Classless people estimated to have arrived in San Mateo County over two thousand years ago
By Rober Diaz / Peninsula 360 Press
Redwood City. The Ohlone, also known as "costanos", occupied a considerable part of the coast where they established a district called Aramai, although experts disagree and place their arrival in the area 2,000 years ago.
They were divided into autonomous villages, led by individual chiefs who guaranteed cohesion within each of the villages. Each group had its own language and their existence was put at risk once the Spanish missionaries penetrated their communities and established their villages.
The Ohlone settled around a seasonal swamp that the Spanish called Lake Mathilde. They fed on acorns, seeds from grasses they cultivated and on molluscs, salmon, marine mammals and seaweed. In addition, they fed on rodents, skunks and deer, establishing a peculiar relationship with the animals, which approached the settlers apparently without fear. They did not prey on them unchecked. That is why the English captain wrote upon his arrival, Frederick William Beechey: "The animals seem to have lost their fear and have become familiar with man".
They did not perform ceremonies to celebrate their marriage or divorce and maintained 20 months of sexual abstinence after childbirth.
Their dwellings were sticks covered with tow. The men walked around naked and the women wore an apron that covered them on both sides. They protected themselves from the cold with mud and with tattoos that were made, they differentiated the clan to which they belonged.
They cohabited peacefully with other tribes and developed marriages with them to avoid inbreeding. They counted by means of the decimal system, worshipped the sun and the sequoias (giant trees). If they fought with another people, the enemy's body was mutilated and the one who had done the deed had to eat a portion of the body in order to appropriate its strength.
It is estimated that the tribe was made up of more than 300,000 members. Such was the wealth of the region that it was not necessary for them to domesticate animals and for this and other reasons it was so surprising to the first settlers that there was so much wild vegetation.
Studies have revealed that they did not practice agriculture as such, however, their system of controlled burning yielded a good crop of vegetables.
Their form of social interaction attracted the attention of the colonists who wrote that: "In their heathen state no superiority of any kind is recognized. What they had they gave to their visitors, which also led the missionaries to claim that the Ohlone peoples lived in anarchy.
After the arrival of the Spaniards, the population dropped from 310,000 to 100,000. There were many cases in which the Ohlone preferred to remain in the forest rather than join the missions. By 1840 the American settlers began to arrive en masse, which only increased the derogatory practices against the natives and maintained their segregation and had the same genocidal attitudes against them. By 1846 they were peacefully incorporated into the United States.
The Ohlones, San Mateo County residents who worshipped the redwoods
Why did the Bay Area sky turn red and orange?
By Pamela Cruz / Peninsula 360 Press
San Francisco. The 2020 has not given truce, and as if it were a fictional movie, this Wednesday the sky of the San Francisco Bay Area turned orange and reddish due to the wildfires recorded in the state, which have been labeled as "unprecedented".
The cars wore a light layer of ash, at times, and at various times of the day, the sky became so dark that it seemed to be night, reported several citizens through social networks, which did not cease to be surprised by the facts.
"Something really weird is happening right now in San Francisco. is this the apocalypse? Are we trapped in Silent Hill? We all woke up in this red sky nightmare," noted Twitter user @CookieBukowski.
According to Bay Area Air Quality Meteorologist Jarrett Claiborne, there is a lot of smoke across the state, even reaching the Pacific Ocean, from fires in California.
Why has the sky turned red and orange?
First you have to know that light is a combination of rainbow colors, from red to violet, and there are particles in the air that can refract certain colors.
"The smoke particles are filtering out other colors and only allowing red, orange and yellow to come through to the surface, so that's why we have orange skies," Claiborne said.
He also noted that smoke could reach ground level, which is harmful not only to vulnerable groups, but to the general population, especially in the East and North Bay, as well as higher elevation areas of the city.
The expert pointed out through the Twitter account of the government agency @AirDistrict, that the phenomenon will continue until Friday, September 11.
According to the U.S. Weather Service (NWS), fire threats persist from western Oregon to southern California.
Through his Twitter account recommended avoiding outdoor activities, report fire outbreaks to 911 and stay tuned to official reports, as well as heed the instructions of the authorities.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted, "Today's skies in SF are like nothing we've ever seen, we'll keep you updated throughout the day on air quality and the impact of smoke from the fires."
