California budget urges $90 billion for schools, reopening
By Jocelyn Gecker and Don Thompson
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Jan 08 – California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed Friday a $90 billion budget aimed at helping schools rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, as he pushes public schools to resume in-person classes quickly.
Most of California's 6 million public school students have not seen the inside of a classroom in 10 months, since the state's first shutdown in mid-March that closed classrooms in most of the state's more than 1,000 school districts.
Newsom's 2021 budget proposal makes reopening schools and helping the students who have struggled most during the pandemic one of the key priorities. He predicted the state will get billions more in additional federal funding once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, including $6.7 billion in education funding.
“We are proposing to the Legislature a record investment in our public schools, unprecedented in California history,” Newsom said. “We are investing energy and our focus to deal with the disproportionate impacts of this pandemic on … our lower-income communities.”
It needs approval from the state Legislature to take effect and drew quick objections from teachers and others who said it fell short of truly addressing inequities and safety needs.
Newsom's claim of a record nearly $90 billion to schools is accurate yet overstates his generosity “to try to make it look better than it is,” said Kevin Gordon, who lobbies for most of the state's public school districts.
It includes state money into the teachers' retirement system as well as Newsom's proposal of a one-time $2 billion allocation to schools. Previous governors similarly included “the kitchen sink” to make their education spending proposals look higher, he said.
A better number, Gordon said, is the $85.8 billion that local schools spend on education from what's known as Proposition 98 money, which requires the state to devote a percentage of its overall revenue to K-14 schools. That also is a record – but with inflation alone every year is likely to bring a new record.
As an incentive for schools to reopen this spring, Newsom proposed advancing school districts $2 billion, if they submit a plan by Feb. 1 to resume in-person instruction by mid-February. It calls for the money to be spent on coronavirus testing, personal protective equipment and increased classroom ventilation.
It has drawn lukewarm support from teachers unions and school districts who say the funding is not sufficient to ensure safety, as COVID-19 case rates and deaths skyrocket in California, and it risks deepening the inequities that the pandemic has already laid bare. But Newsom says passing the plan is urgent – schools can't wait for the money.
The plan includes a one-time payment of at least $450 per student for school districts that offer in-person instruction, although they still would be required to offer distance learning as an option. It proposes a phased approach that prioritizes the state's youngest students and those with special needs, who have struggled the most during months of distance learning. Schools that serve low-income families, English learners and foster children could qualify for additional funding.
“Any discussion of returning to in-person instruction is premature,” responded the California Federation of Teachers. “If we can't get the pandemic under control, we cannot ensure a safe learning environment.”
The governor said Friday that $2 billion comes on top of $85.8 billion in funding for K-12 schools and community colleges next year, reflecting what he called the highest level of per-pupil spending in state history.
More than $4 billion would be dedicated to summer school and other programs to make up for learning time that students have lost during the pandemic, he said.
But schools would only qualify to reopen in counties where the seven-day average coronavirus case rate is at or below 28 per 100,000 residents, which would likely slow the reopening schedule in the counties hardest hit by the pandemic. The superintendents of seven large California school districts, including the four biggest districts of Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno and Long Beach, voiced concerns in a joint letter to Newsom earlier this week that were echoed Friday by the Los Angeles teachers' union.
His proposal has “a built-in bias against large districts like LA Unified,” which are least likely to reopen because of high infection levels in the community, Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said in a statement Friday. “Students in wealthy areas would benefit, while low-income children would be left behind. This provision would exacerbate inequities.”
Newsom has said his recommendation to get schools back open this spring was driven by increasing evidence that there are lower risks and increased benefits from in-person instruction, particularly for the youngest students. It comes amid increased pressure from parents and politicians to reopen campuses.
To qualify, school districts must submit a COVID-19 safety plan by Feb. 1, with approval from local health authorities, and commit to regular testing and all students and teachers wearing masks. Schools would reopen in phases, starting in mid-February for students in transitional kindergarten through second grade and children who are homeless, in foster care and without access to computing devices or high-speed internet.
The budget also includes additional funding for higher education, with $786 million in new money for California State University and the University of California.
Newsom also is proposing $100 million in one-time funding for community colleges, plus $30 million for the California State University system and $15 million the University of California system to help with things like housing, food insecurity, mental health and technology issues for students.
Newsom said Friday his full $227 billion budget proposal comes as the state faces “a challenge the likes of which we never expected.”
Public education accounts for roughly 40% of all state general fund spending. The amount of money school districts receive fluctuates annually based on a complicated formula outlined in the state Constitution that is based on revenues, per capita personal income and school attendance.
Alameda County Water District
January 14, 2021
Consent Calendar:
Ratification of Payment of Audited Demands dated December 4, December 11, December 18, December 23, 2020
Action items:
• Adopted a resolution finding Solar Photovoltaic System Installation Projects at Alameda, Decoto, and Mayhew Reservoirs, Newark Desalination Facility, and District Headquarters Facility Exempt from CEQA and approving the projects.
• Approved Change Order No. 2 in the amount of $154,827.96 to A. Teichert & Son, Inc., dba Teichert Construction for the Main Renewal — Souza Avenue and Concord Street Project, Job 21191 and for the emergency repair of the Peralta-Mowry Water Main.
• Adopted a resolution finding the permit approvals associated with the Coyote Hills: Well Replacement Project to be Exempt from CEQA and authorizing the General Manager or a designee to file a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the Alameda County Clerk’s Office.
President Aziz Akbari
James G. Gunther
Paul Sethy
John H. Weed
Judy C. Huang
Book lovers: Get ready for online discussions
Submitted by Jui-lan Liu, Fremont Main Library
Officials from the Alameda County Library District are spreading the word about Alameda County Reads. It’s the first county-wide reading program for thousands of community members to read and discuss the same book.
The first book selected for the online program, which continues through April, is “Eat Joy: Stories & Comfort Food from 31 Celebrated Writers” edited by Natalie Eve Garrett. Among the authors featured are Anthony Doerr, Rakesh Satyal, Beth Nguyen and Alexander Chee who share how comfort food flavored challenging moments in their lives.
“The vision of AC Library is Kind, Connected Humans,” said Deputy County Librarian Deb Sica. “In our rapidly changing world, we know that it is more important than ever to build both human and humane connections with one another. AC Reads is our first One County, One Book Celebration! Bon livre, bon appétit!”
To participate in the program, readers should visit the program website at https://aclibrary.org/alameda-county-reads, sign up for an online discussion, and arrange to pick up a free copy of the book at their local Alameda County Library while supplies last. Details about other books and discussion groups are posted on the website.
Alameda County Reads is funded by the Alameda County Library Foundation and the Albany, Castro Valley, and Fremont Friends of the Library.
Alameda County libraries participating in Alameda County Reads:
• Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge Ave., (510) 667-7900
• Centerville Library, 3801 Nicolet Ave, Fremont, (510) 795-2629
• Fremont Main Library, 2450 Stevenson Blvd., (510) 745-1400
• Newark Library, 6300 Civic Terrace Ave., (510) 284-0675
• San Lorenzo Library, 395 Paseo Grande, (510)284-0640
• Union City Library, 34007 Alvarado Niles Road, (510) 745-1464
• Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., (510) 526-3720
• Dublin Library, 200 Civic Plaza, (925) 803-7252
Alameda County Reads
Weekly through April
Online book reading and discussion
Alameda County Library District
Free
(510) 745-1500
Alexander Ralph Lopez
June 25, 1932 – January 11, 2021
Resident of Newark
Alexander Ralph Lopez was born on June 25, 1932 in Placentia, California to Alejandro and Lupe. Alex has 2 brothers, Rudy and Charlie. He has 2 sons, Alex and Richard who live in Oregon. He married Cordy in 1979. At that time, he gained 6 more children; Lorraine, Sam, Gilbert, Lucy, Loretta and Barbara. His legacy continues on with his 8 children, 15 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren. This is not including his in-laws. His family was not limited to the children and their children, he had brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, son/daughter-in-laws, cousins, nieces/nephews and godchildren. His love to others kept on going. Some of his grandchildren's friends would even call him “Grandpa” as well.
Alex was a truck driver for most of his adult life working at Fairchild's for 15 years, where he met Cordy. Later, working and retiring from Galgon Industrial after 20 years. He was passionate about playing music, DJing weddings, dancing, joking around and of course, watching the 49ers. All while surviving colon cancer and giving back to his community with the title of Vice President of the Luna Club in Newark. His memory will live in the hearts of his loved ones.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 20th, at 9 am to 11am and with Chapel services at 11am at Fremont Chapel of the Roses, 1940 Peralta Boulevard, Fremont, burial to followed with at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Armed Takeover Robbery Arrests
Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD
On 12/04/20, at 2:00 a.m., three suspects drove a vehicle through the rollup doors of a business in the 45000 block of Warm Springs Blvd. The suspects then held a victim employee at gunpoint and stole approximately $10,000 worth of tools along with the victim's wallet and cellphone. Video surveillance showed the three suspects to be armed with a rifle and handguns. Detectives had already been searching for this crew due to a series of burglaries where suspects were driving vehicles through rollup doors.
Detectives were able to generate leads on the suspects based on video surveillance. Undercover detectives from the Special Operations Division then began an extended surveillance operation on the three suspects. Over the course of the next month, all three suspects were arrested.
On 12/21/20, 43-year-old Ronald Choate of San Leandro was arrested by Special Operations detectives in Union City. Choate was found in possession of an AR pistol that was modified into an assault weapon. He was charged by the District Attorney's Office with multiple firearms charges and arraigned on 12/28/20 where a Judge ordered him to remain in custody. Choate also has numerous other cases pending with multiple agencies in Alameda County. Choate was interviewed last week about the robbery and Detectives are preparing to present the case to the DA's office for additional charges.
In Alameda County alone, Choate has numerous prior arrests for: battery with serious injury, possession of firearms, felony evading, possession of drugs for sales, parole violations, burglary, possession of drugs, brandishing a weapon, resisting arrest, possession of stolen vehicles, and possession of stolen property.
On 12/30/20, 36-year-old Gregory Cazatt of Hayward was arrested by detectives in Milpitas. Cazatt was found in possession of a loaded handgun at the time of his arrest. Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Cazatt's residence in Hayward during which additional evidence was recovered. Cazatt was booked at Santa Rita Jail where his bail was set at $260,000. Cazatt posted bail and was released from custody. Cazatt was charged with multiple crimes including: robbery with a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Cazatt has numerous prior arrests for: assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drugs for sales, possession of burglary tools, identity theft, and resisting arrest.
On 01/05/20, 31-year-old Randy Martin of Hayward was arrested by detectives in Milpitas and booked at Santa Rita Jail. Martin was arraigned on 01/07/20 where a Judge ordered him to remain in custody. Martin was charged with robbery with a firearm.
Matin has numerous prior arrests for: burglary, possession of drugs for sales, possession of stolen property, and grand theft.
Detectives are continuing to follow up on other crimes committed by this crew. If you have any information regarding these suspects, please contact Det. Troy Roberts at 510-790-6900 or troberts@fremont.gov.
So how exactly are we going to the moon? – Artemis Mission Overview
Kailash Kalidoss, Aerospace Enthusiast
Images courtesy of NASA.gov
Between 1968 and 1972, America launched nine human missions to the Moon, six of which successfully touched down, allowing 12 men to walk on the lunar surface. NASA'’ next chapter of lunar exploration, called Artemis, has the task of not just going to the Moon, to create a long-term human presence on and around it, but also to prepare for ever-more-complex human missions to Mars. As explained in my earlier article on December 15, 2020, everything we must be able to do on Mars, we must first do on the Moon. So, what will an Artemis mission look like?
Everything is designed and tested with the most important element in mind: the astronauts. Their deep space, human-rated spacecraft is called Orion, built-in three parts: the crew module, where up to four astronauts will live and work; the service module, with life support systems, engine, and fuel reserves; and a launch abort system, with engines capable of pulling the crew module to safety during launch, should anything go wrong.
To launch our crew and heavy payloads, NASA is building the Space Launch System (SLS), comprising of a cargo hold, Exploration Upper Stage, massive core stage, and two extended solid rocket boosters. Sitting on the launch pad, the entire rocket, fully fueled, weighs just over 6 million pounds, 5.2 million of which is just fuel. Once ignited, all 4 RS-25 engines and the two solid rocket boosters come to life, thundering upwards.
Two minutes after ignition, the solid rocket boosters are spent and jettisoned. Eight minutes after launch, the core stage is depleted and separated. The upper stage fires briefly, placing Orion into a parking orbit around the Earth. This moment gives the crew time to reconfigure the spacecraft and check systems to confirm everything is ready for the moon voyage.
With a ‘go” from Mission Control, the crew reignites the Exploration Upper Stage engines to leave Earth entirely. The exact timing of this maneuver is critical to reaching a speed that can escape Earth's gravitational pull and put Orion on a course that will intersect the Moon days later.
Once this burn is complete, the upper stage of the SLS is jettisoned and the Orion will coast for several days toward the Moon.
Approaching the Moon, we see the fundamental differences between Artemis and Apollo. Instead of requiring Orion to serve as an expendable lunar command module or carry a constrained lunar lander, the Artemis missions will take advantage of a different approach. Everything needed for lunar missions will be positioned in advance by commercial and international partners, through a mission milestone termed pre-staging. This includes rovers, science experiments, and human-rated systems on the surface.
It also includes a dedicated lunar station in orbit around the Moon, called Gateway. In many ways the Gateway can be compared to the International Space Station (ISS), only in this case the Gateway orbits the moon. At Gateway, we can pre-stage a robust lunar lander and establish a strong communications relay. Designed with open standards, Gateway can be expanded as new missions and partnerships develop, allowing multiple human missions on the Moon at the same time, and enabling ongoing science to be conducted even between human missions.
The Gateway is also capable of adjusting its orbit to allow access to every part of the Moon, something the Apollo missions could not do. But the real key in this approach is placing Gateway in a unique halo orbit to perfect maneuvers needed for Mars missions. And, with a growing list of commercial and international partners working with NASA, Gateway is the ideal hub between Earth and all that lies beyond.
