Public Safety Champion Packet_Redacted2022 CREST AWARDS
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION
OF THE YEAR
NOMINATIONS
Each year the City of Cupertino presents the CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) to honor the outstanding contributions of its community members.
The City of Cupertino is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 CREST Awards. See below for more details.
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Award criteria and nomination requirements are detailed blow. Please be as detailed as possible. Attachments can be uploaded on the next page. Applications are due by
Friday, March 11, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Current Cupertino City Councilmembers, Commissioners, and staff members cannot
be nominated. Selection Committee Members cannot make nominations.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Public Safety Champion
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion, please answer
the following questions:
* What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Rhoda Fry has been a public safety champion for over 30 years. She has focused on the impacts of the quarries on Cupertino residents for the past 15 years. She also
worked to increase safety of students walking and biking to school. Please see attachment.
* How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
What sets Rhoda Fry apart is her ability to assimilate massive amounts of information and distill them into issues that can be acted upon. Her successes have made her a
critical resource for information about the quarries and advisor on other issues. She also volunteered to lead two 12-week cohorts of high-school students to teach them
how to become community advocates for the environment and public safety. Please see attachment.
* Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to overcome, to achieve their success.
Please see the attachment.
WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING
Full Name
Rhoda Fry
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
self
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Full Name
Danessa Techmanski
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95015
Phone
Email
Organization
self
Attach Documents
Page | 1
Crest Award Nomination- Rhoda Fry.pdf
Page | 2
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding
contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion,
please answer the following questions:
*What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made
to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Rhoda Fry has championed the public health and safety of Cupertino residents for
over 30 years. Her most visible contribution has been in discovering and compiling
information about how the two quarries within Cupertino’s sphere of influence
impact our air, water, land, views, and more, and in disseminating information
about issues of public concern and community welfare for the past 15 years.
In 2019, when there was excessive truck traffic between the two quarries, Rhoda
worked tirelessly sifting through the plethora of rules, regulations, and permits for
the quarries to show the County and City of Cupertino that this traffic was not
permitted. The County, and even the Sheriff’s department, had erroneously
convinced the City that the truck traffic that caused pollution from emissions and
dust, and that also created traffic jams during commute hours was allowed. But she
persevered, and ultimately her hours of tireless research provided the City with the
information it needed to put a stop to such operations.
Rhoda has not only visited our representatives in Sacramento, but she has even met
with both the CA State Geologist and Governor Brown. She testified in person at
the State Mining and Geology Board, the Water Board, the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District, the Open Space District, the County, City of Cupertino, and
countless other cities to bring everyone on board. Through her years of
involvement and dedication, Rhoda has become a trusted source of information for
government and non-government organizations, neighborhood groups, the press,
and individuals. She relentlessly pressed the County to increase the funds that are
earmarked by the quarries for mined and damaged land remediation so that if the
quarries close, and this has been a possibility since the Lehigh property owner
declared bankruptcy, that the taxpayers would not be left to foot the cost of
remediation.
Rhoda’s commitment to public safety does not stop there. Several years ago she
was requested to work on a short-term project to increase safety measures for
children walking and biking to local schools by altering the pick-up times for
garbage. She worked with garbage company leaders to coordinate truck activity
with school bell schedules for not only her neighborhood, but also throughout
Cupertino. Rhoda didn’t stop there however, she researched garbage schedules of
8 surrounding cities as part of her proposal to illustrate to the Cupertino City
Council that earlier pick-up times were the norm for other cities as well. The end
result was not just greater child safety, but the new earlier schedule also reduced
traffic during school commute times with the additional benefit of reducing
congestion, and hence pollution, from idling trucks.
*How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community
interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
Rhoda has been been very generous with using her experiences to advise others on
how to effectively research and use data to influence public opinion. To further her
knowledge and leadership skills, she took an Environmental Law class and an 8-
month leadership training class through Greenfoothills. She is the voice behind
what has become common-knowledge about the detrimental impacts of the
quarries.
