18 minute read
MICRO CLIMATE
A Mailman Puts on the Ritz, and a Techie’s Brainteasers Break the Ice
The postman brings letters, packages and junk mail, so customers on Steven Guzman’s route in Redwood City couldn’t have been prepared for what he occasionally delivers: fabulous home-baked cakes and pastry—with a side of violin. In yet another of those abrupt career 180s that have arrived courtesy of the Covid pandemic, Guzman went from the pastry kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay to delivering the mail, after he was furloughed in March 2020.
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“It’s so, like opposite,” the Redwood City resident says of his job as a letter carrier. “Everything at the hotel is so luxurious.” But he needed a job, the Postal Service was hiring, and his wife, Miwa, encouraged him to apply. The graduate of New York’s French Culinary Institute with a grand diplome in pastry arts got the job and then trained at the San Francisco Main Post Office. Guzman was assigned Route 124, which winds up above the Farm Hill area of Redwood City to take in Cañada College, Woodhill Estates, Alverno Court and the Farm Hill Vista condominiums. In all, his appointed rounds take him to about 300 addresses. Instead of his chef whites and a toque, he wears postal blue with a widebrimmed hat to prevent sunburn.
The 49-year-old Guzman is an unassuming but seriously gregarious person who has no trouble striking up a conversation. But how does that happen while delivering the mail? Postal customer Katherine Machemer, a Farm Hill Vista resident, says it’s because he “goes above and beyond what most people would do.” When the pandemic hit, Guzman came up all the way up to the third floor of her building to deliver packages. “We really got to know him because of the pandemic,” she says. “We kept ordering more and more things and he was the only person we would see. Ring the
Steven Guzman play violin while local children Kiersten, sister Abigail, brother Zachary, and neighbor Aaron enjoy one of Guzman's extraordinary cakes.
doorbell and he’d deliver it and we thanked him for bringing all our essentials.” One thing led to another through those little interactions and they became friends. In fact, says Carina Jacobs, another neighbor in the condo complex, Guzman has helped create a feeling of community among the lockeddown residents. “We’ve just been very fortunate to have such a wonderful person as part of our almost daily routine,” she says. “He’s just a very generous, kind-hearted person—and he’s funny too.”
Baking is just one of the talents of this renaissance letter carrier. Growing up in Long Beach, Guzman showed an interest in the violin at about the age of 10, took lessons, and by the time he was in high school, he was the orchestra concertmaster, capable of performing a Mozart concerto. Locally, he’s played with the Redwood Symphony and the Palo Alto Philharmonic, but Guzman currently only plays violin for Peninsula Covenant Church services. And of course for his postal customers. He’s become such a part of the Farm Hill Vista community that he gets invited for weekend social gatherings. When he hears that a child is having a birthday, he plays “Happy Birthday”—or a little bluegrass for the grown-ups. “People really enjoy it,” he says.
Guzman recognizes that a postman has a schedule to keep, so he’s done most of his pastry deliveries on his day off. At first when he showed up with one of his deluxe creations, the reaction was, “How can a postman make something like this? … To me, it was just a regular cake but to them it was real fancy.” As he and his customers got to be friends, he filled them in on his eight-year background as a Ritz pastry chef. He’s even taken time on his days off to teach some cooking classes. Guzman, who makes all the goodies in his apartment kitchen, enjoys giving his creations away. “I don’t think really about the cost of it. I just think how they enjoy it and how I can improve my skill even though I’m away from my pastry life.”
Adela Novotna, another Farm Hill Vista resident, was surprised last Christ-
mas when Guzman gave her 8-year-old daughter Misha a "Lego nutcracker,” the same toy he’d also enjoyed putting together as a kid. Unbeknownst to her mother, Misha had asked him for a Christmas present (roller blades). “I had to explain to my daughter that he’s a mailman, not a Santa Claus,” Novotna says and adds, “He just brings so much joy … He’s unique.”
How does a guy from Canada who lives on a steep, winding road with no parking get to meet his Palomar Park neighbors? Sebastien Dery, who works in the tech world in the field of artificial intelligence, came up with a foot-traffic-stopping solution: He placed a chalkboard in the front courtyard, where he posts messages daily designed to get people to stop, think and maybe even smile. And a bonus if they’re on foot: Perhaps have a chat with the author of the chalkboard icebreakers.
A posting could be a factoid Dery picked up on the web: “The first Christmas tree was made out of dyed goose feathers,” for example. Or the message-du-jour may be topical: "Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia won the 1960 Olympic marathon without shoes.” It could be an amusing tidbit about a term that arose in 2020: “Blursday. Term to describe the current day when you’re not sure what day it actually is!”
