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HomeMy WebLinkAboutScene September 2020 - 09.01.2020PLUS: RESOURCES TO DISPOSE OF YOUR TRASH & WASTE | NATIONAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH | SAYING GOODBYE TO CUPERTINO FAVORITE, HOBEE’S Take an ARTour of Cupertino Explore Public Art and Historic Sites with Augmented Reality SEPTEMBER 2020 A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO SCENE This issue of The Scene has a mix of topics but a central theme: keep yourself and your family safe. When you keep yourself healthy and safe it helps keep your friends, neighbors, and coworkers safe as well. During this pandemic, that means keeping things extra clean by washing your hands frequently, sanitizing your common work surfaces if you are going into the workplace, and staying home as often as possible. It’s important to keep this mindset as we head into fire season. Our local fire season now signals that PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events are fast approaching. Ensure that the exterior of your home is free of overgrowth, debris, and other large items that could either encourage a fire near your home or a neighbor’s. Large items could also block easy egress from our houses in an emergency, which endangers family members, including our children and pets. Lastly, keeping safe also means staying mentally healthy. As the pandemic continues, our stress levels rise. Our normal worries are compounded by sheltering in place, the uncertainty created by COVID-19, and the lack of an ordinary routine. You can try and address this added stress by taking a walk, meditating, reading a book, or calling a loved one. Take care of ourselves and be courteous to others. It’s one form of paying it forward. Now is the time to be more mindful. Deborah Feng City Manager FEATURES 5 Fall Is Here! Keep Streets Leaf Free Learn how you can help keep our streets safe and clean as autumn leaves begin to drop. 6 Are You Prepared In Case of an Emergency? September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Follow these easy steps to make sure you’re prepared year-round. IN S I D E 11 Live Fitness Classes Missing your favorite recreation classes? You don’t have to since they’re all online! 8 COVID-19: What is Contact Tracing? Learn more about the Santa Clara County COVID Support Team and how they can support you. 12 Directory and Contacts Keep this list of the most useful contacts for the City of Cupertino. 9 Dog Off-Leash Area Extension The trial period for the DOLA at Jollyman Park has been extended. Questions or comments about The Scene? Contact staff at scene@cupertino.org. KEEP SAFE, STAY HEALTHY CONTENTS 2 Explore Cupertino Public Art with Augmented Reality Let Cooper—the City of Cupertino’s robot mascot— guide you on this fun, engaging, and whimsical journey of Cupertino’s public art and historic sites with the new ARTour app, an augmented reality art walk. Simply download the “Cupertino ARTour” app in the app store, select a language, and begin exploring. Take a walk around Cupertino and visit one of the many ARTour sites, including the Baer Blacksmith Shop at McClellan Ranch Preserve, the Quail Family Hawk statue near the Mary Avenue Bridge, The Guardians statue that stands in Memorial Park, and more. When you arrive at one of the sites, open the ARTour app and Cooper will appear to teach you interesting facts and the history behind it. See if you can visit all 14! Learn about the artist, the meaning behind the piece, interesting and historical facts, and much more! This September is Creek Cleanup Month The City of Cupertino’s annual Creek Cleanup volunteer event is transforming into Creek Cleanup Month! While we can’t come together to volunteer this year, we encourage individuals, families, and households to participate in cleaning up litter throughout the month of September. Our annual volunteer event typically happens in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day. Over 90 countries and six million volunteers come together on this day making it one of the largest environmental volunteer days! Cupertino Creek Cleanup volunteer events started in 2014. Since then, almost 2,000 pounds of trash have been pulled out of Calabazas Creek. This collaborative effort shows how the power of the community can come together and fight ocean trash while spreading awareness about preserving and protecting our world’s waterways. As our creeks in Cupertino flow into the San Francisco Bay and ultimately end up in the ocean, we rely on our community to help create trash-free seas by removing the litter upstream. Litter in our waterways can hurt wildlife and cause pollutants to build up, so we need everyone’s help, including yours, to help keep our community clean. Take the pledge to commit to clean up your neighborhood by visiting cleanacreek.org/upcoming-events. Disposing Waste while Sheltered-in-Place Many of you are taking the time to do a bit of spring cleaning and clear out unwanted items. Unfortunately, some of these items are being left on sidewalks, blocking accessibility and creating safety issues. There are many available services you can use to dispose of your waste while