El amor está en el aire, hoy muchos enamorados planean salir para iniciar los festejos por San Valentín, sin embargo, mañana es otra gran fecha en EE. UU. pues se llevará a cabo la edición 57 del Super Bowl, que en esta ocasión tendrá lugar en Arizona, donde se enfrentarán los Jefes de Kansas City contra las águilas de Philadelphia, quienes buscaran levantar el trofeo Vince Lombardi.

Entre guacamole, nachos, costillas, hamburguesas y cerveza, los fanáticos del emparrillado podrán disfrutar el partido final de esta temporada de la NFL en punto de las 15:30 horas ‒Tiempo del Pacífico‒.

Mientras alistas tu jersey, la fiesta y una buena pantalla, estas son las noticias locales del 4 al 10 de febrero que debes conocer para estar al día.

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Con la finalidad de ayudar a los residentes afectados por las tormentas recientes y a conocer la asistencia disponible de las agencias locales, estatales y federales, la Oficina del Ejecutivo del Condado de San Mateo anunció la apertura de un Centro de Recuperación por Desastre en San Mateo. 

El centro operará todos los días desde el 9 hasta el 23 de febrero en el Centro de eventos del condado de San Mateo, entrada principal del estacionamiento ubicada en el 1346 de Saratoga Drive. El horario es de 9:00 a 19:00 horas, incluidos los fines de semana, en Cypress Hall.

En él, los representantes del condado, la Oficina de Servicios de Emergencia del estado y la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias proporcionarán información como asistencia de empleo, reemplazo de registro, asistencia para veteranos, y acceso y asistencia a las necesidades funcionales.

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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 Sánchez Vázquez, de 30 años, es sospechoso de agredir a tres individuos asiático-estadounidenses, uno de los cuales tiene 73 años, en Dolores Park el 30 de enero. Durante el asalto, el victimario supuestamente arrojó una rejilla de ladrillo y metal a los individuos.  

La denuncia penal alega que los individuos fueron atacados por su raza. Vázquez se encuentra actualmente bajo custodia.  Se declaró inocente en su lectura de cargos el 1 de febrero. Su próxima cita en la corte está fijada para el 15 de febrero, para una audiencia preliminar.  

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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.

Los principales puntos que se discutieron giraron en torno a las siguientes preguntas: ¿Cuáles son las cualidades más importantes que debe de tener el siguiente jefe de Policía? ¿Qué es lo que va bien en el Departamento de Policía de Redwood City? ¿Cuáles son las principales preocupaciones que hay en torno al Departamento de Policía de Redwood City? y si ¿Existe alguna consideración especial que deba de cumplir el siguiente jefe de Policía?

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Los festejos del Año Nuevo Lunar Chino se llevaron a cabo este cuatro de febrero en las inmediaciones del Courthouse Square en la calle de Broadway del centro de 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.

Las celebraciones iniciaron a las 11:00 horas con la participación del Centro Cultural Shaolin así como distintas organizaciones participantes como Sing Tao Entertainment, California Kung Fu and Tai Chi, Orion Mandarin Immersion, Playthrive School, Taiko Soba, Happy social Dance Association y Rising Phoenix Lion Dance.

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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”.

Under the title "My Girlfriend, Loneliness," a four-act play created by Mexican writer Irma Gallo, the Redwood City audience was delighted with the performance of the most emblematic life and work that Agustín Lara composed for his greatest loves.

Canciones como «Veracruz», «Granada», «Arráncame la vida», «María Bonita» y «Solamente una vez» fueron interpretadas por el multipremiado tenor Alonso Sicairos acompañado en el piano por Jeniffer Peringer mientras que la actriz Mónica Zárate y el actor Roberto Cruz dieron vida a personajes como Esther Rivas, Angelina Bruschetta, María Félix y Rocío Duran, todas ellas, grandes amores de Agustín Lara.

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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.

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El proyecto del Centro para la Creatividad en Redwood City parece estar tomando forma, pues ha concluido la primera fase del estudio de viabilidad para este magno espacio, en el cual se determinó la necesidad de un recinto para elevar la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de diversas formas del arte.

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.

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Fernando Escartiz has been decorating the festivities and the beginning of the Chinese New Year in Redwood City with his artistic work for six years now. 

2023 was no exception as he was the creator of the famous Rabbit that captivated attendees at the festivities last Saturday, February 4, at Courthouse Square on Broadway Street.

Using materials such as wood, acrylic, and resins, Escartiz created the rabbit figure in the shape of a disk or moon, which is often reproduced in other formats and materials such as stickers that are placed on the windows of shops and houses to attract good luck.

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The San Mateo County Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities launched its naloxone toolkit in December 2022 to help prepare school staff to safely use naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses that may occur on their campuses.

