Author Archives: RSCA

President’s Message

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Dear Neighbors,

I have good news to report about our levees.  As you may recall, at this time last year we were dealing with the news that Redwood Shores would very likely be declared a flood zone since our levees (including those around the San Carlos Airport) were not certified by FEMA as being adequate in the face of dangerous (but rare) high-tides.  To be certified in time, the levees would have to be upgraded by spring 2010, and none of the different entities (Redwood City, San Mateo County, and the San Carlos Airport) responsible for the levees could agree on a plan to do that.  Failing to fix the levees by Spring 2010 would be disastrous to our property values and to our wallets, since Shores residents would be required to carry additional flood insurance.
 
In the face of this serious news, RSCA invited city leaders to our 2009 annual meeting to explain the situation and to answer questions from Shores residents.  We also expected to hear some details as to how Redwood City planned to address the problem, but few details were offered.  We were concerned about the city’s apparent lack of a firm plan and the fast-approaching deadline for certification, so we scheduled a follow-up meeting with city officials to reinforce our concerns and explore levee repair options.  RSCA hosted a community meeting in spring 2009 where, at our urging, city staff presented much better-developed plans & timelines for fixing the levees, including the challenging portion at the end of the airport runway.  This included securing the cooperation of the other government entities and the necessary permits and approvals.

Since then, RSCA has stayed on top of the situation, and the city has executed their plan well.  In fact, if the weather cooperates, it looks as if most if not all of the levee work will be completed by the end of February.  As a result, we are cautiously optimistic that the upgraded levees will be certified by the spring deadline.  This is great news, and we want to thank Chu Chang, Peter Vorametsanti and Grace Le, the city managers and engineers who worked hard and effectively to plan and complete the levee upgrades.  This is also a good example of how RSCA effectively advocates for the needs of Redwood Shores.

Annual Meeting
RSCA is holding our Annual Meeting on February 10 at 7:30 pm at the Redwood Shores Branch Library.  Please attend to hear the latest news from Redwood City and School District representatives.

Correction
In my January letter I praised the outstanding Christmas lights on Davit between Cringle and Marlin.  Of course, the outstanding seasonal light display was on Dory Lane.  Be sure not to miss it next year! 

— Doug Crisman

Dredging Update for February 2010

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This update is to let you know that the project will not be completed by the originally-expected date of January 31, 2010. Unfortunately, the contractor is uncovering some unforeseen conditions that have slowed the work progress. As they’ve been working, the contractor has discovered old rebar (metal), pieces of concrete, and even hundreds of golf balls in the lagoon. Because the contractor has to stop work and remove this debris, this has slowed down their operation.

The City has received approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water Quality Control Board to continue the work past the original end date, subject to certain restrictions (avoiding “ground disturbing activities”). Assuming that the contractor does not run into any further significant unforeseen debris in the lagoons, they anticipate the work to be completed by the end of February, 2010. This work will be focused on the lagoon around Shorebird Island (dredging zones 3, 4, and 5).

Please visit www.redwoodcity.org/shoresdredging for information about this project, or to be added to the email list.

For immediate concerns with ongoing work, contact the contractor, Lance Dohman, at 650-868-8240. For questions about the overall project, please call Brian Lee, Redwood City Supervisory Civil Engineer, at 650-780-7391.

Again, thank you for your understanding as we continue with the dredging project, which will result in a cleaner, more appealing lagoon in Redwood Shores.

Sandpiper School Update

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ENROLLMENT

Sandpiper is very excited to open our doors once again to Kindergarten students. School tours took place during January & February with Principal McDaniel and PTA President Suzanne Pritchard. Sibling registration will begin February 22 at 9:00 am.

Registration for New students (including incoming Kindergarten) begins at the school office on March 1 at 9:00 am. Registration forms will be made available at that time. PLEASE NOTE that school begins at 8:35 am at Sandpiper.

