Hundreds of bicycle riders will converge at Menlo-Atherton School, 555 Middlefield Road, in Atherton at 6:30 a.m. July 11 to participate in the 24th annual Bike 4 Breath charity ride, presented by local nonprofit Breathe California.
The route selection ranges from the 64-mile for seasoned riders (departs at 7 a.m.), the intermediate 30-mile (departs at 9 a.m.), or the family-friendly 10-mile (departs at 9:30 a.m.).
The start and finish area will feature a health expo and kids” zone that opens at 10:30 a.m., lunch served at 11:30 a.m., as well as music, food, and prizes. The event officially ends at 2 p.m.
“While the ride is an excellent way to enjoy the summer season and challenge oneself, it also helps to promote lung health and clean air policies in the greater Bay Area,” says Alexandra Elliott, Breathe California events manager, in an email statement. “It”s a great opportunity for families to ride together since it”s open to all ages and rider levels.”
Riders are encouraged to collect donations leading up to the ride to support Breathe California, which is dedicated to fighting lung disease, advocating for clean air, and promoting public health in its local communities. Some riders participate to honor their loved ones who have died because of lung disease while others ride to help support Breath California”s clean air initiatives and programs.
“Help us reach our fundraising goal of $150,000 for Bike 4 Breath,” said Linda Civitello, Breathe California CEO, also in an email statement. “The stakes are higher than ever with lung disease now the second leading cause of death in the USA. Your donation will provide the urgent funds needed to ensure that breathing is not a struggle or risk! 100 percent of the proceeds raised stay in the community and support lung health and clean air programs.”
For questions about the Bike 4 Breath ride, go to www.bike4breath.org or call 1-877-3-BREATHE.
Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula partnering with Technovation to inspire tech leaders
Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula is partnering with Technovation, the world”s largest mobile app entrepreneurship competition for girls, to inspire the next generation of technology leaders.
The significant volunteer and outreach support from the JLPA-MP will benefit Technovation as the organizations collaborate to educate the female technology entrepreneurs of the future.
In this first joint project, the organizations will work together to address the shortage of girls who pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers.
JLPA-MP volunteers will contact local teachers, women in technology, and community leaders to educate them about Technovation”s free online curriculum and competition, and equip them to lead Technovation groups in their schools and neighborhoods. They will also provide support to volunteers throughout the competition and organize local events related to the project.
“I”m proud to see JLPA-MP focusing on girls in STEM and working with Technovation to bring mobile app development and entrepreneurship education to more girls in our community,” said Samantha Quist, JLPA-MP member and former Technovation executive director, in an email statement.
Studies have shown that only 18 percent of computer science majors are women (a decrease of 35 percent of computer science graduates in 1985) and an estimated 7 percent of technology entrepreneurs are women. The goal of JLPA-MP and Technovation is to improve the ratio of women in computer sciences and entrepreneurship by providing education and training to young women in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Technovation is issuing a challenge to girls ages 10-18 to create a mobile app and business plan to address a real problem in their community. In past years, Bay Area students have addressed issues such as bullying, graffiti, and peer pressure. The 2015-16 project will start this fall as teachers, community members, women in technology, and other volunteers register to participate in Technovation. Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula is eager to collaborate with volunteers and students as they begin their work on Technovation”s curriculum by January to prepare apps for submission to Technovation”s international competition by next spring.
To learn more about JLPA-MP, which serves Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Stanford, Sunnyvale, and Woodside, go to www.thejuniorleague.org.
For more information about Technovation, go to www.technovationchallenge.org.
Entry deadline approaching for the 19th annual San Bruno Beautification Awards
The entry deadline for the 19th annual San Bruno Beautification Awards, sponsored by the City of San Bruno Beautification Task Force, is 5 p.m. Aug. 14.
The awards are designed to recognize the efforts of residents and businesses to improve and maintain the physical appearance of San Bruno. Focusing on exterior improvements, all San Bruno residential properties (single and multi-family), schools, and commercial/industrial properties are eligible. You may nominate your own property.
