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Palo Alto piano teacher arrested on suspicion of molesting underage relative

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A 34-year-old Palo Alto piano teacher was arrested last week on suspicion of molesting an underage relative.

On Thursday, Nicholas Robinson was arrested on 17 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and one count of dissuading a witness.

Palo Alto police say they are raising awareness about the arrest of Robinson — who teaches piano to children in his home — looking into the possibility that there may be additional victims.

Nicholas Robinson

On Sunday, Jan. 6, Palo Alto police received information from a mandated reporter that a girl had allegedly been sexually abused over the past several months. An ensuing investigation revealed that an elementary school-aged girl had been inappropriately touched by a relative identified as Robinson.

Detectives are not aware of any additional victims. Anyone who believes that their child may be a victim is asked to call the Palo Alto Police 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413.

Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through our free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

*Photo courtesy of the Palo Alto Police Department Facebook Page

Redwood City Library to open new Bee Wall Interpretive Center

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The Redwood City Downtown Library is inviting the community to celebrate its new Bee Wall Interpretive Center on Feb. 5.

The event will run from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include music by The Corner Laughers, honey-flavored snacks and honey for sale by the Friends of the Redwood City Public Library.

Two honeybee colonies live on the roof of the library at 1044 Middlefield Road. Cared for by beekeeper Kendal Sager, the bees produced about 20 pounds of honey in the first six months of their residency at the library, according to library officials.

Now, the Library is unveiling a new Bee Wall Interpretive Center, which features hands-on educational pieces for library patrons.

“You can see pieces of a real beehive, beekeeping tools, and the inner workings of the beehive,” Library officials said.

Patrons will learn about the life cycle of a bee, how bees collect pollen and see flowers, three castes of bee and how honey is made.

El Camino Real in San Carlos to be focus of pedestrian safety operation

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“Trouble spots” along the El Camino Real corridor in San Carlos will be the focus of a pedestrian safety enforcement operation by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Deputies will look for traffic violations made by both drivers and pedestrians, the sheriff’s office said, with special attention directed toward speeding, illegal turns, failing to stop for signs and signals, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and other dangerous violations.

Additionally, enforcement will also focus on pedestrians crossing the street illegally or failing to yield to drivers who have the right of way.

The heightened pedestrian safety enforcement operation on Jan. 22 “will be first of many scheduled for the foreseeable future,” the sheriff’s office said.

Online digital skills program preps locals for high-demand careers

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A new online program in San Mateo County aims to fill a skills gap for Bay Area companies by training local residents in digital marketing technologies and applied business science.

GreenFig is a San Mateo-based micro education company that has partnered with the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCD) to offer the interactive online program that can lead to certifications and careers for county residents. The program, which just completed its first semester in the county, provides hands-on training led by industry experts and the opportunity to be certified in Applied Business Science and technologies such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook advertising, Salesforce and the TradeDesk.

The college district is inviting a wide variety of applicants, particularly those with a “can do” attitude. Program participants gain industry certifications by working directly on projects for Bay Area companies, according to SMCCD.

The program just completed its first semester in the county. Twenty students participated in the GreenFig Digital Marketing Science course thanks to scholarships provided by a local marketing technology company, according to the county.

Stephanie Wallace, a Cañada College student, had no prior marketing experience when she joined the GreenFig program. She came with an extensive customer service background and experience helping children with special needs. Wallace said the program has offered “practical experience and certifications” along with valuable connections to industry experts.

Another Cañada College student in the program, Cecilia Chung, has landed multiple interviews as a result, according to SMCCD. At the end of the program, students participate in a meet-to-hire event.

“I haven’t seen another course that offers students as many opportunities and real-life collaborative experiences,” Chung said.

Students interested in the program can here for GreenFig’s Spring Digital Marketing Science Certification program.

For those wanting to learn more about partnering with CCCE and GreenFig, contact CCCE Executive Director Jonathan Bissell at bissellj@smccd.edu.

Arrest made after death in San Carlos from fentanyl overdose

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An East Palo Alto suspected drug dealer was arrested after a young woman died in San Carlos of an apparent fentanyl overdose, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

Jon Oxenford

Jon Oxenford was taken into custody Thursday at his East Palo Alto apartment on suspicion of selling fentanyl to the woman, knowingly causing great bodily injury and being in possession of meth, the sheriff’s office said.

All personnel of the Sheriff’s Office were recently equipped with Narcan to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. In this case, however, deputies were called “long after this tragic incident occurred,” sheriff’s officials said.

The sheriff’s office warned the public against using the illegal and dangerous drug, saying it has seen an increase in fentanyl related overdoses throughout the county.

Photo Courtesy of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Pedestrian struck, killed by Caltrain in Redwood City

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Caltrain to offer free rides for New Year's Eve revelers

A pedestrian was struck and killed by Caltrain at the Whipple Avenue grade crossing in Redwood City today.

The pedestrian was trespassing when the collision occurred at 5:44 a.m., according to transit district officials.

No injuries occurred aboard the train that was carrying about 50 passengers.

It was the first fatality on the Caltrain tracks in 2019.

GoPro footage exposes worker’s comp fraud by correctional officer

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A 44-year-old custodial correctional officer with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced to 10 days in jail following a plea of no contest to misdemeanor worker’s compensation fraud on Wednesday.

While Edmundo Rocha was on disability for a shoulder injury in 2016, footage from a GoPro camera captured him participating in a Spartan Race obstacle course, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

In October of that year, Rocha reported a shoulder injury he suffered during a defensive tactics training the month before. He was offered workers compensation benefits and diagnosed with a left shoulder sprain, prosecutors said. His doctor kept him on modified duty and the sheriff’s office eventually “sent him home” by putting him on Total Temporary Disability.

