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Alameda County Fire Department Log
Submitted by ACFD
Friday, February 12
• At 12:01 p.m. crews responded to a report about a fire in a single-family dwelling in a Union City residential area. The blaze extended into a neighboring structure and it took about 50 minutes to knock down. Nine residents were displaced from the primary dwelling and five people were displaced from the exposed dwelling. The Red Cross was called in to assist. The five people residing in a supportive housing environment were relocated to another location within the organization. Two patients from the primary structure had minor injuries and were taken to Valley Care in Pleasanton for treatment.
State Route 238 to set new mark for affordable housing
Submitted by City of Hayward
A 14-mile stretch of property once intended for construction of a State Route 238 bypass freeway is now on course to potentially yield more than 1400 new homes. Out of the total new homes, more than 400 will be rented or sold at below market rates affordable to low- and middle-income households.
Though longer-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and future market conditions will affect the outcome, the share of total housing development on the former SR 238 lands to be designated affordable and restricted to income-qualifying households could exceed 30 percent, based on current development activity and planning scenarios.
City of Hayward acquired 10 parcel groups of SR 238 lands from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in 2016. Under the terms of the purchase and a subsequent amendment to the deal, Hayward has until 2027 to reach development agreements for each of the parcels or ownership of the remaining properties reverts to the State agency. For more information, visit https://hayward-ca.gov/238.
BART Ambassadors: ‘We see a lot of things’
By Melissa Jordan, BART
The word “ambassador” derives from the Latin ambactus, which dates to the 14th century and means servant or minister.
Transit Ambassadors from the BART Police Department (BPD) mark their first anniversary on the job this month. They are public servants, ministering to the needs of passengers on BART trains — offering free face masks, giving safety tips, helping with directions, connecting those in crisis with services. And they are making a difference.
“Having additional uniformed personnel has been received very well by our riders and employees,” said Deputy Chief Angela Averiett, who heads the Bureau of Progressive Policing and Community Engagement, a new unit created by BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez last year. “They are the face of BART out there interacting with the public.”
Since the start of the program, Ambassadors have made more than 12,000 educational contacts, the highest number of any type of contact. They checked in with nearly 10,000 people on platforms and handed out more than 1,000 masks to members of the public who needed one. In only a fraction of contacts, 132, did they need to contact a police officer for assistance.
The Ambassadors are part of a larger shift within BPD to find new approaches using unarmed personnel to respond to people in crisis, such as mental health emergencies, drug overdoses or the unhoused population. With additional crisis intervention specialists yet to be hired, there will be an infusion of 40 additional positions in total, all devoted to train presence. The Ambassador Program won an Innovation in Public Safety Award from the national foundation Transit Center in 2020.
“With just that one piece of the Ambassadors, that alone is a huge accomplishment,” Averiett said. “I can’t wait to see the impact in our system when we have all of these positions in place.” Like a diplomatic corps, the Ambassadors speak a multitude of languages — Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Cambodian, Farsi — and they are dedicated to communication, education and presence.
Ambassador Brandon Fenwick’s Spanish language skills proved lifesaving one day when he and his partner persuaded a man who was experiencing a mental health crisis to get out of the trackway at Glen Park Station. “The Millbrae train was just one minute out, and he didn’t speak any English,” Fenwick recalled. “We were able to get him out of the trackway just in time.” Fenwick was part of the original group of 10 Ambassadors who started their work on February. 10, 2020.
Fidel Escario said he wanted to be an Ambassador because the job involves working closely with the public and has an immediate positive impact. “We help people and answer their questions,” he said. “If they don’t have a mask, we give them one.”
The Ambassadors are trained in de-escalation and anti-bias techniques and carry radios to call for backup from a BART Police officer if needed. Escario recalled one situation on a train when a man was exposing himself and cursing at Ambassadors; they radioed for backup and Officers arrested the man.
Sequoia Taylor joined the ranks of the Ambassadors just in January 2021. “I grew up in Oakland,” said Taylor, who has seen firsthand the issues that can result from disproportionate policing impacts in Black and brown neighborhoods. “You’ve got to treat people with respect. You can convey so much just with how you carry yourself, your demeanor.
Two of the original Ambassadors have moved up into other positions within the BPD, showing the path of upward mobility that can be available for workers starting in the entry-level Ambassador roles. “We have a lot of good interactions with riders,” Fenwick said. “They’ll say ‘thank you’ or give us a thumbs-up.”
BART Police Log
Submitted by Les Mensinger and BART PD
Sunday, February 7
• At 1:20 p.m. a man identified by police as Zejon Washington, 23, of Oakland was arrested at the Milpitas station on an outstanding no bail warrant issued by the California Department of Corrections. He was booked into Santa Clara County Jail.
Wednesday, February 10
• At 10:56 a.m. a man identified by police as Adam Ruiz, 24, of Manteca was detained at the Milpitas station on suspicion of fare evasion. He was later arrested on a no bail parole warrant issued by the California Department of Corrections and booked into Santa Clara County Jail.
California rail officials want to tap remaining bond funds
By Kathleen Ronayne
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Feb 09 – Officials in charge of California’s slow-going high-speed rail project want to tap $4.1 billion in bond money to finish ongoing construction in the Central Valley, completing a segment of track that is just a fraction of the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line voters approved the money for in 2008.
Project leaders presented the latest change on how to pay for the project – and what it will cost – on Tuesday to the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s board of directors. The new use of bond money, if approved, would go toward finishing 119 miles of track in the Central Valley. The state now expects to finish that construction by 2023, a year delay from the last proposal.
The coronavirus exposed vulnerabilities in the project’s funding plan, though construction is moving ahead, said Brian Kelly, the project’s chief executive officer.
“There’s no question we were hit,“ Kelly said. “But it’s important to note, especially when you see the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy and jobs broadly, that this enterprise is creating jobs.“
The changes to the project’s business and funding plan will now go to a peer review group and state lawmakers for approval. The rail authority’s board voted to advance the new business and funding plan with the understanding that it must go through multiple other reviews and public comments.
“We’re starting a process,“ board Chair Tom Richards said.
The plan could face resistance from lawmakers, who have grown more skeptical of the project in recent years.
“The voters approved this money for San Francisco to Los Angeles and instead we’ve blown through almost all of it,” said Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno, a longtime critic of the project.
Voters in 2008 approved a nearly $10 billion bond, with most of the money dedicated to “establish high-speed train service linking Southern California counties, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area.”
But rail officials now want to take most of what’s left – about $4.1 billion – to finish the 119-mile segment of track from Madera to Bakersfield. That segment will run and test trains until a larger, 171-mile track is completed for passenger service from Bakersfield to Merced. Trains aren’t expected to be in service for passenger use until 2029.
The bond money would be used instead of revenue from California’s cap-and-trade program. Revenue from the program, generated by auctioning off credits needed to emit greenhouse gases, goes to a variety of projects including rail.
The auction revenue declined dramatically when the pandemic hit. The rail project previously received about $180 million per quarter in auction money, but the program generated just $6 million for rail during the quarterly auction last May, said Brian Annis, the rail project’s chief financial officer.
Revenue has rebounded since then, but officials see the bond money as a more stable source for construction needs in the short-term. The cap-and-trade money would then be tapped for future elements of the project.
“If we don’t obtain the (bond) funds we’ll have to slow construction,” Annis said.
Stuart Flashman, a lawyer in several cases against the project, said spending the rest of the money on the 119-mile segment of track in the Central Valley does not meet the original aims of the bond.
“Both the funding plan and the business plan continue to double down on the board’s decisions to build a part of a Central Valley segment that is still not going to be a usable segment,” Flashman said during public comment.
Newsom, the Democratic governor, prioritized getting a line in the Central Valley up and running, but lawmakers from both parties questioned whether a line through that part of the state made the most economic sense. Transportation analysts from Resource Systems Group, an outside group hired by the state to conduct a review, said Tuesday the Central Valley line made the most economic sense.
“We think an interim, electrified high speed rail system in the Valley is an important first step,“ Kelly said.
Meanwhile, California can expect its communication with the federal government on the project to improve with Democratic President Joe Biden in office.
“As in many other arenas, California has taken the lead nationally to advance high-speed rail, starting an economically transformative project in the Central Valley and assuming the challenges that come with that leadership,“ Amit Bose, the acting Federal Railroad Administrator, said in a statement.
Going Green at Home
By Johnna M. Laird
Have you ever wanted to be part of something bigger, but lack time to volunteer? The City of Fremont is seeking help. You don’t even have to leave home. Efforts could land you among the nameless earning thanks from future generations, and may save you money. How? Become part of Fremont’s climate action efforts.
Fremont met its 2020 Climate Action Goals ahead of time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from a 2005 baseline use. Now comes a more difficult challenge.
By 2030, the city council is calling for a 55 percent reduction goal from 2005 and carbon neutrality by 2045. To accomplish these goals, city staff is working with local and regional agencies and needs residents to find ways to trim energy consumption. The city says energy savings will ensure Fremont’s healthy and sustainable future.
February’s first week saw the city stepping up efforts to enlist citizen support. Fremont Sustainability Manager Rachel DiFranco led virtual, daily lunch-time Climate Talk Conversations to discuss potential target areas for reduction, including making the switch from gas-powered to clean electricity for water heaters and other in-home appliances.
The February 1 conversation reminded participants of four overarching goals guiding local action: equity and access for all, efficiency innovations, health and wellness, and resiliency and capacity building. Each day focused on a different topic, starting with energy and buildings efficiency and overviews from StopWaste and Bay Area Regional Network. Subsequent days focused on land use and transportation; materials, waste and food; water, and green businesses. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, Fremont launched “Go Green At Home,” an evening online workshop to educate about tools that identify current greenhouse gas consumption in households and track reductions.
In America, 40 percent of emissions arise from household related activities that include transportation, electricity to power homes, heating and cooling homes, food, and waste.
“It’s easy to believe individual action doesn’t matter when it comes to climate change,” says Patrick Jurney of Community Climate Solutions, partnering with Fremont and 35 other cities in nine different states to provide online tools that list actions and measure reductions of greenhouse gas consumption.
“Anyone can take action and save money,” adds Jurney, who is networking in Fremont to involve service groups, classrooms, and faith organizations, mixing in friendly competition and fun.
“The platform (online tracking tool) highlights that actions need not be costly or create an extra time burden. It’s a simple, easy way to take action. In these COVID times, people are more motivated to save money, and that’s a big motivator to overcome inertia and get started. We can’t go Net Zero without everyone chipping in,” he says.
Over the last few years about 800 Fremont households have signed up to track energy use through Green Challenge. By Earth Day 2021 in April, the city hopes to enlist another 700 participating households and save another 500 tons of carbon dioxide.
How much is 500 tons of carbon dioxide? Jurney explains it this way: A car with 20 to 22 miles per gallon, driving round trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, would use one ton of carbon dioxide. One ton of carbon dioxide is also represented by 250 burgers, given the amount of greenhouse gases trapped by beef production.
Washington High School Student Body President Abi Shiva worked with other teens going door-to-door in 2018 signing up families for Green Challenge. His family signed on as well. For their first energy-saving steps, they replaced incandescent light bulbs with LEDs and installed low-flow shower heads.
“So many measures that are suggested, from improving insulation to cleaning out AC filters regularly, often go forgotten in the average household,” says Shiva. “Having a reminder to implement these kinds of simple solutions is important and why we continue utilizing the Fremont Green Challenge platform.”
When Shiva tells others about Green Challenge, he says, “It forces you to slow down and think about your time on this planet. Sometimes, even the smallest actions can make the biggest impacts. Joining the platform, we can adopt a more sustainable lifestyle while saving money on electricity and water.”
An unexpected benefit of joining Green Challenge, Shiva says, was discovering how community-oriented it is, giving opportunities to see changes other households are making as well.
“It is uplifting to see everyone’s willingness and commitment to improving our surrounding environment, and it is always fun to share our own family’s milestones.”
Through mid-February, Fremont is also seeking on-line community thoughts and ideas about local climate actions at: CAP Consider.It https://fremontclimateaction.consider.it/?tab=Show%20all
Jobs with Strong Growth Potential
By Anne Chan, PhD, MFT
The job reports these days are grim, with millions out of work and others fearing for their job security. It is a tough time for many, and my heart goes out to those who have lost their jobs. But I wanted to bring some light into the darkness. First, some good news – a January 2021 LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise Report pinpointed 15 career paths that are currently experience strong job growth. Here are the top 15 jobs:
1. professionals on the frontlines of e-commerce
2. loan and mortgage experts
3. healthcare supporting staff
4. business development and sales professionals
5. experts in workplace diversity
6. digital marketing professionals
7. nurses
8. education professionals like teachers
9. digital content creators
10. professional and personal coaches
11. specialized engineers
12. mental health specialists
13. user experience professionals
14. data science specialists
15. artificial intelligence practitioners
I encourage readers to look at this list more closely since each of these 15 paths represents a variety of job possibilities. For instance, the category of “healthcare supporting staff” includes jobs such as pharmacy technician and medical assistant. “Loan and mortgage experts” refer to a wide range of diverse jobs such as underwriter, mortgage loan officer, escrow officer, and loan closer.
This list might inspire you to think of a career switch. If you are excited about embarking on a brand new career path for yourself, consider the following tips:
1. Do your research, both online and in-person. A good place to start is O*NET OnLine (https://www.onetonline.org/) which has detailed information on a plethora of jobs.
2. Before jumping into a career, be sure to do multiple informational interviews with people in the field. Know the pros and the cons of the job before you commit to it.