Rhoda has also worked with a community youth organization, YAPA, Young
American Policy Advocates, to teach them about environmental advocacy. She was
one of the few people who have led two cohorts of students for 12 weeks on
learning how to become a community advocate--especially regarding
environmental issues. Instead of telling students what to do, she taught them how
to find resources and how to think so that they could apply their new knowledge
and skills to any issue facing their community. She brought in expert speakers from
a number of organizations. The students learned about CEQA, the EPA, the Water
Board, BAAQMD, environmental law and more. The students found fulfillment in
influencing elected officials, in writing letters, attending meetings, and in public
speaking. She has continued to be a mentor to these students who credit her for
influencing their career plans.
*Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to
overcome, to achieve their success.
Rhoda’s efforts have been nothing short of extraordinary. She worked undaunted
to wade through reams of information and distill it into compelling calls for action
on many important public safety issues and deliver it to a wide variety of
audiences.
She is a woman with guts, courage, and fortitude who is able to take a stand
against the status quo and the power of authority. She has had to overcome extreme
opposition because the quarry polluters had become deeply entrenched into our
community and its leadership and had greatly influenced local public opinion. Her
credibility was frequently attacked yet she steadily stood behind her opinions and
statements that were backed by countless hours of research in pushing toward
greater transparency. Many of the naysayers have now changed their opinions and
our community is all the better for it. She has been lauded by neighbors on
Nextdoor for providing information: “We are lucky to have caring residents like
her,” “I don't know what residents would do without you to be our champion,” “A
giant thank you and then some for all of your hard work and diligence,” “Thank
you so very much for all of the effort you put forth on the Lehigh problem,” “I
appreciate all you have done to keep on top of this, thank you.”
Each year the City of Cupertino presents the CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) to honor the outstanding contributions of its community members.
The City of Cupertino is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 CREST Awards. See below for more details.
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Award criteria and nomination requirements are detailed blow. Please be as detailed as possible. Attachments can be uploaded on the next page. Applications are due by
Friday, March 11, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Current Cupertino City Councilmembers, Commissioners, and staff members cannot
be nominated. Selection Committee Members cannot make nominations.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Public Safety Champion
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion, please answer
the following questions:
* What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Rhoda Fry has worked tirelessly for 15 years to bring attention to the environmental impacts of the Lehigh Cement Plant and Quarry and the need for stronger enforcement
of regulations on its operations. She has contributed to bringing this important community safety issue to the attention of the public and the Cupertino City Council who have
become effective champions for this issue.
* How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
Rhoda has done an enormous amount of research to bring important issues and developments to public awareness. She is an outstanding researcher whose comments are
always fact-based and significant.
* Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to overcome, to achieve their success.
For many years, raising objections about Lehigh's operations was not taken seriously by the community. It has taken a patient education and information campaign that
Rhoda has helped to lead to make this an issue that is now higher on the community agenda.
WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING
Full Name
Rhoda Fry
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
Bay Area for Clean Environment (BACE)
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Full Name
Richard P. Adler
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
BACE
Page | 1
Attach Documents
Los Altos Town Crier, Mar 8, 2022.pdf
Page | 2
Quarry now quiet, but noise made
about future
• By Bruce Barton
• Mar 8, 2022
Local residents encouraged by recent news that Santa Clara County is exploring the
possibility of purchasing the long-standing cement plant and quarry south of Los Altos may
need to temper their enthusiasm with the understanding that the idea is far from realized.
“It was as much a question as it was a proposal,” said Supervisor Joe Simitian last week.
Simitian, who brought the proposal before his fellow supervisors last month, held his
seventh annual public meeting on the Lehigh Southwest Cement Co. and Permanente
Quarry March 2.
The virtual meeting, with approximately 250 attendees, featured regulatory officials
offering updates on the status of plant and quarry conditions, as well as any recent
violations.
Historically the county’s dirtiest polluters, the plant and quarry are heavily monitored by
local, regional, state and federal agencies, ranging from the city of Cupertino, which
includes a portion of the Lehigh land, to the Santa Clara County planning and
environmental health departments and Office of the County Counsel, the Bay Area Air
Quality Management District and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Minimal activity
In general, agency officials reported minimal activity or violations at the Lehigh site. The
pandemic and the breakdown of a kiln at the cement plant stifled manufacturing efforts. As
a result, John Marvin of the air district reported no violations in 2021 or this year.
“There’s not a whole lot of activity out there,” said Mickey Pierce with the county’s
Department of Environmental Health.
