The Week Ahead: Smoking Ordinance, Broadway Plaza Renovation, Autumn Walk

On Monday evening, the Walnut Creek School District board of education will hold its regularly scheduled meeting.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the school district offices, 960 Ygnacio Valley Road.

On the agenda is the "sunshine" issues the district's workers in the California School Employees Association would like to discuss in their contract this school year.

On Tuesday evening, the Walnut Creek City Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1666 N. Main St.

On the agenda are requests from Councilman Justin Wedel to delay the implementation of the second-hand smoking ordinance and to reconsider the direction given to city staff to draft an ordinance that would ban plastic carry-out bags at businesses.

Wedel has started petition drives to put both issues on the June ballot.

On Wednesday evening, the Design Review Commission will hold its regularly scheduled meeting.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1666 N. Main St.

On the agenda is the design guidelines for the planned renovation and expansion of the Broadway Plaza shopping center.

Also on Wednesday evening, an author will speak about the history of Afghanistan.

The talk by Tamim Ansary on "Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan" begins at 7 p.m. at the Walnut Creek Library, 1644 N. Broadway.

Also on Wednesday evening, an exhibit of Mount Diablo photography will be shown.

The exhibition will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts.

There will be a pre-reception from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A slideshow accompanied by symphony music will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

The event is sponsored by Save Mount Diablo.

On Thursday evening, the Transportation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled meeting.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1666 N. Main St.

On the agenda is a proposed ordinance to institute changes in the hours and rates of city parking meters.

On Friday morning, an autumn walk will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive.

Garden Director Patrice Hanlon does these seminars monthly. The November session will focus on deciduous trees and shrubs.

On Saturday morning, the Second Saturday Spotlight will be held.

This one is from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts, the city's corporation yard and the Lindsay Wildlife Museum.

The focus of the gatherings is to give residents a behind-the-scenes look at some of the operations in Walnut Creek.

On Saturday afternoon, a Rossmoor author will discuss his latest book from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road.

"The Baneberry Vent: A Geologist Remembers" by Larry Ramspott, Ph. D, focuses on the December 1970 event in Nevada where there was an uncontrolled release of radiation from an underground nuclear test.