Folk music legend John McCutcheon returns to Bay Area
Submitted by Wendy Brynford-Jones
In January, singer/songwriter John McCutcheon will tour the Bay Area, performing at St. James Episcopal Church in Fremont on Martin Luther King Monday, January 15.
John McCutcheon has been delighting audiences with live performance and recordings for decades. The late Johnny Cash referred to him as “the most impressive multi-instrumentalist I ever heard.” In a McCutcheon show, along with storytelling and fun, listeners will hear this master musician play hammered dulcimer, banjo, piano, harmonica, guitar and more. He has performed annually for many years in the Golden State.
The musician is a part of the generation of folksingers that grew up singing Tom Paxton songs. His own impressive catalog of songs spans forty-four albums, six Grammy nominations, numerous awards and accolades and the citing of his song “Christmas in the Trenches” as “one of the 100 essential folk songs,” by Folk Alley. John and Tom Paxton have been pals for decades, but it was COVID and Zoom that turned them into a songwriting team. Every Monday at 2 p.m. they’d tell jokes, reminisce about old friends, and, of course, talk lots of sports. Eventually one would say, “Well, guess we better write a song, huh?” And off they’d go, two old warhorses pulling the plow.
After a hundred songs, they gathered fourteen for their first joint recording, the aptly titled Together. The stunning result provides songs about history, the news, baseball, cowboys, America, love, the remembered, the forgotten. Gathering John’s familiar crew of supporting musicians (fiddle wizard Stuart Duncan, keyboardist Jon Carroll, bass player JT Brown, as well as special guest, Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy), the arrangements are compelling, the production pristine, and the performances stunning. From the stirring “Ukrainian Now” to the hilarious “Same Old Crap,” the immigrant story of “In America” to the heart stopping finale, “Together,” each song shines as would be expected of this partnership.
Physical and digital copies of Together available upon request. Masks and COVID vaccinations / boosters are recommended. A portion of concert proceeds will be donated to ABODE Services, working to end homelessness in the Bay Area.
John McCutcheon Concert
Monday, Jan 15
7:30 p.m.
St. James Episcopal Church
37051 Cabrillo Ter., Fremont
Tickets: $30 Adult, $15 Kids
Take flight with Disney’s The Little Mermaid at StarStruck Theatre
Submitted by StartStruck Theatre
This month join StarStruck Theatre as they dive under the sea and take flight in Disney’s The Little Mermaid! This beloved Disney classic turned blockbuster Broadway musical will have the whole family filled with wonder and awe. With a live orchestra led by Nancy Godfrey and flying by ZFX Flying, this StarStruck MainStage production is not to be missed.
In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”
Starring the Tri-City’s most talented young professionals: Lilia ten Bosch, Hayden Wood, Russell Lym, and Lici Carey with Alessandra Allarde, Liliana Anaya, Siena Anaya, Neil Basu, Emily Blake, Savannah Cannon, Benjamin Chen, Priyanka Chitlu, Tristan Crane, Lily Davis, Isabella Dong, Sydney Freeman, Lucas Gallagher, Luna Bella Hellman, Lillian Jenkins, Audrey Jeronimo Hartrell, Taia Kao, Jai Kaushik, Gemma Krotz, Joanna Kuehner, Adalyn Lowe, Afia Marium, Charles Monk, Kamran Motahari, Melanie Munoz, Cheyenne Ng, Hannah Oviatt, Karina Patel, Amelie Ramarao, Emily Sison, Aaron Sorci, Danielle Sorci, Hannah Sorci, Emmanuel Suarez, Josephine Sun, Elizabeth Surridge, AJ Torrado, Gracie Wagner, Ishaan Wankhade, Madeline Weston, Maxwell Weston, Janiya Williams, Isla Williams, Vanessa Xu, and Grace Zhao.
Mark your calendars for these special performance days:
Friday, January 12: Opening/Alumni Night
Sunday, January 14: Dress up as your favorite Disney character
Sunday, January 21: Dress up as your favorite Little Mermaid character
Friday, January 26: ASL Night
Saturday, January 27: Dress up as your favorite Disney character
Check our website for current COVID protocols
The Little Mermaid
Friday, Jan 12 – Sunday, Jan 29
Fri/Sat: 7:30 p.m.
Sun: 2:30 p.m.
Smith Center at Ohlone College
43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
(510) 659-1319
StarStruckTheatre.org
Tickets $25 – $35 + ticketing fee
Plant a Tree for MLK Day weekend
Submitted by Bee Newell
Photos by Victor Carvellas
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., local urban forestry non-profit Urban Forest Friends (UFF) will be hosting a “Community Tree-Planting” in Fremont Central Park on Saturday, January 13 near the City of Fremont Nature Learning Center located behind Aqua Adventure Waterpark. The City of Fremont Community Services Department will be participating, along with Assembly member Alex Lee and local volunteers.
This Planting Day will help the city to continue moving forward to meet its goal of planting 1,000 trees each year.
If you’re not able to join the January 13 event, UFF will continue their tree planting efforts throughout the month and during the spring.
Fremont Neighborhood Tree Plantings
Join us in planting 15-gallon street trees in front of homes in several Fremont neighborhoods with low tree canopy! There are currently five neighborhood planting dates.
Saturday, Jan 27
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
North Fremont/Warwick
Saturday, Feb 3
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
North Fremont
Saturday, Feb 10
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Glenmoor
Saturday, Mar 2
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Glenmoor
Saturday, Mar 16
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Glenmoor
Additional 2024 events include three tree plantings in Newark in April (Signups will open in February) and a tree identification walk in April starting from Newark Public Library (no signup required). For all events, volunteers must be 15+ to participate.
UFF would also like to share two opportunities to give feedback and learn more about trees:
- If you live or work in Newark, the city wants to hear from you! Ask for more trees in the parks on the Newark Parks website. Link to the Survey Monkey survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/6FG2CPC
- For all Tri-City residents: The City of Fremont has a brand-new six-week course on Urban Forestry! Registration for the class is available at the city of Fremont website. If you can’t do the in-person training, consider auditing to learn about our city trees! The course costs $50 and runs March 7 to April 13. www.fremont.gov/government/departments/urban-forestry/urban-forest-updates
Community Tree Planting
Saturday, Jan 13
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Fremont Central Park
Nature Learning Center, behind Aqua Adventure Waterpark
90 Years of East Bay Regional Parks
Submitted by Dave Mason
Welcome to the East Bay Regional Park District’s 90th Anniversary year. After 90 years, the Park District has grown to be the largest regional park district of its kind in the nation, with 73 regional parks available for hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, and nature discovery. The Park District manages over 125,000 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline, and more than 1,300 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wherever you live in the East Bay, there is a beautiful regional park close to you.
“Join us in celebrating the Park District’s 90 years of milestones and history of environmental conservation and positive experiences in nature,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “We invite the public to enjoy their regional parks and shorelines and celebrate with us throughout the year at events and programs commemorating our 90 years of service to the community.”
The East Bay Regional Park District’s story began in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of watershed land in the East Bay Hills suddenly became available for development. Civic leaders came together with a vision: preserve the land forever, and balance environmental conservation with public enjoyment.
To aid the cause, they enlisted renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and National Park Service’s Chief Naturalist Ansel Hall to survey the watershed lands for potential park use. The resulting 1930 Olmsted-Hall report titled “Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities” brought national credibility to the effort and is largely considered the founding document of the East Bay Regional Park District.
Four years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, civic leaders placed a measure on the ballot to establish the Park District and tax themselves for land preservation. The measure passed on November 6, 1934, by a resounding 71 percent—even during trying times and economic instability. On June 4, 1936, the District purchased land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks—Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden), Temescal, and Roundtop (Sibley).
For 90 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved and protected open space and provided safe and welcoming parks for recreation and nature viewing.
Events and programs celebrating the Park District’s 90th Anniversary include a community birthday celebration on May 11 and monthly naturalist-led “Explore Your Parks” adventure programs. Additional events and programs will be announced throughout the year.
For more information about the Park District’s 90th Anniversary, including events and activities, visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.
90th Anniversary “Explore Your Parks” Adventure Series
Throughout 2024, Park District naturalists are hosting a series of programs and events to celebrate the District’s 90th Anniversary.
King Tide Walk
What are king tides? How do they affect plants and animals, and what can we learn from them? Be prepared for muddy shoes! Drop-in program; no registration is required.
Saturday, Jan 13; 12 noon – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb 10; 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Hayward Regional Shoreline (West Winton Ave. Staging Area)
Community Science Bio Blitz
Love nature and want to contribute to real scientific studies? Learn how apps like Seek, iNaturalist, and others are used to help scientists gather data, while enhancing your next hike! Drop-in program; no registration is required.
Saturday, Jan 27; 10 a.m. – 12 noon
Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve
Celebrating Black History Walks
In honor of Black History Month, tours will explore the southern end of the new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50, where attendees can learn about the natural and human history of the land. Registration required: www.ebparks.org/calendar.
Sundays in February; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Thurgood Marshall Regional Park (Concord)
Winter Walk
Take in the spectacular views of Carquinez Strait and look for signs of spring’s approach along this rolling, paved trail. Heavy rain cancels. Drop-in program; no registration is required.
Friday, Feb 23; 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline (Port Costa Staging Area)
Join the 2024 Point-In-Time Homeless Count
Submitted by Alameda County
Are you looking to volunteer or help out in your community? The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a county-wide count of all people experiencing homelessness during a 24-hour period. The next PIT Count will be held on Thursday, January 25.
How can you help?
- Volunteer – Volunteer opportunities to administer surveys are available throughout Alameda County, but there is a high need in Unincorporated County.
- Encampment Identification – For those who can't volunteer, the app called “Counting Us” allows users to “drop pins” and give estimates of people experiencing homelessness in the community. Reporting takes two-clicks and is a crucial first step in identifying the locations that volunteers will be visiting.
The purpose of the Everyone Home's PIT Count is to obtain a snapshot census of people experiencing homelessness in the Alameda County area in a designated 24-hour period. The count focuses on people who, on the night of the count, are:
- Sheltered (living in emergency shelters or transitional housing) or
- Unsheltered (staying outdoors or places not designed for habitation including vehicles, streets, parks and abandoned buildings)
The PIT Count is an essential element in our effort to end homelessness. The campaign presents a great opportunity to raise awareness of the myriad challenges our homeless citizens face, hear personal experiences from those experiencing homelessness, and demonstrate the compassion and generosity of the Alameda County community through provision of basic items such as hats, gloves, socks and toiletries. Connections are made based on individual needs to community resources.
What to expect:
Volunteers will conduct surveys of people experiencing homelessness to gather details about their demographics and of conditions that may impede their ability to obtain and retain housing. Volunteers will be able to indicate what geographic areas they prefer to be located at for the count. Registration will also ask other questions that will allow organizers to match you with other volunteers.
We strongly encourage folks to sign up in groups as a team if you have a preference of who you will be working with and to ensure you are working with someone you know, if that is important to you. Much more information, FAQs, training resources, etc., will be provided at the training sessions. Thank you for your help in ensuring that every individual experiencing homelessness counts!
Point-in-Time Count
Thursday, Jan 25
5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Register at https://alameda24.pointintime.info/
New BART Schedule Effective January 15
Submitted by Bay Area Rapid Transit
BART is making minor changes to the schedule beginning January 15, 2024. Some departure times will shift by a few minutes, and we encourage riders to check the schedule before January 15 to see if their trip is impacted. BART’s Trip Planner has been updated for trips beginning January 15, 2024, and PDF timetables are available at https://www.bart.gov/schedules/pdfs
Get customized notifications with the BART app. The Official BART App offers customized in-app notifications about BART service and news. Riders can personalize what type of information they get through the app based on when and where they ride BART and what information they care most about. For example, you can select service advisories for your line and direction of travel and specific times of day. Or you can get real time departures pushed as notifications for the 15 minutes before arriving to a station on the days you ride. To turn on these features, select the person icon in the upper-right, then select “Notification Settings” and starting adding what you want. This is a great option for people who don't want to subscribe to text/email alerts or for people who remain on Twitter (X) only for BART Service Advisories.
We also made it easier to pay for parking with the new Tap-and-Go feature on the app that allows customers to pay for parking with just one tap. Check it out!
Newark’s Daddy Daughter Dance
Submitted by Newark Recreation Department
Take your daughter on her most important first date and join us for the Annual Daddy Daughter Dance on Friday, January 19. A sophisticated and fun event that gives your daughter the opportunity to dress up, have a dance with her dad or loved one, and create memories that last a lifetime. Dancing, DJ, refreshments, and photo booth are included. All ages welcome!
No tickets will be sold at the door. $30 per couple, $5 for each additional daughter. Registration deadline is Friday, January 12. Register at http://tinyurl.com/4kupey48
Daddy Daughter Dance
Friday, Jan 19
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Silliman Activity Center Gym
6800 Mowry Ave., Newark
Register at: http://tinyurl.com/4kupey48
Tickets: $30 per father/daughter couple; $5 additional daughter
January Dinosaur classes at Math Science Nucleus
Submitted by Joyce Raia
Are your kids in love with dinosaurs and eager to take a class with a researcher at a higher level than normally taught? Paleontologist will Danny Anduza will lead classes on January 20 and 27, and February 1 at the Math Science Nucleus (MSN) in Fremont.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Danny Anduza is a dinosaur paleontologist with over ten years of experience in discovering, excavating, and studying dinosaurs. Anduza has worked with Museum of the Rockies, Badlands Dinosaur Museum, and the Utah Geological Survey, uncovering several new dinosaurs, including the bizarre Trierarchuncus. He brings his paleontology knowledge and enthusiasm to Twitch livestreams every weekday. He also teaches children of all ages.
The three classes at MSN cover the topics below:
What are Dinosaurs?
Everyone thinks they know what a dinosaur is, but how do paleontologists determine what is a dinosaur and what isn’t? The answer might surprise you! Through hands-on activities and interactive lessons, students will learn the basics of dinosaur science, from geologic time to classification and how paleontologists figure all this stuff out.
The Plant Eaters
Why did most dinosaurs eat plants? In this overview of herbivorous dinosaurs, students will learn why the biggest dinosaurs were plant-eaters, what kinds of foliage they fed on, and how they defended themselves against hungry meat-eating dinosaurs. With engaging lessons and crafts designed to help students remember what they’ve learned, this class will be a delight to any young dinosaur detective.
The Meat Eaters
Fierce, fast, and ferocious, carnivorous dinosaurs capture our imagination like no other creatures—but what do we really know about them? Students will gain a newfound appreciation for the wondrous diversity of predatory dinosaurs through hands-on activities, learning about the astounding shapes and sizes these creatures attained, and their surprising relationship to birds. From the mighty Tyrannosaurus to the tiny feathered Microraptor, these marauding meat-eaters still haunt our dreams—and perhaps our bird feeders too!