If you do not already have children attending Sandpiper, please avoid using the parking lot and drive-thru until after 8:45 am. Additional traffic will cause a delay in instructional time for our current students. Children who are enrolled and attending school in our district already do NOT need to re-register.

Additional details (including Redwood Shores Elementary) can be found at http://sandpiper.brssd.org.

SAFETY DRILLS

Student safety is our number one priority and we regularly conduct drills with our faculty, staff and students to ensure everyone is well prepared in the event of an emergency. Additionally, our PTA maintains an emergency supply kit for every student to provide short-term assistance. To take our plans one step further, Sandpiper is forming a Disaster Preparedness Committee to update the school’s crisis plan. If you have experience with emergency preparedness planning and would like to serve on the committee please contact the school office.

STUDENTS SHARE HOLIDAY CHEER

Sandpiper Elementary School students drop off presents for children in need served by Family Service Agency of San Mateo County. The students delivered over 200 presents for children receiving treatment for abuse and also those receiving subsidized child care at the San Mateo-based nonprofit. In addition, numerous students collected toys, groceries, and generously donated gift cards to donate to those members of the community most in need over the holidays.

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Wine Appreciation

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After twelve years and 579 articles, husband and wife wine writing team Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher wrote their final Tastings column for the Wall Street Journal on December 26, 2009.  In it they offered their very personal perspective on The Mysterious Heart of Deliciousness, subtitled Trust Yourself. The greatest wine experiences are deeply personal. Taking direct aim at those who rate wines on the 100 point scale, they said, “Too many people have come to believe that there is some sort of objective truth about every wine. This is nonsense.”

I tend to agree with them, for if you’ve ever been in a group wine tasting, of any size, then you have noticed that opinions range quite widely, and there is typically little if any consensus.  Moreover, one person’s 95 rating could be another’s 85, and, interestingly, both would be correct in their assessment of the same wine.  The former might appreciate the abundant tannins and their role in the wine’s prospective long term aging.  The latter would not, for he/she might prefer something to drink right now, and those same astringent tannins would preclude such near term dining enjoyment.

However, one of Gaiter and Brecher’s more noteworthy contributions to American wine history is their creation of OTBN, or Open That Bottle Night.  Throughout their career they received frequent questions from readers about a particular bottle’s value, its aging possibilities as well as the optimum time to drink it.  They knew that virtually every wine drinker has one stored somewhere, waiting for the perfect occasion.  With years of experience, it was clear to them that the perfect moment seldom occurred. That special wine eventually aged into decline, and consequently, a potentially memorable evening was missed. 

With that in mind,  they wrote a column in 1999 proposing the last Saturday in February as Open That Bottle Night, and asked readers to bring their special bottle out of hiding and enjoy it before it was too late. They were asked to research its special qualities and reflect on how they came to own it.  They were advised to enjoy the wine without agonizing about what might have been had they opened it sooner, or waited longer. They were also invited to write and share that evening’s experience, which they did by the hundreds, as they also have every year since.  With OTBN and February’s last Saturday a few weeks away, you may want to take part in a unique American tradition.  Rescue that dusty Cabernet in the rear of your clothes closet, invite some friends for dinner, and enjoy it with appropriate food.  It just might develop into a delicious and deeply personal wine experience. 

— Submitted by Tom Barras

Oh, My Aching Bones!

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If your bones, muscles or joints ache for no apparent reason, you could be suffering from vitamin D deficiency. This silent epidemic is spreading throughout the United States, because as Americans, we’re increasingly avoiding sun exposure and consuming fewer milk products.

Vitamin D is very important to our health. It helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, responsible for bone growth and density. Vitamin D also suppresses the release of a hormone that causes bone breakdown.

Vitamin D can also boost our immune systems and act as an anti-inflammatory. For this reason, it may help treat inflammatory diseases such as certain types of arthritis, dermatologic conditions, osteoporosis, cancers, autoimmune diseases and central nervous system diseases. It may also help prevent organ transplant rejection. Studies show that vitamin D may even play a role in cardiovascular health and the prevention of gum disease.

