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Airbnb files preliminary paperwork for public stock offering
Aug 20
By Dee-Ann Durbin
AP Business Writer

Airbnb filed preliminary paperwork to sell company stock on Wall Street, undaunted by a global pandemic that has taken some wind out of its home-sharing business.

The San Francisco company said it submitted a draft registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It kept details in the statement confidential.

Airbnb said Wednesday that the number of shares in the company it plans to sell and their price hasn't yet been determined. The timing of the IPO also hasn't been set.

Airbnb, which was founded 12 years ago, has long been expected to go public. Its CEO, Brian Chesky, told The Associated Press this summer that he was working on the IPO documents when the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. in March.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the company was close to filing.

The pandemic initially hurt demand for the 7 million properties listed by Airbnb. Chesky has said that Airbnb's 2020 revenue will likely be less than half of what the company booked last year.

In May, Airbnb cut 1,900 employees, or around 25% of its workforce. The company funded operations with $2 billion in loans, including a $1 billion investment from private equity firms Silver Lake and Sixth Street Partners.

But demand has rebounded some as some travelers see home rentals as safer during the pandemic than crowded hotels. On July 8, the company said guests booked more than 1 million nights' worth of future business. It was the first time that threshold had been reached since March 3.

“Our business has not recovered, but we are seeing encouraging signs,” Airbnb said in a post on its website last month.

In a report issued last week, AirDNA – a company that tracks the short-term rental industry – said occupancy rates for short-term rentals have recovered more quickly than those for hotels. Airbnb has also said that rural destinations within driving distance of travelers' homes have seen growing demand.

Renaissance Capital, which follows the IPO market, said in a recent note to investors that market conditions for Airbnb are about as strong as the company can hope for.

Airbnb's IPO “will be a remarkable comeback after the pandemic decimated global travel, and proof that IPO investors think long-term,” Renaissance CEO and co-founder William Smith wrote.

IPO activity plunged in March and April but has shown signs of a resurgence more recently. In the second quarter, 38 IPOs raised $15 billion, Renaissance Capital said. That was up from 25 IPOs that raised $6.8 billion in the first quarter.

Among the bigger debuts in June was Royalty Pharma, which raised $2.2 billion, and Warner Music Group, which raised $1.9 billion.

Mercedes gets big electric van order from Amazon
AP Wire Service

BERLIN (AP), Aug 28 – Amazon says it's buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date.

In announcing the order Friday, Mercedes said it would also join a climate initiative established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. By signing up to The Climate Pledge, Mercedes-Benz commits itself to going completely carbon neutral by 2039 – a move the company had already signaled last year.

Scientists say the man-made emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide must end by 2050 at the latest to avoid pushing global temperatures beyond the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) set out in the Paris climate accord.

The transport sector, including the surge in deliveries from online retailers like Amazon, is a major source of carbon emissions.

“We need continued innovation and partnership from auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to decarbonize the transportation sector and tackle the climate crisis,“ Bezos said in a statement.

“Amazon is adding 1,800 electric delivery vehicles from Mercedes-Benz as part of our journey to build the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world, and we will be moving fast to get these vans on the road this year,” Bezos said.

While the e-van order with Mercedes is Amazon's biggest in Europe, it is dwarfed by a contract it signed last year with U.S. start-up Rivian to deliver 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030.

Daimler said the order comprises more than 1,200 large eSprinter vans and about 600 medium-sized eVito vehicles. Delivery will begin later this year.

The Brussels-based campaign group Transport & Environment said new European Union emissions standards that came into force this year require car manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency, meaning they have an incentive to sell more electric vehicles to lower the fleet average.

“Nonetheless, Amazon's pledge shows there's important demand for e-vehicles from delivery fleets,” said Lucien Mathieu, an e-mobility and transport analyst with the group.

Retirement set for longtime police leader
Submitted by Milpitas PD

After serving on the Milpitas Police Department (MPD) force for almost 26 years, Assistant Police Chief Kevin Moscuzza will retire September 12.

During his career with MPD Moscuzza rose through the ranks and held numerous positions including Police Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain. He also held a variety of specialized assignments and duties including SWAT Officer, Detective, SIU Auto Theft Investigator, Polygraph Examiner, Chemical Agent Instructor, Field Training Officer, SWAT Team Leader, Criminal Investigations Sergeant, and Administrative Sergeant.

In 2019, Moscuzza was promoted to Assistant Police Chief where he supervised the workload of all three Department divisions. He also is a graduate from the FBI National Academy Program, 268th Session.

BART chief talks about police reform; opportunities for Latinos
By Melissa Jordan, BART

In a recent address to the Latinos in Transit group, BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez shared how his experience as an immigrant has shaped his policing philosophy, most recently when he created a new Progressive Policing and Community Engagement Bureau.

“They’re going to continue the work we’ve done to make connections with the communities we serve,” he said in the group’s online meeting held August 21. “It’s the message that we teach and train constantly. If you treat people with respect, you’re going to get it in return.” Latinos in Transit is a national organization that promotes the advancement and development of Latinos and other minorities in the transportation industry.

Alvarez, who has spent his entire career rising through the ranks at BART, talked about how the organization has changed over his 23 years there. He addressed the killing of Oscar Grant by a BPD officer in 2009, which presaged the nationwide reckoning over policing that disproportionately affects minority communities, and which BART itself has improved through numerous changes

With emotion in his voice, Alvarez called that time over a decade ago “rock bottom.” “It was hard to come to work. I care about this place and these people.”

In the intervening years, Alvarez said BPD has made groundbreaking reforms, becoming one of the first departments to use body-worn cameras, and BART’s Citizen Review Board and Independent Police Auditor have implemented other checks and balances. “Now I’m proud and happy to come to work,” he said.

Alvarez became chief just nine months ago, a trial by fire with the coronavirus pandemic, the economic devastation it wrought, and the outpouring of demonstrations for the Black Lives Matter movement sparked by events in Minneapolis in May 2020.

“We denounced the murder of George Floyd,” Alvarez said, of the man who was killed by a police officer, now charged with murder, who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. “It shouldn’t have happened. And a lot of departments are changing how they operate because of it, because of him and the other individuals before and after him. It’s been a call to action.”

During the address, Alvarez talked a bit about of his life story and the experiences that formed his character. “I was born in Mexico in the state of Jalisco,” he said. “My parents migrated from Mexico to the United States and they built a life for us. I’ve lived in the East Bay my whole life, and my mom still lives there.”

Alvarez said that as a young boy he had to learn English, benefiting from ESL classes, and that his parents emphasized education as a way to get ahead, a principle he lives by to this day. “I’m really proud of where I came from,” he said. “We persevered. I lost my father to a tragic accident when I was 10 years old, and my mom had to step up. My mom is a very strong Mexican woman. She had to learn how to drive, how to get a job to support our family.”

Alvarez joined the BART Police force with a junior college degree and then went back to school in his 40s to get a bachelor’s degree. “It was really hard, to be working, going to school and raising a family,” he said. “That’s why I tell Latino kids when I speak at schools, take care of your education before you have a lot of other commitments. I tell the kids to keep working on learning English, keep at it, the language will come.”

“We as immigrants have to take advantage of the opportunities that this country affords us,” Alvarez said. He said he never dreamed that one day he would be chief of the BART Police, with more than 400 personnel under his watch.

“We’re out there handing out face coverings, working on the mental health piece, connecting the homeless with services. In some ways this pandemic has been a good opportunity for us to hit a reset, tighten up a few things, so that when our ridership goes up, we’re in a better place than we were pre-pandemic.”

After the talk, participants said Alvarez’s story resonated with many and inspired pride in members of the Latino community. “I’m humble to be one of many,” Alvarez said. “We’ve got to keep being role models, keep grinding, show people that it can be done. This country gives us many opportunities. You have to take them and give back.”

BART Police Log
Submitted by Les Mensinger and BART PD

Friday, August 21
• At 10:27 a.m. a man identified by police as Lester Harris, 56, of Oakland was arrested at Hayward station on suspicion of failure to register as a transient. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.

Tuesday, August 25
• At 10:49 a.m. a man identified by police as Adrian Avila, 28, of San Jose was arrested at Milpitas station on suspicion of failure to register as a transient. He was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.

Business Pulse Check – BJ Travel Center
By Madhvika Singh
Photos Courtesy of BJ Travel Center

This article is part of Business Pulse Check, a series where we at Tri-City Voice check in with a local business to see how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related closures.

Be it the fresh air of the Swiss Alps, the aroma of spices in Asia, or warm sand on Caribbean beaches, travel helps us make memories and share stories; an experienced travel advisor can elevate the experience.

BJ Travel Center has been helping people explore the world since 1976, and current owner Terri Landon has been running the business since 1995. Landon had worked part time at a local travel agency before, but when the opportunity to buy an agency came along, Landon decided to take the plunge and become a business owner. “It just felt like the right fit,” she says.

BJ Travel Center is a full service, retail travel agency that specializes in custom, luxury group travel and tours. They offer a range of travel options from cruise lines to escorted tours and customized itineraries. “Our objective is to provide great customer service. We meet with and interview our clients to understand what they are looking for, and find a trusted matching travel supplier for their specific needs,” shared Landon.

Landon has escorted travel groups herself, which helps her recommend destinations for her clients. “Africa is the highlight of my career, when I escorted a group tour to the south and the east. We met local people and experienced the culture – it was great and an experience I had never imagined,” shared Landon.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the travel and tourism industry. With infection hotspots sprouting all over the world and travel restrictions in place to limit the spread, businesses that depend on tourism have been especially hard hit. In response to shelter-in-place measures, BJ Travel Center has kept their office closed since March 17. “The first month was very stressful, having to close the office and assisting our clients with cancellations of their dream vacations,” shared Landon.

Landon has weathered a few ups and downs before, notably the internet boom of the 90s and the downturn after the attacks of 9/11, but the impact of the current pandemic is on a scale with no parallel in recent memory. “I haven’t seen anything like this before; COVID-19 has affected the travel industry across the globe,” says Landon. “There isn’t much that can be done or conducted in a business like ours, and that has hit the business hard. My revenue is down 70% at this time.”

BJ Travel Center has been working remotely since March via phone and email. With more people staying home, the majority of communications they are receiving from clients is about cancellations, refunds and rescheduling. While some parts of the world have begun to open up, the fast-changing landscape of travel restrictions and phased re-openings and re-closings is leaving people even more uncertain and anxious about their travel plans.

Landon helps her clients keep pace with the latest updates. “News is changing daily, and we are doing our best to keep the public informed,” says Landon. She is also preparing educational videos for the public once travel resumes. “We are getting ready to offer informative and educational webinars and videos for the public to help them prepare. I am hoping that travel interest returns soon,” says Landon.

While Landon eagerly waits for the world to return to some sense of normalcy, she is taking the time to enjoy with family. “I walk with my family at Lake Elizabeth, and we love to camp, so we are trying to do as much of it as we can,” shared Landon.

Tri-City Voice wishes BJ Travel Center and Landon the very best and hope that we will soon be able to begin the journeys put on hold, and go where our wanderlust takes us.

Terri Landon
BJ Travel Center,
4075 Papazian Way, Suite 101, Fremont
(510) 796-8300
terri@bjtravelfremont.com
https://www.bjtravelfremont.com

Science Says: People stoking brew that makes California burn
Aug 20
By Seth Borenstein
AP Science Writer

If you want to build a fire, you need three things: Ignition, fuel and oxygen. But wildfire in California is a much more complex people-stoked witch's brew.

The state burns regularly because of fierce autumn winds, invasive grasses that act as kindling, fire-happy native shrubs and trees, frequent drought punctuated by spurts of downpours, a century of fire suppression, people moving closer to the wild, homes that burn easily, people starting fires accidentally or on purpose – and most of all climate change.

“California has a really flammable ecosystem,” said University of Colorado fire scientist Jennifer Balch. “People are living in flammable places, providing ignition, starting the wildfires against a backdrop of a warming climate that is making wildfires worse.”

Trying to manage California's wildfires is like trying to hold back a tidal wave, said Columbia University fire scientist A. Park Williams: “Big fires are kind of inevitable in California.”

And it's getting worse, fast. Area burned by wildfire in California increased more than fivefold since 1972, from a five-year average of 236 square miles (611 square kilometers) a year to 1,394 square miles (3,610 square kilometers) a year according to a 2019 study by Williams, Balch and others.

Dozens of studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to global warming, especially because it dries plants and makes them more flammable.

“ Fuel moisture drives the fire business,“ said University of Alberta fire scientist Mike Flannigan. “Fuel moisture is being influenced by climate change.”

In California, a Mediterranean climate sets up ideal conditions for fire then is worsened by climate change, said University of California, Merced, fire scientist LeRoy Westerling, who has had his home threatened twice in the last few years.

That means long hot and dry summers with a handful of winter storms bringing rain and snow.

But as the climate warms, snow melts earlier making for drier plants in the summer and the rains come later, extending fire season.

“It's a super strong effect in the summertime and we're right smack in the middle of summertime,“ Balch said Monday. “Our fire season is not over yet and we have the fall to worry about.“

If you lose a fall storm, as happened in 2019, that leaves California fire-prone in October and November, when often-fierce winds blow from the mountains toward the ocean. Those spread fires easily, even jumping eight-lane highways.

