Author Archives: RSCA

The PILOT: May 2011

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Below is the May 2011 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 — May 2011 Issue

Marlin Park Playground Renovation Plans are Underway!

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A newly renovated playground area for school age and tots is coming shortly to Marlin Park in Redwood Shores. Two community meetings were held in Redwood Shores (one at the Sandpiper Community Center on January 8th and the other at Marlin Park on April 9th) to gather input into what residents and users would like in the renovation of the existing playground at Marlin Park. Staff, and the Landscape Architect on the project (Abey Arnold Landscape Architects), received excellent comments, suggestions, and onsite requests to help us put together the final concept plan that is shown.

We’re excited that in addition to refurbishing the large playground structure with new slides and climbable equipment, we will be adding an “Aero-Net” for more climbing fun, two saddle spinners, a shade canopy (over section of the play structure), new trees, and more seating areas. And, we will be creating a new, separate tot only play area that will be fenced in for safety; a request we heard loud and clear throughout the input process. In this new area, we will place a playhouse slide, a “daisy bouncer”, a dune buggy bouncer, safari play panel, and toddler swing.

Through our community input process, residents, by consensus, decided to spend the majority of the renovation budget on main playground area rather than the beach area. We will remove all of the old equipment to form an open viewing area of the beautiful lagoon.

Right now, we are finalizing the construction plans and hope to award the project by early July. Once a contractor and a construction schedule is determined, the renovation project could begin near the end of August. A similar sized project typically has an approximately 120-day construction period (with additional days added due to any weather or other unforeseen issues).

For more information, please contact Claudia Olalla, Project Manager, ; or Chris Beth, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services at

— Chris Beth, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services

San Carlos Children’s Theater presents “The Sound of Music”

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Choreographed by Daina Block. Musical Direction by Larry Rice. Presented in cooperation with Belmont Parks and Recreation. The Sound of Music is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com

 

May 5-15, 2011.

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM.

Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM.

Barrett Community Center, 1835 Belburn Drive, Belmont, CA 94002

 

Tickets are $12 in advance online at www.sancarloschildrenstheater.com and $14 at the door if still available. Seating is first come first serve.

 

Short synopsis: When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern captain.

Police Service Award & Police Heroism Award

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The Redwood City Police Department congratulates Officer Perry Garcia and Officer Ryan Adler for being the 2010 recipients of the Police Service Award and Police Heroism Award sponsored by the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs.

The Awards were presented on Friday, April 1st at the 46th Annual Police and Firefighter Awards Banquet which celebrates the outstanding work of these officers for the benefit of the citizens of the City of Redwood City.

 

Peninsula Council of Lions Service Award Recipient – Officer Perry Garcia

Officer Perry Garcia has been a dedicated volunteer instructor for the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) Karate Program since 1999. During his 11-year tenure, Officer Garcia volunteered over 2,400 hours and helped to mentor over 700 at-risk and potentially at-risk youth in the program. Officer Garcia believed the study of Karate could instill concentration, focus, confidence, respect and humility in local youth who might otherwise not have the opportunity to develop these valuable qualities. Many of his students competed in both local and regional tournaments, and the program successfully graduated 8 black belts along with numerous brown belts. Officer Garcia’s personal commitment to at-risk youth in Redwood City is a positive and lasting connection not only him, but also to the Redwood City Police Department.

 

Peninsula Council of Lions Heroism Award Nominee – Officer Ryan Adler

On April 14th 2010, Officer Ryan Adler responded to a call of a 9 year-old child choking and not breathing. When Officer Adler arrived at the scene, he found the child had gone into a state of unconsciousness. Officer Adler administered the Heimlich maneuver and was ultimately able to expel the obstruction to the child’s airway which restored the child’s breathing. The child was transported to the hospital, but made a full recovery thanks to Officer Adler’s quick actions that helped save the life of this 9 year-old child.

Redwood City Presents the “WOW” in Downtown!

