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T H E  S U N O L I A NN.B. BURKE, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTIt is incredibly hypocritical for Jergensen to accuseSunol Glen recall organizers of the very same“offenses” he has committed himself. He is not a fulltime resident of Incline Village (so an outsider bydefinition) and he clearly believes a recall election is ajustifiable action when the conditions warrant one.Moreover, claiming Incline Village as his residence is anoutright lie when we know his children attend SunolGlen School and he is a registered Sunol voter.— ANNA WANG, SUNOL RESIDENTA RECALL FOR THEE––BUT NOT FOR MEJergensen told Inform Sunol that recalls were undemocratic––but in 2023 he wasrunning a recall campaign against the Tyrolian Village HOA Board in NevadaIn a mailer dated July 26, 2023, Sunol Glen School Board President RyanJergensen, owner of a vacation property in Incline Village’s TyrolianVillage HOA, spearheaded a recall effort of the entire 5-person HOA boardand ran for a seat alongside at least two others. Photos submitted from aresident of Incline Villages the recall campaign in Sunol wasstill a few months away from evengetting started, another recall in theneighboring state of Nevada waswinding down. Sunol School BoardPresident Ryan Jergensen––who ownsa vacation property in Incline Village––was a part of two recall efforts for theTyrolian Village Homeowner’sAssociation (TVHOA) to remove all 5board members. It is not uncommonfor homes in Incline to be owned byindividuals from outside the immediatearea or even the state. And perTyrolian Village, as long as you are ahomeowner within the HOA, you areeligible to run for the board.Historically however, the majority ofboard members there have been full-time residents.So, how does one increase theirchances of successfully running arecall campaign against an entire 5-person HOA board in an area wherethey are not a full-time resident andthen also get elected to that boardwhich typically favors full-timeresidents?Well, you probably start by telling agood story.AContinued on page 10

This newsletter is published on or around the5th of each month and is available for sale inan online subscription format only, via ourpublishing platform, SimpleBooklet. Currentyear’s back issues, including previous year’sarchives, will also be available for a feethrough SimpleBooklet. The goal of thispublication was, is and will continue to be to“Promote a more informed Sunol.” Oursubscription fees cover our production costs,while our advertising fees are donatedannually to a local organization of ourchoosing. Our objective is to provide access toall Sunolians, both readers and writers. Allsubmissions and contributions are subject toethical fact checking and verification. Allgroups in town are invited to submit monthlycolumns for publication, and we invite stories,comments, letters, photos, inquiries and otherinformation that would be of interest to thecommunity, and all contributions are subjectto approval and/or correction, guidance,delay or refusal. This paper is dedicated toproviding all points of view within thefollowing guidelines: (1) All submissions are tobe respectful, supported by factualinformation (when applicable) and signed; (2)All submissions will be confirmed by theeditor; (3) Space for Letters to the Editor islimited to 250 words maximum. We reservethe right to accept or refuse submissions andedit for context and length. We also reservethe right to refuse advertising that in ouropinion does not reflect the standards orvalues of the newsletter and Managing Team.The opinions expressed, whether by paidadvertisement or editorial content does notnecessarily reflect the views of thisnewspaper. Content submitted may bereprinted and acknowledged without consentin future publications.E Q U A L I T Y C A L I F O R N I ATom Temprano, Media RelationsEMAIL: press@eqca.orgTemecula Valley UnifiedSchool Districts have beensuccessfully recalled thanksto the efforts of localparents and students.Anyone who seeks to usetheir elected position todiscriminate againstLGBTQ+ youth is unfit toserve in public office, andwe look forward to thecareers of Trustees Hurleyand Jergensen coming to aswift and appropriate end.” Equality California is thenation’s largest statewideLGBTQ civil rightsorganization. We bring thevoices of LGBTQ peopleand allies to institutions ofpower in California andacross the United States,striving to create a worldthat is healthy, just, and fullyequal for all LGBTQ people.We advance civil rights andsocial justice by inspiring,advocating and mobilizingthrough an inclusivemovement that workstirelessly on behalf of thosewe serve. www.eqca.orgWith attacks against LGBTQ+students in Californiaescalating, EqualityCalifornia, the nation’slargest statewide LGBTQ+civil rights organization,announced theendorsement of an effort torecall trustees Linda Hurleyand Ryan Jergensen, whovoted to ban the flying of thePride flag on campus, in theSunol Glen Unified SchoolDistrict – with a specialelection happening onTuesday, July 2.“We remain vigilant inholding current electedleaders to account —especially those who arespreading hateful agendasand putting the wellbeingand safety of LGBTQ+ youthat risk,” said EqualityCalifornia Executive DirectorTony Hoang. “Voters arebecoming wise to theextremism of their localschool board members;already this year, anti-LGBTQ+ school officials inthe Orange, Woodland, andT H E S U N O L I A NP A G E 2EQUALITY CALIFORNIAENDORSES RECALL EFFORTIN SUNOL GLEN UNIFIEDSCHOOL DISTRICTJ U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4This issue was guest editedGuest Edited,Geraldine Baldassarre,Publisher EmeritaGeneral ManagerOpen until filled,manager@thesunolian.comIssue Contributors:Kristen Bobertz, Victoria Cloutier, Lisa BallContributing ReporterN.B. Burke,nb.burke@thesunolian.comGeneral Leads:nb_burke@proton.meSecure email:Neil Davies,Publisher-At-Largepublisher@thesunolian.com

T H E S U N O L I A NCALL FOR ARTISTS & VENDORS IN LIVERMORELIVERMORE BANKHEAD THEATERJoin us at ComicCon Livermore, where fandomscollide and imagination knows no bounds! This year’sevent promises to be an exhilarating celebration of allthings geek culture, showcasing a vibrant tapestry ofartists in all genres including graphic novel, manga,crime/noir, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, slice of life,adventure, humor, and romance.In addition to showcasing the artists, there will be anexciting cosplay contest, anime and toy vendors, andspecial guest appearances. This is the ultimatedestination for fans of all ages to come together andcelebrate the magic of comics. Join ComicCon Livermore and experience theCostume Contest On Stage, Face Painting, PhotoBooth, Comics, and Anime at the Bankhead Theater.To sign up for the costume contest you must registeron the day of with Ziggy of O’Hana between 11am –12pm. The contest will take place on the BankheadStage from 1-2pm. Free for all participants. J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 3

OPINIONThe opinions, views, and perspectives expressed inarticles, editorials, and letters to the editor withinThe Sunolian are those of the individual authors anddo not necessarily reflect the official stance oropinions of the publication, its editorial board, or itsstaff. The Sunolian is committed to providing aplatform for–and to seeking out–diverse voices andopinions, fostering open dialogue and discoursewithin the community. However, the publication doesnot endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy orvalidity of the viewpoints expressed by contributors.Readers are encouraged to critically evaluate thecontent and form their own informed opinions.This issue was Guest EditedNeil Davies, Publisher-At-LargeT H E S U N O L I A NC O M M U N I T Y M E M B E RSubmit your request to join ourEditorial Board to help determine thispaper’s position on local issues:editor+board@thesunolian.comE D I T O R I A L B O A R DT H E S U N O L I A NEditorial deadline & publication scheduleSubmission guidelines for Opinion (Guest) EssaysSubmission guidelines for Letters to the EditorP A G E 4 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