He urged his fellow citizens to stay informed by visiting sf72.org and to register with AlertSF by texting your zip code to 888-777."
Reddish sky in SF due to forest fires
The sky over the San Francisco Bay Area turned orange and reddish because of wildfires in the state, which have been called "unprecedented.
Proposition 15: more funding for community colleges in CA
By Hans Leguízamo / Peninsula 360 Press
Redwood City. California's Proposition 15 to be voted on Nov. 3 and proposes to differentiate taxes on commercial and industrial properties from residential properties. Currently, all properties called "real property" (land and buildings added to it) pay the same taxes regardless of their productive role. This tax is 1% of the value of the property at the time of the last change of ownership, after which an annual adjustment for inflation is made up to a maximum of 2%. In other words, the taxes payable on a property are based on the value at which it was last sold and this will not change until it is sold again.
Under Proposition 15, properties with commercial and industrial uses (except those designated as commercial agriculture zones) would pay taxes based on their current market value. This means that the more the value of the property increases, the more the property taxes would increase, and this would be verified every three years, rather than every time the property changes ownership.
If approved, this proposal would take effect in tax year 2022-2023 and must be implemented in phases. Properties that have up to 50% of their square footage designated as small businesses will not be reassessed until tax year 2025-2026.
The exceptions to properties in this proposal are:
- Residential Properties
- Commercial Agriculture Properties
- Small businesses of individuals whose aggregate holdings do not exceed $3 million.
- Personal property for business.
It is estimated that if successfully implemented, Proposition 15 would raise between $8 billion and $12 billion annually. This money would be distributed to specific areas, first (a) to the state supplemental for the decrease in personal and business income tax revenue due to the increase in the tax deduction and (b) to counties to cover the cost of implementing this measure. Then, 60% of the excess funds would be distributed to local governments and special districts, and 40% would be distributed to schools and community colleges.
For supporters of this proposal, changing the way business taxes are levied means enforcing fairer revenue collection, where the corporations that benefit most from consumption in our communities cooperate in important ways, trying to protect local businesses. For many others, the taxes could jeopardize California businesses that are about to make the leap to a larger market.
We extend an invitation to all of our readers to participate in the November 3 vote on whether Proposition 15 will change the way Californians pay taxes for owning businesses.
Alert for high temperatures in the bay
Peninsula 360 Press
The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that very high temperatures are expected Saturday through Monday in the San Francisco Bay Area.
By Friday, temperatures around the Bay Area will be in the 80s, with inland locations in the 90s.
Warmer temperatures are provided over the weekend, which will be above normal.
Expect 70 and 80 degrees along the coast, 80 and 90 degrees around the Bay Area, with temperatures in excess of 100° in inland locations.
Also, low temperatures overnight will only cool to 60 degrees, which won't offer much relief.
Such high temperatures can affect people who are sensitive to heat. Sensitive populations, such as the elderly, infants, and people without access to air conditioning, are likely to be susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, never leave children or pets in vehicles unattended, stay out of the sun.
More information: eather.gov/sanfrancisco/
Man pleads not guilty after pursuit in Porsche
Peninsula 360 Editor
Redwood City. A 25-year-old Hayward man pleaded not guilty Tuesday after stealing a Porsche vehicle from a dealership in Redwood City. Redwood City. Events that led to a chase through the Bay Area on Saturday, Bay Area authorities said. the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Jeremy MortonThe suspect in question faces charges of robbery, unlawful possession of a vehicle, reckless endangerment, and threatening a police officer with a weapon. The incident took place at about 4:45 p.m. last Saturday at the Redwood City Porsche dealership on the Haven Avenue.
Apparently, Morton was loitering inside the agency while looking suspiciously at the opening mechanism of the vehicle doors, it was just then when one of the representatives approached him and asked him the reasons for his strange behavior.
After moving into the sales area of the agency, Morton took a seat in one of the luxury cars while pretending to carry a gun under his clothes; with no other choice, the sales executive gave Morton the keys to the Porsche and left the agency without paying or even know the financing plans, prosecutors said.
