2 Publisher’s Corner 3 Events Calendar. Past ,
Upcoming And Ongoing 5 Senior Scams Continued… Fake Check Scams 7 Compensation: East Palo Alto Sanitary District And The West Bay Sanitary District 10 Menlo Park’s Overnight Parking Ordinance Enforcement, Established In 1963, Resumes
11 Menlo Park Plans To Relocate Onett A Harris Community Center (Ohcc) Programs As It Prepares To Replace It With A MultiGenerational And MultiStoried Community Center Thanks To Facebook 13 Local Elections 2020 16 Drew Is No More 17 Chief Bertini Blindsides Council With Retirement Announcement
18 David Spiller- Menlo Park’s Interim Police Chief 19 Youth Community Service (Ycs) New Executive Director 20 Black Lives Matter Street And Wall Art 22 George Floyd’s Death
Inspires Protests Against Decades Of Police Violence Against Africans In KenyaInterview Of Lilly BekelePiper, A Protest Organizer 25 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI ) 2021 Funding cycle is HERE! 26 Covid 19 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 1
R
ecent meetings held by the East Palo Alto Sanitary District have been, to say the least, disastrous, unproductive and frustrating for all involved. The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is among the oldest public agencies in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. One would consequently expect it to have time-tested practices on how to conduct public meetings. This has sadly not been the case, at least in the last few meetings. These recent meetings held to discuss the Light Tree Apartments, Sobrato Phase II, The Primary School and other developments, have left many angry and frustrated. Not only because no useful outcomes have come out of the meetings, but the manner in which the meetings have been conducted clearly illustrated the need for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District to relearn the proper protocols for conducting public meetings. Perhaps not all the District directors have the experience or knowledge of conducting public meetings. It is well known that few, if any, members of the public attend District meetings, and, maybe as an unfortunate consequence, some directors on the board lack the practice as to how to manage such meetings. East Palo Alto Sanitary District meetings have previously been simply conversations between Board members and their professional staff. Making matters worse is the unfortunate tendency that the District’s General Manager, Akin Okupe, has of vociferously reacting to statements made by members of the public, somehow ignoring the fact that the Board meeting is a forum for the board of directors, and that every statement made during the meeting by invited presenters or the public, are directed to the Board, and specifically, to the person chairing the meeting. None of the Directors, veterans Dennis Scherzer and Glenda Savage and recently elected Martha Stryker, ever stepped in to help their colleague Betsy Yanez follow the District’s own established meeting protocols or even try to rein in their staff. Those protocols, outlined on the District website, clearly state that, “persons wishing to speak on matters listed on the agenda will be heard when the President calls for comments from the audience….the President may specify the number of minutes each person will be permitted to speak based on the number of persons wishing to speak and the time available. After the public has commented, the item is closed to further public comment and brought to the Board for discussion and action. There is no further comment permitted from the audience unless invited by the Board.” The District would benefit from looking at how other local agencies conduct their meetings, how they handle public input or presentations from various organizations, and most importantly, how they transition into getting a consensus on a specific action or outlining next steps. More importantly, however, the District should follow its own meeting protocols and be clear on how directors can comment on presentations, ask additional questions of presenters and district staff, and subsequently, take action that the Directors can build consensus around. They should also be clear as to how their professional staff should participate in their meetings. Doing that will help the District go a long way in streamlining the discussion on an issue and help the District avoid the discombobulated atmosphere that has overwhelmed its most recent meetings.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
PAST EVENTS Monday June 29 Media Center -hosted Community Discussion on Racial Justice, moderated by Isaac Stevenson Jr and Allana Stevenson and featuring Lakiba Pitman, Omowale Satterwhite, Bob Hoover, Olatunde Sobomehin, Stephen DeBerry and Ted Landsmark, is confronted on April 5, 1976 by Joseph Rakes protesting court-ordered desegregation busing in Boston.
Tuesday, June 16 Belle Haven residents and supporter’s demonstration at the corner of Ivy and Willow protesting the closure of the Senior Center in preparation for the center’s rebuilding.
Friday, July 24 COVID-19 Testing Clinic at the at the YMCA 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 18 & 25 COVID-19 Testing Clinic at the City Youth Center behind the YMCA 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Thursday, June 18 Menlo Park City Council Special Town Hall meeting on Policing 5:00 P.M. Friday, June 19 & 26 COVID-19 Testing Clinic at the YMCA 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Saturday June 27 East Palo Alto Juneteenth Committeehosted Juneteenth Webinar-Moderated by Jayla Hill featuring Panelists: Robert Hoover, Omowale Satterwhite, Ofelia Bello, Huey Gauthier, and Kyra Brown
Ted Landsmark, is confronted on April 5, 1976 by Joseph Rakes protesting courtordered desegregation busing in Boston.
Wednesday, July 29 Media Center-hosted a second Community Discussion on Racial and Social Injustice in America featuring: Adrian Fine, Mayor-Palo Alto, Albert Pardini, Police Chief-East Palo Alto, Alyson Hobbs, Stanford Professor, Ayinde Olukotun, incoming college freshman and organizer of the June 6th Palo Alto Black Lives Matter Protest, Cecilia Taylor-Mayor Menlo Park Illyasha Peete-Center for Excellence in Nonprofits; Reverend Kaloma Smith-Pastor University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Nyla Choates-high school student and Black Lives Matter Protest organizer, Paul Bains, Pastor St. Samuel’s Church and founder of Project WeHOPE, a homeless shelter and affordable housing proponent, Regina Wallace-Jones-Mayor East Palo Alto, Robert Jonsen-Palo Alto Police Chief.
JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 3
UPCOMING EVENTS
ON GOING PUBLIC AGENCY MEETINGS 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, West Bay Sanitary District regular board meeting, 7:00 p.m. 500 Laurel Street, Menlo Park. 4th Thursday, The Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors usually meets on the fourth Thursday of every month, 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at the Peninsula Clean Energy office, 2075 Woodside Road, Redwood City, CA 94061.
3rd Tuesdays, Menlo Park Fire Protection District regular board meeting 7:00 P.M. 170 Middlefield Street, Menlo Park.
1st and 3rd Tuesday, East Palo Alto City Council Meetings, 7:30 p.m., 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
1st Thursday of the month, East Palo Alto Sanitary District, 7:00 p.m. 901 Weeks Street, East Palo Alto
2nd and 4th Mondays, East Palo Alto Planning Commission Meetings, 7:00 p.m., 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Tuesdays (varies), Menlo Park City Council, 7:00 p.m. 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park.
