Monthly Archives: January 2011

Pet Obesity

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The holidays are over…I’m sure many of you made resolutions for the New Year to lose some weight. I won’t ask you if you’re sticking to your resolution, but what about your animals? Do they need to lose some weight? Are you aware of the diseases and medical conditions that an overweight pet are susceptible to?

According to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention’s website, slightly more than 51% of dogs and cats are overweight or obese. Risks of pet obesity include osteoarthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer and heart disease to name a few.

As consumers, we are subjected to the ads for the latest and greatest pet foods and pet treats on a daily basis. For some animals, even one treat a day can pack on those extra pounds! Now, I’m not bashing treats, there are some very good ones out there, but before you purchase another bag of treats stop and look at the ingredients! I recently came across a list of calorie counts for some of the more common dog treats. While not every treat had a high calorie count, I found some that were over 300 calories! Wow! If you give Fido one of those heavy calorie treats every day, the pounds will start showing before you know it.

So, what’s a person to do? Maybe it’s time to start increasing the number and length of Fido’s walks! I am not talking about a “stop and smell the roses” type of walk, but a walk where Fido is really moving!

If Fido isn’t used to power walking I suggest you start off gradually at first. The first 5 minutes could be the “stop and smell the roses” part of the walk, then do a 5 or 10 minute walk at a brisk pace, then slow the pace down. Over the next few days and weeks increase the length of time of the power walks. Hey, you might be surprised to find it’s helping you keep that New Year resolution as well!

Of course, any weight loss plan should be discussed with your vet first! And, always check with your vet, to rule out any medical conditions your dog may have that would make a power walk inappropriate.

— Jan Brown
— Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting & a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor. She can be reached at 

Pain in the Drain

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Redwood City and the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group (a committee of Bay Area Clean Water Agencies) are putting the word out that during the holidays, you can help avoid drain and sewage backups in the home – do NOT put cooking oil or grease down the drain, and you’ll Avoid Pain in the Drain!

Cooking fats, oil, and grease will block drains and sewers, causing backups and possibly costly drain cleaning. So don’t put them down the drain! Prevent raw sewage backups into your home, your streets, and the Bay.

Did you know you can recycle large quantities of turkey fryer oil and cooking grease? To find a recycle location go to www.baywise.org.

Here are tips for properly handling your cooking oil and fat and grease during the holidays – and year ‘round:

  • Never pour fats, oil, or grease down drains, even if you have a garbage disposal.
  • Pour cooking oil and grease into a sealable container with an absorbent such as paper garbage and discard with your other garbage.
  • Recycle large amounts of grease or cooking oil (including from deep fryers) at Bay Area grease recycling locations (see www.baywise.org).
  • Use food strainers in kitchen sinks to catch food particles and scrape leftover food waste into the garbage or compost container instead of the garbage disposal.

Thanks for helping to Avoid Pain in the Drain!

Just a thought…

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It’s yet another typical, awesome day in the Shores. Looking at the view from my townhouse I notice two men, wearing relaxed clothing – much like one would attending a friendly party holding clipboards filled with paperwork. I immediately figure they are selling something or conducting a survey so I prepare for them to stop by the house. However, the men seemed to be selective and did not stop to talk to me. I saw them veer left to continue through a green belt area, still on foot, no vehicle in site.

I had almost forgotten about the men until I took my dogs out for a walk and ended up following them around the complex. At this point, the investigation was on – the dogs were alert and I had my walking shoes on. In passing, I was able to get close enough to hear a neighbor speak to the men. They ‘appeared’ to be offering Comcast services. As they made their sales pitch, I heard my neighbor respond, but it’s what he said that concerned me enough to share with all of you.

In a polite attempt to get the salesmen to move along, my neighbor told them that he is, “just about to leave on a trip, his bags are packed he is ready to go”. The salesman asks my neighbor when he’ll be returning and my neighbor simply replies that he’ll, “be back on Tuesday”.

