives;
➡ Approve the amendments to the City’s 2022-23 Legislative Platform;
➡ Authorize process to peruse identifying potential suitable properties in Lafayette that could be purchased and used for a public purpose that would also appreciate in value;
➡ Adopt the City Council Proclamation Calendar for 2022 and 2023 and consider recognizing March 2022 as Red Cross Month in Lafayette;
➡ Approve the request from the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for street closures to facilitate multiple events in 2022;
For information about how to participate in or watch the online meeting, click here.
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Walnut Creek Chamber Civic Affairs Forum - STATE OF THE STATE 2022
With the pandemic entering its third year and key measures on the ballot, Walnut Creek Chamber's February Civic Affairs Forum features a panel of statewide leaders who will tackle the issues facing California in 2022.
Join the Walnut Creek Chamber on February 15, 9:00-10:00am, for State of the State—a discussion with Carolyn Coleman Executive Director & CEO League of California Cities and Ben Golombek Executive Vice President California Chamber of Commerce moderated by Cindy Silva President League of California Cities & Mayor Pro Tem, City of Walnut Creek.
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Supervisor Candace Andersen's February 11 Weekly Update
➡ Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Appoints New Health Officer
➡ Contra Costa to Lift Most Indoor Mask Mandates on February 16
➡ Free Expired N95 Masks Available for Pickup During Select Hours at Our Danville Office
➡ Free Covid-19 Home Test Kits
➡ Please Note: County and State Testing Sites Will Be Closed Monday, February 21, 2022
➡ Schedule Your Booster Today
➡ COVID Status of Contra Costa County
➡ Seeking Nominations for Contra Costa Youth Hall of Fame
➡ Pruning Trees and Ornamentals Webinar - February 15
➡ Defensible Space Fuel Reduction Project Funding Available
➡ Join a Workshop for Parents to Better Communicate With Their Teenagers
➡ National Blood Crisis - Donations Needed
➡ You May Qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit
➡ 2022 Contra Costa Point-in-Time (PIT) Count
➡ Contra Costa Welcomes Refugees, Immigrants, and All Community Members
➡ Family and Children's Trust (FACT) Committee Seeking Applicants
➡ Contra Costa Commission for Women & Girls has Openings
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City of Lafayette's February 11 Weekly Roundup
➡ Mayor Gerringer's State of the City Address
➡ Contra Costa County Health Officer to Lift Most Indoor Mask Mandates on February 16 - Masks still strongly recommended; vaccines and boosters urged to further strengthen defenses
➡ Monday Night’s Lafayette City Council Meeting
➡ Below Market Rate Homes for Sale in Lafayette
➡ Housing Element Update on February 15
➡ Defensible Space Fuel Reduction Project Funding Available
➡ Curious to Learn About Firewise?
➡ BART's New Schedule for 2022
➡ Lafayette Library Bookmark Contest is back!
➡ Gold Coast Chamber Players Performance in Lafayette on February 25
➡ Winter Walk Challenge
➡ Lions Center for the Visually Impaired - Spring Forward with Hope virtual event on March 8
➡ Assistance League’s ACTION! Week Celebrates Literacy
➡ Volunteers Need to Judge Project LPIE Event
➡ Services Provided by the California Department of Insurance
➡ Community Events and Meetings
➡ Public Meetings
➡ Community Briefs
➡ Cultural Observations and Celebrations
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Mark DeSaulnier, Member of Congress hosts Voting in Contra Costa
As we enter this election year, many of you may have questions about ballots, voting locations, and more. To answer those questions, I'm hosting a town hall on Voting in Contra Costa on Friday, February 18th at 12:00 p.m. We will be joined by officials from the Contra Costa County Elections Division who will offer their expertise and take your questions.
To RSVP, click here before 10:00 a.m. on February 18th. I hope you will join us for this important and timely conversation.
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Assemblymember, 16th District, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan's Committee Chair Announcement + Nature Photography Contest
Dear Neighbor,
I am excited to announce that I have been named the Chair of the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee in the Assembly. This new role comes at a critical time for California as we face drought, climate change, and threats to wildlife, parks and open spaces. I am excited to get to work as Chair on these important issues and, as I do so, I want to hear from you!
Here in AD 16, we are blessed with beautiful open space and parks throughout the district. To celebrate our local water, parks, and wildlife, I am hosting a Nature Photography Contest! This contest is open to residents of AD 16 of all ages. To participate, all you need to do is go to my website and submit a picture of water, parks or wildlife you have taken in the East Bay alongside a short statement describing the image and why nature is important to you. The deadline to submit your photos is February 28 at 11:59 p.m. |
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Upcoming Networking Events |
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It's time to start networking in 2022. We all want to grow our business and have some fun while we're at it! You don't want to miss this!