Roshni Brahmbhatt of the EPA said her agency continues to work with Lehigh operators
across the country, honoring a November 2020 “consent decree” an agreement to reduce
air pollution emissions common across a range of sites.
Ryan Olah and Joseph Terry of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told of work with Lehigh
Hanson to relocate an endangered species of frog downstream from the plant along
Permanente Creek.
Elizabeth Pianca of the Office of the County Counsel noted that a lawsuit filed by Lehigh
against the county over its expansion efforts was resolved last September in favor of the
county. Lehigh did not appeal the ruling. She also spoke of an enforcement agreement from
last June involving the county and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District which
owns open space adjacent to the quarry. Both entities can conduct inspections of a
protected ridgeline on Lehigh property and issue violations if necessary.
Acquisition questions
The annual meeting came amid recent high-profile actions initiated by Simitian, whose
District 5 includes Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View. Over the past two
months, the county supervisor has called on county staff to compile a 10-year record of
violations involving Lehigh and to pursue options for county acquisition of the site.
“The acquisition of the property, either from a willing seller or by use of eminent
domain, could accelerate the closure and restoration of the property, and allow for a more
community-focused consideration of how the land should be used in the future,” Simitian
said in a statement.
At the meeting, he noted that the county was at a “pivot point, perhaps a time of
receptivity.”
According to Simitian, Lehigh officials, who, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, had pushed
for expansion through a reclamation plan amendment, have since backed off that plan. He
added that executives were at least open to discussing the land acquisition, coming on the
heels of last year’s Lehigh Hanson sale to Martin Marietta of all western region properties
with the exception of the Cupertino hills location.
“Certainly Lehigh has a financial interest in, you know, avoiding the $60 million to $100
million that reclamation’s probably going to entail,” Simitian said.
Officials acknowledge that filling the large quarry pit and restoring the land to a stable
condition is a formidable task. A third-party analysis recently presented to the county said
the $63 million earmarked for Lehigh to conduct reclamation was not nearly enough to do
the job.
Cupertino resident Rhoda Fry has been closely following the activities of the
quarry and cement plant for years.
“In my opinion, in spite of Lehigh’s ambitious expansion proposal, Martin Marietta declined
to buy,” she said. “I don’t think that Lehigh could have even given it away in a package deal,
first because the expansion proposal is not feasible … and second because of the
gargantuan remediation costs.”
Fry figured filling the 1,000-foot deep quarry would cost at least $100 million, in addition
to cleanup and stabilization of other areas at the site, such as the Yeager Yard, cement plant
facilities and an old rail yard.
"The Permanente plant and quarry were never included in the west region assets to be
sold," Lehigh spokesman Jeff Sieg said Monday. "With a pending reclamation plan
amendment (currently under revision) and creek restoration project, adding Permanente
to the West Region sale would have slowed the transaction. Instead, Lehigh continues to
operate at Permanente while developing a long-term vision for the site."
Reasons for action
Simitian said the reason for requesting a decadelong summary of violations was to “take a
more comprehensive look at this rather than just deal with these issues piecemeal.”
The environmental problems at Lehigh date back more than 80 years, even beyond the
opening of the cement plant in 1939, when mining of limestone was already well
established. From selenium discharges into Permanente Creek to air pollution from truck
traffic carrying aggregate, the outcry has intensified in recent decades as residential homes
were developed around the 3,510-acre site.
Regarding acquisition exploration, Simitian reasoned: “Rather than waiting to see what
happens and letting the years go by, I thought it was time … to say, ‘Look, what’s a sensible
future for this site, and can we chart that out ourselves?”
“The county should acquire the land for open space,” Fry agreed, but suggested that any
talk of housing options on the land is unrealistic.
“As the site has been evaluated for Superfund several times, I would anticipate that some of
the land will remain a no-man’s-land,” she said.
But Simitian is optimistic about some future use. He cited a quarry in the East Bay that has
been reclaimed as recreational open space, noting the same could happen to the Lehigh
quarry.
“Clearly, we’re looking to consider what the path forward might be,” he said. “We know it
can be done.”
County staff is expected to report back with acquisition options by mid-May.
Each year the City of Cupertino presents the CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) to honor the outstanding contributions of its community members.
The City of Cupertino is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 CREST Awards. See below for more details.
