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Redwood City E-News
Building a Great Community Together
Issue #23 ~ June, 2005
(E-News is taking the month of July off, and wishes you a great summer - the next issue will be in August)
(Back to index of all issues)
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Celebrate World Environment Day
The community of Redwood City is invited to celebrate and participate locally in the World Environment Day/Tour des Trees Bike Ride/Park Stroll at Red Morton Park. The fun starts at 9:00 am on Saturday June 4th and continues until 1 pm.
Activities include:
- a 16-mile Tour des Trees bike ride;
- children’s walk, bike, or scoot around Red Morton Park;
- free children’s activities including face painting and arts and crafts;
- information about local environmental and non-profit groups;
- free T-shirts and trees seedlings to the first 100 reserved participants;
- the ceremonial planting of a tree in Red Morton Park.
- The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program will be there, with information and free digital thermometers for those that turn in their old mercury-filled thermometers.
Redwood City is combining the Tour des Trees with World Environment Day (www.wed2005.org) in an effort to raise awareness and participation in protecting our environment and helping our urban forest.
The Tour des Trees Redwood City is a fund raiser for the TREE Fund, a non-profit tree research foundation (www.treefund.org). Elsewhere in the country, the Tour des Trees lasts up to a week, and each day of the ride a tree is planted along the route. Community participation in this one-day event will help plant a tree and grow the TREE Fund to benefit our urban trees.
Younger tree-lovers and environmentalists can participate by walking, riding, or scooting around Red Morton Park and enjoy the activities safely with a playground and park facilities nearby – the environmental festival is on from 10 am until 1 pm, with a special tree planting ceremony at 11 am, sponsored by CityTrees, Redwood City’s non-profit tree planting organization (www.citytrees.org).
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Enjoy Live Music All Summer Long in Redwood City
Redwood City’s two FREE summer concert series are gearing up to bring a variety of top-quality local and national musical performers to the community. From jazz, blues, Celtic, and swing, to Latin, salsa, blues, country, and more, these free concerts are a great way to spend a balmy summer evening in beautiful Redwood City.
First, starting June 17 “Live in Downtown” takes place Friday nights (excluding July 29) from 6 to 8 pm in the City Center Plaza, right next to City Hall at 1017 Middlefield Road, across the street from the Downtown library. This concert series is sponsored by the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission and the City of Redwood City.
Here is the "Live in Downtown" Summer Concert Series 2005 Schedule:
- June 17 Special Request – high energy R&B
- June 24 Aja Vu - Steely Dan tribute
- July 1 Cool Jerks – Motown meets big band
- July 8 The Sun Kings – the best of the Beatles
- July 15 Take Two – hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s
- July 22 California Cowboys – California Country
- August 5 Wally’s Swing World – stylish swing to modern
- August 12 Hale Baskin – a rising local star
- August 19 Garage Band – from the 40s to today
- August 26 Orchestra Kalachin – Latin salsa
- September 2 Jackie Payne – big blues sound
Then, the Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department presents the 2005 Summer Concert Series at Stafford Park. It’s a great place to bring the family to enjoy free live music in a beautiful park setting at the corner of King Street and Hopkins Avenue.
The concerts take place Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 pm in Stafford Park starting on June 29th:
- June 29 The Internationals – Bavarian & polka
- July 6 Los Boleros – Latin flavor with salsa
- July 13 Big Hair – “We love the 80s!”
- July 20 Double Funk Crunch - Discomania
- July 27 Molly’s Revenge - Celtic
- August 3 Zydeco Flames – Down on the bayou Cajun
- August 10 Pure Ecstasy – Motown and R&B
- August 17 Ben Marcato & His Mondo Combo – Rockin’ swing
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High-Efficiency Toilets Available for FREE to Redwood City Water Customers
Redwood City is on an aggressive campaign to conserve our precious drinking water - and one great way we can all participate is by replacing old water-wasting toilets with brand new high-efficiency models. We're targeting over 12,000 old toilets for FREE replacement, and once this is done we could save up to 100 million gallons of water annually!
