11-19-19 Articles

Alameda County Fire Department

Submitted by ACFD

 

Saturday, November 9

• At 11:45 p.m. firefighters responded to a report of a fire in a two-story duplex on Depot Road in Union City. The fire started in the garage but spread to the first floor of the unit. One dog was rescued from the residence. The fire’s cause is under investigation; no injuries were reported.

 

Monday, November 11

• At 2:09 p.m. firefighters responded to a call about a gas leak at a construction site in Newark. The manager on the scene told firefighters that an ammonia pipe was accidentally cut during a planned construction event. Hazmat 12 responded from San Leandro to secure the leak and allow the residual gas to dissipate. No injuries were reported.

 

Tuesday, November 12

• At 11:51 a.m. firefighters responded to a report of a small house fire on Maraschino Place in Union City. The fire was quickly extinguished. Eight occupants and three dogs were displaced from the residence and one disabled person was removed by Union City police. There were no injuries.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

Submitted by Sgt. Ray Kelly

 

Monday, November 11

• At about 3:00 p.m. deputies conducting a welfare check at a residence on the 19900 Block of San Miguel Avenue in Castro Valley looked inside the building and saw a male on the floor. Deputies entered the residence and found the man dead with injuries that were consistent with a homicide. The victim was identified by authorities as Troy Schwenk, 55, of Castro Valley. Detectives and crime laboratory workers responded to the scene and a homicide investigation was started. Later, the victim’s son, identified by authorities as Christopher Schwenk, 28, was arrested on suspicion of homicide and is being held at Santa Rita Jail. An investigation is ongoing.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving in Regional Parks

By Ayn Wieskamp, board of directors, East Bay Regional Park District

 

All kinds of seasonal programs are in the works as the East Bay Regional Park District celebrates the approach of Thanksgiving. For instance, you can learn everything about turkeys during a “Turkey Talk” program from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, November 23 at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. Thanksgiving may be too late for the iconic birds, but they can fly at up to 55 miles per hour. The program includes making holiday decorations in the turkeys’ honor.

 

Ardenwood will also host “Pumpkin Palooza” from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 23. You can learn how the gourds have become fall staples while making decorations for the Thanksgiving table.

 

Also, in late fall those beautiful monarch butterflies start returning to Ardenwood to spend the winter. The park’s naturalist staff will conduct a whole series of programs highlighting the insects’ amazing life cycle. First on the calendar is a monarch-spotting program from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 30. It repeats at the same time every Saturday and Sunday in December. Meet at the park greenhouse.

 

Ardenwood is at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, just north of Highway 84. For information on fees and programs, call (510) 544-2797. Parking is free.

 

 

 

Nearby at Coyote Hills Regional Park there’s a “Water is Life” hike from 9 a.m. to 12 noon Sunday, November 24. It’s a relatively flat 3-mile stroll around the marsh during a talk about the importance of water in the park and in our lives. The walk is for ages 15 and older. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and a snack. The event will be cancelled if it rains heavily.

 

A Coyote Hills program especially good for families is “Green Friday,” which will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, November 29; Saturday, November 30; and Sunday, December 1. Walk off the Thanksgiving feast, help the naturalists create a special “Tree of Thanks” exhibit, and make a tree-themed ornament to take home.

 

Preschoolers ages 3 through 5 will like Coyote Cubs, a program of games, crafts, and nature explorations. It’s from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, November 25, and at the same time on Monday, December 30. Parent or caregiver participation is required. The group will play games, explore the park and make a craft. The topic on November 25 is turkey vultures, and on December 30 it’s birds of a feather.

 

There’s an interactive puppet show from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, November 29, featuring Coyote Hills’ cultural and natural history, plus everything for which we can be thankful.

 

All the programs meet at the visitor center. Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road, off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; programs are free. For details, call (510) 544-3220.

 

 

 

Sunol Regional Wilderness plans a couple of turkey-themed programs, both with naturalist Ashley Adams. “Turkey Time” is from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, November 23. The group will hit the trails, then create a turkey craft to take home. The program is free, but registration is required. To register, call 888-327-2757. Select option 2 and refer to program number 26970.

 

After your Thanksgiving feast, there’s a burn the turkey hike from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, November 29. It’s a 3-mile trek to Little Yosemite in search of birds of prey and fall colors.

 

Sunol Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road, about 5 miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. For details, call (510) 544-3249.

 

 

 

This is just a sample. For the full story, visit the park district website at www.ebparks.org. And however way you spend the holiday, have a happy Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

BART Police Log

Submitted by Les Mensinger and BART PD

 

Sunday, November 10

• At 1:28 a.m. a man identified by police as Robert Ross, 38, of Oakland was arrested at Bay Fair station in San Leandro on a no-bail parole hold warrant and booked into jail.

 

 

Wednesday, November 13

• At 10:11 a.m. a man identified by police as Richard Porter, 48, of Hayward was arrested at Fremont station on suspicion of resisting arrest. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.

 

• At 1:29 p.m. a man identified by police as Sion Martinez, 23, of San Leandro was arrested at Bay Fair station in San Leandro on an outstanding $10,000 warrant from the CHP. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.

 

 

 

California unemployment rate falls to new record low

AP Wire Service

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Nov 15 – California's unemployment rate fell to a new record low of 3.9% in October.

 

The California Employment Development Department says the state added 23,600 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month.

 

The previous record low was 4% set in September.

 

The department says October's gains extend California's record jobs expansion to 116 months.

Running for office? Get that paperwork ready

Submitted by ROV Media

 

Candidate nominations for Santa Clara County offices participating in the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election are being accepted through Friday, December 6. Nominations can be extended to Wednesday, December 11, for contests in which an eligible incumbent officeholder does not file.

 

Registrar of Voters’ Shannon Bushey said candidates should call the Candidate Services Division at (408) 299-8639 or come into the office in order to review their forms and the requirements for a successful filing.

 

“There is no leeway in the filing deadline,” Bushey said. “Candidates should file their nomination papers as early as possible so that any incorrect or incomplete forms may be corrected before the filing deadline, which in most cases cannot be extended.”

 

All fees and nomination documents, including a Declaration of Candidacy and nomination signatures, must be filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 6 (or by Wednesday, December 11, if an eligible incumbent does not file) in order to qualify as a candidate. December 6 is also the filing deadline for local jurisdictions to place measures on the March ballot.

 

The following Federal, State and local offices are up for election:

 

• U.S. President
• U.S. Representative, Districts 17, 18, 19 and 20
• State Senate, Districts 13, 15 and 17
• State Assembly, Districts 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30
• Judge of the Superior Court, 29 offices
• Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Districts 2, 3 and 5
• City of San Jose, City Council, Districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10
• City of Santa Clara Police Chief — One Short Term
• Milpitas Unified School District Governing Board — One Short Term

 

Except for those running for City of San Jose offices, candidates may pick up and file nomination papers at the Registrar of Voters’ Office, which is located at 1555 Berger Drive in San Jose, Building 2. City of San Jose and City of Santa Clara candidates — who have different filing requirements and deadlines — must pick up and file nomination papers with the City Clerks’ Office.

 

A 2020 Presidential Primary Election Candidate Guide is available to assist those running for office, with valuable information pertaining to qualifications for office, terms of office, procedures, fees, forms and deadline dates. The Candidate Guide is available at no cost and may be picked up from the Registrar of Voters’ Office or downloaded from the Registrar of Voters’ website at www.sccvote.org under the Candidates & Measures tab.

 

For more information, contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office at (408) 299-8683.

 

 

 

County plans investment in funding for children’s services

Submitted by Mayra Flores

 

At a recent media conference, child advocates, coalition members and County of Santa Clara Supervisors Susan Ellenberg and Cindy Chavez unveiled the county’s first Children’s Budget. The new Santa Clara County Budget report, to be released Tuesday, November 19, provides a baseline of how much money is spent on the county’s youngest residents.

 

“Santa Clara County needs to prioritize children because doing so is the single most important investment a society makes in its future,” said Ellenberg. “We are unable to accomplish that goal without first knowing where we currently stand. The Children’s Budget is a critical baseline and first step towards where we are headed: towards a County that places the needs of our children as their single greatest priority.”

 

Ellenberg and Chavez are also formally requesting that a “childcare facilities reserve” of $3,000,000 be created to make facilities improvements and increase the environmental health of existing childcare centers and family childcare homes.

 

“Childcare has become a barrier to work and economic stability, especially for mothers, who disproportionately become the unpaid caregivers when the family cannot find or afford childcare,” said Chavez. “Businesses meanwhile lose billions because of their employees’ childcare challenges. There is a direct link between access to childcare, parental employment and economic growth.”

 

The County of Santa Clara has nearly two million residents, of which approximately 450,000 are children under the age of 18. Children make up nearly a quarter of the total population. The Children’s Budget sheds light on the county’s current spending on children, which amounts to about 2% of its general funds ($170M). That amount increases nearly 10% total if state and federal funding is added ($859M). This inaugural report, similar to the upcoming 2020 Census, can offer the county the ability to better leverage state, federal, philanthropic and private-sector dollars to ensure that its youngest residents are fully supported.

 

“The report’s focus on the county’s investments in our children and youth will be a major leverage point for advocates, non-profits, and government agencies to better align, collaborate, and unite our energy and resources to support out youngest community members,” said Grace Mah, Santa Clara County School Board Trustee and Strong Start Coalition of Santa Clara Member.

 

For details, visit the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors website at http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx and then scroll to the November 19 board meeting agenda link.

 

 

 

Heroes and villains assemble at Comic Con

By Raymond Ibale

 

Hundreds of heroes, villains, and super fans rejoiced in comic book fandom at the 2^nd annual Ohana Comic Con in Hayward, CA. The Veterans’ Memorial Building came alive with eye-catching cosplay from all ages. Fans dressed as their favorite comic book and anime characters, complete with makeup and props.

 

For those who may be new to the comic con scene, the word cosplay is a shortened form of two words: costume and play. Cosplay is the act of portraying a fictional character in while in costume.

“Cosplay gives you a chance to express yourself and identify with your favorite character,” Newark resident Yvonne Lo said. “Going to Comic Con is always fun because you get to see a wide array of beautiful cosplays.”

 

For casual fans, it was their time to explore and purchase items from vendors’ displays; from vintage comic books, comic-themed collectables, and action figures, to stuffed toys, stickers, cards, knickknacks, and apparel.

 

The intimate atmosphere offered goers a chance to roam around freely without it feeling crowded. For some attendees, this was their first-ever comic con.

 

“This is my first one, I have never been to [a comic con] before. The atmosphere is very chill, and you can get a sense of the artistic community,” said Alameda resident Andie Nguyen.

 

Nguyen described the event in one word, “Ohana,” meaning family in Hawaiian.

 

The Ohana Comic Con held special events such as gaming tournaments, autograph sessions, live artist sketching sessions, and a costume contest.

 

The guest of honor was none other than Darth Vader. While many associate Darth Vader with actor James Earl Jones, the man behind the mask is actually C. Andrew Nelson. Nelson signed autographs, took pictures with fans, and answered questions about his time working with the Star Wars cast and George Lucas of Lucas films.

 

The event cumulated with a costume contest. Cosplayers were pitted against one another to see who had the best costume in the following categories: adult, children, villain, and fan favorite. It was up to a panel of three judges, including Nelson as a guest celebrity judge, to choose the best cosplayers.

 

A multitude of cosplayers, such as Akuma from Street Fighter, a Ghostbuster, Bumblebee from Transformers, Jason X, Link from Legend of Zelda, and a mashup costume of Inkling and Dragon Ball Z won in the costume contest.

 

Each winner received a gift certificate, which they spent inside at any of the vendors.

 

Turlock-based Ohana Comic Con comes back to the Bay Area on April 5, 2020. The event will take place take place at the Fremont Elks Lodge. Admission will be free for children 12 years old and under, and $7 for adults. For more information follow Ohana Comic Con on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TurlockComicCon.

 

 

 

Networking Without Fear

By Anne Chan, PhD, MFT

 

What scares people more than ghosts, witches, and even public speaking? For many job seekers, it’s networking. Many would rather face a ghoulish pumpkin than put on their business attire and face a roomful of strangers clutching glasses of wine. At the same time, having a strong network is one of the most important components of career development.

 

I cannot tell you the number of times clients have told me that they got a job because friends told them about job leads or passed on their resumes. Even though so much of job searching might appear virtual and impersonal, the human touch is irreplaceable. A strong recommendation from a former employer or co-worker is priceless. A resume that is accompanied by a personal recommendation is almost guaranteed a higher rating than one without. Hence, networking is one of the most important things that you can do throughout your career.

 

The good news for introverts is that networking doesn’t have to mean talking to strangers in an uncomfortable social setting. Let’s first dispel this misconception about networking. The other misconception is that you need to have a network of thousands or an online presence that attracts hordes of followers. In fact, a network of thousands who barely know you would not be very useful. Far more useful would be having a solid base of people who know you well and would be willing to answer your questions. In fact, you don’t even have to use the term “networking” if it brings on hives. I prefer to think about the process as building strong, helpful, and reciprocal relationships. Another positive way to reframe networking is to think of it as building a community of likeminded professionals who share your interests.

 

To start solidifying your professional community, try one or two of the following:

• Figure out who matters most to you in terms of your career development. Be sure to reach out to them two or three times a year to keep them in your loop.
• Ask a colleague for coffee or tea
• Join an online professional or industry group and be an active participant
• Join interest groups that might not be directly related to your profession, e.g. toastmasters, hiking groups, sports groups, etc. You never know who you might meet in these diverse groups. Yes, this too is considered networking.
• Join the alumni group of your college or high school.
• Try out a networking app (such as Shapr) that allows you to build a virtual network from scratch.

 

Chances are you can’t entirely avoid social networking events. I know shy or introverted people would rather run screaming in the opposite direction, but I would still counsel clients to check out such events, even if it’s for just 30 minutes.

 

Here are some strategies to survive and even thrive in a social networking event:

• Be in the right mindset. Don’t approach the event with only doom, dread, and gloom. Put on a productive frame of mind with a positive message and goal, such as “I am here to find out more about this industry topic,” or “I am here to get to know people who share my interests.”
• Set a reasonable goal for yourself. Will you introduce yourself to two people? Aim to get five business cards? Have one good conversation?
• Invite a mentor or friend who can help you navigate networking situations.
• Arrive prepared with good questions.
• Remember to be a good listener and offer help if needed. Both these qualities are very appealing and can make both you and your listener feel more comfortable.
• Wear something you love that is unique and could spark a conversation.

 

Even the shyest person can be an effective networker if the right approach is used. This Halloween season, don’t be scared off by the words “networking” and “social event.” Use as many of the strategies listed above and become the outstanding networker that I know you can be.

 

 

Anne Chan is a career counselor and licensed psychotherapist in Fremont. She specializes in helping people find happiness in their careers and lives. You can reach her at annechantcv@gmail.com.

© Anne Chan, 2019

 

 

 

Drivers For Survivors 4^th Annual Holiday Pancake Breakfast

Submitted by Lillian Lwin, Volunteer

 

Drivers For Survivors (DFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing free transportation service and supportive companionship for ambulatory cancer patients… from suspicious findings through completion of treatments.

 

This service is provided for ambulatory cancer patients living in the following designated areas of South, Central, and East Alameda County: Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley, Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton going to all cancer-related medical appointments within a 60-mile radius of ZIP code 94538, freeing them to focus on their health and essential treatment.

