Monthly Archives: August 2011

Redwood City Presents the Annual Salsa Festival!

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The Fourth Annual Redwood City Salsa Festival is Saturday, September 24th from noon to 8 pm in Downtown Redwood City. This wildly popular event guarantees a fun-filled day of tongue-tingling salsa, exciting activities, music and entertainment, food, beverages, and a wonderful time for the entire family! And it’s an opportunity for amateur and professional salsa chefs to compete for fun, prizes, and Salsa Glory in the City’s mouth-watering and exciting Salsa Tasting & Competition.

Everyone will enjoy four music stages including featuring Latin Jazz, Latin Rock, and Salsa, plus DJ Salsa music. The entertainment will fire up Redwood City with music and dancing (including free Salsa lessons) all day long! Adults can enjoy tequila tasting and microbrew tasting, and everyone will love the free, exciting hands-on art projects and special family area with carnival rides, along with community and civic booths. This family festival also hosts our famous Art on the Square, where artists and artisans exhibit their inspirational work, transforming the streets surrounding Courthouse Square into a beautiful outdoor gallery. And of course there are many nearby restaurants offering their delicious fares throughout the day.

Much of the event takes place on Broadway between Middlefield and Hamilton, at Courthouse Square, and on beautiful Theatre Way with its retail shops and restaurants complete with outdoor dining. Theatre Way and parts of Broadway will be pedestrian-only, making this a walkable family-friendly event not to miss! Redwood City’s Caltrain station is just a short walk from all the action, making it simple to get there without a car. Go to www.redwoodcity.org/events for the entire schedule of great activities at the Fourth Annual Redwood City Salsa Festival, presented by Chavez Supermarkets, and sponsored by Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Xfinity, Telemundo 48, La Raza 93.3, and the Redwood City Downtown Business Group.

CALL FOR ENTRIES – Salsa Tasting Competition

Teams can enter the salsa challenge as individuals, or businesses. Choose either Mild or Hot category. Festival goers will be able to purchase a tasting kit in order to cast their vote for the “People’s Choice Award.” Salsa will be judged by a qualified panel of judges based on aroma, consistency, color, appropriate heat level, taste and after-taste. This panel will also judge each team booth for Best Decorated. Deadline for entries is August 26, 2011 (entries must be postmarked by this date). Fees are $75.00 for professionals and $50.00 for amateur teams. Space is limited, first come, first served.

Please print & fill out the entry form at www.redwoodcity.org/events/salsafest_entries.html

and mail it along with check made out to Redwood City Salsa Tasting Competition, 1400 Roosevelt Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94061. For more information please call or email Lucas Wilder 650.780.7340 or

Contestants must bring all equipment necessary for making their salsa. The Salsa, including prep work, must be done on-site at the event. Canned ingredients are acceptable including tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies, onions, garlic, salt, lime, and various spices, however all ingredients must be mixed together on-site. Pre-made or pre-mixed salsa will be disqualified from the competition.

Neighborhood Watch

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RSCA wants to thank Ken Faljean, Captain Ed Hernandez and Captain Eric Staziak for attending and putting on our safety meeting on August 16, 2011.

We also want to thank the various members of the Shores community that took the time to come out for the meeting. It’s people working together for a safe neighborhood that makes us such a great community to live in. For those who were not able to attend, please review the Neighborhood Watch notice below for information about the program — informational packets about Neighborhood Watch are available upon request, so please email us if you are interested.

 

 

 

To combat crime in communities everywhere, cities are banding together to fight crime through Neighborhood Watch programs. Unfortunately, there are still a large number of areas left unprotected. If yours is one of them, here are some guidelines will help you to organize your own Neighborhood Watch. It usually takes up to a month to get started, and here are some ways you might start:

Define the Neighborhood

Determine the area your Watch group will cover. Keep in mind that the bigger the area, the bigger the group will be. That means you will need a larger space for meetings, more materials for flyers, more time to organize, etc.

Secure a Meeting Spot

If your Watch only covers your street, meetings can probably be held in a private home. If your area is much bigger, you may need to obtain permission to use a school or church in the area.

