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Redwood City E-News
Building a Great Community Together
Issue #33 ~ May, 2006
(Back to index of all issues)
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Redwood City Reads – One Book, One Community
Redwood City is very excited about a new community event coming up called “Redwood City Reads – One Book, One Community” - everyone in Redwood City is being asked to read the same great book, at the same time, and then join together for book discussions, presentations, activities, and other fun activities.
A volunteer committee did an online survey of the community, and has selected The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The book is available now, and the events take place all throughout the month of May.
This is a perfect opportunity for people throughout our diverse community to join together with a common interest, around this wonderful book. It’s an unforgettable and moving story, sure to inspire everyone to talk about it and share their impressions with each other, and with many new friends that are also reading it.
The community is encouraged to read The Kite Runner and be a part of this great program that will help us all to build a great community together.
Buy the book at Barnes and Noble here in Redwood City or from your favorite local or online bookseller, or borrow it from the Redwood City Public Library. Read the book – you can get going with friends, as part of book clubs, with neighbors, or with other associations – or on your own!
Then, join in on any of the great activities that are planned - get all the details online – and we look forward to seeing many of you during May’s “Redwood City – One Book, One Community!”
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Free WaterWise Spring Gardening Workshops in May
Redwood City invites the community to attend FREE spring gardening workshops this May. For anyone with a garden, landscaping, or sprinkler systems, this “WaterWise” workshop is a must-see!
Interested community members can register online at , or call 780-7436 to reserve their place for one or more of these fun and informative workshops for residents:
May 6
- Irrigation Basics for Homeowners (9 am to 12:30 pm) ~ Learn the components of an irrigation system, how to lay out, install, and maintain your system, and how to identify and solve common irrigation problems.
- Smart Gardening (1:30 pm to 5 pm) ~ This workshop brings together home gardening basics like garden design, irrigation systems, scheduling and fertilizers, and plant selection.
May 13
- ET Controller Concepts (9 am to 12:30 pm) ~ Get the scoop on evapotranspiration (ET) irrigation controllers that “know” when your landscaping needs water, and how much water to provide!
May 20
- Irrigation Scheduling/Maintenance (9 am to 12:30 pm) ~ How much water is enough...or too much? You’ll learn that it all depends on the weather, the plant selection, soil condition, and your irrigation system.
- Smart Gardening (1:30 pm to 5 pm) ~ This workshop (a repeat of the May 6 class) brings together home gardening basics like garden design, irrigation systems, scheduling and fertilizers, and plant selection.
Lots of important and useful information on Redwood City’s water conservation program is available online. People can learn how to save water (and money!) at home, at their business, indoors and outside, and more.
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Planning Commission to Unveil Guiding Principles for General Plan – May 2
The Redwood City Planning Commission has incorporated many community comments from eight public workshops, into the Guiding Principles for the General Plan. These Guiding Principles will in turn drive the vision and specific elements of the General Plan.
The community is invited to join the Planning Commission for the unveiling the Guiding Principles, illustrating how the workshop participants’ thoughts and comments were brought forward and connected to the Principles, and to set the stage for the next steps in our General Plan Update.
The meeting is Tuesday May 2nd starting at 7 pm, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road. During this meeting you’ll have a chance to comment on the Guiding Principles, and the Planning Commission will consider formal adoption of their content.
The next steps of the General Plan process include the development of the Vision for the General Plan, Planning Commission action on that Vision, and then expanding on that Vision with specific elements that directly correspond to the many important issues that the General Plan addresses. Once the Planning Commission has taken those steps, the entire General Plan Update and all of its elements will be presented to the City Council for its consideration.
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The Forum Presents: Sustainably Modern Architecture – May 3
Miami Beach architect, author, and photographer Steve Mouzon is the featured speaker at “The Forum at Redwood City” on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, from 6:00 - 7:45 pm. Mr. Mouzon will provide an exciting presentation on “ Sustainably Modern Architecture.”