“In consideration of the drought, we have slightly changed our usual categories,” wrote Councilwoman and Beautification Task Force chairwoman Irene O”Connell in an email. “Instead of looking for lush grass as part of the ”curb appeal” category, we will be looking for:
* New drought tolerant (xeriscaping) front yard landscaping (Completed from August 2014 to 2015). Pictures taken before the improvements are made are preferred.
* Large, full front yard xeriscaping.
* Small sections of front yard xeriscaping.
* The brownest front lawn!” As always, you can nominate your own yard, your neighbor”s, or a friend”s. A panel of volunteers will judge the entries.
For an application, with instructions, go to www.sanbruno.ca.gov and click on the application form. Fill it out and submit it online or make a copy and submit it in person or mail to the City Clerk”s Office at San Bruno City Hall, 567 El Camino Real, San Bruno, Calif., 94066. You can also email the form to IOConnell@sanbruno.ca.gov or fax to 650-589-5941.
For questions, call either the City Clerk at 650-616-7058 or Councilwoman and Beautification Task Force chairwoman Irene O”Connell at 650-589-9985.
Results and awards will be presented at the Oct. 13 City Council meeting at the San Bruno Senior Center, 1555 Crystal Springs Road.
Sequoia Village to celebrate grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony
Sequoia Village — a nonprofit, membership organization that will serve aging adults who wish to remain independent in their own homes — will celebrate its Grand Opening ribbon-cutting ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 10 at the Laurel Street Downtown Park, 759 Laurel St., in San Carlos.
Serving Belmont, San Carlos, and Redwood City including Redwood Shores, Sequoia Village, which is not a real estate development or retirement community, consists of dedicated volunteers who provide transportation, simple handyman services, and social activities where members can interact with friends and neighbors.
Supported by the Sequoia Healthcare District, Peninsula Family Service, and Trinity Presbyterian Church of San Carlos, Sequoia Village officially opened its virtual doors for membership on July 1.
Volunteers have worked diligently for nearly two years to develop Sequoia Village whose basic concept is “neighbors helping neighbors.”
Following the lead of Beacon Hill Village in Boston, Massachusetts, which was established by a group of neighbors in 2001, there are now more than 150 active villages throughout the United States and approximately 100-plus in development. These villages have proven that they are meeting the needs of the nationally growing senior population who wish to remain active in their own homes and communities as they grow older.
If a member”s needs are beyond what the volunteers, who are thoroughly screened and trained, can provide, a resource directory will be available listing highly skilled, screened, and discounted local service providers. The village will also provide a “concierge” service to help members learn about the variety of services and activities that are available in our area.
The cost for a single membership at Sequoia Village is $600 per year, and, for a household membership (two or more living in the home), the fee is $750 per year.
According to the 2013 census, there were 107,000 individuals 65 years and older residing in San Mateo County; by 2030, the number is expected to increase to nearly 158,000, which is a 48 percent increase. This means that nearly one in four San Mateo County residents will be over the age of 65.
Currently, in the Bay Area the cost for a single person to live in an assisted living residence can easily exceed $6,000 per month — which is $72,000 per year. However, an AARP survey showed that 89 percent of older adults prefer to age in their own homes in the neighborhoods they know and love.
To learn more, call Sequoia Village at 650-260-4569 or email infosequoiavillage@gmail.com or write to Sequoia Village, P.O. Box 813, San Carlos, Calif., 94070. You can also go to www.sequoiavillage.org.
Downtown Brisbane Car Show to be held in Brisbane
The Downtown Brisbane Car Show will return for its third consecutive year from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 on San Francisco Avenue in Brisbane.
Organized once again by Brisbane resident Tony Lukezic to raise funds to benefit the Brisbane School District and the Brisbane Skatepark, the event will feature about 130 cars on display, ranging from hot rods to classics to modern-day muscle cars.
Bring the entire family to the adjacent Community Park at 11 Old County Road to also enjoy two jump houses, and disc jockey Ryan Magdangal, of Foster City, playing music from the 1980s to the 2000s. Water and soda will be for sale, and food may be purchased from local restaurants and delis in the area. There is no admission charge to have fun at the event.
The Mothers of Brisbane are spearheading the fundraising for the renovation of the Brisbane Skatepark, which includes adding a water fountain and its connection to the water main, landscaping, more aesthetic fencing, seating, and additional lighting for safety.