Identify Crime In Your Area

No area is completely free of crime and knowing just what crimes you are up against will greatly improve the chances of a successful Watch. The Memphis Police Department Crime Mapper will allow you to view crime activity in a given area searchable by zip code or address. After viewing these statistics, be sure to print them out as they will help you in creating your Watch group.

Get Help From Law Enforcement

Contact your neighborhood’s police precinct and ask for the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. The coordinator will set up times to host two Neighborhood Watch meetings and give you tips on organizing your group. The Memphis Police Department Precinct phone numbers are:

Recruit Neighbors

The most effective way to get others involved is to convince them that there is a real need for a Watch. Many people erroneously believe that they live in a safe neighborhood. Using your data on crime for your location, you can effectively convince your neighbors to participate.

Stay Active

Set up a yearly meeting to receive new tips and updates from the police department. Throughout the year, touch base with your neighbors and encourage them to remain active. While it takes diligence and hard work to bring it all together, organizing a Neighborhood Watch can be a very effective way to reduce crime and make a difference in your community.

Tips: Delegate the responsibility of this task, utilize law enforcement, and stay informed on crime in the area.

 

What you need is a neighborhood without this program, a church, school or a home to hold meetings, some willing neighbors to assist you, and a printer and paper to print flyers and other informative materials.

The benefits are many of a Neighborhood Watch are many — beyond preventing crime and reducing fear, Neighborhood Watch (NW) builds pride, forges bonds among block residents – by really getting to know and look out for neighbors, improves citizen-police relations, and can address other block issues and concerns like child safety, youth development, senior citizen welfare, and quality-of-life.

President’s Memo: September 2011

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Get Registered and VOTE !!

There are over 8,000 residents of voting age in Redwood Shores. In recent years the winners of Redwood City elections have won with totals of less than 4,000 votes. It’s easy to see with those numbers that voters in Redwood Shores can have a significant impact on the outcome of races that affect us — IF WE VOTE!

If you are eligible, make sure you are registered to vote. You can check your voter status at shapethefuture.org . There are links under “Voter Registration” that let you check your registration and, if you’re NOT registered, provide a guide to getting registered.

Again, 8,000 potential voters in Redwood Shores with winners in local elections receiving 4,000-5,000 votes. It’s clear that every Shores vote counts and makes a difference!

And don’t forget to join us on Sept.13 and meet the candidates for Redwood City Council. With five candidates for just four open Council seats, this should be both an interesting and informative evening.

Then VOTE on November 3rd !

 

More on the Canada Geese Problem

In early August I met again with state & federal wildlife officials, and we are also working closely with Redwood City staff.

We have two goals. One is to contain the movement of the geese and – hopefully – reduce their feeding/pooping area within the Shores. Second is to begin to reduce the numbers of resident Canada geese here instead of tolerating continually increasing numbers. Here’s a brief outline of what we are trying to do:

  1. Work with US & CA wildlife officials to be sure we have “validated” information about what we can and can’t do (now in process).
  2. Work with the City on a coordinated & “officially recommended actions” plan to present to BOTH the business & residential communities (next few months).
  3. Identify “hot spots” that might need special attention or additional measures.
  4. Provide information to the business property owners/managers on the problem & the recommended actions. This is information we expect they will pass along to their tenants and employees in order to reduce as much as possible any complaints about what we will be asking the community to do (target date ~ January 2012… next breeding season is March-June`12).
  5. Meet as needed with business property owners & managers to inform and solicit their support (no later than mid January 2012). We will also seek assistance from our local Chamber of Commerce and the Shores Business Center Association.

You should know that U.S. Fish & Wildlife and CA Dept. of Fish & Game are being especially helpful. Since we don’t want to simply move the problem from one area to another, we are going to need cooperation from all of the business property owners/managers and their tenants and employees of our Shores businesses. At this point we don’t expect the solutions to be particularly burdensome to either businesses or the residential HOAs, and there seems to be an almost consensus interest in finding some way to begin to reduce the numbers of geese and the excrement they leave all over the Shores.

 

Our Logo Art

Have you ever looked at our logo and wondered what it’s all about? The background is an abstraction of the waves on the waterways in and around the Shores. The birds represent the pair of swans (names ??) that used to habit our lagoons. The male (name) of this pair was killed in an act of vandalism in (year?). The female (name) can still be seen swimming along in our interior waterways.