Steve Mouzon believes that traditional/classical architecture is the only architecture that remains “of our time” through the passage of time, thus being the only truly sustainably modern architecture. It becomes so by engaging the culture at large rather than remaining in the domain of a few star architects and critics. He will address why it is perfectly acceptable to use traditional and classical architecture in new projects and will explain how to get the details right so that we may get the same enjoyment out of new structures as we do out of our cherished historic buildings.
The Forum takes place at the Little Fox Theater, 2209 Broadway, in Downtown Redwood City. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. No RSVP is required. An optional no-host dinner with the presenter and other participants will be held following the Forum for those wishing to continue the discussion.
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Housing Leadership Council Sponsors Affordable Housing Week, May 12-20
May 12 – 20 is Affordable Housing Week - it’s a series of community events presented to inform residents about actions they can take to make affordable housing a reality in their community. Affordable Housing Week - sponsored by the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County - educates the public about proven solutions to the housing crisis, and illustrates how crucial the public 's involvement is in ensuring adequate, affordable and safe housing for all Bay Area residents.
For more information on Affordable Housing Weeks throughout the Bay Area, go to www.hlcsmc.org.
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Contribute to the Vision for the Future of Redwood City – Planning Commission "Story Telling" Workshop May 16
One of the critical, overarching elements of Redwood City’s General Plan is the Vision for our community’s future. What will our City be like in 2020? What kind of development, housing, transportation, services, and parks will we enjoy? What do we want our City to look like, and feel like?
The Redwood City Planning Commission invites the community to participate in creating a Vision for Redwood City’s future. Based on the Guiding Principles (which will be confirmed at the Planning Commission’s May 2 meeting), a draft Vision outlining what the City will be in the year 2020 will be developed. That Vision will be conceptually expressed in a unique and novel way – in a story-telling community workshop on May 16, taking place at the Peninsula Covenant Church, 3560 Farm Hill Boulevard at 7 pm.
Participants will hear the visionary story of a future Redwood City, read by Redwood City Library’s own master storyteller, Chuck Ashton. Following his venture into the future of great possibilities for our City, attendees will break into small groups to discuss the various City areas encompassed by this Vision –the Downtown, the Bayfront, our Neighborhoods, El Camino Real, and the Redwood City Hills. Participants will bring their own thoughts and ideas to the table, and share their own visionary stories of Redwood City’s future. Each small group will then report-out to the larger group, and the Vision will be further developed, refined, and incorporated as the basis for the continuing update of the City’s General Plan.
On May 16, Redwood City’s stories of the future will be told – you’re invited to attend and comment on the Vision, or share your story for shaping the future of our community. Visit www.redwoodcity.org/generalplan for details on the General Plan Update and how to get involved.
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North Star Academy/Redwood City Education Foundation Presents "Stressed-Out Students" Lecture - May 18
Denise Clark Pope, lecturer from Stanford University School of Education, will offer a fascinating and informative discussion on “Avoiding the Traps of the Fast Track: How to Foster Health, School Engagement and Integrity” on Thursday, May 18th at 7 pm at the McKinley School Auditorium, 400 Duane Street, Redwood City,
Ms. Pope’s discussion examines how parent and school expectations can interfere with a child’s development. Learn about the traps that occur in and out of school over issues such as homework, grades, and the culture of competition, as well as strategies to promote healthier home and school environments. This thought provoking program is a must for parents seeking a healthy balance between academic achievement and personal fulfillment for their children.
This free presentation is organized by North Star Academy and the Redwood City Education Foundation and is co-sponsored by: Sequoia Union High School District, Redwood City School District, The City of Redwood City and Redwood City Public Libraries. This event is free and open to the public. Please forward this message to others who may be interested in attending.
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Silicon Valley Open Studios in Redwood City May 20-21
This year’s Silicon Valley Open Studios Weekends will be held May 20-21 in San Mateo County (also May 6-7 in northern Santa Clara County and May 13-14 in southern Santa Clara County). The hours are 11am – 5pm each weekend day.