Classes are for children ages seven to 10 years old. They can sign up for one class, or for all three at a discount. Please bring water. All class materials will be provided.
Dinosaur Science
Saturdays: Jan 20, Jan 27, & Feb 3
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Math Science Nucleus
4074 Eggers Dr., Fremont
(510) 790-6284
Registration: $38 per class; $100 for all three
Family Nature Adventures: Weather
Submitted by Chabot Space and Science Center
Every second Saturday, drop by Chabot Space and Science Center for “Nature Adventures” where we’ll take a deep look into a different aspect of the surrounding redwood forest. Your adventure includes a hands-on workshop, access to scientific tools and instruments, a simple snack, and a short exploration work in the forest.
The January 2024 theme is “Wonders of Weather.” Learn how to measure and predict the weather using scientific instruments in a hands-on workshop. Then, put your skills to the test with a short walk in the forest.
(Event ticket does not include general admission.)
Family Nature Adventures: Weather
Saturday, Jan 13
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland
(510) 336-7300
Tickets: $25 Adults; $15 Youth 3+
Clipper® BayPass Welcomes Aboard UCSF as First Employer to Offer Workers Unlimited Free Transit
Submitted by John Goodwin, MTC; and Alicia Trost, BART
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) finalized a partnership agreement through which UCSF will provide up to 6,000 of its employees with passes for unlimited free travel for one year on any of 24 Bay Area transit agencies beginning January 1, 2024. The agreement, approved at the December meeting of MTC’s Regional Network Management Committee, makes UCSF the first Bay Area employer to join Phase 2 of the Clipper® BayPass program, which is jointly managed by MTC and BART. UCSF’s goal is to make public transit more accessible to employees in the university’s lower salary tiers.
“This is an exciting project that has the potential to help our staff with their commutes, keep our transit system sustainable, and contribute to our communities by reducing the number of cars coming to our campuses,” said Erin Gore, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration at UCSF. “We hope this will become a model for other employers across the Bay Area.”
MTC and BART expect to complete similar agreements with other employers in the months ahead. The Clipper BayPass will be made available to as many as 20,000 individuals at up to 10 different companies, institutions or public agencies during the pilot program’s second phase. Employers who wish to participate can get more information and complete an interest form on the Clipper BayPass website at clipperbaypass.com.
MTC teamed with BART and other transit agencies to launch Phase I of the Clipper BayPass pilot in August 2022. The purpose of the program is to study the impact of a single pass that can be used for unlimited access to all Bay Area bus, rail and ferry services, with the exception of San Francisco’s Muni cable cars. Clipper BayPass to date has enrolled some 50,000 people, including residents of several affordable housing complexes managed by MidPen Housing, students at Santa Rosa Junior College and randomly selected students at San Francisco State University, San Jose State University and the University of California’s Berkeley campus.
“One of the big takeaways from the Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force convened early in the COVID-19 pandemic is the urgency of making Bay Area transit simpler and more seamless,” explained MTC Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza. “Clipper BayPass is giving us real-world data on the role fare coordination can play in meeting those goals. We’ll use this information to help shape the development, pricing and implementation of one or more new multi-agency passes or fare caps that eventually will be used by vastly more riders.”
Clipper BayPass participants used their passes for more than a combined 2 million transit trips in the first year of the pilot. Usage data indicate these customers take some 40 percent more transit trips than their nonparticipating peers and transfer between systems 74 percent more often.
“In just its first year of existence, Clipper BayPass already is establishing itself as a shining example of regional coordination among Bay Area transit agencies,” said BART general manager Bob Powers. “Clipper BayPass is giving us a vision of the future of Bay Area transit and shows if we make transfers between systems more seamless, ridership will increase across the board.”
Fare coordination and integration is a cornerstone of the Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan adopted by MTC in 2021. The Survive & Thrive roadmap released earlier this year by MTC, transit agencies, and business and policy advocacy groups identifies Clipper BayPass as a key strategy for retaining and growing ridership. Transit agencies in 2024 will expand fare integration with the launch of a pilot program for no-cost and reduced-cost transfers between agencies.
Pilot program participants use Clipper BayPass for unlimited travel on: BART, SFMTA (Muni), AC Transit, VTA, Caltrain, SamTrans, Golden Gate Transit, Golden Gate Ferry, San Francisco Bay Ferry, County Connection, Dumbarton Express, FAST, Marin Transit, Petaluma Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, SMART, Soltrans, Sonoma County Transit, Tri Delta Transit, Union City Transit, Vacaville City Coach, VINE, WestCAT, Wheels.
Aside from allowing travel at no charge, the Clipper BayPass functions like any other Clipper card. Participants use their Clipper cards—either traditional plastic cards or Clipper cards on their smartphones or Apple Watches—to tag on (or off) at faregates, on buses, on rail platforms or at ferry ramps. The Clipper BayPass may not be shared with family or friends; it may be used only by participants selected for the pilot program.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Commission operates the Clipper transit-fare payment system on behalf of the region’s transit agencies.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
mtc.ca.gov
Hayward Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
Submitted by City of Hayward
Hayward will pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a program of music and song, a community-award recognition, and a keynote address by musical educator Professor Silvester Henderson starting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 15, 2024.
The annual Hayward celebration of the great social justice and civil rights leader takes place each January on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday—and is sponsored by the Hayward South Alameda County NAACP, Chabot College, City of Hayward and Hayward Unified School District.
Event keynote speaker Professor Silvester Henderson is a nationally recognized professor, educator, conference motivational speaker, business owner, real estate investor, community artistic organizer, musician and artist, conductor and internet blog personality. In 1985, he founded the University of California, Berkeley, Young Inspirational Gospel Choir, which sang to large crowds at venues such as Zellerbach Hall, toured internationally, recorded albums, and came to be named “the finest university gospel choir in the nation” by the Smithsonian Institution.
In addition to Professor Henderson’s keynote address, there will be performances by Palma Ceia Baptist Church Singers, the Hayward High School Jazz Band and the Chabot College Choir.
Hayward Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
Monday, Jan 15
4:30 p.m.
Reed L. Buffington Visual & Performing Arts Center
25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward
(5100 723-6976
www.hayward-ca.gov/residents/arts-leisure/martin-luther-king-jr-day-event
Introduction to Herbalism
Submitted by Angela Moffet, Castro Valley Library
Join us for an interactive class on herbal medicine as an ancient, holistic practice. We will taste different herbs and herbal preparations to learn about types of medicinal herbal extractions, the five energetics of herbs, and explore how to make sense of the world of medicinal plants through their categories and constituents. This program is the first in a series of three.
The library will provide an ASL interpreter for any event with at least seven working days’ notice. Please call 510-667-7900 or TTY 888-663-0660. Register for class at https://aclibrary.org/locations/csv/
Introduction to Herbalism
Saturday, Jan 20
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Castro Valley Library
3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley
https://aclibrary.org/locations/csv/
Free
‘Kaleidoscope’ group exhibition celebrates new year
Submitted by Frances Freyberg
Portola Art Gallery presents “Kaleidoscope”—a group exhibition of original artwork to celebrate the new year.
Throughout the month of January, the award-winning artists of the gallery will showcase works of art that are smaller in size but large on value and creativity. The original paintings, photographs, ceramics, and woodworking make owning an original piece of art easier for the first-time buyer, and make wonderful gifts for those on a special gift list. An artist reception is scheduled for Saturday, January 13.
Kaleidoscope
Through Wednesday, Jan 31
Mon – Sat; 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Artist Reception
Saturday, Jan 13
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Portola Art Gallery at Allied Arts Guild
75 Arbor Rd., Menlo Park
(650) 321-0220
The California King Tides Project
By Jack Alcorn
The California King Tides Project helps us visualize future sea level by observing the highest tides of today. You can help by taking and sharing photos of the shoreline during King Tides to create a record of changes to our coast and estuaries.
“King Tide” describes very high tides, caused when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between sun, moon, and Earth. When King Tides occur during floods or storms, water levels can rise higher and have the potential to cause great damage to the coastline and coastal property.
King Tides:
- occur naturally and regularly
- are predictable and expected
- are not an everyday occurrence
Watch a video from the Exploratorium explaining King Tides:
www.exploratorium.edu/video/full-spectrum-science-shorts-king-tides
The sea level rise we're experiencing now will continue. California will be greatly impacted by sea level rise. For example, San Francisco Bay is projected to see a rise between 1.1 and 2.7 feet by 2050, and by 2100 could experience between 3.4 and 6.9 feet of sea level rise with a potential for more than 10 feet of rise if there is extreme melting of Antarctic ice.
King Tides themselves are not related to climate change, but they allow us to experience what higher sea level will be like. King Tides are the highest high tides of the year – one to two feet higher than average high tides, which is a good approximation of how high we expect everyday tides to be over the next few decades.
When you observe the King Tides, imagine seeing these tides (and the associated flooded streets, beaches, and wetlands) every day. Understanding what a King Tide looks like today will help us plan for future sea level rise. Sharing your photos and talking about what you’ve noticed helps others understand that they’re part of a community that cares about the climate crisis and wants to take action.
To find out what time and how high the King Tides will be near you, visit:
www.tide-forecast.com/locations/San-Francisco-California/tides/latest
Statewide: www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/participate.html#tidemap
Observe and document King Tides on your own or join a group event. Consider joining the King Tides events in your area such as the King Tide Walk at Hayward Shoreline.
What are King Tides? How do they affect plants and animals, and what can we learn from them? Find out the answers to these questions and participate in the community science King Tides Project on this easy walk along the San Francisco Bay shore. Bring your camera to capture birds of prey and other predators taking advantage of rising waters that flush out shorebirds, rodents, and other potential prey. Be prepared for muddy shoes! All ages. Parent participation required. This is a drop-in program; no registration is required.
The most important thing to remember is to be safe! Take extra precautions when you walk on slippery areas or near big waves, and always be conscious of your surroundings and the weather conditions. Don't turn your back on the ocean! Please be aware that shore birds may be taking refuge in areas above the tide line – don't flush them out in the process of getting your shot.
Since 2010, people have joined the California King Tides Project in taking and sharing photos of the highest high tides of the year and their impact on the shore. Starting with the 2018/2019 season, photos are compiled in the interactive online map, presenting a geographic view of this community science data. You can also browse nearly 3,000 photos collected on Flickr from past years, search for #kingtides on social media platforms.
Some of the most powerful images are taken in areas that are subject to flooding and erosion, and of places where high water levels can be gauged against familiar landmarks (such as cliffs, rocks, roads, buildings, bridge supports, sea walls, staircases, and piers).
Visit www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/participate.html to learn how to participate by uploading your photos via a web browser or with a free app. Your photos will be added to a map of this season's King Tides photos. Email kingtides@coastal.ca.gov if you have questions.
In addition to uploading your photos, you can also share them on social media using #kingtides. Your posts will be liked and shared throughout the King Tides season.
The California King Tides Project was launched in the winter of 2010/2011 by a partnership of state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations. The California project is now part of a global network of King Tides initiatives along both coasts of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia.
Source: California Coastal Commission
King Tide Walk
Saturday, January 13; noon – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 10; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Hayward Regional Shoreline
West Winton Avenue Staging Area
(510) 544-3220
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Submitted by City of San Leandro
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a great American leader, and honor his lifelong work toward equality and peace. On Monday, January 15, the City of San Leandro will host an oratorical festival and poetry slam, with performances from local 3rd through 12th grade students. Students will perform original or well-known essays, speeches, and poems celebrating Dr. King’s message of peace, tolerance, and social justice.
The celebration includes live entertainment, student oratorical contest, crafts for kids, and light refreshments. The event is free of charge and open to the public.
For more information, contact Liz Hodgins at youth@sanleandro.org or (510) 577-3473.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Monday, Jan 15
10:30 a.m.
Marina Community Center
15301 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro
sanleandro.org/mlk
Diamonds in Education Gala
Submitted by New Haven Schools Foundation
Our annual fundraiser is back at the Paradise Ballroom with live and silent auctions, casino games, music and more. We'll also honor our 2024 “Diamonds in Education.”
The New Haven Schools Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation dedicated to supporting schools in the New Haven Unified School District. Every dollar of support we receive stays right here in our local school district, serving children and youth living in Union City and parts of Hayward.
The Silent Auction is now open. Bidding will continue until the night of the gala. Winners need not be present to win. You can also get a sneak preview of the fabulous prizes to be sold only in our live auction. New this year – The Golden Ticket Raffle! The odds of winning your choice of one of four vacation packages are good – only 100 tickets will be sold.
In 2023, the Foundation’s Pathways to Success program awarded $192,500 in scholarships for our students, bringing the total to $1,700,000. Our project grants enable teachers to innovate in the classroom and schools to offer extracurricular activities, funded in part by our Fund-a-Need auction. Thanks to the generosity of donors, especially those who attended the gala, NHSF funded $104,000 in classroom programs in 2023!
This year’s gala features:
Celebrity emcee Fatima Silva, star of Reasonable Doubt on Discovery+
Live auction featuring Ellen Toscano, the Singing Auctioneer, formerly of Beach Blanket Babylon.
Casino games and prizes
Silent auction opens in advance. Bidding closes at 9 p.m.
Tom Kitayama Business Award – Republic Services
Guy Emanuele Service Award – Michael Ritchie
VIP Tables are $1,750 for a table of 10, sold as one transaction. Includes a premium table location, two bottles of wine for the table, $1000 casino chips per person, and a welcome drink.
New this year! Teachers may purchase tickets at the reduced price of $125.
Tickets can be purchased and advanced auction bids can be made at https://nhsfoundation.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/DiamondsinEducation2024
Diamonds in Education Gala
Saturday, January 20
Cocktails: 6 p.m.
Buffet: 7 p.m.
Paradise Ballroom
4100 Peralta Blvd., Fremont
https://nhsfoundation.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/DiamondsinEducation2024
Tickets: $150 – $1,750
Niles Essanay January Film Lineup
Submitted by Michael Bonham
Images from IMDB
We’re starting the year with a great January lineup at Niles Essanay historic theatre. We kicked off the month with one of the big three of silent comedy, Harold Lloyd in his last silent film. Coming up is a classic by the great German director, Fritz Lang. Our Laurel & Hardy Matinee and Comedy Shorts Night come next with an Alfred Hitchcock silent classic to round out the month.
Our big special event of the month will be an awesome collection of Popeye cartoons produced by Max and Dave Fleischer. After the cartoons, there will be a video presentation about the Fleischer studio and a Q&A session with in-person guest Jane Fleischer. Definitely a show not to be missed!
As an added plus, we are promoting a couple of shows by our partners in silent film. First is a showing of “Vampyr” in the last authentic silent film show at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Next is “Chaplin” with Robert Downey Jr. at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. It is hosted by our theater manager, Brett Bonowicz.
