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.

The artist mentions that each animal of the Chinese horoscope that he has made for these festivities has represented a challenge, because in his own words he likes that "people can interact with the pieces, like sitting and playing with them."

Such is the case of the tiger, a figure he made last year using materials such as fibreglass, which people could climb on, an activity that was very popular with the audience and which made Escartiz's work the sensation of the moment.

It is worth noting that in order to create each piece, Escartiz meets with members of the Chinese community to hear the key characteristics that each representation of the animals of the Chinese horoscope should have.

The artist is already thinking about the upcoming Chinese New Year, that of the Dragon, the most important animal in the Chinese horoscope and with which Escartiz knows he has an important challenge ahead of him due to the importance given to the figure.

Fernando Escartiz He has a long history of urban art with which he fills the different installations of the city with color, joy and a Mexican air, as has been the case with his urban exhibition «Stardust» or «Star dust», where in October 2021 he made giant alebrije pieces referring to the Day of the Dead at the Art Kiosk in Redwood City.

To learn more about Fernando Escartiz's artistic work, you can check out his social networks @fernandoescartiz.

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The invisibility of older adults has been made evident by the mass shootings that have occurred in recent weeks in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

Contrary to what one might think —and what usually happens—, the mass shootings of recent weeks have not been perpetrated by young people but by older adults, which has baffled and worried not only communities but also experts, since up to now the exact reason that motivated them to carry out these acts of violence is unknown.

In the United States, older adults make up 12 percent of the population, yet they account for about 18 percent of suicides, according to the National Council on Aging, raising alarm bells about what could be happening to this segment of the population.

Older adults do not only suffer from physical health problems, as invisibility, lack of care and attention, and isolation are situations that some of them suffer on a daily basis.

"Is it strange that within our communities there are elderly people who have been rendered invisible, treated not even as human beings, who feel isolated?" questioned Helen Zia, a writer, journalist and activist in the Asian-American community, at a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services where experts gathered to discuss the mass shootings that have occurred in recent weeks in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

This question opens up different paths and spaces for reflection, as society must ask itself what is being done wrong with the elderly or whether it is doing enough for this group of the population that has been forgotten and marginalized for years. 

Zia explained that, according to her book Last Boat out of Shanghai, most Asians in the United States are immigrants and that, in the case of older adults, they have suffered the pains of war, which brought with them traumatic situations, which have not been addressed because they think that "nobody is interested in listening to them."

"These are painful stories," he said.

In that regard, Brett Sevilla, medical director of the Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center in Los Angeles, noted that older adults have gone through various traumas and stressful situations derived from wars that have not been treated and pointed out that "many of the older adults in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are dealing with post-traumatic stress from the wars and revolutions that forced them to escape as refugees 40 or 50 years ago."

Laura Som of the MAYE Center for Healing Survivors of Trauma, Systemic Racism, Oppression and Inequity said that Cambodian refugees — who are abundant in Long Beach — have experienced extreme violence and post-traumatic stress, which has deteriorated the mental health of the community, triggering in some cases hatred, violence, depression and anger.

This situation not only shows that there are older adults with untreated mental health problems, but also the need for communities to have therapists who address these issues and help and accompany them through the situations they face.

In her turn, Rita Medina, deputy director of state policies for the Coalition for Human Rights of Immigrants (CHIRLA), questioned several of the situations that older adults experience on a daily basis and pointed out that there are people who at 70 years old continue working in the fields when they should be enjoying their "golden years out of necessity."

In California alone, there are at least 17,000 undocumented seniors who do not have social security because they have not been able to fix their immigration status for more than 10 years. 

"Some of them are alone here in this country, and their bodies are physically deteriorating because of the work they do," he said.

However, older adults are not only experiencing physical deterioration but also mental deterioration, and despite the seriousness of this, they have not received the necessary attention, since according to Brett Sevilla, the relatives of patients with mental health problems often consider it shameful.

In this regard, Linda Yoon, co-founder of Yellow Chair Collective, pointed out that older adults have the need to talk about the situations they have suffered, however they do not find the ideal spaces to do so with their families.

Yoon has cared for many of the elderly who have needed this support and said that "many end up crying because they feel ashamed of sharing something so intimate with someone as young as me, they have a lot of hidden traumas, isolation and loneliness."

The events of recent weeks have undoubtedly left society with work to do, namely, to fight against the invisibility of older adults, but they have also opened up a conversation on this topic. "For me, this is a sign that we are raising awareness, making progress, and reducing the stigma," concluded Sevilla.

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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.

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By Bay City News

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.

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By Victoria Hsieh. Bay City News.

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.

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