2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, Ravenswood City School District regular board meetings, 7:15 p.m. in the District Office Board Room, 2120 Euclid Avenue, East Palo Alto
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The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) Board meets monthly at the city council chambers of either East Palo Alto, Menlo Park or Palo Alto. Phone: 650-324-1972 Email: jpa@ sfcjpa.org Menlo Park Planning Commission- Twice a month Meetings, 7 p.m. on Mondays (varies)
OTHER MEETINGS
1st and 3rd Mondays, Kiwanis Club of the Bayshore Community Club Meeting, 12:00-1:30 p.m. 1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto Every Thursday, East Palo Alto Bayshore Rotary Club meeting, 7:00-8.30 p.m. East Palo Alto YMCA 550 Bell Street.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Senior Scams continued……
Fake Check Scams C Courtesy American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
hecks still account for more than 8 percent of noncash transactions and more than a quarter of the money that changed hands in the United States in 2018, according to the latest Federal Reserve data. The continued use of checks creates an opportunity for scammers to try to steal money through a variety of fake check scams. Perpetrators use various approaches, but these cons have the same basic thread: The crooks want to get you to deposit a counterfeit check in your bank account, then return a portion of the supposed funds to them.
The Overpayment Scam One popular ruse is the overpayment scam. You put something up for sale in a newspaper classified ad or online post. Someone makes an offer and sends you a check — perhaps even a cashier’s check. The check turns out to be for considerably more than what you charged for the item. The “buyer” will pretend it’s a mistake, and will invariably ask you to deposit the check and refund them the difference. Crooks exploit the fact that financial institutions must make funds from a check deposit available to the account holder within days but can take far longer to discover that the check is phony — sometime weeks, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). When the check does bounce, you are out whatever you sent the scammer, plus any other funds from the fake check that you may have withdrawn or used. Financial institutions do not assume those losses. Con artists run numerous variations
on this scheme.You get a letter, with a check enclosed, saying you have won a foreign lottery, but you have to wire a portion of the winnings back to cover taxes and fees. You get offered a government grant or scholarship money and sent a check that includes extra funds for taxes or processing. A seemingly lucrative work-fromhome job requires you to use some of your first paycheck to purchase necessary supplies. (A popular twist on this is the mystery shopper scam: A company supposedly hires you to evaluate a store, restaurant or moneytransfer service and sends a check to cover your purchases.) In each case, the check bounces and you are out what you’ve paid. And that can be quite a bit: The Better Business Bureau reported a median loss of $1,500 from the more than 2,000 complaints of fake check or money order scams it logged in 2018. These scams remain popular with fraudsters because they are easy to pull off. With the help of a scanner and a good printer, a crook can fabricate a bogus check — even a bank draft, certified check or cashier’s check — that’s hard to distinguish from the real thing. Some fake checks even contain authentic-looking watermarks, according to the FTC.
Do’s • Do suggest that a buyer who wants to pay you for an item or service by check use a safer alternative — for example, an online peer-to-peer service like PayPal. • Do ask for checks to be drawn on
local banks or banks with local branches. That way, you can visit the bank to make sure the check is legit. If you do accept a check from an out-of-town bank, call it before you deposit the check to verify that the check is genuine. • Do examine checks carefully. Scammers can meticulously duplicate genuine checks, but some make mistakes, such as using an incorrect routing number for a bank or putting a check number in the upper left corner that does not match the one at the bottom. • Do back out of a sale if the buyer pressures you to wire back funds. • Do wait at least two weeks after you deposit a check from an unfamiliar source before you withdraw or spend money from it.
Dont’s • Do not accept a check that is made out for more than the price of the item or service you are selling. Insist that the buyer make out a new one for the correct amount. • Do not rely on a phone number for a bank that a seller prints on a check. If you want to call to authenticate the payment, look up the bank’s number on its official website. • Do not wire money to people you don’t know. • Do not give in to pressure to move fast on a payment to secure a job or supposed financial windfall. If a deal is legitimate, it will still be available after the check clears.
JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 5
COMMUNITY
INSTRUCTIOINS:
• Find as many words as you can by linking letters, up, down, side-toside and diagonally, • Write words on a blank sheet of paper. • You may only use each letter in a box once within a single word. • Play with others and compare word finds. • Set your own point system awarding more points for words with more letters.
Find at least six names of local persons or issues mentioned in this issue of El Ravenswood
6 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
COMMUNITY
Compensation: East Palo Alto Sanitary District And The West Bay Sanitary District
E
l Ravenswood continues its series on public agency compensation with this issue focusing on the two sanitary sewer districts serving both East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The two wastewater special districts, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District (EPASD) and the West Bay Sanitary District (WBSD), have their boundaries stretching into both cities. In 2018, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District had five employees while West Bay Sanitary District had 30. In the same year, the General Manager’s compensation accounted for 8% of the West Bay Sanitary District’s total personnel budget, however the East Palo Alto’s General Manager/ District Engineer’s compensation accounts for 50% of the agency’s total personnel budget. While the average compensation for the Board of Directors for West Bay was $5,005 annually, accounting for 0.14% of its total personnel budget, the average director compensation for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District was $16.576 in 2018, accounting for 4% of the District’s personnel expenses. In addition, EPASD directors receive benefits. Special districts are local government agencies established in a community to provide a service usually in an area not provided by the county or city. Special districts are either enterprise districts that bill customers directly or through property taxes (such as both the EPASD and Westbay Sanitary District) or non-enterprise districts that are funded by voter-approved taxes or assessments (e.g., recreation or fire districts).
Dennis Scherzer, the longest serving Director on the East Palo Alto Sanitary District.
Akin Okupe General Manager/ District Engineer.
Glenda Savage Highest compensated Director in 2018.
Phil Scott West Bay Sanitary District 2018 General Manager
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COMMUNITY West Bay Sanitary District was established in 1902 and continues to provide wastewater collection and conveyance services to the City of Menlo Park, Atherton, and Portola Valley, and areas of East Palo Alto, Woodside and unincorporated San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The District conveys raw wastewater, via the Menlo Park Pump Station and force main, to Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) for treatment and discharge to the San Francisco Bay. The District maintains and operates over 200 miles of main line sewer system.
Westbay Sanitary District Compensation (2018) Lump Sum Pay
Regular Pay
Total Wages
District Manager
$
216,585
$
260,709
$
33,316
$
294,025
Projects & It Manager
$
167,152
$
171,602
$
25,712
$
197,314
Operations Superintendent
$
160,778
$
165,228
$
24,732
$
189,960
Pump Facility Supervisor
$
125,663
$
149,853
$
19,330
$
169,183
Assistant Operations Supt.