Come discover how great a White Rabbit Business Solutions networking event is and how easy it is to grow your business. It's Networking Made Easy®. Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST.
The founder and CEO of White Rabbit Business Solutions, Gil Rodrigues, has been networking and connecting business owners for over a decade. Come meet Gil and find out just how easy it is to grow business in a fun and exciting way!
Did you say you like sushi? Join us at Meiko Sushi in Pleasanton, it's some of the best, fresh fish you can find. Meiko's is truly one of the best sushi restaurants in the area! This is a no host bar, but for everyone in attendance, enjoy a discount on all food and drink you order. Meiko not only has saki and beer, but offers a full bar with some special surprises made just for this event!
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Lafayette Social invites you to join them for their monthly Networking Luncheon on February 23rd at 11:30am. Libby Eppinga from Cancer Support Community will be co-hosting this gathering at Tutu's in Downtown Lafayette. Space is limited, so please RSVP here.
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BART’s schedule will change on Monday, February 14, 2022, with significant improvements to Sunday service.
With this schedule change, BART will operate midnight service every night of the week.
Highlights include:
- Extended service to midnight on Sundays
- Running 5-line service every day (except for single-tracking Sundays) until about 9pm
- Consistent 3-line service every day after 9pm
- 4 trains an hour at SFO station on Sundays until 9pm
- 15-minute even headways on the Yellow line as far as Pittsburg Bay Point on Saturdays until about 8pm
- New transfer opportunity at Bay Fair for Dublin to Berryessa transfers every day
- Improved connections with Caltrain at Millbrae on Sundays before 9pm
Starting Sunday February 20, 2022, for the first time in history, BART will operate 5-line service on Sundays (except on 12 single-tracking Sundays when power cable replacement work takes place in San Francisco. 3-line service will run on single tracking Sundays. For a schedule of single-tracking Sundays, visit https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20220110.
Running 5-Line service on Sundays provides more equitable service to Richmond and Berryessa line riders who previously had to transfer to complete their transbay trip-while other lines provided direct service. Based on ridership data 97% of Sunday riders will get to their destination without the need to transfer, up from 82%. Of those passengers who benefit from this change, about twice as many will ride the Red line than the Green line.
3-line service (Yellow, Blue and Orange lines) will operate every evening after around 9pm and on 12 select single-tracking Sundays. During 3-line service, the Yellow and Blue line will continue to run very close together through San Francisco to enable singling track through work zones. BART plans to improve this service pattern and run Yellow and Blue line trains more evenly spaced apart in the September 2022 schedule change.
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Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in California by RecycleSmart
There will be a presentation by RecycleSmart at Monday's City Council Meeting starting 7:00pm.
- How to divert organic waste from our landfills, to prevent methane creation, improve composting/soil. - SB 1383
- Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in California
The future is now. Fight climate change by recycling organic waste. Learn more about California’s new compost law: www.recyclesmart.org/1383.
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MCE sponsored PowerHour, Fuels and Fleets of the Future and Today
Are you interested in learning more about Electric Vehicles? Join us Thursday, February 24th, noon - 1 pm (online) for MCE's sponsored PowerHour, Fuels and Fleets of the Future and Today
PowerHour - Fuels and Fleets of the Future, and Today will cover programs and incentives currently available to support business’s transportation electrification needs. MCE's Brett Wiley, Electric Vehicle (EV) Program Manager, will review currently available incentive programs and revenue streams, as well as announce MCE's fleet electrification pilot. Exclusive insights from key industry experts will include:
• Denée Evans, City of Richmond, Transportation Services Project Manager on developing and operating EV chargers for employees, the public, and fleet.
• Juan Moreno Jr., Rutherford Hill Winery, Facilities Manager on the challenges and ultimate success of installing EV Charging ports at their facility.
• Matt Belasco, Pittsburg Unified School District, Director of Maintenance, Operations & Transportation on their electric bus fleet.
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Knowledge is power! Literacy empowers! Open this door and enter the wonderful world of reading!
The National Chapter Marketing Committee of Assistance League®, a nonprofit organization that puts Caring and Commitment into action through hands-on community-based philanthropic programs, announces that its annual ACTION! Week event will launch on Tuesday, February 21 and conclude February 26, in commemoration of its founder Anne Banning’s birthdate. The underlying message emphasizes Literacy! This endeavor offsets the limits placed on the chapter’s R.E.A.D. and Listen Programs during the pandemic.