The 33-year-old Montreal native has a background in biomedical/medical engineering and neuroscience and has a graduate degree from McGill University, where he was a research assistant. He came to Redwood City five years ago and has worked for two start-ups, the second of which was acquired by his current employer, Apple. A lot of his work in artificial intelligence is about improving people’s experience using “search,” and he’s come to realize that starting with something fun that piques a user’s interest is a good way to get them curious enough to start asking questions. That thought process somewhat circuitously led Dery to start his chalkboard postings. They’re also on Instagram.
“I started this just as a way to share little tidbits,” he explains, “send people on like avenues of curiosity. ‘I learned this today. Now it’s for you.’ And it’s kind of my way of connecting with a new community, my little tidbit in community-building.” The house on Palomar Drive which Dery and partner Kelly Kelso share is at the entrance to the wooded unincorporated neighborhood, and everybody has to pass by, whether hiking or driving. The chalkboard has definitely been a way to meet the neighbors. “I think it’s a point of curiosity. I’m sitting here working and people passing by, they stop and they read and then they have a smile and keep walking. That just makes my day.” For Canada Day (July 1), Dery posted a message inviting neighbors to a backyard party. “And people stopped!” he says. “I met two Canadians in Palomar that I didn’t know.”
Sebastien Dery
A few years ago, Dery decided to take up sculpting, which has become a hobby he’s passionate about. He does most of the dusty sculpting work at a studio in San Francisco, but he likes to do the fine polishing with sandpaper at home. “That takes time and it’s time that I can spend outside and talk to neighbors,” he says. “I can be in the studio—but it’s a lot more fun.” C
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Student Pilots Get a Big Lift
Club at San Carlos Airport lets kids learn about aviation by building a plane
By Jim Kirkland
One year ago Garrett Fetisoff was a 19-year-old computer science major at Chico State University, when he discovered his schedule for the next semester had large gaps. Not one to waste time, he decided this freed him to pursue a longtime interest: flying.
Due diligence led Fetisoff to the Chico airport where he discovered two things: First, flying lessons are very expensive and second, there is a global organization called the Experimental Aircraft Association with chapters across the United States that offers a scholarship for teens seeking a pilot’s license.
The San Carlos native also learned that his home airport was base to EAA Chapter 20. That’s where Fetisoff found the best way to secure a scholarship to become a pilot.
Build an airplane.
Oliver Coolridge and Dave Buse pilot the RV-12 built with the help of teenagers. The chase plane is piloted by Greg Blanck and Dave Kramer.
The Experimental Aircraft Association was founded in 1953 and is dedicated to the advancement of recreational aviation—especially youth aviation—and encourages the development of future pilots. The organization currently boasts more than 200,000 members in 100 countries. The San Carlos Chapter 20 was established in 1956, one of the earliest.
A Top Program in San Carlos
“The most exciting thing about Chapter 20 is we are one of the best nationally when it comes to youth programs,” says Elizabeth Dougherty, youth programs coordinator. “We realize these kids are excited and motivated, we’re always looking for ways to nurture them.”
To give local kids a taste for flying, the EAA has a branch called “Young Eagles” which offers monthly free flights to youths from ages 8 through 17. But Dougherty and the Chapter 20 board realized more was needed to fully educate local youth about aviation.
So four years ago Dougherty began to bring in guest speakers like Jack Pelton, current national CEO of EAA; and Alan Eustace, the world record holder for highest altitude freefall jump. Along with that, she orchestrated field trips to San Jose Airport and the United Airlines maintenance facility, as well as arranged for kids to participate as special event ground crew at San Carlos Airport.
“We give them a chance to work with pilots and people in all aspects of aviation,” says Dougherty. “But we’re always seeking ways to take the experience even further.”
To Build an Airplane
Two years before Dougherty was cooking up field trips, Oliver Coolridge, a retired airline pilot and then-president of EAA 20,
began to put into motion a longtime desire to build an airplane, with the intention of involving students. Bouncing the idea off a number of his pilot buddies, Coolridge got others to commit to making his idea happen. The next question was what to build.
“We decided on the Van’s Aircraft RV-12 two-seater which is a basic trainer,” says Coolridge, “Van’s has a reputation for quality parts and understandable construction plans. The main hurdle was paying for it.”
The price tag for a finished plane ran $125,000 and it was comprised of six kits – tail, wing, fuselage, engine, avionics and finish. Coolridge answered the budget problem by inviting seven other pilots to invest $10,000 apiece to get things rolling. After four years of meticulous assembly, with Coolridge managing a number of dedicated volunteers and a half-dozen teens, including Ray Aviation scholars Jack Meadows, 19, and Jayden Chow, 17; EAA 20 had a new airplane. The plane completed its maiden flight in September 2020.