$
130,724
$
136,684
$
20,109
$
156,793
Construction Inspector
$
111,473
$
139,162
$
17,147
$
156,309
Operations Supervisor
$
117,034
$
135,429
$
18,003
$
153,432
Accountant
$
124,876
$
129,326
$
19,209
$
148,535
Compliance Coord.
$
121,551
$
126,166
$
18,698
$
144,864
Source Control Insp.
$
107,180
$
120,572
$
16,487
$
137,059
Info. Tech. Analyst
$
105,966
$
111,872
$
15,878
$
127,750
Maintenance Worker
$
102,951
$
107,794
$
15,990
$
123,784
Office Manager
$
100,948
$
105,398
$
15,528
$
120,926
Field Supervisor
$
97,593
$
102,583
$
15,012
$
117,595
Senior Admin Tech.
$
91,020
$
95,583
$
14,099
$
109,682
Maintenance Worker
$
61,283
$
98,316
$
9,183
$
107,499
Field Supervisor
$
77,013
$
92,588
$
11,540
$
104,128
Source Control Inspector
$
83,388
$
87,838
$
12,827
$
100,665
Field Supervisor
$
74,075
$
87,378
$
11,100
$
98,478
Engineering Tech.
$
79,836
$
84,756
$
11,963
$
96,719
Maintenance Worker
$
62,356
$
83,511
$
9,344
$
92,855
Pipeline Inspection Tech.
$
66,244
$
79,702
$
9,926
$
89,628
Maintenance Worker
$
58,812
$
70,106
$
8,813
$
78,919
Admin Technician
$
65,635
$
68,500
$
10,096
$
78,596
Reg. Compl. Coord.
$
72,803
$
76,280
$
$
76,280
Maintenance Worker
$
53,909
$
60,361
$
8,078
$
68,439
Admin Technician
$
50,264
$
55,194
$
7,532
$
62,726
Temp. Maint. Worker
$
53,776
$
56,082
$
56,082
Maintenance Worker
$
43,387
$
46,772
$
6,501
$
53,273
Maint. Mechanic
$
22,598
$
23,982
$
3,386
$
27,368
Board President
$
6,422
$
6,422
$
6,422
Board Member
$
5,555
$
5,555
$
5,555
Board Member
$
5,127
$
5,127
$
5,127
Board Member
$
4,505
$
4,505
$
4,505
Board Member
$
3,418
$
3,418
$
3,418
TOTAL
$
2,831,900
$
3,154,354
$
3,563,893
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Benefits
Position
$
409,539
COMMUNITY
East Palo Alto Sanitary District Compensation (2018) The East Palo Alto Sanitary District was established in 1939. The initial sewer lines were installed as a Works Projects Administration (WPA) project. The District maintains a thirty-two-mile-long underground sewer pipe system. Job-Title
Regular Pay
Total Pay
Benefits
Total pay & benefits
General Manager/District Engineer
$ 171,270
$ 207,866
$ 25,169
$ 233,036
Maintenance Worker I
$ 43,209
$ 50,670
$ 27,737
$ 78,407
Maintenance Supervisor
$
-
$ 22,596
$ 20,074
$ 42,670
Executive assistant
$
-
$
-
$ 6,083
$
6,083
Interim General Manager
$
-
$
-
$ 3,969
$
3,969
Board Member
$ 16,544
$ 16,544
$ 9,358
$ 25,903
Board Member
$ 16,544
$ 16,544
$ 8,610
$ 25,154
Board Member
$ 12,411
$ 12,411
$ 9,358
$ 21,770
Board Member
$ 10,605
$ 10,605
$ 5,399
$ 16,004
Board Member
$ 13,531
$ 13,531
$
-
$ 13,531
TOTAL
$ 284,114
$ 350,768
$
115,758
$ 466,526
East Palo Alto Sanitary and West Bay Sanitary District Compensation Comparison West Bay Sanitary District
East Palo Alto Sanitary District
Number of Employees
30
5
Total Payroll
$
3,563,893
$
466,525
Highest Salary
$
294,025
$
233,036
Lowest Salary
$
27,368
$
6,082
Median Salary
$
97,593
$
42,670
Director Compensation Average
$
5,005
$
16,576
Highest Paid Director
$
6,422
$
25,154
JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 9
COMMUNITY
Menlo Park’s Overnight Parking Ordinance Enforcement, Established In 1963, Resumes
T
he City of Menlo Park will resume enforcement of its 57-year-old residential overnight parking ordinance starting Monday, August 3 at 2 a.m. A two-week grace period began Tuesday, July 21, during which a warning will be placed on the driver’s vehicle. Menlo Park suspended enforcement in March 2020 following the county health officer’s declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic. The resumption of overnight parking enforcement is a result of complaints and concerns from residents and business owners regarding vehicles occupying parking spots for extended periods and abandoned vehicles, as well as annual overnight parking permit holders unable to park their vehicles due to crowded streets. The overnight parking ordinance prohibits parking of any vehicle from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. on any residential street, or within 300 feet of any residential area in Menlo Park. The parking ordinance is in effect seven days a week except on City-observed holidays. To avoid being cited, parked vehicles must have: 1. a valid overnight parking permit displayed, or 2. a valid DMV issued disabled person placard or disabled person license plates, or 3. a temporary overnight nonrefundable or exchangeable parking permit (available for purchase online or in-person through the City of Menlo Park’s police department). Certain addresses in Menlo Park may qualify for an annual overnight parking permit. Qualifying addresses are limited to apartment buildings that lack
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adequate off-street parking spaces (less than two spaces per unit) and are zoned R3. To see if your address qualifies and has permits available, please contact the City of Menlo Park. If eligible, the annual permit cost is $150. The annual permit cycle begins September 1 and expires August 31 of the following year. Permit costs are prorated by month if purchased after the onset of a permit cycle. You can choose to purchase or renew online. Current annual overnight parking permit holders will have their annual permit (September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021) renewed at no charge. History and purpose of the ordinance Source: City of Menlo Park Since being enacted in 1963, Menlo Park’s overnight parking ordinance has been upheld by the courts, survived several majority votes of city residents and has been actively enforced since its inception. The benefits of the ordinance to city residents and businesses are many:
• A cleaner and better-looking city. • Better distribution of cars parked overnight in areas with higher population density. • Easier access to structures and streets during nighttime emergencies. • Issuing permits assures that vehicles belong to residents and their guests. • Less overnight crime by reducing suspect and possible victim vehicles. • Parking enforcement officer’s presence deters potential criminals from committing property crimes. • Streets are free of parking congestion. • The City’s ability to provide street cleaning and maintenance is unobstructed. • Suspicious, stolen, abandoned and disabled vehicles are easily checked, identified and removed. • Residents can easily identify vehicles that are unfamiliar to the neighborhood.