VAMPYR (1932) (Julian West, Sybille Schmitz)
Friday, Jan 12
7:30 p.m.
Castro Theatre, San Francisco
Danish director Carl Dreyer’s (The Passion of Joan of Arc) first sound film was shot silent with music, effects, and scant dialogue added in post-production.
A drifter obsessed with the supernatural stumbles upon an inn where a severely ill adolescent girl is slowly becoming a vampire.
Order tickets at: https://silentfilm.org/event/vampyr/
SPIES (1928, Fritz-Lang-Film)
Saturday, Jan 13
7:30 p.m.
Fritz Lang (Metropolis) directs a tale of espionage and romance. With Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Lien Deyers. (Bruce Loeb, Piano Accompaniment)
Preceded by:
The Lonedale Operator (1911, Biograph)
Picking Peaches (1924, Sennett)
Laurel & Hardy / Our Gang Matinee
Sunday, Jan 14
3 p.m.
Barnum & Ringling Inc. (1928) Our Gang
Liberty (1929) Laurel & Hardy
Cat & Dog & Company (1928) Our Gang
Bacon Grabbers (1929) Laurel & Hardy
Chaplin (1992) (Robert Downey Jr, Geraldine Chaplin)
Tuesday, Jan 16
7:30 p.m.
Balboa Theater, San Francisco
An elderly Charlie Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor, recounting his amazing journey from his poverty-stricken childhood to world-wide success after the ingenious invention of the Little Tramp. Hosted by Brett Ryan Bonowicz.
There is also a cartoon and vintage trailers before the feature. Enjoy!
Order tickets at: https://www.balboamovies.com/
Comedy Shorts Night
Bruce Loeb, Piano Accompaniment
Saturday, Jan 20
7:30 p.m.
Caught in the Rain (1914, Keystone) Charlie Chaplin
The Rounders (1914, Keystone) Roscoe Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin
From Hand to Mouth (1919, Rolin) Harold Lloyd
The Garage (1919, Comique, 35mm) Buster Keaton
Their Purple Moment (1928, Hal Roach Studios) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
Popeye the Sailor 90th Anniversary Showcase
Sunday, Jan 21
3 p.m.
Strong to the finich! Cartoons from Fleischer Studios featuring Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy, Little Swee'Pea, and plenty of spinach. With newly restored pictures and sound.
This program was assembled by Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored in 2023 in tribute to the 90th anniversary of the animated series, begun in 1933.
Followed by a short video presentation about the artistry and techniques of Fleischer studios by Ray Pointer, animation professional and author of The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer: American Animation Pioneer (McFarland, 2016).
Then questions and answers with guest Jane Fleischer.
Easy Virtue (1927, Gainsborough Pictures)
Greg Pane, Piano Accompaniment
Saturday, Jan 27
7:30 p.m.
Rarely screened, this early Hitchcock picture is a courtroom romance based on the play by Noel Coward. Watch for Hitchcock’s signature cameo!
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Preceded by:
Should Husbands be Watched? (1925, Hal Roach Studios) Charley Chase
Ten Dollars or Ten Days (1924, Mack Sennett Comedies) Ben Turpin
Donations Needed!
We are planning to do major upgrades to our building such as the foundation, plumbing, electrical, and other tasks. We are also refurbishing the auditorium and bringing it back to its authentic heyday when it was a silent film theater from 1913 to 1924. We’re excited about these plans but they all take lots of money. Your generosity will surely make our museum one of the crown jewels of the Bay Area.
Make a (tax deductible) donation online at nilesfilmmuseum.org or send a check made out to NESFM to:
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
37417 Niles Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94536
Volunteers Needed!
We are a volunteer-led non-profit organization and every little bit helps so if you can help us with selling tickets, ushering, after-show cleanup, also working in the store, giving tours, or behind-the scenes computer work, we need you! With more volunteers we will be able to increase our movie nights and our daytime open hours.
Email Bethany, our volunteer manager at
bethanycarlsonmann@gmail.com if you want to volunteer.
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont
(510) 494-1411
Resolve to Write in 2024
Submitted by Tish Davidson
Fremont Area Writers invites you to make a New Year’s resolution to write that book, story, or poem a reality. On Saturday, January 13, join a virtual “Social Write-In” to jumpstart your creativity in a nonjudgemental Zoom session. The Write-In will stimulate your creativity as well as put you in touch with other local writers. The event is free and for all levels from absolute beginners to published pros. The event is not a writing critique session. Your writing will not be judged, just enjoyed by your fellow writers.
How the Write-In works:
At the Write-In, the computer will randomly assign four writers to each Zoom room. Writers will be given several word or photo prompts. Choose one prompt and write whatever comes to mind for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, each person in the room will read their response to the prompt. Because the writing time is short, there is no expectation that the result will be polished or even complete. Time to socialize and get to know each other follows the readings. Writers will then be reassigned to a different Zoom room with different people and a new writing challenge. After the second writing period, stories will be shared with others in the room.
The Write-In is sponsored by Fremont Area Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club. In addition to the Write-In, FAW meets on Zoom from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month. At meetings, guest speakers discuss various aspects of writing and the publishing industry. The speaker for the January 27 meeting is Maine illustrator Agy Wilson. She will talk about what to expect when working with a book or cover illustrator. Children’s book authors and artists interested in illustration are especially encouraged to attend. You do not need to live in Fremont to join the meeting. More information is available at https://cwc-fremontareawriters.org
To participate in the Write-In or the general meeting, please request the Zoom meeting link from Scott Davidson at scottfrombayside@yahoo.com.
Free Zoom Write-In
Saturday, Jan 13
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Free General Meeting
Saturday, Jan 27
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Via Zoom
Request link from: scottfrombayside@yahoo.com.
Sonoma Developmental Center’s Open Space Lands Transferred to California State Parks
Submitted by California Department of Parks and Recreation
Early in January, 2024, California State Parks announced the transfer of jurisdiction of approximately 650 acres of Sonoma Developmental Center’s (SDC) open space property to State Parks. SDC’s open space area is connected to Jack London State Historic Park (SHP). Sharing a common boundary, watershed, critical wildlife corridor, connecting trails, and view shed, the property is an integral part of the region’s biodiversity and recreational opportunities.
The transfer of SDC lands to State Parks is the largest addition to state park lands in Sonoma County since 2010. These lands will provide a connection from Jack London SHP to Sonoma County Regional Park, maintaining a critical regional wildlife linkage connecting the Marin Coast to Blue Ridge and Lake Berryessa. The property includes high-quality oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forests, coast redwood and riparian forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
“California State Parks looks forward to stewarding this property, working through the planning process with the public, and advancing public outdoor access to more Californians,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “By transferring these open space lands to the State Park System, we are conserving California’s critical biodiversity and helping ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy these protected lands.”
State Parks will operate the open space lands in an interim state until a general plan amendment process is conducted with public input. During this interim state, the public may expect the following:
- Continued and enhanced public access to the lands for recreational purposes. Currently, the land is accessible on the west side. Once additional trail and maintenance signs are installed, the east side will be open to the public.
- Vegetation and wildfire management.
- Trails maintenance and management.
- Installation of informational/interpretive/wayfinding signs and portable restrooms.
- Installation and service of garbage cans.
State Parks will proceed with the transition by developing and initiating public messaging, developing service agreements, and engaging and planning with partners and the community.
A general plan amendment process will be conducted to formally add and incorporate the open space lands into Jack London SHP. This comprehensive public process will involve the following:
- Community and stakeholder engagement.
- Tribal consultation.
- Creation of management units.
- Potential development of recreational facilities.
- Environmental Impact Report.
State Parks will keep the public apprised of public engagement opportunities.
Meals on Wheels Program serving Fremont, Newark, Union City needs volunteers!
Submitted by John Schinkel-Kludjian, SOS Meals on Wheels
SOS Meals on Wheels, the provider of home-delivered senior nutrition in the Tri-City Area, needs more volunteers to keep up with the demand for service. The work is rewarding, fun, and flexible, and meets a pressing need in our community of providing homebound seniors with a nutritious meal and wellness check.
As seniors continue to be the fastest-growing population in Alameda County, the need for Meals on Wheels grows accordingly. We rely on our dedicated volunteer drivers to allow us to take on new clients in need of service.
Each day, volunteers meet at the rear parking lot of the Fremont Hall of Justice where pre-packed coolers with chilled meals are distributed by route. The average route has 10-15 stops, and takes an average of 1-2 hours, with a delivery time of 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Routes can be driven at a frequency of your availability, such as once per week, month, or when otherwise available.
Are you ready to join an amazing community of volunteers who serve our older neighbors? Contact John Schinkel-Kludjian at (510) 244-0165 or John@sosmow.org. For more information visit sosmow.org.
SOS Meals on Wheels is a 501c (3) organization. We foster the independence and dignity of older adults by reducing food insecurity and isolation, with daily nutritious meals, friendly visits, and connection to support services. We serve Fremont, Newark, and Union City, Hayward, San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Oakland.
Ten Hills Trail
By Jack Alcorn
Ten Hills Trail is a short, moderately challenging hike through the picturesque hills of Castro Valley. As part of the the Lake Chabot Regional Park trail system, Ten Hills Trail connects to many other hiking and biking trail options. The trail network provides access to a family campground, the Lake Chabot Marina and Reinhardt Redwood trees.
The trail is commonly used for hiking, walking and running. Dogs are able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The wide dirt path is also popular for mountain bikers. A round trip at a medium gait should take less than 3 hours for most people. The trail is mostly shaded with some creek frontage.
Ten Hills Trail is 1.8 miles from its starting point on Redwood Road in Castro Valley to the shore of Lake Chabot. The trail starts with an aggressive climb for less than a half of a mile. The hard packed track levels out, then gains elevation climbing and descending 10 small peaks.
The trailhead for Ten Hills, located east of central Castro Valley on Redwood Road, has parking and a stall restroom. All levels of hikers can appreciate wildlife and spectacular views of Castro Valley’s undeveloped hilltops and ridges from this free, local outdoor venue.
Veterans Mobile Medical Outreach Team
Submitted by Hector M. Villaseñor
This month the VA Palo Alto Mobile Medical Outreach Team will be returning to Hayward on Thursday, January 11. The event will take place at Hayward Veterans Memorial Hall from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The team will facilitate examinations, consultations, and referrals for veterans who are enrolled in the VA healthcare system.
They will also assist veterans and their spouses, caregivers, family members, and survivors with information about veteran enrollment in the VA healthcare system. Veterans should bring military discharge papers (Form DD-214) and a list of current medications. Those who need to obtain proof-of-service documents prior to the event can find instructions at the Hayward Public Library’s online Veterans Resource Center at bit.ly/hpl-veterans. This program is a collaboration between the VA Palo Alto Mobile Medical Outreach Team, Veterans Connect @ the Library Program, Hayward Public Library and American Legion Post 68-Hayward.
Veterans Mobile Medical Outreach Team
Thursday, Jan 11
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Hayward Veterans Memorial Hall
22737 Main St., Hayward
bit.ly/hpl-veterans
Toyota Prius – Beautifully Green
By Michael Coates
Photos provided by Toyota
When the first Toyota Prius hybrid came to America in 2000, gas prices were $1.58 a gallon. Even though the car with a combination of an electric motor and a gasoline engine set new marks for efficiency in Japan, the stateside reaction was more muted. The environmental community raved about the car, but sales were light. Toyota kept at it and during the decade introduced improved versions (in both looks and efficiency), and as gas prices rose, so did sales of the Prius. It became a star of not just the eco-minded, but anyone concerned about saving money at the gas pump.
Fast forward to the third decade of the 21st century and the Prius is still around. It’s earned its place in automotive history. The hybrid technology is found in most Toyota and Lexus products and spawned competitors around the world. Prius added a plug-in hybrid model along the way for increased efficiency and all-electric driving.
But hold the dry accolades—the latest Prius has something completely new. It’s good-looking! The Prius was always distinctive, part of the badge of good citizenship that came with driving the most efficient car on the market. Those designs, painfully practical and supremely focused on maximum mpg, never seemed to excite enthusiasts of automotive styling. The latest iteration of the Prius changes all that.
Not Just a Pretty Face
The good news is the 2024 Prius, still available as a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, hasn’t sacrificed any of the positive environmental traits as it nears the midpoint of the third decade of its U.S. presence. The hybrid delivers more than 50 mpg in most trims and most driving situations. We drove the plug-in hybrid Prius Prime, which has an even longer EV-only range than its predecessor—up to 44 miles. The car’s safety standing remains top notch, now featuring the third generation of Toyota Safety Sense. Advanced driver assistance tools are either standard or available as options.
The good stuff is still around in the new skin, but underneath that sleek new exterior is some new hardware that adds another first for the Prius—performance. Horsepower is bumped a whopping 100 hp compared to the last generation Prius, and that translates into acceleration that will not leave you wondering whether your freeway merge is really going to happen. The base engine is still a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, but two electric motors add boost without detracting from overall efficiency.
The 13.6-kWh lithium-ion battery is stashed under the back seat so it doesn’t impact storage under the Prius’ traditional hatchback. At 284 pounds, the low placement of the battery adds to the stability of car’s stance and, with its new suspension, leads to a sportier feel of what used to be an economy-first-and-only car.
The Numbers
The new Prius comes in two distinct flavors, each of which have two levels of efficiency. The basic Prius remains one of the most efficient vehicles on the market, and the plug-in Prime that I drove adds the ability to do most daily driving on electricity. The three trim levels further stratify that efficiency. The base SE model offers the best efficiency (600 miles of total range in the Prime compared to 550) while the better-equipped XSE and XSE Premium sacrifice some hybrid mpg and all-electric range (AER) because of larger tires and increased weight from added equipment dropping to 39 miles from the SE’s 44 of AER. Given the variability of range due to temperature, terrain, and driver skill, I would view those five miles as negligible.
The retail price of the SE Prime starts at $33,770, including the destination charge. The XSE Premium tops $40,000, and options can bump that up even more. It’s a reasonable price to pay for a car that now wraps hyper-efficiency in a pleasing exterior.
EARTHTALK
Old-Growth Forest Inventory Shows Promising Results
By Taylor Connelly
Dear EarthTalk: How much “old-growth” forest is left in the U.S. today and what are we doing to protect it? —Paul Belaire, Chico, CA
Scientists have found it tough to settle on a precise definition for old-growth forests. There’s no single formula to determine what is considered an “old” tree, and growth rates among tree species are varied. Some species have ages at which they can be considered “old.” At 80 years, Gambel oaks are considered old-growth, but for bristlecone pines it is 300 years. In general, old-growth forests are areas of land with layers of undisturbed trees and vegetation. Prior to becoming old-growth, trees enter a stage where they are considered “mature.” Mature forest definitions are even broader and have no specific age.
