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Weekly Roundup of Local News May 6-12, 2023

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.13

Weekly Roundup of Local News May 6-12, 2023

These are the local news from May 6 to 12 that you need to know to stay up to date.

Millions of children and young people are less than two weeks away from leaving for vacation and starting to enjoy days of fun, socializing, but also learning. Summer courses are already being announced everywhere, ranging from art to sports, as well as in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Cooking, helping the environment, or getting involved in community projects are just some of the things parents are looking for to entertain their children this summer.

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The space dedicated to collaborative creation in technology, art and crafts, Makerspace celebrates its first anniversary in the Redwood City Public Library.

The Makerspace opened in early March 2022, following years of effort by the Redwood City Library Foundation, and is open seven days a week.

This collaborative space allows people and groups of all ages to come together to create, experiment and learn about technology, computers, art, science, electronics and sewing, as well as offering a photography class in Spanish.

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Parts of Huddart Park in Woodside will be closed this week due to an annual multi-agency wildfire training.

From May 8-13, fire departments from Redwood City, Woodside and Menlo Park will be using the county park to prepare for this summer's wildfire season.

Residents and park users can expect to see fire trucks and hear equipment in some areas of the park. Helicopters will fly over the area and practice landing and taking off at the site, park officials said.

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This Sunday, May 7, at around 4:30 a.m., a shooting occurred in Redwood City, in the 400 block of Redwood Avenue, where five men were injured, reported the city Police Department.

Authorities said in a statement that an unidentified male suspect approached a group of people drinking on the sidewalk and then opened fire on them with a 9mm handgun, wounding four adult men and a 16-year-old boy.

All of the injured were taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

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Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) recognized and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Castellano Family at an event on May 4 at the De Anza Hotel in downtown San José, a non-profit organization that was born out of luck and love for its roots, and that provided opportunities and support to the Latino community in Santa Clara County for two decades.

At the tribute to the Castellano family, it was announced that their foundation is ending its work and a $1 million fund was allocated to SVCF to support Latinx leadership and Latinx-serving nonprofits in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

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Property taxes collected in San Mateo County totaled $3.3 billion for the 2021-22 fiscal year, an increase of $129 million, or 4 percent, over the prior year for 11 consecutive years. property tax growth.

That's according to the San Mateo County Executive's Office, which noted in a statement that the countywide 1 percent General Tax is vital to public services, totaling $2.7 billion, that local government agencies receive.

About 51 percent of the general taxes collected are distributed to school districts, 26 percent to the county, 15 percent to cities/towns, 7 percent to special districts, and 1 percent to successor agencies. former development agencies.

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As Cinco de Mayo celebrations came to a close, many events were peaceful and most community members and visitors legitimately enjoyed the cultural celebration that has been a tradition in San Jose for decades, the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) reported.

He noted that, as in previous years, the Department took preventative measures to ensure the community could celebrate safely. In doing so, SJPD also employed zero tolerance for criminal behavior.

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday allocated $1 million to an expansion effort to build affordable housing for local farmworkers.

The funds, from the half-cent sales tax on Measure K, the city said in a statement, will help cover costs for planning, project management and other work.

They also said they are seeking $5 million in state funding from the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program as part of an overall effort to improve living conditions for coastal farmworkers.

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to increase penalties for businesses that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors.

Proposed by County Health, the increased penalties are intended to discourage retailers from risking selling tobacco products to minors and help prevent young people from becoming hooked on nicotine.

In California, 67 percent of current and former smokers report that they started smoking by age 18.

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared May as CalFresh Awareness Month to highlight the need for eligible residents to sign up for monthly food assistance.

CalFresh is California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. The program provides monthly food assistance to qualified San Mateo County residents at risk of hunger.

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A home in Redwood City is being investigated by the Belmont Police Department in conjunction with the FBI after it is allegedly linked to the disappearance of a woman in San Mateo County nearly 27 years ago.

Since Wednesday morning, Redwood City residents have witnessed a large police presence at 3789 Farm Hill Blvd., where officers have surrounded the house to search for evidence related to the unsolved case of the sudden disappearance of 42-year-old Ylva Hagner, last seen on October 14, 1996.