3. Try it out – take an introductory class in the new field. You might discover that the coursework excites you, which would provide forward momentum for you to switch fields. If the coursework does not excite you, fear not! Look at related careers and try something else.
4. Identify your transferable skills. You might be able to leverage your current skillsets into a new industry or even a new job.
5. Do something that you love – job reports change over time and the jobs on the list will likely experience ups and downs. But if you do something you love, you will be able to ride the waves more effectively.
Some might not have the means or desire to make a career switch. If this is your situation, you still might be able to keep the same job title but pivot to a different industry. For example, if you are an administrative assistant, you could easily find jobs in healthcare, tech, or higher education.
One of the challenges facing us during this pandemic is to learn to be adaptable, even in the toughest of situations. In terms of your career, this might mean figuring out ways to be flexible in how you perceive your work value and your place in the work world. Above all, be optimistic and stay hopeful that you can create positive change for yourself and for your work.
Anne Chan is a career counselor and licensed psychotherapist in Union City. She specializes in helping people find happiness in their careers and lives. You can reach her at
an*********@gm***.com
© Anne Chan, 2021
Livestream of Perseverance Rover’s Landing on Mars
Submitted by Stephen Wakefield
On Thursday, February 18, NASA’s Perseverance rover is set to touch down on Mars and begin exploration of the Red Planet. To commemorate this historic occasion, Discovery Education—the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources and professional learning for K-12 classrooms—is partnering with NASA to bring students worldwide a no-cost livestream of this momentous event.
Featuring insights from NASA experts and a behind-the-scenes look at the activities of the Perseverance mission control team, the livestream will culminate with the rover’s real-time touchdown on Mars. The livestream will also be archived on Discovery Education’s learning platform in the Explore Space with NASA and Mars channels.
In addition to the livestream, Discovery Education and NASA are making available exclusive resources supporting the integration of NASA’s latest mission to Mars into classroom instruction. Among these helpful resources is a 3-2-1 Pyramid graphic organizer to help educators build students’ summarization and critical thinking skills while watching the Countdown to Mars livestream.
Another resource available to support educators sharing this event with students is a ready-to-use Studio Slideshow. Using this slideshow, educators can fuel student interest in space, build knowledge, and check for understanding about relevant topics. These resources and others being made available to educators and students are designed to be used in any learning environment and can be found on Discovery Education’s Mars Landing Livestream homepage.
“Space exploration has the unique ability to inspire students’ imaginations, especially in the fields of STEM,” said Mike Kincaid, NASA’s associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement. “We’re excited to partner with Discovery Education to bring the extraordinary innovation of the Mars 2020 Landing to students nationwide.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com. To register to attend the livestream event, visit Discovery Education’s Mars Landing Livestream homepage at www.discoveryeducation.com/learn/explorespace/.
Mars Landing Livestream Event
Thursday, Feb 18
2:15 p.m. Eastern Time (11:15 a.m. Pacific Time)
www.discoveryeducation.com/learn/explorespace/
www.discoveryeducation.com
Future looks bright at East Bay Community Energy
By David R. Newman
Photos courtesy of EBCE
Infographics courtesy of EBCE, epa.gov, leanenergyus.org
At a November 18, 2020 meeting, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) board members voted to phase out their Brilliant 100 plan effective January 1, 2022. Current Brilliant 100 customers will continue to receive service until then at which point they can choose between EBCE’s two other options: Bright Choice or Renewable 100.
Over the past year, EBCE has faced increasing financial pressures that have made it more difficult to keep the price of their Brilliant 100 plan on par with the rates charged by PG&E. Financial challenges have included an increase in current energy market prices, an increase in PG&E “exit fees” (to cover their revenue loss when customers switch to EBCE), and unpaid bills due to COVID-19.
Said EBCE CEO Nick Chasset, “Market prices for carbon free energy have risen to the point where we cannot sustain an offer of 100% carbon free at parity with PG&E. So the discussion was, do we continue to offer Brilliant 100 at a 2-3% higher rate than PG&E, or do we eliminate it and just offer consumers two choices: one that is less expensive and more renewable (Bright Choice), or one that is more expensive and 100% renewable (Renewable 100).”
Community Choice Aggregators (CCA) like EBCE have gained great popularity over the past five years. CCA programs reflect the values of their governing boards, communities they serve, and states in which they operate. Most emphasize reducing the cost of electricity. Some also focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, establishing new revenue streams to support local energy programs, or creating local jobs, and some are designed to accomplish several of these goals simultaneously.
Nine states – California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Virginia – have enacted Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) legislation that empowers local governments to aggregate the electricity loads of residents, businesses, and/or municipal facilities. CCA’s rely on Investor-Owned Utilities (IOU) for distributing their power to customers, servicing needs, and billing. In California, the three biggest IOUs are San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas & Electric.
There are over 20 CCAs in California. Marin Clean Energy (MCE) was the first, formed in 2010. EBCE was formed in 2016 and became operational in 2018. EBCE was established as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) made up of Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, San Leandro, and Union City. Alameda County is also represented. The EBCE Board of Directors consists of council members/supervisors representing each city, plus one for Alameda County and one non-voting member from a Community Advisory Committee. This year, three new cities will join EBCE: Tracy, Newark, and Pleasanton.
It is up to each city to decide what their default service plan will be, as voted on at a city council meeting. For most East Bay cities (including Fremont), this plan is EBCE’s Bright Choice, the less expensive option. Residents are automatically enrolled in the program, but they also have the choice to pick another option or stay with PG&E.
CCAs can provide competitively priced, clean energy choices to their communities while reinvesting revenues into local and statewide projects and programs, supporting sustainability, and enhancing local economies. By aggregating demand, communities gain leverage to negotiate better rates with competitive suppliers and choose greener power sources.
Some CCAs are teaming up in order to leverage their buying power against giants like PG&E. In fact, in January 2021 it was announced that eight northern and central coast CCAs, including EBCE, will be forming a new JPA called California Community Power. These combined municipalities represent about 40% of PG&E’s annual electric load. As more and more CCAs join forces, IOUs like PG&E may simply surrender and focus only on energy transmission, leaving buying and selling to these smaller local entities.
EBCE is constantly searching for new power sources. They have recently signed a contract with
the Rosamond Central solar energy project, which began operations in December, 2020. They have also teamed up with the Alameda Summit Wind Farm, which will begin delivery of renewable energy by this March. And they are planning on re-powering some existing wind turbines in the Altamont Pass area.
With record-breaking heat, rampant wildfires, and Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) threatening the stability of California’s power grid, energy storage is becoming an ever more important resource. Aggregators are stepping up to ensure more storage is added to the grid with the signing of long-term battery energy storage contracts totaling 1,072 MW/3,847 megawatt-hours (MWh), quadruple the amount CCAs had at this time last year.
Chasset says they are considering a third option to replace Brilliant 100 in the near future, which they will evaluate over the next few years. And while a Biden administration will be good for renewable energy in general, Chasset admits that it won’t affect EBCE too much. “We’re very local. It will take a while before we see any changes made at the federal level.” Until then, EBCE will continue to evolve as more renewable energy sources become available. “I’m very pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish in our short time here,” Chasset adds with a smile. In fact, he’s probably wearing sunglasses.
For more info: www.ebce.org
Park It
By Ned MacKay
Ladybugs, those cute little red insects, are now having their annual winter convention at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, although now there don’t seem to be as many of them as in years past. Known more formally as ladybird beetles, the ladybugs cluster in trailside shrubs during cold winter weather, then disperse in the warmer springtime.
Ladybugs are considered beneficial insects, because they prey on aphids, an agricultural pest species. But please do not collect any ladybugs for your garden. It is illegal to remove any plants or animals from regional parks.
Ladybugs’ bright red color signals to potential predators that the bugs taste bad. However, that does not deter some kinds of birds. Frogs, wasps, spiders, and dragonflies also dine on ladybugs. When threatened, ladybugs secrete an oily, foul-tasting fluid from joints in their legs.
Although ladybug clusters can be found in many of the regional parks this time of year, Redwood is probably the easiest place to see them. Enter the park from Redwood Road in Oakland; park at the innermost lot at Canyon Meadows, then walk a mile and a half up the Stream Trail, almost to the junction with the Prince Trail. There is an information panel on the fence line with lots of ladybug lore.
By the way, dogs are supposed to be on leash on the Stream Trail. Please also keep them out of the creek; it is habitat for spawning rainbow trout. And bicycles are not permitted on the Stream Trail past Trail’s End, which is about a half-mile before you reach the ladybug viewing area. I recommend a weekday visit. The park can be crowded on weekends.
Aurelia Henry Reinhardt’s name was recently added to Redwood Regional Park by vote of the district board of directors. She was one of the founding park district directors back in 1934 and was president of Mills College in Oakland.
East Bay Regional Park District has resumed accepting camping and backpacking reservations either online or by phone, with some limitations. Here is a summary:
The family campgrounds at Anthony Chabot near Castro Valley and Del Valle south of Livermore have reopened. Del Valle campground will have no water until mid-March.
You must bring your own drinking water, and RVs must fill water tanks before arrival. Fires and barbecues will be allowed. Limited backpack sites are open in Ohlone Wilderness and Sunol. Maggie’s Half Acre in Ohlone is closed. The backpack camp at Round Valley south of Brentwood remains closed due to fire-related issues.
More information is available at www.ebparks.org/activities/camping. To make reservations, call (888) 327-2757 and select option 2.
Visitors may encounter grazing cattle in many of the regional parks. Remember that when cows are present, district rules require that dogs must be securely leashed and under control. It is dangerous for both your pet and the cattle if your dog starts chasing or harassing livestock.
Cattle are generally not aggressive. However, cows are protective of their calves, so do not attempt to touch a cow, and do not get between mom and her baby. If cattle are blocking the trail, approach them slowly, speak normally, and give them a chance to move away. If you see a stray calf, leave it alone. Its mother is likely nearby.
If you encounter a cow that is acting threatening or appears to be injured or dead, please note the color of the animal and ear tag number, then report it to the park staff. For information about dog rules in the regional parks, visit www.ebparks.org, and wait for the “Pup Pro” program to appear at the top of the home page.
Editorial
Iconic or Ironic
Both words are appropriate for this moment in time although vastly different in context and meaning.
This week “Presidents’ Day” was observed, celebrating past and present U.S. presidents, especially two whose tenure marked significant and pivotal reference points in the history of our country. George Washington’s death in 1799 sparked a day of remembrance for the venerable “Father of Our Country”, celebrated on the anniversary of his birthday, February 22, 1732. Officially recognized and signed into law by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1879 as a federal holiday in the District of Columbia, it was expanded to the entire country as a national holiday in 1885.
Washington shares February as a birth month with President Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), another pivotal and iconic figure in American history. Although celebrated separately in some states, its national observance was consolidated under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, passed in 1968 and took effect in 1971 by executive order of President Richard Nixon. Four presidents (Washington, Lincoln, William Henry Harrison, Ronald Reagan) were born in February, the day chosen – third Monday of February – does not coincide with any of them. It was created to bring conformity to observances and a three-day weekend for federal workers. Initially, Presidents’ Day retained its moniker as Washington’s Birthday, but it evolved into its current reference as Presidents’ Day, adding additional, venerated non-presidential figures in some states.
This month has also marked a decidedly ironic moment in the history of our country. At a time when we, residents and citizens, have been asked to honor our nation’s iconic figures that created and preserved it, another historic event moved in an opposite direction. Washington helped create a nation; Lincoln helped preserve it and we, in the present are also faced with an existential threat. What we recently witnessed in January, a failed attempt to overthrow our system of government, is a reminder that complacency is not an option for citizens of a thriving democracy at any level – local, regional, national. Subsequent actions, maneuvers and pronouncements to provide cover and excuse for those encouraging and aiding an attempted coup are reprehensible and ignominious.
We are faced with a myriad of decisions every day that either stimulate iconic images for ourselves, families, friends and beyond as portrayed in our Constitution, or descend to an ironic and destructive imitation of such visions. It is up to each of us to make an enduring commitment to the former.
There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily
George Washington
“This is essentially a People’s contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men — to lift artificial weights from all shoulders — to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all — to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.”
“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Abraham Lincoln
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.
Preamble to Constitution of the United States of America
Updated energy use plan coming to Alameda County
Submitted by East Bay Community Energy
As part of a multi-year, statewide energy policy to create a cleaner energy future for California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) will move approximately 400,000 eligible residential electric customers currently on a tiered rate plan called E-1 to a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan in May 2021.
On the Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day) rate plan, when customers use energy is as important as how much they use. Customers are encouraged to shift some energy use to times when rates are lower, demand is lower and renewable resources, like solar and wind power, are most plentiful.
The transition to this Time-of-Use rate plan will occur by geographical region and affect approximately 2.5 million customers in PG&E’s service area in stages through 2022. Customers in Alameda County began receiving a series of notifications by mail last month to allow them ample time to make a choice if they prefer another rate plan.
“To ensure our customers are fully aware of the transition to the Time-of-Use rate and how the program works, we’re communicating this change more than 90 days ahead, and we’ll continue to share information before each regional transition takes place,” said Laurie Giammona, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for PG&E. “And, customers can choose the rate plan that best fits their needs and lives at any time.”
All California investor-owned electric utilities are required to automatically transition customers to the Time-of-Use rate plan to support a cleaner, healthier and more reliable energy grid. PG&E does not profit from this change. Customers can choose an alternate Time-of-Use rate plan or another rate plan, including the Tiered rate plan, at any time. Customers enrolled in the Medical Baseline program will not be part of the automatic transition.
