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As I Was Saying… Publisher | Steve Penna City Council candidate Kevin Bondonno has decided to drop out of the November 2009 race, citing personal reasons. This was not the first time Bondonno had run for council. He ran in 2007 and came in behind four incumbents, placing fifth behind Councilman Ian Bain. Many saw that run as an attempt to get his name “out there” and position himself as a frontrunner in this November’s election. Whether that strategy would have worked or not will not be seen. But it is clear that he was a strong candidate and was able to raise the funds and support to wage a competitive campaign. In fact, he was able to gain support and endorsements that far outnumbered some of his competitors, even though he had not been campaigning as long. His now-defunct Web site noted endorsements from elected officials — Council Member and former Mayor (up for re-election this November) Jeff Ira, former Council Member and Mayor Judy Buchan, former San Mateo County Board of Supervisors member Mike Nevin and appointed city board members and commissioners Tom Cronin, Ernie Schmidt, David Smith, Shawn White, Robert Slusser, Pauline and Vince Truscelli, Denise Brosseau, John Dempsey, Marc Manuel and Bonnie Miller — as well as community leaders Robert Franceschini, Jack Castle, Andy Frisch, Pete and Ginny Hughes, Frank Bartaldo and David Amann. When Bondonno held his campaign kickoff event at the Community Activities Building on Roosevelt Ave., cheering him on was Vice Mayor Diane Howard but it was not apparent if she would have endorsed him. She and Councilman Jim Hartnett are termed out this year and cannot run for re-election. Speaking exclusively to me, Bondonno said that the decision to drop out of the race was a difficult one, but one he had to make in the “best interest of his family.” He said he was not able to devote the time needed for campaigning and did not want to disappoint his family, friends and supporters who had encouraged him and were “working so hard to elect” him. He said that professional career changes that were “beyond his control” had forced him to refocus all of his time and energy toward his family. He is currently seeking employment at a high-tech Silicon Valley company. “I feel I am making the right decision for my family and me,” he said. Bondonno said he will consider a future run for City Council and will continue to contribute to the Redwood City community as a Housing and Human Concerns committee member along with the other commitments he has. In the meantime, he has thrown his support behind Councilman Ira www.SpectrumMagazine.net and candidate John Seybert. He will announce his final choice during the month of August. .… In regard to the upcoming City Council election, the final day for prospective candidates to file their nomination papers will be Aug. 7. Each candidate must gather a minimum of 20 and maximum of 30 signatures of registered Redwood City voters who support their nomination. It is always interesting to see who signs each candidate’s papers, as signatures do not always reflect support of any given candidate. I for one am honored to be asked to sign but don’t support any candidate during the election. That way I can feel a part of the process besides voting. To date, residents who have taken out papers include Seybert, Ira, Janet Borgens, Jeff Gee and Cherlene Wright. Two other potential candidates, Taylor Smith and Francisco Lopez, had not taken out papers as we went to press. Lopez has started a quiet Internet campaign, stating; “It is now time to start thinking about the future of Redwood City and the leadership that is going to lead you there. Because experience and leadership count!” Tell us something we don’t know, Francisco, you are boring me already. But in his defense, given the potential candidates, I think we are all going to be feeling a lot of that in the next few months. He does have a nice-looking campaign logo though. Once the nomination papers are completed and signed, they will be submitted to our city clerk for a 10-day examination period (validating the signatures), then, once approved, the campaign officially begins. But before that, one of the most interesting and telling aspects of the campaign will have already happened when the campaign expenditure statements are submitted and released by each candidate on July 31 (after we went to press). That will indicate the legitimate support of each candidate but also, more importantly in this election, the monetary support (some have already been collecting contributions). In this election a legitimate candidate is going to have to raise at least $20,000 to inform the voters of their platform and who they are. Even though each of them has their support base, I would not say any of them, besides maybe Borgens, is relatively well known in all