The case of the disappearance of the then software executive remained frozen for 27 years, until this Wednesday, when everything seems to be reopened due to new evidence.

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On the steps of City Hall, top black leaders and city officials came together Wednesday to clarify how the city's fentanyl crisis disproportionately affects black San Franciscans.

On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Phelicia Jones, founder of the organization Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community, took the stage to say she’s tired of seeing the city’s deadly fentanyl epidemic follow an all-too-familiar pattern of homelessness and job insecurity, with Black San Francisco residents bearing the brunt.

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You may be interested in: Silicon Valley Water District sponsors bill to help house the homeless

Silicon Valley Water District sponsors bill to help house the homeless

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.13

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Silicon Valley Water District sponsors bill to help house the homeless

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By Joseph Geha. San Jose Spotlight. Bay City News.

A new bill is introduced to help house the homeless, it would give the Santa Clara Valley Water District expanded authority to help thousands of people who live along creeks, creeks and other district land to find housing and services.

District officials say Assembly Bill 1469 would add language to the district’s governing law specifying that it can assist unsheltered people, allowing it to play a more active role in addressing the deepening homelessness crisis in Santa Clara County.

The bill, authored by local Assemblyman Ash Kalra and sponsored by Valley Water, passed the Assembly unanimously on Monday and will next head to the state Senate, though it is unclear when it will be brought to a vote.

Jim Beall, a Valley Water board member since December and a longtime South Bay leader, said that under current law, the district can’t do much more than clean up trash and debris along creeks where homeless people live, which costs about $2.4 million a year.

“We can’t just ask (other government agencies) to do all the work on this, we have to be more proactive and involved,” Beall told San José Spotlight.

Despite efforts by city, county and state governments, the county’s homeless crisis has grown, with roughly 10,000 people without permanent housing in 2022. About 77 percent of those people are unsheltered, meaning they are living outdoors, on the streets or in vehicles, according to Destination: Home.

Valley Water owns and manages 294 miles of streams and habitat. Officials said 2,300 people currently live on district property, often in camps near waterways, which can be dangerous due to flash flooding, among other factors. Human waste and other debris from camps can degrade water quality and animal habitats.

"We want to help people in a more humane way to find housing, places to live and solutions instead of having them live in the creeks where they have a negative impact on the environment," Beall said.

The bill would allow the district to use part of its revenue from an existing 1 percent assessed property value tax to fund outreach, counseling, transitional housing or other services for unsheltered people.

Bart Broome, assistant state government relations officer for Valley Water, said some financial flexibility for the district could go a long way. He said the district would only use a “small portion” of existing tax funds on these efforts, but said it’s too early to determine a number.

“If we can access just a small portion of that, we can do the things that are urgently needed to improve the situation. Not only for the homeless people living along the creek, but also for the neighbors who live around it,” Broome told San Jose Focus.

The bill could also allow the district to use some of its surplus land for housing projects, Beall said, but the timeline for those potential projects is still unclear.

Homeless advocate Richard Scott said Valley Water, San Jose and other government agencies have been “ruthless” in their raids on various encampments in recent years, but he said he is confident in the intent of the bill if Beall leads the effort.

“Jim Beall has always been involved in community mental health,” Scott told San José Spotlight.

Scott said that in addition to creating more permanent affordable and supportive housing, the district should work with the county or cities to quickly invest in temporary solutions.

“What we need right now is to have sanctioned, regulated encampments where people are stable, where advocates and providers can find them, and where they feel safe,” Scott said, similar to Hope Village, which was dismantled in 2019. “You can’t treat a person when they’re under the kind of pressure you have when you’re homeless.”

Good intentions

While pursuing this bill, the water district is also monitoring its nearly $5 million contract with San Jose to clean up people living along about nine miles of Coyote Creek and working to find them services or housing, so the district can begin a major flood prevention project.

Homeless advocate Scott Largent said people living near Coyote Creek and other water district lands were forced into those areas after being pushed out of other parts of the city, such as the Spring Street encampment, sidewalks and underpasses.