OPINIONG U E S T E S S A YTalia Chong, Contributorexercise their right to free speech. As a student, I amvulnerable. I have no voice in school affairs, and thatis why it is so empowering to watch my formerteachers stand up for the rights of students. Mr.Wheeler and Ms. Mendall have put their livelihoodsand their futures on the line to speak out in defenseof students. They should be commended, not vilifiedas people seem apt to do. It's inspiring to me, to seethese teachers speak up, attend every late nightmeeting, and still show up early each morning forschool, because unlike others, they put the studentsfirst. I’m still terrified at the lack of protection for my peersat Sunol Glen School, about the school and thecommunity. When I spoke at a school board meetingexpressing my concerns for Trustee Hurley’s proposalto make it mandatory for teachers to reportsuspected misgendered students, Trustee Jergensentold me that I was heard. He followed up these emptywords by banning the LBQT+ flag. And now I know Icannot trust Trustee Jergensen or Hurley.But I know I can trust my former teachers who haveunfailingly stepped up for the students. I can root forthe parents I see attending each and every meetingto support students. I can look up to the adults takingup leadership positions to protect the students ofSunol Glen School. Please. As a student, and as a young adult growing upin Sunol, I urge you, vote yes to the recall by July 2.T H E S U N O L I A N‘AS A STUDENT, I AM VULNERABLE’ he purpose of a school is to provide education and support to students. Sunol Glen School existsto help support children for the future. Instead,politics are taking over with school communitymembers being labeled as “outsiders”. You’veundoubtedly seen the campaign flyers in yourmailboxes making false claims that the parents,students, teachers that live outside of Sunol Glenboundaries are “outsiders” and are orchestrating theschool board recall. Their opinions are discreditedbased on where they live. What is their wrongdoing,other than loving the school and trying to fight for it? Sunol Glen School is not made up solely of Sunolians.These are not “outsiders”; these are valued voices inour school community that deserve respect. Parentsdeserve to be heard because their opinions matter.Their children go to this school. How are they not partof this community? How can they not care about theschool their children attend? Teachers and staff arealso valued members of the school community. Notall of them are Sunol residents, but take them awayand Sunol Glen School is no longer a school. Being aresident of Sunol does not entitle someone to havegreater authority in regards to the school community. As a former student of Sunol Glen I’ve watched everyschool board meeting over the past year online. Myparents have their opinions, and I’ve formed mineafter months of watching inaction, empty promises,and mistruths. Sunol Glen School is for the students.To quote Suzanne Salata Rawlings from one of theanti-recall fliers, the school board “do not work for theTeachers, the Staff, the Principal, or the Teacher’sunion”. The School Board should work for thestudents, the reason behind the school’s existence.But to work for the students, the School Board needsto be working with the teachers and staff, not againstthem. There are many who have lobbied criticism atteachers for caring about students, and daring toTPublic comments at June School Board meeting.SGUSD LivestreamJ U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 5

Board member as well as the schoolsuperintendent.)Linda has backed Ryan on all of this. She has alsocontributed to the media circus by encouragingattendance at Board meetings on social mediaplatforms for far right groups (giving herself as thepoint of contact), and haranguing school employeesin public.The flag issue is no longer the issue—it merelyexposed both Ryan and Linda’s inability to adequatelyserve as Board leaders and represent thiscommunity. This is not a personal attack on these finepeople as PEOPLE. I’m sure they are both nice tokittens. I am criticizing the actions of public officialswho have shown themselves to be incompetentpublic officials. (Yay for the Bill of Rights). At this point,I am completely uninterested in the flag ban. Rather, Iam looking forward to Board members who canopenly and transparently work on issues with theircommunity and school to arrive at compromises thateveryone can accept. That’s the issue.OPINIONG U E S T   E S S A YLaure Oka, ContributorT H E  S U N O L I A NWE’RE BEYOND THE PRIDE FLAG e are coming up to the recall election this July 2nd and comments have been flying back andforth on the local Sunol Facebook, both in support ofRyan and Linda and against them. The mainargument from Ryan and Linda’s supporters isfocused on support for Ryan’s resolution to ban allflags from the school grounds other than the UnitedStates and California flags mandated by law. However,reasons and support for the recall of these twoofficials goes into greater scope based on the ensuingactions of both Ryan and Linda.Previously, a less draconian flag measure wasproposed, but Ryan refused to consider it andrefused to work on a compromise. His flag resolutionhas banned all flags from appearing on schoolgrounds except for the US and state flags. Thatmeans ALL flags: Cub Scout flags, 4-H flags, gardenbanners, Kindness Week banners, flags from othercountries that a teacher might use in teaching,welcome flags that teachers had outside theirclassrooms--ALL OF THEM—even the banner theschool received as a California Distinguished School.It was a poorly written resolution, and Ryan’s truecolors were revealed in his refusal to work with hisconstituents for a compromise that everyone couldlive with, even though the Board received 47 emailsagainst this complete flag ban and 4 emails insupport of it. Ryan handled the ensuing media circusand uproar poorly—and even contributed to it withhis own television interviews — by lying on Boardminutes, violating the Brown Act, misusing publicresources to go after those who dared criticize hisactions—the list goes on. Later, it was revealed by awhistleblower that he had attempted to accessconfidential records of petition signers from theAlameda County Registrar of Voters by using theschool district’s attorney for his own personal gain.(Even now he refuses to acknowledge this attempt tomisuse Board resources, claiming the request wasdone on behalf of the school Board. This claim isundercut by his request for secrecy from anotherWBefore being stolen, the Pride flag hung along the school’sfence in 2021. Photo printed with permissionP A G E 6 J U N E  2 3 , 2 0 2 4

AdvertorialDenise Kent-RomoPeggy CarpenterGuin Van DykeVic Cloutier Liz Monti-Hall Don BallBob Foster Neil DaviesFormer Sunol Glen Trustees Endorse YESon Recall of Ryan Jergensen and Linda Hurleyin the July 2Special Election RecallT H E S U N O L I A NA school board’s measure of successOver the years, previous Sunol Glen trustees activelyworked to improve academics, ensuring a world classeducational environment with access to cutting edgetechnology and curriculum. Together, these trustees accomplished a wide-range ofgoals that to this day are still leaving an impact in theDistrict, including:Acquired laptops for every student and teacher,taking the educational environment from a 3:1 deviceratio to a 1:1 device ratio––well ahead of surroundingschool districts at the time of implementation.Built digital curriculum for students long before COVID.First district in the state to implement technicalupgrade + digital curriculum with existing districtcash flow, not with technical bond.Added a math teacher to provide advanced Algebrain middle school.Added electives including civics, language, arts,technology, and game theory.Implemented digital board policies & automatic updates.Introduced updated language, arts and mathcurriculum.Bought equipment: a kiln, 3D printer, and telescope.Built theater, music, and art programs.Launched new Social Justice committee.Upgraded all WiFi APs in the school, fortifyingconnectivity and broadening the coverage area bydoubling the number of APs on campus.Worked with Sunol Business Guild, CERT, and SunolRepertory Theatre to oversee record monetarydonations.Equipped Sunol Glen as first in the county to safely offerin person classes during the Covid pandemic.Updated library and media center materials.Supported STEM and arts curriculum updatesLaunched successful bond to plan for another 100years of SGUSDFounded Dillon’s Garden, an award winning schoolgardenAligned Sunol Glen for the honor of CaliforniaDistinguished SchoolInstalled new track, playing field, ball wall, and sportsequipmentSent teachers to NYC and to multiple curriculumcourses/trainingEnsured excellent fiscal health and budget due tocareful spendingMaintained a productive and healthy workingrelationship with the administration, teachers, andstaff at Sunol Glen.I t ’ s t i m e t o g e t b a c k t o w o r k .FormerTrustees say:‘Vote Yeson Recall’Former Trustees havethe training andexperience to be anaccurate gauge ofethical and professionalbehavior on the schoolboard, and they arevocal in notifying thecommunity howJergensen and Hurleyare not only failing attheir positions, butactively damaging theMike Picardschool with their decisions.Nine Former School Board Trustees thatknow the role and understand theresponsibilities associated with serving onthe School Board denounce TrusteesJergensen and Hurley. No formerTrustees publicly support Hurley andJergensen, and none defend them.J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 7

