It's a tweet that set off a frenzy in the world of local Trekkies. Actor Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the Star Trek movie series, on Saturday announced via Twitter that he was at a Hooters in northern California watching a boxing match with Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty. i am at a hooters in northern california watching a boxing game. i have never felt more at home. cc: @simonpegg Star Trek, boxing and Hooters? Ah, the life! Cast members of the Star Trek sequel are in town filming scenes for the new movie at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Yep, it's true. Livermore's national…

Longest Burning Light Bulb — No More? That was the subject line on one of the many, many e-mails sitting in my inbox when I returned to the Patch world Wednesday. Please believe it was the first one I read. My initial reaction? No way! I knew I'd miss something BIG while on vacation! The e-mail sent by a Patch reader links to the following report on lightboard.com, which claims itself as the "Lighting Industries Job Board." The report is headlined with "California law required Fire Station to turn off world's longest burning incandescent light bulb." The writer says the world's longest …

When we announced that Mr. Pickle's was chosen by readers as the best place to grab a sandwich in town, I playfully posted on Livermore Patch's Facebook page that our sales rep should groove along with the dancing Mr. Pickle. Turns out I wasn't far off — our advertising manager used to be a professional dancer. (Enter my super-surprised emoticon here.) Ladies and gents meet Elizabeth Jensen. When Elizabeth isn't running around soliciting ads and promoting Livermore Patch, she's spending time in town and enjoying our city's restaurants, downtown shopping and vineyards. Elizabeth, who was …

When friends ask me about downtown Livermore I usually fall back on this go-to description: charming. And when my friends visit I often hear the ladies say, "Oh, it's cute here!" Downtown Livermore: charming and cute. Sounds like a keeper. While the word "cute" isn't something I regularly throw out, I'm sure it's not my first choice to describe a man selling used DVDs at a downtown intersection. Not cute, bro. Nor charming. But don't tell Derek Ott that. The 35-year-old Livermore resident received a warning from police for doing just that — trying to sell used DVDs Thursday afternoon at the …

When Livermore Police Officer Rich Hill responded to a report of a burglary in Springtown in January, he knew taking a police report wouldn't be enough. Not after seeing a boy trying to cope with the loss of his motocross bike. "You can just see the look on his face," Hill said of the boy, known as Speedy. "He was devastated." Speedy, born Justin Johnson, has been riding dirt bikes since age 3. He's now 6. The young rider was gearing up for his first race after his mom, Jill, and dad, Ed, recently granted permission. "We were upset and disappointed over being burglarized," Jill said. "But it …

Flowers + candy = great Valentine’s Day gift, right? Well, not really. Some women say it’s actually pretty lame. Ouch! While it’s safe to say no woman will turn down a bouquet of fresh roses and a box of their favorite candy, the offer appears routine. It's a safety net, especially on Valentine’s Day. Women want to be appreciated, and sometimes the go-to flowers and candy combo just won’t cut it. How do I know? They said so. I asked local women on our Facebook page to discuss ideal gifts they would love to receive on Valentine's Day. Here are some of the more popular responses that are sure …

A leaked trailer for the HBO movie Hemingway & Gellhorn has made its rounds online. Here it is via PerezHilton.com. And yes, this is the first time I've ever been scooped by the "Celebrity Juice. Not From Concentrate!" website. For more celebrity news, er I mean information on the film shot in Livermore view these Livermore Patch articles: Nicole Kidman's Star Power Shines Bright in Livermore Kidman Stop A Teachable Moment HBO filming "Hemingway and Gellhorn" in Livermore Tri-Valley Becomes Filming Center What do you think about the trailer? Did you spot any scenes shot in town? Do you plan …

I'm still a newbie in town after moving to Livermore at the tail end of 2010. When I first moved into town I was told the railroad tracks divided north and south Livermore. Recent e-mails from readers provide a different definition. Residents say north Livermore is considered everything north of the freeway. Huh? I'm turning to you all to help us here at Livermore Patch figure out the boundaries in town so that we can be more specific and accurate in future articles. I think your comments and help will be a great resource for other new residents. What is considered the northside of town? The …

Moments after Patch posted the news that a Granada High School math teacher was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of having sex with a former student, community members began reacting, flooding our site and Facebook page with comments. And the flurry of conversations hasn't stopped yet, with roughly 190 posts and counting. People are shocked. They're upset. And many who know Johnson can't believe it, saying the 40-year-old Livermore resident, who is married and has a son the same age as the alleged victim, would never do such a thing. "I do not believe any of this," Patch reader Jean Hastings …

As of Wednesday morning, Deacon Dave's Casa del Pomba had 228 votes in Patch's Deck the House contest. Really? That's it!? If Livermore wants any shot at the hefty grand prize — $100,000 (yep, $100k!) — for our hometown's public school district, then the Deacon will need more votes to move forward in the competition. And if you think you can compete with the Deacon, we want you to enter too. The deadline is Monday. Just upload a photo or video at deckthehouse.patch.com then tell everyone you know to vote for you. Monday is also the last day you can vote to send a local winner to the finals! …