keeping everyone safe. • Bulky Items (like furniture or appliances) and Extra Debris: You can request two free on-call pickups a year. Extra pickups can be scheduled for a fee. Contact Recology at recologysouthbay@recology. com or (408) 725-4020. • Placement: Place items out for pickup no more than 24 hours before the scheduled collection. If leaving items in your driveway for Recology to pick up, place them at the bottom of the driveway so that Recology can easily reach them. Items cannot be left on the sidewalk or in the street. • Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Disposal: Never put HHW in the garbage. Schedule a drop-off appointment for materials such as paint, pool chemicals, pesticides, cleaning supplies, auto fluids, etc. Book an appointment at HHW.org or call (408) 299-7300. • Unwanted Medication and Sharps Disposal: Find drop-off locations or free mail-back service at med-project.org. • Donating: Many traditional thrift stores may be closed or have limited hours, but there are online options and phone applications for posting items to sell or donate. • Buy Nothing • OfferUp • Craigslist • Letgo • iScrap App • freecycle.org Environmental Programs staff is available to help answer any questions you have. Email environmental@ cupertino.org or call (408) 777-3236. 4 Annual Citywide Garage Sale Canceled Every year, the City of Cupertino looks forward to hosting the Annual Citywide Garage Sale. Unfortunately, given the state of COVID-19, the difficult decision was made to cancel this event. This was a tough call to make, as the Annual Citywide Garage Sale is a great way to reduce unnecessary waste while providing an opportunity for the community to come together. During this time, the health and safety of our community is the top priority. We encourage you to pursue alternative forms of resale or donation by using online platforms such as Buy Nothing, FreeCycle, OfferUp, Craigslist, social media apps, and more. We look forward to hosting the Annual Citywide Garage Sale in the future when it is safe to do so. Help Keep Your Street Leaf Free It’s that time of year again—leaves will soon begin to fall from the trees and paint the ground with breathtaking colors. Unfortunately, fallen leaves can pile up and contaminate creeks, cause clogged storm drains, parking issues, and dirty roads. It’s important that everyone follow these tips to keep our streets, creeks, and yards clean. • Collect fallen leaves and place them in your green or brown organics cart for pickup. If you don’t have enough space for all of your leaves and yard trimmings, additional carts can be requested from Recology for no additional charge by calling (408) 725-4020 or emailing recologysouthbay@recology.com. • Streets should remain clear for street sweeping—this means do not pile leaves in the street and move your car off the street on sweeping day. During heavy leaf fall, additional street sweeping may occur on your road. Street sweepers are unable to pick up large piles of leaves. • Find out when your street sweeping day is by visiting cupertino.org/cleanstreets. • Receive reminders to move your car by visiting cupertino.org/streetsweeping. • Collected leaves from your yard can be added to your home compost pile. Composting at home is a great way to return nutrients back to the soil, help with water retention, prevent erosion, and save money. Learn more about composting programs by visiting cupertino.org/compost. • Please note: The use of motorized equipment, such as leaf blowers, must be limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. For questions about landscape debris collection, or for more information about storm water protection, contact the City of Cupertino at environmental@cupertino.org or call (408) 777-3236. 5 National Preparedness Month: Disasters Don’t Wait, Make Your Plan Today Every September, the United States observes National Preparedness Month to promote family and community disaster planning. Of course, preparedness takes on a new meaning for all of us this year. Adapting to the changing COVID-19 environment has not been easy, however, we are all now aware of the need for face coverings, washing hands regularly, and maintaining social distance to protect ourselves, family, and friends. In the coming months, we are likely to face compounding emergencies like high heat, wildfire, or even a seismic event during the COVID-19 environment. The City of Cupertino’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates effective disaster response and recovery efforts. OES evaluates and enhances emergency response procedures to continuously improve and adapt to the current environment. Specific and measurable changes have been implemented to maintain safety of first responders, volunteers, and you during care and shelter operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. You will recognize many of the same signs and procedures required of essential businesses on all City facilities, and at cooling centers and shelters if needed. Just as OES has adapted to the current COVID-19 environment, so should you. During National Preparedness Month, OES encourages everyone to remember, “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Make