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HomeMy WebLinkAboutScene December 2017 - 12.01.2017SCENEThe Cupertino A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO DECEMBER 2017 PLUS CLEAN UP LEAVES & HELP PREVENT LOCAL FLOODING Page 5 STAY SAFE WHILE SHOPPING THIS MONTH Page 6 READ UP & GET IN THE CUPERTI-KNOW Page 8 ‘TIS THE SEASON December is the season of giving and merrymaking. This issue of the Scene focuses on the holiday season and how it affects the Cupertino community. — See Inside For More As you feed your family this holiday season, don’t forget to feed your yard waste bin too Food scraps can go in your brown yard waste bin: food prep scraps, uneaten food left on plates, bones, meat, cooked food, bread, veggies – the bin can take it all ADD FOOD SCRAPS TO YOUR YARD WASTE BIN CUPERTINO COMPOSTS & SO SHOULD YOU WWW.CUPERTINO.ORG/COMPOST The recent spate of natural disas- ters around the country should give all local governments pause. The devastation wreaked upon fami- lies across the nation is truly heart- breaking. Here in Cupertino, we are continu- ally readying ourselves for potential emergencies. The most likely are earthquakes, floods, and fires. How are we doing that? Investing in Infrastructure: The City’s Public Works Department has com- pleted a Storm Drain Master Plan Update, and is using it to improve vulnerable sections of our storm drain system to minimize flooding. These projects, which include the installation of wider piping, will help prevent potential flooding. This is incredibly helpful for our communi- ty, particularly neighborhoods that are more susceptible to flooding. The City also works closely with the Santa Clara County Fire Depart- ment to administer a weed abate- ment program. Dry weeds and dead vegetation are hazardous and increase the risk for fires. The program requires property owners to maintain their properties such that weeds do not become over- grown and become a fire hazard. Investing in Technology: For years the City operated the Cupertino Alert System, better known as CAS. Recently the City merged with San- ta Clara County’s emergency alert system, AlertSCC, to ensure that the City and County were working seamlessly together on emergency messaging. AlertSCC sends you time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as to your phone, email, or text whether you’re at home or work. Messages include severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and evacuations alerts. I encourage all of our residents to sign up for this free service. You can do so at www.alertscc.com or download it on your smartphone. Investing our Time: The City recent- ly hired a new Emergency Services Coordinator. This full-time staff member will oversee the coordi- nation of Cupertino’s emergency preparedness and response plans. This is an important position that will coordinate with outside orga- nizations, residents, volunteers, and staff members to ensure that Cu- pertino is as prepared as possible when—not if —a disaster strikes. We hope you can feel good about your community knowing that your City is doing all it can to ensure the safety of you and your family. David Brandt City Manager MANAGING THE MESSAGE Page 3 CONTENTS FEATURES 12 Questions & Answers Do you recycle or trash all that wrapping paper?6 Shopping List The Sheriff’s Office lists out how to stay safe this holiday season. IN S I D E 8 Get In The Know Learn about some events going on around town. 5 Don’t ‘Leaf’ It Make sure to properly clean up leaves and help prevent flooding.9 Community Calendar Find out what’s happening in Cupertino in December. 4 Looking to the Past Read about some of the wonderful things that have happened in the City. Questions or comments about The Scene? Contact staff at scene@cupertino.org. Page 4 TREASURE HUNT On October 26, the City of Cupertino’s Senior Center held its annual Hidden Treasures event. Donations from the community started coming in August and 40 volun- teers contributed countless hours of time cleaning, sort- ing, pricing, and preparing the items. This year’s event raised approximately $13,000. Proceeds go toward the City’s Case Management Program and Stay Active Fund, which provides assistance to keep Cupertino’s seniors active and engaged. CITY OF CUPERTINO TAKING A LOOK BACK WHAT’S HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH? Stay In The Know: www.cupertino.org / wwww.facebook.com/cityofcupertino / www.nextdoor.com FAMILY BIKE FEST About 100 children and adults attended the City of Cu- pertino’s Fall Family Bike Fest, hosted by the Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School program and Bicycle Pedestrian Commission. The event featured Pedal 4 the Planet Family Bike Rides and a free bike rodeo. Learn more about the Safe Routes 2 School program by visiting www.cupertino.org/saferoutes. CUPERTINO COMPOSTS In November, the City of Cupertino began its “Cupertino Composts” campaign. The point of the campaign is to educate residents about the City’s compost program. When food scraps are sent to the landfill they emit meth- ane, which is 25 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Remember to add food scraps to your yard waste bin. Need a way to store your food scraps? Contact Recology at (408) 725-4020 to get your free dishwasher safe, tight sealed pitcher. Page 5 Every autumn the leaves fall off our trees and paint the pavement with a colorful bouquet of reds, yellows, and oranges. It can be a beautiful sight. Unfortunately, leaves can also create several problems. Piled-up leaves in the street can block storm drain gates and cause flooding during