Returning to our crew as they approach Gateway, the Orion must match the elliptical orbit of Gateway in order to successfully dock. Once on board, preselected crew members transfer to the lunar lander while those assigned to Gateway remain on station. The lunar lander system itself is built for three unique steps: descending from the halo orbit of Gateway down to a low lunar orbit; descending from there to the surface; and once the lunar mission is complete, launching from the surface of the Moon and ascending all the way back to Gateway.
Once the lunar mission is complete, astronauts re-board Orion and undock from Gateway. The crew fire their engines to break out of the halo orbit and once again sling the spacecraft around the Moon, placing it on a multi-day trajectory back towards Earth.
As they near the end of this journey, the service module is released and the crew module is oriented heat shield-first. Entering Earth’s atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, air friction slows Orion considerably, while also subjecting it to temperatures of 5,000 degrees celicius. With the Orion now traveling at just 300 miles per hour, a series of parachutes uniquely produced and tested for this moment deploy, decelerating the craft to just 20 miles per hour for splashdown.
With each successful mission, Artemis ushers in the next wave of men and women to explore our Moon and beyond.
Kailash Kalidoss is a local aerospace enthusiast and educator serving the Bay Area. Kailash first fell in love with aerospace as a teenager when he learned about aviation from his father’s role as a Ground Operations Manager. Kailash has since spent his efforts spreading knowledge about aerospace, astronautics, aviation, science and technology, and of course, the night sky. Kailash also represents the Civil Air Patrol and NASA as a volunteer.
Bald eagle lays egg in Southern California mountains
AP Wire Service
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP), Jan 10 – A bald eagle egg has been laid in a Southern California nest and nature lovers will watch for the hatching via an online live feed.
Mother eagle Jackie delivered the egg Saturday afternoon near the mountain community of Big Bear east of Los Angeles.
The group Friends of Big Bear Valley, which installed the web cam, says the egg is expected to hatch around Valentine's Day.
More than 1,800 people were viewing the video feed late Sunday morning. It showed an eagle nestling on the egg as light winds blew through the San Bernardino National Forest.
A previous egg laid last week by Jackie was lost after it was attacked by ravens.
Contractor: High-speed rail delays ‘beyond comprehension'
AP Wire Service
LOS ANGELES (AP), Jan 12 – A letter from a major contractor blames the state for delays in building California's bullet train, contradicting claims that the line's construction pace is on target and warning the project could miss a key 2022 federal deadline, according to a newspaper report Tuesday.
The 36-page letter obtained by the Los Angeles Times alleges the high-speed rail project faces problems including continuing delays in obtaining land for the line and the state's failure to finalize deals with outside parties such as utilities and freight railroads.
The delays will result in stalled work and layoffs, construction giant Tutor Perini says in the letter.
As of mid-November, construction crews could not build on more than 500 parcels in the Fresno area because the California High Speed Rail Authority still lacks proper documentation, according to the Jan. 4 letter. The company has completed all the work that could be done efficiently and as a result is now operating at other sites at a slower pace, the Times reported.
“It is beyond comprehension that as of this day, more than two thousand and six hundred calendar days after (official approval to start construction) that the authority has not obtained all of the right of way. ” wrote Tutor Perini Vice President of Operations Ghassan Ariqat to Garth Fernandez, the contracting chief at the state rail authority.
The conditions described by the letter jeopardize the project's long-range goals, because it is already struggling to complete even a portion of its original vision of a Los Angeles-to-San Francisco bullet train, the newspaper said. The letter indicates that delays and cost overruns are poised to grow worse.
Rail authority Chief Executive Brian Kelly said in a statement to the Times that the letter “attempts to set out why project challenges are everybody else's fault.”
“As we do with all contractor claims, our commercial and legal teams will evaluate the letter and provide a full response, including an articulation of where the contractor's claims are mistaken or otherwise in error,“ Kelly wrote.
Kelly said the authority has worked with Tutor Perini over the last 18 months to achieve a number of benchmarks, including having an average of 344 workers on job sites as of the end of October and completing 92% of the design work for the Fresno segment.
The Times said President-elect Joe Biden can relieve some of the pressure the Trump administration placed on the project, such as amending the 2022 deadline for building structures.
And Biden could release $927 million in grant money that President Donald Trump terminated. But the project would still face the consequences of the delays, the newspaper said.
Newsom defends California business climate, status of rich
By Kathleen Ronayne
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Jan 08 – Gov. Gavin Newsom forcefully pushed back Friday on criticisms that California is becoming unfriendly for business, pointing to “all the new billionaires“ created by initial public offerings and noting that its richest people are “doing pretty damn well.“
The Democratic governor's comments came as he outlined his proposed $227 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which featured a $15 billion windfall despite the recession caused by the pandemic. California's budget relies heavily on personal income tax, particularly from the richest people, and the budget estimates demonstrate that California's richest continue to prosper while lower-income people are hit hardest from job losses.
Newsom's extended riff about the state's business climate came in response to questions about people moving out of California, including billionaires Elon Musk, the head of electric car company Tesla, and Larry Ellison, the chief executive officer of software company Oracle. Musk recently moved to Texas, which has no income tax, though Tesla is still headquartered in California. Ellison moved to Hawaii and moved his company headquarters to Texas.
Republicans have also criticized Newsom for government-mandated business closures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Newsom noted that California isn't “the cheapest place.“ But he said people are deliberately spreading misinformation about taxes in the state, though he gave no specifics.
“The state is still this remarkable, remarkable, home to more dreamers and doers than any other part of the globe,“ Newsom said.
He pointed to elements of his state budget aimed at boosting the economy, including $353 million for workforce development and $786 million for the state's public higher education system. He also pointed to grants and tax credits for small businesses, efforts to increase housing and tackle homelessness and boost early and K-12 education as most California schools remain closed for in-person learning.
It's part of an effort to create a climate where entrepreneurs and job creators can thrive, he said, while acknowledging there are “areas of stress“ the state must address.
“We've got a lot of work to do to help small, medium-sized businesses, but the folks at the top, doing pretty damn well,“ he said. “But I don't begrudge that success. I admire and respect it. But at the same time, we have to be mindful of a competitive landscape. And I am acknowledging that, and I'm committed as governor to be more aggressive in the future to make a case anew for this great state.“
He specifically praised AirBnb, which held an initial public offering last month, DoorDash and Salesforce. After Musk announced he was moving out of California, AirBnb head Brian Chesky said he and his company would stay in California. The company's IPO raised $3.5 billion and boosted Chesky's net worth.
“This is a special place,” he tweeted on Dec. 15, adding he'd spoken to Newsom about it.
Newsom's comments irked some members of his party, particularly his shout-out to DoorDash, the food delivery company. It drew a quick retort from state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who is aligned with labor. DoorDash joined Lyft and Uber in spending more than $100 million to defeat a November ballot measure that would have required them to treat their drivers as employees entitled to certain wages and benefits.
“The Governor is proud of Door Dash. I am proud of the hard working delivery drivers that made the company successful despite being underpaid,“ Gonzalez tweeted.
A coalition of labor unions, environmental groups and others last year pressed Newsom to increase taxes on the wealthy, but Newsom said those taxes are “not part of the conversation.“
“The same health and economic crises that leveled working families and small businesses led to skyrocketing wealth among the mega-rich,“ the group said in a broad statement about Newsom's budget proposal.
Trump vetoes Calif. fishing bill over seafood trade deficit
By Darlene Superville
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP), Jan 01 – President Donald Trump vetoed a bill Friday that would have gradually ended the use of large-mesh drift gillnets deployed exclusively in federal waters off the coast of California, saying such legislation would increase reliance on imported seafood and worsen a multibillion-dollar seafood trade deficit.
Trump also said in his veto message to the Senate that the legislation sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., “will not achieve its purported conservation benefits.”
Trump vetoed the fishing bill as the Republican-controlled Senate followed the Democratic-led House and voted to overturn his earlier veto of the annual defense policy bill, enacting it into law despite Trump's objections.
The fishing bill's sponsors said large-mesh drift gillnets, which measure between 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) and 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and can extend 200 feet (60.9 meters) below the surface of the ocean, are left in the waters overnight to catch swordfish and thresher sharks. But they said at least 60 other marine species – including whales, dolphins, and sea lions – can also become entangled in the nets, where they are injured or die.
It is illegal to use these nets in U.S. territorial waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coasts of Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. They remain legal in federal waters off California's coast.
In 2018, California passed a four-year phase out of large-mesh drift gillnets in state waters to protect marine life.
The bill Trump vetoed would have extended similar protections to federal waters off California's shoreline within five years and authorized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help the commercial fishing industry switch to more sustainable types of gear.
Trump said the West Coast drift gillnet fishery is subject to “robust legal and regulatory requirements” for environmental protection that equal or go beyond environmental protections applied to foreign fisheries.
He said Americans will import more swordfish and other species from foreign sources without this fishery.
Center for Elders’ Independence begins administering COVID-19 vaccine
Dianna Garrett
Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI) is one of the first health care providers in Alameda County to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The senior health plan began administering the first round of vaccines to its frontline staff and at-risk senior participants the week of January 4.
CEI’s shipment of 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived late Tuesday night, January 5. By early Wednesday morning, CEI began transporting their participants from their homes throughout Alameda County to CEI’s San Leandro location. They are being vaccinated and then carefully monitored by healthcare experts for adverse reactions. CEI’s home health nurses have also been deployed to administer the vaccines safely at home to accommodate participants who cannot to travel.
Administration of the vaccines is being carefully orchestrated to ensure adherence to strict safety precautions and proper handling procedures, and to prevent wasting any doses. In the first two days, CEI administered about half of the first shipment. Alameda County Health Care Services Agency has indicated that it will provide more doses of the vaccine as needed.
Keeping staff and participants informed and involved has been a high priority. In preparation for the vaccine’s arrival, Dr. James Mittelberger, Chief Medical Officer and Interim CEO, conducted a series of town hall meetings with staff to let them know how the vaccine works, what to expect when it arrived, and to answer questions about vaccine safety and efficacy. The town hall meetings also featured CEI’s infection control taskforce lead by Nurse Practitioner Christina Pingol.
Dr. Mittelberger’s chief message was, “It is crucial to recognize that this vaccine does not include any whole virus; it is impossible to get COVID-19 from this vaccine.” In addition, front line staff told their personal stories of “why I’m taking the vaccine,” in a YouTube video to encourage everyone to participate.
To keep participants informed and ready to receive the vaccine, CEI sent informational letters that included a fact sheet about the Moderna vaccine, to all program seniors and family members in their care. In addition to English, letters were translated into Spanish, Korean, Mandarin/Cantonese, Vietnamese and Tagalog.
For more information, visit elders.org or call (510) 433-1150.
U.S. Congress in 2021
By Andrew Cavette
The 2020 elections have produced eight new Senators. Senators from: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia (2), Kansas, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Wyoming will join the 117th United States Congress.
News headlines have recently made much fanfare over how Georgia replaced two Republican Senators with two, new Democratic ones. Colorado’s Republican Senator, Cory Gardner, was also defeated by a Democrat, John Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper joins fellow Colorado Democrat, Michael Bennet, making the state fully represented by Democrats in the senate through 2022.
Senator John McCain (R) of Arizona died in 2018 and voters filled his vacant seat in a special election. Arizona voters elected Mark Kelly, a Democrat.
In another party flip, Alabama Senator Doug Jones, a Democrat, was defeated by Republican newcomer, Tommy Tuberville. After taking office on January 3, Tuberville joined a group of Republican Senators who attempted to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Voters in three states – Wyoming, Tennessee, and Kansas – have elected a Republican Senator to replace a different Republican Senator. Voters in New Mexico have similarly replaced a Democratic Senator with another Democrat.
Most of the members of Congress – newly elected and re-elected alike – were sworn in on January 3, 2021. Georgia’s new Senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, cannot be sworn in until the state has certified the votes from each county. This process could take until the end of January, perhaps even after the presidential inauguration.
California voters have elected six new people to send to the House of Representatives (HR). Two newly-elected Republican Representatives have replaced their Republican predecessors. This same-party swap-out is also true in California’s 53rd district where a Democrat is replacing a Democrat.
California representation in the House has shifted slightly toward Republicans. No Democratic HR nominee won out over a Republican incumbent. However, three new Republican Representatives – David Valadao, Young Kim, and Michelle Steel – defeated incumbent Democrats in their respective districts.
Elsewhere, Florida Republicans won two HR seats from Democratic incumbents, and maintained four other seats for their party. Georgia Republicans kept two HR seats red, but were also joined by two, new Democrats.
Iowa voters gave all three, open seats to one party. Voters there exchanged one GOP incumbent for a different Republican nominee and then replaced two Democrats with Republican Representatives.
Two Utah Republicans won over both an incumbent Democrat and a fellow Republican respectively. Michigan voters had two, conservative, third-party members in the House, but exchanged them in this election for two, new Republican candidates.
In New Mexico, Yvette Herrell (R) defeated Xochitl Liana Torres Small (D). In New York, Nicole Malliotakis (R) defeated Max Rose (D).
North Carolina Democrat, Deborah Ross, won the open seat formerly held by Republican George Holding. Kathy Manning (D), also in North Carolina, took the open seat left by Mark Walker (R).
Across the nation, 18 seats in House of Representatives changed party affiliation. Republicans took 15 of those changed-party seats – mostly from Democrats. The three HR seats that Democrats were able to take from Republicans were in the South.
Twenty-seven women were elected to represent their respective states in the House; more than half of them Republicans. The first Iranian-American elected to Congress is a woman and a Republican. Women defeated other women in the House race, regardless of party, incumbent or not – and took seats from a lot of men too. There were many open seats, but only one incumbent woman running for reelection (HR) was defeated by a man in 2020.
In the Senate, one former Democratic seat was taken by a Republican while three formerly Republican seats were won by Democrats. All, but one of the defeated, incumbent Senators were men and only one new woman was elected Senator.
On December 29, 2020, House Representative, Luke Letlow of Louisiana’s 5th congressional district, died due to COVID-19 before taking office.