“With TOU rates, customers have greater control over their electricity bills because they can shift energy usage away from ’peak” hours,’ said EBCE CEO Nick Chaset. “From our internal analysis of their usage history, a vast majority of our customers will financially benefit from TOU rates, and it simultaneously creates better conditions for us to add more renewable energy facilities on the grid.”
PG&E and EBCE customers who automatically transition to this Time-of-Use rate plan will receive risk-free Bill Protection for the first 12 months. If a customer pays more on the Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day) rate plan than they would have on their current rate plan, PG&E and EBCE will automatically credit the customer the difference for the first year.
More About Time-of-Use Rate Plans
Customers on these rate plans can choose to shift and reduce some energy use to lower-cost time periods (19 hours) every day, including weekends and holidays. The hours of 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. are higher priced (peak times). All other times are lower priced (off-peak).
Starting in 2018, approximately 150,000 residential customers from across the service area representing diversity in climate, household size and energy use were randomly selected as part of the first phase of transitions. Eighty percent of those customers stayed on the new Time-of-Use rate plan for more than a year. PG&E incorporated feedback from this initial group into the plans for the full rollout.
For more information about the transition to Time-of-Use rates is available online at www.pge.com/toutransitionand and www.ebce.org/timeofuse. To view a customized rate plan comparison, customers can visit their account online at www.pge.com/TOUchoice. Dedicated rate plan specialists are available at 1-(866) 743-7945 to answer questions and help customers choose a rate plan.
Fremont Police Log
Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD
Friday, February 5
• A commercial burglary occurred at El Patio restaurant, 37311 Fremont Blvd. in the Centerville area. The glass door at the side of the building was shattered to gain entrance.
• Sometime between February 5 and February 8 someone cut a hole in a fence on the south side of a parking lot on South Grimmer Blvd and stole approximately six catalytic converters from Fremont Unified School District vehicles.
Sunday, February 7
• Between 8:00 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. an auto burglary occurred in the area of Antelope and Weibel drives in the Warm Springs area. The victim was hiking in the area and returned to his vehicle driver’s side door had been damaged.
• At 12:00 p.m. a male was walking in the area of Stevenson Boulevard and Besco Drive in the Irvington area when a suspect walked past him and grabbed a chain from his neck and ran away.
• Between 7:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. an auto burglary occurred at 42200 Albrae St., near I-880. It is believed someone used a shaved key to gain access to the vehicle. The vehicle’s catalytic converter was also removed.
Tuesday, February 9
• At 4:45 p.m. an officer located a stolen vehicle near Cushing and Auto Mall parkways and tried to make a traffic stop when backup units arrived. The driver of the vehicle fled northbound on Cushing, then west on Stevenson Boulevard where it stopped when the road ended. Several people exited the vehicle and fled on foot with officers in pursuit. Soon, one suspect fired several rounds at officers; they returned fire and set a perimeter around the area to contain the suspects. No officers were injured. Eventually four juveniles were caught and taken into custody and a firearm was recovered inside the perimeter. One suspect was taken to a hospital for medical attention. A police SWAT team and K9 unit were used in the incident with assistance from police from Newark, Union City, Milpitas, California Highway Patrol and East Bay Regional Parks. Detectives are investigating the incident.
Fundraiser to combat rare disorders
Submitted by Sanjana Rathore and Alyssa Halvorsen
MSJ Students for Rare Diseases is a club at Mission San Jose High School. We are holding a fundraiser for Rare Disease Month (February), and all of the profits will go to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, dedicated to promote rare disorder awareness and education. We will be selling $4 and $10 e-gift cards for the Bay Area boba tea shop, Tpumps. Gift cards can be purchased at tinyurl.com/sfrtpumps until Monday, February 28, 2021. Thank you for your support!
Donate to support awareness of Rare Diseases
Purchase boba tea gift cards until Monday, Feb 28
tinyurl.com/sfrtpumps
Fremont Unified Board Highlights
Submitted by Brian Killgore
At its February 10 board meeting, Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) took the following actions:
Student Member Report – Student Member Zayaan Khan reported that FUSD high school students are transitioning to the second semester and preparing for ASB elections and senior events. The Irvington High School PTSA is hosting a Mental Health Panel on February 18 and the City of Fremont Youth Advisory Committee is hosting a ‘Mask Up Fremont’ this month to raise awareness to the importance of wearing masks and staying safe.
Future Return to In-Person Instruction – Alameda County Office of Education and Alameda County Public Health continue to make adjustments to the guidance and regulations related to returning students to campus for in-person instruction. On January 14, California Department of Public Health published their COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year. On February 1, FUSD’s COVID Safety Plan (CSP) – incorporating COVID Prevention Plans (CPP) – was posted and distributed for review and feedback. Staff presented information to the Board of Education regarding the progress toward a return to campus, including Learning Hubs, information from recent surveys, and any relevant changes in local and state mandates/legislation, and progress of vaccinations within Alameda County.
Approve Athletic Return to Competition Status Per NCS and MVAL Guidelines – The CIF and North Coast Section (NCS) met several times in January 2021 to determine how and when to begin competitive seasons and safely bring athletes back for competition. NCS and the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) agreed to follow all public health guidelines from the State of California and Alameda County in their decision-making and planning. As a result, the MVAL Board of Managers voted to begin competitive seasons on March 1 and follow the Amended Sports Schedule which links sports start dates to the purple, red, orange, and yellow tiers. The current and updated plan for FUSD athletes features new protocols and procedures which are in addition to those approved in July, October, and November 2020. All new and updated language is indicated with green text. Staff requests the Board approve athletic return to competition status in alignment with Alameda County and State of California guidelines, and MVAL and NCS regulations for athletics.
Letter to the Editor
Gas engine is best
I remember when they built the GM plant in 1963 in Fremont. They built beautiful cars and trucks. Not like the electric junk they build now. I don’t like it at all. They don’t build anything to last; they don’t want to. People don’t know the difference. Self-driving cars are a lot of junk and not safe either.
The gasoline engine is the greatest thing to happen to this country. They can’t convince me any different. Go back to the horse and buggy days. History repeats itself. I know what I’m talking about. People nowadays have never seen anything.
Leonard Rose
Fremont
COVID-19 tree planting dedication
Submitted by Riya Puvvada
Greenkeepers USA, a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit from the Bay Area, is hosting a “Life for a Life” Memorial Tree Planting to remember those who have passed away due to COVID-19. Trees will be planted near the Sabercat Historical Site in Fremont on April 2 and 3. For just $60, you can adopt a tree and receive a certificate with a tree dedication and information about the tree that you have helped plant. To adopt a tree or donate* to our GoFundMe page, visit https://tinyurl.com/gktrees (deadline Saturday, February 20). Any amount is greatly appreciated! For more information, visit greenkeepersusa.org or email us at
gr*************@gm***.com
.
*All donations are tax deductible.
Gussie Kim Yuck Oneal
Resident of Fremont
August 17, 1931 – February 5, 2021
Gussie Kim Yuck Oneal was born on August 17, 1931 in Honolulu, Hawaii and passed away on February 5, 2021 at the age of 89.
A loving mother to Gary Sedeno (Betty), Joann Higgins, Cora Keams (Bobby), Gail Wenzel (Dennis), and Jamie Mendoza (Lori). A caring grandmother to Melody, Michelle, Geraldine, Geraine, Timothy, Kalani, Kim, Crystal, Rayneal, Paula, Gary, Raquel, Rochelle, Ramon Jr, and Reina. She was also a great and great great grandmother to many. An adoring sister to Francisco Ramos (Henrietta) Alvin Ramos (Lei), Kathleen Balderson (Raymond), Angie Unciano (Danny) and Mercy Cardenas. She was preceded in death by her parent Joseph (Elia) Nakaula Jr and Gussie (Carvalho) Ramos, children: Gloria King, and Lynn Alexander, and siblings: Loretta Gatewood, Ernest Ramos, and Caroline Long.
Services were held.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Honor Roll
University of Central Arkansas
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Ruben Curiel of Hayward
Saint Francis University, Pennsylvania
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Aarati Sarikonda of Fremont
Youngstown State University, Ohio
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Yazmine Romero of Castro Valley
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Jatin Kohli of Fremont
Georgia State University
Fall 2020 graduates
• Aishwarya Rajuladevi Manikyam of Newark
• Lashari Davis of Fremont
University of Alabama
Fall 2020 President’s List
• Abigayle Kneebone of Fremont
• Fiza Yousuf of Fremont
• Meena Abdelsayed of Hayward
Northeastern University, Massachusetts
Fall 2020 Dean’s List
• Ozioma Anudokem of Fremont
• Rahul Toppur of Fremont
• Deeptha Narasimhan of Fremont
• Aneesha Sreerama of Fremont
• Crystal Hsu of Fremont
• Sarah Chang of Fremont
• Samantha Rhynard of Fremont
• Allison Hastings of Newark
• Maxwell Abisia of Newark
• Ayesha Desai of Fremont
• Allison Zheng of Union City
California revises indoor church guidelines after ruling
By Daisy Nguyen
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Feb 06 – California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said Saturday issue revised guidelines for indoor church services after the Supreme Court lifted the state’s ban on indoor worship during the coronavirus pandemic but left in place restrictions on singing and chanting.
In the most significant legal victory against California’s COVID-19 health orders, the high court issued rulings late Friday in two cases where churches argued the restrictions violated their religious liberty. The justices said for now California can’t continue with a ban on indoor church services, but it can limit attendance to 25% of a building’s capacity and restrict singing and chanting inside.
The new state guidelines limit attendance at indoor services in areas with widespread or substantial virus spread to 25% of a building’s capacity. Indoor services in areas with moderate to minimum spread are limited to 50% capacity.
California had put the ban in place because the virus is more easily transmitted indoors and singing releases tiny droplets that can carry the disease.
Newsom’s office said those measures were imposed to protect worshippers from getting infected.
“We will continue to enforce the restrictions the Supreme Court left in place and, after reviewing the decision, we will issue revised guidelines for worship services to continue to protect the lives of Californians,” the governor’s press secretary, Daniel Lopez, said in a statement.
Before the ruling, indoor worship services were banned in purple-tiered counties – those deemed to be at widespread risk of coronavirus transmission. This tier accounts for the vast majority of the state.
The justices were acting on emergency requests to halt the restrictions from South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista and Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, which has more than 160 churches across the state.
“You can go to your house of worship, as of now! You can go back to church, we’re excited about that,” Pastor Art Hodges of the South Bay United Pentecostal Church told KNSD-TV.
The church has defied state orders since last May by holding service indoors while following COVID-19 safety protocols, Hodges said. He said he was thankful to hold services on Sunday “without any pressure or threat or concern” and added that the 25% attendance limit will make him add two or three more services to accommodate church members.
“It at least allows us some wiggle room to operate,“ he said.
On Instagram, Harvest Rock’s ministry in downtown Los Angeles announced it would hold an in-person service Saturday evening.
“Bring the kiddos! We’d love to see the whole family for service tonight!” the announcement said, followed by the hashtag #inpersonservice.
The church said in a statement it will continue to petition for the right to sing during indoor services, arguing the state was unfairly allowing the entertainment industry to film a singing competition but not during indoor worship.
“While it is one thing to lock down based on data, it is an entirely different motive to allow some groups a right that is denied to others.” the statement said.
The court’s newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, said in her first signed opinion that it was up to churches to demonstrate that they were entitled to relief from the singing ban. Writing for herself and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, she said it wasn’t clear at this point whether the singing ban was being applied “across the board.”
Not all places of worships plan to reopen right away.
The head of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco said the Supreme Court was “not doing anyone a favor” by lifting the ban.
“We’re trying to follow the science and we’re trying to be patient,” said Dean Malcolm Clemens Young told The San Francisco Chronicle.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest of its kind in the U.S. with more than 5 million Catholics, cautiously advised “parishes who choose to return” to indoor worship to follow the singing and room-capacity rules, in addition to requiring physical distancing and face masks.
“The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is gratified by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow indoor worship services,” it said in a statement.
The court’s action follows a decision in a case from New York late last year in which the justices split 5-4 in barring the state from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues. Shortly after, the justices told a federal court to reexamine California’s restrictions in light of the ruling.
With few exceptions, California’s COVID-19 restrictions have been largely upheld. But a number of lawsuits, such as one seeking to allow outdoor dining, are still in the courts.
CONTINUING EVENTS:
Monday – Friday
Free COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Open through February 26, while supplies last
Alameda County Fairgrounds
Gate 12 off Valley Ave, Pleasanton
https://alamedacountyfair.com/events/covid-19-testing-site/
Monday – Saturday
Free COVID-19 Testing
M-F: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sa: 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Drive through, drop-in, and walk-up testing by appointment
Bay Area Community Health
39500 Liberty St., Fremont
(510) 770-8040
http://bach.health/covid/
Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Parenting During COVID R
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual support group to help families cope with challenges encountered during COVID
Tues: English
Wed: Spanish
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:
in**@ch************.org
Wednesdays, January 27, February 17, and March 10
Never Forget: A Writers Workshop for Japanese-Americans R
10 a.m. – 12 noon
3-part workshop focused on 2nd generation novice Japanese-American writers
To register, email
ed*******@ha****************.org
www.haywardareahistory.org
Wednesdays, Through April 14
National Geographic Live Virtual Events $
7 p.m.