Vitamin D deficiency can affect anyone and is usually caused by poor diet, insufficient sun exposure or certain diseases that limit the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D. In rare cases, a person’s body absorbs vitamin D but is unable to process it.

Infants, children, the elderly and postmenopausal women are at the highest risk for vitamin D deficiency. Infants are at risk because human breast milk contains low levels of vitamin D, and most infant formulas do not contain adequate vitamin D. The elderly are at risk because they consume fewer vitamin D-rich foods, and their bodies are less able to absorb and store Vitamin D. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis frequently have unrecognized vitamin D deficiency.

A recent study showed that more than 30 percent of healthy adults ages 18 to 29 had vitamin D insufficiency at the end of winter, falling to 4 percent by the end of summer. The amount of sun needed to synthesize vitamin D varies and depends on the person’s age, skin color, sun exposure and underlying medical problems.

Complications of vitamin D deficiency include low blood calcium, low blood phosphate, rickets (bone softening seen in childhood) and osteomalacia (bone softening seen in adults). Vitamin D insufficiency is also common and may or may not have visible signs or symptoms, but it can still lead to reduced bone density, mildly decreased blood calcium, and an increased risk of falls and fractures. Osteomalacia puts adults at a higher risk for pain and fractures. For these reasons, identifying and treating vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is important to maintaining bone strength.
 
The daily vitamin D recommendation for infants and children is 400 international units (IU) per day. For adults, the recommendation is at least 800 IU per day. You can increase your vitamin D intake through diet, vitamin supplements and some exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. However, using sun exposure or tanning beds as the primary source of vitamin D is not recommended due to the risk of skin cancer.

Sources of vitamin D include fortified dairy products such as milk (100 IU per cup), fatty fish such as tuna (200-400 IU per serving) or salmon (800 IU per serving), and cod liver oil (1,300 IU per tablespoon). Other good sources are green leafy vegetables and sundried food productsÑincluding mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes.

If you are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, you may also benefit from prescription vitamin D preparations.

Vitamin D deficiency is a commonly unrecognized and undiagnosed condition. If you experience unexplained aches and pains and believe you don’t get enough dietary vitamin D or sun exposure, ask your doctor to check your levels today to get the information or treatment you need to lead a healthier, longer and more comfortable life.

— By Sung Hui Knueppel, M.D.

— The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.

The Therapist’s Corner

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Bullying comes in many forms, from verbal threatening and teasing to name calling and spreading rumors to physical brutality. It’s also important to not overlook “cyber-bullying,” or bullying which is done electronically thru email, texting, instant messenger or on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. One obstacle to providing help can be that some children may choose to keep it to themselves, whether it be because of the tremendous shame they may feel, or because of other factors such as fear of retaliation.

So, as parents how can we help? First, kids need to know this is not their fault. Secondly, we need to be aware of the signs which could indicate that a child is being victimized by bullies: depression, anxiety, aggressive behavior (i.e., fighting, talking back), academic problems, injuries, avoidance of certain activities ( i.e., recess/playgrounds/sports), decreased interest in going to school/certain classes, and frequent physical complaints such as headaches and stomach problems. There have also been reports of suicide attempts precipitated by bullying. Of course, these symptoms could be due to various other problems so one important initial intervention is simply to express your concern about what you’re observing.

If you discover that bullying is going on, then what?  One response to avoid is to encourage physical or verbal fighting back. This will likely only result in further problems, and encourage behavior which won’t serve our kids well as they grow into adults. One strategy to consider is to ignore the bully, and just not respond at all. Typically, a bully is looking for a reaction, and to have one just gives them what they want. Also, assertively telling the bully to stop his/her actions can help, though this may be hard. Many children don’t possess the skills to do this effectively, and may need coaching from their parents on the most effective ways to do so.