One categorization system that Wilderness Society scientists have proposed is to base a tree’s maturity on its “biomass”—the amount of collected carbon stored in the tree. One of the reasons that old-growth forests are important is that the trunks and branches of old trees store large amounts of carbon and thus are crucial to fighting climate change because they absorb more carbon than they release into the atmosphere. When these trees burn in wildfires, like the ones that have devastated California in recent years, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
In early 2023, the U.S. initiated its first national inventory of mature and old-growth forests. It revealed more than expected, showing that the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management collectively oversee over 50,000 square miles of old-growth forests and 125,000 square miles of mature forests. Most of this land is in the West and together covers an area larger than California. Of all of the U.S. forests, only about six percent are old-growth. Decades of logging, development, drought and wildfire have torn through the forests, heavily decreasing their numbers. Some 32 percent of U.S. forests are considered mature, and it’s equally important to protect these so that they can one day become old-growth forests.
Recent actions by the Biden administration have moved to conserve groves of old-growth trees. The proposal would limit commercial timber harvesting in old-growth forests, while allowing logging in mature forests that are not considered old yet. This proposal is somewhat controversial, as many believe that the government should be thinning out forests to reduce wildfire risks. Earlier this year, the Biden administration also reinstated roadless forests protections in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, one of the last intact temperate rainforests in the world. Indigenous communities there have been protesting destructive logging and development for years, and this achievement is a result of their efforts.
The Tongass Forest is a prime example of the change that can come through community efforts. The best way to help protect old-growth forests is to speak out. With enough public support, government agencies can be persuaded to enact stronger protection policies. Sign petitions, join protests, write letters to your representatives. Every bit of support can help.
ONLINE CONTACTS
- Mature and Old-Growth Forests: Definition, Identification, and Initial Inventory on Lands Managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/mature-and-old-growth-forests-tech.pdf
- US moves to protect old growth forests as climate change threatens their survival
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-moves-protect-growth-forests-climate-change-threatens-105767684
- Tongass roadless protections reinstated: 4 reasons that’s great news
www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/tongass-roadless-protections-reinstated-4-reasons-thats-great-news
EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine.com. To donate, visit https://earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org.
HISTORY MATTERS
By John Grimaldi and David Bruce Smith
January 1 through 15
The First U.S. Election
America was very efficient when it came to shaping a government. On January 7 1789, six years after the finish of the Revolutionary War, Congress committed to a date for the first election; less than a month later, George Washington ascended to the presidency.
“Americans [still] vote for President and Vice President of the United States, they are actually voting for presidential electors, known collectively as the Electoral College. It is these electors, chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive… the United States still uses the Electoral College system, which today gives all American citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote for electors, who in turn vote for the president. The president and vice president are the only elected federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead of by direct popular vote,” according to History.com.
For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize suggests Kathleen Bartoloni- Tuazon’s For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington and the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789.
The Legendary Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp has been the subject of a plethora of books, movies, TV shows-and-even a song by Johnny Cash. He mythicized his gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, transposed himself into a bona fide cowboy-hero, and lived by his revolver until he reached eighty.
According to History.com, “the Earp brothers had long been competing with the Clanton-McClaury ranching families for political and economic control of Tombstone, Arizona, and the surrounding region. On October 26, 1881, the simmering tensions finally boiled over into violence, and Wyatt, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and his close friend, Doc Holliday, killed three men from the Clanton and McLaury clans in a 30-second shoot-out on a Tombstone street near the O.K. Corral. A subsequent hearing found that the Earps and Holliday had been acting in their capacity as law officers and deputies, and they were acquitted of any wrongdoing.”
The Grateful American Book Prize endorses Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend by Casey Tefertiller.
The Connecticut Colony
On January 14, 1639, Hartford, Connecticut endorsed its “Fundamental Orders:
The Dutch discovered the Connecticut River in 1614, but English Puritans from Massachusetts largely accomplished European settlement of the region. During the 1630s, they flocked to the Connecticut valley from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and in 1638 representatives from the three major Puritan settlements in Connecticut met to set up unified government for the new colony…Roger Ludlow, a lawyer, wrote much of the Fundamental Orders, and presented a binding and compact frame of government that put the welfare of the community above that of individuals. It was also the first written constitution in the world to declare the modern idea that ‘the foundation of authority is in the free consent of the people,’” says History.com.
The history of the U.S. Constitution is told in the book The Framers’ Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution by Michael J. Klarman, says the Grateful American Book Prize.
News and notes from around the world
Submitted by The Association of Mature American Citizens
Cheezy delight
If you want extra cheese on your pizza just ask Chefs Benoît Bruel and Fabien Montellanico. You might recall that Chef Bruel set the Guinness record for the greatest variety of pizza pie cheeses in 2020 when he baked a pie adorned with 254 different cheeses but lost it when a rival baker produced a pie with 834 varieties of cheese. Not to be undone, Bruel got back the record recently when he joined with Chef Montellanico to produce a pizza festooned with no less than a thousand and one varieties of cheeses. See the prize winning pizza on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GuinnessWorldRecords/videos/1437248090523420/
Lucky ducks
Who can watch a batch of ducklings and resist the urge to smile? For sure, the officers of the League City, Texas Police Department who came to the rescue of eleven ducklings trapped in a storm drain were grinning when they returned the baby ducks to their Mama Duck. In a Facebook post, the police thanked Mama Duck for assisting the officers by “calling her ducklings back to the opening,” noting that she “quickly gathered them all together, and they all waddled their way back home.” Watch the rescue on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkQCq9B4C0g
The Association of Mature American Citizens is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing membership in Washington, D.C. and in local congressional districts nationwide. More information is available on its website at www.amac.us.
Asparagus
By Pat Kite
If you want to enjoy garden-fresh asparagus, start soon and have patience.
First things first: Purchase asparagus seeds, or better yet, asparagus crowns. (What are asparagus crowns? The roots of one-year-old plants. Where do you get these? Most garden centers.) Seeds can take two to three weeks to emerge. From here, if things go well, you will soon see tiny baby asparagus poking out. Do not reach for the mayo or sauce. For the first year, the youngsters are developing their roots. Second year plants are growing roots. In the third year, you can admire, slice and eat.
When siting your prospective harvest, remember that wherever you plant, that is where asparagus will stay, perhaps for years. You need sensible soil, sun, and a quiet place that does not turn into a bog.
Dig down about 12 inches. Put in a substantial layer of compost. Settle in your crowns/roots about eight inches apart. Cover loosely with good soil and water. Wait. You will see shoots. If the shoots are slimmer than a pencil, more waiting. Wait until the third year to harvest. You can cut from the base. No more waiting. If the asparagus starts looking like ferns, it is too late for harvest.
King Louis of France called asparagus the King of Vegetables. He grew them in his greenhouses. Emperor Augustus of Roman days grew a lot of asparagus. He had ancient runners carry the spears to the Alps where they could be frozen until ready to munch. In ancient China, arriving guests were honored with an asparagus footbath. The goddess of Love, Aphrodite, was in charge of asparagus as a fertility aid.
While we are on the subject, asparagus was banned from girls’ schools in the 1800s. Eating it was supposed to make you think about sex, etc. As you may recall, after you eat asparagus, your pee has a distinct aroma. Victorian women, always alert to cheating husbands, would check their urine for the asparagus aroma. A definite sign of misbehavior.
There are several Asparagus types: Argenteul Early from France, Mary Washington and Purple Passion with early shoots being deep purple. There are several Asparagus recipes on the Internet. Easy-peasy…roast them for a short time and top with Parmesan sprinkles and a few chopped nuts. I have tried this recipe for guests, but I usually eat it all myself.
HAPPY NEWEST YEAR!
The Robot Report
LimX Dynamics shows off its CL-1 humanoid’s stair climbing abilities
By Brianna Wessling
LimX Dynamics Inc. yesterday showed off the latest abilities of its CL-1 humanoid robot in a new video. In the video, CL-1 completed tasks such as climbing stairs and walking down slopes. The robot can also move indoors and outdoors.
The Shenzhen, China-based company said in a blog post that CL-1 was able to do these tasks because it “closed the loop” between real-time perception, gait planning, locomotion control, and hardware and data streams.
During the testing, CL-1 used perception control to adjust its motion proactively, said LimX. This allowed the humanoid to do things like take smooth steps onto a curb, ascend stairs dynamically and fluidly, and walk down a 15-degree slope.
The company’s team tested CL-1 indoors and outdoors, as well as from afternoon to dusk to test its performance in different environmental conditions.
LimX Dynamics said it expects its humanoid robots to eventually be deployed in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) applications. It added that it plans to focus on hazardous scenarios, high-end customer service, automotive manufacturing, and in-home services.
LimX Dynamics designs CL-1 toward general-purpose use
LimX Dynamics explained that it uses advanced motion control, artificial intelligence, and proprietary actuators and hardware to achieve dynamic stair climbing based on real-time perception. The company said its environmental perception technology is a key part of the evolution of its humanoid robots.
CL-1 uses advanced algorithms to achieve full-loop integration of perception, controls, and hardware, according to LimX. It said this allows the robot to break free from the limitation of blind locomotion, and realize real-time interactive motion between the robot and its environment.
LimX noted that it took the cost and efficiency of manufacturing into consideration while designing CL-1. The robot uses its self-developed actuators, which the company asserted provide “exceptional” impact resistance and precise, rapid torque control.
These hardware and software advances lay the groundwork for the robot to be a “general mobile manipulation platform,” said LimX Dynamics. The company said its ambition is for its humanoid and human-centric robot to go anywhere people can go and do anything people can do.
Because it wants its humanoids to be general-purpose robots, LimX said it doesn’t tailor different algorithms for specific functions, forms, application scenarios, or variations on those scenarios. The company has based all of its robots, from its wheeled quadrupeds to its humanoid, are based on a core set of algorithms.
LimX said it focuses on developing motion-control algorithms and using generative AI to unlock the generalization of humanoid robots. The company said CL-1 serves as a platform for it to tackle humanoid technology challenges.
China goes all in on humanoids
It would be difficult to talk about the robotics industry in 2023 without mentioning humanoid robots. Stories about humanoids took up the majority of The Robot Report‘s 10 most popular stories this year, and it has been a major trend in the industry.
In November, Beijing’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees the country’s industrial sector, published a guideline detailing goals for the country’s ambitions to develop humanoid robots. According to the document, China aims to be ready to mass-produce humanoids by 2025.
While LimX Dynamics has worked on bipedal robots before, this is the first time it has released a full humanoid robot. It faces competition from several companies, including Agility Robotics, Figure AI, Sanctuary AI, Unitree Robotics, Apptronik, and more. Most of these companies, however, are focusing on starting with logistics applications, while LimX Dynamics said it hopes to create a general-purpose robot.
About the author
Brianna Wessling is an Associate Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media. She joined WTWH Media in November 2021, and is a recent graduate from the University of Kansas. She can be reached at bwessling@wtwhmedia.com
Social Security Matters
By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor, AMAC Foundation
Ask Rusty – Social Security Disability vs. Spouse Benefits vs. Survivor Benefits (and COLA)
Dear Rusty: I retired from working in June but will not sign up for Social Security until age 70 and, to do that, I plan to draw from my IRA for the next three years. My wife is receiving Social Security disability benefits and will reach her full retirement age in March of next year. I know that my wife simply reaching her full retirement age will not mean an increase to her benefit – except for COLA. What I’m wondering is, can my wife get spousal benefits of any sort based on my Social Security benefits—either before I draw or while I am drawing—apart from her benefits at my death? Her Social Security disability amount is only a fraction of my maximum benefit. Signed: Baffled Husband
Dear Baffled: Looks like you’re confused about your wife’s Social Security disability benefits, retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and survivor benefits. Here’s what you need to know:
When your wife reaches her full retirement age (FRA) next year, her current Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit will automatically convert to become her regular SS retirement benefit at the same amount she was receiving on SSDI (disability). The amount stays the same because your wife’s SSDI amount is based on her FRA entitlement.
Your wife cannot get any spousal benefits from you until you claim your own Social Security retirement benefit. Since you plan to delay claiming until you are 70 several years from now, after your wife’s SSDI converts to become her regular retirement benefit at her FRA next year, she will continue to receive her own SS retirement benefit until you claim. At that point, your wife will get a “spousal boost” added to her own SS retirement benefit. The amount of her spousal boost will be the difference between her FRA entitlement (same as her SSDI amount), and 50% of your FRA entitlement (not half of your age 70 amount—spouse benefits are always calculated using FRA amounts, regardless of when Social Security is actually claimed).
Your wife cannot get a spousal benefit from you until you start your Social Security, but after you claim she will receive her higher spousal benefit (her own SS retirement benefit plus a spousal boost) for the rest of her life, or until you predecease her. If you die first, your wife will get 100% of the amount you were receiving at your death (e.g., your age 70 amount), instead of the smaller amount she was receiving as your spouse while you are both living.
Regarding COLA, after becoming eligible for benefits, everyone gets the annually awarded COLA increase whether they are already collecting SS benefits or not. The next annual COLA increase will be added to your wife’s SSDI at the end of this year and added to her SS retirement amount each year thereafter, and then to her higher amount as your spouse after you claim. And even though you are waiting until age 70 to claim, the annual COLA will still be added to your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) each year, and you will receive that past COLA in your monthly payments after you later claim.
This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Social Security Matters
By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor, AMAC Foundation
Ask Rusty – Will My Friend’s Fiancée be Entitled to a Survivor Benefit?
Dear Rusty: I have a very good friend who has cancer and will begin chemotherapy this week. He is 71 years old and is currently receiving Social Security benefits. He has been living with his fiancée for a little more than two years, but they have been a couple for about 15 years and will be married in the next few weeks. She is 60 years old.
I am naturally concerned about his, and her, future so my questions are:
- What, if anything, should he and his wife do to ensure that she gets his Social Security benefits?
- What benefits will she be entitled to, and how soon will she be able to begin receiving them after his death?
Signed: A Friend with Questions
Dear Friend: You are kind to be concerned about your friend and his fiancée. Here’s what you need to know:
Social Security goes by state rules when it comes to what is often referred to as “common law marriage.” That means that whether your friend’s fiancée will receive any benefits as a surviving spouse in a “common law” relationship depends on whether they live in a state which recognizes common law marriage. Most states do not, but state laws have changed over the years and many states which once recognized such unions as “marriage” no longer do.
Although they may have “been a couple” for 15 years, if your friend and his fiancée have been living together for only two it is likely only the last two years will count for Social Security benefit purposes. So, whether your friend's fiancée will get anything when your friend dies depends on where they live—unless they get married, in which case the rules are different.
In order for a married widow(er) to receive surviving spouse benefits, the couple must have been married for at least nine months. If they marry and your friend lives longer than nine months thereafter, then his wife will be entitled to a surviving spouse benefit from her husband. The amount of his wife’s benefit will be based upon the amount your friend is receiving at his death, adjusted for her age when she claims her surviving spouse benefit.