I hope my neighbors’ statements spark your attention or at the very least get most of you wondering why anyone would tell a stranger when they will not be in their home. Even if one is caught trying to avoid solicitors, a statement of such kind would never be safe

We all must be observant to our surroundings and never assume strangers approaching our homes have completely honest and sincere reasons for making contact with us. We must also warn and share this type of an interaction with our fellow neighbors. These men could have been legitimate contracted employees of Comcast; but we all need to be cautious and err on the side of requesting validation before discussing business with any company.

The safety of our neighbors is all of our responsibilities. There is no special training required, no special talents needed and it really isn’t anything complex; we all just need to pay some attention to our surroundings and stay aware. Harboring care and concern for your neighborhood is healthy and wise.

If anyone could pose as a salesman, how many other ways could a stranger be so visible that we tend to overlook them in our own front yard? Just a thought . . .

— Rick Gutierrez
— Redwood Shores resident

From Lynn’s Kitchen

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HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Wow! Can you believe that it is 2011 already? It seems as though the Christmas Holiday Season came galloping along at a fast pace right after Thanksgiving this year, with all of the frenzied activities – shopping, parties, decorating, more shopping and more parties. We hope that you all enjoyed the festivities, and got to spend time with your families and friends.

I welcome January as a month of reflection and planning for the year ahead. Some much needed rest and recuperation from those nasty December colds and sniffles means you can be a little lazy – settle back and read that novel you had been trying to finish, or catch one of the many movie releases now vying for an Oscar or other awards. If you are working on your New Year’s Resolutions, keep them to only three major items and you’ll have more success in attaining those goals.

Connecticut is in the midst of a small blizzard as I write this, and we Californians are all trying to dry out from the recent rains. What better day than to make Chicken Tortilla Soup, especially since we just roasted a Mary’s Organic chicken and have left-over chicken just waiting for a chance to reinvent itself!

I made fresh chicken stock, but if you want a quicker and easier approach, just use canned low sodium / low fat Chicken Broth for this recipe.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

(Makes Six Servings)

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion – rough chopped into small pieces
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped finely
  • 3 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and deveined, chopped finely
  • 2 Cups Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and rough chopped (about 4 medium fresh tomatoes)
  • 6 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 2 Cups Shredded Chicken (thighs and breasts are best)
  • ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • Salt &Freshly Group Pepper to taste
  • 1 15 oz. can Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 Cup Yellow Corn (fresh is best, cut from the cob, but good frozen corn works well instead)
  • ¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Pour olive oil into large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Heat over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned and the onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, and continue to cook over medium heat for about 15 minute, until the tomatoes are cooked through. Add chicken stock, shredded chicken, cumin, salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium low heat for another 15 minutes. Add black beans and corn, stir, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, stir and remove from heat.

GARNISH

  • Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  • Limes – sliced into wedges
  • Avocado – sliced
  • Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Corn Tortillas – sliced into strips and fried in canola oil until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.

Serve soup in a large bowl, and garnish with avocado slices, a little grated Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla strips, and a sprig of cilantro. Squeeze lime wedge over soup, and enjoy!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

Disaster Preparedness Tips for January

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WATER: Following a disaster our water supply could be shut off. Are you prepared?

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY, MINIMUM. FEMA RECOMMENDS A THREE DAY SUPPLY.

Make sure water is stored in the proper containers, away from sunlight and contaminates, and in as spill-proof a location as possible. Use opaque, not clear, containers. Store on the floor, not on a shelf

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET WATER FROM THE TOILET TANK. (only if not treated chemically – blue tank water, “2000 Flushes”, etc.).

You may need to filter for glass particles or purify when water is obtained from those sources. DO NOT DEPEND ON THIS WATER SOURCE! Never use water from the toilet bowl and do not use from the tank if toilet has been flushed after the quake (broken sewer lines may have contaminated the water).

YOU MAY ALSO USE CANNED OR “BOXED” JUICES AND THE LIQUID FROM CANNED GOODS AS AN ALTERNATE SOURCE FOR VARIATION.

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET WATER FROM YOUR WATER PIPES. Turn off the water supply to your house. Open the faucets of your second story bath. Then open a downstairs faucet with a collecting pail beneath it.

USE MELTED ICE FROM THE FREEZER. it’s another small but usable source..

COLLECT RAIN WATER IN CLEAN CONTAINERS AFTER A QUAKE. Dirty containers can be lined with clean plastic bags, when needed.