 

Partnering with Newark Police Department and Alameda County Fire Department (IAFF Local 55), Drivers For Survivors is honored to invite the public to attend our annual holiday pancake breakfast fundraiser, Holiday Pancake Breakfast with Santa, on Saturday, December 14, at Newark Community Center in Newark.

 

Come join us for a warm and inviting breakfast with hot and cold beverages. Santa Claus will be making his appearance and, last but not least, we will have silent auction, entertainment, raffle basket and local community organization/businesses. Your presence and support will help send a powerful message towards our mission and your contribution will help our fundraising efforts to provide a linear need and relief for cancer patients and their families.

 

A growing list of event sponsors include Fremont Recycling & Transfer Station, Fidelity Insurance Service, and Assemblymember Bill Quirk. In-kind sponsors: McDonald's of Newark, Newark IHOP #687, Music Plus Events, Scott Capen Photography and Castro Valley Performing Arts.

 

For sponsorship/donation opportunities, please e-mail sponsors@driversforsurvivors.org or call (510) 894-0135. We also welcome auction items and baskets and have several volunteer opportunities.

 

 

Drivers For Survivors Pancake Breakfast

Saturday, Dec 14

8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Newark Community Center

35501 Cedar Blvd, Newark

(510) 894-0135

http://driversforsurvivors.org/2019pancakebreakfast

Tickets: $10/adult, $5/child

 

 

 

Great Dickens Christmas Fair celebrates 20 years at historic Cow Palace

Submitted by Denise Lamott

 

“The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party” – the only event of its kind in the world – returns for its 20th season at the historic Cow Palace on Saturdays and Sundays (and the Friday after Thanksgiving) from November 23 – December 22. Join over 800 performers in a 360-degree adventure into Charles Dickens’ London, where it is always Christmas eve and the holiday party is in full swing!

 

“Charles Dickens was a master at creating colorful characters. Our passion is bringing hundreds of these characters to life, and crafting an environment that is fully immersive, carefully curated and, above all, delightfully fun,” says Executive Director Kevin Patterson, whose family launched the annual holiday celebration nearly 50 years ago. “This is so much more than a Fair. It's a deeply engaging artistic environment that has been evolving for half a century.”

 

Over 1,000 theatrical lights are rigged, positioned and colored to create the illusion of evening in the streets of Charles Dickens’ London. Around every corner, guests will discover carefully detailed Dickensian holiday-themed shops, pubs, stages and dance halls. Strolling through the streets, visitors will be transported to an evening in Victorian London with the aromas of roasted sugar almonds and hot cider, the sounds of hearty laughter and singing spilling forth from pubs and music halls, and the mirthful greetings of shopkeepers, street merchants, and fellow holiday merrymakers – from Queen Victoria to Ebenezer Scrooge.

 

Visitors can choose from seven stages offering entertainment for all ages and tastes. In the Victoria & Albert Bijou Music Hall, families will enjoy a splendid Christmas Pantomime, Royal Opera Gala and Music Hall Singers. New this year, the Crummles Theatrical Company presents a farce of murderous proportions with Sherlock Holmes and The Giant Rat of Sumatra, the greatest unwritten mystery of Holmes’ career!

 

The fair overflows with holiday magic for the youngest guests, offering hands-on craft activities, old-world games of skill and chance, and lively interactive shows at the Tinsley Green Children’s Area and Father Christmas Stage. Youngsters can meet Father Christmas, ride the hand-powered Adventure Carousel, and have tea with characters from Alice in Wonderland. New this season – The Death-Defying Sword-Swallowing of the Amazing Cyrus Pynn!

Guests will enjoy many new interactive offerings this year, including Professor Prospero’s Creature Caravan revealing magical hidden creatures living amongst us. The newly expanded Corinthian Rose Sporting Club will allow more guests to learn the noble art of fencing.

 

Feast on delicious foods from traditional savories like fish ‘n chips and handcrafted chocolates and teacakes. This year marks the debut of Aunt Samirah’s East India Cookery, a delicious culinary journey to the far reaches of the British Empire. Enjoy a frothy pint of English ale, fine wine, champagne, hot buttered rum, Irish coffee or hot toddy at one of five traditional pubs. Or sit for traditional English high tea complete with scones and finger sandwiches.

 

Discover the perfect gift for family and friends amidst the more than 100 beautiful shops and carts offering fine crafts, fanciful clothing and accessories, ceramics, elegant drinkware, stunning jewelry, toys, ornaments, antiquarian books, and more. A favorite purveyor returns to the fair after many years: Midnight Moon Apothecary will offer carefully crafted fragrances, salves, teas, and tinctures.

 

Adult/General Admission (13+) is $32; children (5-12 yrs.) are $14 (under 5 free). Parking is $12 per vehicle (charged by the Cow Palace). The Fair offers a free shuttle from the Glen Park BART station. For questions about tickets, please contact tickets.dickensfair@gmail.com.

 

 

Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Saturdays & Sundays, Nov 23 – Dec 22

10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Cow Exhibition Hall

2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City

(800) 510-1558

https://dickensfair.com/

 

 

 

Fruitcakes return to Dominican Sisters’ holiday boutique

Submitted by S. Rose Marie Henessy

 

Fruitcakes! Those delightful cakes filled with nuts, fruits, spices and spirits (just to name a few ingredients). For many they are a holiday staple. For the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, fruitcakes are a tradition! In 1960 Sister Theresa Beck used her secret family recipe to prepare a large batch of fruitcakes – and a wonderful tradition was born!

 

Each year the sisters and helpful volunteers mix 3,000 pounds of batter and prepare 1,500 cakes prized for their moist, old world flavor. Hand mixed in July, using premium candied fruits, fresh nuts and “a little” brandy – the cakes are aged for two months. In the fall the cakes are glazed, decorated, and boxed for the Annual Holiday Boutique.

 

This annual event goes back to the early 1960’s. It was sponsored by S. Mary Bertha Rehers and the School of Music faculty to purchase pianos. These early boutiques were held in the St. Joseph Parish parking lot and later moved to the Sisters’ auditorium. And now they are held in the new Dominican Center on the Motherhouse sacred grounds. Proceeds from the Holiday Boutique contribute to care of our senior Sisters. Ten percent of the proceeds go to support recovery efforts from a global crisis.

 

For the last 25 years our Sister Florence Cumbelich has participated in fruitcake baking with gusto! However, she is set to retire her baking apron after this year’s Annual Holiday Boutique which will be held Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Please come to congratulate Sister Florence on this happy milestone—and try some of the fruitcake!

 

 

Dominican Sisters Holiday Boutique

Saturday, Nov 23 – Sunday, Nov 24

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Dominican Center

43326 Mission Cir., Fremont

(entrance off Mission Tierra)

(510) 933-6334

www.msjdominicans.org

 

 

 

Park It

By Ned MacKay

 

Every year the East Bay Regional Park District offers lots of activities to offset the expected caloric intake and exercise deficit of Thanksgiving Day. This year is no exception.

 

It all starts with a “Burn the Turkey” hike from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, November 29 at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, led by naturalist Morgan Guenther. This is a hilly, challenging five-mile hike through the redwoods, starting at the Trudeau Training Center at 11500 Skyline Boulevard. Heavy rain cancels.

 

Or you can enjoy post-Thanksgiving fun in a program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the same day at Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda. Watch live fish and crabs up close, make a nature craft, and meet the center’s turtle or snake. From 10:30 a.m. to noon there’s a show about water and ocean creatures on the center’s “big screen,” with popcorn and cider served. Drop in for a reptile meeting between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Family Nature Fun is all about turkeys from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and it’s fish-feeding time at the aquarium from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 

Crab Cove is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information on either Morgan’s hike or post-Thanksgiving fun, call 510-544-3187.

 

 

There’s another “Burn the Turkey” hike from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on November 29 at Sunol Regional Wilderness in southern Alameda County, led by naturalist Ashley Adams. This one is a three-mile guided hike to Little Yosemite, a rocky gorge on Alameda Creek.

 

Sunol Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road about five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the hike is free. For information, call 510-544-3249.

 

 

And at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, there’s an interactive puppet show from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 29 at the visitor center, highlighting the park’s natural and cultural history, plus everything we can be thankful for.

 

Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the puppet show is free.

 

 

Last on the calendar is a “Post Turkey Day Creek Walk” from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 30 starting at Creekside Park in Oakley, led by naturalists from Big Break Regional Shoreline. This is a moderate, 4.5-mile walk on the paved Marsh Creek Regional Trail to look for creek-side plants and animals. Strollers are welcome. For information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 3050.

 

 

Pre-Thanksgiving programs also are planned. For example there’s pumpkin pie ice cream from 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 24 in the Environmental Education Center at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley, with naturalist Jenna Collins. The group will make ice cream using the familiar orange gourd. And from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. the same day at the center, Jenna will show how to make a turkey ring decoration for your upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

 

The center is at the north end of Tilden’s Central Park Drive, accessible via Canon Drive from Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Berkeley. Call 510-544-2233.

 

 

A couple of more contemplative programs are on the calendar at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch, led by naturalist aide Jake Wright. “Mountains and Memoir” is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 23. It’s a vigorous hike into the history of the park to make connections with our own lives.

 

And from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday, November 29, Jake will lead a hike on the theme of giving thanks to the air, trees, soil and water.

 

Both hikes meet at the park’s uppermost parking lot at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is staffed; the hikes are free. Call 888-327-2757, ext. 2750.

 

 

There’s lots to do in the regional parks as the holiday season continues. For full listings, visit the website, www.ebparks.org. And remember, Fridays are free in the regional parks through the end of the year, in celebration of the park district’s 85^th anniversary.

 

 

 

Flowers look tired? How to extend their vase life

Oct 29

By Dean Fosdick

Associated Press

 

Fresh cut flower arragements are fleeting, but you can keep them lively longer by taking a few simple steps in selection, conditioning and nourishment.

 

“Cut flowers generally last five to seven days after the time they get to the consumer,” said Lisa Mason Ziegler, a cut flower grower and operator of The Gardener's Workshop, an online flower farming school near Newport News, Virginia. “Dahlias and sweet peas are more like five days. They have a shorter life but look fabulous.”

 

When selecting cut flowers, keep in mind that iris, tulips, snapdragons and daffodils have an extremely short vase life – less than a week. Orchids, carnations and chrysanthemums usually last two weeks or more.

 

A clean vase is important, Ziegler said. “Put it in a dishwasher to remove any bacteria. Then cut 1 to 2 inches off each stem before putting them into the vase. They're probably clogged but cutting will open them up and they'll be able to feed again,” she says.

 

Conditioning needs vary, said John Dole, an associate dean and floriculture specialist at North Carolina State University. Some varieties require more managing than others, but all cut flowers should be fed.

 

“Use the flower food packets that most likely came with the bouquet,” Dole said. “Mix according to directions and position the flowers into the vase. After they've had their first big drink, take them out, put in fresh water and cut the stems again.

 

“By doing that your flowers will last longer and the sugars in the flower food will enhance their colors – particularly the purples,” he said.

 

By wary of homemade floral preservatives, Dole said.

 

“We've tried a wide mixture including aspirin, pennies and vinegar,” he said. “The only one that seems to have any validity is a clear soda (like 7-Up or Sprite) mixed 50-50 with water. It has to be the regular stuff with sugar.”

 

Additional tips for extending the vase life of cut flowers:

 

— Give stems a nice flat cut if the flowers are going into a vase where the stems will be resting against the bottom, Dole said. “If you're placing stems into a foam, a pointed cut will be better.”

 

— Remove any leaves below the water line. “They'll decompose and either get sucked up into the stems or stimulate bacteria growth,” Dole said.

 

— Choose flowers that are well colored and not fully open. That will add a few days to their vase life, Dole said.

 

–Ethylene gas, produced by fresh fruits and vegetables, is a naturally occurring ripening agent that can drastically shorten the life of many cut flowers. “Put your fruit in the kitchen and keep the flowers in the dining room,” Ziegler said.

 

— Location is important. “The cooler the area the better,” Ziegler said. “Cut flowers last longer if kept out of direct sunlight. Refrigerating them overnight is good but it doesn't work for all flowers. Dahlias love it; zinnias will turn black.”

 

 

 

Fall in love with these colorful plants

By Daniel O’Donnell

 

The Bay Area has a little bit of everything. There are jazz clubs, hip hop venues and opera houses. There are restaurants and food markets that allow people here to enjoy culinary traditions from all over the globe. There are residents and visitors from almost, if not every, country in the world. There are even four distinct seasons, although they might not be as apparent as in other parts of North America. Trees blossom in the spring, the temperatures rise in the summer, the hills get a dusting of snow in the winter, and there are splotches of colors in the landscape in fall.

 

New England is the most visited area in the United States for spectacular fall foliage. Parts of Arkansas, Michigan, and California’s eastern Sierras also display colorful fall sceneries. However, there are no dramatic waves of fall colors that flood the landscape in the Bay Area. Instead, fall colors are appreciated here in small splashes. There are plenty of plant choices to wade through if someone wants to give their garden more fall color.

 

Plants have green chlorophyll in their leaves that absorbs sunlight and converts it into energy. An abundance of these molecules causes plants to look green. When there is less daylight and lower temperatures, deciduous plants stop producing chlorophyll and begin to break it down. As the green chlorophyll disappears, other pigments become visible. Plants that have more pigmentation than others look more vibrant in autumn.

 

It might only take one or two plants in a garden to get radiant eye-catching foliage because the Bay Area does not have many trees and shrubs that display vivid fall foliage. Below are seven seasonal suggestions.

 

“The larger the plant the more impact” is not always the case when planting for fall color. However, it is hard to argue the point when the Chinese Pistache tree is displaying its true colors. Native to China, this medium sized tree begins to display glowing neon orange leaves in October that turn into blazing red foliage by December. It has become one of the most popular street trees in the Northern hemisphere because of this and its attractive small red fruit.

 

Cercis canadensis “Oklahoma” is an Eastern Red Bud tree that is primarily purchased for its plethora of magenta flowers that blossom in the warm spring air. The heart shaped green leaves open soon after the flowers fall. They turn a bright yellow in fall that seems to warm the cool autumn temperature.

 

Acer rubrum “October Glory,” commonly known as Red Maple, reveals amazing scarlet colored foliage as soon as the temperature begins to cool and daylight shortens. The tree can get to well over forty feet tall, making it possible for people further away to enjoy its blazing red foliage. The tree can brighten your day in the spring and summer by attracting birds, squirrels, and other wildlife. It can also be tapped for maple syrup.

If an Oak tree begins to turn yellow in The Bay Area there is a problem, unless it is a Sawtooth Oak, Quercus acutissima. These fifty-foot trees in fall have thousands of luminous yellow leaves that will eventually turn brown before they fall off. They are fast growing, which can be perfect for anyone who is in a hurry to get a big display of autumn color.

Sometimes planting a tree is not an option. There are some shrubs and even smaller plants that have intense fall colored foliage. Spiraea betulifolia “Tor” is a two- to three-foot low maintenance shrub that can be used as a standalone plant or in a row with other Spiraeas to form a hedge. Different varieties of Spiraea betuliflora are native to Asia and North America. The plant transforms in fall from having glossy green foliage to bearing a dazzling array of bright orange, pink, and purple all on each individual leaf.

Sorghum is a drought tolerant grain that looks like a small corn stalk. Although it is primarily grown for its sweet syrup, it makes an attractive fall potted plant. Stalks turn pale yellow, leaves fade to pinkish brown and seed heads take on a reddish hue as autumn approaches. A delectable addition to an autumn garden.