COMMUNITY
Menlo Park Plans To Relocate Onetta Harris Community Center (Ohcc) Programs As It Prepares To Replace It With A MultiGenerational And Multi-Storied Community Center Thanks To Facebook
O
n December 16, 2019, Facebook offered to fund and develop a new multigenerational community center and library at the current site of the Onetta Harris Community Center, the Menlo Park Senior Center and the Belle Haven Youth Center (child care), near Kelly Park. The Menlo Park City Council accepted the offer in January and on February 11 appropriated $1 million for relocating senior, recreation and child care services. The project is expected to take 18-24 months to complete with grand opening celebrations in the second half of 2022. An Interim Services Plan presented to the Menlo Park Council called for the relocation of senior services to the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center on the Civic Center Campus at 701 Laurel Street in Menlo Park. The plan also called for increasing transportation offerings to the Civic Center Campus for Menlo Park seniors and other residents in the Belle Haven Community. As for the youth and adult programs that the Onetta Harris Community Center offered, such as summer camps, the plan sought to explore ways to accommodate summer camps in 2021 and 2022 at Burgess Park/Civic Center, including the possible installation of portables and the expansion of recreation offerings in expectation of
increased demand from the Belle Haven neighborhood. In an apparent acknowledgement of the income disparity with the rest of Menlo Park, the plan called for the modification of the fee structure on a pilot basis to encourage participation of Menlo Park residents regardless of ability to pay. For its child-care program, the city is exploring a partnership with local schools in the Belle Haven neighborhood to house it in temporary portables. Some residents are, however, not happy with the city plans to relocate services to the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center insisting that the city
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COMMUNITY
should find locations closer to where the users of Onetta Harris Community Center live. On June 16, concerned residents held a demonstration at the corner of Ivy and Willow waving signs complaining that staff providing services at the Center have been cut as a result of the proposed building and the need to relocate services to other parts of Menlo Park. “They are cutting more staff from this side of town as a result of this shut down,” accused Brigitte, a longterm volunteer at the Menlo Park Senior Center. “Services should not be relocated far away from Belle Haven,” she opined. “Why not work with the East Palo Alto Senior Center to accommodate programs until the construction is complete?” “The Senior Center should not be torn down,” said Laura. “I miss friends and the classes the center offered.” Chanting “We won’t let the senior center go,” Reverend Teirrah McNair urged city staff to go back to the drawing board. “The plan to shift the programs to Arrillaga is not workable,” she said. “They should not be relocated to an unfamiliar environment, that would be tantamount to killing them,” she said. 12 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
The Onetta Harris Community Center The Onetta Harris Community Center, formally known as the Belle Haven Community Center was named after Onetta Harris (1926-1982), an active volunteer who, working with others such as the late Louise Stamper, were instrumental in creating programs that catered to the needs of all age groups residing in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven Community. She was active in several organization including the Belle Haven Advisory Board, the Neighborhood Housing service and was one of the founding members of what was later to be known as the Drew Health Foundation Inc. The renaming occurred in July 1983 with a unanimous City of Menlo Park city council resolution. The official dedication of the renaming however, occurred in September 1983.
COMMUNITY
LOCAL ELECTIONS 2020
Several elected officials’ terms are coming to an end this November. It is the time to wonder whether they are going to run again for the same or other offices or whether anyone is running against them. City of East Palo Alto Three incumbent slots on the City of East Palo Alto City Council occupied by Larry Moody, Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier, and Carlos Romero are up for grabs. In 2016, Duane Goff garnered 12% of the votes and may include one of the candidates interested in running. According to city sources, a Webster Lincoln has expressed some interest in running and from his posts in local social media seems to be trying to expose himself to the local electorate. Antonio Lopez, featured in the an earlier issue of El Ravenswood is also actively exploring the possibility of putting his hat in the race. Ravenswood City School District Two trustees on the Ravenswood City School District Board, Marie-Elena
Catherine Carlton-Menlo Park City Council member who is calling it quits.
Lisa Gauthier-East Palo Alto City Council Incumbent, maybe candidate.
Carlos Romero-East Palo Alto City Council Incumbent, maybe candidate.
Gaona and Sharifa Wilson, are also faced with the decision as to whether they are going to run or not. The last election in 2018 had eight candidates vying for the three vacancies on the board. Ana Maria Pulido was the only incumbent who was reelected. Both former Superintendent Charlie Mae Knight and Marcelino Lopez were voted out. The other candidates, Laura Nunez, Maria Victoria Chavez, Julian Alberto Garcia, Nicole Sbragia and Brook N. Crosby. All may be potential contestants.
retiring and focusing on family. Ray Mueller is, according to County Election Office records is already running for District 5. Jen Wolosin is running for District 3.
City of Menlo Park Two slots in the Menlo Park City Council will be vacant this November. Catherine Carlton has indicated that she will be
San Mateo County Harbor District Three regular positions on the San Mateo County Harbor District Board occupied by Sabrina Brennan, Tom Mattusch and Virginia Chang-Kirely will be vacant as of November. The Harbor District’s five-member Board of Commissioners were elected countywide for staggered four-year terms until 2016. Beginning with the election in 2020, as approved by the Harbor Commission in 2018, elections for vacancies will be by district. JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 13
COMMUNITY Menlo Park is in District 4 and 5 while the City of East Palo Alto is entirely in District 5. Dawn North has already filed papers to run for District 4. Henry Sutter and Sepi Richardson the third and fourth highest vote getters in November 2018 may have an interest in running again. Shawn Mooney, who garnered 14% of the vote in the 2016 elections and Brian Rogers who received 22% for the short-term position maybe possible contestants in this upcoming race. Sequoia Union High School District In the Sequoia Union High School District, District Area E covering both East Palo Alto and Menlo Park will participate for the first time in district elections. Two East Palo Alto residents have served on the board: Beverly Scott was the first and only East Palo Alto resident to be elected to the Sequoia Union High
Larry Moody-East Palo Alto City Council Incumbent, maybe candidate.
Ray Mueller-Incumbent Menlo Park City Council District 5 candidate.
Possible other contestants may include Isaiah Vi who also applied to join the Sequoia board following Olivia Martinez’s retirement and who may be a resident in the District. Jacqui Cebrian is already listed on the county candidate roster as running in Trustee Area E.
