The project of the Center for Creativity in Redwood City seems to be taking shape, as the first phase of the feasibility study for this grand space has been concluded, in which the need for a facility to enhance the teaching and learning of various forms of art was determined.
After a community survey was conducted in 2021 indicating the need and desire for an art center by community members, Phase 1 of the feasibility study began, which was completed and delivered to the Steering Committee of the Center for Creativity on January 9.
The research results clearly indicated that artists and arts organizations in and around Redwood City need accessible, affordable, dedicated space to create, teach, learn, exhibit, rehearse, and perform, the committee noted.
He also stressed that the data and comments highlight the need for the artistic community to have a centre of activity, meeting and collaboration.
AMS Planning & Research, the company that was hired to carry out the study, explained to the committee the context in which a new multidisciplinary arts center would operate in order to understand its possible activation and the resulting business model.
The study incorporated a review of existing planning and background materials; confidential interviews with community leaders, arts professionals, and stakeholders; and an inventory of existing arts facilities and programs in San Mateo and Northern Santa Clara counties.
As well as analysis of market characteristics, economic conditions, non-profit activity and philanthropy, and engagement with potential facility users, including an online survey of current facility needs.
Once this first phase of due diligence is completed, AMS Planning & Research will move on to Phase 2, which will include a conceptual study of the various spaces required, their optimal size and use. Management recommendations and financial forecasts will also be made.
The final report and presentations are expected to be ready this spring, and residents will be able to learn more details about the progress of this center.
Eleven people were displaced by a house fire in East Palo Alto early Thursday morning, the Fire Department reported.
The fire was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. at a two-story home in the 2200 block of Pulgas Avenue, according to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.
Firefighters determined that no one needed to be rescued at the scene and eventually extinguished the fire. Four adults and seven children who lived in the home have been displaced, according to the fire district.
The cause of the fire, which destroyed the second floor and damaged the lower level of the home, remains under investigation.
Lima, Peru. – After nine weeks of protests and repression by law enforcement in Peru, the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission arrived in the capital city of Lima on February 7 to collect testimonies and information regarding human rights violations and to prepare a report on the situation in the country, which will be presented to international organizations.
It is worth remembering that on December 7, former President Pedro Castillo attempted to stage a coup by announcing the unconstitutional closure of the Congress of the Republic. However, without political or military support, Congress dismissed him, the police arrested him and the Prosecutor's Office accused him of the alleged crimes of rebellion and conspiracy against the State. Castillo is currently serving 18 months of preventive detention.
Peru: 9 weeks of protests and repression. Photo: Manuel Ortiz P360P
Following Castillo's fall, Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency of the Republic with the support of far-right political groups, which led to nationwide protests demanding her resignation, the closure of Congress, the calling of new general elections and the consultation for a Constituent Assembly.
In the context of these protests against Boluarte, there have been, to date, 60 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries.
"We are saddened by the serious human rights violations that are being suffered in Peru," said Marianela Navarro, a member of the Front of Organizations in Struggle of Argentina and a member of the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission that traveled to Peru, at a press conference.
Regarding the repression by the security forces, Navarro pointed out that "not only the murder of peacefully mobilized citizens has been observed, but also mass arbitrary arrests, the use of weapons by the police forces and the Army that are habitually used to disperse people, with shots fired directly at close range. There is a citizen in Lima who was killed by a tear gas bomb fired at close range."
Regarding the work of the international mission in the country, Argentine lawyer and social leader Juan Grabois Gismondi reported that they will be interviewing victims of repression by law enforcement, as well as engaging in dialogue with the social, political and institutional actors involved.
"We are going to collect the victims' complaints. And based on these complaints, we prepare a report that we present to different bodies such as the United Nations, the OAS (Organization of American States) and the Holy See," said Grabois.