"They've been harassed, swept, their RVs towed, everything. People are trying to get further into the creek and trying to be creative and build bunkers or find camouflage," Largent told San José Spotlight.

Broome said Valley Water's intentions are good and the bill would not simply be used to order more mass sweeps of homeless encampments.

“It’s in everyone’s backyard, these public lands are owned by people, it’s everyone’s problem,” Broome said. “We want to do it in a way that actually finds solutions for people, not just moving them from one public land to another.”

To read the original story, from click here.

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Title 42 border policy ends, now what?

Pamela Cruz

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2023.05.11

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This Thursday, May 11, the Title 42 border policy imposed by former President Donald Trump ends. But what was it and what is coming? We explain.

What was Title 42?

Under Title 42, the Customs and Border Protection Office ‒CBP, for its acronym in English‒ prohibited the entry of certain people who "potentially represent a health risk", since this immigration policy was established during the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, for health reasons.

The order allowed authorities to immediately expel migrants at U.S. land borders, and has since been extended several times, either because of previously announced travel restrictions or because they entered the country illegally in order to “evade medical screening measures.”

Under Title 42, border authorities could immediately expel migrants who entered the U.S. illegally through the Canadian and Mexican borders to the country of last transit.

When Joseph Biden took office, he announced that the policy would end, sparking a debate on immigration in the country.

Thus, the Title 42 immigration policy ends on May 11 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time.

Coming?

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. immigration laws “remain strict and those who do not have grounds to remain in the United States will be removed under Title 8.”

In this regard, he said he would fully enforce U.S. immigration laws again, placing people in deportation proceedings and deporting those who have no reason to remain in the country, in addition to announcing radical changes to reduce illegal immigration.

Unlike Title 42, U.S. immigration laws impose criminal consequences, including final orders of deportation, a five-year reentry ban, and possible criminal prosecution if you attempt to reenter.

Under these laws, individuals and families who arrive without authorization can be quickly expelled.

Through expedited removal, the agency said, non-citizens can be returned to their home country quickly.

He also said that non-citizens can be returned to Mexico, even if they are not Mexican citizens, as dozens of deportation flights take place every week.

DHS stated on its social media that “migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. illegally will be arrested, investigated, and checked against criminal and other databases. Anyone who poses a threat will be expelled or detained.”

Given this, they suggest legal ways to enter the country.

The lines of migrants at various points on the border with Mexico are growing by the minute, hoping to cross into the United States and have their requests for asylum heard and taken into consideration.

However, the Biden administration has sent more than a thousand additional troops to the US-Mexico border to control the flow of migrants.

According to DHS, the United States expelled more than 1.4 million people in 2022, more than in previous years. In addition, it is noted that asylum laws do not only contemplate economic reasons or general violence.

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You may be interested in: San Mateo County passes ordinance to restrict cooperation with ICE

Black leaders and SF officials take action to raise awareness of fentanyl crisis

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.11

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Black leaders and SF officials take action to raise awareness of fentanyl crisis

Phelicia Jones, fundadora de la organización Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community, subió al podio para decir que está cansada de que los problemas de San Francisco afecten más a los residentes negros el 10 de mayo de 2023. (Olivia Wynkoop/ Bay City News)

By Olivia Wynkoop. Bay City News.

On the steps of City Hall, top black leaders and city officials came together Wednesday to clarify how the city's fentanyl crisis disproportionately affects black San Franciscans.

On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Phelicia Jones, founder of the organization Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community, took the stage to say she’s tired of seeing the city’s deadly fentanyl epidemic follow an all-too-familiar pattern of homelessness and job insecurity, with Black San Francisco residents bearing the brunt.

El supervisor de San Francisco, Matt Dorsey, mostró las estadísticas fatales de sobredosis de fentanilo que afectan de manera desproporcionada a los residentes negros en una conferencia de prensa el 10 de mayo de 2023. (Olivia Wynkoop / Bay City News)

En los primeros tres meses de este año, 200 personas han muerto por sobredosis, lo que representa un aumento del 41 por ciento con respecto al mismo período del año pasado, según datos del Departamento de Salud Pública. Y los residentes negros tienen una tasa de sobredosis cinco veces superior a la tasa general de la ciudad, según datos de la ciudad.

«Queremos que San Francisco se preocupe por los negros de San Francisco. Estamos en el fondo de cada incidente en la ciudad y el condado de San Francisco: salud, educación, encarcelamiento masivo, vivienda, empleo… ¿cómo es eso?», dijo Jones en la conferencia.

«Debemos estar en la mesa».

La fiscal de distrito de San Francisco, Brooke Jenkins, muestra su apoyo a los servicios de adicción en una conferencia de prensa celebrada para conmemorar el Día Nacional de Concientización sobre el Fentanilo el 10 de mayo de 2023. (Olivia Wynkoop / Bay City News)

Jones enfatizó que la respuesta no es solo encerrar a los usuarios de drogas o a los pequeños traficantes de drogas, como lo demostraron las iniciativas fallidas de «guerra contra las drogas» que comenzaron en los años 70 y que en su mayoría estaban dirigidas a los afrodescendientes.

«Arrestas a todos los que están drogados, entran en la cárcel, entran en la cárcel para desintoxicarse y luego, antes de que puedan desintoxicarse y llegar a un programa, vuelven a las calles», señaló. «Tiene que ser otro plan».

Jones y otros oradores pidieron el martes a la ciudad que elabore un plan que pueda ayudar a los residentes pobres, sin hogar y con enfermedades mentales, en lugar de criminalizar el uso de drogas y permitir que las adicciones de las personas aumenten aún más.

El jefe de policía de San Francisco, Bill Scott, dijo en una conferencia de prensa el 10 de mayo de 2023 que el arresto de los traficantes de fentanilo debe cumplirse con los servicios de adicción para resolver la crisis de sobredosis de la ciudad. (Olivia Wynkoop / Bay City News)

«Si abres la cortina y miras más profundamente, verás que la verdadera pregunta es si las personas negras, morenas y pobres verán que lo que sucede hoy afectará nuestras vidas, nuestro futuro y nuestra libertad en el futuro», explicó la doctora April Silas de la Red de Niños Sin Hogar. «Esta es una conversación de vida o muerte».

El jefe de policía Bill Scott dijo que responsabilizar a los traficantes de drogas por «traficar veneno en las calles» es un aspecto para resolver la crisis, pero no es la única respuesta.

«Algunas personas no pueden permitírselo, otras no lo quieren, pero necesitan ayuda», dijo Scott. «Ese es el lado de la ecuación donde podemos hacerlo mucho mejor».

«Mientras tengamos demanda, tendremos suministro, eso es solo economía básica», agregó.

El supervisor de la ciudad, Matt Dorsey, dijo que está comprometido a apoyar programas que guíen a las personas hacia la recuperación y las mantengan sobrias. Mencionó sus esfuerzos continuos para realizar cambios en varios departamentos de la ciudad que trabajan en las esferas de la salud pública y la justicia penal para proporcionar más programas que apoyen la sobriedad.

«Al final del día, lo más importante que puedo hacer es regalar la sobriedad que tengo, esa es realmente la lección perdurable de la recuperación», refirió Dorsey, quien se está recuperando de la adicción a las drogas y el alcohol. «Quiero asegurarme de que todos los habitantes de San Francisco que lo necesiten tengan las mismas oportunidades de recuperación que tuve yo, y estaré allí en cada paso del camino para apoyarlo».

La fiscal de distrito de San Francisco, Brooke Jenkins, dijo que la ciudad debe adoptar un enfoque multifacético sobre este problema para mantener seguras a las familias de color y permitir que las personas accedan a los servicios esenciales para la adicción.

«Esto no es algo de lo que podamos salir con llave, podemos encarcelar nuestra salida», destacó Jenkins. «Es asegurarnos de que cuando podamos identificar la causa subyacente de por qué alguien cometió un delito e ingresó al sistema de justicia penal, le demos la opción de tratamiento, y eso es algo que, como su fiscal de distrito, seguiré haciendo».

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Being a mother in Mexico: May 10 party and protest for the disappeared

Ingrid Sanchez

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2023.05.11

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Being a mother in Mexico: May 10 party and protest for the disappeared

Groups of mothers searching for their missing children, activists, human rights defenders and the general public demonstrated this Wednesday, May 10, in Mexico City for the more than 110,000 missing people in the country.

The disappearances are contextualized in the violence that plagues the country and that began with the beginning of the so-called "War on Drugs" that began during the administration of Felipe Calderón, which, in addition to the disappearances, has left people killed and communities displaced.

"I gave birth to my son to life and he gave birth to me to the struggle. Carlos, wherever you are, I love you, son. I continue to fight," shouted into the microphone Lourdes Mejía, mother of Carlos Sinuhé Cuevas Mejía, a student at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the UNAM, assassinated on October 11, 2011.

Video: Ingrid Sanchez P360P

In addition to denouncing that government authorities do not do their job and even hinder investigations, Mrs. Lourdes Mejía denounced that other groups such as the United Nations Organization only assist in the activities carried out by the searching mothers without really supporting or committing to anything.

"Why are you asking me for my phone number?! So that you can kill another of my relatives?!" Lorena Gutiérrez shouted at the UN staff who were at the Angel of Independence rally.

Video: Ingrid Sanchez P360P

The UN members, wearing blue vests, looked tensely at the people gathered around them, summoned by the fury of Lorena Gutiérrez, whose complaints could be heard several metres away, while the rally continued to develop.

Gutiérrez claims that her daughter Fátima Quintana was the victim of a femicide on February 5, 2015. However, due to the fight she undertook against the perpetrators, she suffered serious death threats that forced her and her family to move to Monterrey.

In 2020, her son Daniel died due to negligence on the part of state health authorities who denied him medical care because he did not have any type of social security, precisely because he was a displaced family.

"I am a public figure, they could find me if they wanted, but coincidentally after we give our data to organizations, they persecute us," Lorena denounced.

Coming from states as far away as Chihuahua or Tamaulipas, but also from states bordering Mexico City such as Morelos or the State of Mexico, dozens of mothers reported the disappearance of their sons and daughters.

"May 10 is not a day for celebration, it is a day for struggle and protest," shouted some of those attending the demonstration.

Since at least 2016, groups of searching mothers have decided to take to the streets on May 10 to remind the government and society that not all mothers, nor all children, can celebrate the day, but rather are in the midst of the collective pain that comes with not knowing where their children are.

In some cases, especially those that occurred many years ago, mothers no longer search for their sons and daughters who are still alive, but have resigned themselves to finding the remains of their relatives.

This is the case of Mary Velázquez, mother of Pamela Gallardo, who disappeared in 2017 near Ajusco. Because of this, on the 23rd and 24th, Velázquez and various organizations and activists will carry out a citizen search to find Pamela and other victims of disappearance.

Video: Ingrid Sanchez P360P

Faced with the authorities, who are at best incapable and at worst negligent and complicit, the families have to take on the tasks of investigation and search without receiving a single peso, the mother who searched for the child complained.

"We have an open investigation, but these authorities are asking us as a family to continue to provide evidence for the investigation. We have to provide the evidence, the investigation, and the direction we want the investigation to take," Mary Velázquez stressed.

Velázquez's is not the only search underway; more will be carried out in the State of Mexico and Morelos over the next few weeks.

But, despite everything, this May 10th their bet is not on pain, because their trench continues to be the courage to denounce injustices and to point the finger directly at the guilty.

Mothers, givers of life, now seem to be seekers of death, for they know that they will undoubtedly find remains of people on the missions they organize.

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Belmont police and FBI investigate a house related to the disappearance of a woman 27 years ago

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.10

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Belmont police and FBI investigate a house related to the disappearance of a woman 27 years ago

A home in Redwood City is being investigated by the Belmont Police Department in conjunction with the FBI after it is allegedly linked to the disappearance of a woman in San Mateo County nearly 27 years ago.

Since Wednesday morning, Redwood City residents have witnessed a large police presence at 3789 Farm Hill Blvd., where officers have surrounded the house to search for evidence related to the unsolved case of the sudden disappearance of 42-year-old Ylva Hagner, last seen on October 14, 1996.

The case of the disappearance of the then software executive remained frozen for 27 years, until this Wednesday, when everything seems to be reopened due to new evidence.

According to the media NBC Bay Area, authorities have used ground-penetrating radar, focusing mainly on the backyard and a park near the home.

Hagner, who was last seen on Oct. 14, 1996, was a resident of Palo Alto, and according to authorities, had just left the Belmont office where she worked as a product marketing manager at Ixos Co. that day, while her car was found in San Carlos with the keys still in the ignition but her purse missing.

At the time, one of those questioned about Hagner's disappearance was her then-boyfriend, Thomas Pressburger, a computer programmer at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View.

A source close to the investigation told NBC Bay Area that authorities were first focusing on the backyard of Pressburger's home. Pressburger was reached by phone at his home but declined to comment.

"The investigation has been refocused and we're here today to try to close the case," Belmont Police Lt. Pete Lotti told NBC Bay Area. "The public is safe at this point, we're just doing our due diligence on the case to follow up."

Lotti said that both the FBI and investigators from the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office are involved in the search that is being conducted in both the park and the house, in order to close a case that has remained unsolved for almost 27 years.

"It's a long time," Lotti said.

With information from NBC Bay Area.

You may be interested in: May, San Mateo County CalFresh Awareness Month

May, San Mateo County CalFresh Awareness Month

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.10

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared May as CalFresh Awareness Month to highlight the need for eligible residents to sign up for monthly food assistance.

“No one in San Mateo County should face the threat of hunger,” said Supervisor Warren Slocum. “CalFresh is a tremendous program that we don’t talk about enough. CalFresh truly provides a lifeline for individuals and families affected by inflation, high housing costs, and many other bills.”

CalFresh is California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. The program provides monthly food assistance to qualified San Mateo County residents at risk of hunger.

As of March 2023, a total of 30,960 San Mateo County residents are enrolled to receive CalFresh. That's an increase of more than 8,000 recipients since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, according to the County Human Services Agency.

“Access to healthy, nutritious food is critical to the well-being of our community,” said Navjeet Singh, Director of Economic Self-Sufficiency for the Human Services Agency. “We are committed to doing our part to ensure that everyone who is eligible for CalFresh benefits receives them.”

The county and its partners are programming a series of events until May to provide residents with information about CalFresh and how to determine the eligibility, which is based on income.

Benefits are provided in a Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card‒, which works like a debit card.

Those with questions about the program can call the Human Services Agency Service Center, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1-800-223-8383.

And to know how to request Calfresh click here.

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San Mateo County approves increased penalties for those who sell tobacco to minors

Pamela Cruz

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2023.05.10

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San Mateo County approves increased penalties for those who sell tobacco to minors

This Tuesday, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to increase penalties for companies that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors.

Proposed by County Health, the increased penalties are intended to discourage retailers from risking selling tobacco products to minors and help prevent young people from becoming hooked on nicotine.

In California, 67 percent of current and former smokers report that they started smoking by age 18.

“When we discuss these issues, what we’re really talking about is saving lives,” said Warren Slocum, who represents District 4 on the Board of Supervisors.

“We need to put strength in enforcement for two big reasons: One is that we need to make the penalty large enough to negate the profits from sales to minors. And two, we need to do everything we can to keep cigarettes and other tobacco products out of the hands of children. Most adult smokers started when they were not old enough to legally consume tobacco products,” he added.

The increased penalties will “strengthen the ordinance’s provisions to reduce youth access to tobacco products” in unincorporated San Mateo County.

The biggest blow of these sanctions is a provision that requires a permit to be suspended if a company is found to have sold tobacco products to people under 21.

In the past, retailers could have received a warning or a letter of reprimand if they were caught selling tobacco to minors.

The updated ordinance also includes increasing fines to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for all subsequent offenses within a 60-month period.

It also prohibits the issuance of new Tobacco Retailer Permits at any location within 1,000 feet of a “youth-populated area” – public or private school, playgrounds, for example – or within 500 feet of an existing tobacco retailer.

It also mandates a fine for any violation of the ordinance; increases the number of on-site inspections required by County Environmental Health Services to two per year; and the two inspections per year for all tobacco retailers increases the annual permit fee from $174 to $672.

County staff will encourage cities within San Mateo County to adopt the updated tobacco retailer permit ordinance.

“Our community’s youth are healthier when tobacco retailers are held accountable for illegally selling tobacco products to underage customers,” said Clara Boyden, deputy director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, who oversees the tobacco program for County Health.

According to County Health, from April 2021 through June 2022, a total of 11 of 74 tobacco retailers in San Mateo County sold to underage youth as decoys during Sheriff's Office enforcement operations, representing about 15 percent.

Limiting young people's access to tobacco products in retail stores is a key component of a comprehensive tobacco prevention strategy, the city council stressed in a statement.

In 1998, the Board of Supervisors established one of the state’s first tobacco retailer permit programs. The County has since updated the ordinance to keep up with changing tobacco delivery models with the proliferation of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco, for example.

You may be interested in: San Mateo County pledges $1 million for farmworker housing

San Mateo County pledges $1 million for farmworker housing

Pamela Cruz

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2023.05.10

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San Mateo County pledges $1 million for farmworker housing

The Board of Supervisors of the San Mateo County allocated $1 million on Tuesday to an expansion effort to build affordable housing for local farmworkers.

“We are 100 percent committed to this effort,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 includes most of the county’s agricultural land. “This $1 million represents the start-up costs needed to move forward quickly.”

The funds, from the half-cent sales tax on Measure K, the city said in a statement, will help cover costs for planning, project management and other work.

He also said he is seeking $5 million in state funding from the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program as part of an overall effort to improve living conditions for coastal farmworkers.

The action gained urgency after the tragic shooting on January 23, 2023 at two coastal farms that killed seven people and seriously injured one.

The mass shooting drew attention to farmworkers living in overcrowded conditions in unlicensed facilities, a situation that numerous local officials called unacceptable.

The County is currently working with the City of Half Moon Bay to identify and develop a potential site that could house 45 to 50 units of manufactured housing for low-income farmworker families.

Mueller said he also hopes to receive state grants to build affordable housing for local farmworkers.

“All of our farmworker families deserve a safe and healthy place to live. If we are going to ensure we maintain a thriving agricultural community on our coast, what we need more than anything is affordable housing for our farmworkers and their families.”

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They warn that Artificial Intelligence has informational biases

Peninsula 360 Press

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2023.05.10

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They warn that Artificial Intelligence has informational biases

Much has been said about the benefits of Artificial Intelligence, however, it has worried many others, as it can trigger misinformation and there is a possibility that it will replace some professions.

According to Hector Palacios, a scientific researcher at ServiceNow ResearchArtificial Intelligence is like a computer program created from languages that come from mathematics.

During the program Hecho en California, led by Marcos Gutiérrez, Anna Lee Mraz, CEO of Península 360 Press explained that the basis of Artificial Intelligence is created from dictionaries in which things are defined and described.

"The problem with this is that these dictionaries are created by humans and humans come with information biases," he said.

In that sense, Mraz explained that because humans are the ones who choose what information to provide to AI, it can contain biases that impact even racial and social justice issues.

"There is a problem - in Artificial Intelligence - that can lead to discrimination in more than one sense," he stressed.

Recently, at a press conference dedicated to Artificial Intelligence and organized by Ethnic Media Services, experts expressed their concern about the racial biases that AI contains, since it has been proven that it does not recognize the gender of communities of color.

However, this is not the only concern that exists regarding Artificial Intelligence, as it is believed that in the future it could replace some professions.

"There are a number of jobs where you're not going to need a human to write a letter anymore," Mraz said.

Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) pointed out in a report that office functions will be the most affected by artificial intelligence.

"If Artificial Intelligence drives us to enhance capabilities, how are we going to enhance stigmas? That is one of the dangers, we are going to enhance stigmas, racism, unemployment, if we do not put a critical hand to it," warned Manuel Ortiz Escámez.

Finally, Ortiz warned that AI, despite all its benefits, can generate misinformation in events such as elections, especially "by those who can afford it," due to the number of messages and images created from it. He therefore recommended being careful with the control that the highest authorities and the creators of AI have over the information.

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