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What You Need to Know About Fourth of July Fireworks From the Port of Redwood City
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The 2016 4th of July fireworks will be launched from the Port of Redwood City!
This colorful aerial show is brought to the community by Redwood City with presenting sponsorship by Facebook and generous support from SARES REGIS, Sims Metal Management, County Consumer Plumbing Service & Repair Group, Recology, and the Port of Redwood City.
- Live music: The Megatones will play at the Port's public access area adjacent to the Portside offices from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
- There will be three food trucks on hand from 7-9pm including Sam's Chowder House, Los Gemelos, and one more to be announced.
- The fireworks extravaganza will start at approximately 9:30 p.m.
- The fireworks can be seen from areas where there is a clear view of the skies above the Port, and can also be seen from high points all over the Peninsula.
- For those coming to the Port, early arrival is highly recommended! This area is mostly private property with very limited public parking. Parking will be allowed in the Marina and Portside parking lot and along the westbound curb of Seaport Boulevard from Seaport Court to the entrance of Pacific Shores Center. "Overflow" parking will be directed to the Port's boat launch parking lot on Chesapeake Boulevard. City police will prevent traffic once it deems the parking areas will be full. Public restrooms around the marina will be available.
- The Port is providing a public viewing area along the waterfront off of Seaport Court. Once all of the very limited public parking spaces are filled, Seaport Boulevard will be closed to all vehicle traffic at the intersection of Seaport/Blomquist. Once the intersection has been closed, no vehicle access to the Port area will be available. This traffic control restriction could occur as early as 7:30 pm - so be sure to plan accordingly.
- Alcohol is prohibited on-site at the fireworks show, and personal fireworks are illegal at all times in Redwood City.
- There will be port-a-potties on site.
- No BBQs,
- Please do not bring your pets. Pets, particularly dogs, have very sensitive ears and the booms and bangs associated with a fireworks display can be quite uncomfortable. Leave pets at home if you are planning to attend a fireworks show.
- Be sure to bring a blanket!
The fireworks and concert at the Port will be preceded by the 78th
annual Independence Day Parade and the 30th
annual Independence Day Festival in downtown Redwood City. Complete information is at:
http://www.parade.org
This parade, which is the largest Independence Day parade in Northern California, brings entries from across the state to compete for awards and cash prizes. The Festival provides an opportunity for community service organizations to raise funds by selling food, merchandise or giving out information on their organization. There are also arts and craft booths and  entertainment for the thousands of people that attend the festival immediately after the parade.
Highlights:
- Battle of the bands pitting Stanford University against U.C. Davis at 1 p.m. on Hamilton Street.
- Kids Area featuring Skates the Clown along Jefferson, Twinkie Dee Star face painting all day on Broadway by Middlefield, and Paul Ackerley the Magician at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Broadway by Jefferson.
- Benefit pancake breakfast for the RC Firefighters Association at the Redwood City Fire Station at 755 Marshall St. from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- 4th of July Parade Run, a 5-k race/walk at 8:45 a.m. open to all ages. More information: www.paraderun.org Proceeds from Parade Run benefit music programs funded by the Redwood City Education Foundation. The RCEF has been working since 1983 to enrich and advance education opportunities for all students in the Redwood City School District.
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City Council Reappoints 3 Port Commissioners
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Three Port Commissioners have been reappointed to four-year terms by the Redwood City Council. They are:
- Richard "Dick" Claire.
- Ralph A. Garcia.
- Lorianna Kastrop
They are joined on the commission by Dick Dodge and R. Simms Duncan, whose terms expire in 2018.
Claire, who was first appointed to the Commission in 2007 and reappointed in June 2012 for a four-year term, had served 21 years on the Redwood City Council, including four as mayor, and seven years on the Redwood City Planning Commission.
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Richard Claire |
His other community activities have included formerly being a board member of the local Little League, Sequoia YMCA, and Big Sisters; as well as former chair of the Housing and Human Concerns Committee and chair of the San Mateo Council of Mayors.
Claire is a financial and accounting professor emeritus at Canada College in Redwood City, where he taught for 35. He currently is teaching again as an adjunct professor at both Cañada and Skyline College in San Bruno.
He holds an M.B.A. in finance from University of Santa Clara and a B.A. in accounting from San Francisco State. He has served as corporate controller or other financial management positions for several companies, including Marcona, Raychem and National Semiconductor. He and his wife Patricia have been married 56 years.
Garcia was first appointed to the Port Commission in 2005, and reappointed in 2007 and 2012. He previously served 10½ years on the Redwood City Planning Commission, including a two-year term as commission chairman.
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| Ralph Garcia |
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He has owned Ralph's Vacuum and Sewing Center in Redwood City for more than 30 years, a business he describes as one of the few remaining family businesses in that industry. He has been a member of the Redwood City Optimist Club for 37 years, including two terms as president and long-time sergeant-at-arms. The club during recent years has bought or donated nearly $50,000 in music instruments and equipment to sustain music programs in the Redwood City Elementary School District.
Garcia also served on the Board of Directors of El Centro de Libertad (the Freedom Center), a program in Redwood City that offers outpatient alcohol and drug treatment and related services to residents of San Mateo County. Away from his business, he enjoys restoring cars and entering them into car shows. He has lived in Redwood City since he was 12, attending local schools as well as Menlo-Atherton High School. He and his wife, Teresa, have four adult children.
Kastrop was first appointed to the Port Commission in June of 2008 and reappointed to another four-year term in June 2012. She was the second woman in history appointed to the position and the first woman to serve as Chair of the Commission. She is vice president of The Kastrop Group architectural firm, and has a background in financial analysis. Her husband Michael is president of the business. They have two adult sons.
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Lorianna Kastrop |
Lorianna was named the Businesswoman of the Year in 2001 by the Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from Stanford University, with a B.A. in International Relations.
She has served on numerous local non-profit boards, including the YMCA, Rotary, and PTA. She co-founded the Redwood City Mothers Club and was president of the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools. She was elected to the Redwood City School Board and served from 1997 to 2001.
Lorianna has a strong connection to San Francisco Bay. She is a recreational boater who has crewed in hundreds of races on the Bay and is past Commodore of the South Beach Yacht Club in San Francisco. She and her husband, Michael, race their Catalina 30 sailboat named "Goose."
She is one of the founders of award-winning PortFest, an annual community event the first Saturday of October at the Port.
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Westpoint Regatta Set for Saturday, July 9
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The eighth annual Westpoint Regatta is scheduled for Saturday, July 9.
Racers join the Weekend Regatta Series Fleet to race around Alcatraz and rocket downwind with the flood tide to the Port of Redwood City, where Sequoia Yacht Club will be the host the "Island Time Party." The public is invited to the party which starts at 6 p.m., featuring music and for-purchase food and drinks.
The race starts at the north end of Treasure Island at about 11:40 p.m. The race is not viewable from the Port because the racers finish
at the entrance to the Port shipping channel between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and then proceed down the channel to the Yacht Club.
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Photo from 2015 Westpoint Regatta |
The event is under the auspices of the
Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay
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the primary organization supporting competitive racing in Northern California.
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Art Winners Who Depicted Port Scenes
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Winners for the Port of Redwood City category in the 53rd annual Redwood City Sequoia Art Group spring show have been announced.
Marian Vanden Bosch took 1st place for her port scene and
Bob Hillis took 2nd place for his wildflowers of the Port.
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| 1st place winner |
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PORT FEST
Save the Date: Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016
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