A surviving spouse can claim benefits from the deceased as early as age 60, but those benefits will be reduced for claiming before full retirement age (FRA). Taken at age 60, the wife’s benefit would be 71.5% of your friend's SS benefit at his death. The wife need not claim the survivor benefit immediately; she could opt to delay claiming in order to get a higher percentage of the husband's amount. Survivor benefits reach their maximum—100% of the deceased's benefit amount—at the recipient’s FRA.
So, if your friend and his fiancée now live in a state which currently recognizes common law marriage (CO, IA, KS, MT, NH, SC, TX, UT, RI, or in the District of Columbia), then your friend’s partner will be considered his “wife” and entitled to survivor benefits as normal (the fiancée would need to prove they cohabitate in a marriage-like relationship to claim benefits).
If they do not live in one of those states, but they get married and the marriage lasts for at least nine months, then the wife will be entitled to normal benefits as a surviving spouse (as described above).
But if the couple do not live in one of the above states which recognize “common law” relationships, or if their soon-to-occur marriage doesn’t last at least nine months, or if they do not get married, I’m afraid your friend's partner will not be entitled to any survivor benefits from your friend.
This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
A new year in the garden
By Daniel O’Donnell
There are many traditions that people observe around the New Year. There is a Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight, while in some Asian countries, long noodles are eaten unbroken on that night. In Austria, Portugal, and Cuba, people eat pork. In Holland and Mexico, round cakes with a small trinket for good luck are served. In the Philippines, doors and windows are kept open at midnight, and in Latin America, water is thrown out a window. One habit that many people practice is reflecting on the past year and looking at what the year ahead may bring. This is observed by people from all walks of life, including gardeners.
The first known record of New Year celebrations dates back to ancient Babylon around 2,000 B.C. where they were held at the time of the spring equinox. Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, and Persia held New Year festivals around the time of the autumn equinox, while ancient Greece did so during the winter solstice. It was not until 46 B.C. that the Romans developed the Julian calendar and recorded New Year’s Day as January 1st. This date for New Year’s is one of the better ones when it comes to thinking about the garden. There is plenty of time to look back at what did and did not work in the garden, assess the garden’s current condition, and start implementing a plan for the future garden. Here is what I observed in 2023 and am planning for in 2024.
Looking back at 2023, the year began with record rainfall and cold temperatures. Heavy spring rains meant many irrigation timers did not have to be turned on until May or even later. However, the spring rains knocked off many fruit tree blossoms, limiting fruit production. Heavy rains allowed for deep soil saturation which helped trees and plants in unirrigated areas, but extended the weed germination timeline everywhere. Although 2023 was one of the warmest years on record, the Bay Area temperatures remained mild well into fall. This limited tomato and other warm weather vegetable and fruit yields, but extended the blooming time of many plants. Many deciduous trees still have not lost all their leaves.
Prices for many items in the U.S. rose in 2023, and plants, gardening materials, and tools were not immune. Keeping and renovating healthy existing plants can be more economical than purchasing new plants. Plant exchanges on Nextdoor are excellent ways to get free plants. Periodically maintaining tools and fixing older ones will greatly extend their lifespans and reduce replacement costs. Starting in 2024, the sale of new gas-powered blowers, mowers, weed trimmers and chainsaws will be banned. Fixing current or purchasing used gas-powered equipment may seem economical, but many tool shops no longer even service them. Switching over to electric garden equipment will pay dividends in limiting greenhouse gasses, reducing noise pollution, and minimizing exposure of the user to harmful fumes.
New Year’s is a great time to figure out not only what you would like from the garden, but what it would take to achieve your goal. Sometimes all a garden needs is a big cleanup. If that is the case, take a few days to trim, remove, and add plants. It is much easier to do when the garden is dormant. Figure out if you have the money or the time this year to accomplish big changes. If so, make it happen. If not, take the time to make the garden easier to maintain for the next year or until you are ready to change it. This includes removing plants, garden furniture, debris, and anything else cluttering up the garden. It is amazing how much this will reduce the work in the garden over the next year and how attractive the garden will look.
Many people prefer to keep the garden simple. Simple and low maintenance is the trend that people are expressing interest in for 2024. A single tree, a few native or drought tolerant and wildlife supportive plants, maybe a rock cluster or two, with some mulched open space will make a pleasant garden that requires little work and can adapt to climate change.
Lawns take a lot of care and resources to keep them lush but offer little habitat or environmental benefits. Taking advantage of Alameda County Water District’s (ACWD) “Lawn Be Gone Rebate Program” is a trend that should continue into 2024. The rebate is based on the square feet of lawn removed. ACWD is currently offering $2/sq. ft of lawn removed and replaced with a water-efficient landscape. They also have an instant rebate for residential customers who purchase an app-based Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller.
Most of the time you will not need to make huge changes to simplify the garden and make it more enjoyable. Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest impact. Start the New Year in the garden as you mean to go on.
Daniel O’Donnell is the co-owner and operator of an organic landscape design/build company in Fremont. www.Chrysalis-Gardens.com
Milpitas City Council
December 5, 2023
Consent Calendar:
- Consider the recommendation from Mayor Montano for appointments to and removals from City Commissions
- Accept the FY 2022-23 Commissioners Annual Report for three (3) commissions and approve three (3) City of Milpitas Commission Work Plans for FY 2023-24
- Accept the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other related annual audited reports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023
- FY 2023-24 1st Quarter Financial Status Report for the quarter ended September 30, 2023
- Review and accept the annual Development Impact Fee Annual Report for the Calaveras Boulevard Widening Traffic Impact Fee, the Transit Area Specific Plan (TASP) Impact Fee, and the Storm Drain Fee for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2023
- Approve a Site Development Permit and PUD Amendment Permit to develop a new one-and-a-half story single-family residence and to deviate from the approved designs, on a vacant 1.1-acre lot located in the R1-H Single-family Residential Zoning District with a Hillside Combining District at 1321 Terra Vista Court
- Approve a Site Development Permit to develop a new two-story, single- family residence with an attached accessory dwelling unit, an in-ground swimming pool, and associated site improvements on a vacant 1.3-acre lot located in the R1-H Single-Family Residential Zoning District with a Hillside Combining District at 490 Vista Ridge Drive
- Adopt Ordinance No. 38.854 amending the zoning code contained in Title XI, Chapter 10, Section 3.03 of the Milpitas Municipal Code to allow a zoning designation change of a certain parcel (APN 022-38-007) within the zoning map
- Receive an update on storm drain system emergency repairs and improvements at Evans Road and Piedmont Creek and determine that the condition continues to constitute an emergency
- Authorize an agreement with Imperial Maintenance Services, Inc. for a five-year term in an amount not-to-exceed $2,486,863.50 to provide janitorial services for city facilities
Carmen Montano (Mayor) Aye
Evelyn Chua (Vice Mayor) Aye
Gary Barbadillo Aye
Hon Lien Aye
Anthony Phan Aye
Milpitas Unified School District
Board of Education
December 12, 2023
7:00 p.m.
Board Organization
- Election of the 2024 Officers of the Board of Education
Minh Ngo; nominated for Board President. Unanimously approved.
Kelly Yip-Chuan; nominated for Vice President. Unanimously approved.
Anu Nakka; nominated for Board Clerk. Unanimously approved.
Consent Items
- Approve field trip requests of December 12, 2023
- Accept Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) alternate retirement system plan monthly activity statements
- Accept County of Santa Clara Treasury Investment report from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023
- Authorize the listed Parent/Booster Organization request to operate at specific school sites
- Approve Cyclone Fence & Iron, Inc.'s Notice of Completion for Curtner, Rose, and Weller Fencing Installation Project
- Approve Purchase Order Report of December 12, 2023
- Approve Pennsulators agreement for installation of blinds at the Innovation Campus
- Approve Kaz & Associates' agreement for environmental service at MHS Performing Arts Center
- Approve the School Facility Consultant’s Additional Service request and new consultant agreement to provide services for state school facility funding program eligibility
- Approve Jahn Plumbing to Infill Sunnyhills Amphitheater
- Approve Purchase of new Blue Bird Bus from A-Z Bus Sales
- Approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Santa Clara County Office of Education for CalHOPE Grant for the 2023-2024 school year
- Approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kango, a youth rideshare for schools, for the 2023-2024 school year
- Approve 2023-24 Learning A-Z Licenses for Raz-Plus ELL
- Approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Outreach Foundation and the Milpitas Unified School District
- Approve Personnel Report of December 12, 2023
Chris Norwood Aye
Kelly Yip-Chuan Aye
Robert Jung Aye
Anu Nakka Aye
Minh Ngo Aye
Milpitas School Board elects new officers
By Jack Alcorn
Photos courtesy of Milpitas Unified School District
Each December the Milpitas Board of Education holds a special organization meeting. The Board Trustees elect officers for the following year; approve Trustee representation on internal and external committees for 2024; and schedule the Board’s regular meetings for the 2024 calendar year.
At the special organization meeting, conducted by Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) Superintendent Cheryl Jordan, Tuesday, December 12, the MUSD Board of Education held elections for 2024 officers. Minh Ngo was elected President, Kelly Yip-Chuan was voted in as Vice President, and Anu Nakka was elected to serve as Board Clerk.
Ngo has served on the school board since 2020. He is replacing Trustee Chris Norwood who served as President this past year.
New Vice President Yip-Chuan, served as Board President in 2022 and Board Clerk this past year. She was first elected to the school board in 2018, and re-elected in 2022.
“It’s been truly amazing what we’ve accomplished in this past year and we’ll continue to accomplish as a complete governance team,” said new Board President Ngo.
San Leandro City Council
January 2, 2023
7:00 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Authorize the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Leandro to adopt a Recognized Obligations Payment Schedule (ROPS) and Administrative Budget for the Period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
- Approve the appointment of Retired Annuitant Kevin Hart as Interim Police Chief
- Approve an appropriation of $1,284,140 from 2023 Unspent Funds Balance to Fund the Climatec Phase III Project
- Nominate the following Representatives to Boards and Commissions: Jessica Bustos and Sidney Davis to the Recreation and Parks Commission; and Rosemary Picado to the Senior Commission
- Nominate Nicholas Foster as San Leandro’s Community Representative to the Oakland Airport/Community Noise Management Forum for a 3-Year Term Commencing January 2, 2024, and Ending December 31, 2027. Passed 4-2 (Aguilar, Nay; Simon, Nay)
Mayor Juan Gonzalez Aye
Victor Aguilar Nay; Nay
Bryan Azevedo Aye
Pete Ballew Aye
Xouhoa Bowen Aye
Fred Simon Aye; Nay
Alameda County Fire Log
Submitted By ACFD
Thursday, December 28
- On December 28, 2023, at 8:09 p.m., the Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was called to the 1500 block of Thrush Avenue in San Leandro. When crews arrived, they saw light smoke coming from the home. Once inside, crews worked to extinguish the fire raging in the back bedroom and rescued an elderly patient who suffered critical burns. The person was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
In all, two people have been displaced along with two dogs, and the Red Cross was called in to assist. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Saturday, December 30
- As stormy weather made its way through the region this week, ACFD Crew 8 stepped up to assist the community members of Castro Valley. Taking advantage of a break in the storms, the dedicated crew took on the task of filling sandbags to help prepare the local community for potential flood-related emergencies.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Log
Submitted By ACSO
Saturday, December 30
- Deputies assigned to our Eden Township Substation located a white 2005 Mercedes CLK320 with a felony warrant for evading out of CHP Hayward. Deputies followed the vehicle until CHP helicopter H-30 arrived overhead. Deputies attempted a traffic stop on the car, but the driver fled. H-30 continued to track the vehicle, following it to Oakland. The Mercedes began circling the area of 35th Avenue, and eventually pulled to the curb about two blocks away. Units responded to the area, and the driver was standing outside of the vehicle with his hands up surrendering. The driver said he surrendered because the car malfunctioned, and he could not continue. A record check revealed the suspect had three outstanding felony warrants. Next stop, Santa Rita Jail.
Sunday, December 31
- Just after 7:00 p.m. deputies were detailed to shots fired in the 1900 block of Via Sarita in San Lorenzo after a bullet pierced a resident’s front window. The suspects had tried unsuccessfully to steal the victim’s vehicle from the driveway before the front passenger fired a handgun and struck the front window of the residence. The suspects had no contact with the residents, who were unharmed.
Monday, January 1
- Deputies responded to the 20000 block of Angus Way for another attempted vehicle theft with shots fired at a resident who exited his home to check on his vehicle. The victim encountered a masked, unknown race suspect, who fired several rounds at him from a handgun and then fled southbound on Angus Way in a dark-colored sedan. The suspect fired several more shots a short distance away as they fled. Fortunately, the victim was unharmed during this incident as well.
Deputies canvassed the area and checked local hospitals for other potential victims. We are happy to report that none were located.
Tuesday, January 2
- The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is investigating multiple attempted vehicle thefts perpetrated over the past couple of days by armed, masked suspects in San Lorenzo and Cherryland.
Because of the similarities in these incidents, they are possibly related. Our Gang Suppression Unit is investigating these cases and asks that anyone with information regarding these senseless acts to contact the Alameda County Sheriff's Office at (510) 667-7721. You may also provide information via our Anonymous Tip Line at (510) 667-3622 or by leaving a message on our website at https://www.alamedacountysheriff.org/community/anonymous-tip
BART train derails and catches fire
By Jack Alcorn
Photo Source: Abc7news.com
On the first day of 2024 a BART train derailed and caught fire between the Orinda and Lafayette stations. The accident forced passengers to evacuate the train. At least nine people were hurt in the January 1 incident. All of the injured were taken to area hospitals. None of the injuries were reported as severe.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. New Year’s Day on BART’s Yellow line. An eastbound train partially derailed just outside the Orinda station. Two cars caught fire following the derailment.
The escalating fire under the derailed section of the train forced passengers to jump out of one end of the train and run along the trackway away from fire.
According to BART the derailment happened at an interlocking, a section of track where trains typically transfer from one set of rails to another.
Shortly before the derailment, BART said its Operations Control Center instructed the train operator to manually align the route at the interlocking. A signaling issue had prevented the computer from facilitating the track change. The operator was manually directing the train to a different track when it derailed.
The two BART train cars that left the track and caught fire during the commuter train failure were successfully put back onto the tracks by a crane later that morning. The damaged cars were reattached to the cars that did not derail and the train was towed away from its location on the eastbound tracks near the Orinda station.
The Orinda and Lafayette stations were closed after the derailment and there was no train service between the Rockridge and Walnut Creek stations, BART said.
The incident caused major delays on the Yellow Line for both of the line’s Antioch and San Francisco International Airport directions. Yellow line riders were advised to take alternative transportation. Free bus service to BART station stops between the Walnut Creek and Rockridge stations was provided by AC Transit.