Redwood City is very well represented this year, with 38 artists participating, including Beth Mostovoy, of Honeybear Prints, who will host three other artists at her studio at 1420 James Ave. (Site #169). Everyone visiting Beth and her fellow artists will view a wonderful display of creative art works, and also sample a selection of fine wines generously donated by Savvy Cellar Wine Bar in downtown Redwood City.
Also in Redwood City, The Main Gallery, at 1018 Main Street (Site #171) will exhibit artwork from 21 artists in a variety of media. They have special events and artists demonstrations planned throughout the weekend.
In addition, there will be a group of 10 artists showing at the Women’s Club (Site #170), which generously donated the space to SVOS, plus three artists exhibiting at the Broadway Art Center, 2615 Broadway (Site #175).
Free Map Guides, which include a directory describing each artist’s work and location, are available throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, in local libraries, at kiosks in Caltrain stations, and in a variety of bookstores, art stores, coffee shops, and arts organizations throughout the Peninsula. You can also pick up a map guide at the RWC Farmer 's Market on the morning of May 20th.
Thousands of Bay Area residents tour Open Studios each year to meet local artists, view their work and creative processes, and purchase art. Open Studios’ artists work in a wide range of mediums, including photography, assemblage/collage, book binding, ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber art, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, papermaking, pastels, pottery, prints, quilts, and sculpture.
For more information go to the Silicon Valley Open Studios web site at http://svos.org/.
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Community Workshop on Improving El Camino Real - May 24
At a great community workshop last fall, we invited you to walk El Camino Real between Brewster and Maple and talk about how it can be improved. Now, we’re coming back to the community to review and critique the proposed design plans to make it easier and safer for students, families, and commuters to walk to school, home, downtown, and the Caltrain/SamTrans Station.
Help us determine how to transform El Camino Real into a more pedestrian-friendly, inviting, and safe street, linking your neighborhoods with transportation and the downtown. Talk about:
- Pedestrian signals
- Street trees
- Street lights
- Pedestrian mid-block crossings
Wednesday, May 24, 7pm to 9pm, Redwood City Hall Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. For information, contact Jeannie Young at 650.780.7365 or jyoung@redwoodcity.org.
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May is National Historic Preservation Month
The Redwood City community will join thousands of individuals around the country to take part in a nationwide celebration of the annual National Historic Preservation Month, May 2006. “ Sustain America – Vision, Economics, and Preservation" is the theme of this month-long celebration, which is sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and locally by the City of Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
As part of the month-long celebration, citizens nationwide will celebrate with alumni reunions, career days, pageants, workshops, clean-up days, rallies, re-enactments, and home and garden tours. Here in Redwood City, Preservation Month 2006 will be observed by a remarkable historic walking tour, a proclamation by the Mayor, a field trip for seventh graders to three downtown buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Historic Walking Tour will be on Sunday, May 7 th beginning at 10:30 am in front of Lathrop House at 627 Hamilton Street, and will last approximately an hour and a half. Participants will marvel to see where Wyatt Earp occasionally came for a drink, where President Hoover once slept, where a Wells Fargo Express Office operated in 1875, the site of Redwood City’s first new car showroom salon and auto repair garage, the finest theater on the peninsula in 1896, the former homes of prominent pioneer citizens and much, much more.
The field trips for 7 th graders from the Redwood City School District will take place May 24 and 25, and May 30 and 31 with 800 students experiencing the restored 1863 Lathrop House, a historic house museum at 627 Hamilton Street, the Old County Courthouse (home of the San Mateo County Historical Association and Museum), and the historic Fox Theater.
Business and community sponsors and participants for the school tours include restaurant and Fox Theater owners John Anagnostou and Michael Monte, the San Mateo County Historical Association, Cypress Lawn Cemetery, the Redwood City Heritage Association, the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, Attorney Michael Bursak, and the Redwood City Optimist Club.
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