Step-by-Step Guide to Networking (Part II)
By Anne Chan, PhD, MFT
Last column, I wrote about how to start networking in an easy, no-stress way by reaching out to people who know you well (I call these your A- and B-listers). But how do you connect with whom you might not know (the C-listers)?
C-listers are harder to get in touch with, but they can be invaluable sources for job openings and inside information. As such, it is well worth your time and effort to expand your network to include the C-listers. Today’s column will give you strategies for how to make these connections and tips for what to do when networking.
You might feel like your circle of friends and family is small and that you have no connections whatsoever. Take heart – anyone can enlarge their network by putting in the time and effort. You are never too young or too old to make this happen. Think about this process as getting to know people in your field. Here are some ideas to expand your network:
• Attend a conference (virtual or in-person, whenever the latter occurs). During the conference, make note of speakers or participants whose comments hit home for you. Be an active participant and ask thoughtful questions. Follow up with the speakers and attendees after the conference.
• Look for LinkedIn or Facebook Livestream and webinars that can support your continual learning and professional development. Connect with the host and guests with solid questions and express your appreciation for sharing their expertise and time.
• Join a group that is in line with your professional or personal interests. Say you like to play chess. Join a group that meets regularly – you will be surprised who you might get to meet when you show up.
• Check out Power To Fly (https://powertofly.com/), a job website targeted for women with links to virtual events and job fairs.
• Contact your university alumni association. Some universities keep lists of alumni willing to do informational interviews.
• Scan LinkedIn for graduates of your university. You can approach them by emphasizing that you both went to the same university and that you would appreciate the chance to talk to them about their jobs.
• Read social media posts from your former colleagues or classmates. You can re-connect with them by commenting on their posts or congratulating them when they post good news.
• Join networking groups via meetup or Eventbrite.
• Try the snowball method: Start with the people you know. Ask them if they know someone who is in your field and ask them to introduce you to that person (Person A). Hopefully, Person A will be willing to talk with you. Even if it is for a short conversation, be sure to ask Person A if they know anyone else in the field with whom you can talk to (Person B). Person B might help you connect with Person C and so forth.
Utilize two or more of the strategies outlined above, and you should be well on your way toward expanding your network. You have now made the connection and the person you are connecting with kindly agrees to give you some time. What are some things you should do?
• Do your background research first. Take the time to learn about the person, their career path, and their company. As you do your research, jot down questions to ask. Also note any points of commonality that you can use to spark your conversation, e.g., the same major in college, sports interests, or hometowns.
• Research the industry (what the major trends and challenges are, what the competitors are up to).
• Organize your thoughts and know what you want to learn from the meeting.
• Always, always, always, keep in mind that networking is not just for meeting your needs. Do not ask for a job at this stage. Instead, frame the conversation with this question, “How can I assist/support you?” Think about how you can help them, instead of obsessing about trying to get a job lead. Ask if they would like you to connect them to similar-minded people.
• At the end of the conversation, thank them for their time with a follow up email.
• Periodically check in to keep the connection alive.
Networking is not easy, but it also isn’t impossible to do. Try to set a goal for yourself to reach out to one person each week. Most people are willing to help a job-seeker. Some might even feel pleased and flattered that you are seeking them out. If there is one new year’s resolution, I would recommend for job seekers, it would be to go forth and network!
Anne Chan is a career counselor and licensed psychotherapist in Union City. She specializes in helping people find happiness in their careers and lives. You can reach her at annechantcv@gmail.com
© Anne Chan, 2020
Editorial
Words
This week’s presidential inauguration marks a turning point in national politics and a reminder, through remembrance of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., that words are the sharp edge of action to achieve reform or change. A call to action typically precedes voluntary physical movement. It is the intent and content of such words that will define what actually happens. In the realm of thoughts and ideas, dark fears and laudable aspirations share space; motive and content will determine the outcome.
Many of the same fears, prejudices and obstacles that faced Dr. King in the 1950s and 1960s remain today, amplified by words uttered by unethical politicians and false prophets. True intent is often veiled by specious arguments that promote division and instability. Evidence of the power and activation of this is evident in the events of the past several weeks. Internal strife inspired by these words is insidious. Under a cloak of civility, reasonable words are melded into irrational and perverse sentences. The resulting paragraph is a testament to corruption of a coherent and honest concept.
The Greek mathematician, scientist and inventor Archimedes (287 – 212 BC) spoke about harnessing the power of physical movement saying, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” He was referring to mechanical manipulation, but the same can be said for words. As his thoughts and words were a precursor to many basic principles of physics, mathematics and astronomy, they survived through his written works. Just as a fulcrum – the stationary object that allows a lever to exert force – is essential for levers, so too are words, a critical component of information leading to action.
What does a reverend from the 60s and a Greek mathematician have to do with today? Along with a plethora of great minds that influenced the present through the past, the basic tenet of their lives was to think of the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, we have recently witnessed the results of poorly constructed paragraphs assembled with words that imply a different context. Words such as “freedom” and “democracy” have been linked to particular ideologies that stray from the intent when initially woven into the Constitution of the United States of America. Misrepresentation and fraudulent use of these words as well as malevolent goals have misled a significant segment of society.
Care with words is essential when using them as a catalyst for action. We have witnessed angry and spiteful words employed as incitement for insurrection and yet, in the same short period of time, honor the use of words to effect change and revere humanity in its highest sense. It will serve all of us well to remember that thought translated into communication carries responsibility for its consequences. The month of January 2021 has demonstrated two opposing results of words: to incite toward peace and harmony or pillage and destruction. Which words will you choose in your life?
Children’s book author Jesse Byrd shares on writing and publishing
Submitted by Knuti VanHoven
On Saturday January 23, Fremont Area Writers will host Jesse Byrd. At 6'8″ tall he’s a college basketball player who has become the international-award-winning creator of several children’s books including: Real Jungle Tales, Sunny Days, Dream Catcher & King Penguin. He’s also been a tireless advocate for the arts, serving on the foundation board at NPR. Fremont Area Writers’ credo is “writers helping writers” and Jesse's calendar of public speaking and performances attest to his dedication to that cause.
When asked what topic he’d choose, he said he would love to spend time on:
• Ways of turning your passion for writing into your profession
• Breaking down his sector of children’s books (creating and publishing)
• The state of diversity in publishing and some potential solutions.
His enthusiasm runs as deep as his talent.
The meeting will be held on Zoom at 2 p.m. Admission is free to all, whether you're a writer, someone who wants to improve their writing skills, or one of Mr. Byrd’s fans. For a Zoom invitation to the meeting, please contact scottfrombayside@yahoo.com. View Jesse Byrd’s works at https://jessebcreative.com/.
For more information about Fremont Area Writers go to cwc-fremontareawriters.org.
Fremont Area Writers: Jesse Byrd
Saturday, January 23
2 p.m.
Zoom; by invitation
email scottfrombayside@yahoo.com
cwc-fremontareawriters.org
Fred Arthur Stanfield, Sr.
Resident of Newark
September 26, 1940 – January 8, 2021
Fred was born on September 26, 1940 in McNary, AZ and passed away on January 8, 2021 at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife Maryann, son Fred Jr, granddaughter Cherrice Godfrey, Grandson Blaise Stanfield, granddaughter Kennedy Ward, brother Bebe, sisters Mary, Caroline, Corliss, Glo and Edmond Stanfield.
He was the eldest of 8 children of Edwina and Nobel Stanfield. He had two children Fred, Jr. and Gina Ann Stanfield with his beautiful wife Maryann Stanfield. He traveled the world and served our country! He loved music and instruments. He was an expert in Astrology and was right there to pull your chart! He was very much into the outdoors; Skiing, racket ball, marathon runner and traveling he lived a wonderful life.
Services was already held.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Free pantry symbolizes hope and neighborliness
By Stephanie Gertsch
Photos courtesy of Hope Box – Free Little Pantry Facebook page
At the end of December, Fremont residents Elsei Yeh-Arling and Dutch Arling decided to do something special to connect with their community. With her birthday coming up, Elsei wanted to give to others and requested her husband’s help in setting up a neighborhood pantry.
Dutch got to work. The donation box is a repurposed media console supported by two poles and painted a cheerful red – as per Elsei’s request. After filling the box with nonperishable goods, the couple sent out a message on the app NextDoor and set up a page on Facebook. Within days, neighbors were refilling the box or taking items as needed. The couple even received a cash donation. In January, the box gained a new roof and a plastic container was added to contain the overflow of donations.
“I work as a director in a Hospice agency and see the sad stories in my everyday work due to COVID19,” says Elsei. “This little red box makes me feel like that I can help contribute and bring some brightness in the neighborhood.”
Donations are welcome for nonperishable food items such as canned goods, breakfast bars, spices, tea and coffee. Hygiene items like hand sanitizer, masks, and wipes are also in high demand. (No glass containers, fresh/perishable foods, homemade items, or sharp objects, please!)
Hope Box – Little Free Pantry
36368 San Pedro Dr., Fremont
(On Facebook and NextDoor)
Fremont Fire Department Log
Submitted by Fremont Fire Department
Thursday, January 14
• At 5:50 a.m. firefighters from Engine 52, Truck 51 along with Alameda County Fire Department/CAL Fire Santa Clara Unit responded to a traffic collision in Niles Canyon. An extended extrication from a was required and medical treatment provided. Two people sustained significant injuries and were taken to nearby trauma centers. The traffic collision, which temporarily closed Niles Canyon Road in both directions between Fremont and Sunol, is under investigation.
Fremont Police Log
Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD
Tuesday, January 5
• Four people carrying collapsible hampers entered the Sephora store at 43550 Christy St. and stole more than $15,000 worth of items from the shelves. Then, on Thursday, January 7 two people entered the store and stole more than $7,000 worth of fragrances.
Saturday, January 9
• After receiving a notice about a stolen vehicle from an automated license plate reader, officers located the 1999 Honda Accord in the Walmart parking lot on Osgood Road in the Warm Springs area. A man, identified by police as Victor Flores, 32, of Fremont was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.
• A residential burglary occurred on the 900 block of Arikara Drive in the Warm Springs area. Access was gained by prying a rear sliding door.
Sunday, January 10
• Officers received an automated license plate reader notification about a stolen 2005 Ford Ranger Truck at Mowry Avenue and I-880. A traffic stop was made and a man identified by police as David Sandoval, 36, of Meadow Vista in Placer County was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the Verizon store, 39050 Argonaut Way in central Fremont. Access to the store was through an unlocked door. Several items were taken and a fire extinguisher was sprayed throughout the store.
• Commercial burglaries occurred at Public Storage, 47209 Warm Springs Blvd. and U-Haul, 44511 Gimmer Blvd. In both cases the lock to a storage unit was cut for access.
Fremont City Council
January 12, 2021
Announcements:
• Applications for vacancies on boards and commissions are accepted throughout the year.
Consent Calendar:
• Authorize professional services contract with PlanIT GEO, LLC for citywide urban forest management plan in the amount of $180,000.
• Approve agreements for on-call services with BSK Associates, Construction Testing Services, Inc. and Signet Testing Laboratories, Inc. for construction materials testing and inspection; each up to $1,250,000.
• Approve on-call civil design and project management consultant services with Mark Thomas & Company and Quincy Engineering, each up to $1,250 for five years; on-call cost estimating consultant services with MicroEstimating, Inc. and OCMI, Inc. each for up to $500,000 for five years; and on-call development review consultant services with CSG Consultants, Inc. and SNG & Associates, Inc., each up to $1,2500 for five years.
• Approve on-call traffic engineering consultant services with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Fehr & Peers, and DKS Associates; on-call traffic signal engineering consultant services with Kimley-Horn and Associates and TJKM Transportation Consultants; and on-call transportation planning consultant services with Fehr & Peers, Alta Planning+Design, Inc. and Kittelson & Assoicates, Inc., each up to $1,250,000 for five years.
• Approve agreements for on-call mechanical, electrical and plumbing design services with Advance Design Consultants, Inc., American Consulting Engineers Electrical, Inc. and Salas O’Brien, each for up to $1,250,000 for five years.
• Approve lease amendment with California Department of Rehabilitation for space at Family Resource Center.
Public Communications:
• Continued complaint about noncompliant Accessory Dwelling Unit construction on Chavel Court.
• Effects of stay-at-home order on personal stress.
• Honor Martin Luther King Day by donating to Alameda County Food Bank. COVID memorial on January 19 by displaying white or amber lights. January 15-20, send “thank you” letters to hospital staff.
• Accountability, then unity needed in light of insurrection at Capitol on January 6th.
Items Removed from Consent:
• Accept COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant from Alameda County Transportation Commission in the amount of $75,000 for Centerville Complete Streets Project.
• Authorize contract with Rahi Systems in the amount of $598,377.45 for audio/visual equipment for City Council Chambers. (Salwan recuse)
Council Communications:
• Mayor Mei referral to change appointments to Community Development Block Grant Committee from City Manager to Mayor.
Mayor Lily Mei Aye
Vice Mayor Jenny Kassan Aye
Teresa Keng, District 1 Aye
Rick Jones, District 2 Aye
Yang Shao, District 4 Aye
Raj Salwan, District 5 Aye, 1 recusal
Teresa Cox, District 6 Aye
‘Ghost guns’ recovered from San Leandro streets
Submitted by San Leandro PD
Police officers in San Leandro kicked off the new year by recovering nine guns from city streets stemming from various investigations. Three of those weapons were described by police as “ghost guns,” weapons with the serial number removed, which makes them nearly impossible to trace.
Here are the guns recovered by the San Leandro Police Department (SLPD) during a recent busy week:
Wednesday, January 6
• At 2:30 a.m. officers conducted a traffic stop and recovered a “ghost gun” with a 36 round, extended magazine.
• At 7:40 p.m. officers contacted a person inside a suspicious vehicle and recovered a firearm and illegal drugs.
Thursday, January 7
• At 1 a.m. officers contacted a suspicious person and recovered a handgun from him.
• At 3 a.m. officers responded to a home invasion robbery report and recovered two handguns, and arrested two suspects.
Saturday, January 9
• At 3:00 a.m. officers made a vehicle stop and recovered a handgun.