There are a variety of Heucheras, or Coral Bells, that vividly display autumn colors. Unlike the plants listed above, they retain their fall color year round. The reason some make the list is because a plant’s fall color can have an unpredictable schedule. Heucheras can provide fall color on demand. They are great choices for decorating fall parties and events without having to worry about when their leaves might change color. Heuchera “Heureka Amber Lady” is one example. It has velvety leaves that can range in color from amber to various shades of pink and even red.

In places like New England, the beautiful fall foliage eases the transition into the harsh winter. Although the Bay Area winter has a milder climate, adding some fall color to the garden can welcome winter here as well.

 

 

Daniel O'Donnell is the co-owner and operator of an organic landscape design/build company in Fremont. www.Chrysalis-Gardens.com

 

 

 

Ferrari starts fashion collaboration with Armani

By Colleen Barry

AP Business Writer

 

MILAN (AP), Nov 04 – Sportscar maker Ferrari said Monday it was starting a fashion collaboration with Giorgio Armani as part of its long-awaited strategy to spread its brand to other sectors and squeeze more value out of it.

 

CEO Louis Camilleri told analysts that Ferrari aims to earn 10% of earnings before interest and taxes in seven to 10 years from three new areas: apparel, entertainment and luxury services.

 

The Italian company aims to both increase and retain a greater portion of the 800 million euros ($892 million) in products bearing the carmaker's name, the CEO said.

 

“This is not just about profit, this is about enhancing our brand equity and the vitality and vibrancy of the brand,” Camilleri said.

 

He said Ferrari will focus the use of its brand, reducing licenses by half and eliminating a third of the product categories currently available.

 

Besides the apparel line to be produced in Italy through a long-term deal with Armani, Ferrari will expand its entertainment offerings, which currently comprise theme parks in Abu Dhabi and Barcelona and two museums in Italy, with driving simulation centers to leverage its Formula 1 racing heritage.

 

The third category, luxury services, will include a new restaurant with Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura at the Maranello headquarters to open at the end of 2020.

 

Ferrari raised its earnings forecast, citing a robust third-quarter performance including a 9% increase in deliveries.

 

It raised its full-year forecast for net revenues to 3.7 billion euros, from 3.5 billion euros previously. It lifted its prediction for earnings before interest, taxes and amortization to 1.27 billion euros from 1.25 billion euros.

 

In the third quarter, earnings before interest, taxes and amortization rose 11% to 311 million euros. Revenues rose 9% to 915 million euros.

 

Deliveries hit 2,474 vehicles, lifted by the Ferrari Portofino and the 812 Superfast. They were up by double-digits in Europe, were flat in the Americas and dipped 2% in greater China. Full-year volumes will be in the 10,000-region.

 

Ferrari has unveiled four new models this year as it renews a product portfolio, and will preview a fifth next Wednesday at an event in Rome.

 

 

 

‘Tis the Season – For Flu!

Submitted by Kim Brooks

 

Flu season is here, and it’s often marked by the offers of free flu shots in neighborhood pharmacies and stores across the country. Servpro cleaning pros in the Fremont area—experts in cleaning and sanitizing building materials, surfaces, and contents after fire, water, or natural disasters—remind home and business owners how important it is to step up routine cleaning efforts during this time of year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu virus can remain viable on surfaces for up to 48 hours. Cleaning surfaces and objects that are frequently touched minimizes the likelihood of contacting the flu virus when you touch an infected surface.

 

According to the CDC, nearly 15 percent of the U.S. population suffered from the flu in 2018. More than 950,000 people were hospitalized and almost 80,000 people died from flu complications, making 2018 the most severe flu season since 2009. “As an emergency response company, we understand the hidden danger of contaminated surfaces in a workplace or home,” said Rick Isaacson, CEO of Servpro Industries, LLC. “This time of year, the flu virus can be a ‘hidden danger’ at home, at work, and in the community. It is a serious illness, and we want our friends and neighbors in the Fremont area to take it seriously.”

 

The CDC recommends the following to help protect yourself or your loved ones from contracting the flu.

 

1. Get vaccinated. The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the first and most important protection against this serious virus.
2. Thoroughly wash your hands (20 seconds or more with soap and water) or sanitize them frequently throughout the day, even if you are not infected, to help protect yourself and others.
3. Beware of frequently touched surfaces, like handrails and doorknobs. Keep them clean at home using a bleach and water solution and clean your hands as soon as possible if you must touch them in public.

 

If you or a family member comes down with the flu despite these precautions, keep in mind the flu spreads primarily through droplets from a sick person when they cough, sneeze, or talk. With that in mind, the CDC offers the following guidelines to help control the spread of the disease:

 

1. Stay home and keep your distance. Infected droplets from a sick person’s nose or mouth can travel up to six feet and land in the noses and mouths of people nearby, exposing them to the illness.
2. Wait until you are fever free – without medications – for at least 24 hours before returning to school, work, or normal activities.
3. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, your sleeve, or your elbow when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of the tissue and clean your hands with soap or a sanitizer with 60 percent alcohol.

 

There is no such thing as a foolproof flu protection plan, says Isaacson, but frequent hand-washing and conscientious cleaning practices at home, work, and in the community are precautions everyone can practice to help keep them and their loved ones healthy. For more flu statistics and tips on how to help prevent the spread of the flu virus, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu.

 

 

 

Copyright Attorney Kelley A. Way shares expertise

Submitted by Knuti VanHoven

 

On Saturday November 23 at 2 p.m., Fremont Area Writers will host Kelley A. Way, a Copyright, Trademark and Estate Planning Attorney. Ms. Way will give you an overview of what you need to know before signing any writers’ contract.

 

Most of us don’t understand or even fully read all the things we sign. Whether the subject is medical care or internet access, we're impatient to get the help we need and naively trust that the contracts don’t contain anything that would hurt us. For authors who’ve dreamed of selling their book to a publishing house, the impulse may be to grab the contract and sign it before the publishers change their minds, but the penalties for that could be devastating.

 

As a newly-minted UC Davis School of Law grad and fellow of the Pacific Justice Institute, Kelley A. Way was approached by her first client, the copyright holder of a New York Times bestselling fantasy series. After the successful resolution of the case, she opened her own law firm. Now, nine years later, Kelley is a member of the Bar Associations of Contra Costa County, the State of California and the American Bar Association, including their sections on Intellectual Property Law.

 

In a one-hour presentation, she’ll point out some of the contract provisions you need and warn against ones you need to run from before entrusting your creation to anyone else. Afterward she’ll answer questions from attendees. This event, held at the 42 Silicon Valley campus in Fremont, is free and open to anyone interested in writing, whether they’re new to the craft or a seasoned professional. Go to https://cwc-fremontareawriters.org/ for more information.

 

Workshop with attorney Kelley A. Way

Saturday, Nov 23

2 p.m.

42 Silicon Valley campus

6600 Dumbarton CIR, Fremont

https://cwc-fremontareawriters.org/

 

 

 

Elks join NFL salute to veterans

Submitted by Steve Kay

 

Recently, the Fremont Elks invited to play host to the USAA (a financial services group serving veterans) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) as part of the National Football League’s (NFL) Salute to Veterans.

 

The early-November event was established as part of the NFL’s week honoring veterans and was open to all veterans and their families. USAA arranged to have Eric Wright and Jesse Sapolu from the San Francisco 49ers serve as guest speakers for this event.

 

Both players shared stories of their days with the 49ers and answered questions from audience members. After speaking, they posed for photos and signed autographs. They were accompanied by members of the Goldrush, cheerleaders to the 49ers. As an extra bonus, veterans in attendance were given a chance to win tickets to a special pre-game tailgate party and be guests at the 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks game being held on Veterans Day.

 

The Elks have a motto, “So long as there are Veterans, the benevolent and protective order of Elks will never forget them.” Elks always take great pride in serving veterans.

 

For more information about the Fremont Elks chapter, visit their website at www.fremontelks.org.

 

 

 

Fremont Police Log

Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD

 

Tuesday, November12

• At 2:50 p.m. patrol officers responded to a report about a suspicious person at Irvington Community Center on Blacow Road who had reportedly told a young child at the playground that he had a gun and wanted to injure someone. No weapon was seen. The suspect was described as an Asian male about 17 to 20 years old, wearing a black hoodie, black bandanna and carrying a black bag. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. Stepped-up patrols are ongoing in the area. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to send an email to School Resource Officer Joel Luevano at Jluevano@fremont.gov.

 

 

 

Fremont City Council

November 12, 2019

 

Work Session

• Evaluate impact of SB743 on transportation impacts in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). With California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) certification and adoption of the changes to the CEQA Guidelines, automobile delay, as measured by “level of service” and other similar metrics, generally no longer constitutes a significant environmental effect under CEQA. Vehicle Miles Traveled (i.e., vehicle usage) per capita is recommended by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research as the most appropriate metric to evaluate a project’s transportation impacts. Next steps to develop policy revisions and guidelines.

 

 

Regular Meeting

 

Consent Calendar:

• Execute agreement with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. for maintenance service at library and police department administrative and detention facilities and fueling stations and animal shelter.
• Approve agreement with Precision Emprise LLC dba Precision Concrete Cutting for grinding and maintenance of pathways at Central Park.
• Award contract to Foothill Engineering in the amount of $352,648.75 for Fremont Boulevard widening project – Phase III.
• Public Hearing to consider summarily vacating portions of landscape and all emergency vehicle access easements within 12 parcels bounded by Kaiser Drive, Campus Drive and Dumbarton Circle.

 

Ceremonial Items:

• Proclaim November 2019 Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Ron Fong accepted the proclamation.

 

Oral Communications:

• Comments about safety concerns regarding restriping of Rancho Arroyo Parkway.
• County Supervisor Scott Haggerty spoke about the 20-year anniversary of the Fremont Resource Center and support for the Mobile Hygiene Center.
• Comment regarding excessive use of right of way for bicycles.

 

Scheduled Items:

Other Business:

• Presentation of investment strategies based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Monique Spyke, Investment Manager of PFM outlined the performance of current management. Vote to retain current investment strategy PASSED 5-2 (Nay: Bacon, Kassan)

 

Council Referrals:

• Councilmember Bacon referral to investigate claims of City of Fremont janitors benefit claims issues with SWA Services Group.

 

 

Mayor Lily Mei                       Aye

Vice Mayor Raj Salwan          Aye

Vinnie Bacon                          Aye, 1 Nay

Rick Jones                               Aye

Teresa Keng (District 1)         Absent

Jenny Kassan (District 3)        Aye, 1 Nay

Yang Shao (District 4)            Aye

 

 

 

Friend of education chosen

Submitted by Laura Forrest

 

The Alameda County Board of Education awarded Dirk Lorenz a Friend of Education Award earlier in November at the Niles Rotary Meeting. The award was presented by Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Eileen McDonald

 

Lorenz, the owner of Fremont Flowers, is a community-first businessman who provides free flowers and vases to Fremont Unified students to give to their teachers on the first day of school. He has been a sponsor of the annual Welcome Teacher Day since 2001. Lorenzo is also a sponsor of the annual Teacher Appreciation Event in Fremont schools.

 

The Alameda County Board of Education honored Lorenz with a resolution at its October 15, 2019 meeting.

 

 

 

Google plans to offer checking accounts

By Mae Anderson

AP Technology Writer

 

NEW YORK (AP), Nov 13 – Google plans to add checking accounts from Citigroup and a credit union to its Google Pay digital wallet in 2020, the tech company said Wednesday.

 

Google confirmed an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal.

 

Big tech companies have been pushing into other arenas such as finance and health care to gain more access to consumer data. Google launched Google Wallet in 2011, now called Google Pay, which lets users store credit and debit card information and use them to make mobile and digital payments.

 

Now the Mountain View, California-based tech giant wants to add checking accounts.

 

“We're exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the U.S. to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay,” the company said in a statement.

 

The move would let users use Google Pay but keep money in accounts that meet the federal regulatory standards for banks. While Google is working with Citigroup and Stanford Credit Union now, it hopes to add more partners in the future.

 

In the U.S., more than 2,000 banks already offer virtual card transactions via Google Pay, Google said.

 

The push comes at a time when regulators are looking into privacy practices by firms including Google and Facebook so the deals are likely to be scrutinized.

 

Citigroup did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

 

Imprisoned at Hogwarts!

Submitted by Nathan Silva

 

All is not as calm as it seems at Hogwarts … a sinister young wizard is at work creating a new horcrux, and it will take an intrepid group to foil the plot and escape from Hogwarts!

 

The event takes place on Tuesday, November 26 and there are various time slots available for both tween and teen attendees. Groups are limited to eight people and should arrive 10 minutes prior to their start time. Latecomers cannot be accommodated due to the nature of the program. Groups will have 40 minutes to solve all the puzzles and escape the room.

 

Escape Room session for Tweens starts at 12:15 p.m.

Escape Room session for Teens starts at 1:30 p.m.

Escape Room session for Tweens starts at 3:00 p.m.

Escape Room session for Tweens starts at 4:30 p.m.

 

This program requires advanced registration. You may register by calling the Castro Valley Library at (510) 667-7900 or stopping by the Information Desk during open hours.

 

The Castro Valley Library is located at 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, and is wheelchair accessible. The Library will provide an ASL interpreter for any event with at least seven working days’ notice. For more information visit our website at www.aclibrary.org.

 

 

Harry Potter Escape Room

Tuesday, Nov 26

12 noon – 4:30 p.m.

Castro Valley Library

3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley

(510) 667-7900

Advance registration required

 

 

 

Heartfulness Initiative

Submitted by Padmaja Krishnaswami

 

Many high school administration and staff are tackling cases of depression and stress in students, caused by unreasonable expectations. These expectations could arise from peer pressure, need for high academic performance, or trying to cater to social demands.

 

Irvington High School in Fremont, has taken a pioneering initiative to do something about these issues. For several Fridays, concluding on November 8, the school has been buzzing with volunteers conducting sessions to about 600 ninth graders. Dubbed the “Heartfulness” sessions by a high schooler, these are an outcome of a joint partnership between Irvington High School and Heartfulness Institute. “This is an effort to foster a holistic development for the high schoolers,” says Ms. Amanda Melsby, Principal of Irvington High.

 

“The need to focus on our inner development and to strike a balance to the inputs we receive from the external environment is of paramount importance today in this fast-paced digital world,” says Beena Shah, a volunteer trainer of Heartfulness Institute.

 

Sessions focus on topics such as stress management, fostering positivity and overcoming anxiety. Simple techniques of relaxation, meditation, rejuvenation and affirmation are introduced to the students as tools to help them prioritize their tasks, strengthen core values, flourish as individuals, and cultivate a healthy society. “I really resonated with the moment of pause; that taught me to respond rather than react to any situation,” says a ninth grader.

 

Heartfulness Institute is a global nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization. Over a million volunteers work at the grass roots level—with a fundamental belief that inner transformation can lead to transformation of a class, school and society. They believe that the ripple effect of individual action, fostered by effective techniques of heart-based meditation, will propel humanity to strengthen interconnectedness that naturally bring about kindness, compassion, understanding, and unity.

 

In the Tri-City area, trainers and volunteers of the Heartfulness Institute conduct workshops and ongoing sessions on meditation techniques and related topics at various locations including Washington Hospital; Palo Alto Medical Foundation; senior centers in Fremont, Newark, Union City; as well as various corporate locations. In addition, there is an ongoing “Introduction to Meditation session” every Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Heartfulness Center at 585 Mowry Ave, Fremont. All sessions are offered for free; the organization is supported by donations. For more details about Heartfulness Institute, email us at bayarea.ca@heartfulness.org.

 

 

Intro to Meditation

Sundays

10 a.m.

