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Redwood City E-News
Building a Great Community Together
Issue #64 ~ December, 2008
(Back to index of all issues)
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Hometown Holidays is Saturday, December 6
See you Downtown on December 6 for Hometown Holidays!
Downtown Redwood City is THE place to be for families during the holidays! In addition to our great shopping, exceptional dining, and variety of entertainment, the Hometown Holidays celebration on December 6th brings “imported” snow for kids to enjoy, a wonderful children’s parade, Santa, spectacular fireworks, a fun outdoor movie, incredible ice sculpting, traditional tree-lighting – it’s just good old-fashioned fun.
As part of this great family entertainment day, the Fox Theatre features two performances of the holiday classic The Nutcracker, performed by Ballet America, and Caltrain's famous Holiday Train, complete with thousands of lights, decorations, and live music, will stop at Redwood City's Caltrain station at 6:15 - be sure to bring a toy for the toy drive..
During the holidays Downtown and Courthouse Square are filled with a hometown festive atmosphere, and there’s simply no shortage of fun, exciting, and entertaining things to do. The family fun is second to none! Visit www.hometownholidays.org for information on this wonderful Downtown tradition.
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Help the Police/Fire Annual Toy and Book Drive
Each year, the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) Christmas Toy and Book Drive has brought the holiday spirit right to the doorstep of many needy families.
In conjunction with the Police Officers Association and Firefighters Association, and with help from the Fair Oaks Community Center and a corps of volunteers, this annual event has become a welcome tradition in Redwood City.
Businesses are asked to place donation barrels at their sites; individuals and families are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys and books; and volunteers are asked for their time and energy for ‘wrapping parties’ where everyone takes part in preparing the gifts for the kids, from gift wrapping, to ‘quality control,’ to helping with food and drinks.
To learn how to get involved, call Officer Dan Smith at (650) 556-1650 extension 11.
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Holiday Garbage & Recycling Pickup Schedule
Due to the holidays, Redwood City's garbage and recycling collection service provider, Allied Waste, will not be operating on Thursday, December 25th (Christmas Day) or on Thursday, January 1 (New Year's Day).
Here is a quick summary:
- Christmas:
- Thursday’s, 12/25/08, garbage collection will be on Friday, 12/26/08
- Friday’s, 12/26/08, garbage collection will be on Saturday, 12/27/08
- New Years
- Thursday’s, 1/1/09, garbage collection will be on Friday, 1/2/09
- Friday’s, 1/2/09, garbage collection will be on Saturday, 1/3/09
If your garbage would normally be collected on Thursday, December 25, it will instead be picked up on Friday, December 26. Then, that normal Friday pickup will be moved to Saturday, December 27.
If your garbage would normally be collected on Thursday, January 1, 2009, it will instead be picked up on Friday, January 2. Then, that normal Friday pickup will be moved to Saturday, January 3.
All collection schedules will return to normal beginning the week of January 5, 2009.
Allied Waste makes these temporary schedule changes for the holidays in order to allow their employees to spend time with their families on those days. This is in compliance with the Franchise Agreement between the City and Allied Waste.
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Fire Department Offers Holiday Safety Tips
Here are a few key winter holiday fire-safety tips from the Redwood City Fire Department:
- Live Christmas trees - especially dry ones - are highly combustible and will burn very fast. They should be purchased when they are very fresh and should be watered frequently to retain their green color and to avoid drying out. Decorative lights should be used wisely and their plugs should not be overloaded – attaching too many lights to a plug can overload electrical circuits and cause a fire.
- Use candles with care – they should never be placed on a Christmas tree. Make sure candles are not at a risk of tipping over, and do not leave lit candles unattended.
- Only firewood, or other products intended for this use, should be burned in fireplaces - and be sure to have your chimney inspected and cleaned if needed. Do not burn scrap wood or trash.