2/24: Reimagining Dinosaurs
3/17: Feats of Filmmaking
3/31: Mysterious Seas
4/14: Women and Migration
LivermoreArts.org
(925) 373-6800
Nationalgeographic.com/events
Wednesday – Saturday
Free COVID-19 Testing
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Drive through and walk-up testing by appointment
Make appointment at: https://ac.fulgentgenetics.com/
Glad Tidings Church
1000 Glad Tidings Way, Hayward
Wednesdays and Sundays
McNevin at The Mudpuddle
6 p.m.
Dinner time tunes, oddservations, and bad jokes
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic
Thursdays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Youth Group
6:30 p.m.
Youth and young adults, students welcome
Contact:
br***@ne*********.org
for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Thursdays, January 14 – March 4
Life Review Group
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Life is a journey. Explore the story of your life
1-800-260-0094/
jw********@cr***********.org
Saturdays
Virtual Telescope Viewing R
9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Free on Facebook Live
Join resident astronomers live from Chabot’s observation deck
https://chabotspace.org/calendar/
Saturdays
Online Comedy Shows R$
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Made Up Theatre’s interactive comedy has gone to YouTube!
Saturdays & Sundays
India Community Center Youth Programs R$
Art Class (K-5): Saturdays, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., 1/23 – 5/15
Hindi Class (1-6): Sundays, 10:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
Public Speaking (2-6): Sundays, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
Bollywood Class (all ages): Every Day, 1/11 – 5/16
EnActe Voice Acting for Animation (3-8): Sundays, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., 1/24 – 5/16
EnActe Art of Performance (3-8): Sundays, 11 a.m. – 12 noon, 1/24 – 5/16
https://www.indiacc.org/programs/enrichment-program-registration/
yo***********@in*****.org
Sundays
Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church Family Service
10 a.m.
Via ZOOM
For link, call (510) 471-2581
Sundays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Worship Services
8:30 a.m.; Worship Service
12 noon: Sunday School, Ages K – 6th grade
Contact:
of****@ne********.org
for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Sundays, January 24 – February 21
Winter Treats Virtual Baking Class
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cookies, brownies, cupcakes and more! Grades 3 – 6
https://bit.ly/3pWuVNW
Last Thursday of the Month, January – June
Mini MBA in Entrepreneurship
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Self-paced virtual program for early-stage entrepreneurs
https://sv.tie.org/mini-mba-in-entrepreneurship/
UPCOMING
Tuesday, February 16
International Business Guidance R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47789
Tuesday, February 16
HERStory: Black Women in US American History
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Conversation with Dr. Janice Jones, Professor of History and Childhood Education Studies at Ohlone College
Via Zoom
http://https/cccconfer.zoom.us/j/93165231404
Tuesday, February 16
Science Night: Nuclear Fusion & More R
6 p.m.
Learn about harnessing the power of fusion from scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Via Zoom
http://bit.ly/35FFfCn
Wednesday, February 17
When Your Heart Needs a Little Help R
6:30 p.m.
Virtual Seminar – Learn about advanced techniques in cardiac care
www.whhs.com
(800) 963-7070
Wednesday, February 17
The Mind Game – How Successful Entrepreneurs Thrive in Tough Times R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47854
Thursday, February 18
Women Empowering Women: Living Heart Healthy R
7:00 p.m.
Virtual Seminar – Join the Women Empowering Women support group
www.whhs.com
(800) 963-7070
Thursday, February 18
Website Development & Optimization Webinar – Part 1 R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47793
Thursday, February 18
Hayward Nonprofit Alliance
10 a.m.
Featuring Oakland Zoo Executive Vice President Nik Dehejia
Via Zoom
Meeting ID: 832 8413 7646
Passcode: 253547
https://bit.ly/3trONLD
Friday, February 19
14th Annual Crab Feed Fundraiser – At Home Edition
Pick up a delicious dinner of fresh crab to enjoy at home
Pick Up Times: 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Buy tickets ($60) online at: https://bit.ly/Crabfeed2021awc
Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont
(510) 790-6602
ag************@fr*****.gov
Friday, February 19
Cultivating Resilience R
11 a.m.
Learn the reflective strategies for cultivating resilience
Email
FS******@Fr*****.gov
to register
(510) 574-2035
Saturday, February 20
Fascination for Birds: Introduction to Birdwatching R
10:00 a.m.
Focus on birds of the Tri-City and Bay area
https://aclibrary.bibliocommons.com/events
Saturday, February 20
4th Annual Symbiosis Youth Summit R
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Understanding intersectionality—the overlap between race, class, gender, etc.
Via Zoom
https://www.symbiosissummit.com/
Saturday, February 20
Ingredients R
3 p.m.
Documentary on a movement to revitalize our connection to local community and health
www.aclibrary.org
Monday, February 22
Milpitas Rotary
12 noon
Annual Rotary Speech Contest
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/364zWgd
Meeting ID: 830 1305 6992
Passcode: 113524
Monday, February 22
Patrick Ave. Traffic Community Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Discussion on planned completion of bicycle and pedestrian roadway improvements
www.hayward-ca.gov/Patrck-Traffic-Calming
Tuesday, February 23
Sustainable Systems During Covid R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47839
Tuesday, February 23
Stand Pup Comedy Fundraiser $R
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Meet cute adoptable pets while enjoying live comedy
Via Zoom
https://bit.ly/3rJnQS2
www.standpupcomedy.com
Wednesday, February 24
Move From Stress to Success R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47806
Thursday, February 25
“I AM SHE”
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Monologue excerpts from local activist Cat Brooks and discussion with Dr. Crystallee Crian
Via Zoom
Passcode: Ohlone
https://bit.ly/3jgMCWo
Thursday, February 25
Resolving Family Conflict Through Elder Mediation
11:30 a.m.
Learn how to resolve conflict successfully
Via Facebook Live
https://fb.me/e/Kza0HU3K
Thursday, February 25
Caregiving and Forgiveness R
11 a.m.
Discussion of forgiveness as a key element of taking care of yourself
Email
FS******@Fr*****.gov
to register
(510) 574-2035
Friday, February 26
Lent: Season of Transformation – A Virtual Lent Retreat R
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Help support the ongoing work of the Center for Education and Spirituality
RSVP by 2/25/21
https://ces-event.myshopify.com/products/lent-season-of-transformation
(510) 933-6360
Friday, February 26
Latino Business Roundtable
9 a.m.
Featuring the executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Southern Alameda County
Via Zoom
Meeting ID: 837 3766 2857
Passcode: 439540
https://bit.ly/3pST2h1
Saturday, February 27
Implications of UC’s Decision to Drop SAT/ACT R
11 a.m.
Free webinar explaining new college admission guidelines
Bit.ly/39lusQa
www.uceazy.com
Sunday, February 28
The Call to Action: Climate Change, Pandemic and a Vulnerable World R
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
David Peritz, PhD, explains the “vulnerable world hypothesis”
Via Zoom: RSVP by 2/27/21
https://bit.ly/36iowVV
(510) 933-6360
Monday, March 1
Milpitas Rotary
12 noon
Overton Moore will talk about their development project, 1000 Gibraltar, in Milpitas
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/364zWgd
Meeting ID: 830 1305 6992
Passcode: 113524
Wednesday, March 3
Advanced Treatments for Knee Pain Help R
4:30 p.m.
Virtual Seminar – Learn about common causes, symptoms, and treatment options for knee pain
www.whhs.com
(800) 963-7070
Wednesday, March 3
Cooking demonstration R
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Guest Chef Alison shows how to make the most out of food and save money
Thursday, March 4
COVID-19: How to Make Your Business Virtual R
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47770
Thursday, March 4
Climate Change – We Can All Be Part of the Solution R
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Presentation from Patrick Journey from Community Climate Solutions
Via Zoom
www.lwvfnuc.org/zoom
Sc******@co*****.net
Tuesday, March 9
Every Business is Going Online – Part 3 R
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free business webinar hosted by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center
https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/events/47681
Saturday,March 13
King Corn R
3 p.m.
Documentary about two friends that grow a bumper crop of corn, but find the food system raises troubling questions
www.aclibrary.org
Saturday, March 13
Drive-In Concert $
Gareth Emery: We’ll Be OK
3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/2X0zkmM
7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3pyqCYY
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
Tuesday, March 16
COVID-19: The Road Ahead R
3:30 p.m.
Virtual Seminar – Hear from an infectious disease specialist about the latest clinical developments
www.whhs.com
(800) 963-7070
Saturday, March 20
Niles Rotary’s Spring Fling $R
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual fundraiser for Fremont schools
https://one.bidpal.net/niles/welcome
Saturday, March 20
Fascination for Birds: Hunting Birds with a Camera R
10:00 a.m.
Focus on birds of the Tri-City and Bay area
https://aclibrary.bibliocommons.com/events
Saturday, March 20
77th Annual Hayward Chamber of Commerce Gala R$
6 p.m.
Virtual celebration honoring Business Person, Educator, Firefighter, and Police Officer of the Year
www.hayward.org
Day of Remembrance for Japanese internment
Submitted by Winda Shimizu
Hayward Public Library, in partnership with the Hayward Arts Council and the Eden Township Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, will sponsor a Zoom-based event in honor of the “Day of Remembrance” on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at 4 p.m. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.
Day of Remembrance is an annual event in observance of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, forcibly removed all Americans of Japanese ancestry off the West Coast.
On May 8, 1942, 600 Japanese Americans from the Hayward, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo areas were forced to leave their homes and board buses lined up on Watkins Street, and then taken to the Tanforan detention center in San Bruno, California, and later, to the Topaz camp in Delta, Utah. In October 2020, the Hayward Heritage Plaza Japanese American Art Project Team issued a national call for applications for artwork to accompany a historical marker that will be installed at the Heritage Plaza, located at Watkins and C Streets, across the street from the Downtown Library.
The event will feature speakers including East Bay artist and historian Patricia Wakida who was selected to design the commissioned work of art. “Art has long played a vital role in advocacy for change and justice,” said Wakida. “This project is an empowering opportunity to embed visual storytelling of the Hayward and Eden Japanese Americans’ WWII experiences into artwork that will resonate for all viewers.” The design and construction of the artwork will include the 600 names of the Hayward area Japanese Americans who were detained and then incarcerated. Wakida added, “As a fourth generation Japanese American (yonsei) I strive to make my ancestors proud!”
Hayward Heritage Plaza Japanese American Art Project Team Leader Robbin Kawabata expressed her gratitude to the City of Hayward for “allotting the funds and the support of the creation of the artwork to honor Hayward’s multiethnic citizens and their history, and celebrate its complex diversity.” The project goals, as Kawabata explained, include “honoring the area’s past and present Japanese American community, communicating the significance of the site, and preserving an often-neglected history of wartime incarceration.”
Another featured speaker at the Day of Remembrance event will be Hayward Arts Council Executive Director Winda Shimizu, who served as a member of the Heritage Plaza Japanese American Art Project Team. Shimizu thanked Hayward Public Library for highlighting a historically important event in American history that “must never be forgotten.” Speaking of Wakida’s design for the Heritage Plaza work of art, Shimizu said it will “reflect the hardships and resilience of local Japanese Americans, and will encourage civic engagement, empathy, and cultural awareness necessary for a healthy and robust community.”
To register for the February 27 Zoom event, please visit tinyurl.com/Remember2021.
To find out about other events hosted by Hayward Public Library, please go to https://hayward.librarycalendar.com/ or call (510) 881-7980.
Day of Remembrance
Saturday, Feb 27
4 p.m.
Pre-register at: tinyurl.com/Remember2021
John G. Ciaccio
Resident of Milpitas
May 10, 1945 – February 8, 2021
John Ciaccio, loving husband, brother, uncle and great uncle, quintessential salesman and avid golfer returned to his heavenly family February 8, 2021. He passed peacefully at home in Milpitas, CA with his loving wife, Paulette by his side. Born in Chicago Heights, Illinois on May 10, 1945, to Nicholas and Anna (née Girnis) Ciaccio, John was a gentle and caring soul, going out of his way for anyone in need. After graduation from Bloom High School, he went to work at the Allis Chalmers engine division in Harvey, Illinois. He entered the Army and served a tour in Viet Nam. Upon his return to civilian life he decided to advance his education under the GI bill and graduated Prairie State College in 1970 and Eastern Illinois University in 1972. While at Prairie State he met and in 1972 married his lifelong partner, Paulette (née Hrovat). After graduating EIU, John spent his first few post college years selling for Western & Southern Life Insurance. This provided John, always a people person, a platform to polish his skills for the ‘gift of gab’. In 1976, he reconnected with Allis Chalmers, which relocated him to California as a district manager covering a six state area. His entire career was spent with various companies in industrial sales and service throughout Northern California and surrounding states. John’s love of people extended into his daily life, especially his passion for golf. He took interest in the young folks living in his townhome complex. He started a group hitting whiffle balls, hoping to instill in them his “love of the game”. John was an avid golfer, history and Trivia buff, and worldwide traveler. He was happiest playing with the SIRS on Wednesday’s Golf and Monday’s Bocce Ball competition. His memory will be cherished and kept alive by his wife of 48+ years, Paulette, along with his brothers Michael (Judith), James (Rosemary), sister AnneMarie (Robert) Gavenda, niece Margaret Ciaccio, nephew Mark (Jeanne) Gavenda, nephew Carl (Alita) Ciaccio, great niece Madison Jordan Ciaccio and great nephew Nicholas Ciaccio. John lived a full and rewarding life but the most important lesson he instilled in his family and friends was to live life with dedication and love for your family, faith and community. He was a great friend who was loved by many. He respected all, and impacted everyone he met. John will be remembered for his gregarious personality, friendly demeanor, and unique smile. He will be truly missed. There will be a Memorial Mass and Celebration of his Life later this year both in California and Illinois once safe. Details will be sent out at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in John’s memory to Pancreatic Cancer research and early detection, American Diabetes, Golf’s First Tee or your favorite charity.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
John J. Micheli
Resident of Union City
August 27, 1962 – February 5, 2021
John Micheli- treasured son, brother and friend passed away on February 5 2021 in ICU at Kaiser Permanente Fremont as a result of a stroke. John was preceded by his older brother Paul in 1983. John was born August 27 1962 in San Francisco. At the time of his passing he was 58 and had lived in Union City. He was known as the “candy man” working for the Chocolate Factory for 30 years. He started as an 18 year old and continued working until his health failed. John had a passion for fishing; he had a boat and would sometimes take friends out and try to catch “the big one”. He will always be thought of and greatly missed by his family and friends. John was extremely personable and would engage in conversation with anyone and everyone. Our family is so grateful for the many years of excellent care provided by the staff at Kaiser Permanente. John is survived by his mother-Nancy, his brothers James, Pete, Enrico and his sister Susan.