Antonio Lopez- making inquiries about possibly running for East Palo Alto City Council.
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School District Board of Trustees. She ran for school board in 1992 and 1996 and was elected. Laura Martinez was appointed to serve in March 2015 following the retirement of Olivia Martinez and lost after serving for nine months in what was then at large elections. Her failure to be elected may have propelled the decision to institute district elections Laura Martinez may be a contestant in the upcoming election.
San Mateo County Community College District The San Mateo County Community College District will have three Trustee Areas (1, 3 and 5) up for election. Trustee Area 5 includes East Palo Alto, portions of Menlo Park Including the Belle Haven community, North Fair Oaks and Redwood City. Karen Schwarz, the current Board President, resides in Redwood City and may be running to retain her position. This time however she would be elected only by voters in District Trustee Area 5. Currently listed in the county candidate roster for Trustee Area 5 however, are John Pimentel and
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Elections November 3, 2020 Calendar July 13-August 7 Candidate filling period with their respective city clerk offices or the County Elections Office. August 7-August 12 Extended candidate filing period if an eligible incumbent does not file nomination documentation by August 7. October 19 Voter registration closes October 20 The Write-in candidate filing period ends @ 5 p.m. October 27 Last day for voters to request a Vote by Mail ballot.
Lisa Hicks-Dumanske. The San Mateo County Community College District is a three-institution community college district comprised of Cañada College in Redwood City, the College of San Mateo and Skyline College in San Bruno. The District serves over 30,000 students each year offering learning opportunities in more than 100 programs, according to information on its website. Menlo Park Fire Protection District Menlo Park Fire Protection District will have two vacant seats come November. The seats are currently occupied by Virginia Chang Kiraly and Rob Silano who have served since December 2015. Both candidates will apparently be running to retain their seats. The last election in 2018 saw the ascendance to the board of the first East Palo Alto resident to get elected to the board in recent history. Robert Jones at 34.28%
garnered the most votes. Sean Ballard who received the least votes at 14.77% may, depending on his interest, run again. The District with 43,334 voters holds at large elections.
West Bay Sanitary District Three slots on the five-member board, occupied by David Alexander Walker, George Otte and Fran Dehn will be vacant in November. All three incumbents intend to seek reelection.
October 31- November 3 One vote center is provided for every 10,000 registered voters within the jurisdiction for a minimum of eight hours from 7 a.m. -8 p.m. December 3 Last day for the County Elections Official to certify the election results. The Registration & Elections Division • Location: 40 Tower Rd, San Mateo, CA 94402 and is open to the public. • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Appointments for nonvoting related matters are recommended. • A face covering is required, and social distancing will be enforced. • Phone or text: 650.312.5222 registrar@smcacre.org
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DREW HEALTH FOUNDATION INC.
T
he former Drew Health Foundation Inc. facility which served as a medical and dental clinic is no more. In the middle of June, the facility located at 2111 University Avenue in East Palo Alto was torn down. Sobrato, the owner of the property, seeks to construct an eight-story office building and has had an active application with the City of East Palo Alto since August 2016. The facility served as a health center from 1968 until 2001 when the loss of federal funding due to management and funding issues forced it to close. It subsequently served as home for several non-profits and businesses until it was bought first by Carrasco and Byrd, later by TMG and subsequently by Sobrato. Tenants at the facility have included Drew Pharmacy, East Palo Alto Community Media, GAM Enterprises, several tax preparation companies including Rosemary Taxes, the Stanford Law Project, and Community Legal Services.
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HISTORY:
Sobrato Real Estate is a large real estate company which owns more than 75 commercial properties in Silicon Valley and hundreds of acres of land throughout Santa Clara and Alameda according to its website. There is no mention of any ownership in San Mateo County. The company has developed more than 15 million square feet of office and Research and Development space. The company currently owns 7.5 million square feet in commercial space and 30 apartment communities totaling 6,700 units along the West Coast.
1967 The East Palo Alto-East Menlo Park Neighborhood Health Center (EPAEMPNHC) is established with initial funding from the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity. Its goal was to provide comprehensive outpatient medical and dental services to residents of East Palo Palo Alto and the Belle Haven community, then referred to as East Menlo Park. 1968 EPA-EMPNHC is incorporated as a non-profit with a 15-member board of directors. 1974 The name is changed to the Charles R. Drew Health Center in honor of the late Dr. Charles R. Drew, an eminent Black Surgeon. 1982 The name was changed again to Drew Health Foundation, Inc. 2001 The medical and dental clinics close due to loss of funding.
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Chief Bertini Blindsides Council With Retirement Announcement
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ave Bertini, the City of Menlo Park Police Chief since July 9, 2018, unexpectedly announced his retirement June 18 at a town hall meeting convened to discuss policing in Menlo Park. The meeting was called following the nationwide unrest over the Memorial Day on-camera execution of George Floyd by a Minneapolis law enforcement officer. A shocked Mayor Cecilia Taylor immediately called a fifteen-minute recess. Before abruptly cutting off his mike and turning off his video, the retiring chief indicated that he would be willing to serve until July 31 to presumably allow the city to
A
retirement announcement is usually an occasion that calls for accolades, congratulatory statements and maybe even some tears of joy or sadness. In public bodies, at least from my experience, immediate supervisors get to know about a staff person’s intent to retire before a policy making body does. Dave Bertini Menlo Park’s Police Chief, however, chose to announce his retirement at a June 18 town hall meeting convened to discuss the local implications of the nationwide demonstrations following George Floyd’s public execution at the knee of a Minneapolis law enforcement official. The Dave Bertini announcement was akin to leaving a room following a deliberate flatulent episode intended to display the disdain and disrespect that he had for those in attendance. In what can be perceived as a lame self-serving gesture, he offered to stay in the position until July 31, ostensibly to allow the city to find a replacement. Following his announcement, he left the online meeting disappearing from
find his replacement. His statement came after over an hour of public expressions of anger and disaffection with policing practices across the nation and particularly in Menlo Park. Councilmember Muller, minutes before the chief’s announcement, had sought an answer as to how Menlo Park Police would respond to the crisis. Earlier, Councilmember Nash admitted that she had recently learned of the existence of a police advisory body and admitted to not knowing its membership and how members were appointed. She wondered whether some of its members were from her district. Bertini was appointed by then city manager Alex McIntyre, first as Interim
the screen and shutting off his audio. The four members of the Menlo Park City Council present were surprised and may have felt blindsided by the shocking announcement as well as the way it was delivered. Mayor Taylor was visibly shocked and called for a fifteen-minute break. It would have understandably been hard to continue a discussion on policing in the city in the absence of its top cop. The police chief’s announcement was unprofessional. The community does not deserve this from a public servant who was hired because of the confidence and faith that the city had in him and his ability to serve all Menlo Park residents. Dave Bertini denied himself the opportunity to rise up to the challenge given the history of policing and the need to fundamental changes, particularly in light of how specific populations have been mal policed for centuries. The Chief should have answered Ray Mueller’s question about how the city needed to respond to the national crisis of confidence in policing to the best of his ability. He should have stayed for the entire duration of the town hall meeting. After all,
Dave Bertini, Former Menlo Park police Chief. Police Chief January 6, 2018, and subsequently as Menlo Park’s top cop July 9, 2018. His 32-year career in law enforcement began as a police explorer with the Pacifica Police Department.