neighborhoods of our community. So introducing themselves and letting voters know who they are is extremely important, and that will take mailers (at least two, maybe three), and that takes contributions, and contributions mean supporters, which mean voters. So the more you get, the more you got. Got it? So in the early stage of this election, look for candidates to have at least $10,000 in contributions. Judging by the support and activity I have seen, I would estimate that Seybert, Gee and Ira will be the top fundraisers at this point, with Gee topping them all. With roughly three months to go, anything can obviously happen, but with three seats up for grabs and one incumbent running, having the funds to get your message out is the most valuable asset at this point. That is of course besides the candidates themselves. Isn’t it? .… During a recent city council meeting, some annoying neighbors, who do not even live that close to the property in question, appealed a decision by city staff to allow a “legitimate” massage parlor to locate at 515 Woodside Road. In doing so, they kept the potential business owners, council and city staff at the meeting and one local magazine publisher watching at home well past 1 a.m. This was NIMBY at its best. But that is democracy and one cannot argue with the process, even though I kept asking someone to “please shoot me” the whole time they were using their three minutes to address the council and whine about potential traffic and safety concerns when they were really concerned that the establishment would bring prostitution to the area. Just say it, folks! The council decided to put off a decision on the appeal until a later meeting and until some conditions were added to the use permit. Now considering that none of the current council members are small business owners and do not really know what it is like to run such businesses, isn’t that the time to rely on city staff to make the correct recommendations and deny the appeal? Guess not, because here’s what happened. So the council asked that the operating hours be restricted and that a permit be issued for only two years — both unusual requests. In the end, the potential business owners withdrew their application, losing over $20,000 of hard-earned money spent on the permit process and moving their business elsewhere — maybe to your neighborhood or unfortunately to another city. Wasn’t the City Council wondering why there are so many empty storefronts in the downtown area and throughout our community? Why Redwood City is seen as unfriendly to prospective businesses trying to come to our city? Shouldn’t we be making it easier for them, especially during (continued on page 14)
New Redwood Shores School Construction Begins 2005. The measure needed a 55 percent Yes vote from the Redwood Shores Facilities Improvement District to pass, and it received 67.65 percent. A rift between Redwood Shores residents and the school district began shortly after the passage. Parents were irked that the school plans would be developed by a board of trustees that did not have one resident of the Redwood City neighborhood, which is geographically separated from the rest of the city. The New Shores School Advisory Committee was created to give such a voice to residents. Location, location, location Agreeing on a location was also a timely process. Criticism began to circulate once the wetlands — known as Area H — became the front-runner for the school’s location among people in favor of maintaining open space. Area H was the only location recommended by the New Shores School Advisory Committee from the nearly 50 sites originally considered. The 109-acre piece of land known as Area H was purchased by Keech Properties, of which Max Keech is the principal owner, in March 2006 for $2.3 million, according to the County Assessor’s Office. The Belmont– Redwood Shores School District began considering it as its No. 1 school site in 2006. In July 2007, the district entered into a contract with land owner Keech Properties for the 7-acre school site. The agreement committed the district to pay $8.5 million. Land price, delays Four years of construction delays ended as school officials broke ground on a new 450-student Redwood Shores elementary school with an aim to end overcrowding. Voters approved a $25 million bond measure in 2005 to build a second elementary school in Redwood Shores, slated to open next fall on a 7-acre parcel among a 109-acre portion of wetlands. Department of State Architect approvals delayed construction and pushed back the school’s original opening date. Instead, a groundbreaking was held for the 16-classroom school. “This is really exciting,” said Belmont–Redwood Shores School District Superintendent Emerita Orta-Camilleri. “We’re moving toward a culmination point. It’s not only exciting for our students, but for our