There’s little doubt Rocha suffered an injury, prosecutors say, as he would end up undergoing surgery on his left shoulder.

But nine days after he was placed on Total Temporary Disability, Rocha competed in a Spartan Race. The footage from the GoPro camera, which was worn by a fellow sheriff’s deputy and uncovered during the investigation, showed him “doing many of the obstacles that appeared to be in violation of his restrictions,” said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Rocha met with a specialist weeks later, failing during that time to disclose to the sheriff’s office or medical professionals that he was able to perform in some of the Spartan Race obstacles, Wagstaffe said.

Along with the 10-day jail sentence, Rocha was ordered to pay $5,000 restitution to the county, Wagstaffe said. According to Bay City News, Rocha resigned from his position at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

Political Climate with Mark Simon: Key figure in Redwood City’s building boom leaving city staff

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Redwood City Council approves salary increases for city manager, city attorney

The Redwood City Renaissance, or ruination, depending on your point of view, had many authors, but one of the key figures in the ultimate outcome of the city’s building boom announced this week he is leaving the city staff next month.

Aaron Aknin, assistant city manager/community development director, said he plans to form his own strategic consulting firm.

Aknin, 41, has been with the city for five years and has spent nearly 20 years working on the Peninsula in various planning positions, including stints at San Bruno, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Belmont and San Carlos, which, as we know, comprise the unofficial royal flush of cities.

Aknin told Political Climate his firm will focus on providing strategic consulting services and staffing to Bay Area cities, many of which are facing the kind of pressure to grow with which he dealt at Redwood City.

Aknin was at the center of the implementation of Redwood City’s Downtown Precise Plan, which resulted in dramatic growth in commercial and residential development, remaking the once-moribund city into a dynamic center of business and recreation.

The downtown plan projected growth over a 15- to 20-year period, but pent up economic forces accelerated the plan and much of it was accomplished in the five years Aknin was a key planning figure.

Indeed, during the same time, there was considerable turnover in the city’s Planning Department, leaving Aknin as, in the words of one real estate developer, “a very steady hand during a time when the city had unprecedented growth.”

Aknin said the city ended up with a positive outcome as a result of the precise plan and, significantly, the public input that led to modifications of the plan as it was implemented. He described the citywide debates over growth as essential to influencing the final outcome.

“The pushbacks resulted in reductions” of some elements of the plan, but the process allowed the plan to go forward and fulfill its ultimate goal of a transformed downtown, now characterized by high-rise residential units within walking distance to the city center and to regional transit and commercial development. The growth has revitalized the downtown as an employment center.

The lessons learned from the experience, Aknin said, is “not to be afraid to listen and to make changes to the plan where it can be improved without losing the overall vision of the plan.”

He said he is fully aware that the changes were unacceptable to a segment of the city’s population. “I get people’s perspective on the role of change.” The net result is a “lot different that we’ve seen in the suburbs. But I do think we’ve done the right thing.”

The kinds of changes seen in Redwood City can be expected in cities throughout the Peninsula, Aknin said.

“You have to allow a certain amount of growth,” although other cities are unlikely to see the breadth of growth that occurred in Redwood City, which had a downtown with more space, larger parcels and a reduced amount of impact on residential neighborhoods.

One unexpected development, Aknin predicted, will be the development of a citywide transportation system that provides more transit options for residents and workers. That’s not to say the city is going to move heavily into business as a transit operator, but that the planning set in motion by the downtown plan will lead to a citywide transportation strategy that will seek to enhance mobility and reduce traffic.

Aknin had been mentioned as a possible candidate for one of several city manager vacancies in San Mateo County. Instead, he has opted to go into business for himself. His last day at the city is Feb. 13, he said.

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.

Supervisor Carole Groom selected as board president

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San Mateo County District 2 Supervisor Carole Groom was selected as the Board’s 2019 president on Tuesday, according to the county.

The selection occurred during the Board’s annual reorganization ceremony during which Groom and District Three Supervisor Don Horsley were sworn in for their new terms. Supervisor Warren Slocum was named the Board’s vice president for 2019.

Groom has served on the Board since December 2008 and has twice before served as president in 2011 and 2015.

“We have big goals for 2019 and with the leadership of County Manager Mike Callagy and our more than 5,000 talented employees we will work to accomplish those goals,” Groom said.

Outgoing Board President Dave Pine called it a “privilege and a pleasure” to have served twice as president since joining the Board in May 2011.

Photo courtesy of the of San Mateo County.

17-year-old shot and killed in front of Belmont school

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A 17-year-old student at Carlmont High was found fatally shot in the parking lot of an elementary school Monday night, police said.

Just before 11 p.m., the family of Mohammad Othman, 17, of Redwood City called Belmont police to say that Othman was at Central Elementary School at 500 block of Middle Road and they were worried about him. Responding officers found Othman lying in the parking lot at the front of the school with an apparent gunshot wound, police said. The officers began life saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

While the investigation was in its early stages Tuesday and no arrests had been announced, police said the shooting was not random, and that “the victim and suspect were associated,” police said. Othman had no connection to Central Elementary nor is there a connection between the school and crime, police said.

The death prompted additional counselors at Carlmont High Tuesday. A note by the principal confirmed the “tragic loss of one of our students.”

“Although this is a difficult time for us, we know that the family is grieving and we must keep them in our thoughts and support them in any way we can,” Principal Ralph Crame said in the notice.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Belmont Police at (650) 595-7400 or police@belmont.gov. Information can also be left on the Belmont Police Crime Tip Line at (650) 598-3000.

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