The San Carlos Hometown Days weekend kicks off with “SCEF Celebrates Music”

Friday, May 18 from 5:00pm – 7:30pm at Burton Park’s Madsen Field Kick off your Hometown Days Weekend by enjoying the talent  of our elementary and junior high music programs funded by SCEF. The show will include performances by  the award- winning orchestra and band programs from Tierra Linda and Central Middle Schools, as well as the music for minors elementary school program.   The Flamin’ Dogs cart will be on hand with their delicious eats or you can bring a picnic!  Join us in celebrating our community’s kids! For a full Hometown Days weekend schedule visit:

www.SanCarlosHometownDays.com

Jennifer Granholm To Attend Hometown Days

Former Miss San Carlos & Governor of Michigan to appear at 32^nd Annual San Carlos Hometown Days

Two-term Michigan governor and host of Current TV’s  political talk show “The War Room” will have a homecoming on Saturday, May 19^th at the 32^nd Annual San Carlos Hometown Days Parade. Granholm, who was born in British Columbia, moved to the Peninsula with her family in 1962, and graduated from San Carlos High School in 1977. That same year, she was crowned

Miss San Carlos had represented the city before attending UC Berkeley where she studied  Political Science. Jennifer Granholm went on to Harvard Law School, then  served as a judicial clerk for Michigan’s 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. She became a federal prosecutor in Detroit in 1990 and was elected Michigan’s first female attorney general in 1998.

Granholm was elected governor of Michigan in 2002, and in 2006, was re-elected with the largest number of votes ever cast for the office of governor in that state. While in office, she led the Michigan through a brutal economic downturn related to meltdowns in the automotive & manufacturing sectors.

She worked to diversify the state’s economy, strengthen its auto industry, preserve the manufacturing sector, and add emerging sectors, such as clean energy, to Michigan’s economic portfolio.

Under her leadership, Michigan had the second highest rate of child health care coverage in the nation. While serving as governor, Michigan was repeatedly named one of the top three states in the nation for business locations or expansions and was twice recognized by The Pew Center on the States as one of the best-managed states in the nation.  Currently, governor Granholm is a distinguished Practitioner of Law and Public Policy at UC Berkeley.  She and her husband, Dan Mulhern, recently authored the political bestseller, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future.

“San Carlos Hometown Days is so proud to have such a distinguished guest attending this year,” says Laura Teutschel, the event’s publicity chairperson.  “She is a national leader and our community is proud to call her one of our own”.

Governor Granholm will appear as a celebrity judge at this year’s San Carlos Hometown Days parade which begins at 10 AM Saturday May 19^th. The route travels from San Carlos Avenue past City Hall, and along Laurel Street through the city’s downtown.  Judging alongside Granholm will be two local media celebrities;   Sandee Althouse of KQED radio, and Pete Liebengood, former KRON sports broadcaster.

The parade ends at Burton Park, where a weekend- long celebration takes place through Sunday, May 20^th. There are 2 stages of live entertainment throughout the weekend; food, drink, art, petting zoo, interactive games and activities for the kids. The weekend includes the San Carlos Kiwanis Dinner and concert on Saturday evening, and the Rotary Fun Run & Pancake Breakfast on Sunday morning.  The weekend closes with the 4^th Annual High School battle of the Bands on Sunday, May 20^th. Over 12,000 people are expected at this annual weekend event run entirely by volunteers since 1980.

Volunteers Needed!

The Legendary J.P. Harlow and the Treasure of 1929, which is a parents’ version of San Carlos Treasure Hunters is set to take place during Hometown Days on Saturday, May 19th, from 4:00-7:00 pm.  All teams were purchased at the annual Spring Fling auction.  All proceeds will be going to the San Carlos Education Foundation.  We are still short a few volunteers and would love some help.  Helping is as easy as taking over one of the ten secret locations within the city and handing out clues as teams arrive.

Please consider taking part in this fantastic event.  You can contact myself or Dr. Young of Young Orthodontics with the emails noted below.  Thanks!

bob@bredelhomes.com

youngortho@gmail.com

Relay For Life 2012, Comes to San Carlos

Relay for Life 2012 is coming to Burton Park on August 4 & 5.  Below are the details for this very important and worthwhile event:

Relay for Life is a 24-hour team event to fight cancer.  It raises awareness of cancer in the community and raises money to support the programs and services of the American Cancer Society.