The county council said several area school districts and private schools have already completed the onboarding process and received a supply of naloxone — also known by the brand name Narcan — while many others are working to complete the steps required to participate in the program.

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose while having little to no other effect on a person if opioids are not present in their system.

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La Cámara de Comercio del Condado de San Mateo invitó a todos aquellos interesados en acudir a la fiesta de inauguración del primer dispensario legal de cannabis de la Península: Embarc Redwood City.

La séptima tienda de boarding en el estado está ubicada en el 1870 de Broadway, en Redwood City, en donde se realizó este jueves un pequeño corte de listón con autoridades locales, mientras que la gran fiesta de apertura se llevará a cabo este sábado 11 de febrero, de 9:00 a 16:00 horas. 

According to Lauren Carpenter, CEO of Embarc, this will be “the first legal cannabis business to open its doors in this community, a testament to our team’s ability to deliver on our promises and our commitment to Redwood City.”

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You may be interested in: Consulate of Mexico in SF without information on repatriation of bodies of victims of shooting in HMB

By Rowena Gonden. Bay City News.

Two Bay Area teenagers' concerns about climate change recently led them to consider the less obvious effects of extreme weather, which resulted in dozens of homeless men, women and children getting shoes.   

High school students Hanna Johnson and Audrey Hsu organized a shoe drive late last year as part of the Climate Leaders Fellowship, a free online forum for students interested in working together to combat the harmful effects of the Earth’s changing weather patterns in their respective communities.  

^{Audrey Hsu, of Fremont, (left) on a project with Hanna Johnson, of Antioch, (right) collected shoes that were donated to organizations serving the homeless for their Climate Leaders Scholarship Project. (Alan Hsu via Bay City News)}

The two-month collaboration was organized by student travel company Rustic Pathways, the foundation he created to fund social and environmental projects around the world, and Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab.

“I’m very passionate about everything related to the environment,” said Hsu, as the 15-year-old freshman at St. Francis High School in Mountain View checked off a list of activities she’d organized in the name of environmental sustainability before speaking about the dangers microplastics pose to Bay Area waterways.  

She signed up for the fellowship last fall to find out what other students are doing about climate change and ended up speaking with teenagers in Utah, Korea and Singapore.  

Open to ages 14-18, the Climate Leaders Fellowship has teens conceive, carry out, and measure the results of their community service projects while sharing ideas with peers in other parts of the world who are doing similar work and receiving guidance from Rustic Pathways and Stanford University staff members in regular Zoom sessions.  

Established in 2021, the fellowship saw 170 high school students participate in the latest round, connecting to remote discussions from across the United States, as well as countries including Myanmar, Thailand, India, France, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.  

Hsu responded when Johnson, a junior at Deer Valley High School, sent a group message asking if anyone wanted to join her in brainstorming ways they could mitigate the effects of climate change at the grassroots level.  

The couple began considering the possibilities: How about contributing to reforestation efforts as rising temperatures turn vast swaths of California forests into fuel for wildfires?  

Alternatively, they could distribute cooling towels or plastic water bottles to make homeless people feel more comfortable during the summer heat.  

In the end, Johnson and Hsu settled on a variation on that theme.  

"Shoes can provide not only warmth for your feet when it's cold, but also a barrier from the scorching pavement," said Johnson, 16.  

Though she regularly volunteers at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland and has her sights set on majoring in a science field at the University of California, Berkeley, Johnson admits she didn't know much about climate change when she began the fellowship and hadn't considered how extreme temperatures might affect homeless populations.  

Once they settled on an approach, she and Hsu worked out the logistics.  

Johnson set up a collection bin on campus, as well as one at the Antioch community center and a third at the dojo where he earned his black belt in karate.  

Meanwhile, Hsu canvassed her Fremont neighborhood on foot, leaving more than 100 flyers asking donors to place shoes by her mailbox for pickup.  

And over the course of several weeks, people responded: Hsu returned to find about three dozen pairs waiting for her, while Johnson says her followers brought garbage bags full of footwear to the dojo.

Sneakers, baby shoes, high heels and work boots – in total, the duo collected 155 pairs.  

Johnson turned his loot over to a county-run service that finds permanent housing and provides basic supplies for those living on the streets.  

Hsu dropped hers off at a men's shelter in San Jose, which in turn shared some of the donations with a nearby women's shelter.   

“It ended up working out well,” Johnson said. “I was very happy with what I ended up with.”  

The Climate Leaders Fellowship has a waiting list for applications for its next round of projects running from March 1 to April 30. Visit https://rusticpathways.com/young-climate-leaders-fellowship/ for more information.

