Saturday, April 1, 9:30am-4pm, Roundhouse Conference Center, San Ramon

No joke, on April 1st Contra Costa will have its first Conference dedicated to young professionals. The event will be held at the Roundhouse Conference Center in San Ramon from 9:30am-4:00pm. The list of speakers is impressive with the final slot saved for Lafayette's own Jim Marggraff, Director of Product Management - Google. In addition to the presenters the conference will feature panelists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to discuss issues and ideas on how to advance your career and personal development, seek affordability, build communities, and ways to be a person of influence with purpose and passion. For more information and to register visit  www.ypceastbay.com.

The Lafayette Chamber's Young Professionals "Meet Up" group now has over 200 members with entertaining and educational monthly gatherings. Check us out - www.meetup.com/Young-Professionals-Group-Lafayette-CA

"Thirsty Miles" - ARM's run to raise $ for the Water Refill Station
Sunday, April 2, 8:30am, Lafayette Plaza Park

Join A Runner's Mind, the Lafayette Chamber & Sustainable Lafayette as we RUN to raise money towards a NEW public water fill station in Lafayette Plaza!
 
- Organized group runs led by Coach Suzanne (at least 2 distances available)
- Kids' run around the park, with prizes for all who run!
- 15-minute sports massages (donation based)
- bagels, pancakes, coffee, OJ, Nuun/Tailwind
 
We are asking for a $10 from anyone who participates and will collect donations at the door. RSVP and share the event on Facebook!

Update on Lafayette's Downtown Creeks Plan

Various City boards and stakeholders commented on the August 2016 draft of the Plan.  A Response-to-Comments table is now available to show how that draft will be revised to respond to these comments. This 57-page table can be found on the project's webpage, www.lovelafayette.org/creeksplan.  

The City of Lafayette Creeks Committee will be presenting the Response-to-Comments table to City boards who have commented on the Plan. These are public meetings and anyone interested in the Plan is encouraged to attend. The schedule for these presentations is as follows:

*    April 3, 7:00 pm, Circulation Commission, Art & Science Discovery Center at Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
*    April 10, Design Review Commission, Art & Science Discovery Center at Lafayette Library, 3491, Mt. Diablo Blvd.

These meetings are subject to change so please check the project webpage for updated information.  A Final Draft will be prepared in May for review by the Planning Commission and City Council.  Contact Steven Goetz at 925-525-5527 or sgoetz@ci.lafayette.ca.us if you have questions on this information.

Be Seen. Get Involved ... Participate in our Community Events!
Dogtown Downtown is Saturday, April 29
 
This is a great community event, centrally located in our downtown Plaza.
We still have a few vendor booth opportunities left. Sign up now.
 
Thanks to the following for their support and participation: Allstate-Dahlia Schonian, ARF , Camp BowWow , Canine Companions , City of Lafayette , Cobain Orthodontics , Contra Costa County Animal Services, KKDV 92.1 , Lamorinda Animal Hospital , Lafayette Library and Learning Center , Lafayette Police , Renewal by Anderson and Rivulet Chiropractic.

Member News & Announcements

Congratulations to Captain Vineyards & Lafayette Car Wash & Detail Center!
On Thursday, March 16 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced the winners of the seventh CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards, recognizing small businesses that demonstrate leadership and make notable, voluntary achievements toward reducing their carbon footprint.  Captain Vineyards and Lafayette Car Wash & Detail Center were each one of the thirteen small business in California selected. Congratulations! Read more about it here.

LPIE's Power Party Online Auction and Pay-to-Play Party Selection is Now Open!
Support LPIE and the education of children in the Lafayette public schools! You don't have to come to the party to support education in Lafayette. The LPIE auction is now open - you can bid on packages anywhere, from your home to your office and even on the go! Make a difference on what LPIE can fund and win some incredible items and packages! It is simple and designed to help you easily manage your bids. Go to powerparty.ggo.mobi .

Rivulet Chiropractic is Having a COW!
We're having a COW (Chiropractic Opportunity Week)! We're hosting a special event, March 20 - 25, at Rivulet Chiropractic, to reach out to folks who might have some misconceptions, or curiosity, about what chiropractors do. Share us with your friends, family, coworkers and anybody you think could benefit from chiropractic care! Introduce them to our office, and they will receive a complimentary consultation/exam to learn about how chiropractic care can help them. www.rivuletchiro.com

American Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, March 21, 9:30am-3:30pm, Lafayette Community Center-Jennifer Russell Building, 500 St. Mary's Road
The City of Lafayette is sponsoring the American Red Cross annual blood drive. Drop ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred. To schedule your appointment go to: www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: LAFAYETTE or you may call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Your donation is greatly appreciated and needed. A pint of blood donated can save up to three lives!