November and December, though technically the wet season, can see some of the worst fires such as 2018's Camp Fire that decimated the Sierra Nevada foothills town of Paradise and killed scores of people.

Another way climate change has worsened wildfire danger is that the jet stream – the river of air that moves storms and daily weather – slows down and weather gets stuck, often with dry periods.

This means California can lose maybe two of its five or six important drenchings, Westerling said. And in other years, with the jet stream stuck in a wet pattern, a couple of extra storms hit California and prompt explosive growth of plants that dry into fuel.

More fires from climate change mean more smoke – and this year that's going to hurt people already hit by the coronavirus, Balch said. “We're seeing compounding extremes.”

But more than climate and weather are at work.

When people moved into California, they brought invasive grasses, such as cheatgrass and common Mediterranean grass, that outcompeted native grasses and burn more quickly. They act as kindling for brushland fires.

California's native shrubs burn easily, and so do conifers that release their seeds in fires to regenerate.

For more than a century – spurred by a 1910 inferno – the general government attitude has been to put out every fire. But Williams said that leads to a buildup of fuel that eventually burns.

About 97% of the fires in coastal California are started by people, either on purpose or accidentally, a study by Balch found. The top ignition causes are equipment use – such as weedwhackers, lawnmowers and chainsaws – arson and debris burning.

Another contributor to runaway fires is that homes, especially roofs, are much more flammable than need be, Balch said.

While bigger fires can burn elsewhere – Alaska last year had nine times as much land burned as California – fire risk is greater in the Golden State because so many people live close to the flames.

“We don't hear about fires in other places, the western U.S. or Alaska because they burn for days without getting near a home,” said University of Utah fire scientist Phil Dennison.

People keep building closer to areas that are wilder and beautiful but fire-prone, Flannigan said, so “we have to learn to live with fire. It's not going to go away.”
Public input sought on third-party food delivery fees
Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce

City of Hayward is evaluating whether to put a cap on third-party delivery fees. These fees are charged by food delivery companies, such as Grub Hub, Uber Eats, Door Dash, Postmates, and others to restaurants and supermarkets. Research has shown that these third-party delivery fees are up to 30 percent of the order amount.

As the Alameda County Shelter in Place Order continues to prohibit indoor dining, many restaurants continue to rely on delivery as a primary source of business. The city is seeking input to identify concerns and potential positive and negative impacts of a cap, to be heard by the Hayward City Council at its September 22 meeting.

Restaurant and cafe owners are asked to submit comments to the city's Economic Development Division at econdev@hayward-ca.gov. A link to the meeting and staff report will be made available before the September 22 meeting at https://hayward.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

Comments Submission
econdev@hayward-ca.gov

Earning your degree at home: a new format for college classes
By Harshdeep Singh Nanda
Photo courtesy of Edward Jenner

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been around for a while now, and it does not seem to be going anywhere for next academic semester. Local schools and colleges are ramping up for the start of classes and are determining the best mode of instruction for students – one that is effective and ensures safety of students, staff and their families. There are various modes to choose from, including a completely online model, a “hybrid” model, and in-person courses. While many local school districts have decided on an overarching mode of instruction for all their students, local colleges seem to have a lot more flexibility when it comes to the way individual classes are scheduled.

Courses that are held virtually can be done in two ways – a synchronous manner or an asynchronous manner. Synchronous courses are scheduled to meet at a specific time and date, typically in a virtual classroom setting using Zoom or other video conferencing tools. Asynchronous courses are self-paced and do not require meeting at any specific time or date. These courses can be hosted on a course management system such as Canvas, where students can access course material, watch pre-recorded lectures, and complete assignments, projects, quizzes and exams.

A hybrid format, on the other hand, consists of classes meeting online for some sessions and in person for others. This model works best for courses in specific departments, such as the sciences. For example, in a chemistry course, the main lectures would be held in a virtual classroom setting and hands-on lab sections would be held in a physical lab space on campus. For any sessions being held in-person, colleges and universities are enforcing safety rules, including wearing masks and keeping a minimum of six feet between individuals.

So, what modes of instruction are local colleges deciding to move forward with? According to a press release from the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, classes will either be held fully online or as “hybrid” classes, if determined necessary by the state. “We continue to monitor current conditions and adjust our plans as needed to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Susan Sperling, president of Chabot College.

Similarly, Ohlone College has announced that classes for Fall 2020 will be held online. As of August 3, Ohlone is also providing limited in-person services to those who need them. These services are provided on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In order to protect the health of students and the campus community, all individuals working or visiting Ohlone Community College are required to wear a face mask and are subject to health screening upon entry.

So much for classes – but what is being done at the university level when it comes to housing and dining for students? California State University (CSU) East Bay will accommodate students in campus housing with a ratio of one resident per bedroom/bathroom, allowing for housing of up to 428 students, or 27.4 percent of the normal occupancy rate. For dining, the university’s partner has developed a comprehensive social distancing food services plan. Campus dining will include grab-and-go options only, serve all beverages in disposable cups or bottles, and offer contactless catering. Basic safety standards will be used across all campus food venues.

With the steps being taken by local colleges and universities, it is the hope of the administration and staff at these campuses that students have a safe and successful semester. Over time, if conditions improve, the campuses will work to fully transition classes and services back to in person. But until then, this is the new norm.

State Senate meets without 10 GOP senators amid virus tests
By Adam Beam
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Aug 27 – All but one of the Republicans in the California Senate were barred from the state Capitol on Thursday after they were exposed to the coronavirus, prompting unprecedented changes that will allow them to vote via video conference from their homes as the Legislature rushes to complete its work by Monday's deadline.

Republicans were furious, with state Sen. Jim Nielsen – the only one of 11 Republicans allowed in the 40-seat chamber – demanding the Legislature shut down until his colleagues could be tested and cleared to return. Republicans in general have opposed remote voting, arguing it is not allowed under the state Constitution.

“I don't care what bills we've got before us, none could possibly be that important,” Nielsen said. “Here we're talking about bills dying. But through exposure, we're talking about humans dying.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, a Democrat, said the Senate did not have time to wait. Lawmakers cannot pass bills after midnight Monday unless Gov. Gavin Newsom calls them into a special session.

Dozens of high-profile measures are pending, including police reform proposals filed in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis and a proposal to extend eviction protections for people who cannot pay their rent because of the pandemic.

“Our clock is running out,” Atkins said. “We have work to do.”

The Senate abruptly canceled its session on Wednesday after Republican state Sen. Brian Jones confirmed he had tested positive for the virus. Jones was on the Senate floor Monday with his colleagues, but he followed Senate rules by wearing a mask and staying at least 6 feet away from his colleagues.

On Tuesday, however, Jones attended a Republican caucus lunch where 10 of the 11 members sat around a large conference table and removed their mask to eat, according to Republican state Sen. John Moorlach.

Senate Republicans were scheduled to be tested for the coronavirus later Thursday.

“I feel frustrated obviously that I'm prepared and ready to go but I'm being asked not to, so what else can I say,” said Moorlach, adding that he has no symptoms of the disease,

The Legislature has already been delayed twice, once in March at the start of the pandemic and again in July after at least seven people who work at the Capitol – including two lawmakers – tested positive for the virus. Republican Assemblyman Tom Lackey was briefly hospitalized.

This latest outbreak also includes a California Highway Patrol officer who works in the Capitol. The officer was last in the building on Tuesday but had no contact with senators or their staff members, according to a memo from Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras.

Anyone entering the Capitol from the public entrances must be screened for symptoms, including temperature checks. But those screenings did not apply to lawmakers and staff, who usually enter the building from the parking garage.

Legislative leaders had asked lawmakers and staff to “self screen” at home and not to come to work if they have symptoms. That changed Thursday, with everyone entering the building now required to go through the screening process.
New law to protect Californians struggling with debt
Submitted by Jeff Barbosa

Beginning September 1, Californians taking on more debt through COVID-19 pandemic, high unemployment, and wildfires will gain some added financial security when a law authored by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and supported by consumer groups and legal aid providers goes into effect.

Senate Bill 616 was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. The law creates an automatic bank account exemption to prevent debt collectors from seizing the last $1,788 in a person’s account.

“As everyone knows, it only takes an overdraft fee, a sick child, an accident or a parking ticket to trigger a disastrous domino effect,” said Wieckowski. “The protection in SB 616 will prevent that first domino from falling for so many families. Because of this law, tens of thousands of bank accounts will not be drained in the difficult months ahead.”

The new law does not erase a debt. It is intended to enable people to cover daily expenses and not spiral deeper into debt. The exemption amount is tied to the California Department of Social Services’ calculated minimum basic income standard of adequate care for a family of four. The exemption will be annually updated to match the standard.

“When this bill was signed last year, we knew it would be an important safeguard for the tens of thousands of Californians every year who go through financial shock when debt collectors suddenly seize every penny in their bank account,” said Ted Mermin, director of the California Low-Income Consumer Coalition, a co-sponsor of SB 616. “But now that millions of Californians face extended unemployment and are taking on more and more debt, a law that makes sure there is some money to pay the rent or the grocery bill is even more important. All of us owe a deep round of thanks to Senator Wieckowski and his remarkable staff.”

Study: Craft distillers see sales evaporate amid pandemic
Aug 20
By Bruce Schreiner
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – For five months, no rum has flowed for visitors at Jaime Windon's distillery in Maryland, drying up a crucial part of her revenue stream. Windon's tasting room remains shuttered by the coronavirus, another victim of the pandemic's devastating impact on the world economy.

Like other craft distillers, Windon Distilling relied heavily on sales from people who ventured in to learn a bit about making spirits, sample the products and take home a bottle or two. But small, independent producers – who have carved out a sizable niche in the country's spirits sector – have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new study.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States found that nationally, craft distillers will see an estimated 41% of their sales – worth more than $700 million – evaporate because of the pandemic.

The distillers furloughed nearly one-third of their employees, its study estimated.

Windon, whose flagship brand is Lyon Rum, had no revenue coming in at the end of March at the distillery she founded seven years ago on Maryland's Eastern Shore. She furloughed most of her staff but has since brought back most of her full-time workers, though she's only staffed at 50% with the tasting room still closed. She could reopen the tasting room – which had averaged about 500 visitors per week – but has chosen not to in part because of space restrictions.

“If people would have told me at the beginning of this year that I would have to close my tasting room for five months, I would have told you we would go out of business,” Jaime Windon said in an interview.

She's stayed afloat thanks to her wholesale business, having developed a strong core business in Maryland and a broader distribution network that reaches eight other states.

“We're able to produce,“ Windon said. “But we don't meet the hundreds of people a week in our distillery like we used to. That's the hardest hit and it's the biggest change for us.”

Craft distilling has grown in the shadows of corporate giants producing well-known brands like Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. In the world's bourbon capital, Kentucky craft distillers have their own bourbon trail in a state that has cultivated whiskey tourism.

Nationally, craft distilling grew into almost a $1.8 billion business in 2019, directly employing around 15,000 people and indirectly supporting thousands of jobs in related businesses, according to the study. At retail, those sales are worth nearly $3.2 billion, it said. About 60% of craft distillers sell fewer than 2,500 cases per year and 70% employ 10 or fewer employees.

But because of their size, craft distillers aren't as well capitalized as the large producers, making them more vulnerable to economic downturns.

The study by the Distilled Spirits Council was based on data from a June 2020 survey by the American Distilling Institute, a trade association for craft distillers. The survey included feedback from nearly 300 distilleries across the country.

It found that COVID-19 restrictions drained sales from on-site tasting rooms at distilleries.

About 40% of craft distillers participating in the survey reported their on-site sales were down 25% or more, the study found. More than 15% said their tasting rooms were shut down,

Combining lost tasting room sales with lost wholesale business means craft distillers are projected to lose $700 million in annualized sales – a loss of 41% of the total craft business, the study said. In 2019, an estimated $919 million of craft distiller revenues came from on-site sales.

More than 40% of craft distillers reported that their wholesale business was down 25% or more, while 11% said they had lost all their wholesale business, the study said. Most of the lost wholesale business was due to bar closures during the pandemic, it said.

The distilling industry has been seeking seeking additional economic relief from Congress, including pushing a bill that would make current federal excise tax rates permanent. Without the measure, the industry says craft distillers face a massive tax increase next year.

Windon, the CEO at Windon Distilling, said she's confident that craft distillers will weather the storm but worries that it could take time to recoup the losses. She wonders how quickly some people will return to tasting rooms, and whether craft producers can maintain their market shares.

“What's it going to look like on the other side? Will those hard-earned spaces on liquor store shelves, will that be lost? Because it's harder to sell a craft, unique product,“ she said.

Drip irrigation: Every drop counts
Article and photos by Daniel O'Donnell

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones,” is a quote by Confucius that reminds us of how over time, even the smallest of actions can have a gigantic impact. The Colorado river eroded smaller canyons and layers of rock, mineral grain by mineral grain over millions of years to create the Grand Canyon. A blue whale, the largest animal on earth, survives by eating tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill. The krill are only a couple of inches in length, but one by one they add up to the 40 million that make up the enormous whale’s daily diet. Similarly, drip irrigation systems keep the garden alive one drop at a time.