Mayor Taylor had to call recess to digest Chief’s abrubt retirement announcement.
City Manager Jerome-Robinson sought to extend the chief’s tenure beyond July.
the meeting was set up for a purpose requiring his professional expertise. That he announced the retirement the way he did should have been grounds for immediate termination. The city manager should have given someone else in the department the opportunity to be interim chief while the city looked for his replacement. That Starla Jerome-Robinson, the city manager, allowed his association with the city to continue beyond July 31 is baffling. After all, the odor the chief generated with his announcement is still wafting through the physical and online corridors of city hall. The city needs an air-fresh start.
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David SpillerMenlo Park’s Interim Police Chief David Spiller, retired Police Chief of Pleasanton with a thirty-year law enforcement experience, is named Menlo Park’s interim police chief, effective July 31. Spiller takes over from retiring Police Chief Dave Bertini whose last day was July 31 as he had announced on June 18. City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson had initially indicated that Chief Bertini would continue serving beyond the July 31 date. In information released by the City of Menlo Park, Spiller began his career as a patrol officer for the City of San Diego before moving to the City of Mountain View, serving there for over 11 years in various capacities. He joined the City of Pleasanton in 2002 as a lieutenant, served as a captain a year later and was appointed as Pleasanton’s police chief in 2011. He served in that capacity before retiring in November 2019 with 30 years of law enforcement service. “I’m excited to appoint David Spiller as interim police chief while we begin our search to fill the position permanently,” said City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson. “He has led a distinguished law enforcement career and is known for cultivating a spirit of cooperation and community building between his officers and residents. I’m fully confident in Chief Spiller’s ability to lead the department professionally and with the utmost integrity, transparency and commitment through this time of transition.”
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Youth Community Service (YCS) new Executive Director
Y
outh Community Service (YCS) has a new Executive Director, the fourth in its thirty-year history. Mora Oommen is replacing Leif Ericson who left the organization after serving for 16 years as Executive Director. Leif is joining the YCS Board of Directors. Mora Oommen grew up in the United States and India and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and University of London’s Institute of Education. She resides in Palo Alto with her husband and daughter. She previously served as the Executive Director of Blossom Birth and Family in Palo Alto; she is a founding member of the Doula Volunteer Program of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Before joining Blossom Birth and Family in 2008, she worked at educational non-profits focused on public health, education, and women’s empowerment in the Mor Oommen
Leif Erickson
Caribbean, India, countries in southern Africa and the United States. A writer, she is the author and co-author of several articles and publications on health, gender equality and education. “YCS’ unique calling is to inspire youth to be leaders and to bridge the existing societal gaps through community service,” she was quoted as saying in a letter to the community. “As we face both a global health pandemic and a national reckoning of structural racial injustices, youth will be leading the way in shaping and imagining the world anew,” she also noted. YCS was founded in 1990 as a partnership between the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, the
Palo Alto Unified School District and the Ravenswood City School District. Its goal has been to increase cross-community awareness and collaboration through youth serving through service projects and service learning. In its three-decade history, YCS has engaged thousands of young people from East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Palo Alto in service-based learning. Youth have built leadership and life skills, gained empathy for others, and built a sense of connectedness, purpose and efficacy while ensuring a positive difference in the lives of others. Leif Erickson, served as ED of YCS for 16 years. JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 19
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The ‘I” in Black Lives Matter painted by local Menlo Park Artist Janet Foster. Ms. Foster was selected to be one of the 16 artists chosen to paint a letter from the expression “Black Lives Matter. 20 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
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Black Lives Matter painted on Fordham Street across from Jack Farrell Park.
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George Floyd’s Death Inspires Protests Against Decades Of Police Violence Against Africans In KenyaInterview Of Lilly Bekele-Piper, A Protest Organizer
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n resolute outrage for the brazen public execution of George Floyd – unarmed, handcuffed and showing no resistance – by a police officer who steadily and arrogantly bore his knee into his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds while George Floyd pleaded for air and called for his dead mother, protests boomed with widespread clamor against white police brutality and racism. Protests also rallied support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Demonstrations mushroomed in major cities, not just across the United States of America, but across cities in over 60 countries spanning six continents! While the reaction to the execution of George Floyd may have been the impetus of the protests that took place in Nairobi on June 9, 2020, the day George Floyd was buried, Kenyans, shocked, and alarmed by what they were witnessing in the U.S., felt so passionately enraged about his brutal killing that protests took place in different parts of Nairobi. “They were reminded of the same patterns of police brutality and extrajudicial killings and injustices happening in Kenya,” said Lilly BekelePiper. Lilly Bekele-Piper, an Ethiopian-born American resident living in Kenya in a small community of Black Americans
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and the Creator and Executive Producer of Up/Root (https://linktr. ee/uprootthepodcast), a podcast that narrates global stories of joy, justice and resilience, was one of the collaborators and organizers of the June 9 protests. George Floyd may be the name that the world knows, but, in Kenya, people remember Yassin Moyo and Carlton Maina, victims of police killings. On March 31, 2020, during COVID-19 imposed overnight curfew, Yassin Hussein Moyo, a 13-year-old schoolboy, was shot and killed by a police officer while he stood with his siblings on the balcony of his home. Carlton David Maina was a college student in England, home for the Christmas holidays in 2018, when he was killed while walking home after a soccer match. Lily Bekele-Piper was born in Ethiopia in 1976 to parents who fled Addis Ababa for the U.S. when she was a toddler during the Ethiopian postcommunist revolution. She obtained her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and worked in South Carolina for many years before relocating to Boston in 2003, where she obtained her master’s in international education policy at Harvard University. Lilly lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with her family from 2007 to 2011, when she moved to Kenya. “I cannot speak for Kenyans on the depths to which Kenyans understand
racism in America but despite that, it is clear to me that Kenyans understand oppression … and what it means to have alien systems in your own country work against you.” “The current structure and culture of law enforcement in Kenya arose from colonial laws from 60 or 70 years ago… Those laws, designed to serve an oppressive British colonial government have never changed.” With that piece of history, Lilly sees similarities with the United States in terms of how policing emerged. “U.S. law enforcement structures and the
