Redwood City | Redwood City E-News

Over two hundred Redwood City citizens have been accused of possessing big hearts and cited for conspiring with the Muscular

Dystrophy Association (MDA) to raise funds for Bay Area residents living with one of 43 neuromuscular diseases. These community conscious professionals have agreed to serve time for “good” on Wednesday, April 2nd. Bail is set at $1,600, which sends two kids to summer camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Members of the Redwood City Police Department have graciously volunteered to be the “arresting officers.” They will serve the jailbirds with a “fun” warrant and transport them to the Maximum Appreciation Facility at Milagros Cantina where they will face a judge, pose for an authentic mug shot, and feast on jailhouse grub.

Join in the fun for a good cause - Wednesday, April 2nd, from 10 am to 3 pm at Milagros Cantina, 1099 Middlefield Road. Bring some bail money to help get these do-gooders out of "jail" - your bail money goes right to the MDA.

More information is available by contacting Leslie Uptain of MDA at 415-673-7500.

Professor "Carbon Bob" Cormia will be giving an enlightening

presentation on easy steps each of us can take to be part of the climate solution. Learn to measure your carbon footprint, create your own personal climate action plan, conduct an efficiency audit, and outline five significant steps to becoming a low carbon citizen.

This special presentation takes place at Coyote Point Museum 1551 Coyote Point Drive in San Mateo. For more information and to reserve a seat, send an email to info@RecycleWorks.org or call 1-888-442-2666.

This event is sponsored by San Mateo County's RecycleWorks (www.recycleworks.org).

You can also get involved with climate protection at the local level through the Redwood City Cool City Campaign - just visit www.redwoodcity.org/coolcity.

If you hurry, you can still attend one or more of our FREE water wise

spring gardening workshops - they start April 5.

Register online at www.redwoodcity.org/conservation, or call 780-7436 to reserve your place for one or more of these fun and informative workshops:

All workshops will be held at the Green Building Exchange, located at 305 Main Street in Redwood City. For anyone with a garden, landscaping, or sprinkler systems, and an interest in maintaining beautiful landscaping while saving water and money, these “WaterWise” workshops are a must!

Here's a great opportunity to discuss and learn about historic preservation - something of which the Redwood City community is rightly very proud.

After a welcome by Mayor Rosanne Foust, join Marie Nelson, of the State Office of Historic Preservation, Matt Weintraub, of the San Francisco Planning Department, and Redwood City planning staff for a stimulating and enlightening discussion.

The community is invited to attend and participate in this workshop, and learn more about how Redwood City can continue its historical preservation activities.

Another quick note on historical preservation: this May, Redwood City and the Historic Resources Advisory Committee are providing scheduled school tours of the Lathrop House, the old County Courthouse/San Mateo County History Museum, and the Fox Theater.

Volunteers are needed to help groups of Redwood City seventh graders on these tours - anyone that appreciates architecture and enjoys beautiful historic buildings, and has just a couple of hours (or more!) of time available during the tour dates, is invited and encouraged to bring their enthusiasm and volunteer for this fun and gratifying project.

Assisted by teachers, the volunteers will lead a class through the itinerary of visiting these three buildings, where docents will actually host the tours in each building.

Potential volunteers can contact the chair of the Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee, Mr. Ken Rolandelli, by phone at (650) 368-0805 or e-mail: kenrolandelli@aol.com.

Sponsored by San Mateo County's RecyleWorks, the Green Your Home Fair will provide ideas and inspiration for low-cost energy and water conservation.

On Thursday, April 10th from 4 - 7 pm, experts and vendors will be available to teach the homeowner about how to economically green your home to help reduce climate change - and save money! The event takes place at the Green Building Exchange, 305 Main Street, Redwood City.

It's a multicultural, socially responsible, and eco-friendly event that brings a fabulous array of art to the community. Fair trade crafts are being promoted at the five main art galleries in Redwood City, compiling over 75 local artists, bringing inspiration, culture and entertainment this spring and summer to the entier Peninsula.

Art Walk takes place every second Saturday of the month from April through September, starting at 7 pm.

Bring the family for an Art Walk - wander from gallery to gallery, take in the art and culture, and enjoy the new dining and entertainment options in our revitalized downtown.

Visit www.redwoodcityartwalk.com for more information. This event is sponsored by The Redevelopment Agency of Redwood City.

Here's a great opportuity for both the under-12 and 12-18 age groups to show off their hidden (or not-so-hidden!) talents!

Kids up to 11 years old can drop in to the Community Room of the Downtown Library for auditions:

Auditions for teens 12 to 18 years old are also in the Community Room of the Downtown Library:

All acts must audition. Acts can be solo, duo or group, but each act is limited to 3 minutes. Rehearsal time is available but optional.

For more information about the Kid’s Talent Show contact Jacky Averill at 780-7016 or javerill@redwoodcity.org. More information about the Teen Talent Show is available by contacting Sarah Latorra at 780-7035 or slatorra@redwoodcity.org. Visit the Redwood City Public Library online at www.redwoodcity.org/library.

Celebrate Earth Day the Redwood City way! Join with friends,

neighbors, and other community members for the annual Spring Cleanup Day.

This is a great, easy, and fun project for kids, adults, and the whole family, and is perfect for doing your part on Earth Day! Community members are invited to volunteer and show their pride in Redwood City.