storms, while also sending un- wanted debris into local creeks. Piled leaves can create visual blight and obstruct parking spaces. Rain gutters clogged with leaves can cause water damage to prop- erty and become dwellings for insects and rodents. What can you do to keep the streets clean and the gut- ters flowing? Here are a few tips: • Park off the street for your sweeping day. Don’t know your sweeping day? Visit cupertino.org/cleanstreets. During heavy leaf fall, additional sweeping may occur on your street • Clean your rain gutters and attach flexible, corrugated pipe extensions to drain downspout water to your land- scaping. Ensuring all water makes its way to landscaping instead of hardscapes helps recharge groundwater • Place leaves from your private property into your brown yard waste cart. Do not rake, blow, or pile leaves into the street. If you live in a heavy leaf fall area, you can request a free additional yard waste cart by calling Recology at (408) 725-4020 Residents can sign up for street sweeping notifications at www.cupertino.org/streetsweeping. For more information about storm water pollution pre- vention, contact the City of Cupertino at (408) 777-3354 or environmental@cupertino.org. _____________________________________________________ Information for this article was supplied by the City of Cupertino’s Environmental and Streets Divisions. Turning Over A New Leaf Help keep your neighborhood safe from flooding this season by following some of these tips SHOP SAFE ’Tis the season of giving and merrymaking. Following are some tips to help you stay safe as you enjoy the holiday season. Page 6 Shopping 101 1. Alertness: Always stay alert of your surroundings wherever you are. 2. Keep Clear: Avoid overloading yourself with pack- ages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps. 3. Secure Valuables: Do not leave any valuables in your vehicle. If you must secure valuables in the trunk or glove compartment, secure them before arriving at your parking destination. 4. Bright Light: In the evening, park in areas with good lighting and lots of pedestrian traffic. 5. Valuables: Never leave valuable items visible in an unattended vehicle, even if your vehicle is parked at home. 6. Daylight: Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member. 7. Keep Casual: Dress casually and comfortably, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry. 8. Cash Payments: Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a credit card when possible. 9. Communicate: Notify the credit card issuer immedi- ately if your credit card is lost, stolen, or misused. 10. Check Statements: Check your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized activity. 11. Keep It Close: Be careful if you carry a wallet, purse, or cell phone. Those items are prime targets in crowded shopping areas. Keep valuables close. continued on the next page... Page 7 Shopping on the Go 1. Conduct Research: When using a new website for purchases, read reviews and see if other consumers have had a positive or negative experience with the site. 2. When in Doubt, Throw it Out: Links in emails, posts and texts are often how cybercriminals try to steal your information or infect your devices. 3. Personal Information is like Money, Value It and Protect It: When making a purchase online, be alert to the kinds of information being collected to complete the transaction. Make sure you think it is necessary for the vendor to request that informa- tion. Remember, you only need to fill out required fields at checkout. 4. Use Safe Payment Options: Credit cards are gen- erally the safest option because they allow buyers to seek a credit from the issuer if the product isn’t delivered or isn’t what was ordered. 5. Don’t be Disappointed: Read return policies and other website information so you know what to expect if the purchase doesn’t go as planned. 6. Protect your $$: When shopping, check to be sure the site is security enabled. Look for web address- es with https:// indicating extra measures to help secure your information. 7. Unique Account, Unique Password: Having sepa- rate passwords for every account helps to thwart cybercriminals. At a minimum, separate your work and personal accounts and make sure that your critical accounts have the strongest passwords. 8. Keep a Clean Machine: Keep all software on in- ternet-connected devices – including PCs, smart- phones and tablets – up to date to reduce risk of infection from malware. 9. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: Some stores and other locations look for devices with WiFi or Blue- tooth turned on to track your movements while you are within range. Disable WiFi and bluetooth when not in use. 10. Get Savvy about WiFi Hotspots: Limit the type of business you conduct over open public WiFi con- nections, including logging in to key accounts like email and banking. Adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your phone. Staying Safe at Home 1. Secure Doors and Windows: Be cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave your home, even if only for a few minutes. 2. Checking In: If you are going to leave home for an extended period of time have a trusted neighbor or family member watch your home and pick up newspapers and/or mail. 3. No Home Deliveries: Make arrangements with package carriers to avoid packages being left on doorsteps for long periods of time unattended. 