A Plan Week 1: September 1 to 5 Being prepared ahead of time, as well as knowing what to do and what not to do, can help to contain the damage from many types of disasters. Individuals and organizations all have an important role in preparing, responding, and recovering from a disaster. • Practice your plan with your family, household, or business. • Additional information can be found at ready.gov/plan • Business Continuity Planning information can be found at ready.gov/business Build A Kit Week 2: September 6 to 12 If the unexpected happens, having a plan and a stockpile of essential water, food, and other supplies for seven days can make a difference. • Remember items of necessity as well as items of convenience. Along with clothing, food, and essential medications for you and your family, pack a game or two to pass the time. • Additional information can be found at ready.gov/kit Prepare for Disasters Week 3: September 13 to 19 Find out the best way to limit the impacts a disaster may have, like having the right insurance coverage or what you can do to your home to make it stronger and more resilient. • Sign up for AlertSCC at alertscc.org to receive emergency alerts from the City of Cupertino and the County of Santa Clara. • Get involved: Cupertino’s Citizen Corps supports local emergency responders through Cupertino Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CARES), the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). cupertino.org/ oesvolunteer • Neighborhood Block Leaders Program teaches residents how to get to know neighbors and organize activities so neighbors can more easily communicate during emergencies. cupertino.org/blockleader Teach Youth About Preparedness Week 4: September 20 to 26 Teach children what to do in an emergency if they are at home or away from home. Help them learn how to communicate with text messages, know emergency contact numbers, and to dial 9-1-1. • Get them involved in building their own emergency kit, and include your child’s favorite toys, games, or books to comfort them in a disaster. ready.gov/kids 6 Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced that it will shut down transmission lines on days with a high risk of wildfire as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. Customers are advised to prepare for outages that could last more than 48 hours. Outages could impact any PG&E customer regardless of whether they live in a high fire-threat area. Last year, about 3,300 addresses within the City of Cupertino lost their power during a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Are you ready if it happens again? What is PSPS? If severe weather threatens a portion of the electric system, it may be necessary for PG&E to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Why would my power go out? Although you may not live or work in a high fire-threat area, or an area experiencing high winds, power may be shut off since it relies upon a line that runs through an area experiencing severe weather or a line within a high fire-threat area. How long could it be out? PG&E estimates PSPS events could last as long as seven days, depending on the heat, humidity, and wind. Last year, portions of Cupertino lost power between 14 hours and two days. What can I do now? 1. Register for PG&E alerts and notifications. During a PSPS event, PG&E will contact you if your power is scheduled to go out. To update your contact information, call 1-866-743-6589. 2. Register with PG&E if you have special medical needs that require electricity. 3. Make a plan on what you would do if you had to leave home during a shutoff. 4. Always keep your car gas level at least half full. 5. Have a car cellphone charger. 6. Have an AM radio and listen to Cupertino Radio 1670 AM for local news on any PSPS events. Find more details at cupertino.org/psps or pge.com/psps. Each year the City of Cupertino presents its CREST Awards, “Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken,” to honor the outstanding contributions of Cupertino community members. The City of Cupertino is proud to announce this year’s winners of the 2020 CREST Awards. They are: For more information on the winners, visit cupertino.org/crest. Lifetime Achievement Roberta Hollimon Lifetime Achievement (Posthumous) Susan Kwok Volunteer of the Year Ankit Lakkapragada Rising Star Lackshminaryanan Family Public Safety Champion Judy Halchin Sustainability Champion Silicon Valley Clean Energy Innovator of the Year Seventh Graders Aaron, Jason, Naoka, Nathan, and Ryan Public Safety Power Shutoffs: What You Can Do Now to Prepare 2020 CREST Award Winners 7 What is Contact Tracing for COVID-19? The Santa Clara County Public Health Department uses case investigation and contact tracing to support anyone who may be positive for COVID-19 to safely stay home and slow the spread among their family, friends, and community. This strategy involves individuals to answer calls from the Contact Tracing program, and to isolate or quarantine at home. You should get tested for COVID-19 if you are experiencing any symptoms, or if you have been exposed to someone who was confirmed to have COVID-19. To