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Award criteria and nomination requirements are detailed blow. Please be as detailed as possible. Attachments can be uploaded on the next page. Applications are due by
Friday, March 11, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Current Cupertino City Councilmembers, Commissioners, and staff members cannot
be nominated. Selection Committee Members cannot make nominations.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Public Safety Champion
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion, please answer
the following questions:
* What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Rhoda Fry has spent countless hours reviewing documents from 12 different regulatory agencies that oversee the Lehigh Quarry and Cement plant in the hills adjacent to
Cupertino. She has identified, egregious violations by this large industrial facility and has brought those violations and bad practices to the attention of local cities and the
Santa Clara County. She has advocated for best practices at this facility all for the protection and improvement of public health and safely.
* How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
Rhoda Fry has developed deep contacts within the agencies that oversee this facility and environmental organizations. She has provided written documentation to help
policy makers enact better policies in pursuit of public health. She tipped authorities off to, and stopped the construction of an illegal, unpermitted road the company was
building. She got the County to increase the bond money the company must hold to ensure reclamation of this huge mining site.
* Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to overcome, to achieve their success.
Rhoda Fry has been instrumental is educating local citizens, elected officials and environmental agencies about this large operation and is routinely quoted by the media on
Lehigh, including the uploaded or attached article. She has a deep understanding of the impact this facility has on our community and the greater Bay Area and continues to
fight for the protection of our air, water, land, and the health of our citizens. Rhoda Fry embodies all the qualities of a public safety champion.
WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING
Full Name
Rhoda Fry
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
**SKIPPED**
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Full Name
Paula Wallis
Full Address
Cupertino CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
Page | 1
**SKIPPED**
Attach Documents
Quarry now quiet, but noise made about future _ News _ losaltosonline.com.pdf
Page | 2
3/14/22, 8:50 PM Quarry now quiet, but noise made about future | News | losaltosonline.com
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/quarry-now-quiet-but-noise-made-about-future/article_a8294614-9f1e-11ec-b026-ef6671fba0e5.html 2/7
Local residents encouraged by recent news that Santa Clara County is
exploring the possibility of purchasing the long-standing cement plant
and quarry south of Los Altos may need to temper their enthusiasm with
the understanding that the idea is far from realized.
“It was as much a question as it was a proposal,” said Supervisor Joe
Simitian last week.
Simitian, who brought the proposal before his fellow supervisors last
month, held his seventh annual public meeting on the Lehigh Southwest
Cement Co. and Permanente Quarry March 2.
The virtual meeting, with approximately 250 attendees, featured
regulatory of cials offering updates on the status of plant and quarry
conditions, as well as any recent violations.
Historically the county’s dirtiest polluters, the plant and quarry are heavily
monitored by local, regional, state and federal agencies, ranging from the
city of Cupertino, which includes a portion of the Lehigh land, to the Santa
Clara County planning and environmental health departments and Of ce
of the County Counsel, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and
the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Minimal activity
In general, agency of cials reported minimal activity or violations at the
Lehigh site. The pandemic and the breakdown of a kiln at the cement
plant sti ed manufacturing efforts. As a result, John Marvin of the air
district reported no violations in 2021 or this year.
“There’s not a whole lot of activity out there,” said Mickey Pierce with the
county’s Department of Environmental Health.
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and traf c on our website, as well as to personalize advertisements and provide
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Learn more or opt out Accept Cookies
3/14/22, 8:50 PM Quarry now quiet, but noise made about future | News | losaltosonline.com
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/quarry-now-quiet-but-noise-made-about-future/article_a8294614-9f1e-11ec-b026-ef6671fba0e5.html 3/7
Roshni Brahmbhatt of the EPA said her agency continues to work with
Lehigh operators across the country, honoring a November 2020 “consent
decree” – an agreement to reduce air pollution emissions common across
a range of sites.
Ryan Olah and Joseph Terry of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told of
work with Lehigh Hanson to relocate an endangered species of frog
downstream from the plant along Permanente Creek.
Elizabeth Pianca of the Of ce of the County Counsel noted that a lawsuit
led by Lehigh against the county over its expansion efforts was resolved
last September in favor of the county. Lehigh did not appeal the ruling.
She also spoke of an enforcement agreement from last June involving the
county and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District – which owns
open space adjacent to the quarry. Both entities can conduct inspections
of a protected ridgeline on Lehigh property and issue violations if
necessary.