To raise the needed funds, engraved bricks are also being sold at $100 each by Aug. 1. The bricks will be showcased at the skatepark within the sidewalk just outside the park”s entrance. Construction is scheduled to start in the fall.
For more information and a Commit to a Brick donor form, go to http://brisbaneca.org/news/2015-06-15/skatepark-fundraising.
Gamelan Anak Swarasanti orchestra of Santa Cruz to perform a free concert in Menlo Park
The award-winning Gamelan Anak Swarasanti orchestra of Santa Cruz will perform a free concert of traditional Balinese music, presented by the Menlo Park Library, at 11 a.m. July 11 at the Menlo Park City Council Chambers, 701 Laurel St., in Menlo Park.
Gamelan music is usually percussion-oriented, with some varieties featuring flutes, strings or vocalists although various islands in Indonesia have created their own unique instruments and traditions.
Playing traditional and contemporary Balinese gamelan, the group pushes the frontiers of the music, and introduces the art form to new audiences.
The performance is funded by the Friends of the Menlo Park Library. A free wheelchair accessible van service is available for Menlo Park area seniors and people with disabilities. For van reservations, call 650-330-2512.
The special event series is part of the Menlo Park Library”s Adult Summer Reading program that runs through Aug. 23 and offers special programs and prizes to adult readers. Separate summer reading incentive programs are also being offered for children and teens.
For more event details or other inquiries, go to www.menlopark.org/library or call 650-330-2501.
San Mateo County History Museum to hold historical re-enactment of Ty Cobb”s life
San Mateo County History Museum will present historical re-enactor Norm Coleman, who will portray the life and times of baseball legend and Atherton resident Ty Cobb, at 1 p.m. July 11 in the museum”s historic Courtroom A, 2200 Broadway, in Redwood City.
Arguably the best to ever play the game, Cobb was in professional baseball from 1901 to 1928, and Coleman will describe his relationships with other stars of the past, including Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Lefty O”Doul.
Either before or after the presentation, the public is welcome to view the museum”s latest exhibition that depicts baseball stars of the Peninsula and includes one of Cobb”s bats as well as artwork and numerous photographs of him.
The reenactment is free with the price of admission, which is $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and students.
The event is part of the Courthouse Docket series sponsored by Cypress Lawn in Colma.
American Legion Coastside Post 474 is holding Vets to Vets Blues Festival
American Legion Coastside Post 474 is hosting its eighth annual Vets to Vets Blues Festival from 1 to 6 p.m. July 12 at 470 Capistrano Road in Princeton (Half Moon Bay).
Be a Vet — Bring a Vet — Meet a Vet, presented by Stan Erhart and Bob Resch (Post 474 commander), provides everyone an opportunity to show support for our veterans.
The following performers will be featured at the free admission event:
* Stan Erhart, bandleader, vocals, guitar, and sax
* Tony Stead, keys
* Michael Warren, bass
* Mick Mestock, drums Along with special guest stars:
* Terry Hiatt, guitar
* GG Amos, guitar and vocals * Volker Strifler, guitar and vocals
* Big Cat Tolefree, vocalist
* And more!
Food and drinks will be available for purchase; no ice chests or alcoholic beverages may be brought to the festival. Some seating is available; however, bring blankets and low chairs. Once again, the dance floor is ready for action.
“As usual, if bringing in loads of vets, we will have reserved parking for Veterans Affairs vehicles and reserved seating for the veterans — just let me know your approximate numbers and any special needs,” wrote Resch in an email.
“Our outdoor dance floor is also ready. Last year, it was heartily welcomed by our guests and our handicapped vets…some in wheelchairs and/or visually-impaired.”
For more details or questions, call 650-728-9224 or go to www.facebook.com/AmericanLegionPost474.
Redwood City offering Kids” Rock Concert series
For a third year, Redwood City is offering a Kids” Rock Concert series, Kidchella, along with an inflatable playland, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 12, Aug. 9, and Sept. 13 at Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway St., in downtown Redwood City.
Sponsored by Redwood City”s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services, and Public Library, this free series will provide a safe and fun environment for kids to dance and enjoy live music. The events are also wheelchair accessible, and open to all ages.