CONSERVE, CONSERVE, CONSERVE! Use water only for drinking, washing hands and cooking after the quake.

BUY A WATER FILTRATIONIPURIFYING SYSTEM AND/OR TABLETS. You can find out about these at most full-line camping supply retailers (REI, Redwood Trading Post…)

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • DON’T FORGET FOOD AND WATER FOR PETS. Pets may consume large quantities of water when under stress, so make sure you’ve included water supplies for them. Keeping an extra bag of dry food will take care of the pet’s short term nutritional needs and is easy to store for most pets.
  • MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER!! There is a good chance that more than a three day supply will be needed if freeway overpasses collapse, blocking access roads, or if neighbors are not prepared or their supply is destroyed.
  • KEEP BACKPACKS AROUND TO CARRY FOOD IN, should we need to hike out of the area.

—  Mike Mancusi

Open House EIR Scoping Meetings

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As part of Redwood City’s commitment to an open and transparent review of the proposed Saltworks Project, the City invites you to participate in two upcoming Open House EIR (Environmental Impact Report) Scoping Meetings in 2011, on January 29th and February 23rd. We also want to thank all of you who have attended and participated thus far in the first two Open House EIR Scoping Meetings on Land Use (Nov. 6th) and Water (Nov. 30th). The purpose of the scoping process is to gain public input on the scope and content of the EIR, the range of alternatives, environmental issues, methods of assessment, and mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIR. So thank you very much for participating, so far!

During these next Open House EIR Scoping Meetings members of the public can speak directly to City representatives, the project applicant (DMB) and experts in specific subject areas. As a reminder, due to the informal “open house” nature of these workshops, oral comments are appreciated but it is not feasible for them to be recorded – instead, community members are encouraged to submit written scoping comments to be considered by the City in preparing the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). FYI, the comment period for the Scoping Process will close on March 31, 2011.

The next two Open House EIR Scoping Meetings will focus on:

Natural Resources – Saturday, January 29, 2011

Community Activities Building, 1400 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City.From 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

At this meeting, City consultants and natural resource experts will be on hand with information about the City’s natural resources, such as biology, geology, and cultural resources that may be affected. The project applicant will have a station with information describing the natural resource components within the Saltworks Project proposal.

Transportation – Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City.6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

At this meeting, City representatives will be on hand with information about the City’s transportation resources, including traffic, public transit, bicycles, and pedestrian connections. Experts will also be available to discuss air quality, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise issues. The project applicant will have a station with information regarding the transportation approach described in the Saltworks Project application.

Please note: the Scoping Comment Period closes on March 31, 2011

The comment period for the Scoping Process will close on March 31, 2011. Submit your written comments, via email (), or mail to: Attn: Blake Lyon, Planning Services, City of Redwood City, P.O. Box 391, Redwood City, CA 94064-0391

The City will not make a decision regarding the Saltworks Project application until the EIR process has been completed and the EIR has been certified. For more information about the proposed Saltworks project, visit: www.redwoodcity.org/saltworks .

New Book by Redwood Shores Author

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Longtime Redwood Shores resident and best selling author of THE GOD THEORY, Bernard Haisch, announces the publication of his new book THE PURPOSE-GUIDED UNIVERSE: BELIEVING IN EINSTEIN, DARWIN AND GOD by New Page Books, a division of Career Press Inc. Haisch is an astrophysicist (Ph.D. Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison) who has worked on many NASA projects. In his books he shows that science and spirituality can be compatible.

Is it possible that there can be a purpose behind the Universe? One that is consistent with modern science and especially the Big Bang and Darwinian evolution? Is there a grand purpose for our lives? The answer is yes.

Bestsellers by Christopher Hitchins, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have denounced the evils of religion and proclaimed that science has shown that there is no God. Their angry accusations are partially correct. Religions have been used to justify crimes against humanity: witness the Inquisition of centuries past or the sectarian slaughter in the Mideast today. But the human misuse of religions and the existence of God are very different matters.