 

RSCA Can Always Use Your Help

RSCA is entirely a volunteer organization, and we need more help. The list of things that we could be doing – things we would like to be doing – continues to grow. .

If you have areas of specific interest in the Shores that YOU would like to see improved, and you have 1-2 hours a week to work with RSCA, let’s talk about how we might help each other. RSCA can provide support and a platform for action that you might not have as a single individual. We can find a way to use just about any skills you might have that you could volunteer for 1-2 hours a week.

Right now one specific area of interest is the (ugly) entrance to the Shores coming off Hwy.101 at Holly/Redwood Shores Pky. (It’s just not as nice as the impression you get coming into the Shores off of the Ralston exit.) Coming off the Holly exit, CalTrans, the City of San Carlos, San Mateo County, and Redwood City all own some of the property between Hwy.101 and the “beginning’ of the Shores at Twin Dolphin Drive. We need at least one person who would be willing work with these agencies to look into what might be done to “clean up” this area as CalTrans is planning new work on the Holly/101 interchange.

Join Our Email List

With over 5,400 residents and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep you informed about our community events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply click on the “Join Our Email List” button in the Feedback section of RSCA.org to sign up.

Our Privacy Policy:

Your information is for use only by Redwood Shores Community Association in contacting you. We do not share, sell, or provide our contact list to any other person or organization.

Wellness Tip – Improving Your Posture

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We often hear that good posture is essential for good health. We recognize poor posture when we see it formed as a result of bad habits carried out over years and evident in many adults. But only few people have a real grasp of the importance and necessity of good posture.

Good posture is important to help us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities.

Several factors contribute to poor posture-most commonly, stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and high-heeled shoes.

In addition, decreased flexibility, a poor work environment, incorrect working posture, and unhealthy sitting and standing habits can also contribute to poor body positioning

How do I sit properly?

  • Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.
  • Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
  • Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
  • Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
  • Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
  • Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
  • Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

How do I stand properly?

  • Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
  • Keep your knees slightly bent.
  • Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  • Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
  • Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
  • Tuck your stomach in.
  • Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
  • Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.

Can I correct my poor posture?

In a word, yes. Remember, however, that long-standing postural problems will typically take longer to address than short-lived ones, as often the joints have adapted to your long-standing poor posture. Conscious awareness of your own posture and knowing what posture is correct will help you consciously correct yourself.

— Steven Sprague D.C. practices at Premier Chiropractic Clinic in Redwood Shores.

— Information provided courtesy of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). www.amerchiro.org

Types of Life Insurance

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Term life is the simplest and least expensive type of policy. It’s pure insurance with no cash value account. A term life policy has only one function: to pay a specific lump sum to whoever you’ve designated, upon a specific event – – your death. The death benefit and the policy limit are the same – – a $200,000 policy pays a $200,000 death benefit. The policy protects your family by providing money they can invest to replace your salary, as well as to cover final expenses incurred by your death. Term life insurance policies are not permanent policies, The premiums are only guaranteed for a specified number of years, such as 10, 15, 20, or 30 years.

Other types of life insurance provide both a death benefit and cash value account. Their premiums are higher than term life premiums, because they fund a savings account in addition to buying life insurance. These policies are often referred to as cash value policies. Cash value policies are permanent life insurance policies. They include: Whole life, Variable life, Universal life, Universal Variable life.

Whole Life:

It provides permanent protection for your dependents while building cash value account. With this type of insurance, the insurance company manages the policies various accounts.

  • It pays a death benefit to the beneficiary you name and offers you a low risk cash value account and tax-deferred cash accumulation. It provides a fixed premium that will not increase during your lifetime as long as you continue to pay the planned amount. It provides you the option to receive dividends from your policy or apply them to reduce payments.

Variable Life:

It provides permanent protection for your dependents while building cash value account. It is the type of life insurance with cash account flexibility for the more risk-oriented policy holder.

  • It pays a death benefit to the beneficiary you name and offers you low-risk, tax-free cash accumulation. It offers you the right to borrow or withdraw from the policy during your lifetime. It allows the death benefit to vary in relation to the fund returns of the cash value account.

Universal Life:

It provides permanent protection for your dependents and is more flexible than whole or variable life.