Participants should meet at 8:30 am on Saturday April 19th at the City’s Public Works Services building, located at 1400 Broadway (near Broadway and Woodside Road). After a complimentary continental breakfast, clean-up teams will move out and descend on this year’s targeted areas. This year's focus is on sprucing up Redwood Creek, our levees, Redwood Shores Lagoons, Little River Park, historic Union Cemetery, shoreline trails, and the City’s “gateways.”

Then at noon, volunteers will meet for a special free BBQ lunch as a ‘thank you’ for participating in this annual fun project that helps the entire community.

Also, on April 19th and 20th it's the Great Mulch Giveaway, sponsored by Allied Waste Services. From 10 am to 6 pm, Redwood City residents can bring 2 or 3 trash cans, bags, boxes, or other containers to the Public Works Services parking lot and load up with free compost – a limited supply is available to be shared among our community members on a first-come, first-served basis.

Education Foundation's "Benefit for a Brighter Future"

Tickets for the Redwood City Education Foundation’s premiere fundraising event are on sale now! Benefit for A Brighter Future: It All Starts Here is being held at the Pacific Athletic Club on April 25, 2008, starting at 5:30 pm.

Please visit www.rcef.org/brighterfuture to order your tickets today, while you can still take advantage of Early Bird pricing.

The evening will be hosted by Ted Lempert of ChildrenNow and will feature an entertaining and informative activity: “Do You Know.” Guests can test themselves, with the assistance of Redwood City student experts, to see how much they know about math, science, language arts, and our district.

Oracle is being honored at the event for their on-going support of our schools and their new Oracle Technology Mini-grants, which will allow the RCEF to provide $20,000 to teachers for science and technology programs next year. The evening will close with “Fund A Program,” where everyone will have the chance to make a program funding gift.

Now, more than ever, is the time to come together and financially help our local schools so we can continue to provide, and expand, critical enrichment activities such as music, art, PE, outdoor & science education, and health/wellness education. Please visit www.rcef.org/brighterfuture for more information.

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"Hoover Area Connection" Neighborhood Workshop

Redwood City's neighborhood mobility study, “Hoover Area Connection: Linking for Your Neighborhood,” works with the people in the Hoover area (Stambaugh-Heller and Redwood Village neighborhoods) to improve their ability to get around to school, work, shopping, services, and appointments - when a car is not an option.

Interested members of these communities are invited to come together with friends and neighbors for the second in a series of four neighborhood workshop, and share ideas on their transportation needs and issues, and what we can all do to make getting around the community easier and safer:

Saturday, April 26th, 2008
10 am to Noon
Fair Oaks Community Center
2600 Middlefield Road , Redwood City

This workshop will be held in both English and Spanish; free child care for children ages three to nine will be available (please call 780-7229 to reserve child care). Breakfast will be served. More information is available by calling 780-7365.

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Cool Tips from Cool Families

Summer travel season is almost here, and spring break is upon us. Everything you do is a little more challenging when you travel, including recycling and saving energy. Here are a few tips to help you reduce the greenhouse gases you generate when you travel. Remember, transportation and home heating/cooling are the biggest contributors to your carbon footprint.

Tip #1: Choose an efficient car. If you travel by car, start by choosing the most energy efficient vehicle that is safe and appropriate for your trip. Follow our previous tips, and make sure the tires have appropriate air pressure.

Tip #2: Turn off home air conditioning or heat. If you whole family is leaving the house: Turn off heat & air conditioning entirely if possible; or adjust it to a lower setting to protect pipes from freezing or to make sure pets stay healthy. Turn water heater to "Vacation" or lowest setting; and unplug appliances, such as TVs, computers and set-top boxes - they use power even when they are turned off.

Tip #3: Pack light. Especially if you are flying, don't overpack. It takes a lot of fuel to move the extra weight across the miles.

Tip #4: Try camping! Consider staying closer to home for your vacation destination. There are so many amazing places to visit in California, check out someplace nearby that you've always been meaning to visit. Camping can be a terrific, eco-friendly vacation.

Tip #5: Reduce power use in your hotel: If you stay in a hotel:

Ask housekeeping not to replace your sheets and towels every day; this reduces energy AND water usage.
Turn off the lights, air conditioner or heater, and the electronics in your room while you're out.
Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, and take a shorter showers.
Bring your own toiletries, or, if you use what the hotel provides, take leftover items home with you.

Cool Families is a Redwood City-based group of parents concerned about global warming and climate change. To join this group go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoolFamiliesRWC/

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Apply for 20th Annual Mayor's Beautification Recognition Program

For the 20th consecutive year, Redwood City residents, non-profit organizations, and businesses are showing their civic pride by applying for the Mayor's Beautification Recognition Program. the deadline for entires is Friday, May 30th - click here for the application and more information or call 780-7300.

Individuals, homeowners associations, apartment complexes, businesses, non-profits, and others are invited to participate - think your project might be the best architectural design, remodel, or historical restoration? Or maybe the most beautiful garden or landscape, or the most compatible building and garden or landscape. Or maybe you have your own category that we didnt' think of!

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, applicants can create their own category.

Entering the Mayor 's Beautification Recognition Program is an easy and fun way to demonstrate neighborhood and civic pride, and help to connect with the community of Redwood City.