Encouraging your child to tell an adult (teacher, school counselor, principal, coach) can be a very important strategy, though many may find this in itself frightening. It may be useful to convey to kids that it takes courage to talk to adults about bullying, and that you are proud of them for doing so. Kids also need to know that there is a difference between tattling and reporting threatening behavior. Tattling is essentially trying to get someone in trouble for the sake of getting them in trouble, while reporting bullying is an attempt to stop hurtful behavior which should be unacceptable. While we all want our kids to learn to “stick up for themselves,” there are also times when parents will need to intervene directly with the appropriate authority figures themselves.

Bullying has been around forever, and so to say it can be stopped entirely would be foolish. But, as parents we can do our part by being proactive in preventing it from causing serious problems later in our children’s lives.

— Scott M. Granet, LCSW

— Mr. Granet is a long-time resident of Redwood Shores, and is director of the OCD-BDD Clinic of Northern California in Redwood City. He would like to hear your suggestions for future columns, and can be reached at 650-599-3325 or .

On My Soapbox

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Hello again.  Were you all able to survive the mid-January storms?  Strange weather, but we do need the water. 

Which brings up two items I found floating off my dock and the oil spills that attached themselves to the rocks.  If you are doing this or see your neighbor’s changing their car oil or just dumping oils from cooking PLEASE explain that some of the drains are not sewers but street water overflow that then drains directly into the lagoons.  For the oil that collected on my rocks under my dock I was told to sprinkle a bit of Dawn dish soap and it would break up all that mess.  I tried it and it truly worked.  But the best thing is just do not put anything down those drains in the first place. 

Next, I found a large wine-bottle called Ande’ Strawberry Fresa.  It still had all  the paper opening warnings on it.  I like a good wine, but I am at a complete loss on this one with Government health warnings,  opening instructions, eye injuries, etc.  Anyway, here it was caught on some rocks with cracking sounds.  I was able to get it out of the water before it broke, but had it broken our wildlife could have tried to eat it or been cut by it. 

The last thing I found made me cry. It was a small white rat, obviously a pet, that had drown.  I do not know to whom it belonged, if it managed to get outside somehow, or if it was deliberately thrown into the water.  If you find you can no longer care for your pet it can be taken to the Coyote Point Humane Society for adoption.  That is certainly the most humane thing you can do, not only for yourself but also for your pet. 

Now back to the basic calls — again driver consideration being the most re-quested with the top comments being the lack of signal use and speeding.   I want to add in here that if your DMV license needs renewing soon you might want to have your eyes tested  before you have to take your test.  Something I saw the other day really frightened me.  I was in the middle lane just starting to cross over the freeway from RWS into Holly Street when this medium size car that had been in the fast lane just simply cut over to exit to the south bound freeway lane.  No signal, nothing, just simply cut over when there truly was no room.   Everyone managed to get out of the way, but there were a lot of red brake lights suddenly on. If you have forgotten or are new to the area, one does not cross over solid lines — they are meant for you to stay in your own lane and it is important for a driver to be aware of where they are and to know what exits to take.

Another major problem is at the west side of Holly coming to the Industrial intersection down from the overpass.  The lanes change there and many drivers are not paying attention the  lane markers.  If one is on the right side of Holly they try to continue straight ahead, cutting off someone on the left side that is entering their lane. 

Lastly, if you find that you are always trying to make up for lost time, try setting your clocks a few minutes head, this will give you a little extra time to decide where you are going and to think about your route there.  The last train accident was because someone wasn’t paying attention to where they wanted to go and simply drove onto the tracks.  “Extra/spare” time will allow you to relax — somewhat — and not be pushing it as to your reactions. 

Maybe now that a goodly part of our storms are over we can look for some nice warm February weather and a Happy Valentines Day!  See you in March.

