Author Archives: RSCA

A Message From Mayor Aguirre

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Dear Redwood City Residents:

I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts on the City Council’s decision-making process regarding the increase in garbage/recycling rates. As you may know, after a thoughtful discussion at our January 9, 2011 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a rate increase of 7.2% . This increase is less than the 7.81% increase that was originally proposed. The lower increase resulted from the Council deciding not to implement a proposed new curbside household hazardous waste collection service (which would have added 0.61% to the increase).

For the majority of Redwood City households, which have the 32-gallon cart, this amounts to an additional $1.78 per month/per cart (for those with 20-gallon carts the increase is 75¢ per month/per cart). Corresponding increases are reflected in the rates for larger bins and for commercial customers. More detailed information is available online at www.redwoodcity.org/garbagerates .

It’s important to remind you that all revenues from this rate increase are used only to provide garbage service to the community.

This was a difficult decision, especially in light of the 85 official protest letters we received, and knowing that this increase is of some level of concern to everyone in the community. During the Council’s discussion on the rate increase, we directed staff to update rate projections for future years and also asked that an analysis be done of the current rate methodology. We want to make sure that the most equitable and fair approach is in place, in order to ensure predictability and certainty in future rates for the community.

Thank you for your understanding, and please be assured that I and my colleagues on the Council appreciate your concerns with rate increases, and their impact on households during these difficult economic times. I encourage you to become involved in issues like this which are of concern to you — your involvement in important City matters is of great value to the entire community. You can keep up to date on City activities and issues through our website, or via this email list.

Sincerely,
— Alicia Aguirre, Mayor

Redwood Shores Library Events

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The following events and programs are running through the month of February at the Redwood Shores Branch Library. New events are added each month and suit a wide range of interests for children, teens and adults as part of the library’s initiative to connect our community through literacy and learning. For more information about events at our local library, visit the Redwood Shores Branch Library web page.

 =Music, Games and Stories in English and Spanish=

Saturday February 11 @ 11:00am

Join Valéria for music and stories. For ages 1-4.

=Dad & Me @ the Library with Owen Baker-Flynn=

Saturday February 18 @ 11:00am

Comedy, juggling,, magic, and amazing balancing tricks!

=Peninsula Book Club=

Tuesday February 28 @ 6:00pm

We will discuss Julie Otsuka’s When the Emporer was Divine. For more information & to RSVP, visit www.meetup.com .

=Seaside Storytime=

Saturday February 25 @ 1:30pm

Come and hear stories and see animals from our own bay with the Marine Science Institute.

=Weekly Storytimes=

Mondays @ 11:00am – Preschool Ages 3-5 Tuesdays @ 7:00pm – Pajama Time Stories for All Ages

Thursdays @ 10:30am – Preschool Ages 3-5 Thursdays @ 11:30am – Tiny Tales for Ages 0-18 Months

=Homework Center Hours=

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 3:00pm- 6:00pm, Wednesdays 1:00pm-6:00pm

=Teen Gaming and Activities=

Mondays 5:00pm

=Volunteer with the Friends of the Library=

The Friends operates a resale book store inside the Downtown Library to generate funds to support library programs and events. Call 650.780.7050 for more information about the Friends and to identify your volunteer interests.

For volunteer opportunities at the Redwood Shores Branch Library, please call 650.780.5740.

=Meeting Space Available at the Redwood Shores Branch Library=

Please visit www.redwoodcity.org/library/info/meetingrooms.html



“Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!”

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The Carlmont Performing Arts Center Events hosts the Parent-Teacher-Student Association educational event “Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!”, an evening with with Dr. Michael J. Bradley.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31st
7:00 PM
Carlmont Performing Arts Center
(1400 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont)
ADMISSION: Free for Carlmont PTSA Members, $5 for Non-Members

At this event, you’ll learn:

  • How the enigmatic teen brain works (and how it doesn’t work)
  • The Ten Commandments of Parenting
  • The three top ways to earn your kid’s respect (and the three worst ways to destroy it)
  •  Drugs — the DOs and DON’Ts
  • Sex and Dating — what every parent needs to know

The event will end with a Q&A session. “Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!” books will be available for sale at the event (10% of proceeds will be donated to the PTSA by The Reading Bug bookstore.)

