Category Archives: News

Redwood City Recognized as “Playful City USA” by Nationwide Non-Profit Group, KaBOOM!

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Redwood City is proud to announce that it has earned national recognition as a 2011 Playful City USA, presented by nationwide non-profit park and play advocate, KaBOOM! This is a national awards program honoring cities and towns determined to prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play. This year, KaBOOM! designated 151 cities across the country, including Redwood City, as a Playful City USA community, for each city’s efforts to increase play opportunities for children.

Redwood City was recognized by KaBOOM! for its devotion to children’s athletics, recreation, and providing opportunities for play, as well as for making a commitment to play and physical activity toward increasing the quantity and quality of play in our community. All of the 2011 award-winning Playful City USA communities serve as role models for other communities and prove that enhancing children’s well-being by increasing the opportunity for play is an attainable goal for every community, even in difficult budget times.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is important to healthy brain development and allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generations in part because only 20-percent live within walking distance of a park or playground. This Play Deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically as well as mentally and socially because children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy.

A key platform in combating the Play Deficit is Playful City USA, a national program advocating for local policies that increase play opportunities for children. KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play, created Playful City USA in 2007 to help local governments address the Play Deficit by ensuring their children have the time and space they need to play. Redwood City was selected in 2010 and 2011 for its outstanding dedication to play, and its efforts to provide safe and enriching places for kids to play by creating joint-use agreements with local schools. The city is able to offer after-school programming and increase access to other recreational facilities.

More information about KaBOOM! is available at www.kaboom.org/playfulcityusa

Sandpiper Spotlight: October 2011

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The school year has started off well! We enjoyed a wonderful Back-to-School night on September 8 and are now gearing up for several exciting activities.

This year, our first walking school bus will take place on October 5, International Walk to School Day. Neighborhood liaisons will be in place to help groups of students and parents who walk or ride their bikes and scooters to school. We are trying our best to “keep it green” at Sandpiper School.

The Sandpiper PTA presents “Under the Harvest Moon: Food, Fun & Friends” on Saturday, November 5, at Domenico Winery in San Carlos. This annual fundraiser features a Silent Auction of items and baskets made by the individual classes along with Teacher Gifts of Time and other generous donations by the Sandpiper and Redwood Shores community.The Live Auction, buffet dinner catered by Eatz Catering and dancing are highlights that will make the evening a night to remember! The funds raised by this event will benefit the school and children directly as the Sandpiper PTA provides classroom and student materials, field trip costs, technology, PE equipment, visual arts programs, student assemblies and more.

For more information on donations, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets to the event, please contact Lisa Eliopoulos at

RWS Student Helen Ye Wins Awards in International Tournaments

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It was an exciting summer for Helen Ye, a 5th grader at Redwood Shores Elementary School. Helen participated in three major junior national and international badminton tournaments this summer and won rewards from all of the events. She was qualified to represent USA and compete in the 20th Pan Am Junior Badminton Championship held in Kingston Jamaica. It is a very special experience for Helen to represent her own country and compete on foreign ground. In Jamaica, Helen joined with over 500 young players from 17 countries and made many new friends. Helen won 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in the U11 events. Mostly recently, Helen competed at 2011 California Junior International Badminton Championship where she won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medals.

Badminton is an Olympic sport that is gaining popularity in US. Helen started playing badminton nearly two years ago purely as a recreation sport. She quickly discovered a new world in badminton and developed a growing passion for it. She now trains regularly at Bay Badminton Club in Burlingame. Helen learned the technique that helped her to build up speed, endurance, flexibility and accuracy. More importantly, the training programs instill self confidence, determination and disciplines in the players to face various challenges. These core skills are not only crucial for the sports but also for life.

Helen is looking forward to further improve her badminton game and bring up the awareness of the sport in the Bay Area.

Wine Appreciation

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When I was growing up, one of the breakfast rituals that my brothers and I performed virtually every morning was reading the back of the cereal boxes while we slurped and crunched our way through Rice Krispies, Quaker Oats, and our enduring favorite Wheaties.  We were convinced, of course, that our daily bowlful of the Breakfast of Champions would develop us into major league baseball talent like Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio or other athletes whose images were emblazoned on the front of Wheaties.

“But what have cereal boxes to do with wine,” you ask?  Well, it seems the same old habit is reappearing—at least an adult variation of it.  But it’s not the back of cereal boxes I’m perusing these days; it’s the back label of wine bottles.  I still browse the front labels, for I’m always fascinated by the photos, drawings and artwork that are designed to trigger a “feel good” buying impulse.  However, today’s pontification is about the typically unexplored and underappreciated back label, which often contains voluntary but nonetheless vital information about a winery and its wines.

Some back labels inform us that the winery is family owned and operated.  That’s important to me since I’m an entrepreneurial type, and I always like to support the risk takers.  Others refer to the wine being estate grown (from their own property) and bottled.  That’s important to me since I can rely on a continuity of type and style.  Still others are telling us about their sustainable and/or organic winegrowing programs that hint at our environmental benefits.

Other labels specify winemaking methods and their effect on the wine’s style.  A well known Sauvignon Blanc indicates that it “Combines both cold tank and barrel fermentation to create a wine that delivers intense fruit with a hint of oak.”  That describes it perfectly, and you now know about two fermentations and how they affect flavor and taste.  For those into winespeak tasting descriptors, many labels state evocative fruit, flower and other metaphors, which allow you to compare your palate to the winemaker’s.