Photo: Manuel Ortiz P360P
"There is a systematic disregard for the guidelines of the rule of law and the most basic standards of human rights. There is a situation of absolute crisis. The state's response to a series of demands is murder, repression and violation of human rights, in addition to promoting a campaign of stigmatization, discrimination and defamation that deepens this situation," said Grabois about Peru.
According to lawyer Pablo Garciarena of the Xumek organization and member of the international mission in Peru, the information collected will be used to prepare a final report that "will also have minimum standards that allow for the submission of petitions to the inter-American or universal protection systems."
For his part, Argentine deputy Juan Marino, stated that the international mission had not come to intervene in domestic political matters.
"We have come to ensure respect for human rights, which are universal," he said. "The right to life, to protest, to due process and to legal defense."
According to Marino, these actions are expected to "stop the massacre and ensure that human rights are respected."
This note was made with the support of the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
Alonso Sicairos represents Agustín Lara in the play “My Bride La Soledad” Photo: Constanza Mazzotti P360P
Last Saturday, February 4th, at six in the evening and in a sold-out Casa Círculo Cultural offered a tribute to the Mexican singer, composer and actor Agustín Lara, better known as “El flaco de oro”.
Monica Zarate. Photo: Constanza Mazzotti P360P
Under the title "My girlfriend, loneliness", a play in four acts created by the Mexican writer Irma Gallo, was that the Redwood City audience was delighted with the representation of the most emblematic life and work that Agustín Lara composed for his main loves.
Roberto Cruz. Photo: Constanza Mazzotti P360P
Songs such as "Veracruz", "Granada", "Arráncame la vida", "María Bonita" and "Solamente una vez" were performed by the multi-award-winning tenor Alonso Sicairos accompanied on the piano by Jennifer Peringer while actress Monica Zarate and actor Roberto Cruz gave life to characters such as Esther Rivas, Angelina Bruschetta, Maria Felix and Rocio Duran, all of them great loves of Agustin Lara.
Before the start of the theatrical performance, the audience enjoyed gourmet dishes from the sea and land, as well as delicious desserts and wines from the California region.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the play “Mi novia la soledad” has been staged, as it was previously performed with great success on Saturday, January 21 at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco, California.
From left to right: Tenor Alonso Sicairos, actor Roberto Cruz, actress Mónica Zárate and pianist Jeniffer Peringer backstage at Casa Círculo Cultural.
Two California lawmakers introduced a bill Monday that would end the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse and remove barriers for survivors seeking justice.
Assemblywoman Dawn Addis and State Senator Nancy Skinner introduced Assembly Bill 452, which would allow survivors of child abuse to come forward when they are ready to confront their traumatic experiences.
AB 452, or the Justice for Survivors Act, would remove the deadline for victims to report their abuse. Currently, those who allege they were sexually assaulted as minors can only seek justice in court until they turn 40.
“There are good reasons why survivors of sexual assault and abuse may take years or decades to confront their experience,” Skinner said. “This delay may be due to the complex ways in which we process trauma and, to protect ourselves, suppress painful memories.”
The bill builds on the Eliminating Limits on Justice for Victims of Child Sexual Abuse Act signed into law in 2022, which removes the statute of limitations for people filing claims in federal court.
Many other states followed and removed this statute at the state level.
"It is unacceptable and cruel that many victims of child sexual abuse in California are unable to hold their abusers accountable because our law now says they have run out of time," Skinner said.
“AB 452 will right this wrong by removing the deadline for bringing civil actions against child abusers and those who aided, abetted, or covered up abuse,” she added.
Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations took place on February 4th in the vicinity of Courthouse Square on Broadway in downtown Redwood City.
The event was celebrated by children, young people and parents who accompanied the participants, where they met the main administrative, artistic and political figures of the city.
And just as described in the fables of Aesop in the West and the Jade Emperor in the East, the fast and elusive rabbit made his presence felt at the inaugural event of the Chinese New Year, however, he had to do so quickly due to the rain that marked the colorful day.
