I’m sure most of you know this already, but when you dial “9-1-1” from your cell phone, the call does not go to a local emergency dispatcher as you might expect.  Instead, it’s routed to the CHP regional dispatch…which happens to be located in Vallejo…which happens a long way from San Carlos.   And depending on their workload when you place the call, you might actually sit on hold before anyone can get to you.   And even if you do get through, chances are good they might not be able to help you.   This is valuable time wasted, and in an emergency situation that time lost could be the difference between life and death.

So if you have an emergency situation in San Carlos and all you have is your cell phone, which number should you call?   Program this number into your cell phone under “Emergency” –>

650-802-4321

This is the direct line to the San Carlos Police dispatcher.   When you call this number, they usually pick up on the first ring — as opposed to minutes on hold with the CHP system.   And even if you don’t need the police but you do need an ambulance or fire engine, the police dispatcher can quickly route your call to the right agency.

Need a live example?   I just had one today.  I was watching a high school soccer match at Woodside High School when a player was injured  to the point of needing immediate medical attention.    One person dialed 911 on their cell phone and was told “You need to hang up and dial 911 on a land-line,” by the CHP dispatch.   A land-line on a soccer field?  Yeah, right.   Nobody knew what to do next.  I called the number above (even though I wasn’t in San Carlos) yet I was routed immediately to the right dispatch center, and the fire department and paramedics were on the scene within 5 minutes.

There are a number of technologies in development, such as “triangulation”  that will allow your cell phone to be routed to the appropriate local dispatch.  But they’re not in place yet, and “almost” doesn’t count in an emergency.   Be smart and program this number into your cell phone today.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The results from the latest White Oaks Blog poll are in, and suffice it say that San Carlans like dining out and being entertained.   The most popular answer to the poll question “What should go into the old Foodville location?“  was a brew-pub with live music.   This would certainly fit in well with the lively north-section of Laurel Street, and the that style of eating establishment would likely complement the other restaurants already running on north Laurel.

Second place was an excellent suggestion for an inexpensive family restaurant — Pluto’s was the example that was suggested, and this is a cool restaurant.  We’ve eaten at the one in Davis quite often, and it would be a good fit for San Carlos.  Regardless of the selection, the whole Foodville replacement discussion will likely be altered once the plans for the Wheeler Plaza Development become more clear.   If this development becomes a reality, the whole block around San Carlos Avenue and Laurel Street will look vastly different.

Here are the final results from the latest poll:

What should go into the “old” Foodville location?

• Brew Pub/Microbrewery with live music. (37%, 26 Votes)
• Inexpensive family restaurant (i.e. Pluto’s) (25%, 18 Votes)
• Specialty grocery store (i.e. Fresh and Easy) (15%, 11 Votes)
• Bicycle Shop. (8%, 6 Votes)
• Vietnamese Restaurant. (7%, 5 Votes)
• None of the above.  (6%, 4 Votes)
• Bookstore. (1%, 1 Vote)

The New Poll

Since Wheeler Plaza and the development of downtown San Carlos has been a common theme this week on the site, that will be the topic for the next poll.  So here’s the big question:

“Do you approve of the development that is being planned (Wheeler Plaza, Transit Village) for downtown San Carlos?”

Be sure to make your opinion known and vote on the poll!

Popularity: 5% [?]

According to the “semi-official” results that were posted yesterday on the San Mateo County Election Website,   the “San Carlos School District Excellence in Education Act of 2008,” also known as Measure S, was finally declared defeated.   There was a significant quantity of mail-in ballots to be counted, and those ballot actually raised the “Yes” percentage up to 65.6% — but this was still just shy of the 66.67% required for the passage of this measure.

While I find the whole “semi-official” moniker rather amusing (isn’t it “official” when the votes are all counted?) it’s important to know that members of the San Carlos School Board have finally acknowledged the defeat of the Measure yesterday, and have spoken out about upcoming budget cuts.  The District was already operating in a deficit-spending mode prior to the defeat of the bill, but The loss of Measure S funds will now force additional cuts in upcoming school budgets to avoid a rapid depletion of the School District’s reserves.  Here’s an article in the San Mateo Daily Journal with some additional details:

Bond Loss Leads to Budget Cuts

This probably isn’t the the last time you’ll see a parcel tax initiative on the ballot to support San Carlos schools.   There is already talk of disecting this loss and submitting a revised initiative in a future election.   But until then, there will be some serious belt-tightening taking place at our schools.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The article I wrote earlier this week about the Wheeler Plaza Development clearly struck a nerve with many residents who are concerned about the seemingly break-neck pace at which the City is adding residential living capacity.  While there were many positive comments about the development plans, there were an equal number of residents who are concerned that this development, along with the 1001 Laurel Complex and the San Carlos Transit Village, will create more growth than the City can really handle.