Irrigation is not a new concept. Five thousand years ago the Egyptians used canals and earthen banks to divert water from the Nile into fields. The Romans built the first aqueduct in 312 BC. The Las Capas people are credited with the earliest irrigation system in North America dating back to 1200 BC. Their descendants, the Hohokam people were irrigating thousands of acres of southwestern farmland by AD 750. The first lawn sprinkler US patent was registered in 1871. Canals, aqueducts, and sprinklers were all advancements that made growing plants more successful, and they were the predecessors of today’s drip irrigation systems that are not only more predictable, but more efficient as well.

Drip irrigation uses flexible tubes made from a low-density polyethylene resin material. It works by applying drops of water slowly and evenly to the plants at or just below the ground level using various types of emissions. A properly installed drip system has well over 90 percent efficiency, while a sprinkler system at best, can have about an 80 percent efficiency rate but for the majority of sprinkler systems, it is much lower. Water inefficiency from sprinklers results from a high rate of evaporation, runoff, and loss of water through wind. A drip system saves water because a dripline applies water only where it is needed, the precise amount of water can be controlled, and it applies the water at a rate that the soil can absorb.

A drip irrigation system can be installed directly to a hose tap, onto a battery-powered faucet irrigation timer, or onto an irrigation valve controlled by a smart timer. These connection points are merely a way of turning the drip system on and off. A pressure regulator, filter, adaptor to connect the tubing, emitters, inline connectors, stakes, and an end cap is all the hardware needed to create a drip system. If the drip system is attached directly to a hose tap or faucet timer and does not have a backflow preventer, then one will need to be installed before the pressure regulator. Ewing Irrigation, www.ewingirrigation.com, has multiple stores throughout the Bay Area and sells professional grade irrigation supplies to both contactors and the public.

It is much easier to design a drip irrigation system for a garden before the plants go in because plants can be chosen to suit the irrigation. Referred to as a hydro zone, each area should contain plants that all have the same water requirements because the drip gives the same amount of water to each plant. Succulents will rot from the heavy amount of water it takes for a Hydrangea to survive and the Hydrangea would wither on the meager amount of water that succulents require.

If irrigating an existing garden with drip, separate plants by water requirements. All plants with the same water needs can be placed on an individual drip line. Additional drip lines can be installed for other plant groups. Each drip line will need its own faucet or valve since each is separate from the other lines. There will be a maze of drip lines crisscrossing over one another in this scenario, whereas a simple grid can be created if all the plants in the garden have the same water requirements.

Water from a drip system is dispensed through an emission point — 1/2 inch and 3/4-inch tubing have inline emitters that are spaced every 6, 12, or 18 inches apart and deliver 0.6 or a full gallon of water per hour. There is a variety of individual emitters available that have dispersal ranges from 0.5 to 2 gallons per hour that can be inserted into blank tubing. These precise measurements allow the most efficient running time for the system to be determined. There are even emitters that can be adjusted by hand, although these are not as accurate for applying precise amounts of water.

Plants will perform better with drip irrigation, with a few exceptions. It is a shame that one of the greatest and most technologically advanced components of a garden performs best when underground or with a 4-inch layer of mulch on top of it. However, as Confucius also once said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

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

EARTHTALK

You can reduce single use plastics
Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

Dear EarthTalk: Any tips for reducing the amount of disposable plastic I use for food storage?
—J. Spencer, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Analysts estimate that of the more than six billion tons of plastic produced worldwide since the 1950s, we have recycled only nine percent of it and incinerated another 12%. The remaining, some 4.8 billion tons of plastic is either still in use, filling up landfills, or littered into streets, streams and eventually the ocean.

About a third of the plastic produced worldwide is for single-use applications (bottles, bags, utensils, food storage, etc.) — and it is these items that most commonly end up on the side of the road. Researchers discussed in a 2019 paper in Nature that if we do nothing to step up flagging efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics, we could have three times as much of it littered into the global environment by 2060.

So, what’s an environmentally conscious consumer to do? For starters, avoid getting plastic bags at the store. Either bring your own reusable one or if you need to go disposable, at least opt for paper that can be recycled or composted. And if you are food shopping, gravitate toward the bulk items aisle where you can buy just the right amount without unnecessary extra packaging.

Another way to cut down on single use plastic is ditching plastic straws. Americans go through about 500 million plastic straws daily. Opting for reusable straws (metal, silicone, bamboo or glass, anyone?) — or no straw at all — is one of the simplest ways to cut down on disposable plastic.

According to the non-profit Center for EcoTechnology (CET), the kitchen is one place where you can definitely make some easy adjustments to save plastic. For starters, ditch the plastic wrap; it’s difficult to recycle and can clog recycling processing machines. One great alternative is beeswax paper, which is reusable, washable and compostable. (Make sure to wash it with cold water only so the wax doesn’t melt.)

“Another alternative to plastic wrap is storing your food in glass storage containers or glass jars,” adds CET. “Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity.”

Putting dish cloths to use is another way to eschew plastic wrap for keeping produce fresh. Simply wrap up those fruits or veggies in a cloth instead of plastic — or put them in a bowl and cover with a dish cloth and rubber band for a tight seal — and put ‘em in the fridge.

One often overlooked environmental downside of the Coronavirus situation is that restaurants throw in so much disposable plasticware for to-go and delivery orders — whether customers need it or not. That’s why a coalition of 120 environmental groups recently teamed up to send letters to seven national food delivery companies asking they change their default ordering process to one that does not automatically include utensils, napkins, condiments and straws in order to reduce the tsunami of single-use plastic pollution entering our oceans, landfills and incinerators.

EarthTalk is produced by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss for the nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine.com. To donate, visit https://earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org.

Park It
By Ned MacKay

As you might imagine, East Bay Regional Park District firefighters and operations staff have had their hands full dealing with the unprecedented series of lightning-caused fires that are burning in regional parks, East Bay counties, and throughout the state.
Aileen Theile, park district fire chief, has provided the below information about the park district’s firefighting efforts.

During a period of 90 minutes on August 16, there were 12,000 lightning strikes statewide, 560 of which caused fires. As part of a multi-agency firefighting team under the overall direction of CAL FIRE, park district firefighters fought fires on park district land and other open space, wherever needed, from Round Valley and Morgan Territory near Brentwood to Sunol and Ohlone Regional Wilderness in southern Alameda County. Fires started within five regional parks.

To give an idea of the area involved, the Calaveras and Canyon complex fire, encompassing about seven counties, has burned more than 366,000 acres as of this writing.

The firefighting effort has required mobilization of the district’s entire firefighting team. This comprises 23 full-time firefighters and some 34 on-call firefighter staff – district employees with other primary occupations, but who are also fully trained firefighters available when needed. The on-call firefighters were released from their primary district jobs to reinforce the full-timers. And the park district lifeguard staff set up a camp at the district’s public safety headquarters in Castro Valley for firefighters coming off the line. The camp design conformed to COVID-19 protocols.

Another asset is the district’s Eagle 7 helicopter unit, which was one of the only early air resources available. Using the copters’ Bambi bucket capability, the Eagle pilots worked every day, assisting CAL FIRE by dropping more than 4,000 gallons of water on the fires.

A notable effort was at Camp Arroyo at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore. Camp Arroyo provides an environmental education experience to children during the school year. In the summer and on some school year weekends, it serves as a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, in partnership with the Taylor Family Foundation.

During the fire emergency, district firefighters, rangers, and park operations staff spent three days at Del Valle Regional Park and Camp Arroyo, making the site more fire safe by clearing vegetation and securing buildings. Chief Theile called it a “tremendous effort.” As a result, if the fire does come through, a lot of fire damage will be averted.
A final assessment of damage will have to await post-fire inspection, but it appears that the Sunol Regional Wilderness visitor center was spared. Park residents were evacuated from Round Valley and Mission Peak.
Because of the fire emergency, the district closed all regional parks on August 21, except for some shoreline parks and paved inter-park regional trails. Chief Theile gave several reasons. For one, the air quality was really bad. Apart from health concerns, the thick haze made it impossible for firefighters to tell whether a fire was actually burning within a park.

Also, in the event that a fire did occur, firefighters and police would have a serious problem finding and evacuating park visitors or dealing with other emergencies. Their jobs are already dangerous enough.

Finally, CAL FIRE officials informed the district that 96 percent of their available resources were committed to the fires in the Bay Area and elsewhere in the state. Resources were stretched so thin, CAL FIRE said, that if a fire started in another regional park, the park district might have to fight it without assistance.

As of August 27, improving conditions allowed reopening of most of the regional parks that had been closed. Exceptions were parks directly impacted by the fire: Del Valle, Mission Peak, Morgan Territory, Ohlone Wilderness, Round Valley, and Sunol.

If it becomes necessary to close regional parks again, the park district urges everyone to abide by the rules. Please do not enter a regional park that has been closed. By doing so, you can endanger yourself and others, and force already overworked firefighters and police to divert efforts from emergencies in order to escort you out of the area.

For up-to-date information about the status of regional parks, visit www.ebparks.org. Fire and COVID-19 reports are right at the top of the home page.

Content of character

Last week marked the anniversary of one of the most quoted speeches of all time. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a challenge to the American dream with one of his own. At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., he recounted the state of race relations in our country along with hope for the future. Approximately 250,000 people gathered for the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” to encourage and elevate the call for freedom – for action from rhetoric.

MLK’s influence was a major factor in nonviolent protest that subdued the efforts of batons and vicious attacks on those who dared to defy the status quo. Fifty-seven years have passed and although progress has been made, some of the same core issues remain. These are not the consequence of liberal or conservative ideology, rather an intransigence of spirit to recognize demographic changes and our forefather’s intent.

This is not a threat, rather a renewal of American purpose and the “American Dream.” An iron-clad will to resist violence with nonviolence is a force that cannot be underestimated. When vicious provocations are used to make a political point, issues no longer revolve around political or social ideology, rather brute force and mayhem. No one wins in this scenario.

As we enter the crucible of the election cycle, emotions can run rampant and overwhelm reasonable contemplation of facts and past experience. Use of fear and hatred of “others” is a common tactic of despots and autocratic societies… it has no place in rational dialogue of a free society. Extremes are often offered during campaigns, but typically rejected by mainstream citizens. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

MLK spoke of a “dream” that all would listen to freedom ring in “every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city”, relieved of living on a “lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” While focused on the plight of African-Americans, the same sentiment applied to all “God’s children”; the dream encompasses everyone.

Fifty-seven years later, a similar speech would be appropriate. In two months, we will decide who will guide our future at many levels of government. The influence of power and prestige is enticing for many who walk the path of elected office. Corrupt behavior is difficult to resist, but there are some who do and should continue to receive support of the electorate. However, platitudes and empty promises are easily made and just as easily discarded until the next election. In order to discern content of character, it is important to focus on the efforts and practical aspects of officials.

Our system of government often balances power among members of a board or city council who are collectively responsible for decisions rather than a single individual. To hold one accountable, is to hold all accountable. The democratic process is not tidy and often a restless morass of emotions, but it can bring a positive result if we take our role seriously and with the goals outlined in the Preamble to the United States Constitution:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

MLK outlined some of the same ideals including domestic tranquility when referencing the struggle for civil rights. He cautioned his ardent supporters to refrain from violence, saying:

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”

How we meet the challenges of this election period and consider its result will expose the content of our character. Hopefully, MLK’s children and all of ours will reap the benefits of a nation that will “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

California leaders reach deal on eviction protections
By Adam Beam
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Aug 28 – Californians who can't pay rent because of the coronavirus could stay in their homes through at least Jan. 31, but only if they pay a portion of some missed payments under a proposal endorsed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders.

The California court system has halted most eviction and foreclosure proceedings since April 6 because of the pandemic. But those protections will expire on Tuesday, prompting fears of a wave of evictions in a state that already has the largest homeless population in the country.

Lawmakers have been rushing to come up with a bill to extend those eviction protections while balancing the impact on landlords, many of whom depend on rent payments to pay their mortgages.

The proposal Newsom announced Friday would ban evictions for unpaid rent because of the coronavirus for money owed between March 1 and Aug. 31. From Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, tenants must pay at least 25% of their cumulatively owed rent. If they don't, they can be evicted.

Tenants would still owe the money. Landlords could sue them to get the money back, and a judge could order them to pay it. But tenants could not be evicted.

Tenants would have to sign a document. under penalty of perjury, that says they cannot pay their rent because of a coronavirus-related economic hardship. Higher-income renters – defined as people who make at least $130,000 a year or 13% of the area's median income, whichever is larger – must provide proof that they cannot pay their rent because of the virus.

The bill does not protect landlords from foreclosures. But it would extend the California Homeowner Bill of Rights to small rental properties of up to four units. The Homeowner Bill of Rights provides some foreclosure protections, but right now it only applies to owner-occupied homes.

“Literally millions of people being evicted or at least subject to eviction substantially was mitigated because of this,” Newsom said.

The bill does not protect against all evictions. Evictions for reasons other than nonpayment of rent can resume on Sept. 2. That's disappointing to some tenant advocacy groups, who had been pushing for broader eviction protections in a state that was facing a housing shortage prior to the pandemic.