The event began at 11:00 a.m. with the participation of the Shaolin Cultural Center as well as various participating organizations such as Sing Tao Entertainment, California Kung Fu and Tai Chi, Orion Mandarin Immersion, Playthrive School, Taiko Soba, Happy Social Dance Association and Rising Phoenix Lion Dance.
The celebration brought together members of the Redwood City community to enjoy music, cultural performances and martial arts to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit.
The Rabbit of the Chinese Horoscope
Legend has it that it was the Jade Emperor who said that the Chinese zodiac would be decided by the order in which the animals arrived at his feast.
The rabbit, as portrayed in the West by the Greek fabulist Aesop in his fable "The Hare and the Tortoise", decided to run ahead from one side to the other; tired of running so much and above all, of waiting for the other participants in the race, he decided to rest.
When the rabbit woke up, he realized that the other animals, even the slower ones like Aesop's tortoise, had left him far behind.
So much so that the Ox, a slow-moving animal, and the Rat, who was so small that he could not overcome the obstacles on the path, arrived at the Jade Emperor's party as late as he thought they would.
The rabbit, boasting of his speed, thought that the rat, the ox and even the arrogant tiger would give him first place for obvious reasons, which was not the case.
It is said that in Chinese culture, rabbits represent the moon, perhaps because the shadows that this satellite has emulate a rabbit.
Members of the Redwood City community gathered on February 4th at 9 a.m. to discuss the qualities that the next Redwood City Police Chief should have. Photo: P360P
On February 4th at 9:00 a.m., members of the Redwood City community gathered at the City Council Chambers to propose and elect candidates for the next Police Chief.
City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz led the meeting in person and virtually, where participants asked questions and gave their opinions about the characteristics that the next person to take office should have.
Redwood City City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz conducted the in-person and virtual meeting for the election of the next Redwood City Police Chief. Photo: P360P
The main points discussed revolved around the following questions: What are the most important qualities that the next Chief of Police should have? What is going well with the Redwood City Police Department? What are the main concerns surrounding the Redwood City Police Department? And are there any special considerations that the next Chief of Police should meet?
Among the questions of the participants, doubts arose such as if certain surveys have been carried out in the past or if said opening to the community has been carried out in different regions.
Members of the Redwood City community gathered on February 4th at 9 a.m. to discuss the characteristics that the next Chief of Police should have. Photo: P360P
During the meeting, it was specified that some of the characteristics that candidates for the position of Police Chief must have are that they have the experience and leadership skills, that they are capable of dealing with moments of crisis and that they also inspire respect, and that they have sufficient emotional maturity and intelligence to deal with the great diversity that the Redwood City community implies.
Posters and flyers are posted at City Hall as well as the Downtown Library (1044 Middlefield Road), Schaberg Branch Library (2140 Euclid Avenue), Redwood Shores Branch Library (399 Marine Parkway), Veterans Memorial Senior Center (1455 Madison Avenue), Community Activities Building (1400 Roosevelt Avenue) and Fair Oaks Community Center (2600 Middlefield Road). The survey is available in English and Spanish and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 12. Photo: P360P
In turn, Stevenson Diaz clarified that the election of candidates is open to proposals made by members of the community and that the proposals are open to be carried out both at the City Hall facilities and in a public manner. digital.
Redwood City Council Chambers Building. Photo: P360P
That process, Stevenson Diaz said, will take a few more months, so he hopes that by late spring Redwood City will be in a position to have a new Police Chief.
There is the community survey available online or in person at City Hall, the Downtown Library (1044 Middlefield Road), Schaberg Branch Library (2140 Euclid Avenue), Redwood Shores Branch Library (399 Marine Parkway), Veterans Memorial Senior Center (1455 Madison Avenue), the Community Activities Building (1400 Roosevelt Avenue) and the Fair Oaks Community Center (2600 Middlefield Road). The survey is available in English and Spanish and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 12.
