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Livermore, CA
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Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 82,845 as of January 1, 2007. Livermore is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Livermore is a "major suburb" of the Bay Area.
Traditionally, Livermore is considered the easternmost city in the San Francisco Bay Area before entrance to the Central Valley.
It was founded by William Mendenhall and named after Robert Livermore, his friend and a local rancher who settled in the area in the 1830s.
Livermore is the home of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Livermore's south side, home to local vineyards, has developed several executive subdivisions near Ruby Hill. The city has also redeveloped the downtown.
GeographyWatercourses draining the city of Livermore include Arroyo Mocho, Arroyo del Valle, Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Las Positas. The principal aquifer underlying the city is the Mocho Subbasin. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (62.0 km²), all of it land. Several local seismicially active faults lie near the city including the Greenville Fault and the Tesla Fault.
Traditionally, Livermore is considered the easternmost city in the San Francisco Bay Area before entrance to the Central Valley.
It was founded by William Mendenhall and named after Robert Livermore, his friend and a local rancher who settled in the area in the 1830s.
Livermore is the home of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Livermore's south side, home to local vineyards, has developed several executive subdivisions near Ruby Hill. The city has also redeveloped the downtown.
GeographyWatercourses draining the city of Livermore include Arroyo Mocho, Arroyo del Valle, Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Las Positas. The principal aquifer underlying the city is the Mocho Subbasin. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (62.0 km²), all of it land. Several local seismicially active faults lie near the city including the Greenville Fault and the Tesla Fault.
History and culture History The Livermore area was home to the Ohlone (or Costanoan) before the arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century; it was incorporated under the Roman Catholic Mission San Jose in 1796. The Livermore Amador Valley was primarily grazing land for Mission San Jose's thousands of cattle and sheep until secularization of California missions from 1834 to 1837 opened great amounts of land throughout California for Mexican land grants. The fourth and second largest of the valley's land grants was the Rancho Las Positas grant, made to rancher Robert Livermore (a naturalized Mexican citizen of English birth) and Jose Noriega in 1839. Livermore was as much interested in viticulture and horticulture as he was in cattle and horses; in 1846 he was the first in this area to plant both a vineyard and an orchard of pears and olives. The first building on the ranch was an adobe on Las Positas Creek, and in 1849 a two-story "Around the Horn" house was added; it was the first wooden building in the valley.
After the discovery of gold in California, Livermore became a popular stopping place for prospectors headed for the Mother Lode, as it was one day's journey by horse or stagecoach from San Jose.
Robert Livermore died in 1858 before the establishment of the town that bears his name. His ranch included much of the present-day city. The city itself was established in 1869 by William Mendenhall, who had met Robert Livermore while marching through the valley with Fremont's California Battalion. Livermore was officially incorporated on April 15, 1876.
Culture Livermore's culture retains some vestiges of the farming and ranching traditions that have existed in the valley since the time of Robert Livermore, but now largely reflects the values of its suburban population. Livermore has a strong blue-collar element, as well as many professionals who work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and various hi-tech industries within the Bay Area. The city has recently gone much more upscale with the addition of several hundred million dollar homes set amongst the southside's vineyards as well as a multi-million dollar renovation of the downtown area, which includes a new motion picture theater, as well as a performing arts theater, a parking structure, and office buildings. The new construction is expected to be finished in early to mid 2007.
Also, according to the latest U.S. Census information, Livermore is the third wealthiest midsize city in the nation. In 2005, the median household income in Livermore was $96,632, which ranked it the third highest income midsize city (between 65,000 and 249,999 people) just behind number two Newport Beach, CA ($97,428) and Livermore's western neighbor, Pleasanton, CA ($101,022),1
Livermore hosts the Livermore Rodeo (since 1918), the "World's Fastest Rodeo," that claims it has more riders per hour than any other. It also has the Livermore-Amador Symphony, Del Valle Fine Arts (a producer of chamber music concerts), and, in the valley at large, the Valley Choral Society, Livermore Valley Opera, and Valley Dance Theatre, a classical ballet company.
It boasts a state-of-the-art library (with a somewhat controversial front mosaic by Maria Alquilar) that opened in 2004 and a busy growing Livermore Airport.