DIANA ROHINI, CONTRIBUTORT H E S U N O L I A NAs a certified California Naturalistand Environmental and OutdoorEducator, I’m invested in gettingyouth outdoors to learn. Over thepast few years, I have had theopportunity to take my teachingsto Dillon's Garden at Sunol GlenSchool as part of Garden Day, amonthly program for all thestudents to learn outdoors. Afterchatting with a member of mynature community, Amy Pistor, Idecided to try my hand at raisingbirds from egg to baby chick. Sheruns a program called The Joy ofHatching, which provides healthyeggs, an incubation kit, and aneducational curriculum for kids tolearn. While many folks decide toreturn the baby chicks with the kitso she can find them a homewithin her network, I decided towork with the school communityto find their forever homes inSunol. The first major choice was whattype of bird to raise. Joy had awide variety of chickens or quail tooffer. Many kids haven’t seenSunol School parent,Vikram Gupta, helped raisethe quail from egg to chicksand supervised as hisdaughter, Anoushka, builtthem a permanent coop.All Photos by: Diana RohiniQUAILER SWIFT ON TOUR IN SUNOLThe story of 7 quails from egg to adulthoodquails up close, so I selected to gofor Japanese quail eggs. Once wegot the hatching kit home, weallowed the eggs a day to settlebefore putting them into theincubator. Quail eggs takeapproximately 18 days to hatch.During incubation, your onlyresponsibility is adding water tokeep up the humidity, candling(using a flashlight to look beyondthe shell for growth activity), andpreparing the incubator beforethe quail hatch.The incubator automaticallyrotates the eggs and keeps thetemperature stable. After daynine, we candled the eggs tocheck on their development.There was nothing notablehappening. We didn’t see any ofthe 12 eggs developing. It was amoment of concern for us and thehatch master, Amy. She had uswait two more days and re-candlethe eggs. Shazam! Most of theeggs were showing development.These quails were alreadyshowing us that they were sassySunolian quails that would beactive only when they wished tobe active. We locked down the incubatoruntil the eggs were all hatched. Onthe anticipated hatch day, Feb 27,there was no activity. Even thenext day went without anyhatching. But on Feb 29th, all thequail eggs started shaking andwiggling, and little chips in theshells appeared. The quail chicksstarted hatching during thedaytime, and my kids watchedmost of them hatch live. It wasakin to watching a miraclehappen. Each egg would slowlybreak open, and a leg, wing, orbeak would emerge. Eventually, atiny, featherless precious chickwould stumble its way into theworld. Out of 12 eggs, eighthatched, but one didn’t survive itsfirst day. Seven chicks happilylearned how to walk, chirp, anddry themselves out.“Watching them hatch was sofascinating because these areliving things coming into the worldfor the first time. I loved watchingContinued on next pageP A G E 8 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

“Of course, I made sure not to tellmy husband Maurice. We lovethem. I now spend my time hand-delivering quail eggs aroundSunol. And he cleans the coopevery week!”Seven quails have found theirforever home in Sunol. Seven wassymbolic in ancient Near Easternculture and literature tocommunicate a sense ofcompleteness. And with that, thequail story is now complete. For more information on The Joyof Hatching, learn more at:https://www.joyofhatching.com/. Ifyou are interested in becoming acertified Environmental Educator,visit https://aeoe.org/EECP.Applications are accepted untilJune 30, 2024. T H E S U N O L I A Nthem,” Sunol Glen alumni and mydaughter, Anoushka Gupta noted.After all the eggs hatched, weremoved the young and quietchicks from the incubator to abrooder and used a heat plate tokeep them warm. Then theystarted eating and never stopped.Their eating habits are one of themessiest I have witnessed. Theythrow their food. They walk intheir food. And they are rude andwould steal food from each other.It is the same with sleeping. Theyoften sleep in a pile. They crawl allover each other with no regardand use each other as a step stoolto get to the top of the pilesometimes. They are nicer to eachother than most chickens, but notby much. As they grew older, weadjusted their coop, and theytreated each other better. Theywere getting more vocal whenthey felt a draft or were scared bya sound like a doorbell or a dogbarking. Quails chirp to let youknow you should pay attention tothem. They had already won ourhearts, so we were extremelyattentive to their every chirp. Finally, Garden Day arrived, andSunol Glen students learnedabout the quails’ habitat, eatinghabits, and predators. They alsocould touch the quails throughsmall holes in their portable coop.Lastly, students had a chance toname six of the quails. One quailname was named bySuperintendent Ms. Barnes, whonamed a quail after hergranddaughter, Bonnie. The othernames students picked werePepper, Spork, Mingus, Fluffy, andQuailer Swift.As soon as we started to promotethat the quail were looking forforever homes, Sunolian andformer Sunol Glen School boardmember, Vic Cloutier reached outto learn more. She was instantlyContinued from previous pageinterested, and we workedtogether on a plan for the quail.We got a coop kit and my kids,under the supervision of myhusband, put together the coop.Vic built a foundation for the coop,and we set up a time to drop offthe quail. Vic painted the coopand made up a fancy sign forthem. The quail took a little timeto adjust to their new, much largerhome with multi-levels but theyquickly figured out how good life iswith Vic and her family. Predatorsattempted to get into the cage,but it was well fortified, andnothing got in. “Quails are my favorite bird andhave amazing personalities. WhenI heard a covey of quails needed ahome, I just said yes,” Vic said.Top: Candling a quail egg to look for activity.Bottom: Quails can lay 10-20 eggs at one time.Photos by: Diana RohiniJ U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 9

While there are those of all opinions, views, and feelings onall sides of various issues, I pride myself on keeping thingscalm and on a rational and reasonable way of discussing.— RYAN JERGENSEN IN HIS CANDIDATE STATEMENT LASTSUMMER IN INCLINE VILLAGE, NEVADATop: Ryan Jergensen at a Sunol Glen school board meeting. Bottom:Screenshot of a portion of Ryan Jergensen’s November 30, 2023 Inform SunolLetter to the Editor. Right: Candidate statement for Jergensen as he ran for theTVHOA board, in Incline Village. Photo by: Ray Chavez, Bay Area News GroupT H E  S U N O L I A NLEARN TO RECOGNIZE POLITICAL PALTERINGPaltering, the art of misleading withtruthful statements, is prevalentamong those whose livelihoodsdepend on negotiation. In Sunol,residents on both sides of theissues have accused varioustrustees of active lying—anallegation that is difficult to prove—or lying by omission, which issomewhat easier to substantiate.However, instances of palteringhave also surfaced.A prime example can be found inJergensen’s Candidate Statementfor the TVHOA recall (facing page). Alocal Incline Village resident shareda photo of the document with us,and while some may be aghast atthe information he has written inthe statement, nothing thatJergensen wrote is untrue:“We were very excited this lastyear to become residentsinstead of just visitors.”Individuals may reside in more thanone state—while there are taximplications, this practice isperfectly legal. However, only oneresidence can be designated astheir domicile. Notice thatJergensen does not specify “full timeresidents”––anyone reading hisstatement, however, might be likelyto assume that he is.“This is now our ”home” insteadof our “home mountain”The clever use of quotes is likely todenote a concept, or an abstractidea. It’s clever––and is thereforetruthful.“Rachel is an elementary andspecial education teacher whotaught for several years in theBay Area.”Two things here are workingtogether that might give theappearance that Jergensen nolonger resides in California––theuse of present tense in the firststatement “Rachel is an elementaryand Special Education teacher” andthen later the use of past tense,Trustee’s narrative is like a ‘choose your adventure’––with a lot of details left outContinued from cover page“who taught for several years inthe Bay Area.” It could give aresident in TVHOA the impressionthat Jergensen’s wife, Rachel, worksas a teacher in Nevada since she’sno longer teaching in California,thereby bolstering the notion tovoters that the Jergensens live inthe community full time.“In our kids’ school district, Iam a member of the schoolboard.”Also, a true statement––butJergensen never elaborates wherethat district is, and many voters inIncline might subconsciouslyassume it’s with a local schoolboard.“I am a dentist practicing parttime in Fremont.”Jergensen’s part time classificationmay or may not be true, we werenot able to verify this. But what’snotable is that the stateabbreviation is not included afterthe city name––small details likethis can lead readers to a desiredoutcome, such as not associatingJergensen as an ‘outsider’.Continued on page 13P A G E 1 0 J U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4