John, we think of you often and speak of you still, you’ll never be forgotten and never will We’ll hold you close within our hearts and you’ll forever there remain. Till we all meet in heaven our hearts won’t ever be the same. We will miss you so much and more every day more than words could say. I’m now remembering our good times and good years now finding myself in tears. Our time together here may be gone and the yesterdays are past but my John you’ll be alive in my heart and my memory that will forever last.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, starting 12 PM, at Fremont Chapel of the Roses, 1940 Peralta Boulevard, Fremont, with a Chapel Service at 1 PM, burial to follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Dolores “Dee” Lockwood
8-21-1931 to 2-5-2021
Dolores “Dee” Lockwood, of Fremont, California, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of February 5, due to complications of the COVID-19 virus. She was 89.
Dolores was born in Tacoma, Washington, where she spent her early years and graduated from Stadium High School. Eventually moving East to Washington, D.C, she worked at NBC with Chet Huntley for a time, and when television went to color, she became known as NBC’s “color girl,” as the camera crews used her red hair to calibrate their cameras.
Dee also met her husband, David Silvernale, while in D.C., and had the first of their two children, daughter Victoria. After just a few years, the family moved back West, so David could complete his masters at the University of Washington. They finally settled in Hayward, where several years later, Dolores would have her second child, Christopher. They purchased a home in Fremont in 1960.
Dolores’ ultimate involvement in the Fremont community was her dedication to two generations of Irvington High School athletes, via the Irvington Boosters Club, not only because Victoria and Chris were both active participants in sports-related programs, and graduates of Irvington High School, but because her grandchildren, Zachary and Matthew Silvernale, were also standout athletes, and graduates, as well.
This decades-long involvement and support of Irvington’s sports-related activities, especially when Zach and Matt were active, caused her to become affectionately known as “Grandma Dee”.
In subsequent years, Dee would become known as a talented seamstress, crafter, an active practitioner of karaoke, and member of the social entity, Parents Without Partners. She loved recording CD’s for her friends and family.
Dee is survived by her two children, Victoria Adam and son-in-law, Ren Adam, of Ojai, California; and Christopher and daughter-in-law, Kathleen, of Fremont; her sisters Maureen Mayberry, of Lynden, Washington; and Kathy Millar, of Milton-Freewater, Oregon; and a multitude of nieces and nephews and 2 great-grandchildren.
Dee was a wonderful friend, sister, aunt, grandma and most importantly, a MOM. There will be a family celebration of Dee’s life in Tacoma, Washington, at a later date.
Watch the Mars Perseverance Rover landing!
Submitted by Mary Catherine Frantz
The public is invited to celebrate the Mars rover landing at Chabot Space & Science Center’s “NASA Mars Perseverance Rover Landing Watch Party + Q&A.” Witness the historic landing with Chabot astronomers and NASA experts who worked on the mission.
Tune in to see the landing live on Facebook and YouTube with Chabot’s watch party from 12 noon to 1 p.m. The Perseverance rover will make history when it reaches the red planet at 12:30 p.m. PST. Before landing, the rover must face the “seven minutes of terror,” a complex and critical landing phase with a series of specific maneuvers. Chabot astronomers will answer questions throughout the landing and make live observations.
After the landing, learn more about the mission at a virtual Q&A session with NASA scientists at 1 p.m. NASA’s Ames Research Center engineers Shanna Withrow-Maser and Winnie Kuang will discuss their roles in Mars exploration and answer questions from the public.
To celebrate the rover landing, Chabot Space & Science Center is providing a variety of free Mars-themed activities, virtual events and teacher resources. Prepare to land on Mars by building a rover, learning about the “seven minutes of terror” during a landing, taking on Chabot’s Marsquake challenge and more.
Perseverance Rover Landing Watch Party
Thursday, Feb 18
12 noon – 2 p.m.
Streaming via Facebook Live and YouTube
https://chabotspace.org/calendar/nasa-mars-perseverance-rover-landing-watch-party/
Police add cardiac safety equipment to patrol cars
Submitted by Captain John Torrez, Milpitas PD
In a new partnership with the nonprofit Racing Hearts organization, the Milpitas Police Department is now deploying Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in its patrol vehicles. AEDs are a vital piece of safety equipment that can save lives in cardiac emergencies.
Officers are constantly in the field and predominantly in their vehicles. The deployment of AEDs coupled with quick response times by officers to critical medical calls will increase the chances of a successful outcome in sudden cardiac arrest incidents. Having the equipment readily available allows an officer to initiate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in conjunction with an AED, prior to the arrival of firefighters or paramedics thus increasing the chances of saving a life.
Bay Area-based Racing Hearts’ mission is to increase the success of sudden cardiac arrest recovery by bringing awareness of, and access to, AEDs. Racing Hearts works proactively with public and private entities to increase access to AEDs throughout the greater Bay Area. The organization has partnered with law enforcement, schools, and underserved/at-risk communities to provide access to AEDs.
In November, the Milpitas City Council formally accepted the Racing Hearts grant giving the police department the ability to purchase 15 Physio Control Lifepak CR2 Defibrillators. This model was selected based on compatibility with the Milpitas Fire Department’s cardiac equipment and with existing AED equipment in other City of Milpitas facilities.
Mortgage rates poised to rise as U.S. Treasury yields surge
By Alex Veiga
AP Business Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP), Jan 14 – The long period of record-low rates on home loans could soon be over.
Long-term bond yields, which can influence interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, are climbing this month amid expectations of higher U.S. government spending on pandemic relief and an economy recovery as more people get vaccinated for COVID-19.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly hit 1.18% earlier this week. That’s up from less than 0.90% at the start of the year and the highest since last March. Yields rise when bond prices fall.
Economists forecast further modest mortgage rate rises this year. While that’s unlikely to derail the red-hot housing market, it could make it tougher for would-be homebuyers.
“As bright as the prospects are for the economy after vaccines have reached critical mass, there are still a lot of economic sore spots that we have to work through between now and then,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. “It’s still going to be a very low-rate environment, even for long-term rates like mortgages.”
Home loan rates tend to track moves in the 10-year Treasury yield. Damage from the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. and global economies fueled demand for U.S. bonds, pushing their yields lower. As a result, home loan rates also fell through most of 2020.
The average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate home loan rose to 2.79% this week from a record low of 2.65% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. The rate stood at 3.65% a year ago. It’s now at the highest level since mid-November.
McBride forecasts that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will rise to 3.1% by the end of the year. That’s in line with the National Association of Realtors’ outlook and close to the 3.2% forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Record-low mortgage lending rates helped fuel a housing boom last summer after a brief slowdown in the spring due to the coronavirus lockdowns.
As of November, sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were nearly 26% higher than a year earlier, according to NAR. The red-hot housing market has left the number of available properties for sale at record lows, which has contributed to a sharp increase in home prices. In November, the U.S. median home price was $310,800, up nearly 15% from a year earlier, according to NAR.
Mortgage rates have a ways to go before climbing back to where they were even a year ago. That means homeowners may still be able to benefit from refinancing at a lower rate.
Of course, rising mortgage rates diminish homebuyers’ buying power, especially as home prices continue to rise.
“This rapid uptick has likely unnerved many home shoppers, particularly those at the financial margin, who currently face a hotly competitive market in which prices are rising at their fastest pace in decades,” said Matthew Speakman, an economist at Zillow.
Speakman cautions that rates remain historically low and could change direction again.
“As has been the case for months, the path forward for mortgage rates, and indeed the economy, will be dictated by our ability to contain and treat COVID-19 as well as improvement in the labor markets,” he said. “Absent meaningful progress on those fronts, there remains a limit to how much higher mortgage rates will head in the near future.”
Petition Seeking Reconsideration of Net Neutrality Rollback
Submitted by Santa Clara County Public Affairs
On February 8, Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams released a statement regarding the county’s petition filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the FCC to reconsider its most recent decision to continue with its Net Neutrality Rollback despite the grave risks that poses to public safety.
“As we have said from the beginning, in repealing the Net Neutrality rules, the Trump administration violated the law when it failed to consider the harm to public safety. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the county that the FCC violated its core mandate by failing to consider harms to public safety and ordered the FCC to address the public safety implications of the repeal. But the FCC’s most recent order in the waning months of the Trump administration once again failed to recognize and appropriately weigh the public safety implications of the repeal. The FCC’s repeal of the Net Neutrality rules threatens the safety of our residents and undermines our ability to provide emergency services and efficient crisis response. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the county made clear to the FCC the vital importance of the internet as a matter of public safety; the importance of these rules now during the pandemic cannot seriously be questioned. We call on the FCC to undo the damage done by the Trump administration and to reinstate Net Neutrality rules.”
This step follows an October 2019 decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals—which agreed with Santa Clara County that the FCC violated its core mandate by failing to consider harms to public safety and ordered the FCC to squarely address the public safety implications of the repeal—and the county’s April 2020 comment explaining how the Net Neutrality Rollback hamstrings local governments’ ability to protect their residents.
More information on the county’s efforts to advance net neutrality principles, can be found at https://counsel.sccgov.org/high-profile-matters/net-neutrality.
Editor’s Note: Net Neutrality is the basic principle that prohibits internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon from speeding up, slowing down, or blocking any content, applications, or websites you want to use. The open internet also allows people of color to tell their own stories and organize for racial justice.
When activists are able to turn out thousands of people in the streets at a moment’s notice, it’s because internet service providers (ISPs) aren’t allowed to block their messages or websites. The open internet allows people of color and other vulnerable communities to bypass traditional media gatekeepers. Without Net Neutrality, ISPs could block speech and prevent dissident voices from speaking freely online. Without Net Neutrality, people of color would lose a vital platform. (source: Free Press, www.freepress.net/issues/free-open-internet/net-neutrality)
New recruits join Hayward Police Department
Submitted by Hayward PD
Six new recruits were recently welcomed into the Hayward Police Department. These new officers graduated from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Academy on February 5 as part of the 169th Class. From left to right: Recruit Training Officer Ryan Marion, Alexander Robinson, Matthew Bragg, Victor Arellano, Cameron Sawyer, Chief Toney Chaplin, Captain Ken Forkus, Spencer Wade and James Gaffey.
Civic Center Revitalization
By Charlene Dizon
Photos Courtesy of Soren Fajeau
The Civic Center area in Newark has long since encompassed the tower building for the administrative services, city council chamber and Newark Police Department headquarters, along with a separate building for the Newark Library. The tower building has stood since the mid-1960s, with capacity for 68 people. The library was established in the 1980s. The area will continue to be a capsule of Newark’s growth as the anticipated Civic Center renovation project officially takes shape and prepares for completion in 2021.
The new Civic Center will include three new buildings: Police Department, Newark Library, and City Hall. The need for these renovations is imperative due to the increasing population of Newark. “The working environment for citizens and staff members is not good for the public. It has simply outlived its functionality; therefore, it was an easy decision to make.” Newark Mayor Al Nagy states. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 2019, with construction beginning soon after, in September 2019. The pandemic caused a brief project delay; however, construction was able to continue after necessary health protocols were developed to ensure safety, and the project remains on schedule and within budget.
With new buildings come new additions and upgrades, beginning with a cohesive design among all three buildings. Grand lobbies in the entrance have been included and are now spacious enough for people to gather. Stained glass, originally featured solely on the tower building, has now been relocated to all three buildings and can be seen from not only outside but inside as well. The library has several new features including a new children’s section, teen area, and a more isolated adult section to mitigate sound intrusion. A separate craft area has also been incorporated, along with seminar rooms of various sizes for small and large meeting groups. Up-to-date electronic devices have also been prioritized. “It will have more natural light during the day, while in the evening, we have ensured reading and workspaces to be well-lit. People will be able to see the library from the street and it will present itself as a focal point,” explains City Architect Ray Collier.
The Police Department building has increased functionality. While the original department held certain functions off-site, the new building will now contain all necessary functions in one area, including evidence storage, patrol, gymnasium, locker rooms, and training room. The training room will also be available to the public for community events. Furthermore, the building is resistant to earthquake activity. “If an earthquake occurs, it will remain durable and operational afterward,” Collier states. With these modern changes, the department will have easier and quicker access to necessary resources.
The new infrastructure of City Hall has also become more practical for public use. Initially, departments were located on different floors. “For those who wished to transact multiple businesses to the City, it was difficult because they had to travel to a different floor each time,” Collier explains. Bathrooms were also only located on the first and fifth floor, making Council Chamber and community meetings – not on these floors – inconvenient. Now, the Council Chambers are on the ground floor and restrooms can be found on each floor. There is also room for expansion internally. With these changes, both the community and City Council will have more flexibility and mobility.
