Pacifica Teachers Awarded Stem Grants for Innovative School Projects
The Human Services Agency's Vocational Rehabilitation Services division held their 25th Anniversary Holiday Luncheon on December 18 for many County clients. Supervisor Don Horsley, County Manager John Maltbie, Director of HSA Beverly Beasley Johnson and I had the privilege of serving the turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy. My staff and the staff members of all my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors were on hand to serve the rest of the dinner - including pumpkin pie with whipped cream!
The Board of Supervisors attended a special thank you reception to honor the donors who helped make the new Fair Oaks Health Center a reality on Monday night. A special tribute was paid to the Sequoia Healthcare District for their generous capital gift of $4.3 M this year. This one-time gift represents 50% of their annual operating budget and indicates the level of commitment they have made to improve the quality of health care in the district.
The Redwood City Library was one of only three in the state to receive the coveted "Five Star Rating" from the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service, the premier public library national rating system instituted by the Library Journal. The rating makes the Redwood City Public Library not only the top-rated library in San Mateo County, it is one of the top-rated in California and the country.
My staff and I stopped by the soon-to-open Fair Oaks Health Center when we noticed that the door to the facility was propped open. The facility was full of staff who had gathered for a Thanksgiving potluck which is scheduled to open in a couple of weeks! It was a chance to gather the staff from the three clinics that will merge at the new Fair Oaks Health Center. It was a chance to see the new facility, participate in a safety training, and celebrate and give thanks. It was a joyous day! Can't wait for it to be open for our patients!
At the November 5th Board of Supervisors meeting, my colleagues and I recognized the amazing people that saved the lives of hundreds of Redwood City residents this year or helped these fire victims rebuild their lives. Chief Jim Skinner of the City of Redwood City did a masterful job of coordinating the responding fire departments. The recent fires were six-alarm fires requiring complicated rescues of injured and medically fragile individuals from multi-story buildings.
Congratulations to Patrick Tornes, a 16-year old junior at Woodside Priory, who earned his Eagle Scout badge for completing the Serenity Garden project for the Maple Street Shelter in Redwood City. The Maple Street Shelter serves single adult homeless people--about half of its residents are veterans. Patrick conceived of the idea for this beautiful garden, raised the money to build the project, and recruited the help of 24 of his scout mates and 10 adults to do much of the labor.
New Supervisorial Map Divides Menlo Park, The Almanac
Do you or someone you know need help putting food on the table? Qualifying for food assistance might be easier than you think. A family of four earning $40,000 or less can qualify for CalFresh, and if you just need food to tide your family over until your next paycheck, Second Harvest Food Bank may be able to help.
Taking care of your family's health is a priority, so the next time you find yourself in need of prescription medication save up to 65% just by using a free Discount Prescription Card that can be used at more than 59,000 pharmacies nationwide, including all chain and most independent pharmacies. The card was made available to San Mateo County residents by the Board of Supervisors in 2009. Residents can obtain this convenient card without qualifying, paying a fee, or meeting any deadlines. It's ready to use.
The Network of Care is a county funded and supported website that allows the user to find services for seniors or those with disabilities in San Mateo County, research medical conditions and medications, follow the progress of state and federal legislation, and maintain your own or a loved one’s health records in a secure part of the website. The site can be translated into fifty languages. Additionally, the Network of Care can be accessed by the visually impaired by use of computer screen readers, such as JAWS.
Pharmaceutical Pharmaceuticals flushed into the sanitary sewer system eventually end up in streams, creeks, rivers and reservoirs. To prevent unwanted toxins reaching our precious Bay water, pharmaceutical drop-off locations with dedicated containers provide a safer and more sensible option. Nearly every law enforcement agency in San Mateo County participates in this convenient disposal program.