— Pat Dixon, the Swan Lady

Recipe of the Month

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Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Honey

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

* 4 garnet yams or sweet potatoes
* 3 cups Fresh Orange Juice (pulp free)
* 3 cinnamon sticks
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme
* 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
* 3 cups water
* 1 pound goat cheese
* 1 cup clover honey
* 1/4 cup dried harrisa chili powder
* 1/4 cup dried zaatar (sesame seed, dried thyme and sumac)
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* Salt and pepper
* Canola oil for frying

Preparation:
 
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and cut yams or potatoes in 1-inch cubes (keep in as uniform size as possible).
3. Place cut potatoes in large casserole dish, cover with orange juice, cinnamon sticks, thyme, brown sugar and water (enough to cover potatoes completely), add a generous amount of salt and pepper then cover and place in oven for approximately 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender but not over cooked.
4. Allow potatoes to cool in liquid.
5. Remove potatoes from liquid onto paper towels, dry well.
6. Lightly coat potatoes with cornstarch.
7. Turn stove on low to medium setting, add and heat oil, add potatoes to oil and fry until golden brown.
8. Remove potatoes onto paper towels.
9. In a bowl, season potatoes with salt pepper, zaatar and chili powder.
10. Place on serving platter, sprinkle with goat cheese and drizzle with honey.
11. Serve immediately.

— Chef Tomas Sazo
— Medallion Steakhouse
— 1095 Rollins Road
— Burlingame, CA 94010

A New Year Brings New Progress on The Preserve at Redwood Shores

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Progress continues at The Preserve, where a new elementary school, new townhomes and a new nature area are taking shape. Keech Properties, a Redwood Shores company, is the master developer of this ecologically focused community.

New school, new name: The school was recently named the “Redwood Shores Elementary School” by the school district, in part to recognize the “hard work and generosity of Redwood Shores residents who made this school possible.” The school remains on target for completion inside and out before summer.

Lagoon improvements: A small barge can be seen on the lagoon as Redwood City continues its dredging project to protect water quality. According to the city’s web site, the project may continue through February, as they use the barge pump to move silt through a pipeline from the lagoon to the Preserves wetland restoration area.

Wetlands Restoration: Keech Properties continues to create public access paths, plazas and landscaping that will complete the system in the spring. The 90-acre natural area includes an 80-acre restored marsh that will provide habitat for the endangered California Clapper Rail and Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse.

Preserve Townhomes: Work on the models continues, despite rough weather in January. The townhomes are being built by KB Homes, which also constructed the nearby Seacrest, California Bayside Cove and Shore communities. Models open in April. Two, three and four bedroom units range from 1,400 to 2,000 square feet, and will be available beginning summer of 2010.

Shearwater Parkway Widening: Most of the construction has been completed to make Shearwater Parkway wider to handle the new school traffic. There are new turn lanes and utilities to the new School site, as well as landscaping, which has just been installed in the median islands.

For detailed information on the project visit www.keechproperties.com.

 

 


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Redwood City Water Department Info

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The supplier of all of Redwood City’s drinking water, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), has advised the City that the Peninsula’s drinking water may temporarily have a cloudy or milky-white appearance when drawn from the faucet. This is merely due to air trapped in the water — it is perfectly safe to drink and for all other uses, and all of our drinking water continues to comply with State and Federal water quality standards.

The trapped air is due to a temporarily higher flow rate of water coming from the SFPUC’s Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant – and with that higher flow rate, very small bubbles become trapped and are carried in the water, giving it a cloudy appearance. If the water is allowed to stand for a few minutes, the cloudiness will dissipate as the air bubbles break apart. The City and the SFPUC want to assure the community that there is absolutely no cause for concern, as the water continues to meet all regulatory requirements. The water is expected to return to a normal appearance by late February, 2010.

Each winter the SFPUC shuts down a portion of the Hetch Hetchy pipeline system (the source for our water) for maintenance. During that period Redwood City’s water (as well as water for other SFPUC customers) instead comes from regional watersheds, and is treated and distributed for the duration. Once the maintenance is complete, the water will again be coming from the Hetch Hetchy system, and will return to normal appearance.

Any concerns or questions about the appearance of our water, or any questions about Redwood City’s water supply and system, can be directed to the Redwood City Water Department at (650) 780-7464, or by visiting the SFPUC’s website at www.sfwater.org.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s electronic newsletter or other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov.