ELHA Endorses McBride and Wright for School Board
On November 6, voters will be asked to elect Trustees to the governing boards of the Redwood City Elementary School District and the Sequoia Union High School District. Good local public schools are essential in maintaining our home values and making this a quality area in which to live. This year the ELHA is endorsing several outstanding candidates.
In the Redwood City district, there are two seats up for election. The ELHA strongly endorses Patricia Wright and Dennis McBride. A resident of the nearby Farm Hills neighborhood, Patricia Wright has been the PTA president at Roy Cloud School for the past two years. She runs her own consulting business, has two children in the District, and has served on numerous city commissions and committees.
Dennis McBride is an Emerald Hills homeowner and certified public accountant, with an MBA from Santa Clara. Dennis was the former controller and Senior Vice President of World Operations at Silicon Graphics. A father of two boys, he has been elected site council president 5 times at Roosevelt and Kennedy schools.
Both have been endorsed by a wide cross section of our community, including parent, business, neighborhood, educational and government leaders. They are committed to making academic achievement the highest priority of the district and they specifically cite the learning gap in the District between English language learners and native English speakers as prime area for improvement. They will make early acquisition of English a major priority. They also want to expand after school programs for children.
Please take the time to vote for Dennis McBride and Patricia Wright. Our children and community will clearly benefit by having them on the school board.
In the Sequoia Union High School District, we are endorsing Gordon Lewin. Gordon has been the President of the Menlo Park school board and has a broad background in operating a school district. He has a M.S. in Engineering from Stanford, manages a real estate business, and is on the board of the Menlo-Atherton School Foundation.
He began his involvement in the schools when his son, now a student at Menlo-Atherton, was a first grader in Menlo Park. He has received numerous endorsements from leaders throughout the community.
We think he would bring a high level of ability to the Sequoia Board of Trustees. Please give him your vote on November 6.
Uncle Sam Needs You
Your area and neighboring areas need more Election Officers to serve at the polls on Election Day!
San Mateo County Election Officials are inviting registered voters to serve as Election Officers in the November 6th Consolidated District Election. Bilingual-Spanish poll workers are critically needed. Serving the community gives poll workers an inside look at our election process, and a chance to see/meet neighbors. It pays! Entry-level pay is $105. Please call 650.286.2810 or visit www.shapethefuture.org www.shapethefuture.org.
Call for Volunteers
The ELHA needs volunteers for the ELHA Web Site. Please, only serious volunteers who are willing to put in the time and sweat that these projects will require should apply. Members of the board will help and provide direction on these projects, but we really need people who are self-starters that will champion their project through to completion. Call David Klausner at 650-367-9138 or e-mail the editor for more information.
Creek Cleanup
A great time, and haul, was had by all at the annual Creek Clean-Up Saturday, Sept 15th. Many thanks to Laura Dowling, Robert Zatkin, Gino Gasparini, Sierra Smith, and many, many more folks.
Mulch Giveaway?
Is there interest in our community for a mulch giveaway (nothing firm at this point) from BFI, about 30 cu. yards per home? Please e-mail your comments to the editor.
The Role of The ELHA
If there is one overriding belief connecting all the issues the ELHA deals with, it is the conviction that our homeowners should be given a major role in decisions affecting the future of this community. Through sophisticated and persistent lobbying efforts, the ELHA has managed to win for our community a level of control and influence in neighborhood issues unmatched by any other un-incorporated community in the County. ELHA directors are frequently invited to policy meetings held by the County and Redwood City. We have quick access to all top County and City officials. Our views are solicited and listened to. We continue to be the only homeowners association in the County that publicly supports political candidates willing to pay attention to our area’s concerns.
Unleashed Dogs
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of unleashed dogs in the area. Around ten years ago there were a series of attacks by unleashed dogs on people walking in the neighborhood and/or on their leashed dogs. Since the ELHA hasn’t reviewed this subject for a number of years it is probably worthwhile to review what the law says
There is a leash law in force in Emerald Hills. Owners are legally responsible for their pets. Attacks may result in Sheriffs’ citations, civil suits, as well as all medical and veterinary costs. In extreme cases involving severe injuries the animal may be impounded and put to sleep. Dogs must be kept either in an enclosed area, or on a leash while being walked. Unconfined dogs become much more protective and aggressive when no one is home. Residents should call Animal Control to pick up a loose dog if the owners refuse to do anything about it.
Bike Lane Tickets
There is a bicycle lane at the intersection of Edgewood Road and Scenic. It is hard to miss since it is painted red. Remember that you are not allowed to use a bicycle lane to pass other cars on their right side. According to Emerald Hills resident Sheriff Don Horsley the bicycle lane is a "NO PASSING" zone. On school days there is often a crossing guard at the intersection of Edgewood Road and Scenic making sure that Clifford School students get safely across Edgewood Road. The CHP and Sheriff regularly hand out tickets at this location
Also note that when you bicycle you are required to obey the laws regarding stop signs, helmets, roadway lanes, etc. Ride defensively!
Fire Safety
Autumn is traditionally the most dangerous period of the fire season and everyone needs to be reminded of the importance of protecting their property against the possibility of a major neighborhood fire. As most homeowners know, Emerald Lake Hills is one of the peninsula's high fire risk communities, but following a few simple fire safety practices can help prevent an Oakland Hills disaster. Some of these practices are to:
- Maintain a "defensible" space around your home by clearing all flammable vegetation, where possible, to within 30 feet of your home. Letting dry grass and brush accumulate near your house is dangerous for yourself and for your neighbors.
- Clean all needles and leaves from your roof, eaves, and rain gutters.
- Be sure to maintain the smoke detectors in your house.
- Keep fire extinguishers both in the kitchen and in the garage.
- Keep roads clear in the event of a fire, so fire personnel and equipment can quickly reach fires. Use the streets only to leave the area.
- Pre-plan several escape routes from your home and neighborhood. Familiarize yourself with the roads up here. In the event of a major fire, your usual route out of the area might be blocked by other traffic, fire fighting equipment, or fire itself.
- Always call 911 in emergencies and be prepared to give them your nearest cross street.
- Do not try and fight a major fire yourself. As the tragedies in the Oakland Hills and Southern California made all too clear, you don't fight a residential firestorm, you get out fast! Let the professionals deal with this and stay out of their way.
- Be especially aware that poison oak is widespread throughout the area and smoke from burning poison oak can be extremely dangerous, not only to your skin, but also to eyes, throats and lungs.
- Part of community fire safety includes being aware of your neighbors. In the event of an evacuation, children or adults stranded at home cannot depend on family or friends to drive up into the hills to get them out. Teamwork becomes vital. It is important for you to know that there currently is NO notification system in place to alert firefighters of neighborhood elderly and/or disabled people who may also be in need of assistance in the event of such an evacuation.
- If you feel that a nearby property is not being adequately cleaned up, call the Woodside Fire (368-2155) station on California Way (366-7416); Fire Prevention Planning (345-4091); or the County CDF office (345-1612)
Feel free to contact the local Woodside Fire station on California Way for more information and expert advice on fire safety.
Burglar Bait: Are You Encouraging Burglars?
According to law enforcement officials, a homeowner's best line of defense involves common sense because most burglars enter a home through an unlocked door or window. Check that the doors and windows are locked when you're gone, or before going to bed. Deadbolt door locks with a 1-inch throw, a reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws, and 5 or 6 pin cylinders provide the strongest security. (Note that many insurance companies won't cover your losses unless there's evidence of forced entry.
For the most part, burglars look for easy targets, so make your home appear guarded and secure at first glance. Even if your home does get targeted, most burglars will spend no more than 60-90 seconds trying to open a door or window before moving on to an easier target, so slowing a burglar down will help
Since burglars like dark spaces in which to work, keep shrubs trimmed back from blocking the view from the street. Install a motion sensitive light by the front and back doors. Don't rely on door chains as a means of defense, install a peephole instead. Statistics show that half of all burglaries occur during the day, and more than 85% of the time burglars enter an empty home. Interior lights on timers can help at night. Even the barking of a dog is enough to make most burglars move on to another home. Security experts suggest that increasing security is often as simple as cleaning up the "burglar bait" that attracts thieves: things such as ladders and other break-in tools left outside. Examples of burglar bait include: open curtains that allow crooks to see if anyone is at home, and what's inside worth taking; your name on the mailbox that allows a thief to look up your phone number and call to see if you're home; empty cartons left curbside for garbage pickup that advertise expensive electronic purchases (cut the box open and turn it inside out.) Have the Postal Service hold your mail (for free), or ask your neighbors to pick it up along with periodicals and other printed material. For a 12-page booklet of security tips, send a self addressed, stamped business size envelope and $1.00 to the Burglary Prevention Council, 221 N. LaSalle St., #3500, Chicago, IL 60601-1520.
ELHA Helps Schools
One of the most important aspects of any community is good schools. The ELHA has always taken a strong interest in the quality of our local schools
This reflects the leadership role of Emerald Hills parents in the Redwood City Elementary District. Aside from having two homeowners on the School Board, parents from the area have provided leadership for many local schools such as Clifford, Roy Cloud, Northstar, Orion, Adelante, Roosevelt, and Kennedy. Clifford and Roy Cloud (both K-8) are the two neighborhood schools for Emerald Lake Hills. Both are California Distinguished Schools. The ELHA has contributed thousands of dollars for recreational use at these neighborhood schools because we think that it is important that our children have proper recreational facilities located near our area.
Slow Down!
We consistently hear complaints about vehicles speeding and running stop signs in the area. Most of our streets are too crooked and narrow to support speeds of even 25 MPH. The number of children under 10 years of age living in the area has gone up five fold in the past ten years. No one up here is doing anything so important that it is worth risking a life. In the past, the ELHA has spoken to the Highway Patrol about speeding and we will ask them to start patrolling more often again if the speeding continues.