  • It pays a death benefit to the beneficiary you name and offers you low risk cash value account and tax deferred accumulation. It allows you to earn market rates of interest on your cash value account. It offers the right to borrow or withdraw from the policy during your lifetime. It allows you premium flexibility. It offers death benefit flexibility.

Universal Variable Life:

It is the type of insurance that gives you more control of cash value account policy features than any other insurance type.

It pays a death benefit to the beneficiary you name and offers you low risk tax deferred cash value options. It offers separate accounts for you to invest in such as money market, stock, and bond funds. It offers premium flexibility. It allows you to make withdrawals or to borrow from the policy during your lifetime. It stipulates that if you terminate the contract in early years you will receive less cash value total return than in a whole contract.

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

A good rule of thumb is to aim for a policy that will cover 2-10 times your annual income. If your yearly income is $50,000, then a policy from $100,000 – $500,000 should be sufficient. Again, it depends on your personal situation. Take into consideration the rate of inflation, potential college tuition costs, or large loans and home mortgages. If you have two children who plan on attending college, current tuition prices range anywhere from $10,000 – $30,000 per year, with the high end range focusing on private universities. Expect that range to increase anywhere from 5-10% within the next 5 years.

— Submitted by Mozhe Jalali

In Memory of Connie Morgan

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Our beloved teacher, Connie Morgan, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 8, at 5:35 p.m. surrounded by her devoted husband, children, extended family members and a lifetime friend. I am thankful that I was able to visit with Mrs. Morgan prior to my departure for vacation. I took a copy of the yearbook to share with her the many thank you notes from the fifth grade class.

Mrs. Morgan was an extraordinary teacher who touched the lives of each of her students in a very special way. She had an incredible gift for being able to bring out the best in every child who crossed the threshold of her classroom door. The children in Mrs. Morgan’s classroom will remember her as the teacher who believed in them and prepared them for success in school. She always went above and beyond her teaching duties to ensure the happiness of not only her students and their parents, but also her colleagues.

Even as Mrs. Morgan battled her illness at the beginning of the 2009 school year, she had planned the entire year for her students. She had made the initial entries in the memory books that she prepared for students every year and scheduled the annual class play on the master calendar. Mrs. Morgan’s smile brightened the office every day. We were fortunate to be able to share her love for teaching and learning. Her passion for art will never be forgotten, as we continue to carry on the annual Art in Action display at Open House.

We know how difficult it was for Mrs. Morgan to let go of her commitment at Sandpiper School to take care of her health and we were grateful when she returned to school in June 2010 to say good-bye to her students. In her own way, she brought closure to her 20 years of service in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District. Mrs. Morgan was more than a colleague, she was a friend for life. As she now rests in peace, we will find comfort in knowing she was loved by all who were connected to Sandpiper School and we loved her too. Our deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to Mrs. Morgan’s family.

A memorial service for Mrs. Morgan was held on Sunday, July 24, at 3:00 p.m. at the Sandpiper Community Center. Her family invited the Sandpiper School community to join them in this celebration of her life. Plans are underway for a special tribute to Mrs. Morgan at Sandpiper School.

— Submitted by Linda Mc Daniel, Sandpiper School Principal

From Lynn’s Kitchen

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HOT AUGUST NIGHTS

When our summer weather turns hot and the evenings are still warm, it seems our appetites languish. This is a wonderful time for a light salad with fresh grilled vegetables, stone fruit or a small piece of grilled salmon or grilled chicken breast. By eating lightly, there is room for a scrumptious, soothing dessert. There is nothing better than a cool panna cotta to finish off a summer meal. I fell in love with panna cotta the very first time I tried it, and always look for it on the menu when we are dining out. Panna cotta means “cooked cream” and was originally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte. The desserts are softly set and creamy, and are perfect for a dinner party or special dessert because they can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.

There are so many creative variations to flavor the dessert – this recipe uses balsamic flavored strawberries as an accompaniment, but you can use fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and even other ripe stone fruits, such as cherries, peaches or apricots – just remove the pits and peels if necessary and slice them into bite-sizes pieces.

