Featured - page 121

With menu options such as “Panty Dropper,” “Booty Call” and “Hard On,” an apparent new business in Redwood City is definitely getting a rise out of some residents.

It appears Pink Pantherz Espresso is moving into the space formerly occupied by the old Caffino at 2797 El Camino Real.

We reached out to the company today for comment. When it comes to details, the owners were not prepared to bare it all. We received this stripped-down statement:

“Thank you for the interest in our company, we are currently finalizing everything and as soon as we are done will contact you with all the details.”

We first learned about the business from the Facebook forum, “Redwood City Residents Say: What?” where locals on Tuesday posted photos from outside the old Caffino where a Pink Pantherz Espresso sign has been erected on the storefront.

Established in 2014, Pink Pantherz Espresso has three locations — in Fremont, Modesto, and Fresno — and bills itself as “The Best Bikini Coffee Shop,” according to its website.

“We offer up the very best in Espresso beverages, including lattes, mochas, and our famous pink panthers pleasures beverages,” the company said. “We also serve pastries and treats, made fresh for us each day by our local bakery, and invite you to come by and try our new iced Italian Sodas, a favorite out in these parts during those hot summer months or a hot cup of coffee served by an even hotter barista!”

While the business has received decent Yelp reviews, the possibility it will open in Redwood City received mixed reactions in the Facebook forum, with one commenter noting “there’s no way in hell I’d be ordering an ‘Irish Babe.'” A mom said she will “never be able to go through that drive thru with her kids,” but not everyone was critical.

“I guess I know where I’m getting my coffee now,” said one man, while a woman called out others for being prude.

“Ya’ll ever take them to a pool where women are in bathing suits?” she wrote. “I mean basically in underwear.”

A gas leak in Redwood City occurred after a construction crew damaged a natural gas main Wednesday morning, according to Bay City News, citing a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesperson.

The incident was reported at 10:30 a.m. at 615 Canyon Road, and the flow of gas was stopped 23 minutes later, PG&E reported.

During the incident, Redwood City Fire blocked access to Canyon Road from both Oaknoll and Harding.

No injuries were reported.

The Redwood City Fire Department posted the above photo from the scene.

An informational kiosk will be installed in historic Union Cemetery following unanimous approval by the Redwood City Planning Commission on Tuesday.

The kiosk will measure 10-feet, 2-inches in height and 7-feet, 7 inches in width. It was reviewed and approved last month by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee, which is protocol for any alteration or improvement to an historic resource. The kiosk will be constructed out of wood and the design will include “ornate architectural detailing underneath the gables” in order to blend in with other cemetery structures.

Union Cemetery was designated a California State Landmark in 1967, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and designated a Redwood City Landmark in 1989, according to city documents.

Award-winning?  Yes, that would be our Redwood City Public Library.

This year’s 2018 PR Excellence Award, from the California Library Association – recognizes the library’s 2017 “Meet Your Neighbors” campaign.

Maybe you were there for “Meet Your Chefs” – a peek inside the kitchen at some of Redwood City’s best restaurants, or “Speed Meet Your Neighbors” – 3-minutes apiece to meet, greet and maybe make some new friends.  And of course, who can forget “Meet Your Librarians” – introducing the face behind the book (well, not the author – but the person who checks out the book)!

It’s all part of helping new arrivals here feel at home, and making sure even long-time residents know everything that’s going on in our town (because there’s a lot).  And it’s all part of the work honored by the California Library Association.

So congratulations to everyone at the Redwood City Public Libraries, downtown and branch libraries!  And don’t forget to check out a summer reading book or two.

Teresa Herrera has been named the new manager of Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW), the wastewater treatment company serving areas including Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont and Woodside.

Herrera is the first woman, and only the third person, to assume the job in SVCW’s nearly 50-year history. She succeeds Daniel T. Child, who retired from public service and started a wastewater consultancy business.

“Our Board is delighted to unanimously appoint Teresa as manager,“ said John Seybert, SVCW Commission Chairman.  “Teresa’s background in private-sector leadership, and her years at SVCW as the assistant manager and chief engineering officer, have prepared her well to lead the organization into the future.”

Herrera started at SVCW in 2008 to create the first engineering department and to manage capital improvement efforts costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

She has won multiple awards for her contributions to the industry, including the 5-S shovel award given by the California Water Environmental Association. The 5-S part stands for “Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.”

In a statement, Herrera said her focus in the last 10 years “and now continuing forward” is improvements and replacement of aging and failing infrastructure, as well as resource recovery in the form of water and energy.

“As manager my focus is maintaining strong leadership and mentorship within SVCW, ensuring success with the Agency’s RESCU program, and maintaining positive relationships with SVCW’s member agencies, Commission, and our 220,000 customers,” Herrera said.

Sports Basement announced it is set to open its largest location in Redwood City.

The sporting goods retailer will open its 10th Bay Area store in the recently-closed Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us sites at 202 Walnut St. Sports Basement is already working at the site and aims to open in time for the holiday season, which also coincides with the company’s 20th anniversary, the company announced last week

The company’s largest store will have a total of over 88,000 square feet of space. And like the other stores, the Redwood City location will include space set aside for the community, including gathering spaces, comfy couches, children’s play areas and more.

“We’d been searching for a perfect spot in the mid-peninsula for over a decade,” says Aaron Schweifler, director of operations. “As soon as we saw this space, we had huge visions for it.”

Sports Basement’s “Basementeer loyalty program” gives members 10-percent off every purchase while donating 10-percent of profits to local charities and schools. The company is encouraging representatives of Redwood City-area charities and schools to contact rwccommunity@sportsbasement.com in order to become a beneficiary of the donations.

Updates about the store’s progress can be found on Instagram at @sportsbasementsouthbay and on its blog.

Image Credit: Sports Basement.

One person was injured in a two-car crash in Redwood City on Saturday night, according to fire officials.

The incident was reported at about 9:39 p.m. at the intersection of Middlefield Road and Charter Street, according to the Redwood City Fire Department.

Further details about the incident weren’t immediately available.

Photo: Redwood City Fire Department.