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T H E S U N O L I A NIn Jergensen’s recall petition, he highlights issues with Short-Term Rental (STR) parking allotments–presumablyJergensen was frustrated with the board restricting parking. This was a strongly divided issue for the community in2023. Photo submitted by Incline Village residentContinued on next page TVHOA RECALL WAS OVER PARKING RESTRICTIONS...P A G E 1 2 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

T H E  S U N O L I A N...AND JERGENSEN HAD HOPES TO INCREASE SPOTSOriginal Application PermitAn attempt to ‘draw’ in an extra parking spotwas not overlookedAs vacation properties in the Tahoe area have surged, it hascreated ongoing parking and other issues. Attempts haveincreased to bypass rules impacting short-term rental (STR)income potential. According to information shared with TheSunolian and available online for Washoe County, Jergensen’soriginal application shows parking in front of the rental (shownin diagram at left), with one assigned spot (yellow) and twoothers indicated in red. However, the top spot in red appears tobe drawn in and illegitimate, as confirmed by the aerial photo inthe assessor’s records (above).Jergensen’s STR application (bottom left) also contains severalerrors: the habitable space is listed as 1,536 square feet (it’sactually 915), the maximum occupancy requested was for 10,and the maximum parking spaces requested is 4. Parkingspaces are based on maximum occupancy, which isdetermined by the habitable space. In Jergensen’s case, theassessor granted a permit for a maximum occupancy of 4 andparking space of 1, based off the corrected habitable space.
All applicants are provided a guide to work from.

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T H E S U N O L I A NBUT IT’S NOT JUST THE PARKING THAT’S A PROBLEMPrimary residence homeowners qualify for tax break––but STRs do notAt a County Commissioner’smeeting in Washoe County lastDecember, many people showedup in person and remotely to voicetheir complaints about a myriad ofreasons over STRs. In addition toparking and noise issues, somepointed out problematic tax rateenforcement.Linda Smith, a homeowner inIncline Village’s Tyrolian Village, saidsome of her neighbors already lieabout using their homes as primaryresidences to get a lower propertytax rate while actually using it as afull-time STR; giving them discountson permits as had been proposedwould further reward thosehomeowners for their dishonesty. This had also been discussed in anemail after the county had hostedan STR Workshop in November(seen at right) where it was pointedout that Jergensen’s short-termrental property had a fraudulent taxstatus as a “primary residence”,thereby claiming a lower rate (3%)instead of being listed as a short-term rental (8%). A condition wasplaced onto Jergensen’s STR permitrenewal in February (seen above)and shortly afterwards the taxstatus was updated.Continued from previous pageP A G E 1 4 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

N.B. BURKE, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTBy the beginning of the23-24 school year, a new2-person conservativeboard majority was inplace and determinedthe most pressing issuefor the school was topass a resolution to limitflags flown at the Districtto just the US and stateflags in order to avoid“costly lawsuits”. Thisnow long-termresolution is  effectivelyacting as a policychange, and wouldstand in contradiction toBoard Policy 6115,which states that “theboard may pass aresolution to authorizethe display of symbolicflags or banners insupport of specificawareness months.”But was Sunol legally susceptible in the firstplace? With thecommunity fractured,they are left to decide:Has this all just beenwasteful governance?These agencies reactedto a 2022 SupremeCourt ruling commonlyreferred to as Shurtleff v.Boston by adjusting theirpolicies accordingly––allowing them to remainlegally protected whilethey continue toannually hang theLGBTQIA Progress Flagin the month of Junewithout running afoul ofthe law. None havelanded in court forhaving done so.In June 2021, the SunolGlen school board atthe time passed aresolution to recognizeJune as Pride month. Nopublic disruptions ofmeetings occurred andno national newscoverage ensued. At thetime, theboard seemingly gotback to work, whichincluded the arduoustask of bringingstudents back to inperson instruction afterCOVID for the Fall of the21-22 school year.Continues on next pageWHAT DO THESEPUBLIC AGENCIESHAVE IN COMMON?Federal, State & CountyUS EconomicDevelopmentAdministrationUS Department ofEducationState of CaliforniaCathedral CityCity of Agoura HillsCity of AlbanyCity of American CanyonCity of ArcataCity of ArtesiaCity of AthertonCity of Bell GardensCity of BelmontCity of BeniciaCity of BurlingameCity of CalexicoCity of Castro ValleyCity of Chula VistaCity of ConcordCity of CupertinoCity of Daly CityCity of DublinCity of Foster CityCity of FremontCity of FresnoCity of FullertonCity of GoletaCity of Half Moon BayCity of HaywardCity of HealdsburgCity of Hermosa BeachCity of Imperial ValleyCity of LivermoreCity of Long BeachCity of Los AltosCity of Los AngelesCity of MantecaCity of Mill ValleyCity of MilpitasCity of ModestoCity of MontereyCity of Mountain ViewCity of Nevada CityCity of NewarkCity of NorwalkCity of NovatoCity of OaklandCity of OceansideCity of OjaiCity of PacificaCity of Palo AltoCity of PasadenaCity of PleasantonCity of Redondo BeachCity of Redwood CityCity of San CarlosCity of San DiegoCity of San FernandoCity of San FranciscoCity of San RafaelCity of Santa ClaraCity of Santa RosaCity of SaratogaCity of SeasideCity of SoledadCity of South SanFranciscoCity of StanfordNapa CountyAdministration BuildingSchools & UniversitiesAntelope Valley CollegeCal State FresnoCal State Long BeachCal State Monterey BayCastro Valley USDCulver City USDDublin USD (PDFdownloaded)Fremont USDHayward USDLivermore USDLong Beach City CollegeLos Angeles COENewark USDOxnard USDPajaro Valley USDPUSD (PDF downloaded)San Diego CCDSan Diego USDSan Diego-MiramarCollegeSan Mateo-Foster CityUSDSanta Ana USDSanta Barbara City CollegeSanta Clara UniversitySanta Cruz COESonoma State UniversityUC MercedUniversity of SouthernCaliforniaLocal GovernmentAgenciesAlameda County FireDepartmentBerkeley PoliceDepartmentHuntington Health Cedar-SinaiLawrence BerkeleyNational LaboratoryLeague of Women Voters -BerkeleyNapa County Health &Human Services AgencySan Jose PoliceDepartmentSandia NationalLaboratoriesSanta ClaraTransportation AuthorityCity of StocktonCity of SunnyvaleCity of TracyCity of Union CityCity of VacavilleCity of VenturaCity of VistaCity of Walnut CreekCity of WoodsideCounty of San MateoCounty of SonomaEvery building operatedby Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County Dept.of Public Social Services*Not an exhaustive listT H E  S U N O L I A NJ U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E  1 5