City Hall should be open for staff members in early to mid-March 2021, the Police Department is expected to be finalized by late March to early April, and the library will be ready, roughly, in June 2021. Once the Police Department has transitioned into the new facility, the old building will be cleared and enter a major demolition phase. Removal of the old buildings and previous parking lots, as well as the completion of the new parking lot, will take place through October 2021. Nagy states, “We really do appreciate the support of the community. Only through their votes to support this renovation were we able to work on these facilities and put ideas into motion, along with the hard work of our staff and City Council.”
The long-awaited completion is sure to bring the community more resources and a sense of stronger unity.
For more information and updates on the new Civic Center, please visit: https://www.newark.org/departments/city-of-newark/new-civic-center
Newark Police Log
Submitted by Newark PD
Sunday, January 24
• At 12:52 a.m. Officer Riddles saw a vehicle being driven the wrong way in the 3000 block of NewPark Mall Road. He stopped and arrested the driver, identified by police as a 28-year-old Fremont man, on suspicion of DUI. He was booked at Fremont Jail.
• At 11:40 a.m. Officers Warren and Fredstrom responded to a report of a person shoplifting and making threats in the 5000 block of Jarvis Ave. They arrested a 34-year-old male transient on suspicion of making criminal threats, probation violation and petty theft. He was booked at Fremont Jail
• At 2:18 p.m. officers responded to a report of a collision in the area of Central Avenue and Willow Street and located a 37-year-old San Jose man nearby. After a record check the man was arrested on suspicion of DUI, hit and run and DUI with previous convictions. He was booked at Fremont Jail.
Wednesday, January 27
• During a 6:35 a.m. traffic stop in the area of Cedar Boulevard and Mowry School Road, Officer Slavazza arrested a 40-year Fremont man driving with a suspended license for DUI, acquiring access cards with intent to sell, identity theft to obtain credit. He was cited and released and his vehicle was towed. Slavazza seized several items associated with identity theft and has been working on contacting potential victims.
Sunday, January 31
• At 6:02 p.m. Officer Swadener responded to a report about a citizen’s arrest for shoplifting in the 200 block of NewPark Mall Road. Swadener accepted the arrest of a 35-year-old Hayward man on suspicion of shoplifting. He was cited and released.
Niles Essanay February Online Happenings
Submitted by Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum!
Keeping with its schedule of virtual events, Niles Essanay is offering a weekend of online screenings and talks for one weekend in February 2021. Unless the time is specified, links to the programs will be available at 12:01 a.m. on each day of the weekend.
Saturday, February 20
Daredevil Denny aka Reckless Reggie
The Man with No Fear – Films, Fun and Endurance of Reginald Denny
Program on Boxing
What was up with boxing at the turn of the last century? Why was it only in big cities?
The Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, will share his insights.
Program on Race Cars:
Pebble Beach and Monterey auto racing in silent film stories and their fast and furious cars. Gregory Berkin will present a pictorial view of turn of the century automotive history, car racing and silent film at the Pebble Beach Lodge, the Hotel del Monte, the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance and the famous 17 Mile Drive.
Live ZOOM with Gregory Berkin
Saturday, Feb 20
5 p.m.
Bay Area CARS & CINEMA (1900 to present)
Sunday, Feb 21
Program: The Miles Brothers connection
Film historian David Kiehn weighs in YouTube-viral film “A Trip Down Market Street.”
Christmas Day Aviation Meet at Tanforan (1912)
Shot by the Miles Brothers Studio
In less than 6 minutes, Earl Miles filmed a holiday air meet at the Tanforan Race track on the San Francisco peninsula, groundbreaking for the upcoming Panama Pacific International Exposition (opening in 1915) and a very popular location for ice skating (assuming it is in California snow country). From the Filippini Family / Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum collection.
Zoom with Reginald Denny’s granddaughter Kim Pucci
5 p.m.
A discussion about this most interesting man and his historic legacy regarding unmanned aircraft technology – now known as drones.
Keep checking www.nilesfilmmuseum./org for additional programs and surprises!
Oakland Coliseum Vaccination Site Opens
Submitted by City of Hayward
A new large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site will open February 16 at the Oakland Coliseum and begin serving people eligible to receive a vaccine under the State of California’s and Alameda County’s phased inoculation rollout. The Coliseum vaccination site will be run by Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Office of Emergency Services.
To determine your eligibility to receive a vaccine at the Coliseum and to receive notification of future eligibility, visit the state’s appointment, registration, and notification system at https://myturn.ca.gov/ and complete the questionnaires.
Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination in Alameda County has expanded to include people 65 years of age and older, and essential workers in the food and agriculture, emergency services, and education and childcare sectors.
For more information about vaccine eligibility and availability, visit https://covid-19.acgov.org/index.
COVID-19 Vaccination
https://myturn.ca.gov/
https://covid-19.acgov.org/index
Rev. Gordon Walfred Westlind
10-3-1922 to 1-24-2021
The Tri-City area has lost a favorite son. Rev. Gordon W. Westlind returned to his heavenly rest on Sunday January 24, 2021. He was aged 98 years.
Gordon, known affectionately by so many as “Pastor Gordy,” was born 10-3-22 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The son of a minister, Rev. Walfred Olaf Westlind, he travelled to Tacoma and Chicago before ending up in Turlock, California in 1934.
Graduating from Turlock High School in 1940, Gordy went to work at Castle Air Force Base as an assembler of military aircraft. When WWII broke out, he was enlisted as a Propeller specialist and served in the 13th Air Force of the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific from 1942-1945 reaching the rank of Tech Sergeant.
Returning stateside, Gordon married and was graduated from SF State with a BA in Philosophy. He and his wife, Patricia Spong of Oakland, Calif then graduated from Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta, Canada. He then sought his masters of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Pat and Gordy were then ordained and commissioned for 8 years of missionary service in Ecuador from 1957-1965. They returned and settled in Fremont, Calif in 1965.
Gordon worked at Best Blocks of Union City for 7 years before returning to a pastorate at Centerville Presbyterian Church. He served as Associate Pastor there from 1973 to 2012. He retired at the golden age of 90. Gordon was one of the founding members of the Centerville Free Dining Room.
Gordon was preceded in death by his sisters, Hildur Westlind Carter and Evelyn Westlind Fulmer. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Patricia Westlind and their children, Rev. Mark Westlind, Marcia West, Robert Westlind, and Tami Simbra. Grandchildren: Nate West, Zac West, Nils Westlind, Natalia Westlind, Nicole Orgaz, Rachael Simbra, Tanya Simbra. Great grandchild Cedar West.
A memorial service will be held at the Bay Area Baptist Church on February 20, 2021 at 1100am with interment at the little white church pioneer cemetery immediately following. Due to pandemic restrictions, only family will be in attendance. The service will be recorded and “live-streamed” in collaboration with Bay Area Baptist and Centerville Presbyterian Church.
Peace to his memory
Zoom link for the memorial:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86429010329
Meeting ID: 864 2901 0329
Ohlone College Board of Trustees
February 10, 2021
Presentations:
• Proclamation of February as Black History Month
Public Hearing:
• First public hearing on Ohlone Community College District’s redistricting process.
Consent Agenda:
• Approval of January 2021 payroll warrants
• Approval various personnel actions.
• Approval of new or revised CSEA job descriptions and Memoranda of Understanding.
• New and revised noncredit courses and program for 2020-2021.
• Approval of Resolution #22/20-21 to establish a non-resident tuition fee for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
Discussion/Action:
• Acceptance of the Independent Auditor’s report for the district, OPEB Trust, Measure G, and the Foundation for Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
• Review and acceptance of the 2nd Quarter 2020-2021 financial report and acceptance of related budget changes.
• District Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resolution.
• Richard Watters, Chair
• Suzanne Lee Chan, Vice Chair
• Greg Bonaccorsi, Member
• Jan Giovannini-Hill, Member
• Lance Kwan, Member
• Vivien Larsen, Member
• Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Member
• Megan Aves, Student Member
Student Study Center reopens with extended hours
Submitted by Tina Vossugh
Ohlone College Student Study Center (SSC) will reopen its doors on the Fremont Campus on February 16. The hours of operation have been extended for the spring semester in order to support students with varying schedules and study needs with doors open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Fremont Student Study Center is located on the fourth level of the Frank DiMino Learning Commons, Building 3 on the main Fremont Campus. No appointments are necessary. The SSC at the Newark Center remains closed.
The study centers were initially created and offered at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester as a way for students to study in a safe, and socially-distanced environment with the support of campus WiFi. The centers were closed in November 2020 in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area and the state’s mandate to shelter in place.
“We know that our students’ needs haven’t changed and that the study centers are a haven for many who deal with a variety of challenges studying at home,” says Dr. Eric Bishop, Superintendent/President of the Ohlone Community College District. “That’s why we are opening our doors again but continue to be very aware of the precautions we need to take in keeping the health of our students and the community we serve at the forefront of all of our decisions.”
The College is being proactive with all safety and health measures and has symptom screening stations set up with temperature checks and a health questionnaire form in order to ensure that all students who enter the space are symptom-free. All study spaces are socially distanced and there are even designated rooms for Zoom meetings so as not to disturb others.
In order to protect the health of students and the campus community, all students and individuals working or visiting Ohlone Community College are required to wear a face mask and will be subject to a health screening upon entry. The College enforces social distancing guidelines of six feet or more.
For more information on the Student Study Centers and all other student services visit: https://www.ohlone.edu/resources.
Ohlone Student Study Center Fremont Campus
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Frank DiMino Learning Commons, Building 3
https://www.ohlone.edu/resources
NBC will air opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics live
Feb 10
By Joe Reedy
AP Sports Writer
U.S. Olympic viewers who have long clamored to view the opening ceremony live when it hasn’t been in North America will finally get their wish.
NBC plans to air the opening ceremony from the Tokyo Olympics live on Friday, July 23. With Tokyo 13 hours ahead of New York and 16 ahead of Los Angeles, the opening ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. in Japan, which is 7 a.m. ET and 4 a.m. PT.
Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympics, said the global significance of gathering in Tokyo during the time of the coronavirus pandemic as well as changing viewing habits, were the main factors in deciding to air the opening live in the morning for the first time.
“I think like so many of us, people’s lives have changed. And after we had all been locked down for a few months, the postponed Olympics, and its meaning, I think became very clear that it will be an incredibly moving moment in sports and in the world when the world comes together,“ she said. “We recognized we had to make our production plans be equal to the challenge of these unprecedented challenging times. And that meant a live opening ceremony and an enhanced primetime broadcast where most of the folks will gather to watch it.”
The ceremony will be followed by a special edition of the “Today Show” with reaction and athlete interviews and a three-hour daytime show previewing the next 16 days. It will also mark the first time NBC will do a daytime show on the first Friday of the games. NBC’s primetime show will then re-air the ceremony, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.
NBC live streamed the opening and closing ceremonies from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games on its Olympic site before airing delayed coverage of both in the evening. NBC hasn’t made a final decision on who will host the opening ceremony. Primetime host Mike Tirico and Katie Couric anchored coverage from Korea three years ago.
Solomon said the past nine months since the Tokyo Games were postponed have been spent refining coverage plans, including reducing how many people will be taken to Japan. The number of production people devoted to the games will remain the same, but there will be more people at NBC Sports’ Stamford, Connecticut, production headquarters as well as New York and other auxiliary locations compared to the past.
While COVID protocols have delayed many events, Solomon said she remains confident that key events will still air live in the U.S., even if there are any potential scheduling changes after continued discussions with the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organizers.
“Once we started to see the architecture of how this is all going to work I have to say, it’s very familiar to us because we’ve been producing events since the pandemic began. And while all sports are different, they’re all very similar,” Solomon said.
NBC plans on airing more than 7,000 hours of coverage across its many networks. There will also be live streaming of all sports on its NBCOlympics website.
Optimist Club essay contest results
Submitted by Darryl Reina
The Newark Optimist Club honored their annual Essay Contest winners via their Zoom Club Meeting on February 10. The topic for this year’s contest was “Reaching your Dreams by Choosing Optimism.”
First place honors go to 16-year-old Aren Wang, a student at Connecting Waters Charter School in Union City. In his essay Aren shared, “In the modern world, optimism is just as important as hard work and dedication. Optimism is a choice, and those who choose optimism will reach their dreams more effectively than those who do not.”
Aren received a first-place medallion, and a $200 cash prize. His winning essay will be forwarded to the District competition, with an opportunity to win a $2,500 college scholarship.
The second-place essay was submitted by Timothy Basa, an 18-year-old senior at Newark Memorial High School. Timothy wrote that “We are all controlling or own train in pursuit of our hopes and dreams. Every train ride includes a dark tunnel filled with obstacles and setbacks, and the only way to get out of that tunnel is to choose optimism. Optimism is the key to finding the light at the end of the tunnel, and it is the key to reaching the ultimate destination: our dreams.”
Timothy received a second-place medallion and a cash prize of $100.
Third place honor went to Katie Gruendler, a 14-year-old freshman at Newark Memorial High School. Katie shared that “Optimism encourages you to work harder and motivates you to reach your goals, helps you learn to problem solve, and complete your ambitions more efficiently by breaking them down. This shows that an optimistic view can change your way of thinking, by helping you work up to big things that could change your life. In conclusion, optimism can greatly affect the ability to reach your goals, build confidence, and achieve your dreams.”
Katie received a third-place medallion, and a cash prize of $50.
Congratulations to Aren, Timothy, and Katie for participating and submitting the excellent essays.
