At this time of year when we give thanks, Redwood Shores Elementary School is sending a heartfelt THANK YOU to the entire Redwood Shores Community for their outstanding support of our Build Our Library campaign.
Through your generous donations that came from so many Redwood Shores residents, we were able to meet our $10,000 goal! We placed our book order in October! We are equally delighted and thankful that now the Redwood Shores Community Association will match that book order, book for book, for a second $10,000 donation. Your community support is invaluable as we build a collection that will be used by our youth for many years to come. Thank you!
— Cheri Ho, Principal, Redwood Shores Elementary School
Sometimes turning of a page on your calendar becomes a catalyst for reinforcement of your goals. A New Year is often a time of new resolutions. So take this time before the New Year to ensure your financial slate is clean so you can focus on things that lead to your sense of fulfillment.
Maintain Sufficient Emergency Cash
This is your rainy day cash and no standard amount applies to everyone. It depends on many factors – how you spend, your dependents, your job, sources of income, your risk profile and current economy; to name a few. Roughly have six-to-nine months of cash needed to maintain your current life-style.
Manage Your Cash Flow
Easy it sounds, but often is most difficult. Managing cash flow involves managing your style of living. Important thing is to recognize that your cash flows control your expenses. Not the other way round. Contain your expenses within your income.
Manage Your Debt
Equally important to managing cash-flow is managing debt – both short term and long term. Credit card, car loans, the short term debts should not be more than your capacity to pay them off at any time. If these are high, try to pay off the high interest debt first and consolidate remaining ones at lower rate.
Mortgage is a long-term debt and helps build up your credit history. But even with mortgage, do not take more than you can handle.
Protect Your Assets
Protect everything that is precious. Have adequate life insurance. Ensure same for your spouse or partner. A non-working partner can still need life-insurance.
In addition, have adequate auto and home insurance. Consider an umbrella policy on top of home and auto insurances. Finally, have proper health care and long-term care insurances.
Have Clear Goals
It sounds fuzzy to talk of goals but write them down and monitor them. This is a very effective way of managing your finances. Clear goals are a motivation to save. Regular savings is a motivation to invest appropriately. And this leads to fulfilled goals. The joy and fun in achieving one’s goals are priceless.
Plan Your Estate
Finally, plan your estate. Have a living trust or a will. Do not forget to appoint a Power of Attorney for your health care. Finally, ensure all your beneficiary designations are correct and current.
— 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.
We hear almost daily about the need to go “green”. It’s good for our planet. Did you know you can also go “green” with your companion animals? Here’s a list of 10 things you can implement now:
Use biodegradable bags to pick up dog waste. Many of us have long used the plastic bags from the grocery store for this chore. Did you know there are several different brands of biodegradable bags on the market? Try a few and see which ones you prefer. Cat owners, can use them for scooping the litter box as well.
If you bathe your dog yourself, use earth-friendly pet shampoos. Yes, there are pet grooming products on the market that are “green”. If you take your dog to your favorite groomer, encourage them to use “green” products if they don’t already.
OK, we all do itÉwe get in the car with our dog and then drive to the dog park. Consider walking with your dog to the dog park. Not only will you get some great exercise, you will save on gas as well as wear and tear on your car.
Use recycled paper towels for cleaning up of any messes your furry companions may have left for you.
The next time Rover or Kitty need a new food bowl, consider getting a stainless steel or ceramic bowl instead of a plastic bowl. Stainless steel and ceramic also will last longer.
Vacuum! Yes, you read correctly. Vacuuming is a great way to remove fleas and pet dander without having to resort to toxic chemicals.
Buy only “green” toys. There are many toys made out of recycled materials and also use green methods in the production process.
Buy cat litter made from recycled newspaper.
Hopefully, the products you use in your home are also “green”. Fluffy and Fido will often walk on not-so-dry surfaces you just cleaned. These cleaning products can be accidentally ingested when they clean and wash their feet and paws. Read the ingredients on your cleaning products. As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably isn’t good for your animals either.
Do you have old towels, bedding, or pet toys you no longer have a use for? Call your local humane society or animal rescue group. Most groups would love to have your donation of items you no longer need.
By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be just around the corner. While I wish all of your animal family (and the humans also!) a Happy Thanksgiving, please remember — do not give your animals any cooked bones. They can splinter and cause choking. For those counter “surfers”, make sure you keep the garbage and other food goodies out of reach — I want you to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and not have to make an emergency trip to the vet.
— Jan Brown
— Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting & a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor. She can be reached at
The sun was shining and the children were laughing last month at the 8th Annual Save the Music Festival in Belmont, which boasted its highest attendance rate in recent years.