AN ACCOUNTING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD’SACHIEVEMENTS––OR LACK THEREOFT H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from page 15Misguided Focus and HijackedMeetings“I think it’s outrageous that on theheels of a flood that washedseveral of our school classroomsoff their foundations, members ofthe board were working overtimeto instill a conservative agendanobody asked for,” an individualassociated with the school said oncondition of anonymity.When we pressed on this detailand the fact at least one parentand a few community membersseemed genuinely interested inreviewing and addressing topicssuch as book censorship, genderidentity parental notification, aswell as the LGBTQIA+ ProgressFlag, the source relents but with alaugh: “Oh sure, let’s curtaildisaster recovery discussions thatdeeply impact the entire Sunolcommunity in favor of a fewindividuals. Sounds like a specialinterest group to me.”There have also been individualswithout ties to the communitywho have attended boardmeetings and made numerouscomments on these items. Someare affiliated with organizationslike the Mid-Peninsula RepublicanWomen Federated and theAmerican Federation for Children,and are known for attendingpublic meetings across the BayArea, often addressing similartopics wherever they appear andseemingly stealing time fromresidents and school parents whowould like to have a voice withintheir own communities, but endup feeling deprioritized amongsta sea of outside commenters.Misrepresentation RoadshowFrom the beginning, TrusteeLinda Hurley was pilloried forusing her position on the boardto misrepresent the district inother public meetings,specifically, in San Ramon ValleyUnified School District whereHurley took it upon herself tomake assertions on behalf ofSunol’s board in regard to a bookthat has since been confirmeddoes not exist as a part ofSunol’s K-8 curriculum nor is itavailable in their school library.Many parents took issue withHurley’s participation at the SanRamon meeting and that she didso on behalf of the district. “Ourdistrict bylaws state that whenspeaking to community groups,members of the public or themedia, individual boardmembers should recognize thattheir statements may beperceived as reflecting the viewsand positions of the board,” ErinChoin, a parent of two SunolGlen School students, told theboard back in April of 2023, asshe read from a statement thatwas supported by 41 Sunolparents.“Board members have aresponsibility to identify theirpersonal viewpoints as such andnot the viewpoint of the board,”Choin added.Misguided Disaster MitigationAmid growing dissent fromconcerned parents throughout2023 and into 2024 over theconservative agenda of Hurleyand Board President RyanJergensen, Sunol's boardmeetings have largely avoidedcrucial discussions about thedistrict’s ongoing federal andContinued on next pageThroughout this entire recall process, one can’t help butnotice there are two realities––Ryan’s reality and the truth.At this point, I’m not surprised to hear that Ryan has publiclybeen claiming the Sunol recall is an undemocratic ventureled by outsiders, while privately leading the charge on aseparate recall as an “outsider” himself. The hypocrisy can’tstand any longer. We deserve honesty, integrity andtransparency from our elected officials. It’s time for a newstart in Sunol.— AARON ROTH, PARENT OF A SUNOL GLENSTUDENTPeople can feel however they want want about Mr. Jergensenand Mrs. Hurley. At the end of the day, feelings don’tmatter––facts do.— CRYSTAL DIAMOND, PARENT OF A SUNOL GLEN STUDENTP A G E 1 6 J U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4

“Let’s say there’s no bridge at all, we would still seeflooding on the site because the creek conveyancecapacity is not enough––it’s not wide enough.”— SRAVAN PALADUGU OF BKF ENGINEERS RESPONDING TOTRUSTEE LINDA HURLEY‘S INQUIRY ABOUT CALTRANS‘ BRIDGEREPLACEMENT PROJECT SOLVING THE SCHOOL‘S FLOODING ISSUESA BRIDGE TOO FAR: HURLEY HAS A BONE TO PICKWITH CALTRANST H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pagestate recovery funding. Thisneglect persists despite repeatedadvisories from the district’s bondconsultant, architecture firm, civilengineer, and facilities managerthat flood mitigation is mandatoryfor projects within the floodplain.Notably, ongoing funding fromFEMA and CalOES is expected tocover these mitigation costsentirely.Hurley has seemed focusedinstead on unsubstantiated floodprevention strategies as a meansto cut down on costs––but hasnot asked how the Federal andState-funded disaster recoveryinitiatives would alleviate them. Infact, no board member seems tograsp or ask with any regularityabout the details or timelines ofthe school's ongoing FEMArelated projects and therequirements that surroundgetting them funded.Nonetheless, Hurley raisedeyebrows during a Februarymeeting earlier this year whenasking about the Arroyo de laLaguna Bridge Project led byCalTrans. She touted the project'spotential to bolster floodprevention measures, asserting,"This bridge extends quite a bitwider and will allow for quite a bitmore water flow, so the floodingthat took place here at the schoolis expected not to happen again."However, Hurley provided nosupporting data to back her claimthat the CalTrans bridge wouldhave any impact on the currentfloodplain.In subsequent meetings, BillSavidge, the district’s principalbond consultant from K12 SchoolFacilities, and Lowell Hoxie, theschool’s facilities manager,underscored the necessity of aflood hydrology study mandatedby the Division of the StateArchitect (DSA) in order for oneof the school’s recovery projectsto move forward.By April, Sravan Paladugu of BKFEngineers presented thecompleted hydrology findings tothe board, cautioning that theCalTrans bridge project wouldnot sufficiently prevent floodingduring major events as Hurleyhas claimed. He noted, "With thewider span, you will have lessbackwater effect through yoursite, but that in itself is notenough to avoid flooding of thesite." Paladugu clarified further,stating: “Let’s say there’s nobridge at all, we would still seeflooding on the site because thecreek conveyance capacity is notenough––it’s not wide enough.”With the board’s infighting andmisguided focus, many parentsare deeply concerned that notmuch will be achieved by thecurrent trustees exceptdistracting the district fromachieving crucial goals which cannegatively impact the educationaloutcomes of Sunol students. Themost recent CaliforniaDashboard data for the schoolyear 22-23, indicates that SunolGlen performs well above thestate standards overall in bothEnglish Language Arts and Math.Legal Fees: Ka-Ching!As board members turn up theheat on each other, a bevy oflegal firms have made the roundsadvising on everything from whatContinued on next pageJ U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E  1 7

$106K dollars could have paid for 8.3 yearsworth of...science camp. $106K dollarswould have sent the entire staff for LETRStraining. $106K dollars would haveprovided brand new Chromebooks for everystudent in this school and every staffmember a new digital curriculum. $106Kdollars would have paid for one electiveteacher at a starting rate of $85K pluscurriculum.— FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER VICCLOUTIER, ENUMERATING THE WAYSDISTRICT LEGAL FEES COULD HAVE BEENSPENT ON EDUCATION INITIATIVES FORSTUDENTSis typical in any given year, to whatis not, such as an increase inPublic Records Act requests(PRAs), monthly Board MeetingAgenda development, Brown Actviolation accusations, releasingattorney-client privilegedcommunications, and complaintslobbed at school districtemployees. Throughout thediscourse, one firm (KB Legal)even terminated services with thedistrict shortly after BoardPresident Jergensen made arequest of the lawyer to accessthe private petition signatures forhis own recall and to keep hisrequest a secret.Sunol resident Chris Bobertz, hasbeen keeping track of those legalfees. In the school year 2020-21,the district’s fees totaled justunder $16k, while in 2021-22,they hovered around $10k. Thenin 2022-23, the costs just start tocreep up at $24k, which issomewhat expected due to theschool’s bond and the need forlegal oversight. However, the2023-24 school year has had awhopping $106k in legal feessubmitted so far, and that’s withthe Alameda County Office ofEducation (ACOE) reimbursingtheir portion of legal fees to theDistrict.As one Sunol resident in aFacebook comment said: “Couldhire a whole extra teacher withthose fees.”The recent recall in TemeculaValley of conservative schoolboard President JosephKomrosky, also highlightedwasteful spending, claiming thatunnecessary spending on“personal, political projects havedone nothing to improve theeducational opportunities of [its]students.” Those witnessingSunol’s rising legal fees are likelyto share the same concerns. In an interview with Jeff Pack, anorganizer for the recall inTemecula, he advised that votersfrom all sides need to stayfocused on two things: Does iteducate kids? And, is there aproblem, or are we creating one?“These types of board members,they’re just trying to create chaosin order to dismantle and defundContinued from previous pagepublic school education,” he said.In Sunol, Jergensen and Hurleyboth face increasing scrutiny forallegedly overshadowinglegitimate concerns and drivingup legal costs in the district,prompting accusations ofneglecting broader communityinterests in favor of their ownsingular, costly issues that havelittle to no educational benefit. Posing with anti-educationactivistsIn April 2024, around the sametime Hurley promoted her theorythat the new CalTrans bridgewould solve the school’s floodingissues, she was also addingcommentary about the schooldistrict at an American Leadershipseminar in San Leandro,facilitated by The SettlementProject. This organization aims tocounter “destructive forces”through its own outreach, statingin part of its mission that “thiswork is carried out througheducation and advocacy targetingeducational institutions, politics,media, big tech and communistregimes.”T H E S U N O L I A NLEGAL COSTS RISE NEARLY SEVEN TIMES SINCE 2020Continued on next pageP A G E 1 8 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