Assemblyman David Chiu, a Democrat from San Francisco and the bill's author, said the bill is weaker than he wanted because he had to get two-thirds of the Legislature to vote for it. That way, the bill would take effect immediately after Newsom signed it. Otherwise, the bill would have not taken effect until January, leaving a lengthy gap with no protections.

“What the governor is announcing today is an imperfect but necessary solution to a colossal problem,” Chiu said. “What's being proposed will hopefully prevent and delay eviction of many tenants, but it pains me that this will not stop every eviction.”

Chiu called the bill a “temporary fix,” saying lawmakers will try again to pass longer-term protections when the Legislature returns in January. The California Apartment Association, which represents owners, investors and developers, applauded the proposal. But they said a permanent solution must come from the federal government.

“COVID-impacted renters need financial assistance, from the feds, so they can pay their rent,“ said Debra Carlton, the association's executive director. “Otherwise, renters will be hard-pressed to pay the rent that's accumulated, and housing providers will go out of business.”

Facebook: Apple privacy changes will muck up online ads
By Barbara Ortutay
AP Technology Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP), Aug 26 – Facebook is pushing back on new Apple privacy rules for its mobile devices – and putting app developers in the middle.

Apple will soon require apps to ask users for permission to collect data on what devices they are using and to let ads follow them around on the internet. The social network said Wednesday that those rules could reduce what apps can earn by advertising through Facebook's audience network.

Facebook said it expects “less impact“ on its own advertising revenue than on the ad-supported businesses that rely on its audience network to promote their apps. The audience network allows Facebook and Instagram advertisers to place their ads elsewhere on the internet.

Apple's iOS 14 update, which Apple says is designed to protect people's privacy, will require apps to ask users for permission to collect and share data using a unique code that identifies their iPhones and iPads.

Facebook said that because of this change, it will no longer collect the identifier for advertisers on its own apps for iOS 14 devices. It is also asking businesses to create a new ad account that is dedicated solely to running ads for apps for iOS 14 users to comply with Apple's new rules.

In Facebook's second-quarter earnings call last month, finance chief Dave Wehner said the company is “still trying to understand what these changes will look like and how they will impact us and the rest of the industry. But the very least, it's going to make it harder for app developers and others to grow using ads on Facebook and elsewhere.“

He also called targeted ads “a lifeline for small businesses, especially in a time of COVID.“

Apple, on the other hand, said it is intent on giving people more choice over how they want to be tracked by companies on the internet – and the ability to say no if they don't.

College students help combat food waste
By Dhoha Bareche

“Anyone can make a positive change,” says Margaret Li. A recent graduate of Mission San Jose high school, Li is a member of the Farmlink Project, a grassroots movement founded in April by a group of college students, connecting farms with food banks to help feed thousands in need. Passionate about combating food waste, Li heard about this organization from a friend and joined the team, even launching her own campaign to fundraise.

Farmlink was founded when Stanford University student James Kanoff and Brown University student Aidan Reilly learned about the excess amount of produce discarded by farmers resulting from the disruption of food supply chains with the closure of many restaurants and schools. When Kanoff’s local food bank had a shortage of eggs, they quickly gathered a group of friends to help resolve the issue. Contacting more than 200 farms, they were able to find one with surplus eggs and rented a truck to deliver them. They realized that if they could pay the wages of farmworkers and truck drivers, they could connect farms to food banks across the country while restoring jobs. Since then, they've been duplicating the model around the country.

Within the span of a few months, they were able to turn this small initiative into a large-scale non-profit organization with more than 200 volunteers that has helped deliver over 10 million pounds of food to food banks in 39 states. They are committed to helping as many people as possible and have served the Navajo and Apache Nation in the southwest, Black Lives Matter protesters, frontline responders, and communities with disproportionate rates of hunger as a result of COVID-19.

Additionally, they’ve formed eight teams that contribute to different parts of the organization from media and fundraising to outreach and web development where Li found her niche working on the “Dev team” that helps with the design and upkeep of the website. She says, “Farmlink has something for everyone and I’ve enjoyed honing my skill set in web design while working for a cause I’m deeply passionate about – since I’ve previously worked with StopWaste, a local food waste reduction agency.”

With a strong urge to make a positive difference during the pandemic, Li decided to launch a campaign in August, on her 18th birthday, with the goal of fundraising $1,000 for Farmlink. She says, “I wanted to do something meaningful for my birthday, so I figured I could donate to Farmlink while contributing to my local community in the Tri-City area by picking up one piece of trash for every dollar donated.” Although she was quite hesitant and didn’t think she’d be successful, Li was able to surpass her goal and raise $1,500 after just a few days. “I was completely shocked by the amount of support I received just by advertising via my social media platforms, which comes to show the powerful impact a small act of change can have,” says Li.

Although the present pandemic has caused food shortages, business closures, and layoffs, Farmlink is committed to building a system that lasts through the pandemic and will continue for years to come. There are many ways to support this initiative: joining the team as a volunteer or intern, donating, or fundraising. Li also says that Farmlink is planning “power hours” when anyone can join and help research farmers and food banks that can be contacted.

When Li was asked to deliver a message to those who want to make a positive change but are hesitant to start, she said, “You just have to believe in yourself and go for it because one small positive act, like picking up trash in your local area, can have a powerful impact on a larger scale.”

Learn more about Farmlink at:
Web: https://thefarmlinkproject.org/
E-mail: margaretcalistali@gmail.com
Instagram: farmlinkproject
Facebook: thefarmlinkproject
Twitter: farmlinkproject

Fremont Police Log
Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD

Monday, August 24
• Officers responded to a report about an in-progress residential burglary in the 4200 block of Nerissa Circle. Upon arrival, officers found a suspect barricaded inside the residence and starting to damage property. About five hours later, the suspect, identified by police as Belal Ayubzai, 26, a Fremont transient, was taken into custody and arrested. There were no injuries.

Tuesday, August 25
• At 11:15 p.m. patrol officers responded to a report of a shooting in the area of High and Main streets in the Irvington district. Before officers arrived, three adult victims went to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Officers contacted the victims at the hospital, but they refused to provide information about the shooting. Meanwhile, Crime Scene Investigators collected evidence near a park at High Street and Farallon Common. Witnesses described hearing gunshots, but did not witness the shooting. The incident is being investigated as an attempted homicide. Detectives are also looking into possible connections between this shooting and the recent increase in gang activity in the city. Anyone with information regarding this shooting is asked to contact the Major Crimes Task Force at (510) 790-6660. Tips can also be sent through text, email, or phone. For details, visit: www.fremontpolice.gov/i-want-to/submit-a-non-urgent-tip.

Thursday, August 27
• Overnight anonymous bomb threat emails were sent to 13 Fremont Unified School District schools. Members of the School Resource Officer team worked with school district officials and conducted site security walkthroughs at each campus. Because distance learning programs were in effect, no students were at the schools. An investigation is continuing; however, police officials said they did not believe the threats were credible.

Fremont Unified Board Meeting Highlights
Submitted Brian Killgore

At its August 24 meeting, Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Board of Education:

• Discussed Districtwide Facility Use – On March 16, Fremont FUSD canceled all facility use/rentals for students and staff safety due to the school closure/COVID-19 pandemic. As FUSD continues to adjust to the impacts of the coronavirus and shelter-in-place order, all facilities, both indoor and outdoor, remain closed until further notice. On March 26, email invitations were sent to child care providers under joint-use agreements giving them the option to resume operations. Currently, only Kidango resumed operation with reduced capacity at Fremont Adult School and Robertson Continuation High School. Facilities were also opened for the City of Fremont summer camps at Brier, Cabrillo, and Grimmer elementary schools as part of the After School Education and Safety program (Proposition 49) agreement.

A Coronavirus Addendum was added to all facility use requests effective July 1 as recommended by Risk Management. FUSD has been receiving numerous inquiries from the community regarding when FUSD will resume rental/use both indoor and outdoor facilities. Staff recommended consideration of outdoor facility use under certain conditions by facility users within guidelines set by California State Government-COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency-Public Health Department, and any applicable governing agencies. Staff does not recommend indoor facility use until governing agencies lift shelter-in-place orders with exceptions for child care agencies and for specific governmental agencies such as the Registrar of Voters. Board agrees to delay consideration of resuming indoor/outdoor facility use by outside groups until after students return to campus.

• Authorized Staff to Enter into Task Order #14 with City of Fremont – Task Order #14 is for Youth and Family Services (YFS) and Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC) divisions of the Human Services Division of the City of Fremont to provide programs for FUSD students for the 2020-2021 school year. The first two programs are funded through the Task Order for a total of $112,860. The additional programs listed are acknowledged in Task Order #14 but funded in part or solely through contracts with other entities.

1. The Healthy Choices School-Based Mental Health Counseling Program provides counseling, information, and consultation to students, parents/guardians and school personnel regarding effective communication, personal problem-solving, child development, gang resistance, and drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse prevention. For the 2020-2021 school year, eight Fremont schools will participate in the program and receive on-site services. The sites have requested these services and have agreed to cover the cost of an on-site counseling intern for the 2020-2021 school year from their own school budgets (total $52,500, 7 sites @ $7,500/each and one site @ $15,000).

2. At the request of Kennedy High School, a YFS licensed staff mental health counselor will provide mental health counseling, a consultation, crisis support and coordination of services for 12 hours per week during the school year. Kennedy High School will pay a total of $45,360 to cover the cost associated with staff salary, benefits, and overhead.

School Resource Officer Program applications due Sep 3
Submitted by City of Fremont

Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Board of Trustees recently voted to create a team to review the School Resource Officer Program, a partnership between FUSD and City of Fremont Police Department. The review team will include parents, faculty, students, and six community members. Recruitment is open to all members of the community. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, visit https://bit.ly/3b4LYau for the meeting schedule and application. Submit the application by Thursday, September 3, to Greg Bailey, director of Student Support Services, at gbailey@fusdk12.net.

School Resource Officer Program
Application Deadline: Thursday, Sep 3
https://bit.ly/3b4LYau

Hayward Police Log
Submitted by Hayward PD

Saturday, August 22
• At around 8:00 p.m. officers responded to a report about shots fired in the area of Huntwood and Shepherd avenues. A short time later a man suffering from a gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital where he later died. Police are investigating the incident as a homicide and have not released the victim’s identity. Anyone with information that can help with the investigation is asked to call (510) 293-7176.

Herbalife admits bribing Chinese officials to grow business
AP Wire Service

NEW YORK (AP), Aug 28 – Herbalife, a Los Angeles-based health and nutrition company, bribed Chinese government officials for a decade to grow its overseas business and falsified accounting records to cover up the payments, U.S. prosecutors said Friday in announcing corruption charges against the publicly traded company.

Herbalife agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $123 million to resolve the charges, federal prosecutors said.

The company admitted to the conspiracy as part of a deferred prosecution agreement it reached with the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan.

The charges were brought under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits bribery of foreign government officials or company executives to secure or retain business.

Herbalife did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Company officials began paying off Chinese government officials in 2007 in a bid to obtain licenses from national and local authorities the company needed to sell health and nutrition products.

They also bribed a state-owned media outlet “for the purpose of removing negative media reports about Herbalife China,” prosecutors said.

Herbalife falsely recorded the improper payments as “travel and entertainment expenses,” prosecutors said.

Herbalife has long been embroiled in litigation and regulatory actions over its business practices, which have been compared by some to a pyramid scheme.

Prosecutors said the company also agreed to pay more than $67 million in disgorgement – repayment of ill-gotten gains – and prejudgment interest to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Women in Washington Township
By Philip Holmes
Originally ran July 7, 2015

Local history books published before 1900 do not contain much information about pioneer women of Washington Township. The first history book noted that there were very few women here when men were settling the land and setting the wheels of commerce in motion. The word “wife” appeared when a man and his wife filed a suit in court. The school report showed that there were 13 female teachers and 658 girls in the county schools, but no names were given.

The author stated that by 1860, everything had become civilized and habits of home had been restored among the immigrants. Woman now graced the scene and adorned the household. The 150 ladies who attended the May Ball in Centerville were “all beautiful to behold, and the influence of the fair sex was surely growing powerful.” There were references to May Queens, couples and lasses. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon were listed in charge of Washington College. Mrs. Harmon and Mrs. Blacow were the only women mentioned in the chapter on Washington Township. Sarah Smith, Susan Jones, Ann Jackson, Mary Miller, Julia Jones were listed as occupants of land in 1865.

Our pioneer atlas showed pictures of women on the porch, in the yard, pushing a baby carriage, riding in a buggy and walking or playing croquet. One girl was shown reading on the lawn at Washington College, but none are shown at work. Mrs. R. Blacow was the only woman whose ranch and property were pictured.

Other business directories were more helpful with references to women. An 1879 directory listed Mrs. B. J. Lewis as proprietress of the United States Hotel in Centerville. A. H. Jentry operated a laundry in Mission and Mrs. L. McKinney a variety store in Decoto. Mrs. R. Blacow was a farmer and Miss Clara McKinstry a school teacher.

An 1883 history book used the words sister, family and wife and mentioned a school taught by Mrs. Warren and the United States Hotel conducted by Mrs. Lewis. Elizabeth Brier, Hannah Breyfogle, Charlotte Cornell, Mary Kelsy and Eliza Beard were given credit because they helped start the Centerville Presbyterian Church. No women were included in the portraits or listed in the index.