These are the local news from January 28 to February 3 that you need to know to stay up to date.
After a first month of the year that seemed to have no end, February has arrived and with it the hope of a better month and a celebration dedicated to love. Do you already have Valentine's Day? If so, it's time to book, find a gift, create the ideal atmosphere and say how much love fills your heart.
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The superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) condemned the use of racial slurs and violence following a confrontation earlier this week between a student and a substitute teacher at Richmond High School.
Superintendent Kenneth "Chris" Hurst issued the statement during Wednesday's school board meeting, where he said schools must be psychologically and physically safe for students to learn and educators to teach.
The district is investigating the interaction. Hurst explained that the substitute teacher was “immediately released from employment with WCCUSD” and that staff is following up with the student and his family to ensure an appropriate response and necessary support.
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Following the release of a video by Memphis police showing the brutal beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by five officers on January 7, actions that led to his death as he was returning to his mother's home, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus called the events indefensible and repugnant.
“What we saw in that video was indefensible, disgusting and incomprehensible,” Corpus said in a series of tweets posted via the Sheriff’s Office Twitter account. “This is a sad day for Mr. Nichols’ family and our nation.”
Corpus said he will redouble his commitment to serve, protect and engage with the communities that comprise the county, “with compassion, respect, integrity and dignity. As I have said, we must work together as a community for change.”
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A San Francisco state assemblyman has introduced a new bill that would give California community colleges the option of making Lunar New Year a state holiday.
Assembly Bill 264 by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, allows flexibility to observe the Lunar New Year without increasing the number of days schools would be closed.
For example, Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays could be combined into one holiday, and Lunar New Year could be another.
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U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, spoke on the House floor Friday about the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, where seven people were killed earlier in the week.
Eshoo, whose congressional district includes Half Moon Bay, spoke on the House floor about the coastal community being “as American as it gets.”
The official called on her fellow members of Congress to consider their conscience in the wake of the tragedy, one of dozens of mass shootings across the country that have already occurred in the first weeks of 2023.
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San Mateo County residents will now be eligible for federal disaster assistance after the area was included in the Major Disaster Declaration for the State of California after being affected by storms since December 27, 2022.
That was announced by Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo Park, and Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, who said disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help residents and business owners facing losses from the storms.
They therefore encouraged homeowners and renters who suffered damage or loss as a direct result of the storms to apply for FEMA assistance before the March 16, 2023 deadline.
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The city announced that emergency shelter beds in Redwood City for severe weather conditions are being activated in anticipation of frigid nights.
Thus, beginning the evening of January 30, emergency shelter beds can be used by those in need due to an overnight minimum forecast of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, with a chance of rain of less than 50 percent.
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A fire at a mobile home park in San Jose early Tuesday morning left seven residents displaced, according to the city's Fire Department.
Authorities said no one was injured in the fire, which also prompted a response from PG&E and the American Red Cross.
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San Mateo County will support business launches and growth after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to invest nearly $1.5 million to help entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses.
The funds, they said, will also help job seekers gain the skills they need to compete for in-demand careers.
Programs including how to access capital will be launched through the North Fair Oaks Economic Advancement Center.
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The Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the state of California has certified San Francisco's Housing Element plan, which calls for more than 82,000 homes in SF over the next eight years, more than half of them affordable to low- and moderate-income families.
According to state data, San Francisco has some of the longest timelines and highest process hurdles for bringing housing projects to construction. These delays, combined with some of the highest housing construction costs in California, create a barrier to addressing the community’s unmet affordable housing needs.
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Researchers at San Francisco State University have begun a three-year study of Lyme disease at Edgewood Park that will focus on monitoring tick hosts such as mice, deer and woodrats, as well as testing the efficacy of an oral bait vaccine designed to limit the spread of the disease.
According to the San Mateo County Council, the study will continue until December 2026.
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The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) recently awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Redwood City for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
This is the 35th consecutive year that Redwood City has received this prestigious award.
