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

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

On 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Carlos Romero-East Palo Alto City Council Incumbent, maybe candidate.

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.

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.

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.

Antonio Lopez- making inquiries about possibly running for East Palo Alto City Council.

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. 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.

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

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.

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.

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