New Police Facility Ready to View
By Susan E. Manheimer, Chief of Police
Did you know that you can get a tour of the new Police Facility? Tours are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12 and are limited to 10 people. They are by reservation only, so call 522-7628 for more information. Or download a reservation form at: www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=273
The project design team has worked diligently to integrate energy efficiency and green building goals as a part of the design process to meet the city council goals of sustainable design through conservation, and energy, water, and waste efficiencies.
The new police facility offers state-of-the-art design and functionality including:
• 44,000 square foot building with an additional 9000 square foot parking garage;
• Open work spaces for all of our crime-fighting personnel, including detectives, narcotics officers, and neighborhood response team officers with an ability to work in a single environment that promotes communication and information sharing;
• A six-lane tactical firing range to enhance the shooting skills and decision-making of our officers;
• State-of-the-art fitness room to promote increased physical fitness and wellness;
• A Green Building with LEED silver certification;
• Modern communications headquarters with the potential for growth and regional dispatching capabilities;
• Adequate facilities for all male and female employees;
• The site of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC);
• Excellent response location with easy access onto Highways 101, 92, and other major arteries;
• An Emergency Operations Center that will prove to be a county-wide attribute equipped with modern technology and its own self-sufficient dispatch center;
• Community services, including ATM, interactive reporting and crime statistics kiosk, Police Activities League (PAL) registration lobby for our youth and families, and pharmaceutical drop box.
All of this will be within a community landmark that continues to set the tone, along with our wonderful library, of distinguished and outstanding public facilities designed to meet the public’s needs.
As we in the police department are celebrating our centennial celebration, we thank all of those involved in moving ahead with this important link to our exciting future. And as we recognize our proud tradition of 100 years in serving our community, we look forward to continuing and enhancing that tradition.
On behalf of the men and women of the San Mateo Police Department, we invite you to follow our City’s progress, and come back and join us in early 2009 for the grand opening of your new state-of-the-art green police building.
Welcome!
San Mateo/Glendale Village Neighborhood Association
Results of November 2009 Elections
SM City Council race was very close this year with the 5 candidates for the 3 council seats each receiving between 4000 and 5300 votes. The winners are:
newcomer David Lim with 23.3% of the votes; newcomer Robert Ross with 20.7%;incumbent Brandt Grotte with 19.4%.David Lim greatly outspent other candidates. For details on campaign contributions, go to the City of San Mateo's web site and click on the name of the candidates. Note: final filing statements have not yet been filed with the City Clerk. http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?nid=177
A 0.25% sales tax increase to fund city services in San Mateo was approved by 60.8% of the voters, and a 2% hotel tax increase was approved by 74.5% of voters. For more information about the election, go to:
Trader Joe's opens at Hillsdale
Trader Joe's held their grand opening at Hillsdale Mall on October 30 where Tower Records /CompUSA used to be. Store hours are 9 am - 9 pm. The remainder of the space will likely be used for a restaurant on the east end and, possibly, 1-2 more retail stores on the west end. Details will follow as they become available. See www.hillsdale.com for special holiday promotions.
"Holiday Train" Coming to Town
The Caltrain Holiday Train, decorated with thousands of lights, will run Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6, stopping at four Peninsula stations each night for a holiday show featuring music and visits by Santa, Mrs. Claus and a whole cast of holiday characters. The train, pulled by a decorated locomotive, includes a flat car that serves as a traveling stage for live holiday performances. At each station stop, holiday characters get off the train to greet children. On Saturday Masterworks Chorale of San Mateo will join the Salvation Army's brass band. On Sunday, the band will accompany the Menlo Park Chorus. In addition, there will be live musical entertainment at each station before the train arrives. Along the way the train will pick up toys and books for the Marine Corps Reserve's "Toys for Tots" program and the Salvation Army's holiday toy drive. New toys or books can be dropped off in barrels at the station stops. Stop by and enjoy the entertainment and a sight to rememberJ. For more information open the poster on the right, visit www.caltrain.com or call 1.800.660.4287.
City Council Agenda items now available online:
Biking in San Mateo
Learn where to ride your bike in the City to get healty. To commute to school,
work or a park. To exercise in the fresh air. To pick up something at a corner
store. To shop or dine downtown. To explore the great outdoors of our beautiful City.
Check out the City of San Mateo's new Bike Map. Go to:
to find out where you can pick up a FREE copy of the map. (Soon you will also
be able to download the map from the City's website). You can also read about
where bike racks and lockers are located throughout the City, featured bike rides, bicycle safety information, public transit information, and other information sources related to bicycling.