“Education should be rewired to bepredominantly a family or community (acollection of families) affair. I believe thestate is not needed in education, and thatlarge educational institutions are passeand no longer appropriate or helpful.”— PRESIDENT FRANK KAUFMAN ESPOUSINGHIS THOUGHTS ON PUBLIC SCHOOLEDUCATION ON HIS PERSONAL BLOG,WEBSITES AND YOUTUBE ACCOUNT, ASWELL AS IN PERSON AT HIS SEMINARST H E S U N O L I A NContinues from previous pageTrustee Linda Hurley sits for a group photo in front of The Settlement Project‘s President Frank Kaufmann this pastApril in San Leandro. Kaufmann supports defunding public education. Still frame from April seminarThe content description for theseminar that Hurley participatedin said that it would “clearlyexplain three post-Marxist forcesinvested in destroying America.The Chinese Communist Party,the Woke Progressive Left, andthe Transhumanist agenda fortechnological totalitarianism(World Economic Forum). Theyare all different, but collaborate todestroy America.”Near the end of the seminar,Hurley posed for a group photowith attendees and speakers,including The Settlement ProjectPresident and event moderatorFrank Kaufmann. Kaufmann,known for his views on publiceducation, frequently expresseson his blog, websites, lectures andYouTube channel that “Educationshould be rewired to bepredominantly a family orcommunity (a collection offamilies) affair. I believe the stateis not needed in education, andthat large educational institutionsare passe and no longerappropriate or helpful.”It is unclear how Trustee Hurleymay view the outreach of thisseminar and The SettlementProject’s educational philosophyas a benefit to the students in thedistrict of Sunol.Promulgating false claims During the seminar, Hurleyshared her perspective on theissues at Sunol Glen School andupcoming recall. She began bystating, “They took down theCalifornia State flag and flew theProgress Pride flag at our school.That Superintendent/Principal,who is now leaving of her ownaccord, is responsible for that.And she wants to throw themaintenance guy under the bus.”Hurley was referring to LowellHoxie, the facilities manager, whoclarified at the March schoolContinued on next pageJ U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 1 9

RECALLS OUST THOSE WHO DEFUND EDUCATIONVIA ‘PERSONAL, POLITICAL PROJECTS’T H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pageboard meeting just a month priorthat the state flag was notremoved to make way for thePride flag, but was being replaceddue to damage. However, Hoxieand Superintendent Barnes wereinterrupted as they attempted toexplain the situation, with BoardPresident Jergensen cutting themoff to move on to other speakers.When verifying her quote fromthe meeting for this article,Barnes stated “Yes, our schoolfacilities supervisor, Lowell Hoxie,had taken down the California flagearlier, as it was ripped. He hadordered a new one that had notyet arrived. So it was inaccuratefor people to claim that we had‘removed the California flag inorder to put the pride flag up’.That is 100% untrue.”Political projectionExasperated, Hurley also broughtattention to a political robotext––a standard endorsement practiceregulated by the FCC and utilizedby all political parties––that theAlameda County DemocraticCentral Committee sent out totargeted Sunol voters thatencouraged them to "sign thepetition and influence anybodythey could." However, minuteslater she told the seminaraudience about her owngrassroots efforts, stating, "Talkingone-on-one to people is the wayI’m having influence. So I’mknocking on doors––it’s takenmany, many hours."At one point, Hurley falselyclaimed that the Democratic Partyfunded $4 million to remove twoconservative members from theOrange County School Board.According to EdSource andverified by sources in OrangeCounty, more than 85% of the$227,000 raised by recallsupporters came from over 400individuals, with most of theremaining funds coming fromteachers' unions. In contrast,large conservative organizationsprimarily funded the oppositionto the recall, with only a third ofanti-recall donations coming fromindividuals.In similar fashion, Sunol’s recallcommittee recently informed thecommunity that its own specialelection had since been fundedafter residents raised nearly $20kto cover costs. Hurley attemptedto circumvent these donations atthe June 18 board meeting, saying“As late as today, actually, at thesupervisor’s board meeting thequestion of whether private fundscould be used to defray electioncosts came into question. I haveactually been advised to get legalapproval for this and I don’t knowif we need an election attorney tolook at this and state whetherthere’s any issues with this,” thenasserted that “we can’t approvethese…yet––at least, that is myrecommendation.”Romo disagreed: “I would notsuggest that we would not acceptthe donations, especially given thecriticisms that have been placedby the anti-recall about the costto the district for holding this[election]. It seemscounterintuitive to say we aregoing to try to figure out a waynot to accept money to pay for it.”Likewise, Jergensen also did nottake issue with the funds andmotioned to approve with Romoseconding and Hurley abstaining.Meeting minutes mayhemIn a surprising development thisFebruary, The Sunolian, along with
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This would also mean that in theJune 18 censure of Romo putforth by Trustee Hurley, andpassed by both she andJergensen, the assertion in thethird Whereas which states“taking it upon himself the abilityto revise and submit our boardmeeting minutes, as revealed in aPRA request that shows 99 pagesof email exchanges to and fromMs. Barnes and Miki Whitfield,also not authorized” is incorrect.The topic has come up in severalmeetings to date, but was mostexplosive during the June 18meeting when public commenterRodney Zeiss attempted to makethe same accusation, promptingthe school’s AdministrativeAssistant, Miki Whitfield, tointerject, leading both Jergensenand Zeiss to cross-talk oneanother as people in theaudience began to join in. Fromthe podium Zeiss eventuallyyelled out to the room, “Stop––I’mtalking––shut up!”
Clarifying her perspective viaemail after the meeting, Whitfieldsaid that Romo had beenproofreading the draft meetingminutes at her request beforethey were placed on theagenda––a standard process shehad done with previous boardSCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS KEEP VOLLYING
T H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pageInform Sunol and The PleasantonWeekly, received a 99-page PublicRecords Request (PRA) via emailfrom ‘Ralf Johnson’. The requesturged our publications toinvestigate his claims that TrusteeRomo had allegedly lied aboutediting the draft meeting minutes.Johnson had a serious concernthat Romo lied at the Februaryboard meeting during thisexchange with Jergensen:Jergensen:"I think we could point out againthat you've been amending theminutes prior to the board gettingthem which is against thebylaws––"Romo:"That's not true, that's a lie."Johnson asserted that “based onmy PRA request, it proves Mr.Romo has for sure been editingthe minutes since he came intooffice,” which Johnson cites asevidence that Romo lied duringthe above exchange. However,the basic rules of grammarindicate that when Romo claimedJergensen’s accusation was “a lie”,he was responding to the relativeclause in Jergensen’s statement:‘which is against the bylaws.’After examining board bylaw9324, we found no indication thatediting a draft of the meetingminutes prior to the regularmeeting is against the board’spolicy. In response to ourquestioning, Romo asserted thesame.In other words: we have foundRomo’s statement to be true andJergensen’s statement to be false,and this is supported by theboard’s own bylaw as currentlywritten.members over the years. Due torising tensions with the currentboard in December 2023, shewas advised to attach unproofeddraft minutes to the followingmeeting’s agenda for boardapproval.Then in January 2024, draftminutes were provided toJergensen along with othermaterials, and Whitfield informedhim about the proofreadingprocess involving Romo and otherschool board predecessors.Whitfield emphasized that thispractice was transparent and onlybecame an issue amid boarddysfunction. She then refutedclaims in the censure resolutionof Romo that he underhandedlyrevised and submitted draftminutes, citing email evidence.Whitfield acknowledged that shewrongly interrupted Zeisse duringhis public comment andemphasized her ongoingcommitment to transparency andaccuracy in documentation.District can speak for itselfFor some, the most scurrilousclaims hearken back to the prideflag. At the June 18 school boardmeeting, retired judge Joe Hurleyaddressed the topic during publiccomment, echoing statementsContinued on next pageJ U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E 2 1