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Authorities seized a half-pound of suspected methamphetamine from a Santa Clara woman who was visiting an inmate at the Maguire Correctional Center in Redwood City, San Mateo County jail.
Leslie Romero-Silva, 23, was allegedly carrying more than 9 ounces of methamphetamine when she entered the Maguire Correctional Center in Redwood City around 7 p.m. She was arrested on suspicion of bringing a controlled substance into jail and is being held on $50,000 bail.
A man suspected of assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse will now face hate crime charges against the AAPI community, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.
Armando Sanchez Vazquez, 30, is suspected of assaulting three Asian-American men, one of whom is 73, in Dolores Park on January 30. During the assault, Sanchez Vazquez allegedly threw a brick and metal grate at the men.
The criminal complaint alleges that the individuals were targeted because of their race.
Vazquez is currently in custody.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Feb. 1. His next court date is set for Feb. 15, for a preliminary hearing.
If Vazquez is found guilty, he could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“I take the concerns of our AAPI community, especially our seniors, seriously, and I want them and all of San Francisco to know that there will be accountability and consequences for people who choose to engage in hate and violence,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
The winter storms in California in recent weeks caused devastating events that affected thousands of residents, leaving a long road to recovery for all communities that have been affected by climate change.
The winter storms caused innumerable material damages due to flooding and snow, but also human losses, with 21 deaths recorded so far.
Due to the need to recover from these impacts, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has issued a Mass Disaster Declaration that included 49 of the 58 counties in the Golden State for resource assistance from the federal government, of which 9 have been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The counties that have been approved so far are Merced, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Joaquin, Monterey, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Calavera.
"We want you to know that the State of California is committed to continuing to support communities and maximize the support that comes in for disaster recovery caused by the winter storms," said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, deputy director of Crisis Communications and Public Affairs for Cal OES at a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services where experts gathered to report on the support available for recovery after the storms that hit California.
FEMA representative Brian Bui explained that Federal Disaster Assistance includes individual assistance for households ranging from mass care to unemployment assistance.
If you are interested in registering, you can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go to DisasterAssistance.gov, or visit your local Disaster Recovery Center before March 16, 2023.
Luis Santos-Serrano, Public Information Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), said the SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, as well as private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.
He also explained that companies of any size can receive a loan of up to two million dollars to repair damage caused by a natural disaster.
To apply to the SBA, interested parties can visit disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, call 800-659-2955, send an email to disasterloancustomerservice@sba.gov or go to your local Disaster Recovery Center.
Robert Troy, assistant director of the Interagency Recovery Coordination at Cal OES, explained that in addition to the support requested through the Mass Disaster Declaration, there is the Public Assistance Program, which supports communities and local governments to reimburse the costs of response and recovery from local impacts, which also frees up funds for other types of recovery assistance.
Dayana Contreras, manager of the Listos California program, said that the program's organization has provided support to communities since the beginning of the storms and reported that they have worked with other Catholic organizations to respond to the needs of those affected by the floods. She also indicated that those interested can access https://www.listoscalifornia.org/disaster-readiness/recovery-help/.
Experts warn of the need to be ready in case of another emergency
In recent years, climate change has caused a large number of natural disasters around the world, affecting thousands of people in its path, worrying experts and the community in general.
Crofts-Pelayo noted the need for communities to be prepared for any natural disaster, as climate change has increased the risks of suffering the consequences of an emergency, which is why Cal OES has predicted long-term natural disasters due to climate change.
"We have seen fire events like never before, fire has behaved differently and we have seen this in more than 10 years of experience... the fires are going to be more intense, the temperatures will be extreme and we cannot predict much but we want to make sure that communities have what they need to mitigate the damage they leave behind," he said.
Finally, Troy called for communities to be able to respond in a more resilient way in the event of another natural disaster, but also noted that there are supports that can even help people move from places that are considered high risk.