Unfortunately for Morton, his joy was short-lived when California Highway Patrol officers pulled him over as he headed north on U.S. 101, but not before testing the vehicle's speed, since the chase reached 115 mph (185 km/h), according to statements from the district attorney's office.
The persecution continued until the Bay Bridge where Morton allegedly tried to ram one of the California Highway Patrol officers' motorcycles; however, in Fremont, authorities were already waiting for him and were ready to stop the vehicle, terminate the pursuit and take the individual into police custody.
However, the investigation later showed that, in reality, it was a theft of a Toyota RAV-4. at a Hayward dealership and that he drove through Redwood City and later parked it at a Porsche dealership, prosecutors said.
Morton, therefore, pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on all charges this past Tuesday. The case is expected to return to court on September 14 for a preliminary hearing. In the meantime, the driver will remain in the hands of police until he pays a bail in the amount of $250,000, according to statements from the district attorney's office.
[With BNC information]
In San Mateo few inhabitants use a warning system
Hans Leguizamo / Peninsula 360 Press
Redwood City. One report indicates that very few people use the SMC Alert system, which is provided by the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services (OES).
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues along with wildfires, emergency alerts and similar systems can save lives.
One of the suggestions that have been made to improve the coverage of this alarm is to change its optional nature. Instead of residents voluntarily registering, the system will work better if they are automatically registered, and leave it up to the users' discretion whether they want to receive the service, or unsubscribe.
The county jury also noted the language barrier in the list of reasons for low registration. Although approximately 9 percent of the county speaks Chinese, and 6.5 percent speaks Tagalog, alerts are only available in English and Spanish.
Daly City is a great example of the impact that the language barrier can have on registration. In this City, 66.4 percent of city residents speak a language other than English when they are at home. Daly City, the largest city in the county, however, has a 2.6 percent underwriting rate, the second lowest in the county. That's why the report recommends that the OSE translate all enrollment materials and alerts by March 31, 2021.
The report has three recommendations for the OSE: Obtain E-911 landline phone records; Access the public information registry to obtain bill payment data; and Continue negotiations with cell phone companies who have been reluctant to cooperate in the past.
San Mateo County's average underwriting rate of 10.6 percent is similar to other Bay Area counties. Santa Clara has 8.1 percent, and Sonoma County has 12 percent.
You can access the SMC Alert registration website at this link;
With information from Bay City News.
Covid-19 tests in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA. Tuesday, September 1st.
Through a release by various mass media outlets, residents of the San Francisco Bay Area have been notified about the performance of new tests for the detection of Covid-19SARS-CoV-2, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Through the public announcement, it was indicated that testing for Covid-19 should be scheduled by appointment in one of the venues, which will change depending on the response of the people.
This Tuesday, it was announced that one of the venues takes place at the Cupertino Senior Center, located at 21251 Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino.
In addition, the message ends by inviting the public to stay in touch for more information by calling (408) 808-7863 or sending an email to pio@eoc.sccgov.org.
More threats against FUSD schools emerge
Fremont, CA - September 1, 2020.
District police said Tuesday that more bomb threats have emerged targeting Fremont Unified School District (DEUF).
The most recent threats were released Tuesday morning and are in addition to the 13 other schools that received bomb threats last week.
This Tuesday morning, 10 schools were targeted of implausible bomb threats, police said in conjunction with school authorities.
CJ CammackThe District Superintendent issued a statement to the school community noting that Tuesday morning's threats share similarities to those made last week. The bomb threats against the schools were made via e-mail.
Meanwhile, students are maintaining distance education, so school buildings remain empty, police said. Cammack said that, unlike last week, the situation continues uninterrupted Tuesday.
The police raided the school premises in question this Tuesday morning. The list of schools for the bomb threat can be found by clicking here.
[With NCB information]
Evictions, a time bomb for Californians
By MANUEL ORTIZ ESCÁMEZ / Ethnic Media Services
REDWOOD CITY, CA - Isabel Perez and her husband lost the two jobs they each had in San Francisco restaurants due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They owe three months' rent and, if the moratorium on evictions ending Aug. 30 in Saint Matthew doesn't spread, they'll be out on the street with their ten-year-old son.
