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.
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