SUPREME COURT: GOV’T CAN SPEAK FOR ITSELFT H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pagehe had made just days earlier inInform Sunol. In both instances,he referenced the Shurtleff v.Boston case while summarizingtwo distinctive measures of theFirst Amendment:“If it is a local government likea city council or school board,there are some flags thatcannot go up (any flag withreligious connotations orundebatable negativeconnotations such as aterrorist organization).Otherwise if any flag is to beflown in the public square,then the public entity has tofly all other requested flags inturn. For the most part, it is allor nothing.”1.“When the governmentspeaks for itself, the FirstAmendment does notdemand airtime for all views.”2.Is it possible in a scenario definedby option number 1 (in the publicsquare) to be modified with a setof regulating language, therebyreclassifying its definition tooption number 2 (governmentspeaks for itself)?Shurtleff v. Boston already providesthis answer:“[The City of] Boston could easilyhave done more to make clear itwished to speak for itself byraising flags. Other cities’ flagflying policies support ourconclusion. The City of San Jose,California, for example, providesin writing that its ‘flagpoles are notintended to serve as a forum forfree expression by the public,’ andlists approved flags that may beflown ‘as an expression of theCity’s official sentiments.’“All told, while the historicalpractice of flag flying atgovernment buildings favorsBoston, the city’s lack ofmeaningful involvement in theselection of flags or the crafting oftheir messages leads us to classifythe flag raisings as private, notgovernment, speech—thoughnothing prevents Boston fromchanging its policies goingforward.”This is why on page 15 of this issueof The Sunolian lists over 100federal, state, county and localpublic agencies, including schooldistricts, that have this year flownthe pride flag in the month ofJune––because nothing preventedthem from changing their policiesin order to do so, and thosepolicies are legally defensibleaccording to all 9 Supreme Courtjustices in their unanimousdecision.Continued on next pageNothing prevents Boston––or Sunol––from changing its policy to fly pride flagP A G E 2 2 J U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4

BARELY ANY FORWARD MOMENTUM FOR STUDENTS H E  S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pageShifting narrative behindresolutionIn September of last year, TrusteeRomo attempted to add analternative resolution to theschool board meeting agenda forreview. This move directlychallenged a resolution proposedby Jergensen at the time, whodenied Romo's request, andclaimed his resolution was themost legally defensible option forthe district. Subsequently, thetwo-person conservative majorityon the board voted to adoptJergensen’s resolution.Then in October, Jergensen madeconflicting statements, indicatingit was a political motive behind hisresolution. In an interview withFox News, he said the measureaimed to shift the school's focusaway from partisan politics andtowards education. Ten monthslater, with a recall looming, theBoard appears more entangled inpartisan disputes than ever, withlittle focus on educationaloutcomes.A compromise came––andwentThis past May, Romo published arevised version of his proposedresolution in Inform Sunol.Although the board's Maymeeting agenda included an itemregarding his revised resolution,Jergensen did not allow the draftresolution itself to be included.Romo’s latest proposal seems tooffer a sound and rationalcompromise between the twofactions of the board. It wouldkeep the pride flag off theDistrict’s sole flagpole whileallowing the Superintendent ordesignee to authorize the displayof flags and banners elsewhereon campus, designating suchdecisions as “governmentalspeech of the district.”The rationale behind adoptingresolutions to address flagdisputes, however, remainsunclear. Typically, when aresolution aims to establish long-term standards or guidelinesacross a school district, it shouldbe formalized as a policy toensure stability and uniformapplication. Both the adoptedresolution and Romo’s revisedresolution appear to establishconsistent standards for thedistrict. Instead, the board couldformalize a flag policy for thedistrict, as no such policycurrently exists, but little faithexists that the current boardcould ever come to anagreement.Policy-making according toCSBAThe district collaborates with theCalifornia School BoardsAssociation (CSBA) on policycreation, revision, andimplementation. A key benefit ofCSBA’s Policy DevelopmentWorkshops is the incorporation ofunique local perspectives intopolicy manuals, allowing districtsto modify optional language toreflect their own philosophies andpractices.This flexibility likely explains whymany California school districtshave flag policies permittingcommemorative flags, either onthe official flagpole or displayedelsewhere. Outside of legallymandated policies from state andfederal governments, schooldistricts have the authority tocustomize policy language to alignwith their community's interests.Bait and switchAt the May meeting as a part ofher requested censure of Romo,Hurley lodged the accusation thathe had made a threat in his emailcommunication toward LindseyMoore with KB Legal, in regard tohis request that she provide himwith copies of all legalcommunications. The emails werethen provided to the board andresulted in Romo publishingJergensen’s surprising request inwhich he asked Moore to secretlyobtain the recall petitionsignatures of local residents fromthe Registrar of Voters.At the encouragement of Romo,Hurley then read out the entiretyof the supposed threateningemail, which we have confirmedwas sent from Trustee Romo toLindsey Moore of KB Legal;Superintendent/Principal MolleenBarnes; and Bob Tuerck of CSBA:“Recognizing that you and your firmare engaged by the Sunol Glen USDand its board of trustees, and notby or for any individual trustee inhis/her singular capacity as amember of the board or otherwiseindividually, would you pleaseprovide to me copies of allcommunications to and from youand/or your firm, or issuedsubsequently, with any boardmember and/or the District.” “As this is not a request forparticular legal advice, but ratherfor copies of any communication(whether legal advice or otherwise)issued or to be issued and/orotherwise provided or to beprovided between you and/or yourfirm and any member of the boardor the District, Board Bylaw 9124(Attorney) does not apply to limitthis demand.”“Accordingly, as one of the membersof the board of trustees, I amentitled to see and know all suchcommunications exchanged now orin the future with the board and/orthe District. I have no concern if youContinued on next pageJ U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E 2 3

determine to share, as youhave previously, suchcommunications not onlywith me but with allmembers of the board.”“If for any reason you believethat you cannot fully complywith the foregoing, please letme know as soon as possibleso that I can consider furtherlegal and/or other optionsand actions.”Determining which part ofthe email Hurleyconsidered a threat ischallenging. It is alsoperplexing why anyone,especially a lawyer such asRomo, would send awritten threat via email totwo other lawyers. Theprovided statementsappear to be formalrequests that arecommonplace betweenthose who work in law,rather than explicit threats.At both the May and Junemeetings Hurley expressedher that she believedRomo’s language was athreat that caused Mooreto terminate her services,but after public comments,she moved to strike thatlanguage from the officialcensure, stating: “I will takethat out because it is someconjecture.”All of this time and energy,scourge and outrage overlittle more than speculativefearmongering––perhapsthat’s the point.FROM‘THREAT’ TOCONJECTUREIN THE BLINKOF AN EYET H E  S U N O L I A NFrom previous page11-Day Vote Center Hours:Jun 22 - Jul 01, 20249:00 AM to 5:00 PMJul 02, 2024 (Election Day)7:00 AM to 8:00 PMP A G E 2 4 J U N E  2 3 ,  2 0 2 4

11-DAY POLLING STATION BRINGS CHEERS AND JEERST H E  S U N O L I A NTop Left: Irene Martin taking issue at having her photo takenoutside of Sunol Glen‘s polling center. Rest: Former Sunol Glenstudent Lilly Cloutier and recent UC Santa Barbara grad,proudly wears the pride flag to cast her vote in at the school,accompanied by her mother, Vic Cloutier. Alameda CountyRegistrar of Voters Poll Workers welcomed them with smiles.All Photos by Andrew Turnbull, publisher of Inform Sunol.J U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E  2 5

T H E S U N O L I A NFarm to TableDIANA ROHINI, CONTRIBUTORWith ominous clouds in Sunol’sskies and weather reportspredicting rain, it wasn’t lookingpromising when I set off for mySalad Workshop at Happy AcreFarm in Sunol, CA. Would I reallylearn anything new about salads?Would I be cold and miserable?"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." ~ HippocratesWould my idea of a fun weekenddate with my husband go bust? Ihad a lot of questions andthoughts while I was rolling intothe Sunol Canyon. It was my first visit to Happy AcreFarm. I turned the corner into theWater Temple’s agricultural area,where it is located, and was welcomed by Happy Acre Farm’sco-owner, Farmer Matt, and hisnewborn child, waving us towardsthe class location. As soon as weparked our car, the clouds openedup and sunshine began to warmup the day. It was 1 pm, I had justeaten lunch, and the last thing onContinued on next pageHappy Acre Farms in Sunol, CA. All photos by Diana RohiniP A G E 2 6 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

