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Political Climate with Mark Simon: Warren ‘specific,’ O’Rourke ‘disappointing,’ Buttigieg ‘a clear favorite’ – locals weigh in on convention

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The Peninsula was heavily represented among the delegates at last weekend’s California Democratic Party convention San Francisco, as was the Democratic field of presidential candidates. Of the 24 candidates now running, 14 put in some kind of appearance at the convention, most of them speaking in a parade of speeches that did not include a talent portion.

That this many candidates showed up for an off-year convention is a tribute to Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, who was the prime sponsor of the legislation that moved the California presidential primary to March of 2020, instead of its customary spot in June.

In addition to drawing the candidates to the convention, the early primary prompted a number of national news media stories talking about the key role California will play in sorting out the field early in the nomination process. In past cycles, California has been irrelevant to the nomination, except as a source of campaign money. Mullin also was interviewed a number of times by some major news outlets.

Two Peninsula attendees were Redwood City Councilwoman Giselle Hale and Palo Alto travel agent and online bon vivant Janice Hough, who offers witty comments about politics and sports. They sat through most of the speeches at the convention and posted their thoughts. Here are some excepts:

On California Sen. Kamala Harris:

Hale: “Her speech was too focused on Trump and lacked in energy.”
Hough: “Clearly popular but her speech, to me, felt like more Trump-bashing and less promoting herself and her ideas. She seemed a bit flat.”

On Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren:

Hale: Whoa energy! She got the crowd fired up and appeared very comfortable. She was specific in pointing to what needs fixing and what she would do (for a 7-min speech).”

Hough: “Woke everyone up. One of the most inspirational policy wonks since Bill Clinton, and she’s getting better. Lots of details packed in. Almost hard to keep up. But yes, whatever it is, she has a plan for that. Found myself thinking she will take a lot of Bernie voters.

On Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke:

Hale: She edited her original post on the speeches “because I FORGOT HIM. Which sums up his speech. But it was in Spanish. That I remember.”

Hough: “Huge disappointment. Bilingual but boring.”

On New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:

Hale: “Unremarkable. She didn’t answer ‘why should you give me the job.’ ”

Hough: “Kind of meh. Talked about winning in red districts but didn’t mention that she used to have a lot of more conservative positions.”

On Mayor Pete Buttigieg:

Hale: “Wowowow! Clearly answers ‘why vote for me’ and makes a damn good case for why playing it safe is a losing strategy. Only candidate who created a hush over the audience that was hanging on his every word.”

Hough: “He grabbed the crowd back. Clearly a favorite, although he (is) more moderate than the average delegate: ‘The economic normal has failed a working and middle class that powered America into a new era of growth, only to see the amazing wealth that we built go to a tiny few.’ “

On California Rep. Eric Swalwell:

Hale: “If your high school quarterback ran for president.”

Hough: “Not sure I remember anything on the speech except he seemed like a nice young man. But he’s no Mayor Pete.”

On Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar:

Hale: “Grit. Not sure if I’d vote for her but I’d have a drink with her. She would spice up the debates.”

Hough: “Impressive as hell. A bit hoarse maybe, but she was grounded, detail oriented and FUNNY. And you could definitely see delegates warming to her.”

On New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker:

Hough: “Best speech of the day. And getting the attention of thousands of people who’ve been sitting through six hours of speeches is almost impossible. He did that.”

Contact Mark Simon at mark.simon24@yahoo.com.

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Democratic presidental hopeful U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks during the California Democrats 2019 State Convention at the Moscone Center on June 01, 2019 in San Francisco, California.

One person rescued in fire on Pine Street Tuesday night

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One person was rescued from a structure fire in the 100 block of Pine Street (at Shasta Street) in Redwood City on Tuesday night, fire officials said.

Redwood City firefighters responded to the scene just before 11:30 p.m. The rescued individual was transported to Stanford Hospital for treatment. The severity of the injuries, or cause of the fire, were not immediately known.

Photo credit: Redwood City Fire Department’s Twitter account.

 

Pilot project will turn organic waste into clean energy source

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San Mateo County is set to launch a new landfill diversion pilot project that will convert organic materials into a clean energy source using an Organics Extrusion Press (OREX).

Today, the County’s Board of Supervisors approved funding for the OPEX, which is expected to begin operating in December this year.

From its home at the Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos, OREX is expected to extract between 50 and 75 tons of organic material per day from waste that would otherwise head to landfills and composting facilities. That material will then be anaerobically digested into a carbon-negative renewable natural gas that will be used by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. As importantly, it will reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, the County said. If the so-called Organics-to-Energy pilot succeeds, it would ideally be expanded, the County says.