Featured performers are:
* July 12, Alison Faith Levy”s Big Time Tot Rock — CD Release Party!
* Aug. 9, The Hipwaders
* Sept. 13, Andy Z and the Andyland Band Redwood City-born, kindle-rock artist Andy Z will also serve as master of music and play for the series. He has performed live for hundreds of audiences every year and has served as a disc jockey on national radio shows, such as “Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child,” and “Hilltown Family Variety Show.” Andy Z has also appeared with Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) at the joint event, “Stars in the Park,” and with San Francisco Giants mascot, “Lou Seal,” leading the Highlander Little League Opening Day crown in a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” For more information, call 650-780-7311 or go to www.redwoodcity.org/events/kidchella.html.
Workshop designed to discuss ways of creating new sources of funds for affordable housing need since the loss or Redevelopment in 2012.
Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County invites the public to a workshop designed to discuss ways of creating new sources of funds for affordable housing need since the loss or Redevelopment in 2012.
The workshop — Filling the Affordable Housing Gap — is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. July 15 at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 1300 S. El Camino Real, No. 100, in San Mateo.
Featured speakers include:
* Melissa Morris, attorney, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
* Randy Tsuda, community development director, City of Mountain View
* Rick Jacobus, founder, Cornerstone Partnerships
* Joshua Abrams, planner, Baird Driskell Community Planning Pilar Lorenzana-Campo, regional policy manager, Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, will be the moderator.
A light dinner will be included. An RSVP is required as seating is limited. To RSVP, email Joshua Hugg, program manager, at jshugg@hlcsmc.org or call 650-872-4444, ext. 2#.
This free event is provided through the generosity of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, and Philanthropic Ventures Foundation.
Deadline approaching for South San Francisco community citizens” academy
The deadline for members of the South San Francisco community to sign up for the city”s 11-week Citizen”s Academy that will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. each Tuesday from Aug. 11 through Oct. 20 is July 24.
Each session will include dinner, and a graduation ceremony will be held Oct. 28 at the South San Francisco City Council meeting.
This is a chance to receive a comprehensive, hands-on, overview of city government, which will include touring various city facilities: City Hall, libraries, fire and police facilities, Water Quality Control plant, numerous economic and development projects, and other places where the City of South San Francisco operates.
The objective of the program is to involve and engage community members in learning how the city operates, to improve communication, and to help build a better community together.
A total of 30 participants, who must be 18 years of age or older (a limited number of youth will be accepted — call 650-829-6648 for details) will be able to join this academy on a first come, first served basis. ` Applications are available online at www.ssf.net or by calling 650-829-6648 or by emailing: vision@ssf.net. They must completed in full and received by: email vision@ssf.net; fax: 650-829-6609; or mail or hand-delivered to City of South San Francisco, Office of the City Manager, 400 Grand Ave., South San Francisco, Calif., 94080.
”Rite of Spring” and ”Carmina Burana” to be performed together at San Mateo
In celebration of Redwood Symphony”s 30th season, two enduring classics of ritual and ceremony will share a single program featuring Stravinsky”s revolutionary “Rite of Spring” and Orff”s rousing “Carmina Burana” at 8 p.m. July 25 at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware St., in San Mateo.
For this anniversary concert, Masterworks Chorale and Peninsula Girls Chorus will join the orchestra in Carmina Burana — presented with supertitles — one of the most popular pieces of the classical music repertoire and a spectacle for all the senses.
Soprano Shawnette Sulker, tenor Chester Pidduck, and baritone Michael Taylor will be the soloists.
Sulker has been a soloist with the San Francisco Opera, Mark Morris Dance Group, American Bach Soloists, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Naples, and Natchez Opera Festival to name a few.
Pidduck was featured soloist with San Francisco Symphony in its performance of Carmina Burana and has performed three roles for SF Opera.
Taylor has been a principal soloist with the San Francisco Opera Center, Opera San Jose, Sacramento Opera, West Bay Opera, and San Francisco Symphony as well as a vocal soloist with the San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Ballet companies.