find testing sites, visit sccfreetest.org. If you find out you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, you may receive a text and a call from the County of Santa Clara COVID Support Team. The call will be from (916) 262-7553 with the caller ID as “CA COVID TEAM.” They will confirm your identity, ask how you are feeling, and a few questions to learn about your case. To stop the spread of the virus, the most important thing you can do is answer the call and stay home if instructed to do so. To know the call is real and not a scam, when trying to reach you, the caller will say they are calling from Santa Clara County and will verify your identity by asking your birthday. They will never ask for: • Bank, credit card, or financial information • Money, gift cards, or money transfers • Social Security numbers • Immigration status If you want to double check, you can hang up the call and call back (916) 262-7553 to verify the call. You may also call the County Public Health Department at (408) 970-2870. For more information about contact tracing, visit sccstayhome.org. 8 Saying Goodbye to a Local Favorite Recently, longtime Cupertino business, Hobee’s, announced its closure after serving our community and the greater South Bay area for almost 34 years. Franchise owner, Michael Lashen, confirmed on the Hobee’s website the very difficult decision not to reopen the restaurant after temporarily closing due to the effects of COVID-19. Hobee’s Cupertino operated at The Oaks Shopping Center since 1986, and over the years has achieved iconic status. As a franchise location, it reached number one in sales volume for nearly a decade and remained near the top throughout its duration. Over the years, Hobee’s has received dozens of accolades and awards further demonstrating its excellence. Many thanks to Michael Lashen, who over the years has generously supported the community through his efforts (and delicious blueberry coffeecake!) in contributing to Cupertino’s high quality of life. Good luck and best wishes to Michael and to the entire Hobee’s Cupertino team! Although we have to say good- bye to Hobee’s, there are new businesses to welcome to Cupertino, including: • Vampire Penguin Shaved Snow, Drinks, and Desserts (McClellan Square) • Noodleosphy (McClellan Square) • Pasta Armellino (Main Street Cupertino) • O2 Valley (Loree Center, 19058 Stevens Creek Blvd.) • Tarim Global Cuisine (19930 Stevens Creek Blvd.) Take your Pooch Out to Play Dog Off-Leash Area Trial Period Extended If you and your dog are feeling cooped up at home, don’t worry! There’s still time to take your furry friend out for some off-leash fun at the dog off- leash area (DOLA) at Jollyman Park. The City of Cupertino is extending the trial to assess how effectively youth sports and a DOLA can coexist. “The City has received continuous feedback affirming how much users have enjoyed the DOLA during this trial period,” Joanne Magrini, Parks and Recreation Department Director. “The Department and Commission believe the opportunity to extend the trial period will ensure that adequate outreach and research has been conducted, which will benefit DOLA users, neighbors, youth sports participants, and the Cupertino community.” The DOLA trial period began on October 1, 2019 and was intended to run through July 31, 2020. The trial ceased from March 24 to June 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying Shelter-in-Place orders. The DOLA resumed on June 5, 2020 in accordance with state and county guidelines. Currently, the state is prohibiting youth sports and games. New DOLA hours will go into effect on August 1. For updates and more information, visit cupertino.org/dola. Coming Soon: • Vons Oven Fried Chicken (10520 S. De Anza Blvd.) • SpiceKlub, Modern Indian Cuisine (10310 S. De Anza Blvd.) • 7 Leaves Café (11111 N. Wolfe Rd.) • Mantra India (20840 Stevens Creek Blvd.) Relocations: • Pizza My Heart (Main Street Cupertino) Check which Cupertino businesses are open at cupertino.org/ OpenForBusiness - Angela Tsui, Economic Development Manager 9 10 Mary Avenue Dog Park and Jollyman DOLA Mary Avenue Dog Park and the Jollyman DOLA has reopened. Users must follow the latest limitations to the Santa Clara Country Shelter-in-Place order. Blackberry Farm Golf Course Blackberry Farm Golf Course has reopened. Daily tee times are between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Blackberry Farm Golf Course is following guidance from the State of California and County of Santa Clara regarding reopening procedures and requirements. Book a Tee Time: Tee times can be reserved any time online at blackberryfarmgolfcourse.com or during business hours by phone (408) 253-9200. Cupertino Park Tennis Courts The tennis courts at these parks are open: • Memorial Park • Monta Vista Community Center • Varian Park Sports Center Tennis Courts The tennis courts at the Cupertino Sports Center have reopened for Sports Center members. Sports Center court hours will be Monday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. The Cupertino Sports Center is following the guidance from the State of California and County of Santa Clara regarding reopening procedures and