The Shoreway Environmental Center receives over 221,00o tons of garbage annually, of which 30 percent is made up of organic material, according to Joe La Mariana, executive director of RethinkWaste, a solid waste joint powers authority that includes 11 cities, the County and the West Bay Sanitary District.

“This pilot project will help move these materials out of the landfill and create a clean energy source for our operations,” La Mariana said in a statement.

The $5 million project will be funded by $3 million in CalRecycle grants, $1.25 million from RethinkWaste, and $1 million from the County using funds designated for waste reduction and recycling programs.

“This type of innovation benefits our communities today with cleaner air and over the long term by reducing our County’s reliance on landfills,” said Supervisor Carole Groom.  “Using our resources wisely begins with reducing and composting food waste at home and is complimented by creative technologies like this.”

Special event sponsors in Redwood City facing higher fees

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Redwood City prides itself on being the entertainment hub of the Peninsula, with nearly 100 special events every year, from ethnic festivals to concerts at Courthouse Square. But providing city services to support those events adds up, and a recently approved fee schedule aims to recoup some of those costs, while streamlining the permit process.

The new fee schedule for events at Courthouse Square and elsewhere in the city was approved by the City Council April 22 and is an outgrowth of a multi-year study that looked at improving cost recovery for all city services, including those related to special events.

Concerned that an initial proposal from last year would have hit nonprofit event sponsors too hard, the rates the council approved had been discounted. To further cushion the blow, the city also set up a $15,000 one-year grant program so the nonprofits could apply for help. City staff is helping the groups connect to possible sponsors.

“We’re not saying ‘tough luck,’” said Chris Beth, the director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. “We are actively making phone calls” in an effort to provide “a soft landing this year.”

Bethlehem AD, the outdoor living nativity that takes place every year just before Christmas, is one of the events that is affected.

Creative Director Paula Dresden recently got word that the charge for police and other city services will be at least $21,000, close to half of Bethlehem AD’s $45,000 budget. She had heard last fall that there would be a new fee in 2019 — but the amount was a jolt.

“Twenty-thousand dollars is a big burden for us,” she said, “and we don’t know what God will do. We’ve seen Him provide throughout the years.”

Ivan Martinez is the executive director of the Police Activities League, which sponsors a music festival on Courthouse Square in July that attracts close to 10,000 people.  He said it will not be affected until next year.

“That’s our biggest fundraiser,” Martinez said. “I’m just kind of waiting to see how much more are we thinking about,” which will impact the money available to go into programs.

Beth, whose department is now the clearinghouse for the permits, said the city recognizes the contributions nonprofits make and is trying to help them find sponsors. Beth noted that the new fees, in fact, are discounted from an earlier proposal that would have charged the full cost of staffing, including employee benefits. That was scaled back to just salaries.

Routing all permit applications through the parks department is intended to simplify the process and to ensure consistency, Beth added.

As Redwood City has staked out a place as the place to go for entertainment, the number of events has grown and several have gotten much larger over the years. With that comes the need for expanded public safety services, including traffic controls and parking enforcement.

“They are growing every year,” said Police Chief Dan Mulholland. “We have a downtown core that is attractive but there are a lot of costs that are associated with that.”

Two large events – the Fourth of July Parade and Hometown Holidays – were deemed “legacy events” that have gone on a long time or had city support and were exempted.

During the discussion at the April 22 council meeting, Councilmember Alicia Aguirre voiced concern about the burden that will be placed on nonprofits paying overtime rates for police working special events. Afraid that they wouldn’t be able to sustain their events under the new plan, even with the sweeteners, Aguirre cast the sole “no” vote. Council members Janet Borgens and Giselle Hale were absent.

Since getting the news a few weeks ago, Dresden has focused on a deadline to apply for a $5,000 Civic Cultural Commission grant. She is pursuing other fund-raising possibilities, including sponsorships and applying for some of the $15,000 special parks fund. “We’re going to have to double our efforts to raise funds,” she said.

Dresden also wants to talk to the police department about ways to bring down their charges. A combination of paid sworn officers and reservists, who contribute as volunteers, are on hand during the three nights, and some police officers also volunteer their time. The $20,000 also includes the cost of providing barricades.

Entering its 26th year, Bethlehem AD is a free event that takes place on three nights.  More than 500 volunteers, whose work begins months in advance, strive to make the event as faithful as possible to the time some 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ was born. Construction workers build an “authentic” Jewish village, which is populated by costumed re-enactors, including Roman soldiers and an angelic host hovering over the manager scene.

Between 22,000 and 24,000 people visit Bethlehem AD, and there are donation baskets at the exit. That takes in less than half the cost of putting on the event, Dresden said. She does not, however, want to charge admission.