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manner police forces function were also designed and came out of the Jim Crow Era – that’s when policing was really defined – who would be recruited, how they would be trained, and what policies would be implemented. So, we are deeply tied to one another … those crossroads help us understand how injustices perpetrated by police forces show up, both in Kenya and in the United States.” In organizing the protests, BekelePiper conferred with Robyn Emerson, a colleague with whom she had collaborated before, particularly around causes important to the Nairobi Black American community. Ms. Emerson had attended a protest on June 2, 2020, organized by the Mathare Social Justice Center (Mathare is a slum
neighborhood in Kenya characterized by ramshackle buildings inhabited by the poor for more than the last six decades) and its Network of Mothers of Victims and Survivors of Police Violence to show solidarity with the injustice of the killing of George Floyd. At the June 2 protest, about 25 or 30 of these protestors ‘took a knee’ in front of the U.S. Embassy for about nine minutes. They also wrote a letter to the U.S. Ambassador in Kenya to express their concerns and to demand justice for George Floyd. “The June 2 event … gave us a narrow focus on what to do next … We all collaborated to make the events on June 9 happen … It was grassroots organizing, one person calling saying I know this person; I have this resource; I
have this idea - everybody contributing together… There was a group established informally called Black Lives Matter-Kenya just as a touch point – a place where people could connect to organize.” Bekele-Piper thanked Amnesty International-Kenya for their tremendous support and guidance on how to protest safely and wisely in Kenya. “You cannot take protesting in Kenya very lightly. There is risk to the community in terms of police response and of course, the fact that we are in a pandemic forces certain caution.” The June 9 protest was a one-day event. However, as Lilly noted, the day was full of activity and the protest covered several locations in Nairobi: JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 23
COMMMUNITY Yassin Hussein Moyo’s family home; the Parliament Building; the U.S. Embassy; the George Floyd Mural in Kibera (one of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi housing millions of people); and the Sarit Shopping Center roundabout (a popular shopping mall that attracts a lot of attention). “Throughout the day different pockets of Nairobi showed up, from young people to U.N. officials, and everyday citizens who just came to show their support.” On March 27, in response to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, the Kenyan government imposed a curfew, initially 7 p.m.- to 5 a.m., but subsequently changed to 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. “We had been tracking police brutality here … Since the lockdown happened, we are aware that over a dozen people had been killed; I think now it is over 15 by the police.” “Besides the killings, since curfew was imposed, there have been a number of reported cases of extreme measures by police mishandling and beating people outside of curfew, even those scrambling to get to their homes just minutes away.” One ironic logistic of the protest of June 9, according to Bekele-Piper, speaks volumes about the colonial traces of policing in Kenya and its white supremacist underpinnings. “It was clear that my privilege as an American living in Kenya afforded me a great deal of protection from the police and as organizers, we agreed that White American citizens would be included at every protest location to protect Kenyan Africans from the police.” “People often pay me the compliment of thinking that I’m a Kenyan African, and so when we got to the U.S. Embassy, the officers obviously assumed I was Kenyan and engaged me in Kiswahili instructing me to leave immediately. I said, ‘I am an American citizen, and I have a right to be here’; and there were some other folks there who were actually employees of the Embassy who then engaged with those 24 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
police and surprise, surprise, they listened to them, and they left us alone.” “I don’t know if all of our goals were achieved; however, one change we noticed was the very swift action, following our protests, by the judicial system to charge the officer who shot Yassin Moyo.” “The public attention on this case has certainly been heightened and people will be watching to see what the courts do particularly how witnesses are treated.” “We also hope that the late Carlton Maina … may finally get justice.” “I think in the U.S. we are already seeing similarly greater action and response to injustice, and I believe the national/international public outcry is largely responsible for that.” Recognition of the extent of police violence against African males in Kenya and its wrongness has, according to Bekele-Piper, provided the jumping off point for change. “That acknowledgement makes churches want to do better and do more; It makes parents want to teach their children differently. People now are wanting to really get caught up on what Black Lives Matter’s political ideology is – this is what our call to action is.” “So, the target audience (for our protests) was the whole of the country. It was law makers, educators, families, parents and residents. I think that for me …, it was a call to action for everybody else who finds themselves fortunate enough to live in this country to ask themselves as to what role they would play to eliminate wanton police brutality.” As for who will be the driving force for making changes in oppressive systems in Kenya, Bekele-Piper quoted Angela Y. Davis: “‘We must always attempt to lift as we climb.’ It might be the activists who started it, but I think what we saw in Nairobi, other organizations like Amnesty International-Kenya supported and ‘lifted’ with smaller groups like social justice centers, a yoga
group, a home school parenting group, and religious organizations such as my church. It was extending the invitations to groups previously unengaged.” “At the end of the day, my cynicism might say nothing will change until people’s pockets hurt; until people see us divesting our money from companies and organizations that were not just in their policies; divesting our vote from organizations and politicians that don’t serve our communities well. Economic and political divestment is a powerful weapon to activate change. Change will have to be widespread; it will have to be collective; it will have to be collaborative; it will have to be, I think, humble, and it will have to take time.” “A protest may be a one-day event, but the path for change is long and hard. But there is hope at the end, and that is what I think we have to keep reminding ourselves.” “Real change will also have to be collaborative … that is what has made these protests and this movement, across the world so different. People and organizations showed up in new and different ways.” Lilly Bekele-Piper finds her passion at the intersection of creative communication and advocacy work in human rights. “At the intersection of the arts and human rights there is the potential to change the world.” She not only exemplifies this through her podcasts but has demonstrated this through her poignant, eloquent, and insightful expose of her role in organizing protests against injustice and police brutality in the United States and Kenya. Beverle Michaele Lax, a contributor to El Ravenswood was born and raised in the City of San Mateo. After several decades teaching college and living in Kenya, she moved back and settled in East Palo Alto. She is currently in Kenya for a visit.
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Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI ) 2021 Funding cycle is HERE!