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Redwood City welcomes the community Downtown for its 5th incredible season of FREE events and entertainment. Every week throughout the summer at beautiful Courthouse Square, four great evenings will highlight fabulous, free, fun-filled activities: Monday – Jazz on Main, Tuesday – Dancing on the Square, Thursday – Movies on the Square, Fridays – Music on the Square. There are also seven special outdoor exhibits featuring Art on the Square, as well as weekend Target Family Days, and wonderful classical music concerts.

Everyone will enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of Courthouse Square, with its cooling fountains and surrounding exotic shops and eateries, offering friends, family, and neighbors a great place to enjoy balmy summer evenings. This is why people call Redwood City the Entertainment Capital of the Peninsula! Here’s the run-down of this season’s great Downtown Redwood City entertainment (see details at www.redwoodcityevents.com):

Movies on the Square

Redwood City’s summer movie experience continues with FREE movies on 22 Thursday evenings starting at sundown (approximately 8:45 pm), with a variety of great movies that will delight kids and adults alike. This year’s movies run from May 12th through October 6th and include recent flicks such as The Kings Speech on May 19th, The Green Hornet on June 30th, and True Grit on July 14th, as well as movie classics like E.T. on August 11th, among many, many others. It’s best to arrive early for the best seats (a limited number of chairs and tables are available). Many people bring a blanket, grab some take-out from nearby restaurants, and kick back to experience outdoor theater with our 25-foot screen.

 

Music on the Square

Free music every week throughout the summer…WOW! This season features 23 impressive concerts not to be missed on Friday evenings from 6 to 8 pm, beginning on May 6th. With top-quality local and national musical performers — from rock, blues, Celtic, and swing, to Latin, Reggae, country, and more— music fans of all ages will be thrilled to discover and enjoy our free summer concert series, this year extended through October 7th. And, anyone wishing to support Music on the Square is invited to reserve a lounge chair for every Friday night concert of the season, as part of the Friends of Friday fundraising program – details are at www.redwoodcity.org/events/friends.html

 

Jazz on Main

The Jazz on Main series continues this year, with Main Street hosting outdoor jazz concerts every Monday evening from June 20th through August 15th featuring the Bay Area’s very best jazz artists. The jazz is on from 6 – 8 pm, and everyone can enjoy the music, eat at one of the many great restaurants along Main Street, and if the mood strikes – DANCE! The all-star lineup will be sure to make for many jazzed-up Monday evenings on Main Street in Downtown Redwood City’s Historic District.

 

Dancing on the Square

Everyone can join in and kick up their heels on Tuesday evenings with our free dance series, while watching – and learning! – Tango, Swing, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Waltz, Country Western, and others. The fun will begin on June 21st from 6 – 8 pm, with a 30-minute demonstration, and continues on with public participation. Featuring free mini-lessons and open social dancing for all ages and all levels, no experience needed and no partner required. The community is invited to join friends, learn to dance, step out in style and have some serious fun!

 

Art on the Square

Art on the Square showcases the best in fine arts and crafts each month between June and September at Courthouse Square. It’s great fun to wander the booths and discover unique painting, photography, jewelry, glass, ceramics, and more at prices for every budget. There’s exquisite jewelry at every show, and for those who can’t get enough of it we’ve added Jewelry on the Square on July 8th. Great gifts for friends or family, it’s a wonderful opportunity to see and buy original art – painting, glass, photography, ceramics, and more. And every Art on the Square event is combined with great music, food, and fun!

 

Classical Music Series

For the classical music lover, or anyone who appreciates great musical talent, Redwood City continues its Classical Music Series starting in June, 2011. The series launches at 6 pm on June 4th with Opera San José, and then continues on June 25th with the innovative Redwood Symphony. Families will love these free classical concerts, performed outdoors on beautiful Courthouse Square.