She will also look at ways to reduce the cost of staging Bethlehem AD, perhaps having fewer barnyard animals and cutting back on food for volunteers. Dresden thinks the event will survive this year because of the grant programs but worries about next year.

Ironically, various city and San Mateo County officials and staff usually participate as costumed characters, among them Chief Mulholland, last year in the role of one of the three wise men.

“I had gold,” he confirmed.

San Carlos resident returns home, encounters brazen burglar

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A San Carlos resident arrived home last week to find a man walking out of her driveway carrying her belongings. After threatening to harm the resident, the suspect fled and allegedly went on a credit card shopping spree. Surveillance video footage from businesses where he used the cards helped lead to his arrest the following day.

The incident occurred Tuesday, May 28, between 8:45 a.m. and 9:48 a.m. in the 1000 block of McCue Avenue, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect, who was unknown to the victim, forced entry through a rear garage door and stole various items, the sheriff’s office said.

At about 9:48 a.m., the victim returned home and saw the suspect leaving with her stuff and confronted him. He threatened to harm her and fled, the sheriff’s office said.

About an hour after the burglary, the victim’s stolen credit cards were used at multiple businesses in San Bruno. Surveillance video at these businesses, along with “a former acquaintance who saw him in the area,” helped identify the suspect as 38-year-old Mark Puzon of Daly City, the sheriff’s office said.

Puzon was arrested Wednesday with help from the Daly City police. He was booked into County Jail on multiple counts of identity theft, fraudulent use of an access card and commercial burglary.

The case remains under investigation, and anyone with information are asked to contact Detective Jesse Myers at 650-363-4050, Detective Gaby Chaghouri at 650-363-4060 of the Anonymous Tip-Line at 1-800-547-2700.

‘Spring Festival’ a community event for magnet school

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Fun for the whole family — and for a good cause.

LEAD Elementary in San Mateo, a magnet school focusing on literacy and the digital arts, is inviting County residents to its free-admission Spring Festival on Saturday, June 1, a school celebration that features live entertainment, food trucks, and a long list of fun children’s activities.

The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school’s campus at 949 Ocean View Ave.

The event will begin with a Cascarones Kick-Off and end with a Color Wave Closing Ceremony, during which participants will be showered in colorful powder. In between, community members will enjoy performances by Island Boyz Mobile DJ and Folkloric & Peruvian Dancers and be able to choose from food trucks Waffle Amore, Camila’s Tacos and Kiss My Boba.

Community groups and organizations are coming out in full-force for the kids, including Science from Scientists, Playworks, the San Mateo Police Activities League, San Mateo firefighters, Newton Center, Teeny Maker Space, and San Mateo’s ‘Mobile Recreation’ van. Kids can also have their faces painted and enjoy games (pig race, duck pond, fish bowl etc.), a paper flower wall and more, all run by volunteers.

A festival raffle packs some truly hot prizes, especially given Disneyland’s new Star Wars-themed section and the Golden State Warriors’ ongoing NBA Finals run. Raffle participants can win Disneyland Hopper Passes, Warriors gear autographed by Shaun Livingston and a full truck junk removal from Junk King, among other prizes. All proceeds benefit the LEAD classrooms, library and PTA programs.

Political Climate with Mark Simon: New Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus formed on Peninsula

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In yet another sign of how the Peninsula has changed, a group of local political leaders has formed a new Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus with the intention to mobilize politically what is one of the area’s booming demographic groups and the second-largest racial category in San Mateo County.

Coordinated by Jeff Gee, former Redwood City Councilmember, and Millbrae Mayor Wayne Lee, the caucus will raise funds, endorse candidates, engage in voter education and call attention to issues critical to the community.

“The API voice in San Mateo County is not there,” Gee said. “It’s not present,” nor is it unified and “everyone is doing their own thing.” The formation of the caucus is intended to be a means by which “all the Asian and Pacific Islanders come together. It’s time to raise our vision together.”

According to updated 2017 U.S. Census data, more than 31 percent of the county’s 763,000 residents are Asian American, either solely or in combination with other races; 2 percent are Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. In some cities, Asian Americans are the largest demographic – nearly 50 percent in Millbrae, 55 percent in Daly City.

The largest demographic in the county is white at 52 percent, followed by Asian, then Hispanic at 25 percent and African American at 2.4 percent. By next year’s census, San Mateo County will be a majority minority county.

The impending census was a significant prompt for the formation of the API Caucus. Gee said Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders may be the “largest undercounted demographic in the county.” He said many members of these communities are not sufficiently informed about the census and opt not to participate or simply don’t know they should.

Gee acknowledged it’s not entirely clear how many APIs are in elective office in the county – there are 13 on city councils and several on local school boards, particularly the San Mateo-Foster City, Belmont-Redwood Shores and Jefferson Elementary districts.