One Livermore Patch commenter described the passing of David Goddard as "every parent's worst nightmare." Others called it horrific and offered condolences and prayers. While investigators suspect alcohol may have played a role in Goddard crashing his vehicle Tuesday night, one thing remains certain: the Livermore community, along with Goddard's family and friends, are saddened over the teen's death. Goddard, 17, attended Livermore High School. An outpour of support from the community can be seen in the comments section of our report on Goddard and on Livermore Patch's Facebook page. Here's …

School officials are investigating recent vandalism to a cowboy memorial monument and the football stadium at Livermore High School, says Mike Nagel, executive director for the school district's maintenance and operations department. Herb Guidry, a Livermore High wrestling coach who also works for the district's maintenance department, suspects the vandalism may be related to the cross-town rivalry between the two high schools. He says on the night before last week's Granada vs. Livermore football game the all-weather track on campus was vandalized. Guidry describes the vandalism to the track…

Thank you. I really can't say that enough. Today is our one-year anniversary and I'm at a loss for words when looking back at the past year. Has it really been a year since we launched Livermore Patch? On Oct. 25, 2010, Livermore Patch went live. Our coverage that day included features on a firefighter returning to work after battling cancer and a sit-down with the new principal at Sunset Elementary School. I can’t remember every single story our amazing team of contributors has produced since our launch, but a few key moments do come to mind. A homeless man found dead in January led us to …

Dalton James knew something did not look right. The 9-year-old boy was riding in the passenger side of his mother's car Sunday when he noticed a house on Lee Avenue beginning to catch fire. "I saw a glow from the window and smoke coming out of the house," the shy boy said in an interview shortly after firefighters extinguished the blaze. His mother, Jeaniece James, said they were making a left turn onto Lee Avenue from Callaghan Street when Dalton alerted her. "At first I thought it was the chimney," Jeaniece said. "But Dalton said 'No, no it's really on fire!'" Jeaniece then pulled into the …

We've had a good streak of warm weather days this month with temperatures floating in the upper 90s. The last thing I expected to see Friday evening was lightning and the sound of thunder. And rain. What? Here's a short video of lightning illuminating the sky from downtown. Feel free to share your thoughts, pictures and videos here. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page. Stay dry! -- Here's a report via Bay City News Service on a red flag warning: The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for parts of the Bay Area in response to thunderstorms. A warning was …

New outlet center = Grim Reaper. Wait. What? At the intersection of El Charro and Freisman roads stands the soul taker. He greets you when entering the Paragon Outlets construction site. But no worries. The reaper is not here to take you away. Construction workers on the project are using the prop as part of an informational protest against Paragon Outlets and their general contractor S.D. Deacon Corp. The Carpenters Local 713, which represents workers on the project, says the contractor fails to pay "area standard" wages and benefits. "What's particularly ironic is that Paragon is building a…

I'm drenched in sweat. I can barely breathe. My mouth and throat are on fire. What did I get myself into? All I can think of at this point is surviving. Yes. It was that bad. Call me a sissy. Call me a weakling. Call me whatever you want. I could not care less. Just end the suffering. Now. While I'm going through hell, Mike Kissling is having the time of his life at my expense. Kissling, 36, owns the Spanky's Dog House that opened Aug. 9 in downtown on K Street between Panama Red Coffee and the cupcake and cookie shop. The quaint eatery boasts a menu of hot dogs, sausages and links. There's …

There's a rumor going on around town and on Facebook that a Granada High teacher died Thursday in his classroom. That scenario did not happen, according to police and Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Superintendent Kelly Bowers. However, police did say a man was found dead Thursday in town and the death is not considered suspicious. Bowers did confirm reports that a Granada High teacher passed away Thursday. The man was found dead at his home, she said. We have decided to withhold the man's name for publication at this time as we're unsure if his family has been notified of his …

It's not often when you see a giant eagle decked out in red, white and blue. Well, for me anyway. I had to snap a photo of this impressive display I came across on Olivina Avenue during a morning jog. If you see any other patriotic displays around town -- or if you have one of your own -- please snap a pic and upload it here to share with the rest of the Livermore Patch community. Remember, fireworks are prohibited in town and budget problems forced city and park district officials to cancel this year's Robertson Park Fourth of July celebration. Read more here. For other Fourth of July …

Police and two vans filled with officers dressed in army fatigue on Thursday searched an apartment on the 2300 block of Chestnut Street. Authorities are tight-lipped as to why they searched the apartment, but said the search was part of an ongoing investigation that began in January. The Chestnut Street area off North Livermore Avenue is one of the more crime-ridden neighborhoods in town. It is unclear when police began Thursday's search of the apartment complex. At about 5:25 p.m., a bulk of the officers left the scene. It did not appear anyone was arrested. Several officers, including a …