Sunday, January 10
• At 11 p.m. officers responded to a disturbance call and heard gunshots. They recovered two firearms; one was a handgun, and the other was a rifle, both “ghost guns.”
• At 11:30 p.m. officers responded to a residential burglary report and contacted a suspect near the area. A handgun was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle.
“Each of these encounters is dangerous since our officers were contacting armed individuals or [individuals that] had access to a weapon within reach,” said SLPD Lt. Ali Khan. “We are glad that we were able to remove these weapons from the streets and safely apprehend the individuals.”
In 2020, police in San Leandro recovered 116 guns; 25 of those were “ghost guns.” Firearms recovered this year do not reflect a spike in gun arrests, but SLPD is posting recent activities related to weapon recoveries to be transparent.
City council lifts minimum wage
Submitted by City of Hayward
Hayward City Council gave initial approval in February 2020 to increase the minimum wage for people working within the city. Under the final version of the local ordinance, which received final approval in April 2020, the minimum wage at organizations with 26 or more employees was increased to $15/hour effective January 1, 2021.
Beginning January 1, 2022, the minimum wage that must be paid by these larger Hayward employers will be adjusted based on the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward region.
Meanwhile, beginning January 1, 2021, Hayward minimum wage for employees of smaller organizations with 25 or fewer workers moved to $14 an hour. The minimum wage for these smaller employers will adjust again on January 1, 2022, based on the change in the CPI.
Effective January 1, 2023, smaller employers in Hayward will be subject to a $15 minimum wage per state law and to any future increase in accordance with California minimum wage law.
Hayward Police Log
Submitted by Hayward PD
Monday, January 4
• At 8:32 p.m. a robbery occurred in the 100 block of W. Jackson St. The suspects entered the business, assaulted an employee and took items. All suspects fled prior to police arrival; an investigation is continuing.
Tuesday, January 5
• At 2:04 a.m. a dispute occurred in the 27000 block of Ponderosa Court. The victim was assaulted with a weapon and the suspect fled prior to police arrival.
• At 11:45 p.m. officers responded to a vehicle crash report in the 24000 block of Saklan Road. A record check showed the vehicle was reported stolen; the suspect was arrested.
Wednesday, January 6
• At 3:33 p.m. a robbery occurred at Southland Mall when suspects armed with a weapon took personal items from a victim. The suspects could not be found after an extensive search.
Friday, January 8
• At 4:19 p.m. a vehicle’s window was struck by a bullet in the area of Tennyson Road. and Patrick Avenue. There were no injuries.
Saturday, January 9
• At 8:41 p.m. a robbery occurred in the 20000 block of Hesperian Blvd. when suspect used a weapon and took cash from a business. The suspect was not located.
Boxing up local history
By Stephanie Gertsch
Photos by Stephanie Gertsch and courtesy of Washington Township Museum of Local History
Since 2014, creative box art has enlivened the city of Fremont. However, these murals on city-owned traffic control boxes add more than just color. Many also highlight Fremont’s unique community and landmarks. None do it better than four new boxes installed in December 2020, a collaboration between the City of Fremont boxART! Program and the Washington Township Museum of Local History. With vintage photos laid on a background of Fremont maps, these boxes and two towers feel like a public scrapbook for the city.
Lisa Stambaugh, web designer for the museum, was a fan of Fremont’s boxART! program from day one. She recalls how program manager Susan Longini shared the news back in 2014. “Susan came to visit me and bring me ice cream the day after [I had] surgery. She said, ‘I’ve got to tell you about this new project we’re doing – boxART! I’ve got to find sponsors.’ I said, ‘I’m in!’ So, I was the first person to sponsor a box. I picked one down the street from my house and I visited the guy every day for three weeks while he was painting.”
When asked to design the layout for the history boxes, Stambaugh had similar enthusiasm, responding, “I wanna do the layout! I’ll be really offended if you invite somebody else to do this.”
Each box covers a different era of Fremont History, starting in the 1800s and ending at the year 2000. Susan Longini saw people respond to the boxes right away: “The last morning of the installation, someone stopped by the box and said, ‘I grew up there!’ Because the background of the pictures is era specific maps. And he could find his street on that map…Then somebody else came by and recognized one of the people who was featured on the box.”
The decision to include people in the photos was deliberate, says Patricia Schaffarzyk, longtime volunteer at the museum, and who curated photos for the boxes along with Museum President Kelsey Camello. “We decided to focus mostly on having people in the pictures. Because people are interesting for others to look at, even if we don’t know the exact history, you can always make your own story when you see people. Focusing on people – from ranchers, to local celebrities, to Chinese laborers flying kites – shows how people have come to the Tri-Cities over the years and grown the community.
When viewed together, the boxes create a walking tour through Fremont history. Each has a QR code that when scanned takes viewers to the museum website to learn more of the story behind each photo. “The four big boxes are all black and white, very historical looking,” explains Stambaugh. By contrast the towers showcase color photos from Fremont’s 50th anniversary event Hands Around the Lake in 2006. “It’s like the Wizard of Oz!” she laughs.
Images were printed on vinyl wraps by Signs Unlimited, which also did the application. It took about three hours to wrap each box once the vinyl was printed. The process of translating 2D photos to a 3D box was complicated, and Stambaugh says her technical background in web design helped her communicate with the printers. For example, many photos had faded over the years, so it took some digital processing to convert them all to greyscale and color balance for a consistent brightness level.
Then the wraps have to be assembled. “It’s not just one big piece that gets wrapped around the box. It’s all these different pieces that are cut to go around the edges and overlap. A huge amount of work on their part to turn what we had created into something you could use in that physical format.” Also: Traffic control boxes aren’t flat– they have door handles, nobs, and vents. That affects photo placement, as you don’t want someone’s face obscured by a vent.
Of course, a collaboration on this scale became more complicated during COVID-19. For Schaffarzyk, it was actually easier to sort through photos with the museum closed to the public. Stambaugh remembers, “There was an email in February from Susan [Longini] that said ‘Patricia [Schaffarzyk] and Kelsey [Camello] are going through photos and we’re all gonna meet together in a couple of months to go over them’… obviously we were never able to meet. I think if we had not all known each other before it would have been a lot harder.” A strong bond helped the women pull through and make the project a success.
When asked about which photos stand out, Schaffarzyk mentioned one of roller-skaters on a parade float with the skating rink in the background. “I went to school in Irvington and I remember that building. I don’t remember when they did skating, this was before my time, but I really enjoy that picture.” Stambaugh noticed pre-1920s photos of women riding bicycles and even a motor bike. Longini enjoys how all the photos are stitched together to create a sense of an era.
“Honestly they’re even better than I thought they’d be,” says Longini. “You see the idea on your computer but to experience it at a large scale puts it in a very different perspective.”
Learn more at: https://museumoflocalhistory.org/
Guide to History boxes:
Box 1 Pre-1920 and Tower
Corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Walnut Avenue
(In front of Chase Bank)
Box 2 1920 – 1956
Paseo Padre Parkway and Princeton Plaza (Gateway Plaza)
(In front of Wells Fargo Bank)
Box 3 1956 – 1980
Paseo Padre Parkway and Capitol Avenue
(In front of Philz Coffee)
Box 4 1980 – 2000 and Tower
Fremont Boulevard and Capitol Avenue
(In front of Fremont Hub)
Honor Roll
Bucknell University, Pennsylvania
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Gwendolyn Hostetter of Hayward
Ohio Wesleyan University
Fall 2020 Theory to Practice Grant
• Jasmine Lew of Fremont
Letter to the Editor
Beautify Fremont
City of Fremont is recognized for its beautiful Lake Elizabeth, Central Park, and California's 14th mission – Mission San Jose, which makes Fremont a wonderful community to live in. Being the epicenter of Silicon Valley, Fremont in the last few years has become the #1 for the tech startups per capita in the country. As said, continuous improvement is the key to progress, and one of those areas that needs improvement is the Auto Mall Parkway.
The wide divider on Auto Mall Parkway, mainly between the Fremont Boulevard and S. Grimmer Boulevard, has been barren and undeveloped for some time. In summer, lot of weeds grow tall on this open area. The whole site is kind of an eyesore and looks kind of run down.
Auto Mall Parkway is the main artery connecting two main interstate highways and to the east leads to the historic Mission San Jose. Beautification along this road will make the whole area more appealing and thus the driving experience more pleasant. Fremont has been trying to maintain this area, but there should be a landscape improvement for this area. The city has been trying to do this, but not enough progress has been made on this front.
The resident community of this part of the city is largely in agreement to do the landscape improvement along Auto Mall Parkway and is eagerly waiting for this landscaping plan to be implemented.
Let us hope 2021 is the year of this improvement.
Aahesh Agrawal
Fremont
Inauguration day only has one lasting tradition: change
By Andrew Cavette
Images via Pixabay
The January 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol and the COVID19 pandemic have already changed how the 2021 inauguration day ceremonies are being planned.
Some customs surrounding the presidential oath-taking are going to be altered or removed from the ceremony. These changes to tradition may seem concerning, the threat of danger possibly frightening, but Americans making changes to Inauguration Day is the only consistent thing about this ceremony.
The 2021 inauguration day ceremony was going to be different even before the attacks on the capitol. In December 2020, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released their Inauguration Security and Operations report.
This nonpartisan organization noted changes being considered by authorities to reduce spreading of the virus: “…this global pandemic and the rise in COVID-19 cases warranted a difficult decision to limit attendance at the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies…”
Security measures around the 2021 ceremony are being updated since the Capitol attack. These security updates are important, but the practice of updating inauguration security measures is frequent to the point of boring. The CRS made note in a January 11 report that, in 2009 after “some ticket holders were unable to reach their designated seating areas,” Senator Dianne Feinstein, chair of the by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), asked for a review of inauguration security operations.
U.S. Secret Service agent, Michael Plati, has described recent increases to security measures as “robust.” That same January 11 CRS report includes a long list of law-enforcement agencies involved in keeping inauguration day secure. For perspective, the report notes “past inauguration security planning included the creation of the Law Enforcement Executive Steering Committee (ESC) and 24 operational subcommittees focusing on securing the inauguration.” All security increases being considered now are in addition to everything the ESC typically covers.
Inauguration Day does not keep traditions for long. It used to be in March, four cold months after the election. The old date gave people time to collect, count and report votes in winter, with 18th century technology. Americans had to deal with a number of lame-duck, presidential missteps (including the “Secession Winter” of 1860) before a date was ratified in 1933.
The location of the ceremonies shifts too. George Washington was in the country’s capitol, then New York, the first time he was sworn in, and in the country’s capitol, changed to Philadelphia, the second time.
In Washington DC, at the Capitol building, ceremonies were held on the East front of the building. Andrew Jackson moved his to the West front and, much later, Ronald Regan held his there too. Since Regan, every president has been sworn in on the West steps. Regan had one of his inaugurations up-ended, the oath done indoors because of extreme weather… and so did William H. Taft. Three presidents have been sworn in at the White House.
President Trump said he will not attend the 2021 inauguration. John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson also boycotted their successors. Woodrow Wilson, Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Nixon were absent on the day, but not out of protest.
While Americans have come to expect certain ceremonial norms every four years, there is only one element of Inauguration Day that is required by the constitution; the incoming president must take the oath of office. Everything around that oath will change… It’s tradition.
CONTINUING EVENTS:
Monday – Saturday
Free COVID-19 Testing
M-F: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sa: 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Drive through, drop-in, and walk-up testing by appointment
Bay Area Community Health
39500 Liberty St., Fremont
(510) 770-8040
Mondays and Wednesdays
Parenting During COVID R
Tue: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wed: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual support group to help families cope with challenges encountered during COVID
To register: www.fremont.gov/3060/Caregiver-Support
(510) 574-2100
Tuesdays
Free Virtual Sing-Along
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zoom choir meeting hosted by Mission Peak Chamber Singers
https://www.chambersingers.org/
Contact: info@chambersingers.org
Wednesdays, January 20 – April 14
National Geographic Live Virtual Events $
7 p.m.
1/20: Life on Other Worlds
2/10: Scientific Exposure
2/24: Reimagining Dinosaurs
3/17: Feats of Filmmaking
3/31: Mysterious Seas
4/14: Women and Migration
LivermoreArts.org
(925) 373-6800
Nationalgeographic.com/events
Wednesday – Saturday
Free COVID-19 Testing
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Drive through and walk-up testing by appointment
Make appointment at: https://ac.fulgentgenetics.com/
Glad Tidings Church
1000 Glad Tidings Way, Hayward
Wednesdays and Sundays
McNevin at The Mudpuddle
6 p.m.
Dinner time tunes, oddservations, and bad jokes
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic
Thursdays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Youth Group
6:30 p.m.
Youth and young adults, students welcome
Contact: brian@newarkpress.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Thursdays, January 14-March 4
Life Review Group
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Life is a journey. Explore the story of your life
1-800-260-0094/ jwolfinger@crisissupport.org
Saturdays
Virtual Telescope Viewing R
9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Free on Facebook Live
Join resident astronomers live from Chabot’s observation deck
https://chabotspace.org/calendar/
Saturdays
Online Comedy Shows R$
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Made Up Theatre’s interactive comedy has gone to YouTube!
Saturdays & Sundays
India Community Center Youth Programs R$
Art Class (K-5): Saturdays, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., 1/23 – 5/15
Hindi Class (1-6): Sundays, 10:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
Public Speaking (2-6): Sundays, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
Bollywood Class (all ages): Every Day, 1/11 – 5/16
EnActe Voice Acting for Animation (3-8): Sundays, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
EnActe Art of Performance (3-8): Sundays, 11 a.m. – 12 noon, 1/24 – 5/16
https://www.indiacc.org/programs/enrichment-program-registration/
youthprograms@indiacc.org
Sundays
Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church Family Service
10 a.m.