C
ommunity organizations have until August 17 to submit requests to the 2021 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Funding Cycle. CZI headquartered in Redwood City seeks through this funding opportunity to support local organizations in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park (the Belle Haven Community) and North Fair Oaks in Redwood City that are working social equity and community empowerment. Applications can be submitted through the CZI Community Fund website The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, was founded by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015, for the purpose of using technology to solve some of the world’s challenges in Education, Justice & Opportunity, and Science. The CZI fund was created in 2017. “Local nonprofits have long led the fight to make sure that all members of our community have the opportunity and resources they need to thrive,” said Cristina Huezo, Director of Community at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. “Now more than ever, we’re proud to partner with these organizations, and are grateful for their tireless commitment to our community.” Selected organizations will receive a one-time unrestricted or project grant of up to $100,000. The chosen organizations will also get an opportunity to participate in a collaborative, co-designed capacity building program to support both leadership and organizational development. Since its launch, the CZI Community Fund has made grants to more than 70 local organizations including: Able Works, Aim High for High School, Alameda County Health Pathway
The philanthropic initiative founded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Partnership-Emergency Medical Service Corps, Bell Haven Community Development Fund, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, CASA of San Mateo County, Gatepath, Communities Overcoming Relationship Abuse, East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, Eastside College Preparatory School, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Faith in Action Bay Area, Family Connections, Free At Last Community Recovery and Rehabilitation Services, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Girls To Women, HIP Housing, Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, JobTrain (OICW), Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, Live in Peace, Multicultural Counseling and Educations Services of the Bay Area, Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto, One East Palo alto Neighborhood
Improvement Initiative (OEPA), One Life Counseling Center, Pangea Legal Services, Peninsula Bridge, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, Project WeHOPE, Ravenswood Family Health Center, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, Retraining the Village, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, St Anthony’s Padua Dining Room, St. Francis Center, Tax-Aid, The Multicultural Institute, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul San Mateo, and Youth United for Community Action. Areas funded included: workforce development, education, health Care, mental Health, food security, security/ safety (domestic violence), shelter (homelessness) housing, Immigration services, and transportation. JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 25
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COVID 19
It has been four months since Dr. Scott Morrow, the Health Officer of the County of San Mateo, issued the Shelter In Place Order. The order directed persons in the county to shelter at their place of residence but, of course, allowing them to leave to provide or receive certain essential services. In East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, businesses, government agencies, schools and non-profits including churches shut down in response to the order. Most of them either remain closed or are open to provide essential services. With schools closed, and children practicing distance learning, the Ravenswood City School District continued its breakfast and lunch program with pickup locations scattered throughout the district. El Ravenswood recorded some pictures of life during the shutdown.
Church of God in Christ on Laurel continued its Tuesday Food Distribution Programs and, thanks to Facebook, began food distribution on Wednesdays as well.
Locked gates welcome passersby at the Family YMCA in East Palo Alto. 26 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
Home Depot remained open as an essential business but had to manage the number of people inside the store at any one time through social distancing.
A family on Garden Street enjoys an afternoon of music and dance.
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Jamba Juice remained open as an essential business.
Marcus takes his business on the road.
Ravenswood City School District offered meals at several locations in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.
Free COVID-19 tests were provided in East Palo Alto several Fridays and Saturdays between March and July.
Graduation celebrations were done quietly with signs, such as this one announcing Virginia Prado’s high school graduation. Some families organized automobile parades along several streets with balloons, honking and loud music. JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 27
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Menlo Park Senior Center in the Belle Haven Community of Menlo Park was closed indefinitely and so was the East Palo Alto Senior Center.
City
Positive Test %
Redwood City
20%
San Mateo
19%
Daly City
15%
South San Francisco
10%
East Palo Alto
9%
Menlo Park
4%
At 9%, East Palo Alto had the fifth highest most number of positive covid-19 tests in San Mateo County. Deaths from COVID-19 confirmed that the older one was, the more likely one was to die from COVID-19. 28 JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
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EPA Belle Haven Information Inc P.O. Box 50849 East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Please Find El Ravenswood At These Choice Locations Want to be an El Ravenswood distribution location? Please contact El Ravenswood at info@eastpaloaltoinformation.com EAST PALO ALTO Above All Insurance, 907 Newbridge Street # B; | Boys and Girls Club-East Palo Alto, 2031 Pulgas Avenue; | Brentwood School, 2086 Clarke Avenue; | Cesar Chavez & Green Oaks, 2450 Ralmar Avenue; | Ravenswood Child Development Center, 952 O’Connor Street, | Community Development Department, 1960 Tate Street; | Costano School, 2695 Fordham Street; | County Services Building-Lobby; 2415 University Avenue; | East Palo Alto Academy, 1040 Myrtle Street; | East Palo Alto Charter School, 1286 Runnymede Street; | East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, 1039 Garden Street; | East Palo Alto Police Department, 141 Demeter Avenue; | East Palo Alto Senior Center, 560 Bell Street; | East Palo Alto YMCA, 550 Bell Street; | Ecumenical Hunger Program, 2411 Pulgas Avenue; Gregory’s Enterprise & Barber Shop, 1895 E. Bayshore Road; | Jones Mortuary, 660 Donohoe Street; | Oakwood Market, 2106 Oakwood Drive; | Peninsula Park Apartments, 1977 Tate Street; | Rainier’s Service Station, 1905 E. Bayshore Road; | Ravenswood City School District, 2130 Euclid Avenue; Ravenswood Family Health Center, 1885 Bay Road; | Ronald McNair School, 2033 Pulgas Avenue; | San Mateo Credit Union, 1735 Bay Road; | St Francis of Assisi, 1425 Bay Road; | St Johns Baptist Church, 1050 Bay Road; | Stanford Community Law Clinics, 2117 University Avenue; | Starbucks-East Palo Alto, 1745 East Bayshore Road;
MENLO PARK Belle Haven Library, 415 Ivy Drive; | Belle Haven School, 415 Ivy Drive; | Esquire Barber Shop, 830 Newbridge street; | Job Train, 1200 O’Brien Drive; | Jonathan’s Fish & Chips, 840 Willow Road; | Markstyle Barber Shop, 828 Willow Road; | Menlo Park City Hall, 701 Laurel Street; | Menlo Park Senior Center, 100 Terminal Avenue; | Mt Olive AOH Church of God, 605 Hamilton Avenue; | Project Read-Menlo Park, 800 Alma Street; | Tony’s Pizza, 820 Willow Road; | Tutti Frutti, 888 Willow Road; Willow Cleaners, 824 Willow Road; | Willow Oaks School, 620 Willow Road