“This festival is unique compared to anything else on the Peninsula,” said Alan Sarver, Festival Chair. In addition to children’s games, international food and professional musicians, performers also included bands, orchestras, and choral groups from Ralston Middle School and Carlmont High School. “People stay all day because their friends and neighbors are here. It really illustrates how closely tied the Belmont-Redwood Shores community is.”
Since its inception in 2003, the Save the Music Festival has raised more than $500,000 through corporate sponsorships and community participation. Funds which have been used to retain music teachers, develop music curriculum, and purchase music instruments. “It’s a ripple effect — the older students have been successful because they were exposed to instrumental music in the 4th & 5th grades.”
The results speak for themselves. Throughout recent decades, Ralston Middle School and Carlmont High School bands, orchestras, choral groups, and soloists have consistently received Superior and Unanimous Superior ratings at California Music Educators’ Association (CMEA) Festivals, and many of the graduates have gone on to successful careers as professional musicians. “Nothing is more inspiring than seeing these talented children perform,” says Alan.
On behalf of the Save the Music Committee, we appreciate the Redwood Shores Community Association for their sponsorship and the community at large who shared their day with us. We also thank the premier community sponsors for their generosity: Oracle, Provident Credit Union, Wells Fargo, Arch & Beam, Janet Pepe Davis, Mistral Restaurant, San Carlos-Belmont Mothers Club, and Union Bank. A complete listing of School-Force business donors can be found at www.schoolforce.org . Thank you for supporting the businesses that support our schools!
Let’s review some of the roads that one may roam trying to become an informed wine buyer. Some start out with the “intense staring and pick the prettiest label” route. This may introduce one to some great artwork, but little, if any, good wine. That route is a dead end. Also, buying solely on a price basis — nothing over, say $5.00 or $10.00 — will accommodate one’s wallet, but not one’s taste buds. That one-way street goes nowhere. And taking the short cut to the ABC’s of Wine — Always buy Cabernet, Always buy Chardonnay — while satisfactory for many wine buyers, can end up being a monotonous, round trip if the occasional vinous side trips are not explored.
Those periodic side trips are what I call the “Enlightened ABC’s of Wine” — Avoid buying Cabernet, Avoid buying Chardonnay (avoid buying ONLY them.) Alternately stated, try drinking something different every now and then. Sure, drink your favorites, but do your taste buds a favor and surprise them with some new flavors. There’s a world of wine varieties to be experienced and enjoyed. And grape variety — the wine’s name — is the flashing neon sign at the fork in the road that we will follow. Chardonnay is a distinct varietal wine, as is Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and others. They’re named after the primary grape variety from which they’re made.
There are many variables that affect a wine’s flavor — where it’s from, the soil it’s grown in, the climate of the area, the age of the vines, the winemaker’s skill or lack thereof, plus a host of other variables that fill “How To” books. But the single-most important item that determines the flavor of a wine is the primary grape variety from which it is made. Moreover, grape variety affects the wine’s profile by influencing attributes like acidity, concentration, aroma, body, and aging potential. It’s that individuality — that genetic blueprint — that distinguishes a Chardonnay from a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Pinot Noir.
Becoming familiar with the profiles of major and minor wine varietals, their similarities and differences, at least generally, is the first discriminating step — not wine snobbery — toward the increased and informed enjoyment of one of life’s more available and affordable pleasures of the table. And the good news is we live in California, which has, for all practical purposes, set the standard, and still follows the practice of wine labeling by grape variety, rather than the murky and challenging Appellation system of Europe.
Varietal labeling is inherently so easy to grasp and understand and so successful that many importers are now including the grape variety as a sub-heading on the bottle’s front label. A Bourgogne Blanc (White Burgundy), for example, will occasionally be labeled “Chardonnay,” for those not familiar with France’s appellation system. Do you suppose it’s similar to California Chardonnay? Do you think it’s different? Maybe it’s time to find out.
The holidays are notorious for helping us put on unwanted pounds. With all the parties and family gatherings, it’s easy to nosh on a few too many appetizers, eat an extra plateful at mealtime and sip on several high-calorie beverages.
The delicious, high-calorie foods and drinks that abound during the holidays make it easy to overindulge. In addition, stress levels tend to be higher during the holiday season — making us more prone to reach for comfort food or another cocktail.
There are a few things you can do to beat the urge to overindulge in food and drinks during the holiday season.
Get plenty of rest. When you don’t get the proper amount of sleep (eight hours is ideal for most people), the hormones that control your appetite can become off-balance, leading to overeating.
Recognize what causes you to overindulge. Some people overindulge in food and alcohol when they are stressed or “blue,” while others tend to eat or drink too much in social settings. Try to recognize your triggers and put a plan in place. For example, if youÕre feeling blue go for a walk instead of reaching for a cookie, or predetermine how many drinks you’ll have at a party.