If you find yourself really savoring an imported wine, be sure to scan for the importer or distributor’s name on the back label.  They generally have a regional area of expertise and/or a portfolio of wine producers that they represent.  An Internet search of their web site will detail other wines and producers you may wish to explore.  For domestic winegrowers, their Internet site is typically on the back label, and virtually anything about them can be found there.  One of the bonuses of visiting their web site is discovering details about specific wines

In closing, I have always considered a wine’s back label to be a producer’s silent salesperson, a quick search for further details, and the last information stopping point before taking the bottle to the check out stand.  If you already know and understand what is on the front label, browsing the back label can only increase your chances of making an informed purchase.


– Tom Barras

www.TomBarrasWineCommentary.blogspot.com/

City Update from Councilperson Gee

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With summer over and Halloween coming soon, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight a number of events, happenings and decisions on the City.

Earlier this year, the City adopted the Downtown Precise Plan (DTPP). Combined with last year’s adoption of the General Plan, both documents set a vision for the future of our City and the downtown. The vision continues the “Renaissance” of Redwood City. In addition to establishing a vision for our City, the General Plan and the DTPP provide clarity and certainty for developers, builders, and new business owners on what they need to do to develop a project.

One of our goals is to promote housing downtown. There are a number of housing projects in the planning stages: Mels’ Bowl on El Camino Real is planned for 141 units of rental housing; the former Dodge site at Veterans/Whipple is another site that is planned for rental housing. Other projects include 333 Main Street, 132 units or rental housing, including affordable housing, and 201 Marshall Street, 116 units of housing. All of these projects could be under construction next year.

As housing and residents arrive, so do new businesses. Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi is a new “benihana” style restaurant that opened a couple of months ago. Sakura has quickly developed a devoted and regular clientele; The Old Spaghetti Factory will be opening in a few weeks, as will Papa John’s Pizza. Coming to Sequoia Station is Pier 1 Imports (opening in early 2012), and Barone’s Wood Fire Pizza (next to Young’s Ice Cream).

On a much quieter front, a number of new tech businesses have moved-in, or started in Redwood City. These employers enjoy the access to CalTrain, the wide-variety of dining and entertainment opportunities for staff, and soon, nearby housing.

Finally, congratulations to Eric and Lori Lochtefeld, the owners of the Fox Theatre. Last month, they celebrated their one-year anniversary with their 100th event at the Fox. Where else could you hear the music of Michael Jackson (Foreverland was the featured band for the Friday night concert), followed by the music of Chicago (the Chicago Transit Authority was the opening act for the evening at the Fox), and then concluding with the music of Neil Diamond (Super Diamond). All of this in Redwood City!

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

President’s Memo: October 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 around 4,000 votes. With those numbers you can clearly see that voters in Redwood Shores can have a significant impact on the outcome of local races that affect us — IF WE VOTE!

This year there is no Presidential race to attract everyone’s attention, nor are there local races for the Senate or House of Representatives. There are also no controversial local propositions to get everyone out to vote and the open School Board positions are being filled without a contested election due to a lack of candidates. So, why bother to vote?

There are five candidates for the four open City Council seats in Redwood City. Four of the candidates are incumbent Council Members hoping to retain their seats. These races may not grab the headlines like a big national election, but our City Council deals with issues that impact our community far more than most national issues. How will essential City services be maintained when the City is facing declining revenues? Are we going to be able to maintain adequate police and fire presence in Redwood Shores? Voters will decide whether to keep the current Council intact or whether new blood is needed.

(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. And elected official do look at voter turnout as a measure of community interest or apathy. So every Shores vote counts and makes a difference!

Get informed, get registered, then VOTE on November 8th !

Waterfowl Being Killed in Our Lagoons!

In mid September several sets of bird wings were found on the shores of our interior waterways. It appears that someone is killing the birds, cutting off the wings, and taking the carcasses (possible for food). This taking of ANY waterfowl in the Shores is illegal and IT MUST STOP!

If you see anyone that appears to be trying to catch any of our birds, CALL 911 immediately.

Update on the “Other” Goose Problem

Here’s a brief update of where we are in developing that plan to deal with filth left by our resident geese:

At the first of September a draft document was provided to US & CA wildlife officials for their comments and suggestions about what we can and can not, should and should not do. We received their comments & suggestions rather quickly, and that input has been incorporated into a second draft that will go back to US Fish & Wildlife and CA Dept. of Fish & Game this week. We expect to have their final comments before you get this issue of the PILOT.

Starting in early October we will be working with the City on a coordinated & “recommended actions” plan to present to BOTH the business & residential communities. Part of this will be to identify “hot spots” that might need special attention or additional measures.

Again, we are seeing two courses of action. One is to find ways to contain the movement of the geese and – hopefully – reduce their feeding/excreting area within the Shores. Second is to begin to find ways to humanely reduce the population of resident Canada geese here instead of tolerating continually increasing numbers of these no-longer-migrating waterfowl. (And, NO, killing them is not an option!)

Our target is to have this information available by the end of this year if at all possible. (The next breeding season for Canada geese is March-June`12.) We are going to need cooperation not only from our residents and HOAs but also from all of the business property owners & managers, their business 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.

Yes, we have received a few (but just a very few) comments suggesting that we learn to “tolerate” the “inconvenience” of all this filth on our sidewalks, lawns, and in our parks. But almost all of the comments have been supportive (and we di appreciate the feedback). There seems to be a near consensus interest in finding some way to humanely deal with the excrement these geese leave all over the Shores.

Coming in November

The November issue of the PILOT will be focused entirely on personal preparations you should make for dealing with an emergency caused by a large seismic event or other disaster.

We need to recognize the fact that in such an emergency the Shores will be isolated from most fire, police, and rescue services. This may not be desirable, but it is the reality.

This issue of the PILOT will be focused on things YOU can do to get your household prepared.

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.

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