Due to liability insurance issues, EAA chapters are not allowed to own aircraft. So a group of EAA20 members formed the Flying 12 Club, which, as the name implies, has 12 members. Flying 12 purchased the plane and, through the Hartman Family Foundation made one Ray scholar a member—in effect, a scholarship to help obtain a pilot’s license. This individual becomes a Flying 12 member, with flying privileges in the RV-12. However, upon achieving his or her license the freshly minted pilot must leave the club to make room for another Ray scholar.
Paying It Forward
Carter Blair wanted to work on the RV12 project but was too young at the time (students must be at least 15), and by the time Blair was old enough the plane was completed. With Jayden Chow and a group of other kids who were old enough, they proposed building another RV-12. That
EAA Youth Program Director Elizabeth Dougherty and son Carter Blair.
required going before the EAA20 board for approval and backing. The students wanted to convince the board that, this time, the entire project should be worked on and managed by students — with adult mentors — which, they figured might be a big sell.
On the contrary, the board insisted on it. Such a youth-led effort fit perfectly within the EAA 20 mission. Samson Phan, current Chapter 20 president and Flying 12 Club member said, “We are purposefully using this student-led structure to help students develop leadership and business skills. We are also teaching the student leaders how to mentor other students, especially the younger members.”
Moreover, the student leadership had to be responsible for recruiting others as volunteers, which they did to the tune of 30 plus kids. The student leaders had a message they liked to give: “You don’t have to be rich to be in aviation.”
The board approved conditionally. The Young Aviators could begin on the first section—the tail kit—if they could raise the $4,000 price. Work has begun but fundraising for the remaining kits looms large. First lesson: There’s more to building an airplane than building an airplane.
Influence for the Future
Experience gained along the way can influence a student’s future plans.
Elizabeth Antoine-Hands, 19, worked on the first build and, as a result is now studying airplane maintenance at West Valley College. “The experience of building the RV-12 inspired my fascination with design, construction and maintenance of aircraft and started me on my present career path,” says Antoine-Hands, a San Jose resident. Currently she is acting as project manager along with fellow student and Ray scholar, Mo Licha, 17.
Thomas Carlson, an experienced pilot, is the adult lead mentor. He has already built an RV-12 with his 81-year-old father. “The community around the RV-12 is fantastic,” says Carlson. “It’s the center of activity that attracts the novice to the experienced, providing endless opportunities to make friends and grow aviation knowledge.”
The program involves quite a diversity of kids. Out of the 30 or so student volunteers, a third of them are girls, along with kids from all ethnicities and social backgrounds.
“Students are learning real world skills working together, getting hands-on experience in the field of aviation, engineering, and aeronautical science. We’re representing our culture of leaders and aviation enthusiasts creating opportunities for those who didn’t previously have an opportunity to do so,” says Fetisoff.
The second RV-12 leadership team left to right: Brandon Cheung, Jayden Chow, Carter Blair, Elizabeth Antoine-Hands, Thomas Carlson, Garrett Fetisoff, Mo Lichaa, Nolan Sheridan, Cabot Sheley.
Right: Mentor Thomas Carlson instructs Malaika Sriram and Nick Gomez.
He is now part of the eight-student leadership team responsible for managing 30plus young volunteers. Now 20, Fetisoff recently received a National EAA College Scholarship and has transferred to San Francisco State University to be closer to the RV-12 build.
The Ray Scholarship
The EAA Aviation Scholarship Fund is a program supported by the Ray Foundation and administered through the chapter network. This highly competitive and coveted scholarship provides $10,000 to cover flight-training expenses, which can go a long way when taking advantage of the Flying 12 Club’s RV-12. Typically, a student could be staring down a $35,000 bill to achieve a pilot’s license.
James C. and Joan L. Ray established the foundation. James Ray’s dedication to aviation began shortly after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was involved in the D-Day invasion as a command B-17 pilot with the 8th Air Force. Post war, he served in the Air National Guard and was very involved in general aviation following his service years.
Jayden Chow, a Ray Aviation Scholar and president of the student leadership team said, “A condition of the scholarship is that you have to earn your private pilot’s license within a year. I started with a local flight school in August, was able to train a lot in the RV-12, soloed in December and took my check ride in May. Thanks to the generosity of a lot of people I was pretty much able to accomplish it all within the $10,000 Ray Scholarship.”
“Kids who are super interested in aviation are easy to recognize,” says Dougherty, who specializes in spotting airplane loving teens. “About a third of our kids want to be commercial pilots, a third aviation engineers, a third want to fly in the military and the rest are exploring.”