Acquisition questions
The annual meeting came amid recent high-pro le actions initiated by
Simitian, whose District 5 includes Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain
View. Over the past two months, the county supervisor has called on
county staff to compile a 10-year record of violations involving Lehigh and
to pursue options for county acquisition of the site.
“The acquisition of the property, either from a willing seller or by use of
eminent domain, could accelerate the closure and restoration of the
property, and allow for a more community-focused consideration of how
the land should be used in the future,” Simitian said in a statement.
At the meeting, he noted that the county was at a “pivot point, perhaps a
time of receptivity.
We use cookies to improve your reading experience and to analyze performance
and traf c on our website, as well as to personalize advertisements and provide
social media features.
Learn more or opt out Accept Cookies
3/14/22, 8:50 PM Quarry now quiet, but noise made about future | News | losaltosonline.com
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/quarry-now-quiet-but-noise-made-about-future/article_a8294614-9f1e-11ec-b026-ef6671fba0e5.html 4/7
According to Simitian, Lehigh of cials, who, prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, had pushed for expansion through a reclamation plan
amendment, have since backed off that plan. He added that executives
were at least open to discussing the land acquisition, coming on the heels
of last year’s Lehigh Hanson sale to Martin Marietta of all western region
properties – with the exception of the Cupertino hills location.
“Certainly Lehigh has a nancial interest in, you know, avoiding the $60
million to $100 million that reclamation’s probably going to entail,”
Simitian said.
Of cials acknowledge that lling the large quarry pit and restoring the
land to a stable condition is a formidable task. A third-party analysis
recently presented to the county said the $63 million earmarked for
Lehigh to conduct reclamation was not nearly enough to do the job.
Cupertino resident Rhoda Fry has been closely following the activities of
the quarry and cement plant for years.
“In my opinion, in spite of Lehigh’s ambitious expansion proposal, Martin
Marietta declined to buy,” she said. “I don’t think that Lehigh could have
even given it away in a package deal, rst because the expansion proposal
is not feasible … and second because of the gargantuan remediation
costs.”
Fry gured lling the 1,000-foot deep quarry would cost at least $100
million, in addition to cleanup and stabilization of other areas at the site,
such as the Yeager Yard, cement plant facilities and an old rail yard.
"The Permanente plant and quarry were never included in the west
region assets to be sold," Lehigh spokesman Jeff Sieg said Monday. "With
a pending reclamation plan amendment (currently under revision) and
We use cookies to improve your reading experience and to analyze performance
and traf c on our website, as well as to personalize advertisements and provide
social media features.
Learn more or opt out Accept Cookies
3/14/22, 8:50 PM Quarry now quiet, but noise made about future | News | losaltosonline.com
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/quarry-now-quiet-but-noise-made-about-future/article_a8294614-9f1e-11ec-b026-ef6671fba0e5.html 5/7
creek restoration project, adding Permanente to the West Region sale
would have slowed the transaction. Instead, Lehigh continues to operate
at Permanente while developing a long-term vision for the site."
Reasons for action
Simitian said the reason for requesting a decadelong summary of
violations was to “take a more comprehensive look at this rather than just
deal with these issues piecemeal.”
The environmental problems at Lehigh date back more than 80 years,
even beyond the opening of the cement plant in 1939, when mining of
limestone was already well established. From selenium discharges into
Permanente Creek to air pollution from truck traf c carrying aggregate,
the outcry has intensi ed in recent decades as residential homes were
developed around the 3,510-acre site.
Regarding acquisition exploration, Simitian reasoned: “Rather than
waiting to see what happens and letting the years go by, I thought it was
time … to say, ‘Look, what’s a sensible future for this site, and can we chart
that out ourselves?”
“The county should acquire the land for open space,” Fry agreed, but
suggested that any talk of housing options on the land is unrealistic.
“As the site has been evaluated for Superfund several times, I would
anticipate that some of the land will remain a no-man’s-land,” she said.
But Simitian is optimistic about some future use. He cited a quarry in the
East Bay that has been reclaimed as recreational open space, noting the
same could happen to the Lehigh quarry.
“Clearly, we’re looking to consider what the path forward might be,” he
said. “We know it can be done.”