4. Timing is Everything: Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer. Consider leaving a TV/Radio ON as well. 5. Secret Santa: Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows of your home. 6. Keep it Secure: Hide and safely secure all jewelry, cash, and important documents. _____________________________________________________ The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and National Cy- ber Security Alliance contributed to this article. Page 8 What’s going on around town? GET IN THE CUPERTI- know Cupertino Preschool Open House Parent & Child January 30, 6 to 7 p.m. Quinlan Community Center 10185 N Stelling Road www.cupertino.org WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA December 16 at 10 a.m. Gate of Heaven Cemetery 22555 Cristo Rey Drive Remember the fallen and honor those who serve BE FLOOD SAFE WITH SANDBAGS Residents and business owners can pick up free sandbags 24-hour Access Cupertino Service Center 10555 Mary Avenue COAT AND BLANKET DRIVE Now through January 20 Give the gift of warmth Cupertino City Hall 10300 Torre Avenue Page 9 COMMUNITY CALENDAR © December Food Feature: 85C Friday, December 15, 5 p.m. Cupertino Teen Center, 21111 Stevens Creek Boulevard The Cupertino Teen Center will be fea- turing treats from 85C in December! Don’t miss out on getting your free snack. First come, first serve. West Coast Farmers Market Every Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Oaks Shopping Center Stop by the West Coast Farmers Mar- ket every Friday and Sunday in the Oaks Shopping Center parking lot. For more information visit www.wcfma. org/cupertino.html. © Tree Lighting Ceremony 2017 Friday, December 1, 6:00 p.m. Quinlan Community Center 10185 N Stelling Road Begin the holiday season on Friday, De- cember 1, 2017 with Cupertino’s Tree Lighting Ceremony. Admission is free, but we ask everyone bring a non-per- ishable canned good or toy that will be donated to West Valley Communi- ty Services. Dress warm, as part of the event takes place outdoors. For more information visit www.cupertino.org/ treelighting. © Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 2, 8:30 – 10 a.m. Quinlan Community Center 10185 N Stelling Road Join the City of Cupertino for a morn- ing full of holiday cheer. Santa will be posing for pictures while the elves cook up delicious North Pole pancakes. Af- ter breakfast, join the elves in the work- shop for holiday crafts and letter writ- ing to Santa! Four seating options: 8:30, 9:00, 9:30, and 10:00. Fee: $12 for Cupertino residents and $15 for non-residents. Register online at www.reg4rec.org or in person at Quinlan Community Cen- ter. A Very Merry Movie Friday, December 8, 5:30 p.m. Creekside Park, 10455 Miller Avenue Join Cupertino Recreation and Com- munity Services for a holiday movie in the park! Pack your chairs, warm blan- kets, and dinner. Hot cocoa and tea will be served. For more information, visit bit.ly/averymerrymoviecupertino. © Wreaths Across America Saturday, December 16, 10:00 a.m. Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 22555 Cristo Rey Drive Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, the mission of the organization to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arling- ton National Cemetery, as well as over 1,200 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad. © Cupertino Sports Center Open House Saturday, January 14, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cupertino Sports Center Take a tour of the Cupertino Sports Center and check out all of the new deals in the New Year. You just might even win a prize! © Spelling Bee 2018 Saturday, January 20 Quinlan Community Center The City of Cupertino Recreation and Community Services Department is hosting their first ever Spelling Bee for 4th – 8th graders. For more information including rules visit www.cupertino. org/spellingbee. © Santa Clara County Legal Profession- als Association Crab Feed Saturday, February 10, 2018 Quinlan Community Center Enjoy a silent auction, live DJ, dancing, and of course all you can eat crab to help support a good cause! For more information visit http://sccolpa_crab- feed.eventbrite.com. For more information on library pro- grams, visit the Events section of the Cupertino Library’s website at www. sccl.org/cupertino. CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS Winter Craft and Story Wednesday, December 6, 4:00 p.m. Library Story Room Children are invited to join us for a cozy story and a fun winter craft. © Bilingual Storytime Friday, December 15, 11:00 a.m. Library Story Room Join us for Mandarin/English Bilingual Storytime! Stories, finger plays, songs and a craft; all ages are welcome. TEENS FAMILY-FRIENDLY CUPERTINO LIBRARY Page 10 Winter Felt Creatures Wednesday, December 20, 4:00 p.m. Library Story Room Children are invited to create a little felt creature and make a snug winter home for it as well. All materials will be provided. ADULT PROGRAMS Romeo and Juliet Saturday, December 9, 4:00 p.m. Community Hall San Francisco Shakespeare Festival will give a shortened, family friendly-per- formance of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Romeo and Juliet. Come see the play, then meet the cast and ask questions afterwards. For more info on the Senior Center, or to sign up for classes or events, visit www.cupertino.org/seniors or stop by 21251 Stevens Creek Boulevard. EVENTS & SOCIALS Holidays in Hawaii Wednesday, December 6 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Sway with our own Aloha Nani Hula dancers as they celebrate the holi- days with Hawaiian songs and dances. Light refreshments will be served. Sign up at the lobby table. Free for mem- bers, $5 day pass for senior guests. © Bingo Lunch Wednesday, December 8, 12:00 p.m. Enjoy a holiday lunch with all the famil- iar fixings including honey baked ham, mashed potatoes, green bean, salad and pecan pie with whipped cream. Vegetarian option available when registering. Pre-registration is required. Lunch for members is $12, senior guests add $5 day pass. Bingo cards sold sep- arately, $4-$7. © Talking to your Doctor Monday, December 11 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. At this workshop by Breathe California, you will learn how to get the most out of your appointment and how to prop- erly advocate for your health in a brief visit with your provider. Members are free, senior guests pay $5. Sign up at the lobby table. Holiday Sing Along Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2:30 p.m.