Mary, Mary, How Does Your Garden Grow? by Mary Crowell
Fall cleanup and weeding is important for a healthy garden, time spent now will pay off in the future. As I write this, the weather report said it is going to rain quite a lot tomorrow so I am happy that I won’t have to water except for those plants under the eaves, don’t forget them just because it rains. One of the fallouts of the economy mess is that more people are going back to the earth, eating at home, growing their own veggies and fruits, bicycling to the store, to work or for just plain fun. There is more walking and talking with neighbors and sharing their gardens. My neighbor gave us some really great tomatoes as mine didn’t do so well this summer, not enough water as I cut back on my watering because of the drought. Also, we did get some great plums picked from a friend’s house and John made some yummy jam.
Nov. is the time to plant cool season flowers, trying your hand at seeds, or buying the small six packs of primroses, primulas, pansies, violas, snapdragons, stock, cyclamen, iceland poppies, hellebores, plus trees and shrubs. Camellias, especially the sasanquas, are in bloom and bud in the nurseries if you want to see their color before you buy. Remember snails and slugs are really active in the fall and winter, so don’t forget the pet and kid-safe Sluggo or the beer in shallow lids! Garden debris harbors snails, earwigs and many other pests and a host of plant diseases. By composting your leaves, you will eliminate the hiding places of many pests and open the sunlight to the plants below.There is still time to plant bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and many more spring blooming bulbs. Plant early blooming smaller bulbs as ground cover, they will reward you early in the spring season. It is also the time to plant winter vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, sorrel, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, onions and garlic.Roses don’t need too much right now but if you don’t want to keep cutting off the spent blooms, pull the spent petals now and let the hips form. This discourages the plant from creating new growth and forces it into dormancy. This resting period acts as rejuvenation to the rose plants. Continue watering until the fall and winter rains come. By keeping the debris clear around roses, it keeps the fungal spores and wintering insects at bay. For easier cleanup strip the roses of dried and withered leaves before they fall. Cut out any spindly or crossed growth now to save time when you do your major pruning later at the end of Dec. You can change location for roses now if you are careful, but be sure and prepare the hole ahead of time and check for drainage, a key to growing wonderful roses. They say the mood enhancing aroma of roses can lift the spirits like no other perfume, so consider having roses near windows or where you sit.Speaking of fragrance, consider that fragrant plants add another dimension to your garden almost as strong as the visual beauty of flowers. Add fragrant plants near a door, under a window, on the patio, or along a walkway. Try some easy to grow scented geraniums, the smells of which can remind you of roses, nutmeg, apples, peppermint, chocolate mint, lemon and other citrus. Herbs along the pathway that one can brush against to release the aroma is also a great idea, try growing mint in a container as it will get very weedy and take over a garden plot. Try some of the following plants for fragrance: osmanthes, daphne, star jasmine, clematis, viburnum, pittosporum, azaleas, sage, gardenia, abelia, butterfly bush, chamomile, basil, catnip, phlox, lilies, sweet peas, and tuberose. If you have container plants, remember to water them even though the rains might start. Speaking of containers, many veggies can be grown in containers as well as fruits. November is also a great time to check your tools to make sure they are sharp and ready to go when you need them. You may write to me c/o San Mateo Garden Center or e-mail me at macro6096@hotmail.com. You may contact me at:
macro6096@yahoo.com
or write me c/o the San Mateo Garden Center News
605 Parkside Way
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-341-6963
Next Neighborhood Association Meeting
To Be Announced
Things SMGVNA can do:
Home remodelling tours
Email newsletters
Join Neighborhood Watch
Take NEST training
Future Meeting Topics:
Safe Streets
Ice Cream Social
Bay Meadows
Transit-Oriented Development
Fire Chief
Planning Department
Schools
Library
Humane Society
Recreation Department
Hillsdale Shopping Center
San Mateo Times
SMGVNA.US
New Domain name for our site. Now just type smgvna.us in your browser's address page and you are here.
It's easy - smgvna - that's us!
Beware of Neighborhood Scams
Last month the SMPD notified us that neighbors on 22nd Avenue were approached by men who falsely presented themselves as carpet and hard wood floor cleaners hired by the City of San Mateo.
The SMPD reminds us:
do not let strangers into your residence;
view who is at the door without actually opening the door;
verify the identification and validity of the organization; report any suspicious activities in your neighborhoods, including aggressive peddlers, to the police;
Call 9-1-1 for emergencies and pre-set your cellular phones with the SMPD Dispatch number 522-7700;
exterior doors should have dead-bolt locks;
Sliding doors and windows should all have auxiliary locks to bolster security;
include good locks for garage, cellar, patio or other doors that lead out through storage areas or a spare room;
install outside lights;
keep your yard clean;
prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows;
clearly display your house number