We use cookies to improve your reading experience and to analyze performance
and traf c on our website, as well as to personalize advertisements and provide
social media features.
Learn more or opt out Accept Cookies
Each year the City of Cupertino presents the CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) to honor the outstanding contributions of its community members.
The City of Cupertino is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 CREST Awards. See below for more details.
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Award criteria and nomination requirements are detailed blow. Please be as detailed as possible. Attachments can be uploaded on the next page. Applications are due by
Friday, March 11, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Current Cupertino City Councilmembers, Commissioners, and staff members cannot
be nominated. Selection Committee Members cannot make nominations.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Public Safety Champion
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion, please answer
the following questions:
* What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Tina Carson is saving lives. She’s been a crossing guard for Cupertino schools and nearby cities for approx 20 years. She takes her job very seriously and considers it a
privilege to keep everyone in her crosswalk safe. She started part-time in order to be home with her 2 kids, not realizing it would become her life’s work. Over the years,
she’s crossed students of all ages, from elementary to high school, and has enjoyed each one. She’s honored to watch generations of students grow into adults
* How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
I nominate Tina Carson for the Crest Award with great pleasure and gratitude. Tina probably saved my life and the lives of a mother and her daughter that she was
escorting across Stevens Creek Boulevard. If it weren't for Tina's acute attention to watching the traffic, we would have been hit by a fast-moving truck that ran the red
light. Tina's job comes with enormous responsibility and she should be recognized for her 20 years of outstanding service.
* Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to overcome, to achieve their success.
The biggest challenge has been with drivers who are impatient or distracted. She’s had close calls, car accidents, and drivers that have driven through red lights, several of
which would have been catastrophic had she not held students behind her and yelled for them to stop. One student got bumped off his bike without injury. Rainy days or
temperatures of 90-100+ degrees are also challenging. Finally, different challenges come with different ages, but the kids are also the best part of her job.
WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING
Full Name
Tina Carson
Full Address
Cupertino, 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
All City Management Services, Inc.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Full Name
Teri Furey
Full Address
CUPERTINO CA 95014
Phone
Email
Organization
Page | 1
resident of Cupertino
Attach Documents
**SKIPPED**
Page | 2
Each year the City of Cupertino presents the CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) to honor the outstanding contributions of its community members.
The City of Cupertino is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 CREST Awards. See below for more details.
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Award criteria and nomination requirements are detailed blow. Please be as detailed as possible. Attachments can be uploaded on the next page. Applications are due by
Friday, March 11, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Current Cupertino City Councilmembers, Commissioners, and staff members cannot
be nominated. Selection Committee Members cannot make nominations.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Public Safety Champion
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety of Cupertino. To nominate a Public Safety Champion, please answer
the following questions:
* What contributions of time, leadership, and impact has this individual made to enhance public safety efforts in Cupertino?
Wildfire Awareness Initiative (WAI) started as a student movement to bring awareness to the youth community about wildfire safety and preparedness. In 2021, WAI
established a partnership with the Santa Clara Fire Department to expand and improve youth outreach. Specifically, WAI set up Kahoots (interactive quizzes), and helped
organize flyers, goodies, and packets, to distribute to elementary and middle schools to make fire safety education fun and engaging.
* How has this individual set the example for others to follow in community interaction? How does this individual stand apart?
WAI consistently engages followers through weekly educational Instagram posts on wildfire awareness and preparedness. They have presented wildfire-related topics
ranging from statistics to government action in easily digestible formats that expand education to an often untapped audience, and amassed a following of 2K. Though WAI
started as a school club, its movement and impact has expanded out to the greater Cupertino community through their digital footprint and partnership with the SCFD.
* Describe the effort involved, and challenges or obstacles the individual had to overcome, to achieve their success.
WAI members regularly spend additional hours researching, building their website, and crafting engaging social media posts to effectively communicate wildfire safety
topics. To reach the broader community, WAI established a partnership with the SCFD to get involved with more actively involved with elementary and middle schools in the
area.
WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING
Full Name
**SKIPPED**
Full Address
**SKIPPED**
Phone
**SKIPPED**
Email
Organization
Wildfire Awareness Initiative
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Full Name
Tiffany Wang
Full Address
Cupertin
Phone
**SKIPPED**
Email
Organization
Cupertino Public Safety Commission
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