Highway 24 between Wilder Road and St. Stephens Drive was closed to traffic in the left two eastbound lanes while the train cars were repositioned. All lanes of the busy Highway 24 had been reopened by 11 a.m.
Track repairs and safety inspections were conducted overnight. Regular BART service returned to the popular East Bay route less than a day after the derailment and fire.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
BART Police Log
Submitted By BART PD
Monday, January 1
- At 12:36 p.m. a man identified by officers as Jose Tapia, 37, from Hayward was contacted on the platform of Bay Fair station. Tapia was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail for public intoxication.
- At 9:10 p.m. a man identified by officers at Bay Fair station as Keith Montgomery, 29, from San Leandro was detained for fare evading out of the station to exit. Montgomery was arrested for obstructing a public officer and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Tuesday, January 2
- At 6:01 p.m. a man identified by officers as Demetrius Young, 37, from Vallejo was arrested at Bay Fair station. Young was booked into Santa Rita Jail for an outstanding warrant.
- At 10:02 p.m. a woman identified by officers as Willicia Davies, 48, from Vallejo was arrested at Bay Fair station for attempted robbery and possession of a controlled substance. Davies was booked into Santa Rita Jail. She was issued a BART prohibition order for this incident.
Wednesday, January 3
- At 9:56 a.m. a woman identified by officers as Kristen Foreman, 41, from San Francisco was located on a train at Fremont station and arrested for public intoxication and an active warrant. Foreman did not have proof of payment and was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
- At 7:04 p.m., while conducting a security check of Bay Fair station platform, a sergeant observed a man in possession of suspected narcotics. He was identified by officers as Tyler Huntley, 33, from San Clemente. Huntley was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and several outstanding warrants. Huntley was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
CHP Log
Submitted By California Highway Patrol
Monday, January 1
- Sergeant Lehr stopped a driver of a white Dodge Charger for speeding on I-880 near Auto Mall Parkway. Officer Mangalathil and his Field Training Officer, Officer Cristalinas responded to the traffic stop to evaluate the driver for DUI. Officer Mangalathil arrested the driver for DUI and conducted an inventory of the Dodge after the passengers were detained. He located a Glock 17 and loaded Glock magazine in the glove box, as well as a second loaded Glock magazine behind the rear passenger seat. Sergeant Lehr assisted in the vehicle inventory and located brass knuckles inside the Dodge.
The driver was transported and booked into Santa Rita County Jail for DUI, concealed carry charges and possession of brass knuckles.
CHP Volunteer Opportunity for Hayward Seniors
Submitted By California Highway Patrol Hayward Area Office
Our CHP Hayward Senior Volunteers help enhance our operational efficiency and public service. Senior Volunteers Bob and Bud placed a radar trailer on D Street in Fairview in order to slow down vehicles. We are grateful for our group of Senior Volunteers because they contribute to our community by supporting public safety, service and security.
If you are interested in becoming a Senior Volunteer, you must:
-Be age 55 or older
-Be able to work at least 4 hours a week during regular business hours
-Have a clean driving record and no felony convictions
-Be able to pass a background check, including at least two interviews, fingerprinting, and review by the Department of Justice and FBI
-Complete the CHP Senior Volunteer Training Program
-Sign a statement of Professionalism Ethics
If you are interested in joining the CHP Senior Volunteer Program, please contact our local office.
CHP Hayward Area Office
2434 Whipple Rd., Hayward
(510) 489-1500
Newark Police Log
Submitted By Newark PD
Tuesday, December 19
- At 12:44 p.m. Officer C. Torres located a stolen vehicle in the area of Cedar Boulevard and Newark Boulevard. Officers contacted the driver, a 50-year-old male out of Oakland, as he was walking away from the vehicle. A high-risk stop was conducted, and he was taken into custody for two felony warrants and possession of the stolen vehicle.
Officers contacted his associate, a 36-year-old male out of Hayward, who was also found to have a warrant for his arrest and was active to searchable probation for auto theft. During a probation search, a 50-year-old female out of Hayward was contacted and found to be in possession of a controlled substance for sales, transporting a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. All three were arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Wednesday, December 20
- 7:30 a.m.: Officer McCuin was dispatched to a report of suspicious persons looking into a building in the 37300 block of Cedar Boulevard. He contacted a 27-year-old male out of Hayward and arrested him for a felony warrant. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
- 12:28 p.m.: Officer McCuin investigated a commercial burglary from the 5640 block of Thornton Avenue. Three suspects were captured on CCTV footage entering a business and using bolt cutters to gain access to a locked cabinet. Loss was tools.
- 8:42 p.m.: Officer S. Torres located a stolen vehicle in the area of Mowry Avenue and arrested a 15-year-old juvenile for possession of the stolen vehicle.
Thursday, December 21
- 1:42 p.m.: A citizen received a motion notification from his Ring camera. Upon reviewing the video, he observed someone take a package off his porch. He immediately responded home, and saw the suspect walking in the area that matched the description of the subject on video. He followed the subject and called the police. Officer Williams located the subject and detained him. Officer Lara conducted the investigation, and accepted a private person arrest for petty theft. The suspect, a 31-year-old male out of Fremont, was arrested for petty theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Monday, December 25
- 1:00 a.m.: Officer Riddles investigated a collision in the 35700 block of Newark Boulevard where a vehicle collided into a parked vehicle. Upon arrival, officers discovered the driver, a 27-year-old male out of Newark, collided with four parked vehicles. He was determined to be driving under the influence and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
- 3:40 a.m.: Officer C. Torres arrested a 19-year-old male out of Newark for being drunk in public and resisting arrest. He was transported and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
- 7:39 a.m.: Officer McCuin arrested a heavily intoxicated 41-year-old female out of Newark after she struck her 21-year-old son on the top of his head with a chef’s knife causing injury. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail for assault with a deadly weapon.
Tuesday, December 26
- 10:49 a.m.: Officer Williams investigated the theft of a catalytic converter from a parking lot on Newpark Mall Road. The theft occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 1:45 a.m. the night prior.
Wednesday, December 27
- 9:35 a.m.: Officer Medina investigated a strong-armed robbery in the area of Mayhews Landing Road. The victim was walking to their front door, when confronted by a suspect who took their cell phone, bag, and cash.
Thursday, December 28
- 2:25 p.m.: Officer Lara was dispatched to a report of a suspected stolen vehicle in a parking lot off Mowry Avenue. He located a suspect, a 40-year- old male out of Newark, in the area. The suspect was transported and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
- 5:14 p.m.: Officer C. Torres investigated a robbery from a business on Thornton Avenue. While in the process of shoplifting, the suspect brandished a hatchet at an employee. The employee was not injured, and the suspects fled the scene.
Friday, December 29
- 7:32 a.m.: Alert citizens reported a suspicious person riding around on a bicycle looking into vehicles in the area of Joaquin Murrieta. Officers arrived on scene and contacted a subject matching the given description. A 39-year-old male, was arrested for felony warrants, possession of identification and credit cards in the name of others, drugs and drug paraphernalia. Officer Orozco arrested and booked him into Santa Rita Jail.
Saturday, December 30
- 8:37 p.m.: Community cameras alerted officers to a stolen vehicle entering the city. Officer Riddles checked the area of Walnut Avenue where she previously recovered an unoccupied stolen vehicle Thursday night. Officer Riddles located the stolen vehicle with two subjects standing outside of it. One suspect immediately fled on foot and then the second suspect, a 34-year-old male out of Newark, fled on foot. Officer Riddles gave chase and caught him after a brief foot pursuit. He was arrested for a variety of charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, and probation violation. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Charges announced for the Murder of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le
Submitted by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has announced charges against three men accused of the December 29, 2023 shooting death of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le. The prosecution charged 27-year-old Mark Demetrious Sanders with murder, including special circumstances allegations that could result in a possible sentence of life without the possibility of parole if convicted of all charges and allegations.
A second defendant, 28-year-old Allen Starr Brown was also charged with murder. The third defendant, 28-year-old Sebron Ray Russell was charged with burglary. All three defendants face multiple charges in addition to these serious allegations. The DA’s office believes the evidence will show that Officer Tuan Le was shot to death while responding to a commercial burglary in the area of Embarcadero and 5th Avenue.
District Attorney Pamela Price released this statement: “Today I spoke with the family of Tuan Le. I offered my sincere condolences as they continue to grieve the tragic loss of their loved one. I informed the family of the charges against the men accused of murdering Tuan Le, and I assured them that my office will do everything within the confines of our legal power to make sure the man accused of shooting Tuan Le will serve the rest of his life in prison. We join law enforcement and people across the region in expressing our heartbreak and outrage over this horrific crime. My office will continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads to hold these men accountable for their outrageous behavior. Speaking as the elected District Attorney of Alameda County, I will leverage the full weight of my office against these people who we believe ruthlessly and wantonly murdered an officer who gave his life to protect our community against those who would do harm to all of us.”
Castro Valley Boys Basketball Wins League Opener
By Andrew Joseph
The Castro Valley Trojans boys basketball team won 71-62 on the road against the San Leandro Pirates on Wednesday, January 3 in their first Western Alameda County Conference (WACC) Foothill League game of the season.
“The focus for us coming into today was we just wanted to execute,” said Trojans Head Coach Terrell Carriere. “The goal was to set the tone defensively and let our offense knock down shots.”
Three-year varsity point guard Ekam Sandhu led Castro Valley with 29 points and three assists. Trojans senior Dominic Chatman added 10 points for the Trojans. Darren Stamps led San Leandro with 12 points. Castro Valley wins their fifth game out of the past seven, advancing to 7-6 overall and undefeated at 1-0 in the WACC Foothill league currently in third place behind the one seed defending league champion Berkeley High who is 11-3 overall and two seed Bishop O’Dowd who is 7-5 overall. San Leandro falls to 2-10 overall this season and 0-1 in WACC league play.
“I feel like we’re a better team than San Leandro and we know this is a game we should definitely win,” said Sandhu.
Castro Valley had the lead to begin the game going on a 13-5 run to start the first quarter, but ended that quarter down 16-14. Much of the second quarter was dominated by San Leandro’s size and transition offense that helped them get out to a sizeable lead. The Trojans found themselves trailing after committing turnovers and missing open shots. The score was 35-28 at halftime and Castro Valley regrouped during the intermission with a visibly different focus in the second half.
“I talked to my staff at halftime and we said ‘this game is only halfway done,’” said coach Carriere. “We played the third quarter like it was the first quarter and really picked it up in the second half.”
In the third quarter the Trojans came out aggressive forcing steals that led to transition offense and also making their three-point shots. Castro Valley regained the lead at 46-44 with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter. A late three pointer by Sandhu equaled the Trojans largest lead of the game at 10 points with 2 minutes remaining in regulation to put the game away. The Pirates costly turnovers late in the game in addition to missed shot opportunities was the main reason for their ninth consecutive loss this season.
“Our motivation right now is to do really well this season after missing the playoffs last year,” said Chatman. “We want to change things around and start winning again.”
Castro Valley has had a recent history of winning in historic fashion when Juan Toscano-Anderson, NBA star, played for the Trojans from 2007-2011. During Toscano-Anderson’s senior year they were ranked 6th in California and 32nd in the nation. He led Castro Valley to a school record 30-2 winning season and won its first league and NCS titles, also advancing to the Northern California Division 1 title game. He later went on to win an NBA championship as a local fan favorite with the 2021-2022 Golden State Warriors team, and is currently playing on a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings.
“We want to continue on Toscano-Anderson’s legacy he made at our school because he basically put our school on the map,” added Chatman.
The program today at Castro Valley hopes to return to those historic years of the past knowing it can be done at the highest level at their school seeing the success of players like Toscano-Anderson. “We know if we pick things up feeling motivated and giving it 110% in practice we can make the playoffs this season and even go to the NCS title game,” added Sandhu.
Castro Valley plays their next game Tuesday, January 9 at home against Bishop O’Dowd in another league game. The Pirates next game is Wednesday, January 10 at Berkeley High in another league matchup.
Bryan Rooney named NCAA D2 Coach of the Week
Submitted by CSUEB Athletic Communications
Cal State East Bay men’s basketball head coach, Bryan Rooney, has been named Week 8 HoopDirt.com NCAA D2 Coach of the Week, presented by Just Play Solutions.
Rooney led the Pioneers to a 77-68 victory over San Francisco State in their only game of the last week of December, which was the team’s seventh consecutive win. The Pioneers currently sit alone atop the CCAA standings with a 5-0 record in conference and 9-2 overall. All five conference wins thus far this season were on the road, including a win at then No. 4 Cal State San Bernardino on December 7.
All coaches earning the weekly honor from HoopDirt.com are automatically eligible for consideration to receive the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year presented by Just Play Solutions, which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season.
Inaugural Futsal Playdate
Submitted by Deputy Sheriff’s Activities League
Sheriffs FC welcomes you and your teams to Futsal games in a 1-day Playdate at the Sunset Futsal Courts in Hayward.
Every effort will be made to accommodate scheduling requests and ensure that teams play opponents with similar playing level. The games will be held in a 5 v 5 format with four games guarantee.
While scores will be posted, the emphasis should remain on learning and advancing both the player and the team with the game of Futsal (with some players/teams experiencing Futsal for the first time).
Parents and coaches are encouraged to be supportive of their players, respectful to their opponents and game officials, and show the highest level of sportsmanship throughout the day. The development of the individual player and team should always come first and foremost in the eyes of the coaches and parents.
January 13, 2024 – U11/U10 2013/2014
January 14, 2024 – U09 2015
January 15, 2024 – U8 2016
Sheriff’s FC Futsal One-Day Playdate
Saturday, Jan 13 – Monday, Jan 15
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunset Futsal Courts
300 Laurel Ave., Hayward
Team registrations: $250
Moreau Catholic Athletics Crab Feed
Submitted by Moreau Catholic Athletics
Every January, the Department of Athletics and the Booster Club organize and host its annual Crab Feed Dinner and Auction. This event raises valuable funds in support of our athletics programs and the more than 400 students who participate in athletics each year.
Ready your crab crackers, butter-melters and bibs, and get out your calendars.
Purchase a Golden Raffle ticket and have the chance to win a trip. Picture yourself in paradise! Buy a ticket yourself and share the link with friends and family. Tickets are only $50. WIN BIG! No need to be present to win and you do not have to attend the school to win.
Some of this year’s Live Auction include:
- Pick your Paradise
- 12 VIP Graduation Tickets
We hope to see you at this great party in support of the Moreau Catholic Booster Club, which supports our student-athletes as well as other co-curricular programs. This event is exclusively for guests aged 21 and over. Registration closes Sunday, January 21.
Moreau Catholic Crab Feed
Saturday, Jan 27
5 p.m.