A pandemic shift in finances: Prioritize, simplify, save
AP Wire Service
Jan 06
By Hal M. Bundrick of NerdWallet
The pandemic has caused many people to reassess their priorities. There is talk of moving out of the city, simplifying life and saving more money.
“I’m not going to spend money like that anymore,” my millennial daughter told me recently, talking about past shopping sprees on handbags, jewelry, and yes, lattes. “Financial security is fun now.”
This from the same person who, until recently, has annually paid to upgrade to the latest version of smartphone ever since she purchased her first Juicy Couture Sidekick back in 2005.
But, as usual, my daughter alerted me to a growing trend.
DEVELOPING NEW FINANCIAL GOALS
In an annual survey, consumer research firm The Family Room LLC identifies prevailing trends in more than 150 psychological drivers. Determining changing priorities from year to year helps identify emotional hot spots among different age groups.
The latest results show dramatic shifts in attitudes, the company says, including a 14% increase over the previous year’s survey among parents in “making my life simpler and less complicated.”
Changes are happening in the way people save, too. Among U.S. adults who say they developed new financial habits during the pandemic, 58% said they plan to continue cutting back spending on “wants” in 2021, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. Many (36%) plan to continue building up general savings, and 30% will continue stashing money in emergency savings.
Here are some ideas for simplifying your life and morphing your money habits from carefree to careful.
THE GIFT OF PRIORITIZATION
Leo Babauta, 46, a writer in Southern California, is on a mission to help people “implement Zen habits in daily life.” He believes the pandemic has given us the gift of prioritization.
“When things are falling apart, it helps us realize what’s most important to us,” Babauta says. “This will help us to simplify our lives as we move forward because simplicity really boils down to two steps: Identify what is most important to you, and eliminate everything else.”
On Babauta’s blog at ZenHabits.net, he chronicles a long list of life changes through the years: quitting smoking, paying off debt, losing weight and taking control of his finances.
He stopped living paycheck to paycheck by addressing the things that turn us to bad financial habits in the first place: fear, anxiety and stress. Babauta says that the COVID outbreak has sparked him to be even more focused on “taking care of myself, meditating, walking and getting rest.”
“If we’re shopping too much, it’s because we’re stressed,” he says. “If we avoid budgeting, it’s because it causes us anxiety. Breaking the cycle is about choosing better habits to deal with that stress, like going for a walk or making a list, and then creating accountability and support to do the new habit every day, instead of the old habit.”
TRACKING SPENDING IS ESSENTIAL
Simplifying life is a theme echoed by Richard Liu, 26, a marketing manager in Sydney, Australia.
“One of the ways I helped simplify my expenses is using a money tracking application. Since so many things are digital, making purchases online has been the norm, so being able to track spending is essential,” Liu says. He keeps tabs on his expenses, investments and net worth.
Like so many other COVID castaways, Liu says he is saving money on transportation due to less commuting – and on food by doing more of his own cooking. He also found ways to prepare for a post-pandemic financial rebound:
1. TRIM NONESSENTIAL RECURRING EXPENSES. These include things like monthly subscriptions and gym memberships. Make a list of them all. It’s possible you’ll find more than a couple you’ve either forgotten about or haven’t used in a while.
2. REFINANCE EXISTING DEBT WHILE INTEREST RATES ARE LOW. A mortgage, student loans or personal loans are all candidates for rate improvements. Perhaps even your car loan.
3. SHOP FOR BETTER DEALS ON EXISTING INSURANCE POLICIES. With people driving fewer miles, some vehicle insurance rates have fallen. Many insurers have even issued rebates to policyholders.
Liu says he’s combining these money-saving ideas with another important moneymaking component: He’s been taking on additional freelance work to help make extra cash.
“I think it’s never been so important to create side income or develop new streams of money. More money means more savings, but also stability,” he says. “This has been my main focus and priority and will continue to be.”
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Hal M. Bundrick, CFP, is a personal finance writer at NerdWallet.
Community Feedback Sought on Patrick Avenue Improvements
Submitted by City of Hayward
Hayward Transportation Division will hold an online public meeting on Monday, February 22, to introduce and to receive feedback on the planned completion of bicycle and pedestrian roadway improvements along Patrick Avenue in South Hayward. The Patrick Avenue Traffic Calming Improvement Project spans 0.6 miles of Patrick Avenue between Tennyson and Schafer roads.
Phase 1 entailed the introduction of separated north- and south-bound bicycle lanes and preservation of parallel parking through the elimination of one lane of traffic and roadway repaving and restriping.
Phase 2 will involve green painting of bike lanes and installation of safe-hit plastic delineator posts and rapid-flashing beacons at crosswalks without traffic signals or stop signs to increase driver awareness of bicyclists and pedestrians.
The project demonstrates a cost-effective approach to creating complete streets that are safer for all users without sacrificing neighborhood parking and efficient traffic flow. Before initiating traffic-calming and “complete streets” projects, the Transportation Division assesses accident data and conducts traffic-flow studies to understand potential impacts of lane and use changes both in the immediate vicinity and on nearby and feeder routes.
Information on how to join the meeting can be found at www.hayward-ca.gov/discover/events/patrick-avenue-traffic-calming-improvements-community-meeting.
To learn more about the Patrick Avenue Traffic Calming Improvement Project and to watch a recording of the community meeting afterward, visit the project webpage at www.hayward-ca.gov/Patrick-Traffic-Calming.
Patrick Avenue Improvements Community Meeting
Monday, Feb 22
6:30 p.m.
www.hayward-ca.gov/discover/events/patrick-avenue-traffic-calming-improvements-community-meeting
www.hayward-ca.gov/Patrick-Traffic-Calming
Join on Zoom: Information to be provided the week of Feb 15
The Perseverance Rover – taking us one step closer to a human Mars mission
Kailash Kalidoss, Aerospace Enthusiast
Perseverance is the latest in a long line of Red Planet rovers launched by NASA to get us one step close to the reality of living on the planet Mars. Previous rovers include the Sojourner in 1997, the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed on Mars in 2004, and Curiosity, which has been exploring Mars since 2012. Perseverance will study Mars’ habitability, seek signs of past microbial life, collect and store samples of selected rock and soil, and prepare for future human missions.
Perseverance launched on July 30, 2020 at 4:50 a.m. PDT / 7:50 a.m. EDT, riding atop an Atlas V-541 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The trip to Mars takes about seven months.
Perseverance will touch down on Mars on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at approximately 12:30 p.m. PST (3:30 p.m. EST). Landing on Mars is not an easy task, given the complexity of the rover. Perseverance follows an entry, descent, and landing (EDL) process similar to that used by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover when it landed in 2012. During landing, the rover plunges through the thin Martian atmosphere, with the heat shield first, at a speed of over 12,000 mph (about 20,000 kph). A parachute and powered descent slow the rover down to about 2 mph (three-fourths of a meter per second). A large sky crane then lowers the rover on three bridle cords to land softly on six wheels.
The rover will land in Jezero Crater, an ancient river delta that has rocks and minerals that could only form in water. Jezero once contained a lake, which scientists think is one of the most ideal places to find evidence of ancient microbial life. If life exists anywhere else in our solar system, chances are it might be at Jezero Crater. The main question Perseverance is trying to answer is: Was there ever ancient life on Mars?
The Perseverance rover pioneers a robotic arm and a drill that can collect core samples of the most promising rocks and soils, and set them aside in a “cache” on the surface of Mars. A future mission could potentially return these samples to Earth.
To achieve a perfect landing at the target site, a few trajectory (flight path) corrections are needed. During the cruise phase, engineers have various opportunities to adjust the flight path. During trajectory correction maneuvers or TCMs, engineers calculate the spacecraft’s location and command eight thrusters on the cruise stage to fire for the specific amount of time needed to tweak the path. The maneuvers are very important because years of careful planning led to the selection of Jezero Crater as the landing site on Mars, and fine-tuning the flight path ensures that the spacecraft will enter the Mars atmosphere at just the right spot to land inside Jezero crater.
The rover weighs 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms), less than a compact car. Perseverance is about 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide, and 7 feet tall (about 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall). Perseverance has seven instruments, two microphones, and 23 cameras in total. The rover has three Communications antennas. It primarily uses the High-Grain Antenna to send data directly to Earth. A Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator provides electrical power to the rover. It converts heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium into electricity.
In addition, the rover carries a Helicopter named “Ingenuity.” The Mars helicopter rides to Mars attached to the belly of the rover. Mars has lower gravity (about 1/3 that of Earth), but its atmosphere is just 1% as thick, making it much harder to generate lift. The helicopter is a technology demonstration to test the first powered flight on Mars.
The perseverance rover has an official mission time of at least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days) but is expected to go well beyond that, just like previous rovers.
Kailash Kalidoss is a local aerospace enthusiast and educator serving the Bay Area. Kailash first fell in love with aerospace as a teenager when he learned about aviation from his father’s role as a Ground Operations Manager. Kailash has since spent his efforts spreading knowledge about aerospace, astronautics, aviation, science and technology, and of course, the night sky. Kailash also represents the Civil Air Patrol and NASA as a volunteer.
Police chief bids community farewell
Submitted by San Leandro PD
In a message to the community released February 12, San Leandro Police Department Chief Jeff Tudor said he has moved up his retirement date to February 16. Tudor initially announced on January 6 that he would retire in June. Here is his message:
“To the residents of San Leandro, the time has come for me to step aside in my role as Police Chief, and therefore I will be moving up my retirement date effective February 16th, 2021. I have proudly served the City of San Leandro for 31 years and over four of those years as your Chief of Police. I am confident in the abilities of the new leadership team, and I have no doubt that Acting Chief Torres will do amazing things for this Department and this community. His experience and diverse background will be major assets towards advancing the professionalism of our Department.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the women and men of the San Leandro Police Department for their perseverance, professionalism, and daily commitment. Even in the most trying times, these hardworking professionals showed up and upheld their duty to protect this community. I want everyone to know that despite our imperfections, these women and men who put on a uniform every day are some of the most courageous and extraordinary people I have ever had the pleasure to work with.
“I want to thank Mayor Cutter for her compassion and dedication to San Leandro. I am proud to have served under her leadership. More importantly, I want to thank you, the residents of San Leandro, for your support and your willingness to have the hard discussions we all need to hear. I am proud to be a San Leandro native, and I care deeply about this community. I take comfort knowing that in my absence, this Department and this community are in good hands.
Sincerely, Chief Jeff Tudor”
Volunteer to Help Your Neighbor
Submitted by Cari Dighton
As the New Year brings the tradition of resolutions, consider helping people in need as a volunteer in the Bay Area.
During the coronavirus pandemic, families continue to depend on the American Red Cross every day for emergency support, including supplying blood products for patients in need of transfusions due to surgery, cancer treatments or trauma. The Red Cross also continues to collect plasma from individuals who are fully recovered from COVID-19 to help with treatment for the most seriously ill patients. Just as blood donations are essential to the health of our communities, blood services volunteers are vital to our work at blood drives and donation centers.
The need for volunteers is constant, and everyone’s wellbeing is our top priority as we work with public health officials to safely deliver services during COVID-19. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including the most-needed positions:
Blood donor ambassadors: Blood donations are essential, and blood donor ambassadors play a vital role in this essential work by welcoming visitors and taking their temperatures before entering Red Cross facilities and blood drives. Visitors could include potential blood donors, people seeking help, training course participants, and Red Cross employees and volunteers. We have open, high-priority blood donor ambassador positions available in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties: Monday to Friday, during daytime hours.
Transportation specialists: We also have a high-priority need for transportation specialists to help deliver blood from our facilities to local hospitals. We have open, high-priority transportation specialist positions available in the following area:
• San Jose (Santa Clara County): Monday to Friday, afternoons and evenings (starting at 3 p.m.)
Investors see green returns as renewable energy rises
Jan 28
By Damian J. Troise
AP Business Writer
The future looks bright for solar and other renewable energy technology.
FirstSolar, Enphase and SunPower are among the renewable energy stocks that are benefiting from a much friendlier administration in the White House, whose agenda includes tackling climate change and bolstering green energy. Their stocks soared last year, far outpacing the wider market’s gains.
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden rejoined the 2015 Paris climate agreement, revoked a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline and halted oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
“Part of what drove that move last year was the idea there would be a bit more policy support for these initiatives going forward,” said David Lebovitz, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Renewable power sources such as wind and solar now make up 12% of all energy generation, up from 4% in 2011. During the same period, energy generated from hydroelectric sources remained at 8%, while coal fell to 24% from 44%.
Shares of Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar jumped nearly 80% last year, and another 7% so far in 2021. Fremont, California’s Enphase, which makes technology to manage solar power, surged by more than six times last year.
Biden’s platform included a $2 trillion plan to create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035. That could greatly benefit companies developing solar and wind power technologies. Other Biden initiatives include investments in battery storage and negative emissions technologies.
Optimism around the industry was bolstered in December when the government passed a fiscal stimulus package that included extensions for solar and wind production tax credits and other incentives.
The government’s recent approval of a lithium mine in Nevada operated by Lithium Americas should increase access to a key component of rechargeable batteries, which could accelerate development of electric vehicle technology.
“When you think about longer term prospects in renewables, it’s generally positive from these indications,” said Andrew Lee, head of sustainable and impact investing at UBS Global Wealth Management.
The U.S. forecasts a solid bump in capacity as demand rises and utilities develop wind and solar projects. Developers and plant owners expect the addition of utility-scale solar capacity to set a record by adding 15.4 gigawatts of capacity to the grid in 2021, up from about 12 gigawatts in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The agency said solar power will account for the largest share of new capacity in 2021, exceeding wind power growth for the first time.