The 1898 Special Edition of the Washington Press has several articles written by women. Mary Allen wrote about the Women’s Club noting that “nobody in sober interest now ridicules what has become a great social movement.” Fleda Bunting described the long fight by women to save the Centerville Town Hall. Mrs. J. E. Thone wrote about the “Educational Affairs of the Township.” Mr. S. W. Patterson was named the mistress of Ardenwood” and described as “a lady whose good qualities are legion.”

Women at Curtner Seminary are shown posing, playing croquet and tennis and in a physical education class in the gymnasium. The residences of Mrs. H. B. Ellsworth, Mrs. D. Mowry, Mrs Loring Pickering and Mrs. S. W. Patterson are shown. The work of the Centerville Red Cross Society ladies is briefly described.

The introductory article notes that the editors of the edition “have endeavored to give each town in the township equal representation, showing favors to none, but justice to one and all. “The editors apparently made no effort to give equal representation to women, but it did include several articles written by women.

The History of Washington Township, written and published by the women in the County Club of Washington Township, gave more information about our pioneer women. The preface gave credit to the Woman’s Club and the organization meeting at the home of Mrs. C. H. Allen. Reference was made to the Niles and Centerville political equality societies.

The introduction mentioned Mrs. Pickering’s orange grove and Mrs. Kate Overacker’s ranch. It noted that Miss G. R. Crocker helped open the high school and that men teachers averaged $99.00 per month while women averaged $72.00.

Later pages mentioned Mrs. E. L. Beard and several women teachers for Alviso , Centerville, and Lincoln Schools. Emmeline Tyson and Kate Overacker were recognized for having crossed the Plains to get here. The authors even described a dress worn by Mrs. Threlfall and recalled that Mrs. Crandall believed in dress reform and was the first in this area to wear bloomers. There was a comment about the birth of Union Clawiter and another about the church work of Charlotte Cornell and Julia Thompson.

There was also a note about the weddings of Miss Everett and Edna Stuart. Mrs. J. A. Brewer was credited with making and selling butter in 1855. Mrs. J. E. Thane was listed as a school trustee and Incarnacion Vallejo as a music teacher. Mrs. H. C. Ingram was manager of Curtner Seminary and Mrs. V. A. Rix the Noble Grand of Rebekah Lodge. Dr. Millicent Shinn was recognized for prominence in writing, Sybil Easterday in sculpturing, Estelle Heartt in vocal and Ida Curtis in the ministry.

Honor Roll

James Madison University, Virginia
Fall 2020 New Enrollment
• Connor Schetzel of Newark

I, Robotics: Sophomores launch STEM nonprofit despite pandemic
By Hugo Vera

As many local students return to school this month, they can now expect to do so via remote participation. The Fremont Unified School District’s decision to have all its schools use “Zoom learning” entails the absence of in-person campus life altogether, and with that, most extracurriculars are out of the question.

Yet, despite the fact that their hallways and classrooms will be empty all year, two sophomores from Irvington High School have launched and continue to operate their own educational non-profit that teaches robotics as well as many other STEM-related skills.

Founded in summer 2019 by Dhruv Gupta and Ansh Kharbanda, NorCal Robotics services K-12 students looking to learn how to design and build robots while also honing skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and time management. Within the first months of operation, the duo trained members to build a series of steel and Lego-based robots for nationally recognized competitions such as the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Challenge.

“We think that activities such as STEM and robotics in general can be useful for young people right now as they build life skills like critical thinking, research techniques, compromise and accountability,” says Gupta. “A major reason we decided to create this nonprofit was to give students the chance to do something that changed all of our lives for the better as well as gaining STEM and robotic-literacy.”

Despite not being able to have in-person meetings with members, the transition from face-to-face meetings to video conferencing has actually helped NorCal Robotics’ membership rather than hinder it.

“It has actually helped us because we’re hosting online sessions for interested volunteers of this organization and I feel like we have a much better turnout because people are able to arrange meetings with no limit for how many can participate,” says NorCal Robotics social media director Aaryan Rustagi. “We’ve been able to spend more time on our social media, to advertise about our nonprofit and why people should join; people are just willing to dedicate more time now,” Rustagi adds.

Although they’ve maintained a steady following, the ongoing pandemic has robbed NorCal Robotics’ multiple teams of the chance to attend competitions; a setback that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“In terms of our robotics team and all the teams we mentor, it was pretty demoralizing not to have competitions,” states Gupta. “Usually at these big events, we could showcase our robots and show the programs that we run.”

Fortunately, while in-person networking at competitions won’t be possible, teams will still be able to submit recordings of their robots in action to panels of judges in a process that Gupta and Rustagi describe as “harder, but still possible.”

At a time where facts and the scientific method matter more than ever to dispel misconceptions and fear about the coronavirus, the trio of Gupta, Kharbanda and Rustagi offer words of advice for the local youth with scientific aspirations. Both Gupta and Rustagi encourage people to look at the prospect of being home-bound as an opportunity instead of a hindrance.

“Now that everyone is stuck at home, there are a lot more free initiatives to help people become more literate in all of these subjects and many resources on the internet to help them during this time,” says Gupta. Rustagi concurs.

“We still have a variety of classes that we are teaching in STEM and in robotics and we just want kids to really find out what their passion is so they can follow up on it.”

NorCal Robotics
Contact: info@norcalrobotics.org

Home

CONTINUING VIRTUAL EVENTS:
Mondays and Wednesdays
Parenting During COVID R
Mon: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Wed: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual support group to help families cope with challenges during COVID
To register: www.fremont.gov/3060/Caregiver-Support
(510) 574-2100

Tuesdays
Free Virtual Sing-Along
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zoom choir meeting hosted by Mission Peak Chamber Singers
https://www.chambersingers.org/
Contact: info@chambersingers.org

Tuesdays
Eden Eats $R
6 p.m.
Virtual cooking class featuring community chefs
Via YouTube and Facebook Live
Sign up at: https://edeneats.square.site/about

Wednesdays and Sundays
McNevin at The Mudpuddle
6 p.m.
Dinner time tunes, oddservations, and bad jokes
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic

Wednesdays, August 5 – September 9
Zoom laughter yoga classes
2:00p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Easy exercises including stretching, breathing, and dancing
https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/events/5f10b335218c0e810c318a65

Thursdays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Meetings
6:30 p.m.
Youth and young adults, students welcome
Contact: brian@newarkpress.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org

Saturdays through September 26
Virtual telescope viewings
9 p.m.
Join resident astronomers to look through Nellie, Chabot Space & Science Center’s most powerful telescope
Via Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ChabotSpace/events/?ref=page_internal

Sundays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Meetings
11:00 a.m.
Sunday School, Ages K – 6th grade
Contact: office@newarkpres.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org

Saturdays
Virtual Town Hall
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
With Supervisor Dave Cortese
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/davecortesegov

Wednesday, September 2 – Sunday, September 13
Pray Their Names
Sunrise to sunset
Outdoor art exhibit celebrating Black Lives Matter
Niles Discovery Church
36600 Niles Blvd., Fremont
nilesdiscoverychurch.org

Thursdays, September 10 & 17
Music For Minors II Choir Auditions
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Auditions for kids interested in singing in the MFMII Choir
Via Zoom
To apply: kidschoir@musicforminors2.org or (510) 733-1189

Mondays and Wednesdays, September 21 – November 9
Music For Minors II Training
Times TBD
Learn how to become a MFMII docent volunteer
Via Zoom
To apply: https://bit.ly/3iAutRW
Info at: www.musicforminors2.org

UPCOMING

Tuesday, September 1
Introduction to Radiation Oncology Therapy
3:30 p.m.
Radiation Oncologist Nicolas Prionas, M.D., answers questions
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/WashingtonHosp
Via YouTube Live: www.youtube.com/whhsInHealth

Tuesday, September 1
Coping With COVID-19 R
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Questions answered by the Director of the Alameda County SBDC
Email questions to: info@acsbdc.org
To register: https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/46851

Thursday, September 3
League of Women Voters Candidate Forums
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Newark City Council
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Newark Mayor
Via Zoom and Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/LWVFNUC/live
www.lwvfnuc.org/forums

Friday, September 4
Basic Resources and Tools in a COVID-19 World R
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
General overview of online layout and scheduling tools
To register: https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/46979

Thursday, September 10
League of Women Voters Candidate Forums
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Fremont Mayor
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Fremont City Council District 5
Via Zoom and Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/LWVFNUC/live
www.lwvfnuc.org/forums

Thursday, September 10 – Saturday, September 12
Fall Into Excellence $
9/10 @ 5:30 p.m. – 9/12 @ 10:30 p.m.
Online auction to support Hayward classrooms
www.32Auctions.com/HEF2020

Saturday, Sept 12 – Sunday, Sept 20
Weekend Train Rides $R
Sat: 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Sun: 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Sunol Station
6 Kilkare Rd., Sunol
Tickets: $20-40 (Must be purchased online)
(510) 996-820

September Special Steam Trains

Monday, September 14
League of Women Voters Candidate Forums
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Fremont City Council District 6
Via Zoom and Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/LWVFNUC/live
www.lwvfnuc.org/forums

Tuesday, September 15
How to Manage and Forecast Cash Flow in a COVID World R
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Strategies and techniques to help manage cash flow
To register: https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47060

Thursday, September 17
League of Women Voters Candidate Forums
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Fremont USD Area 1 and 4
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Fremont USD Area 5
Via Zoom and Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/LWVFNUC/live
www.lwvfnuc.org/forums

Thursday, September 17
Path to Fundraising During Difficult Economic Times R
5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Startup Grind Fremont hosts virtual fireside chat
Via Zoom
To register: https://bit.ly/3l2seZT

Thursday, September 24
League of Women Voters Candidate Forums
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Union City Mayor
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Union City City Council
Via Zoom and Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/LWVFNUC/live
www.lwvfnuc.org/forums

Local magician wins Zoom competition – at age 12
Submitted by Katherine Wong
Photos by Frank Jang, Pro Event Photography, and courtesy of James Chan Facebook Page

While most kids his age are busy reading about magic in books like Harry Potter, James Chan is busy making magic of his own. Having performed magic alongside his father, Master Magician Daniel Chan, since the age of 5, the now 12-year-old magician is making his mark in the magic world. The Fremont native has been featured on ABC’s Kid’s Say the Darndest Things, performed for multiple corporate tech titans, and most recently won first place in the first-ever live online-only streaming magic competition.

On August 12, Chan competed in the Zoom magic competition for Ring 216, the San Jose CA chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. As the youngest competitor of the club, Chan bested several magicians, all of whom were over twice his age. The first-place finish adds to Chan’s growing list of accomplishments, including having won the “People’s Choice” award in the Stage Magic competition for Ring 216 in 2019. In the Zoom magic competition, each competitor had six minutes to showcase their best material with performances showcasing either close up magic or stage magic. While he initially wanted to perform a stage routine again, he opted for one of his signature close-up routines that is performed to music.

“I really like this routine because it’s beautiful and was difficult to master,” says Chan about his performance. “I was a little nervous about performing for the competition, but I practiced a lot and treated it like any other event, so I had enough pressure to do well, but not so much that I would break down.” In the routine, Chan cuts a deck of cards and produces the four aces. Each ace is then covered with three indifferent cards. Three of the aces vanish from their piles and reappear together in one pile.

Since the pandemic began, Chan has performed almost daily in shows via Zoom alongside his father, Dan Chan. The father and son duo has performed for multiple companies via Zoom, including Google, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Walmart. “I’m still waiting for Zoom to hire me, though – just give me a call!” added Chan.

James continues to hone his skills, running his own shows online, performing for virtual birthday parties every weekend. He will be featured in Access Insider in the weeks to come. When asked about his next goals, Chan definitely has more aces hidden up his sleeves. “I’m hoping to get onto Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us” one of these days, but I think I need a little more practice!”

If you’d like to see James Chan live, including his winning Aces routine, you can see him and his father Dan Chan perform via Zoom.

You can find out more at http://danchanmagic.com/JamesChan.html.

Letter to the Editor
Weed or family entertainment?

This happened before the Corona Virus was even thought about. I would like to know how many parents and educators either knew or acknowledged that the Hayward City Council approved a Cannabis distribution location at the corner of “B” and Main Street. Only one councilmember disapproved, Councilmember Mark Salinas.

I am sure that Garden of Eden brings in a nice amount of revenue, but our downtown is already a sad situation. Not much for families to do other than the movie theater and overpriced restaurants dispensing more alcohol than food.

Have you seen the lines of traffic around Garden of Eden, lines of people buying and motorists fighting for parking? The revenue is welcomed by city council whose meeting locations are moved, held behind closed doors and canceled at the pleasure of councilmembers

With some of the highest property taxes, even higher than San Francisco, we cannot even offer incentives to recruit an adequate police force to protect our neighborhoods. With all the new building – many large projects – where are the impact taxes and other fees going?

How about a larger fire department, better traffic control and a well-staffed police force? Instead we have beautified streets with bicycle paths you have to look for with a magnifying glass. We can then look forward to being mugged, run over by a car flying through a red light or have your car stolen or burglarized. There are no places for families to go safely and nowhere for our children except to get into trouble.