T H E  S U N O L I A NLETTUCE CELEBRATE THE GREENS:SALAD WORKSHOPS AT HAPPY ACRE FARMContinued from previous pagemy mind was eating a salad fordessert. I figured I would makesome salad to bring home andconsume later.The strolling tour of the farmstarted the day off. A mix ofpeople from parents tocommunity members to kidstagging along came to learn more.The walking tour was anopportunity to work up anappetite and learn more aboutSunol farming. We toured thebeautiful beds of flowers, whichwere starting to fully bloom. Welearned about the types offlowers, the seasons of theflowers, the care of flowers, andedible flowers and discussed thewildflowers growing in an adjacentfield. The group was escorted intothe large greenhouse on the farm,which felt like a hot yoga studio.Our tour of the building was briefbut gave us a chance to see all thevarious stages of seeds andseedlings getting ready for theseason. Happy Acre Farm’sgreenhouse was pretty specialgiven it featured a disco ball at thecenter of the structure. I left thegreenhouse thinking about coolnames for the structure likeSunol’s Discothèque, Disco SeedDays, or Making Seeds Dance. Mymind was whirling.Salad Workshop attendeeslearned about the farm’s newlyacquired equipment, such as theirbackhoe. It was shocking to findout that everything was donemanually until recently. The laborto put down mulch, dig ditches,and lay down irrigation must havebeen backbreaking. The tourcontinued with a walk around thevegetable fields includingdiscussions around insect control,keeping animals at bay, how theypractice sustainability on the farm,and how beds are shifted to keepthe soil in good condition. FarmerMatt shared their hopes anddreams of expanding their farm toa larger footprint, hopefully in thecoming years. Attendees askedquestions throughout the tour sowhen we returned to the outdoorkitchen area to start the salad-making part of the workshop,people felt more knowledgeableabout the farm and the salad theywere preparing.There were approximately 20participants in the class, includinga few kids. Kids participated at nocost. Farmer Helena took overleading the salad and dressing-making part of the class. Many ofthe instructions were lessprescriptive and more suggestive.She stressed that salad anddressing making is about personalpreferences and developingthings to eat that work within ourown palette and what is in season.Try new things, she implored.We had the ingredients in front ofus and she gave us generalguidelines and let us have at it. Wemade and tried three saladdressing and salad combinations.It was presented as a salad andContinued on next pageTop Left: A workshop menu lists out the day's lessons. Middle: Laying out fresh ingredients for prep. Right: Pullingeverything together into a colorful, tasty creation good for any meal––even breakfast!J U N E 2 3 ,  2 0 2 4 P A G E  2 7

T H E S U N O L I A NContinued from previous pagedressing pairing, similar to a wine and food pairing.We used Happy Acre Farm’s own Olive Oil for ourdressing and got to take home the rest of our bottle,too. The oil is rich and flavorful. Quality oil reallymakes a big difference. I learned a lot in my saladclass. Things I Learned at Happy Acre Farm’s SaladWorkshop: Salad is a legitimate breakfast Food. A largesalad is a great way to start your day withnutrient-dense foods. Salads for breakfast mightseem unusual to those in the USA, but in placeslike the Middle East and Mediterranean, they arecommonplace.1.Rediscover foods. Retrying foods you thoughtyou didn’t like is a good idea. Our tastes change.When I was in my teens, I tried cabbage andabsolutely hated it. Then, I got a job that workedwith an office in Bristol, England. Cabbage was adietary staple in the UK. I tried it dozens of timesand never liked it. I cooked it in every imaginableform and It never tasted good. During the saladclass, I tried raw cabbage in my salad for the firsttime. It was crispy and yummy. Today, my saladsare rarely made without some cabbage forcrunch. I am a huge fan, today.2.Find Inspiration from Passionate People:Take Lessons from People Who Are SuperPassionate About the topic. Salads seem like aboring topic to many. Farmers Matt and Helena,co-owners of Happy Acre Farms, talk about saladlike they discovered a new solar system. It wasabsolutely contagious. I wanted what they had!Want to up your health game? Find someonewho is passionate about food to help guide youtoward your goal. Making the right choice issimpler with strong inspiration. Follow thepassion!3.Salad Adjustments: Some people, like me, mayexperience bloating and/or gut adjustmentswhen they eat a lot of salad. If you go quicklyfrom a less healthy, low-fiber diet to a healthier,high-fiber diet, it can take a couple of weeks foryour system to adjust. After chatting with mydoctor, she said it is natural to have somediscomfort early on but the price is 100% worththe outcome. Living a longer and healthier life isa top goal for most people.4.You can Always Learn More. Never assumeyou know enough about something, even if it issomething you have been making andconsuming for decades, like salads. I kept anopen mind and learned so much.5.Salad isn’t Rabbit Food. The leafy greens makeup a decent part of most salads but addingprotein can make salads both satisfying in tasteand fill your belly to the brim. Proteins likeChickpeas, lentils, seeds, nuts, tofu, and beansare excellent to add for especially vegetarians. Ifyou want non-vegetarian proteins, you can tryadding chicken, egg, bacon, crab, tuna, shrimp,or steak.6.It is hard to believe a salad workshop would havesuch a compelling impact on my life. Today, salad isa regular breakfast for me, and I will go out of myway to get fresh cabbage. My kids watch me makefresh salad dressing every day. And they see that Iconnect with my husband over healthy habits. Asalad based on whole foods (i.e. not processed food)can be a rich source of vital vitamins, minerals, fiber,and antioxidants. The class led me to sign up forHappy Acre Farm’s vegetable CSA (CommunitySupported Agricultural), so I have a fresh supply ofvegetables coming in every week. Happy Acre Farm is planning to expand its classselection over the summer. Who will be the first tosign up? You guessed it––Me!For more information on Happy Acre Farm, its oil,workshops, or CSA, visit Happy Acre Farm online athttps://www.happyacrefarm.com/ or on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/happyacrefarm. Recipe: Sesame Soy DressingToasted Sesame Oil Rice Vinegar, Soy Sauce, MapleSyrup, Olive OilSuggested Salad: Salad mixed greens, Pea Shoots, Fava Leafs, Beets,Carrots, Snap Peas, Daikon Radish, Green OnionsFrom L-R: Writer Diana Rohini, Elizabeth Harmuth,Alisa Dreyfus and Denise Kent-Romo. P A G E 2 8 J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4

February, Vol. 7, Special Issue https://midd.me/shLWMarch, Vol. 7, Iss. 2 https://midd.me/shLWFebruary, Vol. 7, Iss. 1https://midd.me/QAtZBe sure to alsofollow us onFacebook wherewe also announcethe publication ofour next issue.Click or scan below for our 2024 issues availableonline:T H E S U N O L I A NWE GOT ISSUES: CHECK IT OUT ONLINEOur 2024 issues are now available in print and online. Ouronline format includes interactive, multimedia andembedded videos, and is presented as an onscreen,digital, flippable booklet. Our digital version convenientlyincludes reference links throughout.April, Vol. 7, Iss. 3 https://midd.me/ICLxCONTACT PUBLISHER TO ADVERTISEAdvertising Rates for the 2024 Feb, Mar, Apr and May editions are on the house during our inaugural re-launch. You may contact the Publisher, Neil Davies (publisher@thesunolian.com) regarding advertisingrates past the May issue. For advertising sizes and artwork requirements, contact the Editor & LayoutDesigner, Cammie O’Connor (editor@thesunolian.com) for specs and file types. J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 2 4 P A G E 2 9