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Workshops for March 2017
The Small Business Development Center has posted it's  March workshops.  View workshop schedule here. For more information contact Kelly Kalfsbeek at kkalfsbeek@ehsd.cccounty.us.

Central San Academy
The Central San Academy six-week program is open to members of the public to learn about everything they do, including recycling water, collecting household hazardous waste, maintaining sewer pipes, and of course, cleaning wastewater. For our first session last year, we were honored by the California Special Districts Association with the Exceptional Public Outreach & Advocacy Award, and we hope to build on that success. Classes are about 2.5 hours each, held one evening a week for six weeks from April 4 to May 9, 2017, 6:30pm - 8:30pm. The April 25 class is a daytime facilities tour from 12:30 to 3:00pm. For more information, please visit our website at http://centralsan.org/academy or view a short video on the program at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5fztYsvTyg.

EMERGE Summit for Young Professionals
April 6, 2017, 8am-4:30pm, Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St, Sacramento
Metro EDGE is inviting all young professionals to an amazing day of inspirational speeches, educational breakouts and networking with fellow young professionals from the capital region. On April 6, 2017, 600 of your peers will rally together at the Emerge Summit - a day dedicated to empowering, motivating and showcasing young professionals. Spearheaded by Metro EDGE with support from the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation, the Emerge Summit is a collaborative effort of the organizing leadership of 10 regional professional programs. $100 (non-member) early-bird. Use promo code YPgroups. www.emergeypsummit.com 
 
Project LPIE - Be a Judge!
Project LPIE is an opportunity to recognize the talented Acalanes High School students for their project-based learning with a unique community twist! Students compete in any of the 14 categories that showcase their skills both within and outside the curriculum. Project judging is done by professional business people with extensive expertise in the various categories.

The program is coordinated by the Lafayette Partners in Education and Acalanes High School with support from the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. The purpose of the program is to create collaboration among students, educators and the business community in Lafayette, to promote educational excellence and to prepare students for the business world of the 21st Century. Student Project Submissions Include: Acting, Applied Design, Community Service, Computer Programming, Creative Writing, Digital Design, Entrepreneur, Instrumental Music, Journalism, Photography (Digital), Science/Engineering, Video Production, Visual Arts and Vocal Music.

Projects are due April 12, judging will take place between April 19 - May 3; live auditions will take place April 19-28. All projects will be displayed and the winning projects announced during the Project LPIE Recognition Reception and Open House on May 12, from 4-6pm in the Community Room at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. To learn how to get involved, click here.

2017 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest
Each year the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit holds a civics contest for high school students.  This year the civics contest is titled Not To Be Forgotten: Legal Lessons of the Japanese Internment.  The topic is as follows: Consider and describe the relevance of the Japanese internment today as our nation combats terrorism. More information regarding the civics contest is located on the Ninth Circuit website: http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest.  Submissions are currently being accepted, the submission deadline is April 16. 

Responsible Beverage Service Training for California ABC Licensed Establishments
Wednesday, April 19, 11am-3pm, Lafayette Library Art & Science Room
What is the Responsible Beverage Service Training? This training provides updates on all the do's and don'ts of selling alcohol according to the law. Business owners, employees, servers, bartenders and clerks are all encouraged to participate! A free lunch will be provided and a certificate will be given upon completion of the training. RSVP to Jaime Rich at jaime@chd-prevention.org or (925) 349-7338.

2017 Diablo Valley Mayors' Summit with Special Guest Assemblymember Tim Grayson
Thursday, April 27, 11:30am-1:30pm at the Concord Clarion Hotel, 1050 Burnett Ave, Concord
2017 Diablo Valley Mayors' Summit will be held on Thursday, April 27, 11:30am-1:30pm at the Concord Clarion Hotel, 1050 Burnett Ave, Concord. To reserve a seat or to sponsor this event, please contact Jay here at the chamber office at jay@lafayettechamber.org. View Flyer

Grant Opportunity for Funding from the Bay Area Air Quality and Management District for the Installation of EV Charging Stations
The Air District is pleased to announce the 2017 Charge! Program, an incentive program that offers grant funding to help offset a portion of the cost of purchasing, installing, and operating new publicly available charging stations at qualifying facilities within the Air District's jurisdiction. This program is funded through the Air District's Transportation Fund for Clean Air Regional Fund, which provides grants to improve air quality within the nine-county Bay Area by reducing emissions of criteria pollutants from on-road vehicles. The deadline to apply is May 22. Learn more here.

Chamber Member Benefits Offer
Chamber members can save 15% on JetsuiteX flights! Use code LAFAYETTECHAMBER. Click here to book your flight.