ABOUT DR. BRADLEY: An expert on adolescent behavior, Dr. Michael J. Bradley, Ed.D. is frequently quoted in the press. He has also appeared on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including NBC’s Today Show, CNN World News Tonight, Pure Oxygen, and National Public Radio. He delivers speeches before national and state PTA conventions and many other parenting and professional groups. Dr. Bradley has received ten national publishing awards for his books.

School Board Meeting

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A regular meeting of the School board is on the 1st Thursday of each month, at 7:00 PM. For this first February meeting on February 2, the meeting will be held in Redwood Shores’ Sandpiper Elementary. The meeting is Open Session and residents are, as usual, invited to attend.

February 2, 2012
7PM at Sandpiper Elementary
801 Redwood Shores Parkway

 

This special Sandpiper Elementary meeting will cover a regular agenda, and is being held here in Redwood Shores on this occasion to help residents who have not been able to make it to a standard session attend. Several times per year, meetings are held at various school sites in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District. The regular meeting of the School board is on the 1st Thursday of each month, at 7:00 pm and held at the District Office building: 2960 Hallmark Dr., Belmont, CA 94002 [map and directions]. If a second meeting is needed during the month, it is generally held on the 3rd Thursday at the same time and place.

For more information about School Board Meetings, view the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District website.

Redwood City’s Annual Preschool Preview Night

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Choosing the right child care, preschool, or other early-development program is one of the most important and often difficult decisions a parent can make. Redwood City and its Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, the Redwood City Mother’s Club, and Bay Area Parent Magazine are teaming up to give parents the information necessary to help them make the best decisions possible.

The community is invited to Redwood City’s annual “Preschool Preview Night,” a preschool / child care & parent resource fair that has become a key resource for parents considering their child’s early care and education. This free, informative open house event will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, from 6 – 8 pm, at the Community Activities Building, 1400 Roosevelt Avenue. Parents can also take in a special presentation on Choosing Quality Preschool and Child Care (courtesy of the Child Care Coordinating Council) at 5:30 pm or at 6:30 pm.

Parents are invited to drop in to see displays and obtain information from a variety of early care and education programs in the mid-peninsula region (Belmont to Palo Alto). Representatives from these programs will be available to talk with parents about their organizations and to help determine which programs might be the best “fit” for kids. Parents’ questions about family child care homes, State licensing, in-home care, quality indicators, accreditation, and more can be answered, giving them the tools necessary to help them make informed and intelligent decisions about their child’s care and educational development. General information on the Preschool Preview Night is available by calling 650-780-7311 or by emailing

The Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department provides recreational facilities and activities for all ages and interests, and supplies building and custodial services for City buildings. Redwood City Parks also operates the Fair Oaks Community Center, providing social, educational, and cultural activities, as well as information, referral, and counseling services to persons living in Redwood City and neighboring communities. Redwood City Parks is more than you think! Its website is located at www.redwoodcity.org/parks

The PILOT: January 2012

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Below is this month’s issue of The Pilot, published in it’s entirety on the RSCA website. To get a complete view of this month’s issue that is easy to read on your screen, please choose the “Fullscreen” option at the top of the viewer — from there, you can click on the left or right of each page to thumb through the various pages.

All of the software needed to view this web-based version of The Pilot should be linked below if it is not already installed on your web browser, and you can also download or print the PDF document for use away from the computer. If you are having trouble viewing this document on your cellphone, tablet or computer, please contact the RSCA website team.

View or Download The Pilot, January 2012 Issue

Click to view full-screen

President’s Memo: January 2012

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Join Our Email List (please?)

Why do we keep asking for your email address? It’s all about MONEY!

It costs RSCA a minimum of about 45¢ just to send a postcard, and almost triple that to send a letter. An email takes less time to prepare, and there are no printing or postage costs. Each email costs just fractions of a penny. So we can send information much more frequently than we do postcards or letters, and…

Each email address you provide saves RSCA more than $2.00 each year!