Via ZOOM
For link, call (510) 471-2581
https://sacbc.org/
Sundays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Sunday School, Ages K – 6th grade
Contact: office@newarkpres.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Sundays, January 24 – February 21
Winter Treats Virtual Baking Class
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cookies, brownies, cupcakes and more! Grades 3 – 6
https://bit.ly/3pWuVNW
UPCOMING
Tuesday, January 19
Increasing Restaurant Online Food Orders R
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47689
Tuesday, January 19
Virtual Resource Fair: Housing and Healthcare R
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Learn about the benefits of home sharing and other social services
Via Zoom
https://bit.ly/3oKFio2
Tuesday, January 19 & Wednesday, January 20
Let’s House Hayward R
Virtual community planning summit on homelessness
Summit Kick-Off: Tuesday, 2p.m. – 3 p.m.
Housing and Shelter Solutions Working Group: Tuesday, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Services and Outreach Working Group: Wednesday, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Homelessness Prevention Working Group: Wednesday, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Register at https://bit.ly/2KhCP5s
Hayward@homebaseccc.org
Wednesday, January 20
How to Use a CRM to Increase Sales R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47643
Wednesday, January 20
USCIS Online Resources and Customer Service Tools
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free info session from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Webex Link: https://bit.ly/2LBp7eh
Meeting number (access code): 199 889 4293
Meeting password: XJmmHSru9$57
Thursday, January 21
Access to Capital for African Americans in Business Restoration and Rebuilding R
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47410
Thursday, January 21
Electric Vehicle Financial Incentive Clinic
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Discover the many financial assistance programs available
https://bit.ly/3h1jgKz
Saturday, January 23
Fremont Area Writers: Jesse Byrd
2 p.m.
Zoom; by invitation
Email scottfrombayside@yahoo.com
cwc-fremontareawriters.org
Saturday, January 23
Fight Night at the Fair $R
Live stream of the UFC 257 Poirer vs. MCGregor lightweight bout
www.ticketmaster.com/encore-ufc257
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
Saturday, January 23
Diamonds in Education Virtual Telethon
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Comedian Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh, auctions, and award presentations
Via Facebook Live and YouTube
www.diamondsineduction.com
www.nhsfoundation.org
Tuesday, January 26
Marketing Your Services During Challenging Times R
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47686
Wednesday. January 27
Alameda County HR Guidelines R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47685
Wednesday, January 27
Petitioning for Relatives and Permanent Resident Status
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free info session from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Webex Link: https://bit.ly/39BufXO
Meeting number (access code): 199 051 8937
Meeting password: 7xAXD76vc3e*
Wednesday, January 27
Family Caregiver Support Program
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
To register email fsharifi@fremont.gov
Saturday, January 30
ICC Youth Leadership Series
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
“Power Hour” geared towards middle and high school students
https://bit.ly/3ow0ZIc
Saturday, January 30
Behavioral Health – Breaking Stigma
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Identify some stigmas of behavioral health and challenge attitudes and misconceptions
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/38KSHqw
Wednesday, February 3
Immigration Overview
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free info session from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Webex Link: https://bit.ly/35H6igK
Meeting number (access code): 199 356 8874
Meeting password: MJiRunKb
Saturday, February 6
COVID Vaccines – Perspectives & Expectations
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Learn more about the COVID vaccine from a leading expert
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/35JuajY
Thursday, February 11
Show Your Love – Virtual Cooking & Wine Event $R
6 p.m.
Prepare a decadent, home-cooked meal. Proceeds benefit Spectrum Community Services
Register at https://bit.ly/3qdqK0y
Friday, February 19
14th Annual Crab Feed Fundraiser – At Home Edition
Pick up a delicious dinner of fresh crab to enjoy at home
Pick Up Times: 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Buy tickets ($60) online at: https://bit.ly/Crabfeed2021awc
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont
(510) 790-6602
agewellcenters@fremont.gov
Saturday, March 13
Drive-In Concert $
Gareth Emery: We’ll Be OK
3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/2X0zkmM
7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3pyqCYY
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
Workshop to focus on writing family history
Submitted by Marcess Owings
In partnership with the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) of San Francisco, the Hayward Area Historical Society is offering an online workshop for second-generation (Nisei) Japanese American novice writers. No previous writing experience is needed.
The Nisei narrative is complex and compelling, enriched by family, community, culture, and country. Family, friends and others can benefit from understanding how the Nisei led their lives before, during, and after World War II. First-hand accounts offer inspiration to individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
Workshop leader Naomi Shibata will shepherd writers through the process of recording their own memoirs. She will demystify the writing process so participants can record these vital family stories for future generations. A long-time NJAHS docent, Shibata is the author of Bend with the Wind, a celebration of the life, family, and writings of her mother, Grace Eto Shibata.
This three-part program will be held 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Wednesdays, January 27, February 17 and March 10 via Zoom. The work is cumulative, and each session builds upon the completion of the previous session’s efforts.
To register for the workshop, send an email to education@haywardareahistory.org or call (510) 581-0223. For details, visit the Hayward Area Historical Society website at www.haywardareahistory.org.
Larry E. Hernandez
Resident of Hayward
May 17, 1960 – January 6, 2021
Larry Hernandez was born on May 17, 1960 in Oakland, CA and passed away on January 6, 2021 in Fremont, CA at the age of 60. Survived by his beloved wife Lisa. Loving father to Hannah and Laura Hernandez. Adoring grandfather to Alijah, Mia and Damien. Caring brother to Twin brother Barry Hernandez and sister Lorreta. Larry is preceded in death by brother Ruben “Charlie” Hernandez and many nieces and nephews.
Larry was raised in Decoto, CA. He was a retired mechanic and loved working on classic cars, he was one of founding member of Bay Bombs Car Club. He also enjoyed fishing with his uncles and friends.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 5 – 8 PM with a Prayer Service at 6:30 PM, Fremont Chapel of the Roses, 1940 Peralta Blvd., Fremont.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, 21, 2021, 12:00 PM at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 703 C Street, Union City. Mass will be livestreamed on the parish Facebook page. You do not have to be a registered user of Facebook to view the livestreams.
TO ACCESS THE LIVESTREAM, https://www.facebook.com/OurLadyRosaryChurchUCCA/
Mask are required for all Services and Social Distance is Enforced.
A Celebration of life will be held at a later time.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Testing Leftover Seeds for Viability
By Melinda Myers
Photos Courtesy of www.MelindaMyers.com
The beginning of a new year finds many gardeners preparing for the growing season ahead. Clearing space to start seeds indoors, inventorying seeds and supplies, and ordering seeds, plants, and more are usually part of the process.
While organizing, you may uncover seeds from past seasons. Do not discard these just yet. When seeds are stored properly, many can last from one to five years or more. Seeds stored in a cool location like the refrigerator in an airtight container maintain their viability best. But even those stored in less-than-ideal conditions may surprise you. Older seeds may still sprout once they pass their average life expectancy, but you are likely to see a reduction in the success rate.
The type of seed also influences how long seeds can be stored and remain viable. Start by checking the expiration date on the seed packet. Onions, parsley, and parsnip seeds usually last one year. Corn, okra, and peppers for two years; beans and peas for three years; tomatoes, turnips, beets, chard, and watermelon for four years; and Brussels sprouts, cabbage, muskmelons, radishes, and spinach last for five years.
The same principles apply to saved flower seeds. Marigold and zinnia seeds can maintain good viability for two to five years; ageratum, nasturtium, sunflowers, and yarrow for three to five years; monarda four years; and calendula for four to six years. But the longer you grow plants, the more likely you are to push the limits. This often results in unexpected success or valuable insight for future gardening endeavors.
When in doubt, use this quick-and-easy test to see if your seeds will sprout. Place 10 seeds on a damp paper towel. Roll up the towel with seeds inside, place in a plastic bag and store in a warm location. After a week or so, unwrap the paper towel and check the seeds for sprouting. If nothing has happened, rewrap the seeds, and wait a few more days.
If all the seeds have sprouted, you have 100 percent germination and can plant the seeds as recommended on the package. If only half the seeds sprout, for example, you will need to plant the seeds twice as close together to compensate for the lower germination rate. The sprouted seeds can be planted indoors or out depending on the time of year, available space, and your climate.
If none of the seeds sprout, consider breaking out the glue and getting the family involved in turning these leftover seeds into works of art. Select a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors to create your masterpiece on wood or heavyweight card stock. Large seeds like beans, peas and corn are easy for crafters of all ages to handle. Use tweezers for finer seeds that add detail and texture to your creation.
Testing seeds now can help you save money when placing your seed order. You can focus your planting budget on new seeds and supplement with your existing inventory.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
East Bay library services director receives recognition
Submitted by City of Hayward
Hayward Public Library’s director of library services, Jayanti Addleman, is a winner of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award. Recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) for her inspiring leadership during COVID-19 and beyond, she was selected from 1,865 nominations from library users across the country.
Addleman has made a powerful impact since joining Hayward Public Library (HPL) in January 2019. In her eventful two-year tenure, Addleman oversaw a major move to a new branch, adapted library services to an unprecedented public health crisis, and led efforts to abolish overdue fines for patrons. Nominators say she has navigated these changes with exceptional expertise and enthusiasm.
“Ms. Addleman is HPL’s biggest cheerleader and is always there to help in any way that she can,” her nominators wrote. “She tirelessly reminds the community of the services the library has to offer, keeping services relevant and impactful.”
Addleman and this year’s nine other honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library, and complimentary registration to ALA’s 2021 Virtual Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference on Saturday, January 23, and will be available to stream live at www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation.
Milpitas Police Log
Submitted by Milpitas PD
Wednesday, January 6
• At 6:27 a.m. an officer found a stolen Toyota Corolla from Milpitas near the 1000 block of N. Milpitas Blvd. and arrested a 28-year-old San Luis Obispo resident. The car had been stolen while the keys were in the ignition and it was left unoccupied while being warmed up. The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle
Thursday, January 7
• At 9:13 a.m. a traffic officer spotted a 46-year-old transient from Milpitas spray painting a sound wall near the 300 block of W. Calaveras Blvd. The suspect was stopped and issued a criminal citation for vandalism.
Friday, January 8
• At 2:31 a.m. an officer found a stolen Hyundai Accent from San Jose near the 1990 block of Piedmont Road. He arrested two suspects: a 34-year-old San Jose resident and 28-year-old Merced resident. The San Jose resident was booked into jail on suspicion of DUI, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia and multiple warrants. The Merced resident was booked into jail on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.
• At 1:00 p.m. officers responded to the 1000 block of S. Abel St. on the report of a person behaving erratically and screaming. Officers were able to quickly de-escalate the situation and safely take the 29-year-old Milpitas resident into custody. The suspect was booked into jail for being under the influence of drugs, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Saturday, January 9
• At 12:12 p.m. an officer found a stolen Chevrolet Silverado from Campbell near the 40 block of Ranch Drive and arrested a 26-year-old San Jose resident associated with it. The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle with prior convictions; the vehicle was released to its owner.
Missing cat turns up 3 years after California disaster
AP Wire Service
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP), Jan 12 – A pet cat believed killed along with her owner in a huge mudslide has been found three years later.
The Animal Shelter Assistance Program in Santa Barbara County says the calico named Patches was brought in as a stray last month and a microchip scan revealed her identity.
Patches had been missing since Jan. 9, 2018, when a rainstorm on the vast burn scar of the Thomas Fire sent a debris-laden torrent crashing down through hillside neighborhoods of Montecito, northwest of Los Angeles.
Twenty-three people were killed, including cat owner Josie Gower. The devastation of the debris flow was so terrible that the bodies of two victims were never found.
The ASAP shelter says Patches was found less than a quarter-mile from where her Montecito home stood.
She was reunited with Gower's partner, Norm Borgatello, on New Year's Eve.
“Though we don't know exactly what she's been doing with her life for the past three years, we can see that both Patches and Norm are thrilled to be reunited,” the shelter said in a Facebook post.
A livestream ceremony to remember the 23 victims was held last week on the third anniversary of what has become known as the “1/9 Debris Flow.”
Annual Wild Mushroom Warning
Submitted by Jen Vanya
Mushrooms are an ecologically important part of our parklands and can look beautiful – but some of them contain dangerous toxins. Each year, mushrooms proliferate after the first sustained rains of the season. The death cap (Amanita phalloides) and Western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata) are two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms, and both can be found in East Bay Regional Parks during the rainy season.
The death cap and Western destroying angel mushrooms contain amatoxins, molecules that are deadly to many animals. Symptoms may not appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to liver and kidney failure if treatment is not sought immediately.
East Bay Regional Park District Naturalist Trent Pearce documents and teaches about fungi in the Bay Area. “Both of these mushrooms can be lethal to humans and pets if consumed” Pearce warns. “They are mainly associated with oak trees and can be found growing anywhere oak roots are present.”
The death cap is a medium to large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem, and a large white sac at the base of the stem. Although the death cap is mainly associated with oak trees, it has been found growing with other hardwoods. It was accidentally introduced to North America on the roots of European cork oaks and is now slowly colonizing the West Coast. The death cap is not native to California.
The Western destroying angel is a medium to large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that can disappear with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring. It is associated exclusively with oaks. Unlike the death cap, it is a native California mushroom.
“The Park District urges the public to be safe and knowledgeable about toxic mushrooms when encountering them in the parks,” said East Bay Regional Park District Public Information Supervisor Dave Mason. “Collecting any mushrooms in East Bay Regional Parks is not allowed.”
The death cap and Western destroying angel can also be dangerous for pets.
“Dog owners should keep a close watch on their dogs during the winter months,” said Mason. “Pet owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect their pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom.”
While the death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly toxins can also be found in Galerina and Lepiota mushroom species, which also occur in the Bay Area.
National Geographic Live!
By David R. Newman
It’s 2021… are you ready for an adventure?!
After several months of being cooped up at home, many people are looking forward with hope and optimism to the days when travel will be safe again. To get in the mood, you may want to check out the new National Geographic Live! Speaker Series, hosted by the Livermore Valley Perfoming Arts Center (LVPAC), along with the Quest Science Center (QSC) and the Rae Dorough Speaker Series (RDSS).
Since 1888 the National Geographic Society has delivered a world of adventure to its members by inviting prominent explorers and scientists to speak about their work. Just one month after the Society’s founding and before the first published National Geographic magazine, explorer John Wesley Powell inaugurated the speaker series by delivering a talk about the physical geography of the United States.