 

Target Family Days

Once a month on Sundays, Target Family Days (generously sponsored by Target) will transform Courthouse Square, into a family entertainment center, hosting a variety of themed activities. Featuring children’s entertainers, educational exhibits, cultural food, themed face painting, hands-on art projects, a caricature artist, bounce houses and more, Target Family Days offers something for everyone from July through September, making this a fun and relaxing family experience in an inviting and comfortable atmosphere.
More info on these events is online at www.redwoodcityevents.com

These free events, extending through spring, summer, and fall are sponsored by the City of Redwood City’s Redevelopment Agency, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, and Civic Cultural Commission. The City of Redwood City would also like to thank Barracuda Networks, San Mateo Credit Union, Peninsula Infiniti, Bud Light, Rockstar Energy Drink, and The Fox Theatre for their generous contributions to Music on the Square.

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

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter or other documents by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/egov

Historic Preservation Month

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People in Redwood City will join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of the annual National Historic Preservation Month, during May, 2011. “Celebrating America’s Treasures” is the theme of the month-long celebration that is sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and locally by Redwood City’s Historic Resources Advisory Committee. This special event spotlights grassroots historic preservation efforts in America, celebrates the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states, and enables more Americans to become involved in the growing historic preservation movement.

Here in Redwood City, Historic Preservation Month 2011 is observed by a proclamation by the Mayor, a Union Cemetery Historic Site tour, a Downtown historic walking tour, and historic field trips for 700 seventh graders to three downtown buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The community is invited to join in the celebration of Redwood City’s history!

  • Union Cemetery Historic Site Tour, Saturday, May 14th 10 am: tour meets at the 1859 cemetery, located on Woodside Road, near El Camino Real. The Union Cemetery serves as a permanent archive of San Mateo County’s history. Recorded on stone are the rich and colorful lives of many pioneer families – including more than 40 Civil War veterans who are buried in the old soldiers’ plot established by the Grand Army of the Republic.
  • Downtown Historic Walking Tour, Sunday, May 15th, 10:30 am: tour meets in front of Lathrop House at 627 Hamilton Street. The tour will last approximately one-and-a-half hours and will include most of Redwood City’s historic commercial buildings as well as some historic residential properties. Walking tour participants will see where Wyatt Earp occasionally came for a drink, where President Hoover once slept, where a Wells Fargo Express Office operated in 1875, Redwood City’s first new car showroom salon and auto repair garage, the finest theater on the peninsula in 1896, the former homes of prominent pioneer citizens and much more.
  • New this year – Path of History: Redwood City’s new Historic Informational Kiosk and Commemorative Sculpture/Plaque, located at the corner of Main Street and Broadway near the site of the Wells Fargo express service. Here, visitors can see displays and photos, and read about Redwood City’s rich history. Brochures for a self-guided tour of historic landmarks in Downtown Redwood City – the “Path of History” – are available at City Hall, and will soon be available right at the kiosk display. Future phases will add plaques and more historic information throughout the Downtown area.

The seventh grade field trips, led by local volunteers, will bring students to the restored 1863 Lathrop House, the Old County Courthouse (home of the San Mateo County Historical Association and Museum), and the historic Fox Theatre.

Business, community and civic sponsors, and participants for the school tours include Redwood City’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Department, Fox Theatre owners Eric and Lori Lochtefeld, the San Mateo County Historical Association, the Redwood City Heritage Association, Attorney Michael Bursak, and the Redwood City Optimist Club.

The Historic Resources Advisory Committee is an advisory committee to the Redwood City Planning Commission regarding the implementation of the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance. The Committee recommends historic designation of local landmarks and districts, performs design review of changes to historic buildings, and is involved in other historic preservation related activities.