Redwood City’s Toilet Replacement Program offers free replacement of old water-wasting toilets with high-efficiency models that utilize state-of-the-art technology, with tested and proven high flushing performance, for single-family, multi-family, and commercial customers - and installation is free, too. This is a total market value of $200 to $400, depending on the model of toilet you choose.
To participate in this program, all you need to do is to make sure you qualify for this program and fill out and send in an application, and once it 's approved, the City’s professional contractor will contact you for a convenient appointment to install your new toilet, and haul away your old water-waster for recycling - all for free!
Go to www.redwoodcity.org/conservation for all the details, or call our Water Conservation Hotline at 780-7436.
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June Events at Veterans Memorial Senior Center
Redwood City’s Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue, Redwood City is kicking off the summer with a great series of events for the month of June. All programs are open to the public:
- June Bug Dance, Wednesday, June 1, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Redwood Room. Break out your dance shoes and join the Ron Garifo Octet for a week night dance. Light appetizers and beverages will be served. The charge is $8 per person. For reservations, call 780-7270.
- “SAIF—Seniors Against Investment Fraud” Free Lecture, Wednesday, June 1, 10:30 a.m., Theater, Free. Speaker is Deborah Owdom, Retired Seniors Volunteer Program Coordinator at Mills-Peninsula. This program is a statewide outreach campaign designed to teach people how to spot, stop and avoid investment fraud crimes targeting seniors. Topics include investment frauds, how to remove your name from mailing and telemarketing lists, not being a “courtesy victim,” how to employ investor self-defense tips, and how SAIF can advise you before investing.
- “Older California Driver Traffic Safety Seminar,” Free, Wednesday, June 29, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Sunset Room. The program is sponsored by the California Highway Patrol and presented by the Senior Volunteers of the California Highway Patrol. The seminar is designed to help you tune up your driving skills, refresh your knowledge of the rules of the road and learn about normal age-related physical changes and how to adjust to changes and be a safer and more alert driver. To register, call the Senior Center at 780-7270.
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Retail-Cinema Streetscape Construction, Detours, Street Closures
While the retail-cinema structure continues to make solid progress, there remains a great deal of work that will have an impact on Downtown traffic and pedestrians. Here is an overview of the major elements of that impact:
- To accommodate the bulk of the streetscape work that will enhance the new Downtown retail-cinema project, Broadway will be entirely closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic between Jefferson and Hamilton starting in July. This closure is expected to last for the duration of the construction, through the end of 2005.
- The removal of trees and concrete planters on Broadway between Jefferson and Hamilton will begin within the next two weeks. This removal will make room for the news streetscape improvements that will go in as part of the retail-cinema project.
- Installation of a new water line and an increased-capacity sewer main underneath Broadway will take place in June – watch for work and street closures on Broadway between Hamilton and Wharf Street (one block past Jefferson).
The City would like to thank drivers, pedestrians, and businesses in the affected area for their patience and understanding, and apologize for any inconvenience that may occur. This work is a necessary part of the new retail-cinema project that will help bring a renaissance to Downtown Redwood City.
All scheduling is subject to change, and the City will keep the downtown community informed of new schedule information.
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Apply to Fill Vacancy on one of Redwood City’s Boards, Commissions, or Committees
The City of Redwood City announces great opportunities for any adult resident interested in helping to build a great community! Applications are now available to fill vacancies on several of the City’s appointed boards, commissions, and committees and members of the community are invited to offer their interest, experience, and enthusiasm for the benefit of their City.