The generosity of many makes the EAA Chapter 20 youth program a success, with time and talent being an essential donation. Others offer financial support. San Mateo County donates space — a half hanger for the RV-12 assembly.
Says Dougherty: “Through EAA20 we create opportunities in leadership, accounting, fundraising, presentations and so much more. We nurture community, ingenuity, imaginations. It goes beyond building an airplane. We’re well past your typical STEM model.” C For more information and to donate, visit eaa20.org.
Buisinesses Mount Joint Defense to ADA Lawsuits
By Janet McGovern
About 10 Redwood City businesses which are among hundreds in the state that have been hit this year with Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits have joined forces to defend themselves in court and try to get the cases dismissed.
Mostly restaurant owners, they were sued a few months ago by Brian Whitaker, a quadriplegic who uses a wheelchair for mobility. He claimed they failed to provide outdoor dining surfaces with sufficient knee and toe clearance for his wheelchair.
Camelia Coupal, who owns the Coupa Café on Marshall Street, was sued in May. “We are a group right now of 10 restaurants and all of us have been sued by the same guy 10 days apart,” she says. “Everybody got the same claim, copy-paste the same complaint.”
Fera Hashemi and her husband own Arya Steakhouse. They didn’t know they’d been sued until she was contacted by attorneys offering defense services. Hashemi reached out to Regina Van Brunt, executive director of the Downtown Business Group, and discovered that “the whole block, my entire block has received this lawsuit.”
Van Brunt says about 15 businesses were sued. Some owners are embarrassed or don’t want litigation hanging over them and have decided to settle. But most others jointly hired attorney Martin Orlick, who is representing about 60 businesses from San Francisco to Mountain View dealing with similar lawsuits.
“Any restaurant that deals with lawsuits, you end up settling just because litigating costs so much,” Coupal says. “In this case, we feel it’s just morally wrong, something going wrong here.”
Orlick says the same three plaintiffs— Whitaker, Scott Johnson and Orlando Garcia—have filed multiple suits during the last three or four months. Their law firm is San Diego-based Potter Handy LLC, which
Fera Hashemi
specializes in ADA litigation through its Center for Disability Access.
Outdoor Dining Spaces
There’s been an “aggressive push,” Orlick adds, by Potter Handy to sue restaurants primarily for the parklets and other outdoor seating arrangements that have helped them survive through Covid.
“All of my clients are struggling mightily after Covid and they’re fearful that the Delta strain doesn’t become the next shutdown,” Orlick says. He has filed motions in federal court to dismiss the lawsuits.
Even if summary judgment is granted, plaintiffs in such cases can still pursue damage claims in state court. They can seek attorneys’ fees and can invoke a California law imposing $4,000 penalties per ADA violation.
Coupal says she does have ADA-compliant tables outdoors. She has reviewed camera footage and found no wheelchairs coming to her café before the suit was filed. Likewise, Hashemi doesn’t know when Whitaker visited Arya, which is only open for dinner but says each dining area has a wheelchair-accessible table. Hashemi had had a Certified Access Specialist inspection done two years ago to make sure Arya was compliant.
When the disabilities act was passed in 1990, a federal agency wasn’t designated to enforce violations. That task was left to disabled people—and their attorneys—which critics say has allowed serial litigants to go after businesses for minor violations and collect thousands of dollars.
“I’m not saying people shouldn’t accommodate,” Hashemi says. “I’m just saying if the accommodation is made why do they get to make money out of it?”
Legal Review
In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin in July announced an investigation of “potentially fraudulent suits” under the ADA targeting Chinatown merchants. Though a DA can’t get involved in private civil suits, San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Joel McComb has been asked to review “whether the plaintiffs are violating the law” and if the DA would have jurisdiction if that were true. McComb, who deals in consumer protection, couldn’t say how long the investigation will take but “I can tell you it is a priority.”
A Potter Handy attorney could not be reached for comment, but a San Francisco Chronicle story about the Chinatown cases quoted attorney Dennis Price as saying that “every single suit filed by our firm is based on investigated and confirmed violations of state and federal law.” Businesses which fail to comply with the law “discriminate against not just our clients but the disabled community generally.”
Continuing, Price is quoted as saying it was a “shame to see DA Boudin, who was elected as progressive, turn his back on civil rights enforcement and engage in this one-sided sensationalism.”
Redwood City Mayor Diane Howard thinks owners should be given an opportunity to fix a problem before being penalized. “I do know that there is a problem with the law the way it is written, and it does need to get fixed. I’m hoping it will.” C