The first Indian Christian Church in San Francisco Bay Area is located at Livermore. The Mar Thoma Syrian Church is situated at 418 Junction Avenue. At present the Vicar of the Church is Rev. James Veeramala from India. Mar Thoma Church is believed to be started by St. Thomas one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, in AD52.
Livermore has a Hindu temple which is often visited by the large Indian population of the Bay Area.
Many Livermore residents enjoy the rodeo parade and festivities which take place yearly. Many cowboy-folk from across the land come to this event. Children are given the chance to ride ponies and elderly women are given free horseback rides across town and to the local market.
Many of the Livermore youth find entertainment at The Vine the local cinema, or at Livermore Cinemas, the newer theater that was added after fifteen years of debate, the Livermore skate park, Granada Bowl, and shops in the downtown area, such as Charlotte's Web, Panama Bay Coffee Company, Not Too Naughty, and Donut Wheel.
Livermore has also long harbored a strong independent music scene, with venues such as Pine St. Bar and the now-defunct Unity Skateshop hosting national touring acts as well as Bay Area artists.
PoliticsIn the state legislature Livermore is located in the 9th Senate District, represented by Democrat Don Perata, and in the 15th Assembly District, represented by Republican Guy Houston. Federally, Livermore is located in California's 10th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +9 and is represented by Democrat Ellen Tauscher.
World's longest lasting lightbulbThe town is noted for one world record. A 105+ year old 4-watt lightbulb called the Centennial Light housed by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department is still burning bright. In truth, its "brightness" may be a matter of debate; it glows dimly, but definitely still functions as a lightbulb. The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and General Electric have concluded that the bulb has been burning continuously since 1901 with the exception of power failures and three times for moving to another station. The lightbulb was manufactured by the Shelby Electric Company and was hand blown with a carbon filament.
IndustryLaboratoriesLivermore is the home of two national laboratories. The largest employer in Livermore is the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which is operated by a limited liability consortium named Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS), a joint venture company of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWX Technologies, Washington Group International, and Battelle. LLNL is the location of the world's most powerful laser, the NIF and world's most powerful supercomputer, Blue Gene/L.
Livermore is also the California site of the Sandia National Laboratories, which is operated by Sandia Corporation (a Lockheed-Martin owned Company) and is the third largest employer in the city.
WineSee main article at Livermore Valley.
EducationPublic schools in Livermore are part of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD). The District is comprised of 11 Elementary (K-5) schools, 4 Middle (6-8) schools, and 3 High schools.
SchoolsElementary Schools
Altamont Creek Arroyo Seco Leo Croce Jackson Avenue Marylin Avenue Joe Michell Don Gaspar de Portola Rancho Las Positas Emma C. Smith Sunset Vineyard
Middle Schools
Christensen East Avenue Junction Avenue William Mendenhall
High Schools
Livermore High School - established in 1891 and became the first union high school in the state of California. Granada High School - the second public high school in Livermore. Vineyard High School - an independent study high school. Del Valle and Phoenix High Schools - continuation high schools.
Adult Education
Livermore Adult School
Charter School
Livermore Valley Charter School (LVCS) - a K-8 public school. For more information, see http://www.lvcs.org/
Private Schools
Our Savior's Lutheran School (OSLS) St. Michael's Elementary School
Higher Education
Las Positas College
Sister citiesLivermore has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Snezhinsk, Russia Yotsukaido, JapanNotable people from Livermore Louie Aguiar, an American football punter. Max Baer, a boxer and actor. Cynthia Breazeal, an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mark Davis, a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Randy Johnson, an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Tara Kemp, Pop singer. Jack Trudeau, an American professional football player. Jason Sekany, former starting pitcher for Major League Baseball. James DePaiva, actor Gavin Glinton, professional soccer player Erick Threets, relief pitcher for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco GiantsExternal links City of Livermore Official Website Livermore Community Guide Charlotte's Web, The Oldest Brick Building in Livermore Livermore Valley Wine Country Centennial Light Bulb Site Livermore Hindu Temple Las Positas College Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Sandia National Laboratories - California Home Page Livermore Rodeo Valley Dance Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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By FIL
28 days
FIL n k8's 2010 USA Road Trip - All the dates are currently wrong, but the locations are roughly in the right order.
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1 person reviewed Livermore
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at 4:17AM May 29, 2008
Thanks to Matt, I know this grey, industrial town as the home of the Livermorons. :)
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