Heartfulness Center

585 Mowry Ave, Fremont

bayarea.ca@heartfulness.org

 

 

 

High School Diplomats

Submitted by Gokul Ramapriyan

 

Mission San Jose High School Junior Gokul Ramapriyan attended the High School Diplomats (HSD) US program this past summer. During the 10-day program, 40 American and 40 Japanese students met at Princeton University to discuss global issues, engage in the stigmatization of negative social norms, and learn about each other’s culture.

 

“Attending High School Diplomats US was an opportunity of a lifetime,” says Ramapriyan.” Those 10 days at Princeton changed my life, and the interactions I had with the Japanese students, American students, and staff are some that I can never forget.”

 

HSD began in 1987 when a group from the American International Underwriters Insurance Company of Tokyo, Japan (now known as AIG) decided to offer a limited number of full scholarship trips to the United States for exceptional Japanese high school students. While in the United States, the Japanese student-diplomats had a chance to visit numerous landmarks in metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C. and New York City, as well as stay with US students and their families. The program now has over 2,600 Japanese and American alumni.

 

The primary focus of the trip is a 10-day cultural exchange at Princeton University, where each Japanese student is paired with an American roommate. (All accepted students receive a full scholarship to cover costs.) Together they explore the similarities and differences of their respective cultures through formal and informal discussions, student presentations, and group activities. In the process, they build cross-cultural bridges of friendship and cooperation.

 

“I was able to learn more about Japanese culture and customs, but I was also able to learn more about myself,” says Ramapriyan. “I became more empathetic, open-minded, and understanding because of this program. I encourage everyone who is even a little bit interested in the program to apply since it has the potential to change your life like it has changed mine.”

 

Other students had similar positive experiences. “At HSD we learned how to build relationships better than I ever have before in my life,” says Jonathan Auh, a Junior at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. “The crazy thing was, we spent 10 days together while being absolute strangers at the start and at the end of it all, we all were closer to each other than we ever thought possible. I learned that to do that every single day requires 100% of your attention and effort into every single relationship you have with the people around you.”

 

American alumni of HSD have a chance to participate in High School Diplomats Japan, a program where will have the opportunity to go to Japan (all expenses paid) and experience Japanese culture and lifestyle while staying with a host family.

 

HSD is a life-changing program that opens an individual mind through thought-provoking discussions and also teaches the principles of empathy and understanding through friendships. More information, including application deadlines for the 2020 session, can be found at www.highschooldiplomats.com.

 

 

 

California bans hotels from using tiny plastic bottles

AP Wire Service

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Oct 10 – Hotels in the nation's most populous state will have to stop giving guests small plastic shampoo bottles under a new law set to take effect starting in 2023.

 

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he had signed a law banning hotels from giving guests plastic bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner or soap. It takes effect in 2023 for hotels with more than 50 rooms and 2024 for hotels with less than 50 rooms.

 

Violators could be fined $500 for a first offense and $2,000 for subsequent violations.

 

The law follows similar actions by some of the world's largest hotel chains. Marriott International has said it plans to stop using small plastic bottles in its hotel rooms by December 2020. IHG, which owns Holiday Inn, Kimpton and other brands, said it will eliminate about 200 million small bottles by 2021.

 

Last year, Walt Disney Co. said it would get rid of small plastic shampoo bottles at its resorts and cruise ships.

 

The law comes as California officials are trying to reduce the amount of plastic waste. The state already bans grocery stores from giving customers single-use plastic bags without charging a fee. Last year, former Gov. Jerry Brown passed a law allowing restaurants to hand out plastic straws only upon request.

 

The Personal Care Products Council opposed the legislation, arguing it would hurt personal care product manufacturers.

 

 

 

Navigation center for homeless opens

Submitted by City of Hayward

 

A new Housing Navigation Center aimed at helping people who are experiencing homelessness has started operations in Hayward.

 

Located on city-owned property at Whitesell Street and Depot Road, the center offers short-term housing for up to 45 people at a time in dormitory settings with one meal a day, an on-site restroom, shower, laundry and kitchen facilities. It also offers intensive case management services geared toward helping people find long-term housing placements.

 

The center opened Monday, November 18 and is operated by Bay Area Community Services (BACS), a local nonprofit organization that runs a successful City of Berkeley Navigation Center on which the new Hayward program is modeled.

 

To find program participants, Hayward Navigation Center outreach workers visit encampments and other locations, and work with other social service groups, police officers, paramedics and city maintenance crews. The center does not accept walk-ins; all residents must go through an intake process.

 

The Hayward City Council authorized establishment of the Navigation Center in January as a pilot project in response to a growing homeless population and corresponding emergency shortage of shelter space. The center has been developed and furnished through a combination of state Homeless Emergency Aid Program and Proposition 47, City funding private donations.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service focuses on “Growing In Unity”

Submitted by Rev. Jeffrey Spencer

 

The 58th Annual Tri-City Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held November 25 at St Joseph Catholic Church in Fremont. The program is sponsored by the Tri-City Interfaith Council (TCIC). This year's theme, “Growing In Unity,” focuses on hurdles we face as a society to being truly united and the ways we can overcome those hurdles.

 

The liturgical fabric of the service is rich in readings from sacred text, prayers, songs, traditional costumes, dances, and music from many of the various faith and spiritual traditions represented in the Tri-Cities. The importance of passing the sacred tradition to the next generation is highlighted at the conclusion of the service when a symbol is passed from an adult to a younger member of many of the Tri-City's faith communities.

 

Attendees are invited to bring refreshments for a time of fellowship after the service. A financial offering will be received to underwrite an expansion of the justice ministries of the TCIC.

 

Parents are encouraged to bring children and youth for this inspiring and educational program. The Thanksgiving service provides a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the varied cultural and religious traditions that are such an important part of our community. A reception follows the service.

 

Since 1962, when three Protestant Christian churches gathered for Thanksgiving worship, this holiday service has evolved to reflect dramatic historical changes and diversity in the Bay Area. Vatican II encouraged interfaith dialogue between Catholics, Protestants, and the Jewish community. Then in the late 1980s representatives from other faith traditions joined in the celebration. Now, it is common to have people representing the Hindu, Muslim, Ohlone Indian, Unitarian Universalist, Sikh, Baha'i, and Buddhist communities share in the Thanksgiving Service.

 

For the second year, this interfaith service concludes the Bay Area United Against Hate Week, a movement supported by governments and non-governmental organizations around the Bay Area in November. You can learn more about it at https://unitedagainsthateweek.org/. You can learn more about the Tri-City Interfaith Council at https://tcicouncil.weebly.com/.

 

 

Tri-City Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Monday, Nov 25

7:30 p.m.

St Joseph Catholic Church

43148 Mission Blvd, Fremont

510-797-0895

www.nilesdiscoverychurch.org

 

 

 

CONTINUING EVENTS:

 

Mondays, May 14 – Dec 30

English Conversation Group

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Practice spoken English in a friendly environment

Union City Branch Library

34007 Alvarado Niles Rd., Union City

(510) 745-1464

 

Sundays, Sep 8 – Dec 1

Family Friendly Matinee

3 p.m.

Dates: 9/8, 10/6, 11/3, 12/1

Made Up Theatre

4000 Bay St. Suite B, Fremont

(510) 573-3633

www.madeuptheatre.com

 

Mondays, Sep 9 – Dec 17

Advanced Math and Science Tutoring

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

High school and college level help in math, physics and chemistry

Castro Valley Library

3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley

(510) 667-7900

www.aclibrary.org

 

Monday – Friday, Sep 30 – Nov 27

Resonance Exhibit

Upstairs: Mon – Fri, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Downstairs: Mon: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Tues & Thurs: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Mixed media by 11 artists on their experiences with H.A.R.D.

PhotoCentral

1099 E St., Hayward

(510) 881-6721

www.photocentral.org

 

Monday – Friday, Oct 4 – Dec 6

Members Show

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Art by members of the Hayward Arts Council

John O’Lague Galleria

777 B St., Hayward

(510) 538-2787

www.haywardartscouncil.org

 

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Oct 8 – Dec 3

Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Works by community artists and members of Hayward Arts Council

Sunset Gallery

22100 Princeton St., H2, Hayward

(510) 538-2787

www.haywardartscouncil.org

 

Wednesdays, Oct 9 – Nov 20

Caring for the Caregiver

10 a.m. – 12 noon

Home safety, sleeping well, stress reduction, end-of-life planning. No class 10/23 or 11/13

Kenneth C. Aitken Center

17800 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley

(510) 881-6738

www.haywardrec.org

 

Mondays & Wednesdays, Oct 21 – Nov 20

Food Business Entrepreneurial Training R

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Learn how to start and grow your own food business

Hayward Main Library

888 C St., Hayward

(510) 881-7980

(916) 234-6551

 

Fridays, Nov 1 – Nov 22

Toddler Ramble: Do the Loco-Motion $

10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Squish, plop, and explore habitats. Ages 1-3

Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center

4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward

(510) 670-7270

www.haywardrec.org/hayshore.html

 

Sundays, Nov 3 – Dec 29

Animal Feeding Time

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Discuss reptiles, observe feeding time

Sunol Regional Wilderness

1895 Geary Rd., Sunol

(510) 544-3249

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturdays – Sundays, Nov 2 – Dec 29

Nature Crafts

10 a.m. – 12 noon

Discover the natural world through your artistic side

Sunol Regional Wilderness

1895 Geary Rd., Sunol

(510) 544-3249

www.ebparks.org

Saturdays – Sundays, Nov 2 – Dec 29

Wild Wonders

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Games, activities, crafts for all ages

Sunol Regional Wilderness

1895 Geary Rd., Sunol

(510) 544-3249

www.ebparks.org

 

Friday – Sunday, Nov 8 – Nov 24

Next to Normal $

Fri. & Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.

Toney Award-winning “mental illness musical”

Smalltown Society Space

22222 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley

plethos.org

 

Sundays, Nov 10 – Jan 4

Dove Gallery Art Competition Exhibit

12 noon – 3 p.m.

Artworks from all ages in various media and styles

Park Victoria Baptist Church

875 S. Park Victoria Dr., Milpitas

(408) 464-5011

dove@parkvictoria.org

 

Thursday – Sunday, Nov 14 – Nov 23

The Learned Ladies $

Thurs: 4 p.m. Fri & Sat: 7 p.m. Sun: 2 p.m.

Comedy by Moliere

American High School Theatre

36300 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

(510)796-1776 ext 57702

http://ahs-fusd-ca.schoolloop.com

 

Saturdays-Sundays, Nov 23 – Dec 22

Great Dickens Christmas Fair $

10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Shopping, entertainment, and food from Dickensian London

Cow Exhibition Hall

2600 Geneva Ave., San Francisco

(800) 226-0841

https://dickensfair.com

 

Daily, Nov – Dec

Photos with Santa

November: Mon – Sat, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (break 2 p.m.- 3 p.m.), Sun, 12 noon – 6 p.m. (break 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

December: Mon – Sat, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (break 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.), Sun, 12 noon – 6 p.m. (break 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.), Xmas Eve, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (break 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.)

Closed Thanksgiving

NewPark Mall

2086 NewPark Mall, Newark

(510) 793-5683

 

Friday nights

Laugh Track City $

8 p.m.

Fast-paced improv comedy show

Made Up Theatre

4000 Bay St., Suite B, Fremont

(510) 573-3633

https://madeuptheatre.com/

 

Saturday nights

8 p.m.

Audience-inspired improv play

Made Up Theatre

4000 Bay St., Suite B, Fremont

(510) 573-3633

https://madeuptheatre.com/

 

 

 

 

THIS WEEK:

 

Wednesday, Nov 20

Canyon Middle School Choirs $

7 p.m.

Evening of music kicking off the winter season

Castro Valley Center for the Arts

19501 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley

(510) 889-8961

www.cvartsfoundation.org

 

Wednesday, Nov 20

Medicare Changes for 2020

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Rep from HICAP provides information and answers questions

Fremont Senior Center

40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont

(510) 790-6600

 

Wednesday, Nov 20

Toddler Time

10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Hear a story, do some chores, meet some farm animals. Ages 1-4

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Wednesday, Nov 20

Transgender Day of Remembrance

7 p.m.

Honor and grieve those who have died at the hands of others

Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation

2950 Washington Blvd., Fremont

(510) 490-0200

www.unitedagainsthateweek.org

 

Thursday, Nov 21

The Great American S**t Show $

7:30 p.m.

Brian Copeland and Charlie Varon: life in the age of Trump

Castro Valley Center for the Arts

19501 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley

(510) 889-8961

www.cvartsfoundation.org

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Chinese Calligraphy R

3 p.m.

Try your hand at this delicate art using pen, brushes and ink

Fremont Hills Assisted Living & Memory Care

35490 Mission Blvd., Fremont

(510) 796-4200

https://fremonthills.watermarkcommunities.com

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Security on the Internet

6:35 p.m.

How the internet works and how to enjoy it safely

Union City Branch Library

34007 Alvarado Niles Rd., Union City

(510) 745-1464

www.aclibrary.org

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Achieve Your Financial Goals R

6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Information session by SparkPoint Fremont

Family Resource Center, Millennium Room

39155 Liberty St., Fremont

(510) 574-2000

(510) 574-2020

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Singles Dance $

8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Benefits Seva Foundation to restore sight to the blind

Doubletree Newark-Fremont Hilton Hotel

39900 Balentine Dr., Newark

(510) 490-8390

www.ThePartyHotline.com

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Tri-City Elder Coalition Meeting

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Alex Schubek from City of Fremont Fire Dept.

Fremont Retirement Community

2860 Country Drive, Fremont

 

Thursday, Nov 21

Hayward Nonprofit Alliance Meeting

10 a.m.

Speakers Jennifer Ellis, La Familia, and Lisa Brunner from US Census

St. Rose Hospital

Sherman L. Balch Pavilion

27190 Calaroga Ave., Hayward

www.hayward.org

 

Thursday, Nov 21

The Making of A Nation/ The Making of Niles

12 noon – 1:30 p.m.

Panel presentation with 3 historians. Hosted by Niles Rotary Club

Washington Hospital West Anderson Auditorium

2500 Mowry Ave., Fremont

(800) 448-5433

(510) 656-1226

 

Friday, Nov 22

Latino Business Roundtable

8:30 a.m.

Speaker Paul Nguyen, economic development manager for the City of Hayward

St. Rose Hospital

Sherman L. Balch Pavilion

27190 Calaroga Ave., Hayward

www.hayward.org

 

Friday, Nov 22

Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner

5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Traditional turkey dinner, music, prize drawings. Free for local seniors

Union City Ruggieri Senior Center

33997 Alvarado-Niles Road, Union City

(510) 675-5328

(510) 384-4281

 

Friday, Nov 22

Music at the Mission $

8 p.m.

Playful and romantic music featuring the violin, cello, and piano

Old Mission San Jose

43300 Mission Blvd., Fremont

(510) 659-6158

www.musicatmsj.org

 

Friday, Nov 22

Craftzone: Holiday Craft

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Enjoy a fun, holiday craft. Ages 5+

Niles Library

150 “I” Street, Fremont

(510) 795-2626

(510) 284-0695

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Fremont Area Writers

2:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Kelley A. Way talks copyright, trademark, and estate planning

42 Silicon Valley

6600 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont

cwc-fremontareawriters.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Just Ducky

9:00 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.

Winter ducks are arriving. Bring binoculars. Ages 12+

Coyote Hills

8000 Patterson Ranch Rd., Fremont

(510) 544-3220

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Native Knowledge Nature Walk

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Plants, animals and games Ohlone people enjoyed. Ages 7+

Coyote Hills

8000 Patterson Ranch Rd., Fremont

(510) 544-3220

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Movie Night $

7:30 p.m.