Moreau Catholic High School
Main Gymnasium
Tickets: $85, Raffle Tickets: $50
Pioneer Men's Basketball Winning Streak Ends on Saturday
Submitted by CSUEB Athletics Communications
Cal State East Bay men's basketball hosted No. 20 Chico State at Pioneer Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The Wildcats defeated the Pioneers, 75-66 ending Cal State East Bay’s winning streak at eight games.
Chico State started the game on a 22-8 run capped by a Trae Taylor free throw with 12:00 left in the half. The 14-point lead was the largest of the ballgame for the Wildcats. The Pioneers would chip away at the lead, using a 23-16 half-ending run, capped by a Kevin Ebiriekwe driving layup with 48 seconds left in the half, to trim the Wildcats’ lead to 38-31 at halftime.
In the second half, the Wildcats would hold the Pioneers at arms’ length. The Pioneers started the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a Daeshawn Eaton layup with 18:12 left, to trim the Wildcats’ lead to one at 38-37. Cal State East Bay did not get any closer than one points, as Wildcats pulled away and won 75-66.
- Grady Lewis scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Pioneers going 11-for-12 from the floor. He also led the Pioneers in rebounds with nine on Saturday.
- Also scoring in double figures for CSUEB were Eaton with 18 and Dimitrios Klonaras with 10.
- Defensively, Eaton had two blocks and two steals.
- Caden Harris finished with 20 points for the Wildcats.
- The Pioneers shot 42.4 percent from the floor while Chico State shot 45.9 percent in field goals.
- The Wildcats had a 50-38 rebounding edge in the game
Cal State East Bay head coach Bryan Rooney following Saturday’s loss to Chico State:
“Credit to Chico State, they deserved to win tonight. While the result was disappointing, I am confident our group will respond in the right way. We have two huge games coming up and need a determined week of practice.”
(RV) Cal State East Bay: 10-3, 6-1 CCAA
No. 20 Chico State: 10-2, 5-2 CCAA
The Pioneers continue their homestand next Thursday, January 11 when they host Cal State LA. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Pioneer Gymnasium.
Pioneers Split Double Dual Meet on Friday
Submitted by CSUEB Athletic Communications
At Aztec Aquaplex on Friday, January 5, No. 18 Cal State East Bay women's swimming competed in a double dual meet against San Diego State and Concordia University Irvine. In their first meet in 2024, the Pioneers lost to SDSU, 132-118 in team scoring, but defeated the Golden Eagles, 157-105.
There was one first place finish individually and the meet was capped off with a relay win.
- Tehani Kong won the 100-yard butterfly in 58.19 seconds.
- The final event of the day was the 400 yard freestyle relay, which the team of Delaney Carlson, Olivia Parham, Emilie Giannini and Kong won in 3:38.88.
Additional highlights in the pool on Friday for the Pioneers included:
- A pair second place finishes by Brooklyn Dressel, including the 200 yard freestyle (1:57.13) and the 100 yard freestyle (52.97).
- A second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke by Hannah Sharp in 59.35 seconds.
- A finish of 5:21.41 by Giannini in the 500-yard freestyle.
- Emma Wettlaufer placing second in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:17.16.
The Pioneers have a pair of home meets next week at Pioneer Pool. On Friday, January 12, Cal State East Bay hosts a double dual meet with San Jose State and Simon Fraser set for 1 p.m. The next day, Saturday January 13, the final home meet of the season is set to start at 10 a.m. when the Pioneers host UC Santa Cruz, Simon Fraser and Southwestern Oregon Community College. Prior to Saturday’s meet, Cal State East Bay will have a Senior Day Ceremony.
7th Annual Season Announcement Soiree and Fammy Awards
Submitted by Plethos
Ring in the new season of Plethos on January 13 with a party, performances, raffles, exclusive discounts and delicious drinks and dinner at JP’s Restaurant in Castro Valley!
Be the first to find out all the shows, auditions and events coming in our 2024 season. Plus, get a sneak peek performances from the new season and be there for the announcement of the illustrious Fammy Award winners. It’s a festive, formal event so dress up and get ready for a fabulous evening!
Plethos Season Announcement Soiree and Fammy Awards
Saturday Jan 13
7 p.m.
JP’s Family Restaurant & Sports Lounge
3600 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley
Tickets: $20
Letter to the Editor
Authors Needed – 2024 Animal Welfare Legislation
The California State Legislature reconvened on January 3. Deadline for introduction of new bills is February 16. The following five need an author:
- Ban importation of live, non-native bullfrogs and turtles for human consumption. All are diseased and/or parasitized, endangering public health and the environment;
- Amend state rodeo law, Penal Code 596.7, so as to require ON-SITE veterinarians at all rodeos; racetracks and horse shows require on-site vets; so should all rodeos;
- Ban tie-down calf roping, allowing “breakaway” roping only;
- Ban the Mexican rodeo's brutal “steer tailing” event; outlawed in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (1993);
- Ban the rodeo’s non-sanctioned “wild cow milking contest,” children's “mutton busting” event, and all animal “scrambles” (recently banned in Alameda County).
All legislators may be written c/o The State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814.
EMAIL PATTERN FOR ALL: senator.lastname@senate.ca.gov; assemblymember.lastname@assembly.ca.gov
Let your representatives hear from you! Now’s the time.
Sincerely,
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Toy Giveaway
The belief that every young person should wear a smile during the Christmas season isn’t just a cliché to me, it’s a ministry. That is why I bring my family to the corner of Huntwood and Tennyson Avenue in Hayward every year to pass out toys in the community that I grew up in. As the Head Coach at Irvington High School, and a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, I’m committed to making sure young people in my area know somebody has their back.
Anthony Jackson
Hayward
Alameda County Fire Department welcomes new firefighters
Submitted By ACFD
The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) is pleased to announce the arrival of twelve new Lateral Firefighters, who started Thursday, December 28, 2023. This is ACFD’s first-ever Lateral Firefighter Academy and will be the first of two ACFD academies held in 2024. The Lateral Firefighters will complete an intense eight-week academy, where they will enhance their skills and learn ACFD fire tactics and culture.
Please join us as we welcome our newest members to ACFD.
Bryan Matthews named Hayward’s 16th Chief of Police
Submitted by City of Hayward
Bryan Matthews, a career Hayward police officer, has been appointed Hayward Chief of Police and has taken command of a department he had led in a temporary and acting capacity since September 2022. Matthews, whose appointment was effective Wednesday, January 3, succeeds Chief Toney Chaplin, who announced last month his intention to retire and bring to a close a 33-year career in policing. Chaplin joined the Hayward Police Department as Chief on September 3, 2019. He had been on work-related injury leave.
“I am thrilled to be able to promote Bryan Matthews to a leadership position for which he has worked so hard to prepare himself. Bryan grew up in Hayward and the surrounding areas and brings a deep sense of personal commitment to this new role of Chief after serving the department and city for many years,” Hayward City Manager Kelly McAdoo said. “On behalf of the city and the Hayward community, I also want to express our gratitude to Chief Chaplin for his service and sharing with our department and organization his wealth of professional law enforcement experience,” City Manager McAdoo added.
Chief Matthews, whose appointment will be celebrated at a public swearing-in ceremony later this month, takes permanent charge of a department with 197 sworn police officer and 136 non-sworn professional staff positions. “I am truly humbled and honored to serve as Hayward’s next Chief of Police,” Chief Matthews said. “I appreciate the trust City Manager McAdoo has in me and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to give back to the community that, in many ways, raised me.”
Chief Matthews began his law enforcement career in 1999 and has served his hometown, the City of Hayward, for 24 consecutive years. Over the course of his service, he worked a variety of assignments, including Patrol, Training, Gang Investigations, SWAT, Community Policing, Internal Affairs, Emergency Preparedness and as the department’s liaison with the community for policy innovation and alternative response models.
Chief Matthews earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Hayward, now California State University, East Bay, and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Columbia Southern University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the California POST Command College, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.
Powerful Pacific swell brings threat of more dangerous surf to California
By Marcio Sanchez and John Antczak, Associated Press
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Bulldozers built giant sand berms New Year’s Eve to protect beachfront homes in one of California`s coastal cities hit hard the first week of the new year by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms.
Dozens of people watched construction of the emergency barriers in the Pierpont area of the city of Ventura, where a rogue wave on Thursday December 28 smacked spectators and vehicles as it overran the beach and flowed into a neighborhood.
“We have had water down the lane once before but never like this,” said Karris Kutivan, a 9-year resident of the scenic shoreline city about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
“What it has taught me is I want to live by the beach, not on the beach,” Kutivan said.
Eight people were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries after the Pierpont incident, according to Ventura County authorities, who closed beaches, piers and harbors through Dec. 31.
Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere that week on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.
The ocean was less violent Friday December 29 but the National Weather Service warned that another round of extremely dangerous surf conditions would return Saturday December 30.
The Los Angeles-area weather office wrote that powerful cyclones over northern Pacific waters were sending 12- to 17-foot swells, creating “tremendous wave energy across coastal waters.”
At some points along California, breaking waves were predicted to reach 25 feet. Astronomical high tides were adding to a significant risk of more coastal flooding, forecasters said.
“Overall, this is expected to be an exceptional high-surf and coastal flooding event that has not occurred in many years,” the weather service wrote. “Take caution and heed the direction of local authorities and lifeguards. Never ever turn your back to the water as damaging and life-threatening sneaker waves are likely to occur.”
In Hawaii, which also was slammed by the huge swells this week, the weather service downgraded a high surf warning to an advisory. Large breaking waves of 18 to 22 feet along some north-facing shores and strong currents will make swimming dangerous, the weather service said.
Sloths have a superpower
Submitted by Interesting Facts
Photo credit Rob Jansen/iStock
Sloths are masters of living life in the slow lane. These tree-hugging mammals, split into two-toed and three-toed varieties, travel only about 125 feet a day – so slowly that moss and algae grow on their fur. This lethargic lifestyle is actually a survival strategy suitable for their slow metabolisms and low-calorie diets, which are mostly based on tree leaves. In fact, three-toed sloths have the slowest metabolism of any mammal (followed closely by pandas and two-toed sloths).
Their sluggish metabolism, as well as their ability to slow their heart to one-third its normal rate, give sloths an unexpected superpower – they can hold their breath for an impressively long time. With estimates suggesting that some two-toed sloths can hold their breath for upwards of 40 minutes, this makes sloths better at conserving oxygen than even some marine mammals such as dolphins, who can only hold their breath for 15 minutes, maximum. The sloth breathing technique, aided by the design of their lungs, helps make sloths excellent swimmers. So, while their leisurely lifestyle may seem a bit lazy to the untrained eye, don’t blame the sloth – they’re just built that way.
‘You are the father!’ Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan
By Amy Beth Hanson
Initially unsure of which orangutan was the father of a new baby primate, the Denver Zoo decided to have a little fun with the results and turned to the paternity announcement guru himself: former daytime talk show host Maury Povich.
Just as he would do on his long-running show, Povich pulled the purported DNA results for 4-month-old Siska out of an envelope and declared: “Berani. You are the father!”
The zoo posted the video on social media this week.
Siska, a female who was born on Aug. 27, is the first baby for Eirina, a 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan, who came to the Denver Zoo from Germany’s Dortmund Zoo in 2016.
Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a rapidly declining wild population due to habitat loss, illegal hunting and the black-market pet trade, the zoo said in announcing Siska’s birth.
Siska’s father remained a mystery because the zoo’s animal care team had to wait a few months before Eirina was comfortable allowing them to get close enough to get a hair sample from Siska to compare her DNA against 30-year-old Berani and 16-year-old Jaya.
“When I heard we received the results, the first thing that popped into my mind was, ‘Berani, you ARE the father!’” Jake Kubié, the zoo’s director of communications, said in a late December email.
“That led me to do a little light online stalking to track down (Povich’s) former executive producer, who was kind enough to connect me with his executive assistant,’ Kubié said.
Kubié emailed the assistant, asking if it might be possible to have “Maury reveal the paternity results as only he can.”
”Everyone was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic about the idea, and I can’t express enough gratitude to Maury for dedicating a bit of his time and energy to supporting Denver Zoo — especially on such a big day for him personally,” Kubié said.
Povich, 84, taped his announcement Saturday before attending the Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles where he received a Lifetime Achievement Honor presented by his wife, journalist Connie Chung.
“As much as I’d like to think he dressed in a tux for our announcement, it was actually for his big moment at the Emmys,” Kubié said.
Continuing Events:
Tuesdays
East Bay Games Meet
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
German/Euro style board games and card games.
Swiss Park
5911 Mowry Ave., Newark
(510) 936-2523
meetup.com/east-bay-games
Tuesdays, September 19 – May 28
It's Storytime
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Stories, finger plays, nursery rhymes, songs, and musical instruments.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
aclibrary.org/locations/FRM/
For kids ages 18 month- 6 yrs.
Tuesdays, January 2 – April 30
Bilingual Family Storytime / 中英雙語故事時間
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Features movement, singing, and action!
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
For babies, preschoolers, and toddlers.
Tuesdays, January 9 – March 26
Music and Storytime
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Stories, music, and movement!
Cherryland Community Center
278 Hampton Road, Hayward
(510) 626-8522
aclibrary.org/locations/CHY/
sanlorenzo@aclibrary.org
For babies, toddlers, preschoolers.
Wednesdays
Tropics Bingo
7:00 pm
Flash games
Tropics Mobile Home Park
33000 Almaden Blvd., Union City
(510) 471-8550
the-tropics.net/activites
Wednesdays
Ping Pong
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Activities for people with Parkinson
Age Well Center at South Fremont
47111 Mission Falls Ct., Fremont
(510) 742-7529
issuu.com/hsdept
Wednesdays, January 10 – June 26
Online Spanish Conversation Circle R
9:00 am – 10:00 am
A volunteer guided conversation.
Online Events
EdServices@hayward-ca.gov
(510) 583-8557. Zoom.
Wednesdays, January 10 – March 27
Drop in Technology R
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Local high school teens volunteer to assist with your tech needs.
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Drop-in.
Wednesdays
Talkin' Dirt R
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online gathering of gardeners.
Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF) Center
36501 Niles Blvd., Fremont
bit.ly/3UPp51i
First Wednesdays of the month
Wednesdays, January 10 – March 13
Book Club AWC R
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Meet for stimulating discussions.
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month
Wednesdays and Saturdays, January 10 – December 20
Free Open House Nature Learning Center & Pollinator Garden
Wed: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sat: 10 am – 2 pm
See native mammals and birds, explore a compost worm bin and more.
Nature Learning Center at Central Park
40204 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
Check availability.
Thursdays, December 21 – May 23
Homework Help Center
3:45 pm – 5:45 pm
Students in grades K – 8 can get help with their homework questions.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Drop-in.
Thursdays, December 28 – January 25
Stay N' Play!
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Make friends, play with toys, explore arts and more.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Ages 12 – 36 months.
Free tickets.
