Dear Marci,

With the holiday season arriving soon, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you can give back to the community you live in. With inflation upwards of 8%, many families are struggling even more so within our community, particularly during the holidays. I just heard a report that the price of turkey for our Thanksgiving meal is up 73%! Please consider a few of these ideas you and your family can take to make a difference in the lives of individuals experiencing hardships.

1.     VOLUNTEER

One of the best ways for an immediate impact is by volunteering. There are several opportunities in one of San Mateo County’s many outstanding non-profits. It could be as simple as serving food at St. Anthony’s Church or volunteering at many local food giveaways such as Second Harvest and Samaritan House.

2.     GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK

Many brands and stores donate a percentage of purchases to an organization that helps those in need. Many stores will also provide shoppers with an opportunity to donate a small amount during checkout and be featured on their “wall of fame” throughout the holiday season. Consider shopping at one of these supportive stores.

3.     DONATE

Even the smallest cash donations go a long way in assisting those in need. Imagine how great it would feel to know that you are helping a family with the cost of a holiday dinner or towards essentials that they so desperately need.

Thank you for taking a moment to read our October newsletter. And if you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Warren Slocum

According to our Health Chief, only 6% of those eligible have received the latest COVID19 bivalent booster that takes aim at the Omicron variants. We continue to urge everyone to stay up to date with vaccination to remain protected on both the COVID vaccinations and the flu vaccinations as we head into late fall and winter.

The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines are readily available. At many pharmacy locations, you can make an appointment same day or next day, and at some locations flu shots can be obtained during the same visit. The updated COVID-19 boosters are currently available for those ages 12 and older, and it is anticipated that these updated boosters will be available for children ages 5 to 11 soon.

County Health will continue to offer weekly standing COVID-19 vaccine clinics including locations in East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks through the end of October. Appointments are available for the primary series and the updated booster through the MyTurn.

You can read more from our Health Chief Louise Rogers here.

BAY AREA POLL: WE ARE IN A PESSIMISTIC MOOD

Some sobering findings in this year’s Joint Venture Silicon Valley poll.

According to the poll, Bay Area residents are dissatisfied with the overall quality of life. In fact, nearly 75% of residents polled think their quality of life has declined over the last five years. And this is true of all age, income and education levels. The underlying issues are not new – the extreme cost of living and the cost of housing, and the issue of homelessness are overwhelmingly seen as the region’s most serious problems. And people are concerned about crime, pessimistic about the regional economy and are not ready to relinquish working from home. 

The pessimism is widespread: 64 percent of residents say the region is on the wrong track, a ten-point jump over the previous year. According to Joint Venture Silicon Valley CEO Russell Hancock, “With the pandemic on its heels and the economy coming around, you might have thought we would be in a better mood…But people are grumpy. cost of living. They see gaping inequalities. Add to this all our existential woes about climate, and it’s no wonder we’re surly.”

You can read the full findings of the poll here.

FALL FESTIVITIES

It’s already Halloween, then Dia de los Muertos, and soon we will be headlong into Thanksgiving and beyond. There are a number of family friendly events in District 4 to celebrate fall festivities:

Redwood City’s Halloween Spooktacular will be held on Saturday, October 22 at Red Morton Park from 12-3 pm. It will feature carnival games, a Monster Maze, creepy crafts, a mini pumpkin patch, prizes and fun! Pre-registration is highly encouraged.

East Palo Alto Community Archive will hold a full day of history, art and community “Celebrating Us” on Saturday, October 22 at Bloomhouse at 2555 Pulgas Avenue. This event will recognize the hard work the community has contributed to preserve the legacy of East Palo Alto with over 75 oral histories and 1,800 artifacts. There will be a premiere of the documentary “Small But Mighty,” which features interviews with long-time residents and others about their experiences in East Palo Alto. To learn more about the event and the archives, click here.

The City of Menlo Park in partnership with Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce invites Menlo Park residents to celebrate the spooky season with the Halloween Hoopla children’s costume parade, trick-or-treat at downtown shops, and traditional autumn festival in downtown Menlo Park on Saturday, October 29. This Halloween extravaganza will take place on Santa Cruz Avenue and Fremont Park, and will feature live music, entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Dia de los Muertos Celebrations at the Libraries: Visit East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks in-library ofrendas starting Monday, October 24-November 6. Ofrendas are traditionally displayed in homes and adorned with family mementos, pictures, and food. Patrons are invited to add copies of photos and items in honor of their departed loved ones. And make papel picado at the East Palo Alto Library on Wednesday, October 26 at 3:30pm and Sunday, October 30 at 11am in North Fair Oaks. The papel picado to decorate each library’s ofrendas!

And of course, Casa Circulo Cultural and the San Mateo County History Museum, in partnership with Friends of the Redwood City Library and collaboration with the Redwood City Parks & Arts Foundation, will hold its annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration on Sunday, November 6. 

CELEBRATING OUR VETERANS!

Final Call: Register for the 7th Annual Veterans Recognition Luncheon: This is a final call to purchase tickets for the San Mateo County Veterans Commission 7th Annual Veterans Recognition Lunch. It will be held on Thursday, November 10 at the Westin SFO in Millbrae.

This year’s honorees are remarkable in their work as veterans and for veterans. We will honor retiring Congresswoman Jackie Speier with a Lifetime Achievement award for her continuing meaningful work on behalf of veterans. Other honorees include U.S. Marine Corps veteran George Smith who is a retired firefighter and current Commander of the American Legion Post 105 in Redwood City is the Veteran of the Year, volunteers Wendy Weller and Andrew Trapani, and Veterans Surf Alliance, a non-profit that creates fellowship and community among veterans through surfing. U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper (Ret.), President of California State University Maritime Academy, will deliver the keynote address.

As a proud U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, it’s important that we recognize the work and sacrifice of our veterans and their advocates. Equally important is how that spirit of service is so inspiring the rest of us.

Veterans Day Celebration: the Redwood City Downtown Lions Club will hold its annual Veterans Day Celebration on Friday, November 11 at Courthouse Square in Redwood City. I am honored to be a part of that program and hope you will join me there from 10:30 am – 12 noon.

DISTRICT 4 AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ UPDATES 

Here are some of the updates and decisions our Board of Supervisors made since the last newsletter:

Economic Recovery Center in North Fair Oaks: At the October 4 Board meeting, we unanimously approved $5 million in American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) to support Economic Recovery Centers in North Fair Oaks and the Coastside. The concept, based on an existing center in South San Francisco, would support small businesses and entrepreneurs, assist job seekers, provide working capital, loans and grants, and have a physical location in the neighborhood were residents could benefit from these services. And at the North Fair Oaks site, there will be space for community organizations and for community meetings. When it opens – it will be a shining star for the North Fair Oaks community!

Civilian Oversight Subcommittee: As reported in our last newsletter, both Supervisor Dave Pine and I were appointed as the Civilian Oversight Board Subcommittee. To begin our work, there will be a Study Session on the potential civilian oversight models and options at the November 1 Board of Supervisors meeting. This will be a hybrid meeting so you can attend in-person or watch and/or participate here.

Truth Act Forum 2022: The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Department will hold its annual Truth Act Forum on Wednesday, November 9 at 6pm. This forum is mandated by state law to give residents the opportunity to ask county law enforcement officers about their enforcement activities related to immigration, as well as their interactions with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. This year, it will be a hybrid meeting that can be attended in person or via Zoom.