Weed, yes! That makes money for the city, but how about city funded after school activities or family entertainment? If the Hayward School District or parents knew about this downtown weed store and did nothing about this disgrace, we have all failed our families and children.

Warren Foster
Hayward

Volunteers needed to deliver food to seniors
Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce

LIFE Elder Care has issued a call for additional volunteer drivers for its no-contact grocery delivery program to isolated homebound seniors, according to outreach manager Deepa Chordiya. Volunteers can specify where they are available to deliver food originating from food pantries in Hayward, Berkeley, Oakland, San Lorenzo, San Leandro, and Fremont.

Starting times depend on the food pantry, but pick-ups are typically before 1 p.m. and deliveries take between one and two hours, depending on the route. To help, email rides@LifeElderCare.org or call (510) 856-9010.

LIFE Elder Care Volunteer Drivers
(510) 856-9010
rides@LifeElderCare.org
www.lifeeldercare.org/

Obituary

Mary Bernard Rivers
Fremont/Walnut Creek CA
November 21, 1922-August 24, 2020

Mary B Rivers (Mayme) passed away at 0645 on August 24, 2020 in Walnut Creek CA. Seemingly planned, her death occurred on the same birthday of her late husband Anthony (Tony) Rivers and her father Fermino Bernard. She and Tony were married at Holy Spirit Church on April 21, 1946. He passed in 1971. Survivors include her daughter, Mary Jane Luck (Thomas) of Fremont; son Steven A Rivers (Ann) of Walnut Creek along with grandchildren Kelley Rivers San Diego ; Pierce and Ryan Rivers of Walnut Creek.

The youngest of seven children, and the final surviving member of her generation, she was delivered by a midwife in the Centerville District family home on John Santos Road, now known as Mowry Avenue. A graduate of Centerville Elementary and Washington Union High School.

In 1950, the couple purchased an apricot orchard on the present site of Smokin' Pig and remained until the property developed as part of the Central Business District of the City of Fremont in 1964.

After Tony's passing in 1971, Mary continued her interests in fashion, gardening, dancing, art work and genealogy. For 15 years she was employed at Washington Township Hospital as a medical secretary and later at St Rose Hospital for 5 years.

Mom, we love you beyond measure and daily you will be in our thoughts as you transition into the Great Beyond with grace, style and your irreplaceable personality. Rest well…

A private family service was held at Chapel of the Roses Mortuary followed with internment at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward CA.

Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510979-1900

New liquid chromatography and mass spectrometer opens research doors for local students
By Alfred Hu
Photos courtesy of ASDRP

Aspiring Scholars Direct Research Program (ASDRP) is a non-profit organization in Fremont that provides opportunities for high school students to participate in high level novel scientific research projects. “ASDRP is involved in original scientific research. Not science fair, not simple experiments that one might find in a classroom – we are involved in real R&D… Every year we serve hundreds of research students, some of whom come from underprivileged or underrepresented backgrounds,” says a representative from ASDRP.

To make these opportunities possible, ASDRP provides students with research mentors and $2M worth of sophisticated research equipment for use in research laboratories. “In 2018, we became the first research institution to bring a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer [Nanalysis NMReady 60MHz] to our high school researchers, and in 2019, we became the first to provide a Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer.”

In August of 2020, ASDRP procured a Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometer, or LCMS, from Pharmout Laboratories, an organization in Fremont that provides bioanalytical technologies to pharmaceutical and bioresearch companies. Spectrometers are used in many fields and vary in scope, mechanism and information they reveal about a sample or phenomenon. They can be used in astronomy to measure radiation and can use magnetic fields to study the structure of a molecule.

An LCMS separates a liquid mixture into components and transfers them to the mass spectrometer where the molecules are converted into ions (negative or positive charged particles caused by adding or removing an electron). The mass-to-charge ratio of these ions is analyzed and they are separated according to their mass-to-charge ratios (for example by accelerating them and deflecting them through an electric or magnetic field) and used to identify compounds in a mixture or to characterize new compounds to be produced.

This LCMS cost over $200,000 and is a thermo scientific LTQ-XL mass spectrometer outfitted with a Thermo Surveyor UV detector and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a computer-controlled autosampler. “The instrument is the first of its kind for high schoolers, and to our knowledge, this is the only LCMS in the world that is dedicated for high schoolers. It is of the same specification as what one might find in a large university or pharma/biotech company,” ASDRP leadership said. “It is a lot of fun to bring state-of-the-art scientific research to the hands of high schoolers.”

The instrument can be used by synthetic chemists for small molecule characterization, biologists for biomarker discovery and bioanalytical experiments, and biochemists for analysis of metabolites or for drug delivery/release research. The LCMS can also be applied to environmental monitoring such as in pollution control, food processing and even the cosmetics industry. One important use of the mass spectrometer, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, is its application in bioaerosol detection. A single bioaerosol particle is blasted apart with a laser and the molecular fragments are immediately analyzed to determine particles’ molecular composition and thus facilitate virus detection.

At ASDRP, students are working on several noteworthy projects with the LCMS. One is synthesizing novel inhibitors of the L-Cathepsin enzyme, which is used by the Covid-19 virus to enter a host cell. The LCMS is used to see whether or not the inhibitors are binding to the target protein and thus preventing the virus from entering. “The LCMS offers a way for us to understand how our inhibitors bind to the L-Cathepsin enzyme, which is very important as that determines whether or not this binding is reversible or not. We want our compound to irreversibly bind to the L-Cathepsin enzyme,” one student said.

Other projects include working on inhibitors to fight the HIV virus and synthesizing analogs of the antibiotic penicillin. “We plan to make different analogs that could potentially work better than penicillin itself. The LCMS will help us with characterization of our molecules and making sure that we have the right molecules before we test them on different strains of bacteria,” another student said. Students find motivation from working in a friendly atmosphere on real life projects with state-of-the art advanced tools, as ASDRP allows them to experiment with different technologies and helps them pursue their interests in their future careers as researchers.

One student stated, “In the future, I hope to continue conducting research in the field of organic chemistry which would involve many different instruments including the LCMS in order to characterize molecules. Since in the future, synthetic routes may be longer and more complicated, the LCMS can serve to characterize intermediate products in the synthetic pathway. As a result, by having the chance to work with the LCMS in high school, I am equipped with the knowledge about how the instrument works, how to prep samples, and how to analyze spectra earlier on, preparing me for a career involving research.”

Learn more about ASDRP at: www.asdrp.org.

Milpitas Police Log
Submitted by Milpitas PD

Wednesday, August 26
• At 12:52 p.m. detectives from the Criminal Investigations Bureau placed a “bait bike” in a public area where numerous bicycle thefts have occurred. Soon, detectives spotted a man, later identified by police as a 34-year-old Milpitas resident, steal the bicycle. Detectives stopped and arrested the man. As part of their investigation, detectives also found a stolen motorcycle from San Jose associated with the man. He was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, grand theft of a bicycle and possession of narcotics.

Summer Triangle Corner: Altair
By David Prosper

Altair is the final stop on our trip around the Summer Triangle. The last star in the asterism to rise for Northern Hemisphere observers before summer begins, brilliant Altair is high overhead at sunset at the end of the season in September. Altair might be the most unusual of the three stars of the Triangle, due to its great speed: this star spins so rapidly that it appears “squished.”

A very bright star, Altair has its own notable place in the mythologies of cultures around the world. As discussed in our previous edition, Altair represents the cowherd Niulang in the ancient Chinese tale of the “Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.” Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila the Eagle; while described as part of an eagle by ancient peoples around the Mediterranean, it was also seen as part of an eagle by the Koori people in Australia! They saw the star itself as representing a wedge-tailed eagle, and two nearby stars as his wives, a pair of black swans. More recently one of the first home computers was named after the star: the Altair 8800.

Altair’s rapid spinning was first detected in the 1960s. The close observations that followed tested the limits of technology available to astronomers, eventually resulting in direct images of the star’s shape and surface by using a technique called interferometry, which combines the light from two or more instruments to produce a single image. Predictions about how the surface of a rapidly spinning massive star would appear held true to the observations; models predicted a squashed, almost “pumpkin-like” shape instead of a round sphere, along with a dimming effect along the widened equator, and the observations confirmed this. This equatorial dimming is due to a phenomenon called gravity darkening.

Altair is wider at the equator than it is at the poles due to centrifugal force, resulting in the star’s mass bulging outwards at the equator. This results in the denser poles of the star being hotter and brighter, and the less dense equator being cooler and therefore dimmer. This doesn’t mean that the equator of Altair or other rapidly spinning stars are actually dark, but rather that the equator is dark in comparison to the poles; this is similar in a sense to sunspots. If you were to observe a sunspot on its own, it would appear blindingly bright, but it is cooler than the surrounding plasma in the Sun and so appears dark in contrast.

As summer winds down, you can still take a Trip Around the Summer Triangle with this activity from the Night Sky Network. Mark some of the sights in and around the Summer Triangle at bit.ly/TriangleTrip. You can discover more about NASA’s observations of Altair and other fast and furious stars at www.nasa.gov.

This article is distributed by NASA Night Sky Network. The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm to find local clubs, events, and more.

Newark Police Log
Submitted by Newark PD

Sunday, August 9
• At 7:05 a.m. Officer Peterson arrested a 50-year-old San Jose man in the area of Cherry Street near Buena Vista Drive on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, driving with a suspended license, and identity theft. He was booked at Fremont Jail.

• At 7:43 a.m. Sergeant Lenz arrested a 33-year-old male transient in the area of Saint Isabel Avenue on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest. He was booked at Santa Rita Jail.

Tuesday, August 11
• At 4:54 p.m. Officer McCuin investigated an attempted theft of mail from mailboxes that were damaged from a previous theft in the 6900 block of Jarvis Avenue. A male had been seen attempting to open mailbox doors.

Wednesday, August 12
• At 2:01 p.m. Community Service Officer Lau investigated a burglary to a storage pod in the 39000 block of Eureka Drive. Someone had cut a locking mechanism to the pod and stolen a portable steel staircase and 3D printer.

Friday, August 14
• At around 6:15 a.m. Officer Warren arrested a 69-year-old Newark man in the 7200 block of Thornton Avenue on suspicion of indecent exposure. He was booked at Fremont Jail.

Ohlone College serves up socially distanced solutions
Submitted by Tina Vossugh

After weeks of planning to ensure all COVID-19 safety measures were in place, Ohlone College began limited in-person student services on August 3 at its Fremont Campus. Staff from admissions and records, counseling, financial aid, and the career center are on-site during the limited hours to help students with their questions and needs. The college also has a cashier on-site for those who need to manage billing and payments.

“When Dr. Bishop supported the idea, our Return to Work Committee joined together to iron out the details, with strategic planning and logistics to ensure we could pull this together in as safe a way possible for both our employees and our students,” says Shairon Zingsheim, vice president of Human Resources. “There were so many details to consider but it has all come together and we are pleased to be able to provide this for our students.”

To protect the health of students and campus community, all individuals working or visiting campus must wear a face mask and be subject to a health screening with temperature checks upon entry. The college also enforces social distancing guidelines of six feet or more with hand sanitizing stations at every entry point where services take place.

“The response from students has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Dr. Andree Thomas, Dean of Counseling, Student Support and Success. “We are on campus to support students with various needs so they can begin or continue their journey at Ohlone successfully and we consistently look for ways to connect students to the support they may need to continue with their academic goals.”

Based on the success of this first phase of limited in-person student service offerings, Ohlone has decided to expand operations to its Newark Center making the same services available on Tuesdays. Plans are underway to provide more support to students who may be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and who may have extremely limited access to the internet. Plans are in place to open student study centers with social distancing on both campuses.

Fremont Campus Services
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Mondays and Wednesdays
43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
(510) 659-6000

Newark Campus Services
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tuesdays
39399 Cherry St., Newark
(510) 742-2300

www.ohlone.edu/

Limited personal care services can resume outdoors
Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce

Beginning August 28, Alameda County Department of Public Health (CDPH) has authorized reopening of outdoor swimming pools and outdoor hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, skin care, and non-medical massages.

The updated order allows certain personal care services to resume, including haircuts, manicures, waxing, and massages. Providers must perform these services outdoors and follow guidance for outdoor personal care from CDPH. All businesses must complete a Site-Specific Protection Plan; protocols and procedures to protect customers and employees from COVID-19 must be in place when businesses reopen.

All personal care services must be offered by appointment only with time reserved for cleaning and disinfecting service areas between customers. Providers are required to call customers in advance of their appointments to confirm they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and remind them to come to their appointment alone. Both the provider and customer must wear face coverings. Services that would place providers in close contact with a customer’s face or require removal of face coverings are still prohibited.

“These outdoor activities we are allowing to reopen are relatively low risk, but whenever we increase opportunities for people to mix, we see an increase in cases,” said Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County’s interim health officer. “Simple actions— wearing a face covering, washing your hands often, and staying six feet away from people outside your home—protect everyone.”

Exceptions to the new health order can be found at www.covid-19.acgov.org/covid19-assets/docs/press/press-release-2020.08.21.pdf.

Pop Up Patio accepting applications
Submitted by City of Fremont

City of Fremont has expanded its Pop Up Patio pilot program to businesses conducting personal services so that they also may use outdoor space to conduct business activities. This expansion follows on the heels of the Alameda County health officer announcing that some restrictions of the current health order will be lifted Friday, August 28. In June, the pilot program was announced for brick-and-mortar restaurants and retailers.