“The Hoosier Schoolmaster”, “Spring Fever”, “The Gangsters and the Girl”

Niles Essanay Theater

37417 Niles Blvd, Fremont

(510) 494-1411

www.nilesfilmmuseum.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Newark Rotary Crab Feed $

6 p.m.

All-you-can-eat crab, pasta, garlic bread, live auctions

Newark Pavilion

6430 Thornton Ave., Newark

(510) 793-5683

www.newarkrotary.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Storytime with Ms. Peggy

11 a.m.

“Mushroom in the Rain”

Books on B

1014 B St, Hayward

(510) 538-3943

www.booksonb.com

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Welcome Back, Anna Towers

12 noon – 2 p.m.

Meet nature enthusiast and Friendly Fungus photographer

Books on B

1014 B St, Hayward

(510) 538-3943

www.booksonb.com

 

Saturday, Nov 23

United Against Hate

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Documentary screening, panel discussion, light refreshments

San Leandro Main Library

300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro

(510) 577-3971

www.aclibrary.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Turkey Time R

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Discover the history and humor of turkeys. Create a craft to take home.

Sunol Regional Wilderness

1895 Geary Rd., Sunol

(510) 544-3249

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Pumpkin Palooza

12 noon – 1 p.m.

Learn about these orange gourds, make Thanksgiving decorations

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Garden Chores for Kids

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Help weed, water, plant seeds, learn about heirloom vegetables

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Turkey Talk

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Learn about turkeys and make a Thanksgiving decoration

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

Tea and Conversation

10 a.m. – 12 noon

Pair up with someone from a different faith, make friends

St. Anne Episcopal Church

2791 Driscoll Rd., Fremont

(510) 490-0553

www.unitedagainsthateweek.org

 

Saturday, Nov 23

East Bay People's Choir

4 p.m.

Free concert with hopeful music

Irvington Presbyterian Church

4181 Irvington Ave., Fremont

(510) 657-3133

www.unitedagainsthateweek.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Water is Life Hike

9 a.m. – 12 noon

3-mile walk around marsh, discuss importance of water. Meet at visitor center. Ages 15+

Coyote Hills

8000 Patterson Ranch Rd., Fremont

(510) 544-3220

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Feeding Frenzy

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Help feed resident aquarium animals

Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center

4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward

(510) 670-7270

www.haywardrec.org/hayshore.html

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Fixin' Feed

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Use antique equipment to grind up food for the farm animals

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Cooking in Country Kitchen

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sample food cooked on a wood-burning stove

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Victorian Table Top Games

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Play a game of ball and cup, tops, or Jacob's Ladder

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Felted Pumpkins

11 a.m. – 12 noon

Woolly craft for your Thanksgiving table

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Beginning Embroidery

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Learn some basic stitches

Ardenwood Historic Farm

34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont

(510) 544-2797

www.ebparks.org

 

Sunday, Nov 24

Oakland Gay Men's Chorus

2 p.m.

Traditional choral music, Broadway musicals and popular songs

Union City Branch Library

34007 Alvarado Niles Rd., Union City

(510) 745-1464

https://www.oaklandgmc.org

 

Monday, Nov 25

Eden Garden Club Meeting

9:30 a.m.

Two members share their artistic talents

Hayward-Castro Valley Moose Lodge

20835 Rutledge Rd., Castro Valley

(510) 723-6936

(510) 397-1268

 

Monday, Nov 25

Covered California Enrollment Workshop

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Learn about health care options, eligibility, how to register

Fremont Main Library Fukaya Room B

2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont

(510) 745-1467

 

Monday, Nov 25

Coyote Cubs: Turkey Vultures Are Gross…ly Entertaining!

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Play games, explore the park, do a craft. Ages 3-5 yrs

Coyote Hills

8000 Patterson Ranch Rd., Fremont

(510) 544-3220

www.ebparks.org

 

Monday, Nov 25

Milpitas Rotary Club Meeting

12 noon – 1:15 p.m.

Attorney Gautam Dutti discusses election law

Dave and Busters

940 Great Mall Dr., Milpitas

(408) 957-9215

http://www.clubrunner.ca/milpitas

 

Monday, Nov 25

Thanksgiving Services

7:30 p.m.

“Growing in Unity” theme music & inspirational messages

St. Joseph Church

43323 Mission Blvd., Fremont

(510) 648-5432

 

Monday, Nov 25

Outdoor Discoveries: Turkey Trot R

10:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Preschool and home school nature series. Ages 4-8

Sunol Regional Wilderness

1895 Geary Rd., Sunol

(510) 544-3249

www.ebparks.org

 

Monday, Nov 25

58th Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

7:30 p.m.

Sacred readings, song, and dance

St. Joseph Hall

43148 Mission Blvd., Fremont

(510) 656-2364

www.unitedagainsthateweek.org

 

Tuesday, Nov 26

Taiwanese Thanksgiving Dinner

1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Free dental/medical clinic 1-4 p.m. Dinner and entertainment 4 – 6 p.m.

Centerville Presbyterian Church

4360 Central Ave., Fremont

(510) 299-2223

(510) 432-7353

 

Tuesday, Nov 26

Harry Potter Escape Room R

12 noon

Teams of 8 try to escape from Hogwarts. Advance registration required

Castro Valley Library

3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley

(510) 667-7900

www.aclibrary.org

 

Wednesday, Nov 27

Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon $R

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Enjoy traditional turkey dinner and free raffle

San Leandro Community Center

13909 East 14th St., San Leandro

(510) 577-6080

www.sanleandrorec.org

 

Wednesday, Nov 27

Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon $R

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Enjoy traditional turkey dinner and free raffle

San Leandro Marina Community Center

15301 Wicks Blvd, San Leandro

(510) 577-3462

www.sanleandrorec.org

 

Thursday, Nov. 28

LOV Thanksgiving Dinner

12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Food, entertainment, children’s crafts

Newark Pavilion

6430 Thornton Ave., Newark

www.lov.org

 

 

 

Kaiser CEO Death

Submitted by Jonathan Bair

 

It is with profound sadness that we announce that Bernard J. Tyson, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, unexpectedly passed away early today in his sleep. On behalf of our Board of Directors, employees and physicians, we extend our deepest sympathies to Bernard’s family during this very difficult time.

 

Bernard J. Tyson, born January 20, 1959, assumed the role of CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals — known as Kaiser Permanente – in 2013, and was named chairman of the board of directors in 2014. Tyson’s career at Kaiser Permanente spanned more than 30 years, and he had successfully managed all major aspects of the organization during that time, serving in roles from hospital administrator and division president to chief operating officer.

 

Tyson’s influence was felt both nationally and internationally. TIME included him on its list of the most influential people in the world and named him one of the Health Care 50. Also, in addition to being named by Modern Healthcare as one of the most influential people in health care for 5 consecutive years, he was No. 2 on the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare list and on Fast Company’s list of most creative people.

 

An outstanding leader, visionary and champion for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans, Bernard was a tireless advocate for Kaiser Permanente, our members and the communities we serve. Most importantly, Bernard was a devoted husband, father and friend. Bernard is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons; Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander and Charles.

 

Effective immediately, the board of directors has named Gregory A. Adams, Executive Vice President and Group President, as interim Chairman and CEO. “Bernard was an exceptional colleague, a passionate leader, and an honorable man. We will greatly miss him,” said board member Edward Pei, Chair of the Executive Committee and the Governance, Accountability and Nominating Committee. “The board has full confidence in Greg Adams’ ability to lead Kaiser Permanente through this unexpected transition.”

 

 

 

Football

 

 

 

Mariners move on in playoffs

Submitted and photos by Mike Heightchew

 

November 15

The Moreau Catholic Mariners (Hayward) started their quest for a Division 5 championship in impressive style on November 15^th. In the opening round of North Coast Section play, Mariner offense took control from the start by opening big holes in the Miramonte Matadors defense. Amassing a 21-point lead, the Mariners applied consistent and effective pressure on the Matadors’ quarterback.

 

The second half unveiled a new Matadors plan of attack with the quarterback moving out of the pocket which proved successful and resulted in points on the scoreboard. However, the Mariners’ running attack was simply unstoppable and, every touchdown by the Matadors was duplicated by the Mariners.

 

Final score: Moreau Catholic Mariners 56, Miramonte Matadors 27

 

Next up for the Mariners is a semi-final round matchup with the Del Norte Warriors (Crescent City) on Saturday, November 23 at Moreau Catholic (7 p.m.).

 

 

 

Get ready for Mistletoe Madness

Submitted by Liz Swenson

Photos courtesy of Mistletoe Madness

 

The Bay Area’s premier Christmas craft fair “Mistletoe Madness” is returning on Saturday, November 30. With over 70 vendors packed into San Leandro’s Marina Community Center, this fair promises to be a one-stop-shop for unique Christmas gifts.

 

The event prides itself on featuring only local handcrafted materials. A book illustrated or written by a Bay Area local? Hand-beaded jewelry? Hand-baked candy and cookies? All can be found at the fair. Store bought or out-of-State items are not eligible for sale at Mistletoe Madness. So not only can you find all the cute accessories and Christmas decorations you could possibly want, by shopping at the fair you can also support local artists.

 

Attendees of 2019’s fair can expect new items, such as hand painted ceramics in a rainbow of colors from Helene Roylance and adorable pinecone elves from Mona Chin. In addition, many veteran crafters are returning—such as Lisa and David Bowen with stained glass and wooden creations, Julia Neeves with scented bath and body products, and Sue Rosario with quirky steampunk jewelry.

 

Of course, these are only a few names among a long list of talented artists. Get a preview of this year’s vendors on the Mistletoe Madness website under the “Sneak Peak” tab! (http://www.mistletoemadness.net/sneak-peek.html) Or better yet, come out on the 30^th!

 

 

Mistletoe Madness

Saturday, Nov 30

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Marina Community Center

15301 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro

http://www.mistletoemadness.net/

 

 

 

Music at the Mission: Ghost

Submitted by Vickilyn Hussey

 

This season, “Music at the Mission” opens its evening concerts at the Old Mission San Jose on November 22 with one of the most quintessential instrument groups in classical chamber music besides the string quartet, the piano trio.

 

A sensational experience of moods, colors, emotions, and dazzling virtuosity awaits you. “Everything from the playful and romantic to the dramatic and unexpected,” promises pianist Aileen Chanco, who will be performing a program of celebrated piano trios with violinist Christina Mok and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel.

 

“Mok dazzled us with her virtuosity, her warm vibrant tone and her elegant musicianship,” proclaimed The Peninsula Reviews. The San Jose Mercury News reviewer raved, “Cellist Jennifer Kloetzel shines … terrific soloist with a robust and earthy sound.” “Chanco is an astonishing pianist. The scenes she etched were as fascinating as the paintings that had inspired the music,” said The Philippine Star.

 

The concert program is a powerhouse of sensational and yet very personal works: Clara Schumann’s Adagio from Piano Trio, Beethoven’s “Ghost” Piano Trio, Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2 (Rhapsody for cello and piano Op. 21) and the voluptuous Ravel Piano Trio.

 

“In Ravel’s piece,” said Chanco, “the ranges of each instrument are greatly stretched, producing a hugely rich and vibrant sound that is challenging for each player. I both adore and I fear this piece at the same time, but I look forward to performing this with the brilliant Christina Mok and Jennifer Kloetzel.”

 

She also noted, “The Beethoven, as well, is colorful and very unique. So much that it was dubbed ‘Ghost’ for its unusual sound in the slow movement.” The piece is absolutely beautiful, with unexpected haunting passages.

 

“The Ginastera Pampeana No. 2, is another piece that stretches the range of the instrument and produces a mysterious and haunting picture of the South American grasslands in Argentina,” explains Chanco.

 

“Clara Schumann was a woman who lived through a time when it was highly unusual for a woman to be a performing artist and composer. She was both and brilliant at it,” Chanco points out. “The wife of Robert Schumann, she was already well known as an artist under her maiden name, Clara Wieck, before they married.” It was Clara Schumann who was instrumental in popularizing Robert Schumann’s compositions by touring and performing them after his premature death.

 

Chanco says, “Our program opens with the slow movement, Andante, from Clara’s most famous work, the Piano Trio in G. It is an abundantly romantic and elegant opener for the Ghost concert that conjures up the beginning of a journey of stories and sound for the evening.”

 

Music at the Mission would like to thank the Steinway Piano Gallery of Walnut Creek and Justin Levitt, General Manager, for the use of a beautiful Steinway Piano for this concert. Tickets for the concert are available online or at the door.

 

 

Music at the Mission: Ghost

Friday, Nov 22

6:45 pm Doors open

7:15 pm Pre-Concert Talk

8:00 pm Concert

Old Mission San Jose

43300 Mission Blvd., Fremont

(510) 402-1724

www.musicatmsj.org

Tickets: $15 – $50

 

 

 

Newark City Council

November 14, 2019

 

Presentations and Proclamations:

• Introduction of Employees:

Ivan Quon, Accountant

Nick Darnell, Aquatics Coordinator

• Proclaim November 17-23 as United Against Hate Week
• Commend Newark Days Committee members

 

Public Hearings:

• Approve CEQA findings for Sanctuary West, a 469-unit residential project on approximately 430 acres within Area 4. Representatives of regional environmental groups, Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge and unaffiliated residents questioned the validity of the Recirculated Environmental Impact Report and asked for either a supplemental EIR or rejection of the project. Arguments against included: safety and limited access, vulnerable habitat and species, sea level rise, lack of amenities, recreation and services, traffic impacts, mosquito concerns. Passed 4-1 (Nay, Bucci)

 

Consent Calendar:

• Second reading of ordinance authorizing implementation of Community Choice Aggregation Program.
• Adopt a Compensation Plan for certain positions in the Exempt Service Employee Group; amend hourly wage rate schedule for part-time, seasonal and temporary classifications.
• Cancel November 28 and December 26 city council meetings.
• Amend Records Retention Schedule.
• Introduce an ordinance and set December 12 as a hearing date to amend Newark Municipal Code referencing building codes and regulations.
• Approve final map and subdivision agreement for Compass Bay, 138-unit residential subdivision.
• Approve release of security bonds for 8270, 8417, 8418, 8419 and 8420 Sanctuary Village.

 

Non-Consent:

• Authorize a contract amendment with Rhoades Planning Group for additional planning services for Newark Old Town Specific Plan. PASSED 3-0-2 (Recuse, Collazo, Freitas)
• Authorize application for Senate Bill f2 Planning Grants Program Funds for Historic Newark District Specific Plan. PASSED 3-0-2 (Recuse, Collazo, Freitas)

 

City Council Matters:

• Reappoint William Fitts and Debbie Otterstetter to the Planning Commission.
• Kudos to Solid Rock Community Church for sponsoring after school activities at library.
• Donations gratefully accepted for LOV Thanksgiving dinner
• Silliman Center tree lighting (Trees of Angels) on December 2 at 6:30 p.m. Activities begin at 5:30 p.m.
• Newark Jr. High School Marching Band has been nominated by Congressman Ro Khanna to represent the State of California in the 2020 Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. A gofundme page has been opened to help: https://www.gofundme.com/f/newark-jr-high-band-dc-trip

 

Oral Communications:

• None

 

 

Mayor Alan Nagy                   Aye

Vice Mayor Sucy Collazo       Aye, 2 Recuse

Luis Freitas                             Aye, 2 Recuse

Michael Hannon                     Aye

Mike Bucci                             Aye, 1 Nay

 

 

 

News Briefs

Submitted by Cheryl Golden

 

 

City of Fremont Giving Hope Holiday Giving Program – Help Spread Holiday Cheer
Join us now through December 13 to help

 

For 20 years, the Fremont community has come together to bring cheer to those in need at the holidays through the City of Fremont Human Services Department Giving Hope Program. This program invites members of the community to help families, seniors, and seniors with pet companions in need by sponsoring a wish list or making a donation. In 2018 alone, the community came together to help 310 individuals and 45 companion animals by bringing in over $104,000 worth of gifts and financial donations. This was possible due to the generosity of the Fremont community. We invite you to join us in spreading holiday cheer.