Gee said there is an opportunity for growth and he wants to focus on “pipeline building,” identifying future prospective candidates and providing them training on how to build a campaign organization. “The progress people have made, they have made on their own,” he said. A coalition can multiply influence, both within the community and as the caucus partners with other political interests, such as the Latino and the LGPTQ communities, Gee said.

Gee said the caucus has a modest goal of raising $5,000 for its activities, which he described as “very, very modest.”

He also said the group will address what he described as “subtle racism.” He cited an effort by some Millbrae residents to limit the number of Asian restaurants, contending it was “too many” and was over-dominating the city’s dining scene. Gee also cited a recent letter to the editor in which the author complained about the Asian American label, asserting that those who use the term should define themselves either as Asian or American.

As I noted at the beginning, it’s another signpost on the road to a different San Mateo County, a changing of the guard, as it were. San Mateo County simply is not the homogeneous, mostly white, mostly middle class community it was two generations ago.

There will be some who object to “racial politics” that distinguish between races, but racial differences often can spell societal and economic differences. And most assuredly, they tend to lead to reduced political power. The differences long have been drawn, to the detriment of minority communities – those on the outside of the political status quo.

Unifying in the name of common interests is the essence of coalition politics and it’s as American as apple pie.

Contact Mark Simon at mark.simon24@yahoo.com.

*The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Climate Online.

Photo credit: San Mateo County API Caucus Facebook page.

Redwood City Library offering citizens mini-grants to create events, programs

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San Mateo County libraries close through March 26; County parks remain open

Ever wish a certain program, event or activity was offered at Redwood City Library? Here’s your chance to make it happen.

The Redwood City Library said it is offering small one-time grants of up to $1,000 to groups of people in the Redwood City and North Fair Oaks who have an idea for a program or event that “will help us reach and connect with people in the community who don’t currently use the library.”

The groups can be you and two to three friends or colleagues who share a creative idea for a program or activity at the Library. Groups chosen to receive grants will receive help from library staff to realize their ideas.

The effort, called “Library Takeover,” aims to “create more Library activities that help everyone in our community see the Library as a welcoming place and a valuable resource,” according to library officials.

Those interested in participating must attend of four “Library Takeover Orientation” sessions in June. They will feature refreshments and children’s activities and will take place:

  • Tuesday, June 18, 6:30-8:00 pm, Downtown Library Community Room
  • Thursday, June 20, 6:30-8:00 pm, Redwood Shores Branch Library Community Room
  • Saturday, June 22, 10:30 am – noon, Downtown Library Community Room
  • Wednesday, June 26, 6:30-8:00 pm, Fair Oaks Branch Library

More information on the Library Takeover can be found by clicking here.

Man arrested in unprovoked bat attack on teen in San Carlos

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A Pleasanton man has been arrested in connection with an unprovoked baseball bat attack on a teenager at a San Carlos home on Monday.

San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies responded to the home in the 200 block of Loma Road about 5:30 p.m. They learned that 34-year-old Payam Nia had just entered an opened garage and armed himself with a baseball bat. When the teenage victim walked through the garage, Nia struck him in the head with the bat, the sheriff’s office said. Nia and the teenager do not know each other, and the attack appears to be unprovoked, the sheriff’s office said.

After the attack, “Nia instructed the victim to be quiet, and then fled the scene,” the sheriff’s office said.

The victim was transported to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

After searching the neighborhood and Eaton Park open space area, a San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office canine located and apprehended Nia.

Nia was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment and then booked into the San Mateo County Jail on charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest/obstructing an officer and cruelty to a child.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, and the crime remains under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Detective Bureau at 650-599-1536 or the anonymous tip line at 1-800-547-2700.

First Facebook festival of season raises $16K for charity

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A persistent rain didn’t prevent a vibrant Mardi Gras and Blues Festival from happening at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park earlier this month.

The May 18 Cajun Carnival, the first of five in an annual series of festivals sponsored by Facebook, raised over $16,000 for local nonprofit organizations battling hunger and homelessness in the mid-Peninsula, according to organizers. As we’ve reported recently, the festivals are akin to exceptionally fun farmers markets and are part of the company’s broader effort to bring fresh, affordable foods from local farmers to local communities.

The first festival of the new season featured a brass band, stilt walkers and a drum line cruising around the festival. Families enjoyed the Kids’ Zone,  grocery shopping, listening to live zydeco and jazz music and perusing dozens of food trucks. They could also visit the Facebook tech zone and test the Ocuus Go (virtual reality) headset demonstrations, Portal by Facebook and participate in a Portal raffle and an Instagram photo booth for charity.

The next Facebook Festival – Red, White & Brew — is set for Saturday, June 22. For information, visit this FB event page or this website.

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