Here are the boards, commissions, and committees for which the City is currently seeking applicants:
- Architectural Review Committee
(one vacancy, term expires May 31, 2006)
- Home Improvement Loan Committee
(one vacancy, term expires May 31, 2007)
- Library Board
(one vacancy, term expires June 30, 2007)
- Board of Port Commissioners
(one vacancy, term expires July 31, 2007)
- Civic Cultural Commission
(one vacancy, term expires May 31, 2008)
Go to www.redwoodcity.org/clerks for all the details and an application. The deadline for applications is June 24, 2005
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Special Joint Study Session on Downtown Precise Plan
Please plan to attend a special community meeting and study session with the City Council, Planning Commission, and Architectural Review Committee to discuss the Downtown Precise Plan – Monday, June 13, 2005 at 7 pm in the Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Road.
The Downtown Precise Plan is the policy and regulatory document that will guide change and implement the community vision for Downtown. For planning purposes, Downtown is considered the area bounded by Veteran’s Boulevard, Brewster Avenue, El Camino Real, Maple Street, and Main Street.
The discussion will encompass questions such as:
- What should Downtown streets look and feel like?
- What would attract people to live in the Downtown?
- Is housing in the Downtown financially feasible? What about traffic congestion?
- What is the right mix of restaurant and retail uses?
- What kind of architecture is right for Downtown?
- How tall should Downtown buildings be?
- Can El Camino Real really be a “grand boulevard”?
- How can we make the most of the transit facility for both Downtown and the City?
- What happened in the previous public workshops on the Downtown, and how do we implement the community’s recommendations from those meetings?
This joint study session and workshop sets the stage for the drafting of the plan. Please join the City Council, Planning Commission and Architectural Review Committee and share your thoughts and ideas for the continued transformation of downtown — the “living room” of the community. It’s your downtown!
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17th Annual Mayor’s Beautification Awards Deadline is June 30
Redwood City residents, non-profit organizations, and businesses are showing their civic pride by applying for a Mayor 's Beautification Award. Individuals, homeowners associations, apartment complexes, businesses, non-profits, and others are invited to participate.
Applications are available by calling the contact number below, or by visiting City Hall ( 1017 Middlefield Road). The application is also available online at www.redwoodcity.org, where applicants can fill it in, print it, and send it in. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2005, and judging will be completed by the end of July.
These awards help foster civic pride in our community, beautify our entire City, and, of course, recognize people and organizations for their work to make Redwood City a better, more attractive place to live and work.
The program is sponsored by the City 's Pride and Beautification Committee, and encourages attractive structural and landscaping improvements in our community. Single- or multi-family residences, apartment complexes, home owners associations, and non-profit or commercial properties are eligible.
A panel of volunteer judges will prescreen the entries, and the final selection process will include a site visit to the top entries. Categories include best architectural design, remodel, historical restoration; most beautiful garden or landscape; best compatible building and garden or landscape; and more. If an entry doesn 't exactly fit into one of the categories, you can create your own!
Call 780-7300 for information on the Mayor’s Beautification Awards or get the application online.
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Small Grants Available for Your Community Project
Grants of up to $300 are available for community engagement projects, beautification, neighborhood participation activities, or other projects that bring people together and build community. The purpose of this grant program is to help people to implement their own creative ideas for making their street, block, neighborhood, or community a better place to live and work.
Eligible projects will have a positive impact and will offer an opportunity for neighbors to get to know one another and work together toward a common goal of community improvement and engagement. This program is one way the City is helping people to strengthen the foundation of the entire community.
More information and applications are available online, at the Office of the City Manager at 1017 Middlefield Road , or by emailing or calling the City Manager 's office at 650-780-7300. Applications will be reviewed once a month and applicants can expect to hear from the City within 45 days of receipt of the application.
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Heads Up for the Fall PACT Program!
The City’s PACT program is so popular, we generally have to turn people away to maintain the class at a reasonable size. This is your advance notice that applications for the fall 2005 PACT program, which will take place on nine consecutive Wednesday evenings staring September 7, will be available in early July. Be sure to take a look at www.redwoodcity.org/pact in July for your application.
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