 

Giving Hope is a reminder that our community cares!

Giving Hope helps raise the spirits of its neighbors in need by providing gifts from a personalized wish list and grocery cards to children, seniors, and families who are struggling. Low-income seniors with pets also receive supplies and treats for beloved companions. Children and students supported by the program receive the learning supplies they need to succeed. By shopping for a personalized wish list, you show your neighbors in need you care.

 

Are you ready to shop?

If you like to shop, contact Jane O’Hollaren at the City of Fremont’s Family Resource Center and you will be provided with the personalized wish list of a family, senior, or senior with pet companion. Then purchase gifts, including a grocery gift card, and return all the items to the City of Fremont’s drop off spots by December 13, 2019. Please plan to spend $100 per individual on the list.

 

Not a Shopper?

If you’re not a shopper yet still want to help, you can make a financial contribution. Contributions are used to buy gifts for wish lists without a sponsor. After the holidays, we apply money not spent on gifts to the Human Service Department’s urgent needs fund. This flexible funding allows us to help with critical needs our clients may be facing all year long, which are not covered under governmental program guidelines. In the past, these funds helped in many ways, for example:

 Providing a grocery gift card to a family in which the sole breadwinner has recently lost their job

 Acquiring transportation vouchers for a mother and child who need to get to urgent medical care

 Placing a homeless family into a hotel while a care manager negotiates space in a shelter for them

 Purchasing necessary medication or medical equipment for a senior whose fixed income just wouldn’t stretch

 

Donations to Giving Hope are deductible to the extent allowable. The City of Fremont's Tax ID Number is 94-6027361. In January, the City of Fremont will send letters of gratitude acknowledging all donations. To make a financial contribution through our secure website online, visit www.Fremont.gov/GivingHopeDonate.

 

Please contact Paula Manczuk-Hannay, Development Officer, for more information about Giving Hope or other ways you can help those served by the City of Fremont Human Services Department. Paula can be reached at 510-574-2049 or PManczuk-Hannay@Fremont.gov.

 

 

 

Supporting Fremont’s Temporary Housing Navigation Center

 

As part of the City of Fremont’s strategic approach to addressing the growing homeless crisis, the City is opening a temporary Housing Navigation Center (HNC) located in the rear parking lot of City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave. The HNC is an innovative approach to help those experiencing homelessness find housing while providing a clean, safe, and calm environment so participants can focus on finding stable, permanent housing. The HNC is anticipated to open in mid-2020.

 

The temporary Housing Navigation Center aims to be a welcoming and private environment for the participants and an integrated part of Fremont’s new downtown. The City invites the community to be part of making the HNC a success; community members can support the HNC in a variety of ways including monetary donations, donating items from the HNC wish list, or volunteering on service days. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information and to make a donation visit www.Fremont.gov/HNCDonate.

 

 

 

Attend Fremont’s Free Fixit Clinic on November 19

 

The first monthly Fixit Clinic residency starts Tuesday, November 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fremont Main Library’s new Archimedes Maker Space, located at 2400 Stevenson Blvd.

 

Fixit Clinics are staffed by volunteer Fixit Coaches who generously share their time, tools, and expertise to consult with participants on the disassembly, troubleshooting, and repair of items. Bring any non-functioning electronic gadgets, small appliances, computers, toys, sewing machines, bicycles, fabric items, etc., for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. Fixit Clinics are open to all ages.

 

Fixit Coaches (and helpful neighbors) will be available for consultation on broken items. The workspace, specialty tools, and guidance will be provided to help participants disassemble and troubleshoot their item.

 

Whether you fix it or not, you'll learn more about how it was manufactured, and leave with new skills and a sense that reuse and repair beats the landfill any day.

 

To sign up visit https://goo.gl/forms/39NBTO65essMhmYJ3.

 

The Fixit Clinic series is sponsored by the Alameda County Library System, StopWaste (www.stopwaste.org), and the City of Fremont.

 

 

 

Fixit Coaches needed for Fremont Library’s New Maker Space

Fremont’s first monthly Fixit Clinic residency starts Tuesday, November 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fremont Main Library’s new Archimedes Maker Space, 2400 Stevenson Blvd.

 

Fixit Coaches are needed to ensure the program’s success. First-time Fixit Coaches and fixing families are always welcome! No big time commitment.

 

To sign up visit http://bit.ly/fixitcoachsignup, and select “2019-11-19 Fremont Main Library Fixit Clinic Residency.”

 

Being a Fixit Coach is easy. Simply provide participants with encouragement to investigate their broken item and guidance with tools. Be a listener more than a repairer; let participants talk about how they used the item and how it broke—that often provides valuable hints as to what's wrong. See how much you can do without actually handling the item. Empower the item's owner to do the troubleshooting and disassembly. Move among items and consult with others to cross-train and maximize transfer of knowledge for everybody—including you!

 

Event founder Peter Mui and the volunteer Fixit Clinic coaches generously donate their time and tools to the program, and more volunteers are always needed.

 

Information on upcoming Bay Area Fixit Clinics is posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/FixitClinic/events.

 

The Fixit Clinic series is sponsored by the Alameda County Library System, StopWaste (www.stopwaste.org) and the City of Fremont.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Break Camps

 

Keep your child engaged this Thanksgiving Break with the City of Fremont school break camps. Camps take place November 25-27 with full day, half day, and extended care options.  For information, visit www.Fremont.gov/Camps or call 510-494-4300.

 

 

 

 

Theatre

 

 

 

Next to Normal update

Submitted by Karin Richey

Photos by Breslow Imaging

 

Dozens of people filled every square inch of Smalltown Society in Castro Valley to see the first three sold-out performances of “Next to Normal” by Plethos Productions. Audiences called the show “first rate theater,” and “deeply moving,” and there were many tears shed.

 

On the surface, the characters are your typical “normal” American family. But just beneath the facade, is Diana Goodman, a mother who has struggled with bipolar disorder and psychosis for sixteen years. This gripping, heart-wrenching musical is a snapshot of just one of the rollercoaster years Diana, her husband and children have endured. From a song about pharmaceuticals to mental tricks played on the audience, everyone is taken along for the ride as Diana experiences the frenetic highs of mania and the absolute depths of severe depression and grief. Journey along with this family and see how empathy, patience and love help them endure.

 

This Broadway rock musical won the Pulitzer Prize as well as a Tony Award. The show takes a raw and honest look at the flawed health care system, medication, side effects and the resilience of love and family in the face of crisis.

 

There are three more performances, Friday through Sunday November 22 – 24, and tickets are selling out fast at plethos.org.

 

 

Next to Normal

Friday, Nov 8 – Sunday, Nov 24

Fri – Sat: 7 p.m.

Sun: 2 p.m.

Smalltown Society

22222 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley

(510) 842-6005

plethos.org

General admission: $20

 

 

 

Obesity in Alameda County

Submitted by Jessica Touzet

 

It’s nearly impossible to live in the United States today without hearing about obesity and the possible associated health risks. Yet obesity is not spread out equally across the country; some states have higher and some lower rates than the national average.

 

According to data from the State of Obesity Organization (now known as the State of Childhood Obesity), California has the 5th lowest obesity rate in the US. However, despite this stellar ranking nearly 26% of people in California are obese. That’s up from just 10% in 1990. Overall, 48 states have an obesity rate of 25% or higher.

 

Still, there is variation. When you break down obesity rankings to a county level, San Francisco County has one of the lowest obesity rates at 12%, and Imperial County comes in at nearly 44%.

 

Based on information collected (anonymously and voluntarily) from visitors to Dietspotlight, a website offering nutrition and weight management resources, men and women in Alameda County, are on par with the rest of the state. The average man weighs about 215 pounds and has a body mass index (BMI) of 31. Women, on average, weigh about 167 pounds with a near-normal BMI of 28.4. (The high-end of normal for BMI ratings is 24.9.)

 

When you put the data from men and women together to get a combined look at the county, the average Alameda resident needs to lose about 44 pounds. That’s 14% lower than the state average of 51 pounds and 26% lower than the US average of 59 pounds.

 

To learn more about obesity statistics in Alameda, visit https://statistics.dietspotlight.com/CA/Alameda/.

 

 

 

George Orwell New Mexico exhibit bares ‘doublespeak' legacy

By Russell Contreras

Associated Press

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP), Nov 05 – War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.

 

Those were the slogans of the Party in George Orwell's 1949 novel “1984” that allowed the superstate of Oceania to keep its population under control. The Thought Police thwarted dissent. The Ministry of Truth promoted lies. The Ministry of Love tortured lovers.

 

Those dystopian warnings about the fake becoming the gospel have shaped the minds of generations since they appeared in print more than a half-century ago. And now a new exhibit on Orwell at the University of New Mexico's Zimmerman Library in Albuquerque, New Mexico seeks to remind people about the author's premonitions amid a new – yet very familiar – era.

 

“George Orwell: His Enduring Legacy” which runs to April, features posters and material related to “1984” and his 1945 allegorical novella, “Animal Farm.” It also contains rare Orwell books in different languages to highlight his reach and evolution as a writer.

 

The British-born Orwell, who died in 1950, was known for “Animal Farm” and “1984,” both of which tackled totalitarianism. Orwell's “1984” has become a best-seller in the U.S. again during the Trump administration.

 

The exhibit was sparked after a longtime advocate and employee of the University of New Mexico University Libraries donated his collection of rare Orwell books. For years, Russ Davidson, a University of New Mexico professor and curator emeritus, amassed rare Orwell books from around the world.

 

Those rare works included first editions of “Animal Farm” and “1984” in Icelandic, Ukrainian, Swahili, French, Urdu, German, Hungarian and Spanish. He also obtained first, early and other scarce editions of many of Orwell's other books, essays, and reportage.

 

Such unique books are on display in the exhibit.

 

Yet, the most captivating aspect of the small but powerful exhibit is the art and objects connected to themes and Orwell's life. Artifacts and posters from the Spanish Civil War are shown to illustrate how the conflict played a role in Orwell's intellectually formation. Orwell fought against a right-wing military coup in Spain but fled after he was shot in the throat and officials sought his arrest.

 

The campy book cover art also is seductive, offering commentaries about the eras the editions were produced rather than the work inside. In one edition of “1984,” for example, the cover features characters for the Sen. Joseph McCarthy Era 1950s with the words “forbidden love…fear…betrayal.” It's almost as if novel was merely a pulp fiction soap opera found at Route 66 gas stations, except it's not.

 

Then, there are the portrayals of Napoleon, the authoritarian pig in Animal Farm. Red posters show Napoleon in military gear of communist Eastern Europe. Other images show his celebrating his abundance at the sake of others, since, “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

 

Journalists, academics and political observers of every succeeding generation since Orwell's untimely death have argued that Orwell remains relevant in their time. And, yes, the same could be said of today.

 

Orwell's concepts of doublespeak (deliberately euphemistic, ambiguous, or obscure language), newspeak (doublespeak for political propaganda) and thoughtcrimes (thoughts deemed illegal by a mob or a government) continued to be cited in response to current events.

 

President Donald Trump's practice of blurting falsehoods – like saying, “The Kurds are much safer right now” after Turkey invaded Kurdish strongholds – have been called Orwellian.

 

The same has been noted for some Democrats. California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed in August that the “vast majority” San Francisco's homeless people came from Texas. (A 2019 report found 70 percent had previously lived in the city).

 

Even in New Mexico, the most Hispanic state in the U.S. that sits along the U.S.-Mexico border, Orwellian concepts in practice have emerged.

 

In 2016, for example, a left-leaning immigrant rights group denounced then-Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and her attempts to revamp a state law that allowed immigrants in the country illegally to obtain driver's licenses. The group called a potential compromise to create a “two-tier” system to issue two types of licenses – one compliment with the federal REAL ID Act – nothing but a “scarlet letter.”

 

After New Mexico Democrats said it would support the compromise and the bill passed, the group changed course and publicly and proudly claimed Martinez lost.

 

But she won.

 

 

 

Park It

By Ned MacKay

 

Every year the East Bay Regional Park District offers lots of activities to offset the expected caloric intake and exercise deficit of Thanksgiving Day. This year is no exception.

 

It all starts with a “Burn the Turkey” hike from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 29 at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, led by naturalist Morgan Guenther. This is a hilly, challenging five-mile hike through the redwoods, starting at the Trudeau Training Center at 11500 Skyline Boulevard. Heavy rain cancels.

 

 

Or you can enjoy post-Thanksgiving fun in a program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the same day at Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda. Watch live fish and crabs up close, make a nature craft, and meet the center’s turtle or snake.

 

From 10:30 a.m. to noon there’s a show about water and ocean creatures on the center’s “big screen,” with popcorn and cider served. Drop in for a reptile meeting between 1 and 2 p.m. Family Nature Fun is all about turkeys from 2 to 3 p.m., and its fish-feeding time at the aquarium from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

 

Crab Cove is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information on either Morgan’s hike or post-Thanksgiving fun, call 510-544-3187.

 

 

 

There’s another “Burn the Turkey” hike from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 29 at Sunol Regional Wilderness in southern Alameda County, led by naturalist Ashley Adams. This one is a three-mile guided hike to Little Yosemite, a rocky gorge on Alameda Creek.

 

Sunol Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road about five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the hike is free. For information, call 510-544-3249.

 

 

 

And at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, there’s an interactive puppet show from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29 at the visitor center, highlighting the park’s natural and cultural history, plus everything we can be thankful for.

 

Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the puppet show is free.

 

 

 

Last on the calendar is a “Post Turkey Day Creek Walk” from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 starting at Creekside Park in Oakley, led by naturalists from Big Break Regional Shoreline.

 

This is a moderate, 4.5-mile walk on the paved Marsh Creek Regional Trail to look for creek-side plants and animals. Strollers are welcome. For information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 3050.

 

 

Pre-Thanksgiving programs also are planned. For example, there’s pumpkin pie ice cream from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 in the Environmental Education Center at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley, with naturalist Jenna Collins. The group will make ice cream using the familiar orange gourd.

 

And from 3 to 4 p.m. the same day at the center, Jenna will show how to make a turkey ring decoration for your upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

 

The center is at the north end of Tilden’s Central Park Drive, accessible via Canon Drive from Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Berkeley. Call 510-544-2233.

 

 

 

A couple of more contemplative programs are on the calendar at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch, led by naturalist aide Jake Wright.

 

“Mountains and Memoir” is from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. It’s a vigorous hike into the past history of the park to make connections with our own lives.

 

And from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 29, Jake will lead a hike on the theme of giving thanks to the air, trees, soil and water.

 

Both hikes meet at the park’s uppermost parking lot at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is staffed; the hikes are free. Call 888-327-2757, ext. 2750.

 

 

 

There’s lots to do in the regional parks as the holiday season continues. For full listings, visit the website, www.ebparks.org. And remember, Fridays are free in the regional parks through the end of the year, in celebration of the park district’s 85^th anniversary.