A remarkable discovery has emerged in astrophysics: that key properties of the Universe have just the right values to make life possible. Most scientists prefer to explain away this uniqueness, insisting that a huge, perhaps infinite, number of unseen universes must therefore exist, each randomly different from the other. That way ours only appears special because we could not exist in any of the other hypothetical universes.

Haisch proposes the alternative that the special properties of our universe reflect an underlying intelligence, one that is consistent with a 13.7 billion-year old universe and evolution. Both views are equally logical and beyond proof. However exceptional human experiences and accounts of mystics throughout the ages do suggest that we live in a purposeful universe. In both books he proposes what that purpose might be? what that purpose means for our lives? how it might explain the riddle of evil. The book also addresses such questions as:

  • Why do most scientists reject the idea of God?
  • What are some of the “just right” constants in astrophysics that make the Universe capable of sustaining life?
  • How can you have spirituality without religion?
  • What are the biggest problems with organized religion?
  • Does consciousness create reality?
  • Does quantum mechanics have anything to say about consciousness?
  • How does Darwinian evolution play a role?
  • Can science and spirituality be bridged?

THE PURPOSE-GUIDED UNIVERSE: BELIEVING IN EINSTEIN, DARWIN AND GOD and THE GOD THEORY are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and bookstores. Visit <thegodtheory.com> for further details.

— Bernard Haisch

— 519 Cringle Drive, Redwood Shores, CA 94065

—

Athi Sarvatra Varjayet

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No, this is not a tongue-twister. Or maybe it is, but not the normal kind. Ancient language of Sanskrit, despite its phonetic cleanliness can be a tongue-twisting language, with its combinations of half sounds and compound words. It holds a place in the history of mankind equivalent to Greek and Latin. It lets us peep in the past and see a bygone era of poetry and drama, science and technology, philosophy and religion that transcends time and space. And one of its little gems that have stood all tests of time is “Athi Sarvatra Varjayet” – excess of anything is bad.

This time of the year particularly brings this sage advice to the forefront. As the year starts on a fresh page, it provides a sane perspective to portfolio planning. Concentrated portfolios are a sign of excess – excess of greed or fear or inertia. I know of someone who once had an unrealized gain of over seven million. Only to see it dwindle down to a low hundred thousand after the dot-com bust. The culprit? Not greed, not fear, just inertia. And this is still a happy story. As many in the valley will tell you, not all such stories have a happy ending. And yet, most common issue we see with most of the portfolios that we come across is the concentration – concentration in one security, and equally common, concentration in one sector. And you can guess the sector. It is either technology or bio-tech. One of the portfolios I have seen could have been more easily managed by selling all its holdings and buying a simple index fund or ETF on Nasdaq; giving an added advantage of avoiding the illusion of being diversified!

On the other hand, you will also come across innumerable stories of people who have made fortunes by finding and concentrating on a single idea. It does work and works pretty well when all the stars are aligned. But a single misalignment can be a recipe for failure. For prudent investors with life goals and aspirations, concentrated portfolio is not the recommended approach. Life is not judged by bragging rights; it is judged by achieving your goals on your terms and within your timeframe.

May the New Year bring you and your loved ones good health, cheer and peace!

— Lavina Nagar

— Lavina is a financial planner and founder of Maya Advisors, Inc. She can be reached on 650.704.3074 or 

Disclaimer: This article is for information-purposes only, and may not apply to your unique situation. Nothing in this should be interpreted to be a recommendation to anyone to purchase, sell or hold any security or product. It does not replace a lawyer, accountant, financial planner, or other professional advice.

Four Steps to Organize Any Space

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After the excesses of the holiday season, you’re not alone if you feel that January is a good time to refresh your surroundings. Along with health and fitness, getting organized is high on many people’s lists.   Try using these 4 steps on one well-defined space:

1. Pause. Think about how you use the space, what’s working well, and what’s driving you nuts.  It’s not hard to figure out that your closet should hold clothes, shoes and accessories, but in a living space, activities can vary.  For example, you might use your kitchen for homework and bill-paying, as well as cooking and food storage.  This is important information because, wherever possible, keeping belongings where you use them will make life easier and tidier.