It’s widely believed that this impact will be immediately felt at the school level.   After all, this comes on the heels of a special public meeting that was held on November 5 where the San Carlos School Board discussed the capacity problems that our school district is facing right now — even without the presence of new residential units.   If you weren’t able to attend the meeting, here is the basis of what was discussed:

Managing Enrollment

White Oaks School seems to have a waiting list to get in every year, and there are now reports of students being diverted away from Arundel School this fall.  Clearly, the San Carlos School District will be facing some very tough decisions soon.

Seth Rosenblatt is one of the Governing Board Members of the San Carlos School District, and he has been extremely responsive and accessible to the questions and concerns of the citizens.  He has posted some valuable insight on his blog:  Seth Rosenblatt’s Blog where he discusses his thoughts and preferences to possible solutions.    From my interactions with Seth, there are some key points to consider when linking the new development to the school enrollment issues:

1. The impact of the Wheeler Plaza Development and 1001 Laurel are already factored into the enrollment projections in the attached report.
2. Studies indicate that the introduction of multi-unit housing historically does not generate many additional student-age children.
3. An “official” change in the enrollment policy (boundary change, restrict transfers, etc…) won’t likely be ready until the 2010-2011 school year.

On the other side of this coin, the City of San Carlos is clearly looking for additional tax revenue to fill its depleted coffers.  More residents = more sales tax revenue, plain and simple.   They’re motivated to keep the shops full, and to have more residents spending money downtown.   And believe me, if you think the Wheeler Plaza idea is big, you should see the “vision” they have for the multi-zoned areas east of San Carlos Avenue.

So…..what’s your take on all of this?   Is all of this development that’s being planned a good or bad for the “City of Good Living”?   Can San Carlos truly handle its own growth?   Look for a new poll on this topic in the next day or so on the site, but for now…let’s hear your comments!

Popularity: 7% [?]

According to the Redwood City Daily News, the ballot count on San Carlos Measure S currently sits at 65.5% in favor of the measure as the County counts the nearly 90,000 absentee and provisional ballots.   While this is still a fraction shy of the 2/3 majority required, it is an improvement of 0.44% since the County started the post-election counting process.    There are approximately 20,000 more ballots to count, and the County is expecting to release the final tally by Tuesday of Next week.

I’ll update this post on Tuesday when the results become final…

Popularity: 7% [?]

It seems that Redwood City has always been just a step ahead of San Carlos when it comes to modernizing their parks.    For all of the great new equipment that Burton Park now has (including the water fountains,)  both Stafford Park and Stulaft Parks in Redwood City have already had this in place for several years.   And if you look at the transformation that has taken place at their centerpiece Red Morton Park — the new playgrounds, skate park, and the huge all-weather athletic fields — it’s clear the Redwood City is pumping some serious cash into its parks.

Once again on the leading edge, Redwood City is now considering making all of these parks smoke-free.   Here’s the press release from the City on the ordinance that they’re considering:

Redwood City Smoke-Free Parks

Is this something that the City of San Carlos should consider?   Is it even a problem in our parks?   I’d be very interested to hear your opinion on this — (perhaps it could become a future poll on the site!)

Popularity: 6% [?]

I try to avoid political commentary on this blog, simply because there are already hundreds of political blogs out there that cover the popular political topics quite sufficiently, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a political expert.   But here I am chiming in on Measure S, aka the “San Carlos School District Excellence in Education Act of 2008,”  but not because of the merits or deficiencies of the Measure.  I wanted to highlight some unique challenges I think this Measure will face come Election Day.

Between the direct mail pieces, door hangers, and their Yes On S website,  the supporters of Measure S have done a marvelous job getting the word out to the public.   If there is any organized opposition to this measure, I sure haven’t seen it.    So with such a worthy cause at stake, and with so many people backing it, it should be a “slam-dunk” come Election Day, right?   After all, it’s only about $7 more per month than we’re already paying for Measure D (the previous school funding measure.)

Not so fast…

When I first read the outline of Measure S, I was struck by its similarity to another recent ballot measure that looked like a slam-dunk, but ultimately just got slammed:   The San Carlos Fire Parcel Assessment of 2006.    If you recall, homeowners were asked to pony up an additional $99/year to avoid layoffs, equipment reductions, and possibly station shutdowns.  Considering that the Fire Department is the first responder to virtually ALL medical emergencies, this seemed like a no-brainer.  Whether you’re young or old, having a fully-staffed station with a paramedic on call just around the corner is definitely peace of mind.   But this Measure failed miserably just two years ago, and the similarities between this Measure and Measure S are too many to ignore.