 

 

 

Alaska university taking PB&J as payment for parking tickets

AP Wire Service

Nov 06

 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – What a lip-smacking offer!

 

Anyone with unpaid parking fines at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus has the option to reduce or cover the cost of their tickets with peanut butter and jelly.

 

KTUU-TV reported the university would take donations for their annual payment tradition until Nov. 8 to help combat student hunger.

 

Officials say the food goes to students in need.

 

University officials say each person could use PB&J payments for two citations issued within the past 45 days.

 

Officials say two 16-ounce (454-gram) jars offer a $10 credit, three jars offer a $35 credit and five jars offer a $60 credit.

 

Officials say any unopened commercially produced nut butter-almond, cashew, peanut butter or any flavor jam, jelly, marmalade or preserves would be accepted.

 

–––

 

Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com

 

 

 

PG&E agrees to extend deadline for wildfire damage claims

By Daisy Nguyen

Associated Press

 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Nov 04 – Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to extend by two months the deadline to file claims against the company for damages suffered from a series of wildfires in California.

 

Lawyers for the victims asked to extend the original Oct. 21 deadline, arguing that tens of thousands of people eligible to receive payments from PG&E have not sought compensation.

 

They said many wildfire survivors – still traumatized and struggling to get back on their feet – weren't aware of their right to file a claim.

 

PG&E attorney Tim Cameron told U.S. District Judge James Donato on Monday the deadline will be extended to Dec. 31 to increase participation and said the company is looking into setting up a claims center close to Paradise, which was virtually wiped off the map by a fast-moving wildfire that killed 85 people nearly a year ago.

 

Donato, who is overseeing the process of estimating PG&E's total wildfire liability for its bankruptcy case, suggested expanding the outreach effort.

 

The new date must still be approved by a judge overseeing the bankruptcy case.

 

PG&E has set aside $8.4 billion to pay wildfire victims as part of its bankruptcy plan. The company declared bankruptcy in January as it faced up to $30 billion in damages from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that were started by the company's electrical equipment.

 

Lawyers for wildfire victims and PG&E are also considering whether new claims related to a wildfire burning in wine country will be included in the bankruptcy case.

 

Authorities have not determined what sparked the Kincade Fire, which started on Oct. 23 and has destroyed 374 structures in Sonoma County. However, PG&E told state regulators that it had a problem at a transmission tower near where the fire ignited. The utility had shut off power to thousands of people in Northern California that day in a bid to prevent high winds from toppling power lines and igniting wildfires.

 

Power was shut off to distribution lines but not to transmission lines.

 

On Monday, a federal judge asked PG&E to report by Nov. 29 “when, how and by whom” the jumper cable at the transmission tower was last inspected. PG&E had reported the jumper, a metal connector between an incoming and outgoing electrical line, broke several minutes before the fire was reported.

 

“Should we now be worried that other jumper cables inspected in the same manner have potential failures that have gone undetected?” asked U.S. District Judge William Alsup, who is overseeing the utility's felony probation for a deadly natural gas explosion in 2010.

 

 

 

Prada signs loan with rates linked to sustainability

AP Wire Service

 

MILAN (AP), Nov 05 – The Prada fashion group has signed what is billed as the first business loan in the luxury goods sector linking the annual interest rate to practices that help the environment.

 

Prada said Tuesday that the five-year, 50 million-euro ($55-million) loan with Credit Agricole Group will see interest rates lowered based on “achievement of ambitious targets related to sustainability.”

 

The targets include the number of stores that meet defined standards for “green” buildings, education workshops for employees and the use of regenerated nylon in collections.

 

The fashion world, recognized as the second most polluting industry after oil, has been working in recent years to adopt more environment-friendly practices. Prada's efforts include a project, called Prada Re-Nylon, to use recycled nylon made from plastic recovered from oceans in its trademark nylon bags.

 

 

 

New Bay Area bus service center opens

Submitted by Kim Huggett

 

Officials from Prevost, a bus service company, recently announced the opening of its newest Service Center in Hayward. Expanding on what is already the largest service network in the industry, the new location will allow Prevost to better serve the most populated state in the country.

 

It is a full-service facility, staffed by factory-trained technicians servicing Prevost, Nova Bus® and Volvo® coaches, as well as other brands. In addition, two mobile service vans will be based out of the new location in order to offer convenience and increase the service area.

 

“The newest addition to the Prevost Service Network is in response to our west coast customers’ requirements for more options and accessibility to our services. We will continue to grow in an ongoing commitment to our customers’ needs to maintain the largest and strongest service network in North America,” said Service Network Director, Randy Castillo.

 

The Prevost Service Network now features 11 Prevost Parts and Service Centers, 54 mobile service vans and almost 200 certified service providers. For more information, visit the Prevost website at www.prevostcar.com.

 

 

 

Quarry Turkey Run

By Stephanie Gertsch

 

On Thanksgiving Day, people like to relax with family and share good food. However, a few days later, when the food coma starts to wear off, they might start thinking about getting active again and giving to a good cause. Luckily around the Bay Area there are a few Turkey-themed races during the last week of November. One of these is Brazen Racing’s “Quarry Turkey,” which is waddling off this year on November 30 at Quarry Lakes in Fremont.

 

The race, now in its 10^th year, was conceived by Brazen Racing founders Sam and Jasmine Fiandaca as an alternative to their established Thanksgiving Day race. Chris Douglas, Sponsorship and Marketing Manager for Brazen Racing, says, “They started the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and they realized that people might have some familial obligations on that day, so they decided to put one on on a Saturday.” The first year saw about 400 people; this year the organizers expect 1,400. According to Douglas, “For anything on trails, that’s pretty massive,” as most trail races in California can expect around 250 participants. In addition to a workout, this is an opportunity to bring food or cash donations for the Alameda County food bank. Last year the race collected six tons of food.

 

Quarry Lakes has mostly flat terrain, and all levels of runners are welcome to try 5K, 10K and half marathon options. Those who can’t run can still participate in the event’s hiker division, which starts early to give walkers extra time. Douglas says, “For almost all of our races, we have a hiker division. So, if you feel like you need extra time but you still want to be part of the community and do it at your own pace, we let the hiker division start about an hour before the regular races start off.”

 

Those who complete any of the course options and also participate in Brazen Racing’s “Nitro Turkey” run, held on Thanksgiving Day at Point Pinole Regional Park, will win the “Double Turkey Challenge” and receive a third medal that combines the other two into one. The medals themselves are quite ornate, displaying determined turkeys in running gear and other Thanksgiving symbolism such as cornucopias and pumpkins. They are definitely worth collecting after the race is done.

 

Of course, the smallest racers won’t be left out. In the “Little Turkeys” race, a mini run of about a hundred yards, kids can earn their own medals and color their own bibs with crayons. They will also race against a giant turkey, but in past years, the turkey has been known to fall down and end up coming in dead last, so he is unlikely offer much competition.

 

At all their events, Brazen uses a variety of difficulty levels, colorful characters and costumes, and collectible medals to create an unforgettable experience for all. “Brazen’s ethos for all their events is really about trying to validate everyone’s experience,” says Dougas. “So everybody gets a medal, whatever distance, whether that’s the 5K 10K or Half. We call out everyone’s name as they cross the finish line. We celebrate the first-place finisher just as much as we celebrate the person who comes in last. You never know where people are coming from. We’ve heard stories of people who come for our 5Ks and they’ve just been cured from cancer, or they’ve just gotten divorced. So, who are we to be like, ‘Oh it’s just a 5K; No big deal?’”

 

All aspects of what make Quarry Turkey a memorable event trace back to community. This is an attitude shared by both the organizers and participants. Douglas says, “Runners in general, but trail runners in particular, are always really welcoming. Everyone’s always looking out for each other and checking in on each other and sharing water and food if that’s what’s required. Helping people cross the finish line, waiting for people if that’s what it takes.”

 

In these ways, runners can truly embody the kindness and generosity of the season—and also get ahead of that turkey.

 

Registration can be done online at https://raceroster.com/events/2019/21377/quarry-turkey-2019. Fees range from $45 – 79 depending on distance. The Little Turkeys race is free.

 

 

Quarry Turkey

Saturday, Nov 30

7:00 a.m. Hikers

7:40 a.m. Little Turkeys Race

8:00 a.m. Half Marathon

8:20 a.m. 10K

8:40 a.m. 5K

Quarry Lakes

2100 Isherwood Way, Fremont

https://brazenracing.com/quarryturkey/race-info/

 

 

Races on Thanksgiving Day

 

Nitro Turkey

Thursday, Nov 28

8:45 a.m. Little Turkeys

9 a.m. 5 &10K

Point Pinole Regional Park

551 Giant Highway, Richmond

Registration $45 – 98

 

Thanksgiving Workout Challenge and Turkey Trot

Thursday, Nov 28

8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

The Inner Athlete

685 E. 14^th St., San Leandro

https://www.inner-athlete.com/events

Registration: $45

 

 

 

Football

 

 

 

Playoff recap

Submitted by Mike Heightchew

 

Of the Mission Valley Athletic League teams playing in the North Coast Section tournament, only Moreau Catholic (Hayward) was able to advance to the next round.

 

Division 1 James Logan (Union City) lost to Pittsburg

Division 4 Newark Memorial lost to Acalanes (Lafayette)

Division 4 John F. Kennedy lost to Marin Catholic (Kentfield)

Division 5 Moreau Catholic (Hayward) beat Miramonte (Orinda)

 

 

Central Coast Section playoffs

Division 4 Milpitas beat Overfelt (San Jose) to advance to the semi-final round against Hillsdale (San Mateo) on Friday, November 22 at 7 p.m. at Milpitas H.S.

 

 

 

San Leandro Police Log

Submitted by Lt. Isaac Benabou, San Leandro PD

 

Friday, October 25

• October 25: A 17-year-old male driving a stolen vehicle westbound on Marina Boulevard led an officer on a pursuit when he did not pull over after the officer tried to make a traffic stop. Eventually, the male lost control of vehicle and struck a mother and child as they were crossing the intersection of Fairway and Doolittle drives. He then fled the scene; another officer located the vehicle as it was being driven onto eastbound I-238, but then lost sight of it. Soon, he spotted the teenager running away from the stolen vehicle on foot and gave chase and eventually took him into custody. A search revealed the teenager had a loaded gun in his pants. He was arrested and taken to juvenile hall and is facing various charges including felony charges. The mother and child sustained major non-life-threatening injuries and were treated and released at area hospitals.

 

Tuesday, October 29

• Officers responded to a report about a man with a gun in the 400 block of Nabor Street. Officers located the suspect and an associated vehicle. During a vehicle search a loaded firearm was found. The suspect, identified by police as John Teixeira, 40, of San Leandro was arrested on various firearm violations including being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Wednesday, October 30

• Detectives, trying to make a traffic stop on a known wanted felon, located a 2006 Ford Mustang in the parking lot of the Radisson Hotel on Edes Avenue in Oakland. Three occupants in the vehicle were taken into custody without incident. During a vehicle search, two guns were recovered. Two men, identified by police as Steven Casey, Jr., 29, of Oakland and Jorge Garcia, 29, of San Leandro were arrested on multiple firearm violations. The third occupant in the vehicle, identified by police as Maria Cabrera, 23, of Oakland was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant.

 

Thursday, October 31

• Officers responded to a report that a gun was brandished during an argument at Toyon Park. On arrival, an officer saw a man, identified by police as Gabriel Veliz-Cortez, 26, of Oakland discard a firearm under a vehicle and then run out of the park with four other males. As more officers arrived, Veliz-Cortez was caught and arrested on the 1500 block of 146th Avenue without incident. He faces a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Thursday, November 7

• At 10:31 a.m. detectives arrested four men and one female juvenile in connection with a series of recent grand thefts and strong-arm robberies in the San Leandro area primarily targeting elderly people in the Asian community. Police identified the suspects as Noah Moreno, 19, of San Leandro; Elijah Henry, 20, of Oakland; Aaron Duran, 20, and Jamont Baldwin, 19, both of Hayward. Also arrested was a 17-year-old female. The four men are in custody at Santa Rita Jail and facing various charges; the juvenile was taken to juvenile hall for charging.

 

 

 

Veteran explains life before and after receiving service dog

By Rachael Riley, The Fayetteville Observer

 

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP), Nov 01 – After serving 12 years in the Army, Raeford veteran Preston Jackson Jr. credits his canine to saving his life.

 

It was just a couple of months ago that Jackson was paired with his service dog Pilot through K9s for Warriors.

 

In just that short time-frame, Jackson credits Pilot for helping him cope with his post-traumatic stress disorder and wants to share with other veterans about how the canine has given him hope.

 

Originally from South Philadelphia, Jackson was raised by his grandmother, Josephine Wilson, and godfather, Robert Ferrante.

 

Jackson said he never got into trouble as a kid and worked various jobs that included even walking neighbor's dogs.

 

At the end of his 11th grade year in school, Jackson decided to drop out to “make money.”

 

He soon found not having a diploma hindered his job opportunities for full-time positions he wanted.

 

He says: “As a young man growing up in South Philadelphia, I was always told the military wasn't the place for a black man and I sort of believed that growing up until I saw a few of the older brothers that I knew of, and they were in the military and came back in their Class A-s, and I always wish that I could do it.”

 

Jackson went to night school and earned his diploma in two months. He joined the Army on May 10, 1995, starting out with field artillery.

 

After training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and going through airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, his first duty station was at Camp Casey, Korea.

 

He was assigned to Fort Bragg in 1996, where he changed his military occupation specialty to become an armament crew member for Kiowa OH-58 helicopters.

 

His next duty station in 1999 was in Germany.

 

By that time, he had his first son, Kytel Collins-Jackson. His second son, Nyjel, was born in December 1999.

 

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Jackson was assigned to Macedonia, returned back to Fort Bragg in 2002 and was assigned to a Black Hawk helicopter unit to deploy to Kandahar, Afghanistan at the end of 2002.

 

“I experienced a lot of things there. I won't get into too much detail, but it was the first time I lost somebody. We lost our captain over there,” Jackson said.

 

After the deployment, he'd deploy with a Kiowa unit to Iraq in 2006 and was stationed in Mosul.

 

“When I was there, I had sniper fire many times, mortar rounds – constantly getting 8 to 10 mortars a day the whole time I was there,” Jackson said.

 

After returning back to the states in June 2007, Jackson made the decision to not reenlist, as he had surgery at Camp Qatar from a meniscus knee tear he had from an airborne jump right before the deployment.

 

Jackson got out of the Army at the end of September 2007.

 

While he was in the Army, his wife at the time had completed a basic law enforcement training course, and found a job in Scotland County.

 

Jackson told the sheriff at the time he would work for him, because the sheriff hired his wife.

 

After completing his own basic law enforcement training, Jackson was hired as a bailiff in November 2008, and became a school resource officer for more than four years because he requested a job that would allow him to work with children.

 

By 2014 a new sheriff was elected, and Jackson said 16 people including himself and his wife were let go.

 

“I didn't talk a lot, and I didn't take a lot of nonsense. They were trying to figure out what was wrong with me,” he said of a few coworkers. “At the time I didn't even know that PTSD was causing these problems – the snapping, yelling at folks, having short patience, not wanting to be around groups.”

 

Jackson went back to Sandhills Community College, where he had gone through his basic law enforcement training, and went through the culinary program.

 

Though starting to feel physical pain, he wanted to motivate younger classmates and didn't wear his knee braces to class.

 

During an evaluation in his senior year, he fell in the kitchen and asked his classmates to bring him the ingredients so he could finish the project.