Romeo B. Penaranda
Resident of San Jose
August 7, 1944 – January 24, 2021
In loving memory of Romeo B. Penaranda who was born on August 7, 1944. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family in San Jose, CA on January 24, 2021 at the age of 76.
Romeo is survived by the love of his life, his beloved wife of 48 years Celedonia Penaranda, his 4 daughters Cecile, Anne Marie, Ivy Rose, and Mylaine.
He also leaves behind 7 grandchildren: Andrew, Ashley Rose, Angelina, Annalyn, Maximus, Joe, and Madeline.
Romeo was born in a small town Barotac Nuevo, Philippines, moved to Guam, then to the United States in 1981 to make a better life for his family. He worked at National Semiconductor as an electrician for 25 years.
He enjoyed his retirement with his wonderful wife Cele by his side travelling to the Philippines and building his dream home. He travelled to many resorts in the Philippines including Palawan, Cebu, Boracay and El Nido. He also spent a lot of time with his daughters in Las Vegas.
He was very proud of his daughters and their accomplishments. His 7 grandchildren also brought him much joy. He actively served as President of the Barotac Nuevo 1966 Alumni Association for 10 years.
Romeo fought a brave battle against Pancreatic Cancer. He was determined to do all he can to fight and overcome this terrible disease. We will dearly miss Romeo Penaranda and his love for his family and friends.
Family Services were held.
Fremont Chapel of the Roses
510-797-1900
Letter to the editor
San Leandro Marina a good option
As we enter 2021, Covid cases have reached record highs. As vaccines continue to be slowly distributed across the nation we are expecting the number of cases will go down eventually. Even though the Shelter in Place order has been lifted, we still have to take precautions.
For my family, Christmas holidays felt year-long and were spent primarily socially distanced and exploring local spots that are normally hidden and mostly ignored. Exploring new places has become a second habit for us during this pandemic. As we have a wheelchair user in the family we try to explore places that are wheelchair friendly. We wrapped our winter vacation with a day trip to San Leandro Marina and Marina Park, a neighborhood in Alameda county.
The San Leandro Marina is a part of the San Leandro Shoreline Recreation Area. The place is famous for its beautiful sunset and watching the planes take off and land in the Oakland Airport, which is a photographer’s delight. The Marina is scenic and very soothing when you just want to visit somewhere to chill. You can also enjoy the beautiful view of the San Francisco skyline on a nice day. These are some of the wheelchair-friendly activities which you can enjoy sitting inside the car.
In addition, the park offers a variety of activities for different ages. There are nice wheelchair-accessible trails by the water for walking, biking, running, and jogging while enjoying the beautiful view of the Bay. Marina Park has lots of lush green open space with paved walkways and picnic spots. Try to go early as parking tends to get packed during the day. There are a boat launch ramp and a yacht club with restaurants and a hotel. It’s a good place for kite flying, and the park has two play structures for the kids.
This is a great place for people watching. During the pandemic, the Marina is very safe to visit as you have many options for activities. People coming here are always in masks and maintain distance even in the parking lot. You can just grab an ice cream from the ice cream vendor, sit back and relax.
Wheelchair Accessibility
• You can enter from Monarch Bay Drive and park along the bay near El Torito for some birdwatching and to view the sunset from inside the car. This place DOES NOT have accessible parking.
• If you want to get out of the car then you can park near Mulford point where there are a few wheelchair accessible parking spaces and an accessible restroom.
• There are more accessible restrooms and parking near the Boat Ramp area.
• The South and North Parking lot of Marina Park have accessible parking and you can access the trail from there.
• Marina Park has an accessible bathroom and picnic tables too.
Twesha Ghosh
Fremont
Symbiosis Youth Summit
Submitted by Shailaja Dixit
February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. To honor this month, SAVE’s youth team – Stronger Than You Think (STYT) – will be hosting the annual Symbiosis Youth Summit on Saturday, February 20. The theme of the free virtual event is Crossroads because the team wants to talk about the intersectionalities in their everyday lives and uplift those conversations in their own communities.
The past year has shown us the fantastic community activism that can be achieved by understanding intersectionality – overlap between race, class, gender, etc. To learn more and to register, visit www.symbiosissummit.com/.
Symbiosis: Crossroads
Saturday, Feb 20
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
www.symbiosissummit.com/
Open to ages12-24
Spring Fling Fundraiser Will Replace Aging Student Laptops
Submitted by Tina Fernandez
The Niles Rotary Club of Fremont is hard at work organizing a virtual fundraiser to benefit three Fremont Unified School District Elementary Schools – Azevada, Harvey Green, and Oliveira.
Registration for the Club’s “Spring Fling” fundraiser is free, and the event will take place online on Saturday, March 20, 2021, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. For full details, including the registration link for this free event, visit www.fremontspringfling.com.
The one-hour online event’s fun and groovy “Laugh In” theme will have attendees in stitches! Featuring family-friendly entertainment, live and silent auctions, and a fund-a-need, monies raised will be used to purchase critically-needed new student laptops.
The Fremont Rotary Club’s typical “can-do” approach means its members are determined to succeed. As is the Rotary tradition, this group regularly supports community causes, including education, and its members are thrilled to give back to local schools and put new technology into the hands of local students.
Because laptops currently in use at Azevada, Harvey Green, and Oliveira Elementary Schools will soon no longer qualify for software updates, Niles Rotary Club members have made supporting students and educators at the three schools a top priority.
Niles Rotary President Dirk Lorenz and President-elect Audrey Kearns are leading the Club’s volunteer event committee, and the team is working diligently to procure monetary donations, in-kind donations, sponsorships, and guest registrations.
Sponsorships start at $100 and auction highlights include a bocce party at a gorgeous Livermore home, highly desirable wines, a quilt made by local artisans, and more!
Join the Niles Rotary Club of Fremont! Register for their free “Spring Fling” fundraiser today, donate, or become a sponsor. Full details are available at www.fremontspringfling.com.
Questions? Please email
pr*************@ni*********.com
.
Niles Rotary Spring Fling
Saturday, Mar 20
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual event
www.fremontspringfling.com
Animal shelter offers ‘Stand-Pup Comedy’
Submitted by Hayward Animal Shelter
Dogs, Cats & Comedians – It’s Stand Pup Comedy on Tuesday, February 23! Hayward Animal Shelter is partnering with Comic Cure for a fun online event starring adoptable pets and funny humans. Performers have been seen on America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central, Conan and many more! Note: This event is for adult audiences.
Tickets are $20, and if you use the below Eventbrite link 50% of your purchase will be donated to Hayward Animal Shelter. Get your tickets meow!
Link to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dogs-cats-and-comedians-its-stand-pup-comedy-online-tickets-139546020905?aff=HAS
Stand Pup Comedy
Tuesday, Feb 23
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
https://www.haywardanimals.org/
Tickets: $20
Online platform connects farmers with consumers
By Miranda Jetter
Photos from Tera Farm social media
Kale is at the heart of Sheena Vaidyanathan’s nonprofit Tera Farm. Early in the pandemic, she bought two boxes from a farmer, connected to through another nonprofit, Kitchen Table Advisors (KTA). She ended up with around two dozen bunches of greens, way too much for her, so she started offering kale to friends. They told her that they had never seen kale that looked so good. The response was overwhelmingly positive and eventually, fielding so many messages, she decided to create a more formal way to connect farmers with their newfound customers.
Now the service is fashioned as a sort of Uber for fresh produce, hosting a platform to directly connect consumers to small farms hit hard by the pandemic. Produce selections for the week are posted online each Monday; people have until Wednesday to place their orders. On Saturday, produce is packed and deposited at one of 25 neighborhood pickup sites scattered throughout the South Bay, East Bay, and Monterey Peninsula, according to the organization’s website including a location near Mission San Jose Elementary School in Fremont.
Vaidyanathan started her project just as the pandemic got underway. During her spring break, while off from her primary job—teaching—she worked overtime to bring the organization together. The farms currently providing produce for the program are those Vaidyanathan partnered with through her connection to KTA. They are so small, that they don’t have enough people to staff farmer’s markets and, pre-pandemic, made their money through wholesale distribution. KTA connected her with Narci Organic Farms—a woman-owned operation in San Juan Bautista headed by Maria Ana Reyes. As the project grew, Magaña Farms, led by Bertha Magaña, was also included.
So far, the entire organization has been entirely volunteer-run. All proceeds go directly to the farmer; the money does not even make a stopover in Tera Farm bank accounts. That’s important because through wholesale, farmers’ primary way of selling their crops, they only get a small portion of the profit—around a third. With Tera Farm, the farmers get all the money, and they get it upfront, another critical feature. Unlike wholesale, where farmers deliver produce and several weeks later receive payment, with her service, “the money reaches farmers even before they harvest, which is huge,” Vaidyanathan said. Those funds can go toward labor and supplies for the harvest. “It’s a win, win, win for them.”
Though Tera Farm’s service sounds similar to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which is popular for its direct-to-consumer farm boxes, there are a few distinctions. “Typical of any classic CSA is that you give the money up front for the whole season,” said Vaidyanathan. Along with the subscription component comes no guarantee of what each week’s box will hold. Tera Farm is unique by its ability to customize each week’s order from what is available and to order at will.
Vaidyanathan also notes how sustainability is a part of Tera Farm. Crop diversity has been an important tool for the farmers they work with. Due to greater demand for their produce, and greater variety, the farms have started diversifying what they plant. She said that both from a financial and land use perspective, it’s more sustainable. Rupa Krishnan, a host site volunteer for the organization in Fremont, also highlighted the reduction in emissions that comes from eating local.
Tera Farm is registered as a California nonprofit, and with that comes a bit of funding to keep the organization afloat. Regardless, she feels an obligation to continue now that Tera Farm is “actually making a difference.” When spring comes, she’s hoping to add more pick-up sites, and more farmers—anything that can be done in service of the organization’s mission to support the farmers. She also wants to put a greater focus on education. Farm visits have been a facet of Tera Farm that’s been curbed by the pandemic, but she stressed how crucial education is. “We will never support the farmers, we will never understand what it means to have local food, and why it costs so much money, unless we have that education,” she said.
That knowledge helped volunteer Krishnan make her choice to start purchasing from Tera Farm herself. Prior to using Tera Farm, she had been getting a CSA box from a large supplier, but the opportunity to support local farmers was enough to switch. Even though they may offer less choice than larger operations, she said, “You’re helping people that cannot probably survive otherwise. So, it made sense to me.”
Tera Farm
Website: www.terafarm.org
Instagram: @terafarmcalifornia
Facebook: facebook.com/terafarmcalifornia
Letter to the editor
Incarcerate animal abusers
The news story from San Jose California this last week of a burglar who also vandalized a pre-school classroom, then brutally beat and stabbed a 70-year-old tortoise, leaves me shaking my head in stunned disbelief at the animal cruelty committed.
The attacker was arrested that same night. Thankfully, the critically injured and traumatized tortoise had remained at the veterinarian’s hospital to recover, because, without warning to anybody concerned, the madman was released from custody the following morning and was back on the streets.
Where did the attacker end up that evening – a free man and still a “mental patient?” Right back at the pre-school, captured on the security video scaling the school wall and dropping onto the playground premises – again!
The criminal is shown searching in the dark under playground benches and tables as if looking intently for the defenseless tortoise to torment once more. He was re-arrested and charged with “felony animal cruelty,” which might detain him behind bars a little longer.
My suggestions: Maybe it’s time for the State of California to make good use of the facilities at “Alcatraz on the Bay” to incarcerate the worse of the numerous convicted “criminally insane” – no releases, no escapes.
Mary Gomez
Hayward
Virtual races, real love
Submitted by Brazen Racing
Brazen Racing has always been about running and community. And just because we have to stay “virtual” with our races, doesn’t mean we aren’t going to keep the love alive with our annual Valentine’s Day Race and the always popular Victory Run! Plus, we’re too into the “Octopus of Love” (Bay Breeze mascot) art to ever skip a year.
We are offering Bay Breeze and Victory as virtual events this year. We are also offering the Breeze to Victory (B2V) Challenge, with participants who do both earning an extra medal to form the 2021 B2V Mega-Medal!
How does it work?
Participants sign up (for Bay Breeze, Victory or both) and commit to a 5K minimum. You can run, cycle, row or do whatever exercise you decide on. Starting on February 14, participants can get their miles done and start reporting them. Reporting of results will remain open until March 7.
The parks where we usually hold these events at are currently scheduled to be open to the public (during regular hours) and you can run at those or any location you choose, including on your treadmill. You can even jump on the stationary bike, rowing machine or do whatever you like to do.
Once you are done, you will go to the results link and enter in your distance and time. Like all our virtual races, these events are non-competitive, but posting your results makes it official. Ready to share the joy? Post a picture and/or your run with #baybreeze and #brazenvictory!
In a short time after the event, you will receive both your shirt and your medal in the mail.
Breeze to Victory challenge
Anyone is welcome to do just the Bay Breeze or Victory event. But if you’ve got more love to share than can be contained in just one event, you will want to sign up for both and take the B2V challenge! This means you:
1. Sign up for both events (choose the “combo” option when registering).
2. Get your Bay Breeze run (or other activity) done and report those results.
3. Next get your Victory run done and report your results.
4. Collect (this year via mail) not only your Bay Breeze and Victory medals, but the third “middle” medal to create the 2021 B2V Mega-Medal.
Bay Breeze and Victory virtual runs
Register online starting Monday, Feb 14
$48 – 96
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