Here’s how it works:  A team captain gets together some of his or her closest friends, family and coworkers and forms a team.  The team members go out and collect contributions prior to the event.  Relay for Life is the celebration party at the end of the fundraising.

Come Relay Day:  Participants grab their tents and chairs and head to the Relay for Life.  It’s like a community camp-out.  People pitch their tents on the field, and take turns walking around the track.  One person is always on the track representing the team for the 24 hours.

Relay for Life is not just about honoring Survivors; it’s about empowering them to fight back against cancer.  The first lap at the Relay is special … it’s the Survivor’s Lap.  Cancer survivors are invited to walk the first lap.  It’s very emotional and hopeful to see how many people DO survive cancer.

In the evening:  there is a Luminaria Ceremony.  White bags with sand and a candle line the track.  Each one is dedicated IN HONOR OF a cancer survivor, or IN MEMORY OF those who have lost their battle.  Luminarias encircle the track and light the way as Relay participants walk through the night.

It’s special:  Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event.  It allows us to honor cancer survivors, remember those we’ve lost, educate the community on early detection and prevention of cancer, and raise much-needed funds for our community programs and services.

Why 24 hours?  We are asking you to give one day out of your life for those who may not have another.  There are similarities between the Relay For Life and what a cancer patient goes through:  It may get hot during the day and you may feel like quitting.  But you keep walking.  It may get windy and cold at night and it may rain.  But you press on…knowing that the sun will come up and it will be a new day.

WE ASK YOU TONIGHT TO JOIN US IN THE FIGHT.

 Why Relay?  One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetime. The money raised at Relay saves lives by funding cutting-edge cancer research, early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts, and life-affirming patient services. Your involvement makes this all possible.

For more information, please contact Relay Event Chair, Allie Glatt at allie.sancarloselay@gmail.com

or check out our website at www.relayforlife.org/sancarlosca

Shop Bianchini’s on May 16th

Shop Bianchini’s Market San Carlos on Wednesday, May 16^th 2012 and 5% of the store’s total daily sales will be donated directly to the San Carlos Education Foundation. Keeping true to its motto of Community, Quality, Service, the Bianchini family and staff are committed to our community and to our schools. Bianchini’s is not a large national grocery chain; rather, they are a family owned business with 2 Peninsula locations. This makes their generosity all the more noteworthy.  I hope you’ll join me in shopping Bianchini’s on May 16^th and supporting them all year long. After all, they do have the best butcher department in the Bay Area!

While you’re shopping on May 16^th, be sure to take part in the complimentary wine tasting from 4:30 -7 PM. Susan Lerner, wine representative and SCEF parent, will be pouring selections from Spann Vineyards. The wines will be paired with some great cheeses from Bianchini’s cheese dept. and all will be available for sale! By the way, don’t forget to empty your loose change into the SCEF collection jars at Bianchi’s check stands all month long.

Mayor Andy Klein Resigns

The San Carlos Blog is the first to announce the Mayor Andy Klein is resigning from the San Carlos City Council and his duties as Mayor. Knowing Mayor Klein as I do, and his love for San Carlos, I am sure this was an incredibly difficult decision.  When he and I spoke yesterday, it was obvious that he was still struggling with coming to terms with leaving the council.  Whether I agreed with his decisions or not, I always believed that he was doing what he thought was best for San Carlos.  He did not shy away from tackling issues head-on and refused to be a part of a council that passed the buck to future councils on many heavy hitting issues, such as police and fire.  Mayor Klein’s statement can be found below:

Mayor Klein’s Resignation

April 17, 2012
Dear Madame Clerk,
It is with great sadness that I hereby resign my position as Mayor and City
Councilmember of the City of San Carlos, effective immediately. I do this after a
great deal of thought and consideration. It has been one of the greatest honors
of my life to serve on the City Council and I am proud of all the great work that I
have been a part of.
Unfortunately, I have suffered some major setbacks in my personal life that make
it no longer plausible for me to continue on as a public servant. My wife and I
have decided it is best for us to dissolve our marriage. We both care for each
other deeply and wish each other the best in the future.
While juggling my personal and public life I have not afforded myself the time and
care to appropriately cope with this loss. I have made decisions in my personal
life that have become detrimental to my health and others. I have begun
treatment to address my situation and ask everyone to allow me the time and
privacy to do so.
I leave San Carlos better off than it was in 2009 when I gained my seat on the City
Council. I have full faith in the four remaining council members and City staff to
continue to lead our great city. I am thankful for the time I have served in our
community, and I look forward to returning to a private life.
Sincerely,
Andy Klein

The comment section below shall be reserved for anyone wanting to express well wishes for Mayor Klein.