2. Sort. Take everything in the room and sort it into categories.  In the kitchen, you might collect all dry food items together and all glassware somewhere else.  Pick categories which are meaningful to you.  For example, a keen cookie-maker might group baking supplies, while in the closet, an avid athlete would gather sports clothing together.

Once similar items are in a single location, you’ll easily see how much excess you own. Whether it’s 6 damaged umbrellas or 47 white T-shirts, sorting is always extremely revealing and makes the next part much easier.

3. De-clutter. Do you love it, do you use it, or are you obliged to keep it for legal reasons?  Generally speaking, things should pass this test, or they may not belong in your life. Broken items, clothes which don’t fit and magazines you’ll never read, do not deserve house-space, especially in our costly Bay Area homes.  A good de-cluttering session is not only beneficial for you, but non-profits will be thrilled to receive your cast-offs.

4. Reward the items you love, use, and need with new locations. The things you use regularly deserve the best, most convenient storage spots. Once you’ve figured out roughly where something should go, you might now decide to invest in appropriate containers.  Just be sure to complete step 3, before spending money on new boxes and baskets for things you don’t need!

Try to look creatively at your space, and make good use of vertical areas like walls and backs of doors. Don’t be afraid to store items where they might not conventionally belong:  if you love to play guitar in the dining room, make a spot there for your sheet music.

***

Remember, getting organized is an ongoing process and no home or office is ever completely calm and chaos-free.  However, by shedding stuff you don’t need and allocating prime locations for vital belongings, you should find life runs just a little more smoothly.

— Pauline Wiles,
— Redwood Shores resident and owner,
— The English Organizer

Prestigious Math and Science Innovation Award Presented

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Kevin Mullins, a teacher at Redwood Shores Elementary School, has won a prestigious Math and Science Innovation Award for presenting California math and science content standards through aviation.

San Mateo County Supervisor Mark Church congratulated Mr. Mullins on his winning proposal to provide students with inquiry based aeronautic projects designed to peak student interest in flight, navigation, and engineering design. “It is through innovative programs like this that we hope to inspire and engage students to pursue math and science careers.”

Mr. Mullins plans to use the award for classroom and extracurricular activities involving the National Aerospace and Space Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Stanford University, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and San Carlos Airport (SQL).

Starting in mid January, his students and a few others will learn about the principles of flight (e.g., lift, gravity, thrust, and drag). They will also develop intuitive understanding of Bernoulli’s principle – the concept used in wing design. In addition, they will learn about mechanical movements that change flight path (i.e., pitch, roll, and yaw).

Later, in collaboration with NASA, they will learn to solve pre algebra problems involving proportional reasoning. They will calculate distance, rate, and time in their head, without a calculator, and be trained for the tasks of air traffic controllers directing inbound commercial flights from the east coast to land at SFO safely and in the shortest time possible. When they achieve accuracy and speed in mental calculation, Mr. Mullins will challenge them by creating obstacles such as thunderstorms en route which would require detour and recalculation with a new set of variables (distance, rate, and time).

As they become familiar with the math and science of flight, Mr. Mullins, with the help of volunteer pilots, will introduce them to the function of each control and instrument in the cockpit (e.g., air speed; altitude; atmospheric pressure; compass heading, magnetic v. true north; engine rpm, piston v. turbine; fuel consumption; wind direction and speed).

After they have mastered all of the above and with the written consent of their parents, they will make their own discovery flight from SQL in a real aircraft under the supervision of an FAA-licensed pilot (minimum age: 8 yrs). In addition to seeing their house at 3,000 feet, they will assimilate all the mathematical and scientific knowledge accumulated to date and make sense of their unique experience in the air.

As incentives for good attitude and behavior, Mr. Mullins will take exemplary students to visit the FAA control tower at SQL and/or SFO, tour NASA Ames on Yuri’s Day in April, and be part of the Parade of Planes in May.

Mr. Mullins hopes not to only encourage them to think math and science whenever they see an aircraft but to inspire them to pursue aviation as a career using the math and science skills they have acquired during childhood.

Mr. Mullins thanks Donna Marie Baldwin of Coldwell Banker, Kim Giang of Edible Arrangements®, and CLUB USA® for their sponsorship of these extraordinary learning opportunities.