About 6,900 people in the wealthy settlement of San Francisco Peninsula are in danger of losing their homes at the end of this month. On August 21, approximately 100 people, including tenants and activists, demonstrated in the yard of the San Mateo County Center in Redwood City to ask the the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors an extension of the moratorium on evictions.
Nazanin Salehi, attorney for the Community Legal Services Housing Program in East Palo Alto said that people of color face disproportionate eviction in San Mateo County. More than 4,100 households with children are being evicted, he said, adding that children will also lose their schools once they are evicted because San Mateo County schools are primarily dedicated to distance learning during the pandemic.
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the county is $2,700. "People are faced with a $10,000 to $20,000 debt in rent," he said.
Salehi and local housing justice activists are advocating for a model in which San Mateo County pays up to 75 percent of the tenant's debt directly to the landlord, to prevent eviction. On August 4, at their last official meeting, San Mateo County supervisors denied an extension of the current moratorium on evictions that began on March 25 and ends on August 30 of this year.
"Our supervisors have decided that it is more important for homeowners to continue to earn money and evict workers from their homes than for families to remain in safe homes," said Jason Tarricone, director of the housing program at East Palo Alto Community Legal Services, one of the protest organizers.
Across the state of California, approximately 4 million people could be at risk of losing their homes on September 2, when a state moratorium, issued by the California Judicial Council on April 6th. The Judicial Council declared earlier this month that it will not extend the moratorium, and expects the state Legislature to take action.
But the time for action is short: the Legislature adjourns on Aug. 31.
The law AB 1436which has made its way into the State Assembly, would offer an eviction subsidy to tenants in the state. Under the bill's provisions, landlords can use various methods to extract rent owed to their tenants, but cannot evict them.
AB 1436 encourages landlords and tenants to develop a system for late rent, without late fees. It also mandates the elimination of negative consequences, such as an eviction notice appearing on a tenant's credit report.
Nisha Vyas, senior attorney at the Western Center on Law and PovertyThe governor said it is crucial that the state Legislature pass the bill before the session ends Aug. 31. "The housing crisis in California was ongoing long before the pandemic.
"We are facing a momentous social change. We have to stop this now," he said.
Jennifer Kwart, communications director for Assemblyman David Chiu, the lead sponsor of AB 1436, said the bill is stuck in the Senate Rules CommitteeA space in which tenants' and owners' supporters can express their points of view for a better version of the project.
"The owners are vehemently opposed to the bill. Tenants would like it to go further," Kwart said, expressing optimism that a version of the bill will pass before the Legislature adjourns.
It's pretty clear something has to be done. We told people to stay home, and we told businesses to close. Millions of people lost their jobs and can't pay their rent, not because of you.
"The consequence of evicting so many people will have a profound impact," Kwart said, citing an alarming increase in the number of homeless, the increased spread of COVID, and an overall decline in California's economy.
"This could be catastrophic for our state," he added.
"What we are experiencing is serious, very unfair and worrisome," said Adriana Guzman, a San Mateo County activist, in an interview with EMS.
According to Guzman, the refusal of supervisors to extend the moratorium is causing some landlords to put pressure on tenants. "Yesterday I received a call from an elderly woman who was desperate because her landlord was harassing her so much that he told her to pay her now or leave, but the landlord is acting inappropriately because the moratorium is still in place.
Guzman says that while he was on the phone with the woman who had been harassed by her landlord, she felt the high level of stress she was feeling, and her husband had to take her to the emergency doctor.
"Many people like this family are going through unnecessary stress. Those most affected by the upcoming eviction crisis are the elderly and children, as they are the most vulnerable. That's why we are asking supervisors to consider that supporting families is in the best interest of the entire county.
"Supervisors have the power to stop these evictions and save people's homes," said Gabriel Manrique, a member of El Comité and Luna. "They must extend the moratorium until the end of the state of emergency, approve a policy to make tenant debt during the COVID-19 pandemic non-evictionable, and allocate more funds to rental assistance for tenants and mortgage subsidy for small property owners.
With additional report from Sunita Sohrabji/EMS Contributing Editor