- If a home contains a central heating system, it should be inspected once a year and whenever any kind of a problem is suspected, to ensure that it’s operating correctly and safely.
- Space heaters should be used only in an area that is clear of any combustibles. It’s valuable to imagine a circle around a space heater that has at least a 3-foot radius – that’s the minimum area that should be kept clear. Any space heater purchased for the home should bear the label of an independent testing laboratory such as UL.
Additional information on home fire safety for the holidays and year-round is available from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). More information on how to make your home “fire-safe” can also be obtained by contacting the Redwood City Fire Department at 650-780-7400 or visiting www.redwoodcity.org/fire.
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Teen REACH Program Offers Students Career Info
High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Redwood City are invited to join an exciting, fun, and motivating program sponsored by the City of Redwood City. For six interactive afternoon sessions, Redwood City’s Teen REACH provides students with a great overview of City and public sector career options, discussions and activities with City staff to learn about their careers, skills- building workshops, a career and education fair, and lots more.
Applications for the 2009 session are currently being accepted. Space is limited, and the deadline to apply is January 23rd, so interested students should call 780-7288 or email llockhart@redwoodcity.org right away for details on how to participate in Teen REACH.
The 2009 Teen REACH program begins on February 26th and end on April 2nd. Students will meet every Thursday from 3:30 – 5:30 PM during the six week period. Redwood High School and Sequoia High School students will receive community service credits for participation in the program.
Students will learn about City career opportunities that they may not have considered – either right out of high school, or after college – and discover community resources for career and skill building that will be valuable for whatever direction they choose. They’ll be surprised by the breadth and variety of career options available with Redwood City, and networking with City staff will be of great value for the participants’ future career connections. It’s a part of Redwood City’s commitment to building a great community together.
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Volunteer to do Home Energy Audits!
Did you know that the energy we use at home accounts for about 21% of US global warming pollution? That means smart choices at home can really make a difference! It's easy to make climate- friendly choices in your home and not only save energy, but save money too!
Redwood City and non-profit Acterra have teamed-up to provide a great way for households to make climate-friendly choices. With the help of trained volunteers, the Green@Home program offers home energy audits, FREE! You'll gain a great set of recommendations for how to improve your household's energy efficiency.
Volunteer to be trained to do home energy audits in Redwood City!
(or call 650-962-9876 x350, or email greenathome@acterra.org)
Green@Home volunteers meet with residents in their homes to install simple energy-saving devices and create home energy conservation plans. Volunteers demonstrate environmentally friendly choices and foster a deeper awareness of the need for change.
Volunteers are trained to peform a basic home energy saving audit with a Kill-A-Watt meter, and to do the following:
- Adjust water heater and refrigerator temperatures
- Install flow restrictors in faucets and showerheads
- Place 3 compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Install retractable clothesline (if desired)
- Teach residents how to measure pressure and properly inflate car tires
Sign up to get an energy audit for your home.
Home energy audit housecalls will be available in Redwood City starting in early 2009.
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General Plan Outreach Continues in December
City staff is continuing its unprecedented outreach efforts and activities to engage the community in creating Redwood City's New General Plan.
In late September, a unique and thought-provoking community workshop was held at the San Mateo County History Museum and Courthouse Square, where over 300 people attended and participated. The event featured interactive exercises, discussions, presentations, refreshments, displays, activities, prizes and even kids’ activities on Courthouse Square.
This workshop was one of Redwood City’s creative ways of engaging the community to learn what people think about alternative land uses around El Camino Real, the Bayfront, Woodside Road, and neighborhood areas – as well as get their opinions, thoughts, and preferences on many other General Plan issues, like transportation, housing, parks, historic resources, and more. A great many comments and suggestions were received, which will be incorporated into the preparation of the New General Plan.
There are more meetings and workshops planned for December - for a complete schedule, visit www.redwoodcity.org/generalplan. And be sure to check the General Plan website for neighborhood workshops and other meetings in the new year, too!
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