requirements. Reserve a Court: Court reservations can be made during business hours by calling the Cupertino Sports Center (408) 777-3160. Live Fitness Classes The City of Cupertino’s Parks & Recreation Department offers free live fitness classes, which you will be able to live stream from home via the Zoom app! Please download the app on your home computer or smartphone. Note: Class schedule is subject to change. For the latest information, please visit cupertino.org/ virtualrecreation. MONDAYS Zumba® with Monica | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Zumba® routines feature aerobic intervals with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. TUESDAYS Bootcamp with Raychel | 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. An interval training class that mixes calisthenics and body weight exercises with cardio and strength training. No equipment needed. WEDNESDAYS Zumba Gold® with Grace | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Zumba Gold® is a dance exercise class designed for active adults 50+. The dances feature Latin moves such as Salsa, Cumbia, Cha Cha, and more. Steps are fun and easy to follow and learn. The class is designed to help improve balance, strength, and flexibility. THURSDAY Body Sculpting with Raychel | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Body sculpting is a muscle-toning total body workout, incorporating strength and flexibility training. No equipment needed. FRIDAYS U-Jam® with Monica | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Join the dance party with U-Jam®, burn those calories away with easy to follow moves and high energy music. Cardio Dance with Monica | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Join Monica for her very own Cardio Dance Class filled with Pop and Bollywood music. Read all the regulations for use of these facilities at cupertino.org/recreation. OPEN FACILITIES 11 The Cupertino Scene is printed on post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy ink. The newsletter is produced by a certified Bay Area Green Business and is recyclable. For information on becoming a certified Green Business, visit cupertino.org/GreenBiz. PRSRT-STD U.S. Postage PAID Cupertino, CA Permit No. 239 CUPERTINO SCENE Cupertino City Hall 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 *******ECRWSSEDDM******* POSTAL CUSTOMER City of Cupertino Department Phone / Email Building Department ...................................(408) 777-3228 Building@Cupertino.org Business License ...........................................(408) 777-3221 BL@Cupertino.org City Clerk ......................................................(408) 777-3223 CityClerk@Cupertino.org City Manager ..............................................(408) 777-3212 Manager@Cupertino.org Code Enforcement .....................................(408) 777-3182 Code@Cupertino.org Planning Department .................................(408) 777-3308 Planning@Cupertino.org Recreation ...................................................(408) 777-3120 Recreation@Cupertino.org Senior Center ...............................................(408) 777-3150 SeniorCntr@Cupertino.org Sports Center ...............................................(408) 777-3160 Recreation@Cupertino.org Street Light Maint. .......................................(408) 777-3342 StreetDivision@Cupertino.org Street Sweeping ..........................................(408) 777-3269 Public_Works@Cupertino.org Tree Maint. ...................................................(408) 777-3410 Public_Works@Cupertino.org Other Organizations Organization Phone Number Animal Control ........................................................(408) 794-7297 California Water Service .........................................(650) 917-0152 Chamber of Commerce ........................................(408) 252-7054 Comcast ..................................................................(800) 945-2288 Cupertino Library .....................................................(408) 446-1667 Cupertino Union School District .............................(408) 252-3000 Fremont Union High School District .......................(408) 522-2200 Hazardous Waste Drop-off .....................................(408) 299-7300 PG&E .........................................................................(800) 743-5000 Project Sentinel (Landlord/Tenant Issues) .............(408) 720-9888 Recology (Garbage & Recycling) ........................(408) 725-4020 San Jose Water Company .....................................(408) 279-7900 Santa Clara Registrar of Voters ..............................(408) 299-6863 VTA (Transportation Authority) ...............................(408) 321-2300 Vector Control, Santa Clara County ....................(408) 918-4770 First Responders Emergency Calls .............................911 or (408) 299-3233 (Police, Fire, Medical) Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office ..........(408) 299-2311 (Non-Emergency) Santa Clara County Fire Department ......(408) 378-4010 (Non-Emergency) Need to report an issue or have a City-related question? Visit: cupertino.org/cupertino311 or call (408) 777-3200. City Directory