To that end, the dedicated member volunteers of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley are celebrating Literacy by providing books for at-home enjoyment not only for children but for the entire family. All donated books will be housed in the Little Free Library, a structure built by a chapter member’s husband. Chapter volunteers will restock the books when needed. Please visit the Chapter Offices, located on the corner of Second Avenue and Buena Vista Avenue, in Walnut Creek, look for the Little Free Library structure (see photo) and help yourself. There is no limit; in fact, feel free to make a return visit.
Suggestions for embracing not only Literacy but the joy of at-home-reading are pain free, flexible and family-friendly. Children seeing parents and/or guardians reading at home are likely to follow suit. Designating a time of the day when you and your family members can gather for a quiet read session increases its longevity. Concluding the read session with each family member contributing one sentence as to insights/enjoyment gained brings the reading experience to life. As an enrichment exercise, encourage children to draw/paint a visual that captures the spirit of their reading material. Another thought, providing books as gifts and rewards, which could be purchased at the thrift shop in Lafayette, reinforces Literacy. Happy Reading!
To learn about the hands-on programs that celebrate Literacy, as well as the Assistance League of Diablo Valley Thrift Shop at the Way Side, please visit this website: assistanceleague.org/diablo-valley.
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INVESTING IN LAFAYETTE
Meet Germinate Kitchen – a new modern shared commercial kitchen where local food producers can prepare their food. Bonus, they will be co-located with the new Lamorinda AVA wine tasting room!
Germinate Kitchen has taken a community-first funding approach, providing a limited number of opportunities to invest, keeping more food producers local. Read more about their story on their website: www.GerminateKitchen.com.
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Do you have an event or announcement to share with our membership and/or the community? You can add your event to our online calendar, no login required (we simply need to approve it before it will display.) Add your event HERE. Questions? Contact holly@lafayettechamber.org.
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Local Bay Area friends! Jane would LOVE your support in sending any demo super stars her way for some Tosi love sharing at Whole Foods. Pay is $20-35hr DOE, Flexible hours you control, super fun and delicious way to meet people and be part of the Tosi tribe. Email jane@tosi.com!
Apprentice wanted! Dream Big Construction is hiring, no previous construction experience required. We are a reputable local company that serves its local community. You will learn the fundamentals of all elements of residential construction in a supportive team centered environment. On the job training beginning first day. We care about our teammates just as much as our customers and promote based on merit. Offering 40 hrs a week at competitive wages. Must have reliable transportation, and good work ethic. Must be in good physical condition and able to work on your feet for prolonged periods of time. Our work days are Monday thru Friday 8:00-4:30. Our jobs are primarily in the Lamorinda area. benefits available after 6 months. Please call Travis Johnson (925)382-5415 to arrange an interview.
Hope Solutions is growing and hiring for twelve new positions to support our programs. We are seeking individuals who are flexible and responsive to support the needs of our clients while possessing the skill set to collaborate with interdisciplinary team members and community partners. We are looking for compassionate service-driven individuals who fundamentally believe in the potential of others. Hope Solution envisions a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential – and we invite you to join us!
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Just added! A new VIRTUAL One-Stop Job Shop, so you can choose to participate virtually or come to campus. There is a separate registration required for each fair. If anyone wants to attend both, that is absolutely OK! If you register for both fairs at the same time, I will offer a discount of $50 off one of the fairs for companies, government agencies and schools/school districts, and $25 for non-profits.
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From the Lafayette Library and Learning Center |
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Unplug Packs: Anatomy Art Bookmarks
Monday, February 14, 2022
Pick up in the Teen Center at the Lafayette Library
February 14th is National Organ Donor Day, a day dedicated to spreading awareness about organ donation & honoring donors, recipients, and those awaiting transplants - and their loved ones. Using a simple ink-to-wood transfer process, design a bookmark that captures the marvel of human anatomy.
If this topic interests you, check out these titles with facts about the mechanics of the body, bioethics of the field, and stories about people whose lives have been changed by organ donation. Call 925-385-2280 for more info.
Take and Make Black History Month Craft
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Pick up in the Lafayette Library Teen Center
Over a century ago, John Lee Love invented a portable pencil sharpener that captured the shavings - the most convenient design we use today. Make your own matchbox “book” sharpener modeled after Love’s innovation. Call 925-385-2280 for more information.
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Show Your Membership!
Would you like to include a Lafayette Chamber membership emblem on your website or other marketing materials?
The Lafayette Chamber would be happy to provide you with the appropriate logos. Simply email your request to holly@lafayettechamber.org. |
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Updates please!
Your online profile is search engine optimized. Include a full business description including key words that your potential customers and clients would use to find you. You can also add up to four social media platforms to the listing.
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Sign up for Text Notifications!
Please note: to signup via text you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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