The Rite of Spring premiere in 1913 induced the most famous riot in musical history that stemmed not only from the scandalous nature of the story, but also because this work is one the greatest musical masterpieces. It sparked a musical revolution that is still being felt 100 years later, which Maestro Kujawsky will explain in his pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m.
Redwood Symphony, an all-volunteer orchestra, is dedicated to the performance of an ambitious, contemporary repertoire as wells as the great orchestral classics. The innovative programming and emphasis on education are two reasons why so many of the most talented musicians from throughout the Bay Area volunteer their time to play, and why audiences and critics are so enthusiastic about the artistry of Redwood Symphony.
Tickets from $10 to $25 are available at www.RedwoodSymphony.org and children under 18, accompanied by an adult, are admitted free. The ample parking at San Mateo Performing Arts Center is also free.
Soroptimist International of North San Mateo County presents Live Your Dream awards
Soroptimist International of North San Mateo County proudly presented three Live Your Dream awards, totaling $6,000, at its annual Awards and Installation Dinner held June 10 at Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae.
Soroptimist member Judy Lewis welcomed 42 guests to the inspiring occasion, and Cheryl Grantano Rich, incoming treasurer, made the presentations to the following women:
* Corinne Kathryn Stricker, who has worked several jobs to support herself and her 14-year-old sister, has an associate degree in child development, now attends San Francisco State University to earn a Bachelor of Science in family consumer sciences with an emphasis in children and families.
After completing her degree in December 2015, Striker”s goal is to obtain a master”s degree in social welfare at the University of California Berkeley “in order to become a crisis counselor and establish my own practice so I can help parents and children from diverse backgrounds deal with and overcome traumatic events.”
* Monique M. Hernandez, who is divorced with one son who has learning disabilities. She has two associate degrees in behavioral science and psychology, and is now enrolled at San Francisco State University working on a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.
Hernandez and her family overcame many obstacles with help from Victory Outreach, a recovery church in Hayward, where she currently volunteers as a mentor to young girls. Also a survivor of domestic violence, she said, “My dream one day is to open a shelter for women and children of domestic violence and help those who may not believe they can help themselves just yet.”
* Trena J. Shines, a divorced mother who has eight children (three are in college) and two grandchildren, all of whom are living with her except for her oldest child. Overcoming an abusive relationship, major surgery, and the responsibility of caring for the children, her career goal is to become an elementary school teacher teaching kindergarten and first grade and ultimately opening her own preschool.
Attending classes at California State University East Bay, she hopes to complete her bachelor”s degree in human development by December 2016 while working at the Ohlone Elementary School in Palo Alto.
Each award recipient also received a certificate of appreciation from the Senator Jerry Hill, Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, and City of South San Francisco.
The Live Your Dream Award, formerly known as The Women”s Opportunity Award, is Soroptimist”s major project, which assists women who provide the primary source of support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education skills and employment prospects.
Longtime Soroptimist members Margie Casagrande and Barbara Irli inducted two new members — Karen Myhre, a realtor, and Diane Moniz, a retired emergency room nurse — into Soroptimist International of North San Mateo County.
Gail Dekreon, Soroptimist International”s Serra Pacific Region secretary, installed the new 2015-16 board officers: Frances Luster, president; Catherine Tumility, vice president; Carol King, recording secretary; Jo Zemke, corresponding secretary; and Cheryl Grantano Rich, treasurer.
“I will continue to uphold the mission and vision of our club,” said Luster, who received her president”s pin from Sylvia Payne, a director of the club. She said the vision is to:
* Allow women and girls to have the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential and dreams;
* Employ the expertise and talents of members and facilitate teamwork;
* Offer all members an opportunity to match talents with tasks that fit their time and skill sets;
* Develop a variety of ways to thank members personally and publicly for contributions of time and talent;
* Create an environment where club members are excited and proud to say, “I am a Soroptimist.”
Entertainment was provided by Earsie Johnson, an incoming director, who sang a couple of songs for everyone”s enjoyment.
For more Soroptimist International and North San Mateo County club (chartered in 1967) information, go to www.soroptimistnorthsanmateocounty.org.
If you have any news tips about our county communities, call or fax Carolyn Livengood at 650-355-5533 or e-mail her at carolynlivengood@sanbrunocable.com.