Drink water between cocktails. It’s easy to have too many cocktails at a social event. You can slow yourself down by alternating cocktails with sparkling water.
Wait a few minutes before reaching for more. It takes our bodies about 20 minutes to process the calories we eat or drink. So if you’re feeling the urge to have a second serving of chips and dip, for example, tell yourself you can have more if you wait for 20 minutes. If you still want it after 20 minutes, you can have it, but in many cases the craving will subside and you’ll end up consuming fewer calories.
Don’t skip meals. If you don’t let yourself get really hungry, you’ll be less likely to binge eat or drink when the opportunities present themselves. Plan regular meals and snacks at approximately the same time each day — about two or three hours apart (three meals and two to three snacks a day). This enables your body to regulate hunger so you’re hungry at mealtimes, but not so hungry that you’ll overindulge. If your stomach is full, but you still have the munchies, reach for low-calorie snacks like air-popped popcorn, raw nuts, or raw veggies with balsamic vinegar or low-calorie dressing.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. When people try to completely avoid the foods they love, they often end up overindulging in them. Allow yourself to have a small piece of pie or cake — but not both. Select one decadent, high-calorie item from the buffet table and then load up the rest of your plate with healthy, low-calorie options.
These next couple months will be filled with opportunities to overindulge, but if you plan ahead, you can beat the temptation. I hope these practical tips will help you avoid the holiday bulge and enjoy a happy, healthy season.
— Karen Astrachan, M.S., R.D., CDE, CSSD
— The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.
Well, I see our weather hasn’t changed much — we still haven’t had any “summer” and not much of a “fall” either. Just maybe we’ll get some much needed rain and then into a glorious spring. I think we all need it — or at least what I’m hearing from those that leave a message.
Not sure how many of you attended the 40th Anniversary of RSCA but it was a delightful day — at least for me. Firstly, I want to give Sue Nix, RSCA Vice-Chair and her son, Marc, a great big ‘thank you’ for all the work they did. But not so much for putting me by the front door. I did not get to see many of the exhibits — only the new collection cans that Gino made me come look at. I really don’t think I can get everything I seem to collect into one of them but I’m gane to try.
However the really good part of being there was I got to talk with most everyone that came in and registered. Many asked me why we asked them to sign the Registry and it was because over these past years there have been many changes to the Shores. Some have been here since development started — back in 1969, and others just recently — all interested in the “history” of the Shores.
I have been here since August of 1985, when Shell Blvd. was being started. Prior to that there was a dusty road that went out to the SBSA plant, so on the 4th of July many of us would take a chair and walk up to Shell and RWSPkway, sit and watch the fireworks. It was kind of a “group/neighbor party and you got to know your neighbors. Because the Registry asked for an e-mail address a lot people left that space open. When asked why, many simply said they did not want their e-mail address “published”. We explained that was NOT the purpose, but simply to let them know what was happening out here.
I understand there were some cages for kittens. As a cat-lover I did not get a chance to get over to see them but from what I have been told they were adorable. For anyone interested they came from the Nine Lives Foundation, located at 3016 Rolison Road [off 2nd Avenue] in south Redwood City. $20.oo per month saves one kitten for a month. If you can, please donate. I was told they had a Mainecoon there, who was really a “looker”. For me, any time I see a cat I want to take it home. I can’t remember when there has not been a cat in our family. As a child we had a beautiful, black Persian and when he wanted to play with my Dad and me he got to running around chasing us. If we got too “rough” he would go looking for my Mother, bite her on her ankle, then come running back to us for more attention.
Since I am running out of space I want to thank all of you that stopped by after seeing my name tag, and mentioned that you read the ‘Soapbox’. This got started because we had residents that wanted to complain Ð about something — but did not want their names used. I thank each of you that leaves me a message or makes a suggestion. Over these past years I have brought many of these comments to the attention of the City Council, who have acted on them. Now the problem is the bait boxes that are being thrown into the water of many of the most easterly complexes and also along the main waterways. I should have more info on this for the December issue of the Pilot. Now it’s time to start your Christmas Decorations for the RSCA Awards. See you next month and do take care!
— Pat Dixon, the Swan Lady
(Note that Pat’s phone number for calls to contribute to “On My Soapbox” are usually included in The Pilot; the number has been omitted from the website version of this article. You can send a message to Pat by emailing with the words “For Swan Lady” in the subject line. )
In recent weeks and months our community has experienced many traumatic events, such as the deadly gas main explosion in San Bruno, the recent ruptured pipe that leaked 48,000 gallons of raw sewage into our Redwood Shores Lagoon, followed days later by a small plane crash into that same lagoon, in which three people tragically died. Although we were all affected by these events, we were not affected in the same way. Those who witnessed the plane crash, or saw the plane heading toward them through their office window, or who bravely jumped into the lagoon hoping for survivors, experienced the accident in a very different way than those of us who drove by wondering why so many emergency vehicles were parked by the lagoon. As therapists, we wondered what the people in our community are doing with the realities of these events. Here are a few tips that may be helpful.