^{This story was first published as part of the Inspire Me series on LocalNewsMatters.org, a nonprofit affiliate site supported by the Bay City News Foundation. You can read the original story here: https://localnewsmatters.org/2023/02/07/teens-environmental-project-provides-shoes-for-the-homeless/}

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Imelda Bautista busca acercar programas de apoyo a la comunidad del este de San José a través de la asociación META ‒Mujeres Empresarias Tomando Acción‒ en mancuerna con la Oficina de Participación Comunitaria de Stanford Medicine.

La idea de ayuda comenzó durante de la pandemia por COVID-19 en donde Bautista, de la mano de un grupo de aproximadamente once mujeres estaban empeñadas en ayudar a su comunidad. 

Así fue que comenzaron a informar a la población del Este de San José sobre los programas de vacunación así como de la realización de pruebas antígenas. 

Con el paso del tiempo, el programa de ayuda ha ido beneficiándose de recursos que destinan a programas para la población. Tal es el caso del contrato que mantienen con el departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Santa Clara, con el que comenzaron a informar a al gente sobre los riesgos de salud durante la pandemia por COVID-19.

Imelda Bautista señaló a Península 360 Press que el grupo de mujeres de META fueron las primeras en tomar acción tocando de puerta en puerta ofreciendo información sobre cuidados.

Actualmente, son tres integrantes de META quienes trabajan de la mano con el programa de Participación Comunitaria de Stanford Medicine hasta el mes de junio del presente año. Ellas son Maribel Ruiz, Luz María Mendoza y la propia Imelda Bautista.

Dentro de este programa las promotoras se dedican ciertos ejes principales como por ejemplo la realización de pruebas COVID, generar y dar seguimiento a la programación de vacunas COVID, proporcionar información y seguimiento para las personas interesadas en obtener la cobertura de seguro médico y el asesorar la gestión de CalFresh, un programa de estampillas de alimentos en el estado de California así como el de proporcionar información sobre salud mental.

De igual forma, comenta Bautista que de parte de la Oficina de Participación Comunitaria de Stanford Medicine han recibido capacitación que ha sido clave para poderse acercar todavía más a la población gracias a los talleres que Stanford Medicine les ha impartido  sobre cómo acercarse a las personas, cómo proporcionar información adecuada a niñas, niños, jóvenes y adultos sobre los servicios de salud que proporcionan. 

Para más información sobre el servicio de promotorado de salud así como de las pruebas de antígenos y vacunas COVID la población puede acudir a la dirección 1775 Story Road, San José California 95122, Suit 120 ó bien contactar a las promotoras vía su Página de Facebook.

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The Mexican Consul General in San Francisco, Remedios Gómez Arnau, said that she does not have updated information on the repatriation of the bodies of the victims of the shooting in HMB (Half Moon Bay), Marciano Martínez and José Romero, who died on January 24 during the shooting near a farm.

In an interview with Peninsula 360 Press, the official said she was unaware of the status of the procedures for the bodies to be returned and released to Mexican soil. 

He emphasized that financial assistance for the affected relatives is, first and foremost, in the hands of the U.S. authorities, since the crime for which the Oaxacans unfortunately lost their lives must be brought to justice and resolved first in that country. 

However, he mentioned that the Mexican consulate is working alongside the authorities of the state of California, as well as the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, to support the affected families. 

The consul said that the aid provided by the state of California is housing for one year, while the Mexican authorities have only provided support to qualifying relatives with the help of lawyers for other types of emergency relief such as financial, food, consular documentation, filling out paperwork, and advice on funeral homes that qualify for the aid programs offered by the San Francisco consulate.

The consul emphasized that she first seeks justice in the United States for the Mexicans and secondly that the reparations to which the affected families are entitled are granted. She mentioned that the consulate is following up on the trial in the case of the shooting in which the Mexicans unfortunately lost their lives.

"First, we seek justice for the Mexicans, and second, we seek reparations to which the families may be entitled. There are several avenues in which we support them," he said.

Regarding funeral expenses, Arnau said that local authorities will cover the costs. "We have agreements -with some funeral homes- so that prices are more accessible for Mexicans when they have an issue like this." 

He added that local authorities are currently creating a support fund for affected families, but that it is up to the authorities of Half Moon Bay and San Mateo County to manage these funds. 

Gómez Arnau promised to ask the Department of Consular Protection about the status of the release of the bodies of the deceased to Mexico.

During a meeting with the Mexican community in Redwood City and its surrounding areas, held on February 9 by Remedios Gómez Arnau, Consul General of San Francisco, California, and Jaime Vázquez Bracho, General Director of Consular Services of Mexico, the aim was to strengthen the various services that the consular network in the country currently offers and to listen to the doubts and concerns about various immigration issues on the part of the Mexican diaspora.