The Pop Up Patio pilot program has provided much-needed economic relief to many Fremont restaurant owners since launching in mid-June. The city has developed a process, which at no cost to businesses, enables restaurants and retailers to move dining and commercial activities outdoors, where social distancing guidelines can be upheld, and more customers can be safely served. The streamlined process is free to applicants and the turnaround for permit issuance has averaged 1-2 business days.

Personal service businesses include outdoor hair, nail, and skin care; waxing; and non-medical massage. Applicants must comply with all applicable city and state regulations. Interested businesses can review the State of California guidelines and apply online now to on the City of Fremont website for use of public sidewalks, public on-street parking spaces, and/or private plazas and parking lots. The permit fee has been waived for businesses participating in the Pop Up Patio pilot program.

City staff is expeditiously reviewing and approving permits on a daily basis to allow applicants to build and use their temporary patios. Businesses participating in the program will be added to Fremont’s online interactive map of Open Businesses available to community members and anyone looking for open businesses in Fremont.

Personal service providers that are interested in participating in the Pop Up Patio Program can access the program application and guidelines and view additional information at www.fremont.gov/PopUpPatio.

Record melt: Greenland lost 586 billion tons of ice in 2019
Aug 20
By Seth Borenstein
AP Science Writer

Greenland lost a record amount of ice during an extra warm 2019, with the melt massive enough to cover California in more than four feet (1.25 meters) of water, a new study said.

After two years when summer ice melt had been minimal, last summer shattered all records with 586 billion tons (532 billion metric tons) of ice melting, according to satellite measurements reported in a study Thursday. That's more than 140 trillion gallons (532 trillion liters) of water.

That's far more than the yearly average loss of 259 billion tons (235 billion metric tons) since 2003 and easily surpasses the old record of 511 billion tons (464 billion metric tons) in 2012, said a study in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The study showed that in the 20th century, there were many years when Greenland gained ice.

“Not only is the Greenland ice sheet melting, but it's melting at a faster and faster pace,” said study lead author Ingo Sasgen, a geoscientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany.

Last year's Greenland melt added 0.06 inches (1.5 millimeters) to global sea level rise. That sounds like a tiny amount but “in our world it's huge, that's astounding,” said study co-author Alex Gardner, a NASA ice scientist. Add in more water from melting in other ice sheets and glaciers, along with an ocean that expands as it warms – and that translates into slowly rising sea levels, coastal flooding and other problems, he said.

While general ice melt records in Greenland go back to 1948, scientists since 2003 have had precise records on how much ice melts because NASA satellites measure the gravity of the ice sheets. That's the equivalent of putting the ice on a scale and weighing it as water flows off, Gardner said.

As massive as the melt was last year, the two years before were only on average about 108 billion tons (98 billion metric tons). That shows that there's a second factor called Greenland blocking, that either super-charges that or dampens climate-related melting, Gardner said.

In the summer, there are generally two factors in Greenland's weather, Gardner said. Last year, Greenland blocking – a high pressure over Canada that changes the northern jet stream – caused warm southern air to come up from the United States and Canada and flow into Greenland, forcing more melting.

In 2017 and 2018 without Greenland blocking, cooler Arctic air flowed from open ocean into Greenland, making summer milder, he said.

This year, Greenland's summer melt has been not as severe, closer to normal for recent times, said Ruth Mottram, an ice scientist at the Danish Meteorological Institute, who wasn't part of Sasgen's research.

Mottram and several other outside scientists said Sasgen's calculations make sense. In her own study this month in the International Journal of Climatology, she found similar results and also calculated that Greenland coastal regions have warmed on average 3 degrees (1.7 degrees Celsius) in the summer since 1991.

“The fact that 2019 set an all-time record is very concerning,” said New York University ice scientist David Holland, who wasn't part of either study.

California governor announces new reopening plan
By Kathleen Ronayne and Michael R. Blood
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Aug 28 – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new, color-coded process Friday for reopening California businesses amid the coronovirus pandemic that is more gradual than the state's current rules to guard against loosening restrictions too soon.

Counties will move through the new, four-tier system based on their number of cases and percentage of positive tests. It will rely on those two metrics to determine a tier: case rates and the percentage of positive tests.

Newsom said the new system will be simple, slower and steady. It also invests more power with the state instead of the counties.

The changes come nearly two months after Newsom shut down bars, restaurants for indoor dining and a slew of other businesses following a surge in cases after the state's first reopening attempt.

After being forced to close businesses for a second time, the state is “making sure that we really hold strongly to these buffers in terms of criteria and data, and holding that criteria and data in line for an extended period of time,” Newsom said.

“We're going to be more stubborn this time and have a mandatory wait time between moves. We didn't do that last time,” he added.

In simple terms, the rules are about calibrating business activities with how widespread the virus is within counties. The more cases and positive tests, the tighter the restrictions on restaurants, retail shops and other businesses.

However, many details about how the process would work remained unclear.

Under the new process, counties will have to meet certain metrics for three weeks before they can reopen certain businesses. Newsom didn't immediately say which businesses will be included in which color tier or what the reopening will look like.

The state will now report virus statistics, such as case numbers, on a weekly basis. The approach is aimed at ensuring the state's cases don't skyrocket when businesses begin to reopen.

In anticipation of the Democratic governor's announcement, there was a common refrain from businesses and local governments buffeted by the outbreak: We need clarity.

Counties need to understand clearly “what thresholds to aim for and the public health data that will determine success or failure,” the California State Association of Counties said in a statement.

That was echoed by the California Restaurant Association, which has seen the state's once-thriving food industry wither under restrictions that have closed indoor dining rooms and left many to survive on takeout, delivery and limited outdoor seating, if they have the space. The association estimates as many as 1 million workers have been furloughed or laid off.

“We'd like to see restaurant dining rooms reopen as soon as possible,” association president Jot Condi said.

“Restaurants in every corner of the state are on life support right now. Every day that passes with a dining room closed, a restaurant owner is more likely to shut the doors permanently,” he said.

Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel, who has recovered from the virus, said she hopes the state plan recognizes different levels of risk that come with different business activities. She's puzzled why shoppers can fill a Costco while indoor hair salons remain off limits.

Using metrics, the state needs to change how businesses are categorized, Spiegel said. “We have to do more of a risk-based approach.”

California has the most confirmed virus cases in the nation, with nearly 700,000, and the third-most deaths – 12,550. But since the closures last month, the average number of daily cases has been falling along with the infection rate and hospitalizations, which peaked at 7,170 on July 21 and since dropped to about 4,300.

Prior to the new plan, the state had relied on a so-called county watch list.

Most of California's 58 counties, including the most populous – Los Angeles – remained on a state monitoring list because they were above one or more of the benchmarks for cases, infection rates and hospitalizations. Inclusion on the list restricted what businesses can operate, whether schools can offer classroom instruction and limits other activities, such as attending indoor religious services.

But as the state's coronavirus data has improved in recent weeks, some counties got off the list, including San Diego and Orange, the second- and third-largest counties by population.
$1.3B revenue bond sale for California State University
Submitted by State Treasurer’s Office

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma announced the sale of $1.3 billion of revenue bonds for the Trustees of the California State University (CSU) to provide funding for various capital improvements and refund certain of CSU’s outstanding Systemwide Revenue Bonds.

“Funds from this bond sale will soon be put into action to help our students, staff, and faculty in the CSU system,” said Ma. “They will finance vital projects such as the expansion of student housing, the construction of new parking structures, sports and recreational facilities, and additional office space for research and teaching.”

The bond sale consisted of three series: $314 million Series 2020C tax-exempt bonds, $528.6 million Series 2020D taxable bonds, and $466 million Series 2020E taxable bonds. Proceeds of the bonds will provide financing for the acquisition, construction, and renovation of a variety of projects and the refunding of prior bond series. The refunding bonds are expected to save $71.2 million in debt service costs over the next 22 years, or $64.1 million on a present value basis.

The CSU system consists of 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers. The campuses are geographically dispersed throughout the state and provide a wide spectrum of higher education services, with more than 4,100 degrees offered. During the 2019-2020 fall term, the CSU system provided instruction to approximately 430,000 undergraduate students and approximately 40,000 graduate students.

The calendar of all upcoming state bond sales is available at www.buycaliforniabonds.com/state-of-california-ca/i27.

Obituary
Robert E. (Bob) Walter
December 31, 1929 ~August 24, 2020
Robert E. Walter passed away at his residence at Carlton Senior Living on Monday August 24, 2020. He was 90.
Robert E. “Bob” Walter was born in Buffalo, NY on December 31, 1929, to Ernest R. and Mary (Hamman) Walter. He was the oldest of three brothers. He graduated from Seneca Vocational High School in 1947 and entered military service with the US Army in 1948. He received training in electrical engineering at Ft. Belvoir, VA and served in Korea with the 5th Army Corps of Engineers, earning the rank of sergeant first class. After leaving the Army he continued his education and received a degree in Electrical Technology from Erie County Technical Institute in 1954.
Bob married Virginia Lickers on April 26, 1952 in Buffalo, NY. They started their family in Cleveland, OH where Bob worked for Federal Pacific Electric (FPE). The family moved to Southern California in 1960 where they lived until moving to Fremont, CA in 1973. Bob and Virginia were married for 62 years. She was the love of his life.
Bob worked in the electrical industry all of his professional life. After starting with FPE back east he was transferred to their plant in Los Angeles, CA where he eventually became engineering manager. In 1973 he left FPE and moved to Fremont CA to work for Industrial Electric Mfg. (IEM) as the engineering manager and Vice President of Engineering. He retired as an employee in the late 1990’s but continued to serve IEM in an engineering capacity as a consultant doing business as REW Services. He retired completely at the end of 2018.
Bob is survived by his brother Richard of Santee, CA; son Robert Walter Jr & daughter-in-law Laurie Walter of Fremont, CA, son Martin Walter & daughter-in-law Cheryl Walter of Orangevale, CA; grandchildren Christopher Walter & spouse Tetia Walter, Phillip Walter, Lia Tucker & spouse Brannon Tucker, Brian Walter & spouse Kim Walter; great-grandchildren Thomas Walter, Savannah Walter, Cooper Walter, Adeline Walter, and Brinley Tucker. He is preceded in death by his father Ernest Walter, his mother Mary Walter, his younger brother Clifford Walter, his wife Virginia Walter, and his son Carl Walter.
Robert will be interred, with his wife Virginia, at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, CA after a committal ceremony for immediate family only. A celebration of Robert’s life will be scheduled at a later date.

THE ROBOT REPORT

Robots help kids learn to code
By Steve Crowe

iRobot acquired Root Robotics in June 2019 to boost its STEM offerings. And it’s certainly doing that now with the introduction of the iRobot Root rt0 coding robot. The iRobot Root rt0 ($129) is equipped with many of the same features and sensors as the original Root rt1, but it’s $70 less expensive. The iRobot Root rt0 is equipped with 20-plus sensors that allow it to drive, draw, detect touch, light up, play music, and more.

Like its predecessor, the Root rt0 is a two-wheeled, mobile robot designed for kids. It operates based on the coding commands kids give to it via the companion iRobot Coding App. The rt0 offers three levels of coding language — simple graphical blocks for young children to full-text coding for more advanced users.

The rt0 features an auto-level converter that translates code from one learning level to another. The robot’s Square programming framework was developed by a research team at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

“Coding has become a 21st century skill as fundamental to learning as reading, writing and math,” said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. “Our vision is to provide a way for children of any skill-level, from pre-readers to experts, to learn to code. By offering two versions of Root — a lower-cost version for those seeking quality STEM robots at-home, and the original Root for more holistic in-classroom settings — iRobot can make learning to code more accessible to educators, students and parents.”

iRobot acquired Root Robotics in part because it was very familiar with its co-founder and CEO Zivthan Dubrovsky. He worked at iRobot from 2003-2009 as a program manager and senior product manager. Dubrovsky returned to iRobot as a General Manager.

iRobot Root Brick Top
iRobot also introduced the Root Brick Top accessory that lets users customize the look of the robot using building blocks. The photos here, for example, show a panda and alligator atop the robot. The Root Brick Top connects to the robot using integrated magnets and is compatible with a variety of common building blocks. It is sold separately for $19.99.

In addition to the existing iOS app and web-based apps on Chrome OS, Windows and macOS, a new Android version of the iRobot Coding platform is now available for download through the Google Play Store.

In April 2020, iRobot created a division called iRobot Education to house all of its education products and services under one roof. iRobot Education includes the Root coding robots, Create 2, the iRobot Coding platform, and the company’s STEM outreach program.

Steve Crowe is Editor of The Robot Report and co-chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo. He can be reached at scrowe@wtwhmedia.com.

Board moves toward strengthening aid to landlords and tenants
Submitted by Janice Rombeck

To better respond to landlord-tenant disputes, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on August 25 to focus on expanding county mediation services for tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the pandemic and their landlords.

With the loss of jobs because of COVID-19, thousands of tenants cannot pay rent and are at the brink of evictions and homelessness. At the same time, landlords also have financial burdens and limited cash flow. The mediation is a voluntary, non-binding process aimed at ensuring that a mutual resolution for all parties can be reached.