That’s money the we can use for events like our Eggstravaganza egg hunt, the Summer Concerts, Halloween Walk for our children, and Santa Comes to the Shores. With over 5,300 residences and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep more people informed about our community and events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply go to RSCA.org and under “Feedback”, click on the “Join our email list” button to sign up.

HERE’S OUR PRIVACY POLICY:

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

Once More on Our “Resident” Canada Geese

In addition to emails, I’ve had several people approach me at Nob Hill and at our recent Santa event with criticism that our December PILOT gave the impression that opinions in the Shores regarding our “Canada Goose problem” were fairly evenly divided. That criticism was justified. In an attempt to provide a forum for differing opinions, we over-compensated.

Let me say again, as I have said several times before, that when we polled Shores resident last winter well over 80% ranked the issue of goose feces as one of the highest issues affecting the quality of life in the Shores. The only issue that ranked higher was public safety, e.g., police and fire protection.

We have been working closely with federal and state wildlife officials since last spring to find out what we can and can NOT do to help mitigate the problem of the increasing amount of goose feces left in our parks and on our walkways and open lawns.

I think that even some of those who presently “disagree” with what we are trying to do will be surprised at some of the simple things we can do around our open areas that should make a big difference to the cleanliness of our parks, walkways and lawn areas.

We are making every effort to begin to disseminate the information we’ve gathered later in January. This information will be mostly applicable to property managers for our local HOAs and business properties, and to Redwood City for the park areas, especially those on the waterways. But we’ll also provide information on the national scope of the problem caused by these “no longer migrating” birds.

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.

— Harris Rogers, RSCA President

Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) Names Martin Cooper as Recipient of the 2011 “Alpio Barbara Citizen of the Year” Award

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The Board of Directors of the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) has announced that the recipient of the 2011 “Alpio Barbara Citizen of the Year” Award is Martin Cooper, a reserve officer with the Redwood City Police Department, and PAL volunteer.

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the many years of service Marty has provided to PAL,” said Jim Gordon, President of the PAL Board of Directors. “His meaningful contributions of time and energy, high standards of community involvement, and many skills and talents have been of great value to the entire community of Redwood City.”

During his more than 14 years of service to PAL, Marty Cooper has performed as a board member, accountant, and Treasurer. This award recognizes his exemplary efforts and passion to help manage PAL’s financial health, significantly helping the organization to grow from its earlier years of serving 200 kids, to its present level of success with over 3,500 youth and community members involved each year.

The Alpio Barbara Citizen of the Year Award honors and commends Mr. Cooper’s tireless efforts in establishing a strong information technology system and set of process for PAL, helping it to be much more efficient and therefore better able to serve the community. As a ‘jack of all trades’ for PAL, Mr. Cooper willingly stepped up and worked in many areas of PAL including establishing a new payroll system, securing insurance coverage, and setting up the PAL Document Binder — in effect helping to further organize the PAL operation and maximize its efficiency. Additionally, for many years Mr. Cooper has been directly involved in PAL’s annual Blues Festival fundraiser in Downtown Redwood City, making sure that this special day goes off smoothly.

Known throughout the PAL community for his generous commitment to helping the organization reach its goals, Marty Cooper’s work has had a lasting, positive impact on how PAL serves the community.

The annual Alpio Barbara Citizen of the Year Award, named after long-time PAL supporter, past president and Redwood City businessman Alpio Barbara, recognizes the most admirable and commendable individuals for their exemplary efforts to bring PAL and its programs to the greater community.

With the help of the great volunteers who give of their time and energy, Redwood City PAL focuses on intervention, prevention, and alternative programs for at-risk and economically challenged youth in Redwood City, offering a positive influence to thousands of children and teens each year. Visit the PAL website at www.redwoodcitypal.com.

— Tom Cronin, Executive Director, Redwood City Police Activities League

A Message From Vice Mayor Gee

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I want to thank my council colleagues for your support and confidence. I am humbled and honored to serve as your Vice Mayor. I look forward to supporting Mayor Aguirre as the new mayor of our great city, and working together with the Council.