The lessons learned from the failure of the Fire Parcel Tax should serve as the 3 biggest challenges facing Measure S:

1. The Economy.   We’re in far worse shape today than we were two years ago when the Fire Parcel Tax was decided.  Even though it’s “only” $75 per year (or $7/month) more than the $109 that homeowners are currently paying annually under Measure D,  the idea of increased taxation is a tough sell when many are struggling to get by.   Short-term fear often clouds long-term rationality.
2. Not everyone in San Carlos has school-age children.   Unlike the Fire Parcel where everyone is impacted by reduced fire service, Measure S is far more important to those families with school age children, which is still very much a minority of the population in San Carlos.   The Measure is includes a “Senior Citizen Exemption” which was a very smart thing to do, but the success of this Measure lies in getting the YES vote from those families who aren’t involved in the public school system.
3. 2/3 Majority Required.  Although I think this election will see record turn-out, voter apathy will be an enemy for this Measure.   People will typically take the time to vote when they are either a) passionately for, or b) passionately against something on the ballot.   This isn’t a “don’t care” Measure — if people don’t want to pay the additional $75/year, you can bet they’ll vote against it.  Getting a simple 50% majority is tough enough — corralling the required 2/3 will be a big challenge.

For the record, we have 3 children in the public school system here, and I firmly believe the additional funding that has been provided to the schools has made a tangible and positive impact on their education.  I am also a board member of the Sequoia High School Education Foundation, so I know how first-hand how much our schools rely on additional public funding.

So for the first time in many years, I believe this will be an election where EVERY vote counts, regardless of whether it’s for Measure S or the Presidential nomination.   Consequently, it’s vital to avoid the “Chris Daughtry Syndrome,”  for those of you who watch American Idol.  This guy was easily the top talent of his respective season, but his voting fans got complacent since they figured victory was “in the bag.”   Needless to say, he didn’t even make the finals.  A lame analogy?  Not really — stats show that more people vote in American Idol than will vote in a presidential election.

So this year whatever your cause happens to be, GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!   And now, I’m putting the soap-box away….

Popularity: 13% [?]

Well, word definitely got out that Burton Park was re-opening tonight because there were LOTS of people at the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Note that Joe the Plumber and Joe Six-Pack were not in attendance, as far as I could see, but the White Oaks Blog News Team was (my eight-year old and I.)   There were easily 250+ people jammed into the new park to hear the speeches and to see the park open up.  Park and Rec Director Barry Weiss addresses the crowd above…It was great to see such excitement and anticipation for the new park.

After a few well deserved recognitions, the ribbon was cut and there was a mad dash for the playground…

With warm weather in the forecast for this weekend, I’m sure the new park will get quite a workout.  Be sure to check it out — they did a great job!

Popularity: 8% [?]

At long last, and to the delight of many San Carlos youngsters, the new playground at Burton Park is set to re-open this Thursday, October 23rd.   According to the nice folks at the Park & Rec Department, there are plans for a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony which will start at 5:00 PM and features our Oscar-winning Mayor Brad Lewis.

The new playground equipment looks fantastic, and the park will now have a water-fountain area for the kids to get wet in, much like the ones at Stafford Park in Redwood City.  This will surely be a big hit on the warm days of summer.  Here’s the official link from the City of San Carlos with all of the details of the park renovation:

Burton Park Playground Project

On a related note,  the nice folks at Harmony Yogurt are conducting their third fundraiser to help defray the cost of the new park.   On Thursday and Friday of this week (23rd and 24th,)  Harmony will collect $1 from every yogurt they sell on those two days, an donate it to the San Carlos Parks Foundation, which funds the park development.  So treat your body to something good on Thursday and Friday, and help the parks out while you’re at it!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Thanks for those of you who voted on the most recent White Oaks Blog poll, where I posed the question, “If you could add one thing to San Carlos, what would it be?“  Here are the final results of the poll, ranked in order of popularity:

1. High School:  31 votes, or 44% of the total.
2. Community Pool: 18 votes, or 26%.
3. Bowling Alley:  6 votes, or 9%.
4. Bring back S.C.O.O.T. :  6 votes, or 9%.
5. None of the above:  4 votes, or 6%.
6. Athletic Field Complex:  3 votes, or 4%.
7. Ice Rink:  2 votes, or 3%

Clearly, there’s still a strong opinion that San Carlos needs its own high school again, even with the options available at Carlmont and Sequoia.   Also, many of you believe we should have a community pool.   Do you want to know of a town that has the best community pool network?  Davis, California…

Davis has four community pools that all differ in features (lap pool, water slide, high dive, toddler areas,) but all are alike in that they are absolutely first-class facilities.   Obviously, Davis gets much hotter than San Carlos so they have a greater need for a pool.  But if San Carlos ever decides to go that route, they would be well served to see what Davis has done.   Their pools are open to the public for a VERY affordable fee (we have been to all four.)  If you’re traveling back from Tahoe next summer, this is a perfect way to break up the drive:

Davis Community Pools

Your kids will love you for it!

The Next Blog Poll…

Time to launch the next poll — As I discussed in the blog last week, Foodville’s upcoming move (and name-change) to the old Bell Market building leaves a prime vacancy on the north section of Laurel Street.    So, the next blog poll question is…

“What should become of the old Foodville location?”

I got quite a few suggestions from that post, so I’ll use those as the possible answers to the poll question.   So, be sure to vote and make your voice heard!

Popularity: 9% [?]