 

PANNA COTTA WITH BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES

(Makes 4 Servings)

Ingredients

  • ½ Packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored Gelatin Powder
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Cold Water
  • 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 Cup Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ Vanilla Bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 1/3 Cup Sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon
  • 2 Pints (4 Cups) Sliced Fresh Strawberries
  • 2 ½ Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon Freshly Grated Black Pepper
  • Freshly Grated Lemon Zest, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 ½ Tablespoons of cold water. Stir, and set aside for 10 minute to allow gelatin to dissolve.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ of the Heavy Cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining ¾ Cup of Heavy Cream and the 1/3 Cup of Sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, and add the softened gelatin to the hot cream mixture, and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 0 8 ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Combine the sliced strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Sugar, and ground pepper 30 -45 minutes before serving. Set aside a room temperature.

To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramekin, and dip the ramekin QUICKLY into a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a pretty dessert plate, and surround the panna cotta with the strawberries. Dust tops of panna cotta lightly with freshly grated lemon zest, and serve.

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

Wine Appreciation

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“You ARE kidding me, aren’t you?” my wife said as she stared incredulously at the glass that I was using to drink my red wine. It was a squat, thick lipped, tumbler that I occasionally use for drinking water and fruit juices. “You of all people!” she added for additional taunt. “We’ve got nice crystal stemware, and you’re drinking from that . . . that thing?”

Sure enough, that’s what I was doing. It was dinnertime and I was drinking wine from a stubby, glass that was built to survive even the worst that the Terminator could inflict. Actually, the glass seems ideal for sipping Pastis, that milky white (when water is added), anise flavored liquor that the French call the “milk of Provence.” In his best selling book, Toujours Provence, Peter Mayle asserts that to enjoy Pastis, ambiance is the key ingredient, “which dictates how and where it should be drunk.” He says that it can’t be drunk in a hurry. It can’t be drunk in New York or England or “anywhere that requires its customers to wear socks. It wouldn’t taste the same. It has to be in Provence.” And although he doesn’t mention it, I suspect the right glass—a non-descript tumbler—is also one of the vital components. Anything more refined, like crystal or quality stemware, just wouldn’t do the deed.

Similarly, my wife requires a specific cup and saucer in order to properly enjoy her breakfast caffeine boost. It has to be thin-rimmed and of delicate construction. She claims the coffee is not as enjoyable and tastes completely different in anything else but fine china. Of course, I suspect the morning ambiance is given a substantial boost when she’s stirred and gently awakened by the enticing aromas of ready-to-drink, Columbian Supremo that wafts into the bedroom, courtesy of you know who.

Also, if you’re into super-premium wines, then you might also be into Riedel wine glasses from Austria. If not, be advised that they have produced a highly successful line of connoisseur wine stemware that are specifically designed to deliver the heights of drinking pleasure for each of the most popular red and white varietals. That’s correct, one individual and distinct shape for each grape varietal. Ambience, it appears, can at times make special demands of us.

But “peasant food, “as I refer to it, was one of the key players in our dinnertime ambiance: leftover stew I discovered lurking behind several Tupperwares in the corner of our freezer. Also, we had a half empty bottle of a so-so Pinot Noir sulking quietly in the food compartment door of our Sub-Zero refrigerator. It was, without a doubt, the perfect, elemental match of two underachievers who would come together to deliver their last best shot. They were destined for the other. And, as such, the moment demanded something without the breeding of a Riedel, or even the workman-like reliability of our anonymous daily drinker stemware. No, it required the perfect partner—that ordinary, undistinguished, squat little tumbler.


– Tom Barras

www.TomBarrasWineCommentary.blogspot.com/

New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Homes

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Sacramento – Starting July 1, 2011 new legislation will go into effect requiring homeowners to install carbon monoxide detectors in every California home; a move CAL FIRE officials say will save lives.

“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “And sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation.”

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and many types of appliances and cooking devices. The best way for homeowners to stay protected from CO is to have a carbon monoxide detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area. A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a CO detector. “Having a CO detector is a small investment that really can help save your life and the lives of your family,” said Chief Hoover.