If someone you know lost a diamond wedding band while touring open houses in San Carlos on Sunday, please let me know right away.  The ring is engraved on the inside of the band.

Thanks,

Bob Bredel

650-520-9343

bob@bredelhomes.com

Please see below from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department which was just released at 5:30 today:

“On March 28, 2012, at approximately 0630 hours, a female arrived at work in the 1600 block of Laurel Street and attempted to enter the business through the rear entrance located in the alleyway between Laurel Street and Walnut Street. As the female opened the door to the business, a large white male, grabbed her from behind and stated he had a knife, which he threatened to use if she failed to de-activate the alarm. The male was described as a white male in his thirties, blue eyes, and standing 6’5” and 300 pounds. The male was further described as wearing a black baseball hat with an orange SF Giants logo on the front, dark hooded sweat shirt, and blue jeans. The male forced the female into the business and attempted to remove an article of her clothing. The alarm to the business sounded and frightened the male from the scene. As the male left, he took the female’s purse. The female did not see a knife during the incident.

Sheriff’s Office Deputies along with Redwood City Police units conducted an extensive area search, but were unable to locate the suspect male. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a comprehensive investigation into this case in an attempt to identify the male suspect. Anyone with information in the case can contact Sergeant Andy Armando (650) 363-4347″

Good News/Bad News

The good news:  San Carlos schools are in high demand.  The bad news:  San Carlos schools are in high demand.  The San Carlos School District has been searching for a way to accommodate the escalating need for more space at its schools.  The District’s actions are well timed.  The amount of people moving to San Carlos specifically for the schools is rising each year.  As a realtor, I can tell you that it is, far and away, the number one reason buyer demand in San Carlos is so high.

The First Option

The District is considering a few options.  The first option looks at the possibility of adding a single school (K-5) at the Central Middle School campus. The thought is that this one additional school would relieve some of the stress currently being experienced by the other four lower elementary schools, Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather and White Oaks.  However, the District seems to have two primary concerns with this option:

(1) Adding a K-5 at Central would force the District to once again re-zone schools.  The SCSD just did this a few years ago and the thought of starting that process all over again would most likely not be a favorable option for the community.

(2) The District feels that any new campus, by its very nature, would have certain technological advantages that would not be shared equally by the rest of the K-5 schools.

The Second Option

The second option appears to be a bit more involved, but it may offer the best long-term solution.  This option establishes two new schools in San Carlos at the Central and Tierra Linda campuses.  However, these schools would not be K-5, rather they would be 4-5.

This option is attractive to the District for the following reasons:

(1) Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather and White Oaks would be moved to K-3, thereby freeing up some space at all four schools.

(2) Students throughout the District would benefit from the technology at the new campuses.

(3) It moves the junior high grades back to 6-8.

The Prospective Campuses

Obviously, adding two new schools to pre-existing campuses will come with some careful planning.  Here are some of the initial thoughts for the new schools:

Central:  The prevailing thought is to build a separate school on the Central campus and take some of the current buildings at Central and add a second story.  The District seems to want to keep the middle school separated from the 4-5 school on the campus through a road or some other physical presence that would clearly separate the schools.

Tierra Linda:  The prevailing thought at TL is to build another school for Charter (which currently shares the premises with TL) up on the fields behind the school. The District would then move the 4-5 school into the buildings currently being used by Charter.

District Wants Public Input

The District will tell you that everything mentioned above is preliminary in nature and nothing is set in stone.  They are planning on doing everything possible to gain public input. Community outreach regarding these improvements will be implemented through public awareness and polling.

In order to put a funding measure on the ballot for November, the District will need to make some decisions by mid-August.

Stay tuned to the San Carlos Blog for more information on this topic as it becomes available.