For me, being a council member is about being a member of a Team of seven, working hard to make Redwood City a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. I know that each one of us is committed to preserving and improving our quality of life in our own ways. However, it takes all seven of us working together to make real progress and positive change.

It is that spirit of teamwork and commitment to collaboration that makes me most proud of being a member of this city council. One of the things that I am most proud of is when a member of our community, whether it be our Redwood City community or the greater San Mateo County community, comments on the respectful way in which we lead, listen, disagree, and make decisions. We don’t yell at each other or engage in hurtful behavior because we are the voices of the community at city hall.

We must set the example for respecting your neighbor, finding common ground, listening, and making common sense decisions that are in the best interest of Redwood City. I cannot imagine conducting ourselves any other way.

As a team, we work well together and we get things done. I have appreciated the opportunity to work…

  • with Council members Bain and Pierce in looking for solutions to our flooding issues;
  • with Council members Pierce and Foust on high speed rail,
  • with Council members Foust and Ira on economic development
  • with Mayor Aguirre on promoting and celebrating our community’s diversity, and
  • with Council member Seybert on Depot Circle, land use and development.

These are just examples of us working together, making Redwood City a better place to live and work.

I would also like to thank the community, which came together on Election Day to support the future of Redwood City by approving Measures I and M to generate critical new revenue for Redwood City’s budget.

Asking our community to help generate new revenue in this economy was not an easy task. The Council laid out a 3-point vision towards achieving financial sustainability: improve how we deliver city services, ask our employee groups to help with increased employee contributions to healthcare and retirements, and finally, some very modest revenue increases.

Working together as a council, with the Chamber, our local businesses and our residents, BOTH Measures I and M were passed with solid voter support. I want to thank my council colleagues, Council member Seybert, the Chamber, our local business community, our employee groups, and our residents for their help and support in passing I and M.

Beyond just passing I and M, I look at the passage of these two measures as more than just a major step towards financial sustainability. I see the support for I and M as a commitment that we as a council need to uphold. We have been entrusted with more of our community’s dollars. For the trust that we have been given, we must act with integrity, trust and confidence and be worthy stewards of our City.

As your Vice Mayor, I pledge to each of you, my council colleagues, our residents and our businesses to continue to lead our community with integrity, trust and confidence. We need to live in the present, but we also need to keep an eye out on the future so that future generations can enjoy the same quality of life and sense of community we cherish about Redwood City today.

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Vice Mayor

Recycling Center Now Collects Clothing, Other Reusable Items

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The Shoreway Recycling Center in San Carlos is now accepting used clothing from San Mateo County residents at its public recycling center, along with other items previously not collected, including hard and soft cover books, working household goods (dishes/utensils, pots/pans, kids toys and games, lamps, fans, etc.), car batteries, and scrap metal.

South Bay Recycling, which operates the Shoreway facility on behalf of RethinkWaste, has partnered with St. Vincent De Paul to collect the reusable clothing, books and household goods for their programs.

The goal is to reuse or recycle as many of the items brought to the center as possible.

The Recycling Center is open to the general public, including businesses, for buy-back items and some drop off items. Some limitations apply to waste items such as batteries and fluorescent tubes.

Here’s a list of other items the center will accept at no charge to San Mateo County residents:

  • Cardboard
  • Mixed paper
  • Glass
  • Cans
  • Plastic containers
  • Used motor oil filters
  • Used motor oil (up to 15 gallons)
  • Used motor antifreeze (up to 10 gallons)
  • Latex paint (up to 10 gallons)
  • Electronics (computers, TVs, cell phones, etc.)
  • Batteries
  • Sharps (must be in authorized sharps container)
  • Residential cooking oil (up to 15 gallons)
  • Fluorescent light tubes (household only, 6 tubes per visit, must be less than 6ft)

The Public Recycling Center is open Mondays through Saturdays from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 pm, and is located at 333 Shoreway Rd., San Carlos, just off Highway 101 at Ralston Avenue.