Visit Redwood City’s website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter or other documents by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/egov

— Charles Jany
— Community Development Services
— (650) 780-7239

Carlmont High School Events

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“Generation Dance” — Carlmont Dance Annual Show

May 5,6,7 2011 @ 7pm
Carlmont Perfroming Arts Center
Purchase tickets NOW at www.carlmontperformingarts.com

 

Carlmont Choirs’ Spring Concert

May 12 & 13, 2011 @ 7:00 pm
Carlmont Perfroming Arts Center
Purchase tickets NOW at www.carlmontperformingarts.com

 

2010-2011 Carlmont Performing Arts Performance Dates

May 5th, 6th & 7th at 7pm: Dance Show – Main Theater
May 12th & 13th at 7pm: Spring Choral Concerts – Main Theater
May 18th & 19th at 7pm: Spring Instrumental Music Concerts – Main Theater
May 20th at 7pm: Drama Showcase & Improv Night – Studio Theater

 

School Schedule

May 30: Memorial Day Holiday
May 31-June 2: Final Exams
June 3: Graduation Day
April 18-22: Spring Vacation

NASA Ames Exploration Center Hosts 3rd and 4th Graders From Redwood Shores Schools

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Over one hundred students from Redwood Shores and Sandpiper Elementary Schools participated in the golden anniversary celebration of first human space flight at NASA Ames on April 8, 2011. The unique learning opportunity commemorated cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961. Students spent four hours to see over fifty exhibits about aerodynamics, aquaponics, astrobiology, cryogenics, fluorescent spectroscopy, gyroscopes, hyper velocity aircraft design, inflatable planetarium, microbial ecosystems, lunar exploration, nanotechnology, robots, search for life on other planets, search for transiting planets in the Milky Way, rocketry, seismology, space walk, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), superconductivity, etc.

Many students also earned posters of STS 133 the 133rd space shuttle flight and the final flight of Discovery that launched on February 24, 2011 and landed on March 9, 2011 (less than 30 days prior to their visit to NASA Ames). Now that Discovery is retired from service, someday those posters may become a collectors’ item. “Maybe some of these third and fourth graders will become the engineers to design the replacement of the space shuttle or the astronauts on future missions into space,” said Andrew Young, who has been responsible for the initiation of this program.

— Andrew Young, Redwood Shores resident

Wine Appreciation

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The purpose of wine tasting is to assess its various properties—its appearance, aromas, flavors, and overall structure. That is, to determine what’s it’s all about, if it’s well made and, most importantly, if it’s appealing, and why. And, pretense has nothing to do with it, though some may think so. So, let’s review the steps involved in tasting: See, swirl, sniff, sip, swallow, and savor.

Color is a leading indicator of a wine’s condition, and the goal in the “see step” is to get an inkling of that. If you see brown, there’s trouble ahead. White wines darken when something is wrong or if they’re over the hill, and reds, as they age, lose their color and develop a brownish tinge. For the professional critics there’s much more to be gleaned from the nuances of color, but for the rest of us, just be sure it’s bright and clear.

Swirling, the next step, is a must. It unleashes all those pleasing aromas. If you’re insecure about swirling, practice the motion with some water. A couple swirls will do, this is not a centrifugal force test.

Next, take a couple quick sniffs. No long inhalations, otherwise you’ll fatigue your nasal receptors. So, what do you detect? Wine, you say? But if you detect other goodies like flowers, fruits, herbs, or spices, then you’re closing in on wine descriptors—the terms tasters use to characterize particular grape varieties. Hint: each grape variety has its own unique aromas, and with a little practice, you will quickly learn to distinguish the more popular varietals.

Now take a generous sip. Roll it around to all parts of your tongue. Savor it Some people close their eyes to eliminate visual distractions. Others suck air in over their tongue (think hot soup) to propel aromas into the back of their mouth and into their nasal passages. The point is to go slow and get your taste buds and receptors working. Now swallow and think about it. So, what do you taste? Still wine, eh? But just like in the “sniff step,” if you taste something that mirrors those wine descriptors mentioned above, then you’re well on your way to being a journeyman wine geek.

So, you’ve looked at it, sniffed it, tasted it; now it’s time to opine. Did you like the color, flavor, and aroma? Did it taste too dry, or do you prefer it sweeter? Was that white crisp and lively? And that red, was it fruity and smooth, or coarse and tannic? Would you buy it? And can you tell someone, anyone, why?


– Tom Barras

www.TomBarrasWineCommentary.blogspot.com/