More recently, the National Geographic Live! Speaker Series has featured world-renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers, conservationists, and adventurers who have entertained live audiences here and abroad with their behind-the-scenes stories and stunning imagery.
And now, it’s virtual. Each 60-minute event will include a moderated discussion between two speakers with pre-recorded content interspersed with live conversation, as well as question and answer periods. LVPAC is the only Bay Area venue that is hosting this event. Said Chris Carter, Executive Director of LVPAC, “It was important that we deliver something to the community. That has been our mission. We can’t just close down and not do anything.”
Carter is the first to admit that they have been fortunate. As a non-profit, they are still able to raise funds through contributions, which have been their primary source of revenue during the pandemic. Other venues have not been so lucky. The recently passed Save Our Stages Act will provide much needed Federal funding to venues that qualify.
In the meantime, virtual adventures may just be what the doctor ordered! Tune in January 20 as the series kicks off with “Life on Other Worlds”, a conversation about discovering life on other planets with astrobiologist Kevin Peter Hand and NASA engineer Kobie Boykins. Or try out “Reimagining Dinosaurs” on February 24, where leading paleontologists Nizar Ibrahim and Sebastián Rozadilla share stories about the evolving science of dinosaurs. Or you may want to wait until March 17 when “Feats of Filmmaking” airs, showing how two guys capture extreme feats of adventure in some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable environments.
Says Carter, “There is a great intersection in my mind between the arts and sciences, so hosting this series really made a lot of sense for us.” Partnering with the Quest Science Center, another Livermore non-profit, also made sense, as well as working with the team from the Rae Dorough Speaker Series, whose speakers have engaged audiences at the Bankhead Theatre for over 12 years. “We see the fascinating Nat Geo Live series as the perfect opportunity to draw on the strengths of all three organizations and deliver events that are both entertaining and educational for our community,” Carter added.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.livermorearts.org
JAN 20 “Life on Other Worlds”
FEB 10 “Scientific Exposure”
FEB 24 “Reimagining Dinosaurs”
MAR 17 “Feats of Filmmaking”
MAR 31 “Mysterious Seas”
APR 14 “Women and Migration”
Annual fundraiser supports local students
Submitted by Shannon Antepenko
New Haven Schools Foundation invites the community to its “Diamonds in Education Telethon,” a benefit for classroom needs and student scholarships, on Saturday, January 23. The event streams live telethon-style on YouTube and Facebook and features Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh, fabulous auction prizes, and a guest performance by the James Logan High School Choir.
This year’s event is chaired by Kimberly Hartz, CEO of Washington Hospital Healthcare System, and Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle. To register or to donate, visit https://nhsfoundation.ejoinme.org/diamonds.
Diamonds in Education Telethon
Saturday, Jan 23
Pre-show: 5:30 p.m.; show starts 6:00 p.m.
https://nhsfoundation.ejoinme.org/diamonds
Live, online
New members join Ohlone Board of Trustees
Submitted by Tina Vossugh
Longtime Fremont residents Dr. Rakesh Sharma and Lance Kwan are the two newest faces in the Ohlone College Board of Trustees, replacing former members Teresa Cox and Tawney Warren. Both were sworn in during the board’s December 16 meeting along with returning member Greg Bonaccorsi who was re-elected to a fourth term in November. All three trustees represent Area 2, which is east of Interstate 880 (Fremont with a small portion of Union City).
Sharma, a Fremont resident for more than 32 years, has served and supported the Ohlone College Foundation for more than 15 years. He is the founder of Indo-Americans for Better Community, a Fremont based non-profit tax-exempt organization that has raised more than $750,000 for local organizations, including the Ohlone College Foundation and the Ohlone Promise Scholarship endowment. Additionally, Sharma has been active in the local community, serving on the City of Fremont’s Planning Commission, as President of the Niles Rotary Club, and on boards for Life ElderCare, Salvation Army and the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. Sharma has two daughters who followed his passion and are physicians; he also is married to a doctor who works for the Washington Township Medical Foundation in Fremont.
Kwan is a lifelong Fremont resident and has always been actively involved in community engagement. Kwan currently works in the non-profit sector assisting low-income families across Alameda County with their energy efficiency needs. For six years he served on the City of Fremont’s Human Relations Commission. He also is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, active with the Fremont contingent in the San Francisco Pride Parade, and a primary editor of the City of Fremont’s Pride Month and Transgender Week of Remembrance proclamations. Kwan is also politically active in the local district and is an Alameda County Democratic Central Committee representative for State Assembly District 20. He currently serves as the President of the South Alameda County Young Democrats.
Newark Police Log
Submitted by Newark PD
Tuesday, January 5
• At 9:34 a.m. Officer Frentescu investigated a report of a Honda Accord stolen overnight in the 6000 block of Albyn Court. The vehicle was later recovered in Oakland.
• At 5:12 p.m. Officer Pacheco investigated a report of a Chevrolet Silverado stolen in the 35000 block of Newark Blvd. The truck was later recovered in Oakland.
Thursday, January 7
• While making a security check at 4:24 p.m. in the 6800 block of Mowry Ave., Officer Palacio met and later arrested a 38-year-old Fremont man on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance. He was cited and released.
• At 10:15 p.m. Officer Losier investigated a report of vandalism in the 6000 block of Mirabeau Dr. Losier determined an unoccupied vehicle had been shot at with a BB gun.
Friday, January 8
• At 11:58 p.m. officers responded to a report of suspicious activity that appeared to be people checking car doors in the 6000 block of Lafayette Ave. Officer Smith met and later arrested a 35-year-old Newark man on an outstanding parole warrant. He was booked at Santa Rita Jail.
Saturday, January 9
• At 2:22 a.m. Officer Quinonez made met and later arrested a 24-year-old Fremont man in the area of Thornton Avenue and Olive Street on suspicion of DUI. He was booked at Fremont Jail.
• Between 4:35 p.m. and 4:46 p.m. officers responded to a report of a pair of purse robberies that had occurred in the 39000 block of Cedar Blvd and 35000 block of Newark Blvd. An investigation is continuing.
Newark City Council
January 14, 2021
Consent Calendar:
• Accept work of G. Bortolotto & Company, Inc. for 2018 Asphalt Concrete Street Overlay Program.
• Award contract to Saviano Company, Inc. for Birch Grove Tennis Court Resurfacing Project.
• Authorize grant applications for State of California Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program.
Other Business:
• Biotechnology Industry overview and Economic Development update. Newark is home to 34 firms of which 18 have arrived since January 1, 2018 with over 1400 employees. Presentations by Allogene Therapeutics – a new approach to cancer therapy and ATUM – biological design and synthesis. Comments by representatives of Northern California office of Biocom, Ohlone College Life Sciences faculty, Biomedical Manufacturing Network and biomedical support personnel.
Mayor Alan Nagy Aye
Vice Mayor Mike Bucci Aye
Luis Freitas Aye
Sucy Collazo Aye
Michael Hannon Aye
Millennial Money: How to nail a no-spend month
AP Wire Service
Jan 05
By LAUREN SCHWAHN of NerdWallet
Holiday spending always gets the best of me. The gifts, the food, the Christmas tree and decorations – sandwiched between two monthly rent payments – siphon money from my bank account. Every year I feel the sticker shock, briefly tuck my tail between my legs, then carry on like it never happened.
But this year I'm trying something different. I'm committing to a no-spend January. That means I'm freezing spending on unnecessary purchases this month to build my savings back up. Goodbye, mindless Target-app browsing. See you later, desserts.
I'm not the only one to emerge from the holiday season in less-than-ideal financial shape. More than half of 2019 holiday shoppers (55%) took on credit card debt, according to NerdWallet's 2020 Holiday Shopping Report.
If you're looking to shed holiday debt, boost your savings or simply manage your money better, a spending freeze can get you on track. Here's how to embark on (and stick to) a no-spend month.
CUSTOMIZE IT
A “no-spend month” sounds strict, but there are no hard-and-fast rules. Obviously, it's about reducing spending. But resolving to spend no money whatsoever is unrealistic. There's no need to take it to an extreme, especially during a pandemic when many of us have already scaled back our spending.
Everyone has expenses they can't go without, like groceries and electricity. You get to decide which categories are untouchable and which ones to cut.
Start by defining your discretionary expenses, known as “wants.” For many of us, those include restaurant dinners, alcohol or frivolous online shopping. Leo Marte, a certified financial planner based in Huntersville, North Carolina, suggests using a budgeting app to easily identify your nonessential spending categories. Then, pick which ones to pause.
Next, choose a time frame. A no-spend challenge can last a full calendar month, 30 days, four weeks or whatever period you prefer. Some people schedule a “Frugal February” because it's the shortest month. If that still seems too long, start with a week and see how it goes.
KNOW YOUR MOTIVATION
Before diving into a no-spend month, really think about what you're trying to achieve, says Kristin Larsen, who runs the blog Believe in a Budget. Are you planning to pay down holiday debt or student loans? Do you want to start an emergency fund or save for a trip?
“If you're just doing a no-spend month because it's fashionable or because you thought it was a nice idea and somebody shared it with you on social media, you're not going to stick with it,” Marte says.
Attaching a specific goal can create a stronger emotional connection and inspire you to carry on.
FIND A SUPPORT SYSTEM
A no-spend challenge can feel daunting if you go it alone. Telling family and friends about it – or better yet, encouraging them to join – gives you a “built-in accountability system,” Marte says. Your squad can provide crucial tips, reassurance or even constructive criticism when you need it.
Making your journey public on social media networks or other online forums takes accountability one step further. It shines a spotlight on successes and failures, which is exactly what some people need to stay the course.
“Maybe every time you make a meal at home and don't go out to a restaurant, you post it on Instagram. And your tribe gets excited and gives you those kudos and that recognition you need to stick it out,” Marte says.
GET CREATIVE
When Larsen goes through a no-spend period, she looks for no-cost resources to fill the void. She downloads free audiobooks through her library to get her entertainment fix. Instead of grabbing food to go, she uses a website that suggests recipes based on ingredients she already has in her pantry. (Try SuperCook or MyFridgeFood.)
Many expenses have free alternatives. See what clever workarounds you can come up with.
BUILD IN A BUFFER FOR CHEAT DAYS
Mistakes and surprises happen. Planning for them will help you avoid feeling shame or throwing in the towel.
“You could decide, `I'm not going to eat out at any restaurants this month, but I'm going to put in the budget for a takeout night in case we have a bad day at work and don't want to cook,”' Marte says.
It's also OK to set aside a little reward money in your budget for when things go well. But it's important to set limits in advance so you don't go overboard.
“If you're earning money or you have some money to spend, you should be able to enjoy it,” Larsen says. “But I think there's definitely a difference between binging or splurging versus treating yourself.”
Creating a “cheat day fund” rather than scheduling a specific day of the month to spend willy-nilly can curb a major setback.
It's up to you to decide whether you want to return to your regular spending habits when the month is up. If a spending freeze works well, try to keep the momentum going.
I'm ready to crush it. Are you?
This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Lauren Schwahn is a writer at NerdWallet.
Oakland Zoo launches “Reduce the Risk” initiative
Submitted by Isabella Linares
Zoonotic diseases are a threat to human and animal health worldwide, as more than two-thirds of all emerging infectious diseases of humans are zoonotic. A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to people or, more specifically, a disease that normally exists in animals but that can infect humans.
To address this crisis, Oakland Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are launching a new initiative – “Reduce the Risk: A Crisis in Human and Animal Health.” The initiative aims to reduce zoonotic disease threats by combating wildlife trade and will utilize four strategic pillars:
1. Strengthen national policy on wildlife trade
2. Advocate for stronger wildlife trade policies at the global level
3. Increase AZA programs and efforts that support the Reduce the Risk initiative goal
4. Educate and mobilize the public to help us reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases
Launching in Spring 2021, Oakland Zoo is opening a new 400 square foot exhibit, focused on addressing and demonstrating the effects and devastation of the (illegal) wildlife trade industry – responsible for decimating many animal species and many zoonotic diseases.
“We must acknowledge the origin of our current and tragic circumstance of COVID-19: the spillover and transmission of a zoonotic disease, quite possibly in a live animal market in Wuhan, China. But even more important than acknowledging this, we must act now to avert another similar event. Unless we learn these lessons and take steps to reduce related risks, the same will be true of the next pandemic and the next,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO, AZA.
With approximately 50 percent of Oakland Zoo’s animal residents being rescues, many of those rescues were also victims of (illegal) wildlife trade from overseas. Animals confiscated by officials at SFO and the Port of Oakland have been brought to Oakland Zoo over the years where they have been treated by veterinary hospital staff, quarantined, and then monitored for health by animal care and veterinary hospital staff.
“AZA members are experts in safely and effectively importing, exporting, and transporting animals, and have expertise in preventative veterinary care, including quarantine, and measures to enhance resiliency to animal disease and pathogens,” said Ashe. “This expertise can provide critical input into national and global policy conversations around wildlife trade and inform the public that zoos and aquariums are safe places to visit.”
Additional information on Reduce the Risk can be found at www.aza.org/reduce-the-risk.
US holds first oil lease sale for Alaska's Arctic refuge
By Becky Bohrer
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP), Jan 06 – The U.S. government held its first-ever oil and gas lease sale Wednesday for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an event critics labeled as a bust with major oil companies staying on the sidelines and a state corporation emerging as the main bidder.
The sale, held as scheduled after a judge Tuesday rejected requests by Indigenous and conservation groups to halt the event, garnered bids on half the 22 tracts that were listed as available in the refuge's coastal plain. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which held the sale, said the bids were under review.
The rugged remote area off the Beaufort Sea is considered sacred by the Indigenous Gwich'in. Critics of the lease sale say the region is special, providing habitat for wildlife including caribou, polar bears, wolves and birds, and should be off limits to drilling.
Supporters of drilling have viewed development as a way to bolster oil production, generate revenue and create or sustain jobs.
A state corporation, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, was the sale's main bidder. Its executive director, Alan Weitzner, in a statement, said in winning nine tracts, “Alaska preserves the right to responsibly develop its natural resources.”