It is normal to think about and remember these events, to wonder about the persons who died and their families and friends. You may even think, “what if it was me”, or now have stress or fears that you never had before. Such reactions are perfectly normal responses to terrible events that occurred. But it is important to talk about this, to share your story and feelings with your friends, family, and coworkers. You may also have physical reactions, such as muscle tightness, body aches, and headaches, to name a few. Exercise, alternating with rest, can help give relief. Organize your time, and continue making daily decisions to give yourself a sense of control over your life. You may want to journal your thoughts or put the thoughts and feelings outside yourself, such as in a drawing or other art form. After a traumatic event, it is important to take care of yourself. Eat, rest and exercise as your normal routine allows. You may have recurring thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks. This is normal, and over time they will become less frequent and less painful. If you find that you fall deep into sadness, or can’t get the difficult thoughts out of your head, or are losing sleep, you might consider seeing a professional therapist who specializes in working with these issues.
Family life is a vibrant part of who we are in Redwood Shores. Model for your children the care and concern you would want for yourself. Be aware of how the children are processing these events and lend a listening ear. Let them tell their story without judgment, and let them know that their feelings and fears are being heard. Traumatic events change our lives. It is important to give yourself, your family, and co-workers the love and support that you all need to get through tough times.
— Dr. Carolee Stabno, PsyD, LMFT, and Sarah Nagle, LCSW
The following is a letter written into the editor of The Pilot for the November 2010 issue. Letters can cover a wide range of topic and often are concerning local issues discussed in previous issues of the paper.
Just a Thought…
Driving through our community I see parents and their youngsters riding bicycles. Family togetherness is precious, however I can’t help but wonder why the children are using helmets and most adults are not? The helmet law was created to protect our youth but the helmet was created to protect your life. Enforcing the law by making our children wear helmets is not enough. Parents have the responsibility to reinforce and display that safety and being socially responsible is just as important as following the law. It is a fact that an accident or collision can cause severe head trauma and possible death. Parents are you emotionally and financially prepared for such a devastating event? What suitable excuse for not wearing a helmet could a parent give to a child? Parents do you want to keep having these precious times together? Just a thought!
Please Join RSCA and We’re Looking for New Directors.
RSCA celebrated its 40th year in 2010! In our 40 years we have seen Redwood Shores grow from a small collection of houses and no businesses to the thriving, beautiful community — now with two outstanding schools and great employers — that we call home. Through these 40 years RSCA has worked to enhance the quality of life in Redwood Shores. To support our efforts and your community, please renew your membership, or join for the first time!
Our activities are made possible by your support, and the larger our membership is, the more effective we can be as advocates for Redwood Shores. For example, we were the lead voice in informing the public about, and urging Redwood City to resolve, our levee emergency. The City responded by completing the levee work by early 2010 — well in advance of FEMA’s September 2010 deadline. In 2010 we also initiated a series of meetings with the Redwood City Police to draw their attention to some important public safety issues here in the Shores. And, not only do we represent Shores interests, we also keep you up to date in THE PILOT and on our web site, at www.rsca.org
In addition, we contribute financially to important local needs and causes. For example, in 2010 we pledged $20,000 to allow our new Redwood Shores Elementary School to purchase nearly 2,000 books for its library, and our community is enjoying the outstanding collections at our new Library, for which RSCA donated more than $65,000 in 2008-2009. We also sponsor fun family events, like our Eggstravaganza in the Spring and the Halloween Parade each October. This summer, as in the past, we co-sponsored a series of concerts in Marlin Park. We also “Clean up the Shores” each August with our annual levee cleanup, and we hold candidate forums for important local elections so you can meet and question the candidates.
We do all of this as community volunteers and we receive no support from homeowners association or RSOA dues. You can play your part in supporting RSCA’s activities by renewing your membership, or joining for the first time, for only $35.00, which is a great value. To join, please complete the information form included in this month’s Pilot, or respond to the membership letter you’ll soon be receiving from us.
RSCA Directors Needed
Do you want to help make our community a better place and have a good time doing it? If so, please consider becoming a Director of RSCA. Our board has up to 25 Directors who help with events, advocate with local governments, and make connections with business and community leaders. If you’re a resident of Redwood Shores, energetic, community-minded and eager to help usenhance the high quality of life in the Shores, please send an email to expressing your interest in becoming a Director, and we’ll be in touch. — Doug Crisman , RSCA President