To help educate homeowners about the new law and to encourage them to install a carbon monoxide detector, CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal is teaming up with fire departments across the state, the Home Safety Council, First Alert and Lowe’s to host “CO Saturday” on June 4. “CO Saturday” will be a special day-long safety celebration to teach families how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Though previous laws only required newly-constructed homes to have CO alarms, the state’s new Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Senate Bill 183) requires owners of all existing single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install CO alarm devices within the home by July 1, 2011.

Owners of multi-family leased or rental dwellings, such as apartment buildings, have until January 1, 2013 to comply with the law.

For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the CAL FIRE website at www.fire.ca.gov . For more information on “CO Saturday”, please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org .

— By the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Jeff Gee Appointed to SamTrans Board of Directors

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Councilmember Jeff Gee beat other elected officials from nearby Peninsula cities, including Menlo Park Mayor Pro Tem Kirsten Keith, for a spot on the SamTrans Board of Directors.

Gee will take the position that was left vacant after former San Carlos Mayor Omar Ahmad died suddenly of a heart attack May 10.

Gee was picked for the position Friday by a group of elected officials representing the 20 towns and cities spanning the Peninsula that are included in the San Mateo County Council of Cities.

Keith and East Palo Alto Mayor Carlos Romero had also expressed interest in the vacant position.

Gee joins the board during a tumultuous time for local public transportation agencies, as many cities and counties are faced with cutting services in an attempt to cope with cash-strapped budgets.

Local public transportation agencies and officials are further burdened by the financial woes of Caltrain, which earlier this year announced a fiscal emergency and bandied about the possibility of reducing the amount of trains in circulation, or closing train stations in order to cut costs.

Furthermore, the elected officials in local communities must be prepared to engage in ongoing discussions about High-Speed Rail coming through the Peninsula.

But despite the seemingly daunting tasks he is faced with, Gee said he is prepared for the challenge. As a child, Gee’s father worked as an engineer for SamTrans as the transportation route was going through initial stages of planning for construction.

He said he recalls seeing blueprint plans for the route sprawled across his kitchen table years ago. Now he’s about to join the table that will decide the direction the agency will take in the future.

But Gee acknowledges the irony of now having an opportunity to map the future of his father’s work.

“It is an honor to have it come full circle,” said Gee.

Gee said the extent to which SamTrans will be able to offer services to San Mateo County residents will hinge largely on whether voters are willing to pay a tax that would go to save Caltrain.

As the rail system has fallen on dire financial straits, both SamTrans and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority have increased contributions in an effort to keep Caltrain running, said Gee.

Gee said routes to some isolated neighborhoods across the county, such as those near the coast, have suffered a reduction in the amount of busses stopping in their neighborhood.

Such service cuts can be directly attributed to the increased contributions SamTrans is making to Caltrain, said Gee. And he said that runs contrary to the purpose and responsibilities that SamTrans has to county residents.

“When we birthed SamTrans for the county, it wasn’t to run a train. It was to provide services to residents in the county,” said Gee.

He said he would be in favor of a tax that would go to support Caltrain, which is the only local public transportation agency lacking a dedicated funding source.

Gee said he will work to increase collaboration and efficiency between all existing public transportation agencies on the Peninsula. And that should he succeed, the city and residents of Redwood City would benefit.

He said that increased reliability and collaboration between agencies such as SamTrans and Caltrain would make Redwood City a more attractive destination for businesses wishing to move into the city.

As well, it would move the city closer to achieving a goal set by the City Council that would make Redwood City more friendly to those who favor alternative means of transportation such as walking or biking to driving a car.

He said Redwood City residents are beginning to make different decisions related to transportation than the generations before did.

“There is a change going on in our community,” he said, citing people who elect to move into higher density housing near transit centers as opposed to out in the suburbs, which demands more driving.

But Gee said residents will be faced with even more difficult decisions soon, as it pertains to a High-Speed Rail line coming through the Peninsula.

Gee, who is in favor of High-Speed Rail, said it is in the best interest of the greater community to begin discussions regarding how people envision the future of the Peninsula. And he advocated for communities throughout the region to begin such talks soon.

If those discussions and pro-active behaviors don’t start soon, Gee fears the fate of the region may fall in the hands of outside parties.

“We have to have a vision first. Or else, someone will tell us what the solution will be, whether we like it or not,” he said.

— Reprinted with permission by Stacie Chan, Editor, Redwood City Patch