Members of the state's congressional delegation, in a statement released by the land management agency, lauded the day as momentous. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, on Twitter, called the lease sale “historic for Alaska and tremendous for America.”
“Alaskans have waited two generations for this moment; I stand with them in support of this day,” he said.
Kate MacGregor, a deputy Interior Department secretary, said the sale marked, in part, the Trump administration's commitment to working “to fulfill the goal of U.S. energy security for decades to come.”
“And when it comes to Arctic national security, today's sale will further demonstrate the United States will have a long-term economic presence,” she added.
It was not clear heading into the sale what level of interest there would be among companies. A number of banks had announced plans to stop lending to projects in the Arctic, and President-elect Joe Biden has expressed opposition to drilling in the refuge.
While U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason on Tuesday refused to halt the sale, she has yet to rule on underlying lawsuits challenging the adequacy of the environmental review process undertaken by the federal government.
Chad Padgett, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Alaska state director, defended the review process Wednesday as rigorous and disputed critics' claims that the sale had been rushed. He called the sale a success.
The land management agency has said under an “optimistic, aggressive hypothetical scenario“ exploration could begin within two years after a lease sale, with production eight years after a sale.
Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, said while the sale's results “may not have been as robust as we might have expected, industry still supports future access to this area.“
“Today's sale reflects the brutal economic realities the oil and gas industry continues to face after the unprecedented events of 2020, coupled with ongoing regulatory uncertainty,” she said in a statement.
Adam Kolton, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League, called the sale “a huge embarrassment” for Alaska's congressional delegation, which supported the decades-long push to open the coastal plain to drilling, and to President Donald Trump's administration.
“Essentially, the Trump administration had a party, hoped the oil industry would show up, and it didn't,” he said. Kolton called the sale the “death knell for anybody who is arguing that this is going to be an oil, jobs and revenue bonanza. I mean, they've just been unmasked.“
Construction on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Projects
Submitted by City of Fremont
City of Fremont’s Public Works Department began construction on two projects to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety in late 2020.
The Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project will improve safety for pedestrians crossing at Central/Joseph and Washington/Jerome and will include construction of new rectangular rapid flashing beacons for increased pedestrian crossing awareness to motorists, upgraded lighting for improved visibility at night, bulb-outs, median refuge islands, and upgraded striping.
The Bikeway Improvements Project will convert 10 miles of existing bikeways to physically separated bike lanes in corridors across Fremont, including Paseo Padre Parkway, Walnut Avenue, Fremont Boulevard, Stevenson Boulevard, Driscoll Road, Grimmer Road, and Scott Creek Boulevard.
These two projects are made possible through funding from Measure B, Measure BB, local transportation sales tax funds from the Alameda County Transportation Commission, and Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant funds from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).
To learn more about these projects, visit www.fremont.gov/534/Bicycle-and-Pedestrian-Program.
Helen Elizabeth Roux, 95, passed away on December 27, 2020.
She was born 4-12-25 in Pasadena California. She married Jack G. Roux on Feb 8, 1948 and celebrated 40 years before Jack’s passing. Helen and Jack moved around the country, due to Jack serving 30 years in the Coast Guard. They finally settled down in Fremont, California with their three children in 1961 and Helen remained in the Fremont/Hayward area until her passing. Helen raised her children while her husband was deployed to many locations.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Helen Pierpoint and husband Jack G. Roux.
She is survived by her brother, Warren Pierpoint and his children Michael and Susie. Son Kenneth Roux of Fremont, Ca; daughters Margaret (Thomas) Dineley of Imperial Ca; Valerie McElroy (Roux) of Livermore, Ca. Grandchildren, Daniel Gucito of Santa Fe NM; Joseph Gucito (Sherrie) of Hayward, Ca; Richard McElroy (Brooklyn) of Pittsburg, Ca; Jack McElroy of Livermore Ca. Great grandchildren; Arianna, Thomas and Desirae Gucito; and Orien McElroy born the day after Helen’s passing. Also step grandchild, Elizabeth Graham. Step great grandchildren, Amirah, Tommy and Miranda Lucio and 9 great-great step grandchildren.
No services were held, and Helen was interred on January 8, at Golden Gate National Cemetery with her beloved husband Jack.
Sandra Lynn Dalton
July 24, 1972 – January 10, 2021
Resident of Fremont
On January 10, 2021, Sandra Dalton passed away
at the age of 48. Sandra graduated from Our Lady
of Guadalupe School (formerly St. Leonard) and
attended Washington High School. She is survived by her
son, Eric De La Houssaye, Jr. and her mother, Constance.
She was predeceased by her father, John. The memorial service
is by invitation and available virtually by Zoom. Burial will be private.
County of receives recognition for procurement excellence
Submitted by Santa Clara County Public Affairs
The County of Santa Clara Procurement Department has been awarded the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) Award for 2020 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI).
The AEP award recognizes innovation, professionalism, productivity, and leadership in the field of procurement. The AEP Award is earned by public and nonprofit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. Only 40 counties of the 3,007 in the United States received this coveted recognition.
The county has 2,183 contracts valued at $4 billion for purchase of goods and services to support health care, social and environmental services, and other important functions for Santa Clara County residents.
“The County of Santa Clara’s achievement of this significant national benchmark speaks to the organizational leadership, the county’s commitment to excellence in contracting, and the collective pledge to continuous improvement in ensuring high quality best value contracts,” said Gene Clark, County of Santa Clara Chief Procurement Officer.
The State of Recycling in California: A Focus on Plastics Pollution
Submitted by Eileen Riener, Tri-CED Community Recycling
It seems like everywhere you turn, there are signs or symbols urging consumers to recycle, recycle, recycle! Pick up a water bottle, a yogurt container, or the Amazon package that was just delivered to your doorstep; flip any of these plastic items over and you’ll see the ubiquitous chasing arrow symbol with a number on it, proclaiming the item is recyclable. The convenience, ease, and affordability of plastics has caused the plastics industry to grow exponentially over the years while extolling the promises of recyclability and environmental sustainability.
But, is it too good to be true?
The answer is yes. While manufacturers and producers will tout the recyclability of their products until the cows come home, the truth is, there is more to it than meets the eye. To start, the chasing arrows symbol was never intended to indicate whether or not the item is recyclable; that symbol merely indicates what type of plastic that item is made of. And not all plastics are created equal. While some types, numbered 1 (PETE) and 2 (HDPE) are easily recycled and are actually recycled back into similar products, several other types, numbered 3-7, are notoriously difficult to recycle and are considered contaminants by most haulers and processors in the recycling industry. The consumer who sees the chasing arrow symbol on an item and tosses that item into the recycling cart falls prey to “wish-cycling,” the fervent hope that anything tossed into the recycling cart will magically be recycled and avoid the landfill. The consumer is unknowingly contaminating the rest of the recycling cart.
Where does the plastic pollution go? And is what the public thinks they are recycling actually getting recycled? How are consumers expected to navigate the complexities and know what is happening to their waste?
The answers are unclear and complex. Enter California’s Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling: a committee formed by The California Recycling Market Development Act (AB 1583, Eggman) consisting of representatives from public agencies, private solid waste enterprises, and environmental organizations that have expertise in recycling.
Among the tasks charged to this group is the requirement to issue policy recommendations and identify products that are recyclable or compostable and regularly collected in curbside recycling programs. The bill also requires the commission to provide an opportunity for the public to review and provide comment on their recommendations. The commission has been meeting regularly to meet their mandate since being seated in June of 2020.
To inform their understanding of the extent of the plastics pollution problem, the commission invited Jim Puckett, Executive Director and Founder of the Basel Action Network (BAN) to speak at a recent commission meeting. Following the principles outlined by the United Nation’s Basel Convention, BAN’s mission is to champion global environmental health and justice by preventing pollution dumping on the world’s poorest residents.
At the commission’s November 4, 2020 meeting, Puckett, with input from Commissioners Richard Valle and Nick Lapis, and Martin Borque, Executive Director of The Ecology Center, presented Recommendations to Legislate Controls on Plastic Waste Exports.(Meeting minutes can be found here: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicNotices/Details/4235) Of the four recommendations meant to ensure environmentally sound management practices, one is to improve public transparency in tracking waste to its specific destination. Making the public aware of where their “recyclable” material ends up could significantly change consumer behavior and producer responsibility.
The responsibility of disposing of our waste appropriately and equitably, i.e. not pawning it off to less developed nations, falls squarely on every citizen. The public is strongly encouraged to follow the developments and outcomes from the Statewide Commission by participating in the monthly meetings. Full commission meetings are typically held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and four subcommittees – Market Development, Organics, Recycling, and Labeling and Media – meet separately in between. Schedules of all meetings can be found on CalRecycle’s website at https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/markets/commission.
Stay-at-home order extended
Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce
Alameda County is included in an extension of the Bay Area’s stay-at-home order, directed by state officials on January 9, as hospital ICU beds remain under 15 percent of capacity and COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
Under the order, residents are told to stay home except for essential work, shopping, or medical reasons. Use of parks, trails, and other outdoor recreation is permitted. The rules prohibit gatherings outside one’s own household and requires indoor retailers to operate at 20 percent capacity, with other restrictions.
“We are experiencing the biggest surge of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic,” said a statement by the Alameda County Department of Public Health. “Please stay home. Wear a mask if you must leave for essential activities.”
State officials will now make ICU bed projections about twice a week to determine when restrictions can be lifted, according to the order.
Swalwell re-appointed to Homeland Security Committee
Submitted by Josh Richman
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has re-appointed Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15) to the House Committee on Homeland Security, on which he served in the 113th Congress.
Swalwell intends to continue serving on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has chaired the Intelligence Modernization and Readiness Subcommittee, as well as on the House Judiciary Committee. He also co-chairs the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
“I’m honored and excited to rejoin active service on the Homeland Security Committee, where I plan to focus on highlighting and finding solutions to the scourge of white nationalist extremism,” Swalwell said. “My committee memberships – along with my experience as a prosecutor and as the son and brother of law enforcement officers – will give me a unique opportunity to delve into one of America’s most serious national security threats.”
At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing last September, FBI Director Christopher Wray identified white nationalist extremism as the foremost domestic terrorism threat. And a Department of Homeland Security report issued last October said that among domestic violent extremists, “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists – specifically white supremacists – will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland.”
“White nationalist extremists murdered a security officer and a sheriff’s deputy near my district last year; those victims could’ve been my brothers,” Swalwell added. “Likewise, many of the domestic terrorists who violently invaded the U.S. Capitol at President Trump’s incitement last week were white nationalist extremists. This threat is real, it is growing, and I will prioritize helping to expose, confront and eliminate it.”
As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, Swalwell in 2013 organized and coordinated a letter signed by 132 other Members of Congress to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), objecting to its decision to allow certain small knives and sporting equipment in the cabins of planes. Ultimately, TSA reversed its policy and continues to prohibit knives on planes.
Swalwell also was the lead Democratic House cosponsor of the Rapid DNA Act of 2017, which President Trump signed into law in August 2017; this bipartisan law helps local law enforcement use new real-time, on-site DNA testing technology to speed up justice. And he has been a leader on issues including ending gun violence, increased funding for transit security, and protecting our elections.
Swalwell founded and is chairman emeritus of Future Forum, a group of almost 50 young Democratic Members of Congress focused on issues and opportunities for millennial Americans including student loan debt and home ownership. Before his election to Congress in 2012, he served as a Dublin City Council member and an Alameda County Deputy District Attorney.
Thomas Foord Evernden II, MD
Resident of Fremont
March 12, 1922-December 25, 2020
On Friday December 25, 2020 Thomas Foord Evernden II MD devoted husband and loving father of five, went home to be with Jesus at the age of 98. Tom was born March 12, 1922 in Okeechobee, Florida to parents Hans Foord Evernden and Emma Rosa Wagner Evernden. He grew up in Berkeley with his three sisters, Margery, Jimmy, and Audrey, along with his twin brother Jack all preceded him in death.
Tom married Diana Abraham on August 23, 1952. They enjoyed 43 wonderful years together, prior to Diana’s death in 1995. During that time, they lovingly raised their five children, Rose Evernden-Andrade (Randy), Kathy Gronert (Mark), Tom Evernden III(Kari), Joy Evernden, and Juliana Evernden Brightwell.
Tom remarried in 1998 to Dolores (Dee) Forsythe Evernden and was preceded in death by sweet Dee in 2005. He is also survived by Deanna Forsythe, Dee’s daughter. Tom II was also preceded in death by his beloved son Tom III in 2019. Tom is survived by his grandchildren, Sancho Martinez (Gina), Nicholas Andrade, Jacob Gronert, Luke Gronert, Tommy Evernden (Crystal), Rachel Evernden (Oliver), Kait Bailey, Kenny Brightwell, and Diana Bullock (Ricky). Tom enjoyed three great grandchildren Roquell Bedolla (Elias), Grabriell Martinez, Jordyn Rae Bullock and two great-great granddaughters Isabella Rosalina and Stella Rhenn.
Following graduation from Cal Berkley and UCSF Med School Tom was a Captain in the Army for a short time. Tom and Diana returned to the Bay Area to raise their family in Fremont.
Tom began his medical practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology for 43 years in Fremont 1955. He was a “Washington Original” at Washington Hospital. He was said to be “honored with great trust and appreciation for his ability to communicate and show compassion to his patients”. He often said, the best part of being an OB/Gyn was that he “loved delivering the miracles.”
Tom and Diana raised their kids to know and love the Lord. They were very active in leadership at their church, Harbor Light with a love of Missions.
Together as a family they shared many great adventures. Tom and his family loved to ski and spend time off the grid at his beloved cabin on the Noyo River. Tom was a naturalist enjoying birding, astronomy, hiking, and entomology, particularly Butterflies. He loved horseback riding, playing tennis, and reading. At the cabin he enjoyed campfires, s‘mores, singing old songs around the campfire and pointing out the constellations to his kids. Tom was a loving father, compassionate physician, and a gentle man. His children described him as a “Great Dad” that loved the Lord, and his family with all his heart.
A celebration of life and a private burial will be held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers donations can be made to Harbor Light 4760 Thornton Ave. Fremont, CA 94536, Pathway’s Hospice 333 Hegenberger Road #700 Oakland, CA 94612 or the Oakland Zoo.