 

Soon after, Jackson was going through a divorce and said he sunk into a deep depression and isolated, as both his sons were in college.

 

“I was talking to other people like the medicine wasn't working. The classes wasn't working. What about other options?”

 

Jackson said another veteran he met at the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Health Care Center, told him about service dogs.

 

His son looked online and found K9 for Warriors.

 

Founded in 2011 by Shari Duval, K9s For Warriors is a national nonprofit that takes eligible shelter dogs and trains them to be service dogs for post 9/11 veterans and service members with symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma.

 

After applying for the program, Jackson left for the three-week, in-house training program in Florida that is no cost to veterans.

 

“You go through an interview process again to make sure they got the right dog,” Jackson said.

 

Jackson believes he found that “right dog,” in Pilot, who was a dog surrendered to the Bradford County Animal Control in Florida and sponsored by the Karpus Family Foundation.

 

“As soon as I saw him, he jumped up in my arms,” Jackson said. “I got down and we connected like bam! I mean literally we connected right then and there, and I felt this sense of relief like, `Wow I finally got here.' I was crying,” Jackson said.

 

Jackson remembers the first day of training was rough on his back and knees, but an instructor encouraged him to “fight through,” it if he wanted the dog.

 

Jackson said he believes Pilot is able to pick up on his emotions and gives him cues if needs to leave a situation, or has woken him up during the night when he's forgotten to wear his sleep apnea machine.

 

“The things I was having problems – being around people, trusting society, bracing myself – these are all the things he can do, looking out for me, not allowing me to engage in the stuff that's going to cause me to be depressed or have high anxiety,” Jackson said.

 

Jackson said as a service dog, when Pilot has on his vest, strangers and friends should not pet or feed Pilot.

 

“The reason why we ask you to not touch the dog is so that you don't distract him from doing his job,” Jackson said. “And the whole thing is as severe as my PTSD is – a sound, a smell, a person yelling, a person's sight reminds me of somebody else – can have go back to I'm on guard now.”

 

Jackson said Pilot is also causing him to get out of his house, which is why he credits K9s for Warriors and wears the organization's logos on shirts to tell other veterans about it.

 

“I don't want you to walk away from me as somebody who got a dog and be like well he got his dog and he doesn't care about me,” Jackson said.

 

And Jackson said he believes more veterans and soldiers could benefit from service dogs.

 

“We wouldn't have to euthanize dogs and soldiers' lives would be saved,” he said.

 

–––

 

Information from: The Fayetteville Observer, http://www.fayobserver.com

 

 

 

 

Sikh Appreciation Month

Sumbitted by Jatinderpal Kaur Sahi

 

On November 9, at Hayward City Hall the local Sikh community celebrated November as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month as recognized by state of California, local governments and school boards. The birthday of founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak is also celebrated in November and this year is especially important as it is the 550^th anniversary of his birth. The event was hosted by Sikh Spirit Alliance and hosted at Hayward City Hall.

 

Attended by elected and appointed officials and over 250 community members, the event honored six local Sikhs from various background for their exemplary work in the community.

 

Sikh Excellence Award winners are as follows:

• Upkar Kaur Ubhi (Punjabi Language Professor at UC Berkeley)
• Tejpal Singh (Coordinator of FGS Sports Academy & youth programs)
• Harkesh Singh Sandhu (Founder of the international nonprofit Sahaita)
• Professor Ranjit Singh (renowned instructor of classical Gurmat Sangeet)
• Major Tejdeep Singh Rattan (Granted religious accommodation to serve in US Army)
• Gurpreet Kaur Padam (Founder Board member of Sikh Family Center and Guru Nanak Free Medical Clinic)

 

The keynote speaker was LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) Kamal Singh Kalsi, who is based in New Jersey. LTC Kalsi, along with Major Rattan were the first two Sikhs to receive religious accommodations in the US Army after the ban on beards and turbans was put into effect in 1981. Since then, with the efforts of LTC Kalsi and others, the US Army has since lifted the ban.

 

In addition to the appreciation event, there are also art displays by local Sikh youth at the Hayward Main Library and Union City Library and a picture display at Mark Green Sports Center.

 

 

 

Nonprofit supports Tamil culture in Bay Area

Submitted by Marzuka Noortheen

 

As the year of 2019 is almost clocking out and 2020 is clocking in, San Francisco Bay Area Tamil Mandram (BATM) successfully wrapped up the last event for the year, Children’s Day, on November 9 at Centerville Jr. High. BATM is a non-profit organization that promotes the Tamil community the Bay Area, including circulating Tamil magazines and conducting Tamil language classes for children and adults. The Children’s Day event included dance performances from our younger members and recognition of volunteers.

 

On behalf of BATM, Deputy Consul General Rajesh Naik and Fremont City Mayor Lily Mei proudly acknowledged Muvafika Noortheen, Akhilesh Theiventhiran, Prakash, and myself (Marzuka) in recognition of our passionate support and extensive hours of volunteer service to Tamil Mandram. This is the second time I have received a volunteer appreciation award from BATM, and such recognition is my highest honor.

 

I heartily thank President Mr. Annamalai, V.P. Mrs. Meena, Cultural V.P. Mrs. Saranya, Secretary Mr. Raja, and Treasurer Mrs. Kanagalakshmi for their whole-hearted support! BATM has given me a firm foundation for my future, and I hope Bay Area youths will continue to step up to be part of the BATM family. It is more than a great experience.

 

Learn more about BATM at bayareatamilmanram.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Robot Report

 

 

 

Amazon continues aggressive warehouse robotics strategy

By Oliver Mitchell

 

Private equity giant Blackstone Group recently acquired Colony Capital for $5.9 billion, a deal that encompasses 60 million square feet of warehouse space across 465 facilities. Blackstone reportedly now manages more than $250 billion worth of property worldwide. This latest portfolio of fulfillment centers puts Blackstone in control of more than 440 million square feet of distribution centers.

 

Logistics competitor Prologis recently purchased Liberty Property Trust for $12.6 billion, enabling it to now manage more than 570 million square feet of industrial space. In explaining the aggressive move, Blackstone President Jonathan Gray said, “We’ve been the big buyer of warehouses around the world, probably bought $70 billion, on the simple premise that goods are moving from physical retail to online retail.”

 

Probably the best, and most ironic, realization of Gray’s strategy is the recent move by Amazon to convert closed shopping malls into fulfillment centers. As more stagnant real estate is transformed into bustling e-commerce hubs, hiring skilled labor is becoming increasingly more challenging. In the words of labor management executive Peter Schnorbach, “It used to be that every month businesses would get rid of their bottom 10% and replace them with new people. That doesn’t work anymore because you can’t replace them.”

 

Ever since its buyout of Kiva Systems, Amazon has been actively adding robots to its workforce. Today, Amazon employs more than 100,000 robots at 175 distribution centers nationwide. According to labor statistics, the retailer’s seasonal staff in 2016 and 2017 was 120,000 and 150,000 workers, respectively. That number dropped to around 100,000 in 2018, and many predict it could decline further in 2019 despite this year’s holiday online spending estimated to soar to over $140 billion (up 14%).

 

Amazon has also invested significant dollars into incubating exclusive robotics systems. The company announced a $40 million investment for a 350,000-square-foot “robotics innovation hub” in Westborough, Massachusetts. Tye Brady, Amazon Robotics’ Chief Technologist, said the structure will consolidate all its automation labs and manufacturing floors into one destination to “design, build, program, and ship our robots, all under the same roof.”

 

For years, the e-tailer hosted “picking challenges” that invited roboticists from around the globe to compete in solving the company’s hardest fulfillment problems. Last year, the annual event mysteriously disappeared and reappeared as an online platform for submitting grant proposals of scientific research, which enables Amazon a first look at academic breakthroughs.

 

In the world of corporate innovation, there is theater and then there is hands-on development. In the former, the innovation department is typically housed in a beautiful showroom full of the latest gadgets. Unfortunately, there are too many corporate actors eagerly playing the role of technology scouts purely for publicity.

 

Amazon operates in opposition of these stage productions. Amazon best illustrated this with the launch of its $100 million Alexa Fund in 2015 to accelerate the ecosystem for its Echo speaker. While Apple’s voice application, Siri, was released in 2011 in millions of iPhones, Alexa quickly became the de-facto home voice assistant with over 100,000 units shipped with 70,000 voice-enabled skills. Today more than 150 products have Alexa built in and more than 28,000 smart home devices work with Alexa made by 4,500 manufacturers.

 

The key to this strategy was recognizing the impact of the development community and their fresh perspective to innovate in new creative ways beyond the original design. As a further testament to its success, the Alexa fund has grown to $200 million to expand its “Alexa Everywhere” goal.

 

As Amazon aims to fill the Westborough property with the latest robot advancements, a similar fund model could be adopted to outpace Walmart, Walgreens and other retailers that have recently upped their innovation game. In June, Walmart hired Scott Eckert, formerly of Rethink Robotics, to run its “Next Generation Retail” division out of its New Jersey incubator Store No. 8 and Walgreens last January teamed up with Microsoft.

 

— Oliver Mitchell is the founding partner at Autonomy Ventures.

 

 

 

Three Conductors + One Choir = Great Singing

Submitted by Shirley Gilbert

 

You’ve heard of the famous Three Tenors of opera fame. Now audiences will be able to enjoy the Three Conductors as they each in turn direct the East Bay People’s Choir (EBPC) in a concert Saturday, November 23 at Irvington Presbyterian Church.

 

The Three Conductors each spent one month, from September to November, leading the choir and instructing singers in two or three selections. This innovative musical adventure became possible when there was an opening for a new choirmaster before the one-year-old choir regrouped in the fall.

 

“We thought it would be a very enriching and a rare educational experience for singers to have a new director-at-large every month for three months,” said Ofer dal Lal, artistic director of the sister Mission Peak Chamber Singers and mentor of East Bay People’s Choir.

 

Joe Lim, Director of Vocal Music Studies at Pinole Valley High School, conducted EBPC in September; Sid Quinsaat, Director of Choirs at Piedmont High School took the baton from him for October; and Bryan Dyer, a veteran of the Bay Area’s top vocal groups, did the honors for November.

 

Now the fruits of the Three Conductors’ direction can be enjoyed at a concert that is part of the Tri-City Interfaith-Council and Compassionate Fremont’s “Bay Area United Against Hate” week. In keeping with this theme, the EBPC will sing songs of solidarity and compassion.

 

A variety of activities are planned for this special week including a candlelight vigil, Transgender Remembrance Day, tea and conversation about diversity, and interfaith Thanksgiving services at various churches in Fremont.

 

East Bay People’s Choir is a unique and joyful ensemble that involves the whole community in song. It is open, free for all, without auditions, and welcoming to Tri-City people of all ages and cultures. The chorale group has rehearsals at Irvington Presbyterian Church every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Come one, come all.

 

 

East Bay People’s Choir concert

Saturday, Nov 23

4 p.m.

Irvington Presbyterian Church

4181 Irvington Ave., Fremont

Contact: oferdallal@gmail.com

 

 

 

Upgrade to Health Records

Submitted by Tri-City Health Center

 

Tri-City Health Center (TCHC) will upgrade its Electronic Health Record (EHR) to Epic in December. The new EHR platform will serve all of TCHC, including its vision and dental services. The rollout begins December 10 and is estimated to last several months.

 

As the new platform is rolled out, expect minor delays. Once operational, Epic will allow TCHC to create a single, comprehensive EHR for patients, providers and employees. Patients will experience improved care, including improved wait times, easier medication management, and better scheduling. The new EHR will allow patients and providers to stay connected outside of office visits, while providing easy access to medical records.

 

Epic has been customized to the unique needs of TCHC and its patients, giving TCHC a greater ability to meet our mission of delivering excellent health services in a caring, nurturing and respectful atmosphere, while improving the quality of life for every individual and family in our community.

 

 

 

Going somewhere? Some places offer trips to the unknown

By John Raby

Associated Press

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP), Oct 29 _ Mystery trips _ those that offer the hardy among us a trip to an unknown destination _ have grown into their own industry, both for individual and group travel.

 

Whether traveling by bus, train or plane, these vacations vary widely in length, expense and destination.

 

Often, clients are given a general idea where they're going. Others aren't told until they arrive at the airport. Some trips are even bought as gifts for others.

 

 

 

Lawmakers want Twitter to fight Census disinformation

AP Wire Service

Nov 05

 

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – U.S. lawmakers say they have concerns Twitter may be used to spread disinformation about the 2020 Census, and they've asked the company for details on how it will combat the threat.

 

Almost five dozen Democratic lawmakers wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about their concerns Monday.

 

Their letter notes Twitter and other social media were used by “malicious actors” to manipulate voters during the 2016 presidential election. They say banning false information about the census and identifying false accounts will help ensure public trust.

 

In a statement Tuesday, Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough says the company has been discussing with the Census Bureau how best to support a successful 2020 Census. She says company policy prohibits false information about civic events.

 

Twitter last week announced it was ending political campaign and issue ads.

 

 

 

Union City City Council

November 12, 2019

 

Presentations:

• Recognized November as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. Sikhism is a religion founded by Guru Nanak, in the Punjab region in today’s India and Pakistan over five centuries ago. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with more than 25 million Sikhs worldwide. Sikhs first arrived in California through San Francisco’s Angel Island Immigration Station in 1899. Sikh Americans have served in the United States military since World War I. The first Sikh house of worship called Gurdwara, in the United States was founded in Stockton on October 14, 1912. The two largest Gurdwaras in North America are in Fremont and San Jose. Proclamation accepted by Jaswinder Singh Jandi, Kashmir Singh Shahi, and Harminder Singh Sodhi.

 

Consent Agenda:

• Appointed Anita Roque to serve as full commissioner on the Senior Commission until March 30, 2020. Roque used to serve as alternate commissioner. Members of the Commission get paid up to $78 a month to attend meetings.
• Started consultant services agreement with Miller Planning Associates for $289,300. They plan to update the city’s zoning ordinance to give objective standards for multi-family housing and mixed-use developments.
• Amended lease agreement with T-Mobile West Tower LLC in Contempo Park. The first amendment to install a communications tower was made in November 18, 2014 when T-Mobile West Tower took over the lease. The company plans to raise their rent to $2,859.11 to have their tower on city property. The city will make $171,546 for this updated 5-year lease.

 

Public Comment:

• On drinking water.
• On library hours.

 

Public Hearings:

• Adopted Ordinances for the 2019 Editions of California Building codes. The changes were introduced in October 8, 2019.

 

City Reports:

• Presented more information about adding parcel tax to the ballot. If the city wants to fund one police officer the tax rate must be $167 a year, if two $175 a year, as originally proposed. The ordinance will generate $5 million by 2021 – 2022 and $6.2 million by 2028 – 2029. Final vote to put the parcel tax on the 2020 ballot will be during the November 26, 2019 city council meeting.

 

• Conducted a Study Session for a project proposal with 938 housing units, 31,020 square foot for commercial use, and roadway and park improvements. The focus was on affordable housing section. The obligation for the project is 141 units, and 98 of those units are in one 5-story building. The rest of the required units will be built, but no decision has been made on which building they would be in. The planners and developers also discussed alternate modes of transportation including scooter/bike share, car share, and Uber and Lyft pickup/drop off areas. Councilmember Singh brought up 11th street parking being a big issue. He recommended permit or meter parking as solutions. Resident shared his comments on elevators and trash disposal chutes being better maintained.

 

 

Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci               Aye

Vice Mayor Gary Singh                      Aye

Emily Duncan                                     Aye

Pat Gacoscos                                       Aye

Jaime Patiño                                        Aye