– 4 p.m. Come and sing holiday songs accom- panied by guitar and ukulele. Light refreshments will be served. Members are free, senior guests pay $5 day pass. Please sign up at lobby table. © Holiday Lunch and December Birthday Bash Wednesday, December 20, 12:00 p.m. This home-style holiday meal includes tri-tip, scalloped potatoes, holiday sal- ad with pecans and cherries, sweet ginger carrots, and New York cheese- cake. Members with December birth- days will be honored. Vegetarian option available when registering. Members $12, senior guests add $5 day pass. CLASSES & PRESENTATIONS New Flex Drop-in Passes Now introducing Flex passes for select fitness classes if space is available. Members can purchase Flex passes at the front desk for $6 each. Look for the Flex pass logo on select classes. Flex passes are non-refundable. Note: classes may be cancelled if minimum registration is not met. Members only. © Kanopy Wednesday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Experience the world’s finest cinema for free. Kanopy allows you to access a collection of over 30,000 films, ac- claimed movies, documentaries, and even learning experiences on-de- mand, with new films added every week. Presented by the Santa Clara County Library. Members are free, se- nior guests pay $5 day pass. Sign up at the lobby table. © VivAsia Lotus Free Demo Saturday, December 16, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. VivAsia Chair Lotus Free Demo Saturday, December 16, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. VivAsia Lotus is a vibrant and fun low impact aerobic dance program that focuses on the active older adult pop- ulation and combines a variety of dance movements, music, and props from different Asian cultures. Chair Lo- tus is a perfect class for those who may have physical limitations and want to strengthen muscles while sitting. Next class session begins in January. Mem- bers fee $25. Instructor May Kao. SOCIAL SERVICES Drop-in Consultation with Case Man- ager Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Case managers are available to dis- cuss community resources, benefits, and care options. Case Manager is also available by appointment. En- glish/Cantonese/Mandarin. © Health Insurance Counseling (HICAP) Monday, Dec. 4, 11, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Consultation on Medicare and health insurance. Please call 408.777.3150 for appointments. SENIOR CENTER Page 11 www.cupertino.org/spellingbee | 408-777-3120 Quinlan Community Center Elementary and Middle School students will flaunt/showcase/exhibit their spelling skills as they compete to be the Cupertino Spelling Bee Champion of 2018. Pre-registration is required and is due by January 8th. $5 spectator fee or donation of a non-perishable food item, payable at the door. 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 The Cupertino Scene is printed on 40% 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 www.cupertino.org/GreenBiz. Q&A The Scene Answers Have questions for staff? Send them to scene@cupertino.org or call (408) 777-3212. Question: I always recycle my used wrapping paper. But I recently heard that you’re not supposed to recycle or burn metallic wrapping paper. Is that true? Why is that? Answer: Not only is it the season of giving, it is the season for gift wrapping. I’m happy to hear that you try and recycle as much wrapping paper as you can. Each year, approximately 300 mil- lion square feet of wrapping paper is sold in the United States. It’s a $9 billion business! Unfortunately, paper decorated with metallic coating and ink contaminates the paper recycling process by leaving flecks of metal in the pulp. So, yes, it is true that you should not throw metal- lic paper in your recycling bin. Also resist the temptation to burn wrapping paper in your fireplace as the colorful inks may contain toxic heavy metals that create air pollution when burned. The toxins released into the air can also settle and pollute waterways. There are non-toxic alternatives to the use of metals, such as soy ink (which is what the Cupertino Scene is printed with. See below!). But you’ll have to read the packaging on the wrapping paper to check. So what is the festive-minded gift-giver to do? You can avoid the entire issue of contaminating the recycling or risking air and water pollution by not using wrapping paper at all. For instance, try picking up some festive fabric. It can be folded and taped and held with a ribbon like paper, but it is extremely easy to reuse again and again. For those who like to sew, there are patterns for sewing gift bags as well. Give the gift of reuse! Ursula Syrova is an Environmental Programs Assistant in the Environmental Programs Division of the Public Works Department. Environmental Programs Division staff protect local waterways through stormwater pol- lution prevention and manage the garbage, recycling, composting, and diversion services and programs.