Thursdays, January 4 – March 28
International Folk Dancing R$
11:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Celebrate the cultural roots and traditional life of various countries.
Age Well Center at South Fremont
47111 Mission Falls Ct., Fremont
(510) 742-7529
In English and Chinese.
Thursdays, January 4 – December 26
CleanStart Mobile Hygiene Unit Visit
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
At the library's parking lot to provide hygiene services to the unhoused.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Recommend checking for availability.
Thursdays, January 11 – March 28
Chinese Music Ensemble R
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Open to all who are interested in performing traditional Chinese music.
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Thursdays, January 11 – May 9
Lil' Bookworms: Book Club for Grades 1 & 2 R
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Reading books, and discussing them with a group
Newark Public Library
37055 Newark Blvd., Newark
(510) 284-0675
Second Thursdays of the month
Thursdays, January 11 – March 21
Homeschool Pre-Teen Social Hour
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Making new friends and sharing your interests with others.
Newark Public Library
37055 Newark Blvd., Newark
(510) 284-0675
lisacarter@aclibrary.org
For homeschoolers ages 9-13.
Second and third Thursdays of the month
Thursdays – Sundays
Animal Feeding
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Feed livestock and learn about their favorite food.
Ardenwood Historic Farm
34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont
(888) 327-2757
ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood#events
Admission fee applies.
Thursdays and Saturdays
Story Time
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Picture book story time
Banter Bookshop
3768 Capitol Ave. Ste. F., Fremont
(510) 565-1004
bit.ly/3VFpbcz
Thursdays and Tuesdays, November 9 – May 23
Literacy Enrichment Program R
4:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Supporting struggling readers through personalized lesson plans and tutoring.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
aclibrary.org/locations/FRM/
fremontchildrens@aclibrary.org
Email to register.
Thursdays, January 11 – February 8
Cover To Cover Book Discussion Group
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Sharing your thoughts on the book – The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels.
Newark Public Library
37055 Newark Blvd., Newark
(510) 284-0675
For adults.
Second Thursdays of the month
Fridays, January 20 – January 10
Knit & Crochet Circle
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Learn knitting and crocheting.
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
sccld.org/locations/milpitas
Fridays, December 29 – May 10
Go: The Game R
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Go is an ancient game of strategy. Learn the game or to play it.
Union City Library
34007 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City
(510) 745-1464
All ages and levels.
Fridays, December 29 – November 29
Qi Gong Meditation & Exercise Class
1:00 pm -3:00 pm
Falun Dafa classes provided by the Classical Arts Foundation.
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
Language: English, Mandarin, Vietnamese.
Fridays, January 12 – March 29
African Dance and Culture R$
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Experience the joy and vitality of African Dance!
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Fridays and Saturdays
Free Telescope Viewings
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Join Chabot astronomers on the Observatory Deck for a free telescope viewing!
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland
(510) 336-7300
chabotspace.org/calendar
Weather permitting.
Saturdays
Laugh Track City R$
8:00 pm
Series of improvised games and scenes.
Made Up Theatre
4000 Bay St. suite B., Fremont
(510) 573-3633
madeuptheatre.com
Saturdays
Free Beginner Pickleball Lesson
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Free pickleball lesson taught by a USPA professional.
Hall Memorial Park
304 La Honda Dr, Milpitas
(408) 586-3210
Drop-in. Weather permitting.
Saturdays, January 6 – May 25
Family Storytime
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The story time features lots of movement, singing, and action.
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
For babies, toddlers, preschoolers, family events.
Saturdays, January 6 – December 28
Computer Crew: Teen Tech Help
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Meet with a tutor to get assistance with basic tech issues.
Castro Valley Library
3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley
(510) 667-7900
Check for availability. For adults, seniors.
Saturdays
Open Garden Days
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Displays include taxidermy of native birds and mammals, native plant and pollinator garden, and access
to an educator or a Ranger.
Central Park Nature Learning Center
40000 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
cutt.ly/xwdxx9G8
Second Saturdays of the month
Saturdays
Alviso Adobe Tours $
1:00 pm
Docent-led tours and video presentation.
Alviso Adobe Park
2087 Alviso Adobe Ct., Milpitas
(408) 586-3210
bit.ly/3Wcmgau
Second Saturdays of the month
Saturdays, November 11 – May 11
Music Hour at the Library
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Relax and enjoy the music while reading your favorite book.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
aclibrary.org/locations/FRM/
fremontchildrens@aclibrary.org
Second Saturdays of the month
Sundays
Weekly meditation Session R
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Explore the effortless way to ultimate bliss.
India Community Center
525 Los Coches St., Milpitas
(408) 934-1130
samarpanmeditationusa.org
Sundays, January 7 – April 14
English Conversations at the Library R
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Open to learners of any English skill level.
Newark Public Library
37055 Newark Blvd., Newark
(510) 284-0675
Recommend checking availability.
Sundays – Saturdays
Recreational Swim $
12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Attractions may vary.
Silliman Activity and Family Aquatic Center
6800 Mowry Ave., Newark
(510) 578-4620
bit.ly/3nxo0is
Mondays, December 18 – May 20
Advanced Math + Science Tutoring
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Offering free high school and college-level tutoring in math, physics, and chemistry.
Castro Valley Library
3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley
(510) 667-7900
Mondays, January 8 – March 25
Beginning Zumba Gold R$
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
This is a dance fitness program.
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Mondays, January 8 – May 20
Homework Help Center
3:45 pm – 5:45 pm
Students in grades K – 8 can get help with their homework questions.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Closed on Fremont Unified School District's holidays and teacher workdays.
Mondays – Fridays, January 16 – March 7
“Something Minimal” Art Exhibition
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
HAC member exhibition.
John O'Lague Galleria
777 B Street, Hayward
Located within Hayward City Hall.
Mondays – Thursdays, December 5 – May 30
Homework Help Center
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Get your homework questions answered for grades K-8 during open hours.
San Lorenzo Library
395 Paseo Grande, San Lorenzo
(510) 284-0640
aclibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/ sanlorenzo@aclibrary.org
For kids, teens.
Mondays – Thursdays, December 5 – May 23
Homework Help Center
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Offer primary and secondary students FREE homework assistance.
Castro Valley Library
3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley
(510) 667-7900
aclibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/
nsilva@aclibrary.org
For kids, teens. Recommend checking availability.
Mondays and Thursdays
Free Hot Meals – Eden Greenway
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Food Truck to bring FREE hot meals to South Hayward.
Eden Greenway Park
25625 Cypress Ave., Hayward
(510) )881-7535
lindsey.vien@hayward-ca.gov
On the corner of Harder and Cypress Avenue.
Mondays and Thursdays
Food Garden Volunteer
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Learning from experienced gardeners.
LEAF CR Stone Garden
55 Mowry Ave., Fremont
volunteer@fremontleaf.org
Volunteer agreement form is required.
Mondays and Thursdays
Fruit Tree Gleaning
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Donate fresh fruits from your garden.
LEAF CR Stone Garden
55 Mowry Ave., Fremont
fremontleaf.org/glean
Mondays and Wednesdays, January 8 – May 29
Homework Help for Grades K-6
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Receive homework help from the tutors.
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, January 9
Kids Club: Making Winter Friends with Clay $R
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Learn to sculpt winter figures using soft air-dry clay.
Online Events
www.michaels.com/class/
All ages.
Zoom meeting
Tuesday, January 9
AWC Cinemas R
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Watch the film “Green Book”
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Tuesday, January 9
The Page Turners R
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Book discussion for adults.
Castro Valley Library
3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley
(510) 667-7900
Tuesday, January 9
ESL Conversation Club – Basic Level R
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
For adults looking to practice their English speaking and listening skills.
San Leandro Main Library
300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro
(510) 577-3970
sanleandro.libcal.com/
Wednesday, January 10
The Souls of White Jokes: Book Talk with Dr. Raúl Pérez R
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Author Raúl Pérez will discuss his book, The Souls of White Jokes.
Online Events
albany@aclibrary.org
(510) 526-3720
Wednesday, January 10
Together In Music and Play in Person (Special Needs Friendly) R
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Music making designed for children with special needs, open to children of all abilities!
Union City Library
34007 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City
(510) 745-1464 ext. 6
Wednesday, January 10
TeenZone
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Come play video games, board games, and do some art.
Washington Manor Branch Library
1241 Manor Blvd, San Leandro
(510) 577-7970
For 6th-12th graders
Thursday, January 11
Video Games & Drawing Club @ Teen Lounge
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Open to teens in grades 6-12.
San Leandro Main Library
300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro
(510) 577-3970
Thursday, January 11
Art, Music & Writing Reception
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The Center is celebrating the 17th year, featuring arts, music and poetry.
Castro Valley Center for the Arts
19501 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley
(510) 889-8961
Friday, January 12
Makerspace Intro: 3D Printer
3:30 pm -5:30 pm
Learn the basics of using an Original Prusa i3 MK3S+.
Irvington Library
41825 Greenpark Drive, Fremont
(510) 795-2631
For age 9+ yrs.
Friday – Sunday, January 12 – January 14
Fremont Friends of the Library – Book Sale
10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Fri: 2 pm – 6 pm
Sat: 10 am – 3 pm ($1 per inch)
Sun: 12 noon – 3 pm ($5 per bag)
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Fridays – Sundays, January 12 – January 28
StarStruck Theatre's Winter MainStage: Disney's The Little Mermaid $R
Fri & Sat: 7:30 pm
Sun: 2:30 pm
Broadway musical – will have the whole family filled with wonder and awe!
Smith Center At Ohlone College
43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
StarStruckOffice@gmail.com
Saturday, January 13
Rock Painting Zone
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Come and relax with music while painting a rock.
San Lorenzo Library
395 Paseo Grande, San Lorenzo
(510) 284-0640
sanlorenzo@aclibrary.org
For teens and adults.
Saturday, January 13
Birds Of The Farm
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Explore the gardens, forests, and fields looking for these delightful visitors.
Ardenwood Historic Farm
34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont
(510) 544-2797
Admission fee applies.
Saturday, January 13
Ohlone Cultures Table
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Learn about the ways the ancestors of today's Ohlone thrived in and managed this beautiful place.
Sunol Visitor Center
1895 Geary Rd., Sunol
(510) 544-3245
Saturday, January 13
Mysterious Monarchs
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Ardenwood’s eucalyptus grove is one of the historic overwintering sites used by monarch
butterflies along the coast.
Ardenwood Historic Farm
34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont
(888) 327-2757
All ages.
Admission fee applies.
Saturday, January 13
King Tide Walk at Hayward Shoreline
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Easy walk along the San Francisco Bay shore and more.
Hayward Regional Shoreline
3050 W. Winton Ave., Hayward
(510) 544-3084
Drop-in.
Saturday, January 13
Saturday Night Show $R
7:30 pm
Film – SPIES (1928, Fritz-Lang-Film)
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont
(510) 494-1411
Saturday, January 13
Urban Forest Friends MLK Remembrance Tree Planting R
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Fremont Central Park Nature Learning Center
40500 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont
www.urbanforestfriends.org/
Sign up to participate.
Behind Aqua Adventure Waterpark.
Saturdays, January 13 – January 20
Self-guided Tour – Fossils $
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Visit the various halls that highlight the fossils of the San Francisco Bay area.
Children's Natural History Museum
4074 Eggers Dr., Fremont
(510) 790-6284
Saturdays and Sundays, January 13 – January 28
Legally Blonde, The Musical $R
8:00 pm
Experience the ultimate blend of pink power, brains, and fabulousness.
Bankhead Theatre
2400 First St., Livermore
(510) 373-6800
Sunday, January 14
Sunday Make Break: Organization Jars R
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Make a cute organization jar out of a mason jar and tissue paper!
Michaels Store – Fremont Hub
39170 Argonaut Way, Fremont
Free and all supplies are included!
Sunday, January 14
Painting with Wool Workshop $R
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
To explore the art of wool drawing and painting. For all levels.
Imaginook Art Studio
39675 Cedar Blvd., Newark
(214) 864-5133, (510) 358-5877
www.imaginook.us/wool-painting
Sunday, January 14
Winter Scavenger Hunt
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Enjoy an easy but fun, self-guided adventure in the park.
Sunol Visitor Center
1895 Geary Rd., Sunol
(510) 544-3245
All ages.
Sunday, January 14
STEAM Sessions – Cranky Creations $
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
A fun-filled day of creativity and innovation to unleash your imagination.
Sun Gallery
1015 E St., Hayward
(510) 581-4050
Sunday, January 14
Sunday Stroll: Lake Chabot (Fairmont Ridge)
9:30 am – 11:30 am
The walk is around 2.5 miles or so depending on the weather.
Lake Chabot Regional Park
17600 Laker Chabot Rd., Castro Valley
(510) 544-3187
Sunday, January 14
Library's 15th Anniversary Celebration Concert – Estranged Individuals
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Celebrated with the 2023 Battle of the Bands Teen Division winners – Estranged Individuals.
Milpitas Public Library
160 N Main St., Milpitas
(408) 262-1171
Sunday, January 14
Laurel & Hardy / Our Gang Matinee $R
3:00 pm
Barnum & Ringling Inc. (1928) – Our Gang, Liberty (1929) – Laurel & Hardy,
Cat & Dog & Company (1928) – Our Gang, Bacon Grabbers (1929) – Laurel & Hardy.
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont
(510) 494-1411
Sunday, January 14
Fremont Adult Tabletop Gamers
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Come to play various card games and board games!
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
For adults.
Monday, January 15
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
10:30 am – 2:00 pm
The celebration includes live entertainment, student oratorical contest, crafts for kids, and more.
Titan Auditorium
15301 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro
(510) 577-3473
www.sanleandro.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=3167
youth@sanleandro.org
Monday, January 15
John McCutcheon Live in Concert $R
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
World renowned and Grammy nominated folk singer in-person concert.
St. James’s Episcopal Church
37051 Cabrillo Terrace, Fremont
(510) 797-1492
saintj.com/wp/event/mccutcheon-concert/
Tuesday, January 16
Booklegger Volunteer Orientation R
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Volunteers visit 2nd through 5th grade classrooms throughout the Fremont Unified School District.
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
(510) 745-1400
Tuesday, January 16
Tech-Artificial Intelligence R
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Learning what is artificial intelligence.
Age Well Center at South Fremont
47111 Mission Falls Ct., Fremont
(510) 742-7529
Space is limited.
Tuesday, January 16
Android Phone Training R
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
FREE training – make your Android phone work better for you!
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-6606
Sunday, January 28
Paint ‘n' Sip Fundraiser $R
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
With all profits going to local domestic violence intervention nonprofit, SAVE.
Women of Temple Beth Torah
42000 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont
(510) 656-7141
www.bethtorah-fremont.org/wtbt
womentbt@gmail.com
Age 12+.
Register by 1/21/24