Administration will return to the board on September 22 with a report. “During these challenging times, tensions may be running high for both tenants and landlord,” said Supervisor David Cortese. “Sometimes all it takes is getting the two sides to sit down and work out a solution.”

For more information, contact the Office of Supervisor Dave Cortese at (408) 299-5030.

Social Security Matters
Ask Rusty – Virtues of Claiming Benefits Early
By Russell Gloor
Certified Social Security Advisor, Association of Mature American Citizens

Dear Rusty: It seems like we are always encouraged to wait until our full retirement age or age 70 to claim our Social Security. For me, benefits at age 62 were a good jump start to my retirement. How about listing the many benefits to early (age 62) retirement? And at what age does it become a liability, if ever? Signed: Happily Retired at age 78

Dear Happily Retired: You are correct that most financial advisors and Social Security Advisors, including me, frequently encourage people to delay claiming Social Security until at least their full retirement age (FRA). And that’s because far too many claim their benefits as soon as they are available at age 62 “because it’s there,” without evaluating whether that’s a smart move for them personally. There are many reasons why it’s best to wait, but there are also some very good reasons for claiming benefits at age 62. Let us explore those.

Claiming at age 62 is exactly the right move if you are in poor health and don’t expect to live a long life. Benefits taken age 62 are 25 percent less for those with a full retirement age (FRA) of 66, and 30 percent less if your FRA is 67. But those reductions become insignificant if you don’t expect to live a long, healthy life from that point forward. If you wait until your FRA, it takes about 12 years to collect the same amount in total benefits as if you had claimed at age 62.

Even if you are in decent health now, if your family history and your lifestyle suggest less than average longevity, claiming before your FRA, as early as 62, may be a prudent choice. By “lifestyle” I mean, for example, whether you exercise regularly, smoke or drink excessively or drive without a seatbelt. There are several life expectancy calculators available which can assist with predicting your life expectancy by evaluating your family history and lifestyle, including those available at this website: https://socialsecurityreport.org/tools/life-expectancy-calculator/. Just remember that no one can accurately forecast how long they will live but making an informed decision on when to claim should consider your estimated longevity, among other things.

If collecting your Social Security benefits early is needed to help pay for life’s necessities, such as food, housing, and out-of-pocket medical costs, then claiming as early as age 62, or any other time before your FRA, could be exactly the right choice. In other words, the need for the money now is a driving force in deciding when to claim.

Which brings me to your point that claiming at age 62 was a “jump start” to your retirement, allowing you to begin enjoying your golden years much earlier than you might have otherwise been able to. There is a lot to be said for taking benefits early to fulfill your bucket list while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. And, from your signature, it looks like you have been putting that extra Social Security money to good use for many years now. Good for you! Now, at age 78, you have reached your “breakeven point” where, if you had waited until your FRA to claim, your cumulative lifetime benefits would hereafter be more than they will be because you claimed at 62. That may not, however, offset the many years of happy retirement you have been able to enjoy because you took your benefits early.

In the end, deciding when to claim Social Security should be done after carefully evaluating your personal situation. Anyone who claims benefits before their full retirement age must beware of Social Security’s “earnings test” which limits how much you can earn before your benefits are affected. But those who can afford to wait and who expect to live to a ripe old age would do well to consider delaying until their full retirement age, or even beyond, to claim their Social Security benefits. If their life expectancy is at least “average” they will collect much more in cumulative lifetime benefits by doing so.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained, and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit www.amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Student tutoring support groups
Submitted by FUSS

Due to the impact of COVID-19 and distance learning, some students may need tutors to help them understand content they learn in school when Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) schools start this Fall. FUSS hopes to provide a convenient Virtual Tutoring Listing Site for parents/students to find potential student tutoring groups to help them with their school work during this trying time.

If you are a student group that offers online tutoring for academic subjects (i.e. not for test prep or college prep) and are willing to help, please feel free to sign up at: https://www.fuss4schools.org/tutoring-support-sign-up/

Please note the following requirements:
• Tutoring programs need to be online
• Tutoring programs should be located within Fremont, CA
• Tutoring subjects must be academic subjects that students learn in school. (e.g. Algebra, Chemistry, English / Language Arts, AP Psychology, US History, French)
• FUSS reserves the right and discretion to list the organization upon its review of the application.

View the list of available tutoring services at https://www.fuss4schools.org/community-online-tutoring-support/.

Talent2Give hosts virtual fest for senior citizens
Submitted by Daksh Kohar

Talent2Give (T2G) celebrated its first anniversary by hosting a global online cultural festival for senior citizens on August 22. The event was held in association with Priya Living, senior living community offering independent living with four locations in California.

The festival kicked off with a prayer to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings to help humanity overcome this pandemic. A moment of silence was observed as mark of respect to brave fire-fighters working to control the California wildfires. Soulful renditions by Simon Power from the UK regaled the audience with a unique fusion mix in three languages to spread the message of unity.

Talent2Give has become a global movement within a year of its founding and hopes to make a difference through talents in the community and drawing awareness to the acute problem of child hunger. For details, visit www.talent2give.org/ or email talent2give@gmail.com. Follow Talent2Give on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to view the recorded event.

Patrol: Tesla Autopilot driver was watching movie, crashed
AP Wire Service

ZEBULON, N.C. (AP), Aug 28 – A Tesla driver, whose car was on Autopilot mode, was watching a movie on his phone when he crashed into a sheriff's deputy's car, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

A state trooper and a Nash County deputy on Wednesday were on the side of U.S. Highway 64 and responding to a previous crash when the Tesla slammed into the deputy's cruiser, news outlets reported. The cruiser hit the trooper's car, pushing the two officers to the ground, the patrol said. No one was hurt.

Authorities have charged Devainder Goli of Raleigh with violating the move-over law and watching television while operating a vehicle. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment.

Tesla's Autopilot system is designed to keep a car in its lane and a safe distance from other vehicles. Autopilot also can change lanes on its own.

Last month, authorities in Arizona said a California man was driving a Tesla in Autopilot mode when it hit a state trooper's SUV on the side of the highway and pushed it into an ambulance.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started investigations into more than a dozen Tesla crashes dating to at least 2016 in which the agency believes Autopilot was operating.

Tesla has said repeatedly that its Autopilot system is designed only to assist drivers, who must still pay attention and be ready to intervene at all times. The company contends that Teslas with Autopilot are safer than vehicles without it, but cautions that the system does not prevent all crashes.
Bill to end the sale of candy-flavored tobacco in California crosses final hurdle
Submitted by Jenna Thompson

California legislature on August 28 took decisive action to finally end the sale of flavored tobacco products – including menthol cigarettes, flavored e-cigarettes, and flavored cigarillos – by sending SB 793 (Hill, D-San Mateo) to the governor’s desk. With Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature, the measure would be among the nation's strongest protections against Big Tobacco’s business model that markets deadly products to kids.

Ending the sale of flavored e-cigarettes is critical to help reverse the skyrocketing youth use of e-cigarettes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results and found that 32.7 percent of U.S. high school students – and over 18% of California high school students – were e-cigarette users in 2019, up from 13.2% in 2017 and that a large percentage of those youth are heavily addicted. The evidence is clear that flavored e-cigarettes have fueled this epidemic: 97% of youth e-cigarette users report using a flavored product in the past month, and 70% cite flavors as the reason for their use.

Union City Police Log
Submitted by Union City PD

Saturday, August 22
• At about 4:00 a.m. officers responded to a report about suspicious activity in the Union Flats apartment area on 11th Street. A male was reported to be walking around a parking garage pulling car door handles. A security company notified officers and provided a description of the suspect. Upon arrival, officers spotted a man matching the suspect’s description crouched between cars on the second floor. During a search, officers found the man had a small crowbar and suspected methamphetamine. Inside his backpack officers found miscellaneous tools and a smoking pipe. The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing burglary tools, drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance.

Union Sanitary District
Virtual Board Meeting Aug. 24, 2020

The USD Board approved the following at its regular Aug. 24, 2020 board meeting:
• Execution of agreement/task order with Tanner Pacific, Inc. for $276,325 to provide construction management and inspection services for the Twin Force Main Relocation – Phase 2 Project. TMH has selected McGuire & Hester (M&H) as the contractor to construct the project. M&H has begun preparing submittals for review including a proposed construction schedule under review which projects completion in July 2021.
• A resolution to accept a sanitary sewer easement for Tract 7807 – Decoto Villas, at 3853 Decoto Road, in Fremont where the developer, HHH Property Group, is constructing a 16-townhome residential development. Sanitary sewer service to the residential development will be provided by new 8-inch mains in the development’s roadways that discharge to an existing 10-inch sewer in Decoto Road. The roadways of the development do not meet Fremont’s street dimensions and structure setback requirements for public streets and were designated as private. HHH Property Group constructed the new 8-inch sewer mains and granted the District a sanitary sewer easement that provides for access and maintenance of the new sewer mains.

The Board also heard several informational reports:
• July 2020 monthly operations report and the Fiscal Year 2020 4th quarter managed investment portfolio report.
• Old Alameda Creek proposed discharge permit update.
• Certificates of Merit – USD currently permits more than 90 industrial facilities and groundwater projects throughout the TriCities. The Certificates of Merit presentation is an annual event to recognize Class I permitted industries that have exceeded the requirements of their wastewater discharge permits during the prior calendar year. This year, 27 Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) are eligible to receive Certificates of Merit. Certificates also recognize those that have consistently complied with and implemented pollution prevention measures, maintained a cooperative relationship with the District and demonstrated continuing awareness and understanding of environmental issues and requirements. Due to COVID-19, staff will mail framed certificates to the award winners, along with an acknowledgment letter, and placing congratulatory ads in area newspapers.
• COVID‐19 Update. The general manager reported that there have been no changes to the work schedule since the last meeting; PPE equipment supplies are currently sufficient, but some items are getting harder to find.

Detailed information on these items can be found in the board packet, at https://www.unionsanitary.com/meetings

Attendees:
Tom Handley, President Aye
Pat Kite, Vice President Aye
Anjali Lathi, Secretary Aye
Manny Fernandez, Director Aye
Jennifer Toy, Director Aye

Average US gas price remains steady at $2.25 per gallon
AP Wire Service

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP), Aug 23 – The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline held steady over the past two weeks at $2.25 per gallon. That is 41 cents below the average pump price from a year ago.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday the prices are stable because crude oil prices barely changed, and the U.S. has a glut of gasoline yet weak demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco Bay Area at $3.36 per gallon. The lowest average is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at $1.77 per gallon.

The average price of diesel in the survey taken Friday stayed the same as two weeks earlier, at $2.53 a gallon.

Headline: 1920 to 2020: Women’s rights after the 19th Amendment
By Brittany Ung

The first major milestone for women’s rights was the 19th Amendment. Ratified in August of 1920, the amendment prohibited states from withholding votes on the basis of sex. That victory opened the gateway for a century of women’s rights; women could now vote for equality in every other area of life: housing, education, employment and more.

“I think, hands down, one of the biggest gains [for women’s rights] has been the ability to vote,” said Syeda Inamdar, president of the Fremont/Newark/Union City League of Women Voters.

For some women, that is. The 19th Amendment secured the right to vote for white women, but Black women still faced discrimination because of their race. Though the 19th Amendment codified the voting rights of the sexes, it couldn’t change the strongly anti-suffrage attitudes that prevailed in many parts of the United States. Part of the reason why some states opposed the 19th Amendment, Inamdar says, was the fear that it would allow Black women to vote.

State governments manifested this attitude in a smattering of voter suppression laws. Southern states, which comprised most of the opposition to the 19th Amendment, introduced laws that would limit women—and black women in particular—from voting. They charged poll taxes, a fee for each vote cast, reduced polling options or introduced literacy tests that would keep African American votes away from the ballot box.

These measures weren’t directed toward women explicitly. Voter suppression measures simply kept those in power entrenched in their authority. But because of the way power was held at that time, maintaining the status quo meant keeping women and African Americans out of politics.

“Whoever is currently in power can set the rules for their state, for their county,” Inamdar explained. “If the broader party in power is losing power, they’re going to make sure that they set in place certain controls so that they retain and maintain that power.”

That’s why the second major milestone for women’s rights was the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Like the 19th Amendment, the Civil Rights Act faced backlash and disagreement even after its passage. But the Act built on the success of the 19th Amendment and secured the right to vote for all women, regardless of race.

In 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced. This constitutional amendment would declare that a person cannot be denied equal rights based on their sex. The amendment was opposed by Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist from Illinois. She argued that it would detract from a woman’s role in the home by preventing them from obtaining custody in divorce cases or depriving them of privileges like alimony. The ERA passed in 1972, but wasn’t ratified by enough states within the determined deadline; in January, Virginia became the latest state to ratify the ERA, but some dispute the legitimacy of a late ratification and other states have attempted to withdraw their ratification.

But Inamdar says women’s rights have still had gradual yet consistent progress. In the 1970s, women gained the right to apply for credit cards without the signature of a husband. In 1975, the Supreme Court ruled that women should be allowed to serve on a federal jury. And though there are still differences between men and women in education, the workplace and healthcare, the right to vote for all women means the ability to challenge those barriers and bring 100 more years of movement toward equality.