Toxic Mushrooms
Submitted and photos by Trent Pearce, Naturalist, Tilden Nature Area
The Bay Area is home to two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms – Amanita phalloides (the Death Cap) and Amanita ocreata (the Western Destroying Angel). Both are robust, handsome mushrooms that grow near oak trees, and both contain lethal toxins.
Amanita phalloides (the Death Cap) is a medium to large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem, and a large white sac at the base of the stem. It fruits early in the fall, usually right after the first rains. Though the Death Cap is mainly associated with oak trees, it has been found growing with other hardwoods. It was accidentally introduced to North America on the roots of European cork oaks, and is now slowly colonizing the West Coast.
Amanita ocreata (the Western Destroying Angel) is a medium to large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that disappears with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring, and is associated exclusively with oaks. Unlike the Death Cap, it is a native California mushroom.
Both of these species contain amatoxins, a group of molecules that inhibit cellular metabolism in many animals. In mammals, the liver and kidneys are typically the first organs affected after ingestion. Symptoms don’t usually appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to liver and renal failure if treatment is not sought immediately.
While these two species are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly amatoxins can be found in Galerina and Lepiota species as well, both of which occur in the Bay Area.
Union Sanitary District
January 11, 2021
The USD Board unanimously approved the following at its Monday, January 11, 2021 virtual board meeting:
• Execute an agreement with Hazen and Sawyer for design services for the Enhanced Treatment and Site Upgrade (ETSU) Phase 1B and 1C projects and Task Order No. 1 for the ETSU Phase 1B project in the amount of $7,960,952.
• Approved replacing video inspection equipment, authorizing the purchase of replacement Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system for the inversion lining truck for $108,083.51. The Collections Department is recommending the purchase of new CCTV equipment, instrumental in the operations and support. The current CCTV equipment being used for this process is 19 years old and beyond its useful life.
The Board also heard the FY2020 Strategic Performance Annual Report. COVID-19 affected the San Francisco Bay region and every public agency. USD responded after shelter-in-place orders were mandated to create work plans protecting the health and safety of staff while maintaining necessary operations. District achievements include adoption of rates for Fiscal Years 2021-25, providing accounting and payroll services remotely, refinancing existing debt for a significant savings to ratepayers, initiating design of Phase 1A of the Enhanced Treatment and Site Upgrade (ETSU) Program, beginning construction of the new Digester 7, installation of new bar screens, and continuing to provide essential services during a world-wide pandemic.
The report also noted that the District was recognized with several awards during fiscal year 2020:
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)- Peak Performance Platinum Awards for outstanding performance.
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)- Excellence in Management Silver Recognition
• National Institute for Government Purchasing (NIGP)- Achievement of Excellence in Procurement
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)- Excellence in Financial Reporting
Additional information-only reports included: November 2020 monthly operations, consultant shortlists for capital improvement project, an update on the subsurface investigation at the Alvarado Wastewater Treatment Plant, Legislative update on state and national issues, Covid-19 update (details in online packet).
President Tom Handley Aye
Vice President Pat Kite Aye
Anjali Lathi Aye
Manny Fernandez Aye
Jennifer Toy Aye
Union City Police Log
Submitted by Lt. Steve Mendez, Union City PD
Wednesday, December 30
• At about 7:42 p.m. officers responded to a burglary report in the 34600 block of Alvarado Niles Road. The caller told police that she received a notification from exterior cameras at her business showing movement. In the live feed, the caller saw a male trying to break into the business using a tool. The business owner responded and found the suspect sitting near the front door with a sharp instrument in his hand. The suspect fled but was located by officers a short time later. A man, identified by police as Ray Davie, 33, was identified as the suspect and arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary.
• At about 8:54 p.m. patrol officers conducting security checks in the 1700 block of Decoto Road found a large gathering of about 200 street racing type vehicles in the shopping center parking lot. During the car show, Officer Solverson saw a car driving recklessly and made a traffic stop. A record check on the driver, identified by police as Fernando Siordia, 24, showed he was driving on a suspended license and violating a court order for a prior DUI conviction. Solverson cited Siordia for reckless driving, along with other vehicle code violations. He also seized Siordia's vehicle for 30 days.
Sunday, January 3
• At about 10:10 p.m. Officer Ayala made a traffic stop in the area of Whipple Road and Amaral Street for an expired registration. A passenger in the vehicle was found to be on searchable probation. During the search the driver, identified by police as Whitney Wiggins, 33, said there was a weapon under the driver’s seat. Ayala then recovered a loaded .380 semiautomatic handgun and 2.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Wiggins was arrested and booked into jail and faces gun and drug charges.
Union City City Council
January 12, 2021
The Union City Council unanimously adopted the following consent calendar items at its January 12 virtual meeting:
• Approved consulting services agreement with Avenu Insights & Analytics for utility user tax audit services (not to exceed $150,000), and a 35% contingency fee for any additional revenues generated.
• Appointed Glenn Kirby to serve on the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). Marty Akenbauer submitted his letter of resignation in December, vacating his seat for the remainder of his term.
• Informational report on the proposed planning calendar for the biennial operating budget (fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23) and five-year capital improvement plan budget (fiscal years 2021-22 through 2025-26)
The Council heard a report concerning a zoning text amendment to add veterinarian offices and small animal hospitals as a conditionally permitted use in the CS Zoning District. Applicant Mark Doty submitted an application for an amendment. Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci recused herself from the discussion as she is an owner of a business in that area. The Planning Commission reviewed this application at their December 3, 2020 meeting; Council unanimously (one recusal) approved the ordinance amendment.
Police Chief Jared Rinetti presented an overview of the next steps in the Policing and Community Engagement (PCE) Plan. Last June, the City Council approved the appointment of the PCE Committee to support the Obama Foundation “Commit to Action” pledge related to police use of force. The plan establishes policing and community engagement work teams, with the following activity through April 2021.
• Establish four work teams with a diverse range of participants that can provide input and experiences on policing in Union City.
• A police supervisor or manager will host each of the four work teams. Each work team will meet three to four times virtually. A support staff member from the police department will attend each meeting to take notes.
• The work teams will review and analyze their assigned topic based on their personal experiences and feedback from the PCE committee. Teams will strive to identify priorities, objectives, and strategies for the police department to consider implementing in the future.
• Chief Rinetti will provide a progress report to the Council on the findings in April 2021.
Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci Aye (one recusal)
Vice Mayor Pat Gacoscos Aye
Emily Duncan Aye
Jaime Patiño Aye
Gary Singh Aye
Sanitary District selected for low-cost financing
Submitted by Michelle Powell
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that Union Sanitary District (USD) is eligible for $198 million in low-cost financing from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program.
The sanitary district’s Enhanced Treatment and Site Upgrade (ETSU) Phase 1 Projects is one of 55 projects in 20 states invited to apply for funding that will facilitate $12 billion in water infrastructure, according to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
“This is great news for the District as we move forward with ETSU’s critical projects,” said USD Board President Tom Handley. “Federal financing is essential to supplement ratepayer investments in USD’s extensive infrastructure program that will help protect the San Francisco Bay, preserve capacity for a growing Tri-City area, and manage the effects of a changing environment.”
USD’s ETSU Phase 1 Projects are part of a comprehensive program to support the next 20 to 40 years of operation at its wastewater treatment plant in Union City. The Phase 1 projects include addressing aging infrastructure, improving water quality in the San Francisco Bay through nutrient removal upgrades, and hardening of infrastructure to further resiliency efforts to manage extreme wet weather.
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by the U.S. EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.
COVID vaccination priorities for Alameda County
Submitted by Neetu Balram
Who can get vaccinated in Alameda County right now?
Governor Newsom announced January 13 that the state is prioritizing individuals 65 and older to receive the vaccine as demand subsides among health care workers. The Governor also said those in Phase 1a – health care workers and long-term care residents – remain the highest priority to receive vaccines.
As demand for the vaccine continues to exceed supply, Alameda County is balancing shifting priorities We are continuing to vaccinate health care workers eligible for Phase 1a and anticipate starting Phase 1b in the coming weeks. We have more hospitals and health care facilities than surrounding Bay Area counties, and our estimated population for Phase 1a exceeds 145,000 people. Phase 1b will expand vaccine eligibility to large groups of people, and we are working across multiple partners and sectors to update and prepare for mass vaccination scenarios.
We are committed to safe and equitable vaccine distribution, and our strategy is to make vaccine readily and easily available through County-administered points of dispensing (PODs) and partnership with health care systems and community clinics/organizations. For those who are age 65 and older and are interested in getting vaccinated, we encourage you to please reach out to your health care provider to see if they have vaccine available at this time. Otherwise, we anticipate being able to start vaccinating this group in the coming weeks.
The pandemic is not over, and everyone—including those who have been vaccinated—should continue to practice COVID-19 prevention measures such as staying home as much as possible, wearing a face covering, and practicing physical distancing. Vaccination brings great promise, and we appreciate the enthusiasm and interest among many residents and employers. When there is enough vaccine to expand vaccination options, Alameda County will share that information widely, along with information on when and how eligible groups can get vaccinated.
• To receive a notification of when vaccine might be available for you, please complete one of the applicable forms available at: https://covid-19.acgov.org/vaccines
• To learn about local planning, visit https://covid-19.acgov.org/vaccines#localplanning
• To learn about the Alameda County Community Advisory Group, visit https://covid19.acgov.org/community-advisory-group
• Vaccine Prioritization Framework available at: acgov.org
California is desperate, but volunteer health corps dwindles
By Don Thompson
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Jan 09 – California desperately needs more medical workers at facilities swamped by coronavirus patients, but almost no help is coming from a volunteer program that Gov. Gavin Newsom created at the start of the pandemic. An army of 95,000 initially raised their hands, and just 14 are now working in the field.
Very few volunteers met qualifications for the California Health Corps, and only a tiny sliver have the high-level experience needed to help with the most serious virus cases that are stretching intensive care units to the limit.
“Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out, and the goal is laudable,” said Stephanie Roberson, government relations director for the California Nurses Association.
Newsom formed the Health Corps in anticipation of the cascading crises that California and other states are now experiencing. COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and intensive care needs are spiraling out of control in the most populous state just as the rest of the nation sees a surge, overwhelming the usual pool of traveling nurses.
Similarly, New York had more than 80,000 medical volunteers respond to a call for help early in the pandemic when it was a hot spot, and some were deployed. But hospitals more often turned to temporary workers to fill the gap, said Jean Moore, director of the Health Workforce Research Center at University at Albany
Other states, including Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania, tried variations of recruiting volunteers with limited results.
“A volunteer corps assumes that it's pretty easy to slot people in,“ said Sean Clarke, executive vice dean and professor at New York University's Rory Meyers College of Nursing. “Figuring out how to do that still hasn't been fleshed out, I guess.”
California officials say they need 3,000 temporary medical workers but had about one-third of those as of Thursday. As one result, hospitals are waiving the state's nurse-to-patient ratios, which can mean less care for critically ill patients.
Newsom had envisioned Health Corps volunteers helping fill in the gaps at health facilities. Those who qualified include retired or inactive doctors, nurses and respiratory care practitioners. Though they're volunteers, they're paid what the state calls competitive wages.
Of the 95,000 who first expressed interest in the corps, only about a third had valid professional licenses and about 4,600 qualified. Only 850 then signed up, a number that has largely remained static despite the governor's repeated pleas to participate.
Some of the volunteers “don't have the training at the highest levels to be helpful right now,” California Hospital Association spokesman David Simon said.
“It could just be that nurses know that this just might not be the safest place to work,” Roberson said.
The state Emergency Medical Services Authority in June reported being overwhelmed with the initial crush of Health Corps applicants while employees were busy coordinating other urgent pandemic responses. The program itself proved confusing for local disaster coordinators, wrote Craig Johnson, chief of the authority's Disaster Medical Services Division.
Despite the shortfalls, the governor said the program “has been incredibly effective,” with members having worked at more than 140 facilities statewide.
About 300 were sent to long-term care facilities early in the pandemic, 450 were used during the summer surge and 530 went to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in the fall.
Corps spokesman Rodger Butler said some have worked in intensive care units and that the program will keep working “to fulfill unmet needs throughout the state.“
The state has spent nearly $2.1 million on the program, money it hopes to largely recoup from the federal government or private medical facilities that used corps members.
Dr. Charles Moore was one of those who first answered the call in April and May, preparing Sacramento's former Sleep Train Arena for what corps members were told there could be nearly 400 patients spilling over from hospitals.
Yet the arena's mission never seemed clearly defined, he said. It treated just nine patients over 10 weeks, and its staff of about 250 medical workers soon dwindled away.
Now, the state has reopened the arena and other facilities to help hospitals facing a tidal wave of coronavirus patients.
The retired internal physician has been in touch with a half-dozen fellow corps alumni and said none had been approached again other than through impersonal mass emails.
“If I got an email that said, `Hey, we really have a need at such and such a location because of XYZ, could we convince you to become available?' I might consider that, but there hasn't been anything like that,” Moore said.
Butler said the Health Corps' administrative employees “make direct appeals to individual staff via telephone and email on a daily basis.” They conducted three large direct call campaigns in the last six months to gauge members' interest in continuing.
Emails, websites and social media also aim to recruit new members, and the state notifies health workers seeking work about the program.
Joanne Spetz, associate director of research at the Healthforce Center at the University of California, San Francisco, said the pool of available medical workers has shrunk since the pandemic's early days.
The initial flood of tens of thousands of applicants was spurred by “a sense of impending doom,” she said.
But in the nine months since, medical students have resumed classes, health care workers at temporarily shuttered community clinics or outpatient facilities are mostly back at work, and retirees may have found less risky ways to contribute.
Traveling care providers who might have joined the volunteer effort are instead deployed in other hard-hit states that saw surges before California.
“You start adding up those demographic groups and your numbers dwindle down,” Spetz said.
Many of the remaining Health Corps members might still be needed to help at facilities like Sleep Train Arena that are intended to handle an overflow of less critical patients, she said, “so having those individuals kind of on reserve is great.”