Present at the event were Redwood City Mayor Jeff Gee, Verónica Escámez, director of Casa Círculo Cultural, as well as Mireya Magaña Gálvez, from Communications, Press, Media, and Diffusion of the Consulate General of Mexico in San José, who chaired the meeting.

Among the concerns raised by attendees were those regarding appointment dates at the Mexican consulate, the issuance of visas, the issuance of birth certificates, as well as the issuance of credentials from the National Electoral Institute and the National Institute for Older Adults (INAPAM).

However, during the session, more specific questions arose which Mexicans had the opportunity to express, such as: difficulty scheduling appointments online, losing appointments due to system errors, problems requesting dual citizenship procedures for minors and adults. 

Added to this was the need for more mobile consulates, greater kindness and good treatment from the Consulate officials in San Francisco, as well as information on what to do if you have properties registered in Mexico and how to claim land from the United States.

Likewise, attendees took the floor to denounce the illegal sale of appointments for the Consulate with which fake agencies seek to benefit from the misinformation that exists among the Mexican population abroad regarding the procedures that can be carried out.

In response, Gómez Arnau and Vázquez Bracho said that there are no agencies that work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the Mexican population should refer exclusively to the Mexican official services. 

Modernization, inclusion and implementation of six indigenous languages: Two of the challenges of the Mexican Consulate for 2023.

Jaime Vázquez Bracho, General Director of Consular Services, in an interview with P360P mentioned that one of the biggest challenges facing the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco is to continue modernizing, since they are moving to much more efficient systems that in the future will allow part of the procedures to be done online.

He also mentioned that they will also have telephone services that will be available in six indigenous languages: Nahuatl, Otomi, Mixtec, Zapotec and two other variants of Nahuatl. 

Likewise, the new reforms are intended to effectively serve people with disabilities and older adults and to implement programs with a gender perspective. 

Naturalization program for children of Mexicans

In turn, the Director General of Consular Services mentioned that every child of a Mexican who is born in North American territory has the right to Mexican nationality since it was in 2021 that Mexican law modified the limit of the degree of right to nationality by descent.

He mentioned that the process is relatively simple, however, the complicated part is that the consulates are in high demand. This is because more than 25 percent of the Mexican population in the United States is in the state of California, which makes the need for paperwork multiply, he said.

During the talk held at Casa Círculo Cultural, the officials clarified that consular appointments are issued exclusively on Fridays after 12 noon and that these are sold out in approximately two hours at least, so they encouraged attendees to make the necessary appointments as soon as possible.

Officials who also attended the meeting included Andre Vargas, from the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs of the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco; Adolfo González, in charge of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco; as well as Hansel Walker from the Visión y Compromiso Organization.

Attendees received information on how to schedule appointments within the framework of the Saturday sessions, which must be scheduled on Tuesdays or by calling +1 (424) 309 0009 or contacting www.citas.sre.gob.mx I to www.consulmex.sre.gob.mx/sanfrancisco.   

In addition, the Facebook page of the San Francisco consulate was shared, where people can find out about the following consular events. https://www.facebook.com/ConsulmexSFCO.

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The San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce invited all those interested to attend the grand opening party for the Peninsula's first legal cannabis dispensary: Embarked Redwood City.

Embarc's seventh store in the state is located at 1870 Broadway in Redwood City, where a small ribbon cutting was held with local officials on Thursday, while the grand opening party will take place this Saturday, February 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

According to Lauren Carpenter, CEO of Embarc, this will be “the first legal cannabis business to open its doors in this community, a testament to our team’s ability to deliver on our promises and our commitment to Redwood City.”

Shoppers will be able to enjoy a variety of product offerings, as well as a local farmers' market, where they can learn about and buy products made from cannabis, as well as enjoy vegan food stalls, among other surprises.

Embarc is one of four qualified carriers who were rigorously selected by city authorities in 2022 to operate locally in Redwood City, in order to receive a city retail and delivery permit.

Embarc’s operations will provide significant community benefits, including hundreds of volunteer hours and ongoing funding for local community organizations, which will be guided by a Community Advisory Board, a group of local stakeholders who are given a seat at the table to ensure accountability and transparency in the company’s operations.

Additionally, Embarc Redwood City will donate 1.0 percent of all sales back to the community, coupled with its interest in being co-owned by multi-generational local residents who ensure that its operations serve as a collaborative partner to the city, the community and the organization itself. 

To make purchases at this new dispensary, interested parties must be 21 years or older and present a valid government-issued photo ID. Individuals 18 years or older must present a medical card along with their government-issued ID. 

It is worth noting that California law currently allows the purchase of up to one ounce of non-concentrated cannabis ‒flower‒ and up to eight grams of concentrated cannabis.

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