community.” Orta-Camilleri gave kudos to parents, residents and district staff whose dedication made it possible to move forward with construction. Once completed, the school is slated to be 41,296 square feet including an administration and teacher work area; 5,244 square feet set aside for a library and a learning center, of which 1,439 square feet will be dedicated to the library; and a 3,749-square-foot multipurpose room, which includes one music/science classroom, according to the district office. Of the 16 classrooms, 12 will be a typical 960 square feet and four will be 1,200 square feet. Larger classrooms will be used for kindergarten classes. “I feel like this is an incredible achievement for residents and children of Redwood Shores,” said Doug Crisman, New Shores School Advisory Committee chair. Crisman added the district gave the opportunity, but it was residents who decided to tax themselves to meet a clear need. Overcrowding an issue Getting to the groundbreaking required much public input. Sandpiper Elementary, the only elementary school in Redwood Shores, has been overcrowded for years. To make up for the high enrollment, kindergarten students are transferred from Sandpiper to Nesbit in Belmont. There are no kindergarten students at Sandpiper. Those kindergartners start school at Sandpiper in first grade. In the coming year, some first-graders will also need to stay at Nesbit due to space restraints. The problem led to the passage of Measure C, a $25 million bond, in The base land price was set at $9.8 million to be offset by a $1.1 million payment from either the Redwood City General Improvement District Facilities Fees or Keech Properties for development of co-use facilities on the site. With the developer fees coming in as estimated and a reduction in project costs, Keech suggested lowering the district’s cost an additional $700,000, dropping the price to $8 million earlier this year. The drop allowed the district to put more money into the school, such as for the fourth kindergarten classroom. In addition, more money was put aside to ensure costs of the new school are covered. Plans were to open the campus this fall. However, a redesign of the building foundations and an additional geotechnical review caused a state approval delay. This delay, and a continued enrollment spike within the district, meant new schedules such as morning/afternoon kindergarten classes are being used as shortterm solutions in the coming school year. Editor’s note: This article appeared first in the Daily Journal newspaper. Join the Sigona’s Family! Sign up for the Sigona’s Preferred Customer e-newsletter which comes every 2 weeks and features healthy recipes, coupons for FREE Sigona’s items, produce picks & tips, articles and more. Please print clearly. NAME:____________________________________ EMAIL:____________________________________ LOCAL • FRESH • FAMILY Bottle of Sigona’s Vanilla Bean Balsamic Vinegar with a purchase of $30 or more. Our finest 12-year, barrel-aged balsamic infused with vanilla beans from Madagascar is packed with flavor. Perfect over melon, gelato or salads. Wedge of President Brie & pay one cent for a bottle of Hollister’s DeRose Vineyards Sharknose Chardonnay with a purchase of $30 or more. *Wine available at the Redwood City store only. You can swap the wine for a bottle of Malio sparkling juice. No penny necessary! Offer valid from Aug. 1 - 31, 2009. May not be combined Offer valid from Aug. 1 - 31, 2009. May not be combined Are you a new customer? Yes ____ No ____ with other offers. Must present coupon. One per household with other offers. Must present coupon. One per household and one per visit, please. Copies not valid. CODE# 1096. and one per visit, please. Copies not valid. CODE# 1097. The absolute best in fresh produce and specialty foods. 2345 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City 399 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto (650) 368-6993 www.sigonas.com (650) 329-1340 The Spectrum 7
Page 1 and 2: Gary Mora Sequoia’s Class Clown T
Page 3 and 4: The Spectrum.AUG.2009 Steve Penna O
Page 5: RCSD Corner: News From the Redwood
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Page 11 and 12: P.S. The People Speak: Letters to t
Page 13 and 14: News Briefs Another Camp Glenwood W
Page 15 and 16: Parties Around Town The Redwood Cit
Page 17 and 18: Bros. and Bugs Bunny,” said Mora.
Page 19 and 20: The Spectrum Mag AD 4/2/08 4:23 PM
Page 21 and 22: REDWOOD CIT Y ROADWORK ADVISORY Bus
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Page 25 and 26: espectively, both gave wearing the
Page 27 and 28: News Briefs: (Continued from page13
Page 29 and 30: Finance: Can You Invest for College
Page 31 and 32: So much more than tires since 1957.

Gary Mora Gary Mora - The Spectrum Magazine - Redwood City's ...

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