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AS I Publisher Steve Penna WAS SAYING... Okay, so we all know that City Manager Ed Everett is retiring this month, and soon after him is City Clerk Patricia Howe. Both have served our community well and, in one way or another, will be missed. My most memorable experience with Howe was when she first began her position. I called her to confirm the city was having an election night “counting party.” You know, where everyone is there at City Hall and watches the results for City Council. It was the night before the event and I called to get all the details and thought I would play one of my practical jokes on her. I asked her what time the Sequoia High School Band would be performing. She replied that she did not know they were going to be there. That’s when I informed her that it had been a city tradition to have them there — they had done so for the past 30 years or so — and it was her responsibility to have them there. Needless to say, I heard nothing but silence for about a minute, then I could not hold back and broke out into laughter and told her, “Gotcha.” Welcome to Redwood City, baby. She has been a great sport ever since and a total professional. The process for finding her replacement is being handled in-house by the city’s Human Resources Department. The new city clerk will be announced sometime in October. Everett’s departure, on the other hand, has me reflecting on so many things. He came on board about the same time that I was getting involved in the political process here. I have had so many different impressions, opinions and views about him that I cannot easily express how I feel about his departure. What sticks most in my mind about him is his strong conviction that he is doing what is best for our community. No matter what obstacles he has to face for those beliefs, he will try and implement them. Whether I agree with his approach is irrelevant; I respect him and his dedication to improving the quality of our lives. The process to replace him is in the works. Thirty applicants were received and I am being told that none were from within the city staff — the City Council met in closed session on Aug. 22 to discuss the applicants. The list will be shortened and his replacement will be announced toward the end of September. Now, besides those two, I am hearing that Fire Chief Gerry Kohlmann will announce his retirement very soon and will be moving on to work in the private sector for a company in San Jose. I, like you, am hoping this is not true as he is very respected and has brought a great working environment to our firefighters. I tried to get confirmation either way but could not by press time, so you will probably hear an announcement soon after we are out on the streets. But remember, you read it here first! . . . Election time is here — yahoo! And there is going to be a City Council race! Unlike other districts, where members www.TheSpectrumMagazine.net of the community do not run because there is so much apathy, we have two challengers — Joneen Nielsen and Kevin Bondonno — vying against four incumbents — Alicia Aguirre, Ian Bain, Rosanne Foust and Barbara Pierce. Although the signing of a candidate’s nomination papers does not indicate an endorsement, viewing who signed whose papers can be enlightening. Aguirre’s was signed by, among others, colleagues Bain and Foust, Sequoia trustee Lorraine Rumley, board or commission members Nancy Radcliffe, Susan Swope, Alex and Cherlene Wright and Alpio Barbara. Bain’s — Pierce, former Mayor Dani Gasparini, Radcliffe, Swope, Maria Diaz-Slocum and Mary Mortenson. Bondonno’s — Jeff Ira and Shawn White. Foust’s — Ira, Paula Uccelli, Pete and Ginny Hughes, Glenna Vaskelis, Bill Conklin and Barbara. Pierce’s — Diane Howard, former Mayors Gasparini and Brent Britschgi, Warren Dale, Radcliffe, Swope, Mortenson and Keith and Nina Kadera. Nielsen’s had no current or former council members or board or commission members. This will be an interesting race. Several debates are being planned, with no solid dates yet except for the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Pacific Athletic Club. Call 650- 364-1722 for details and tickets. By the way, you might be wondering what happened to Nick James. He was one of the first people to take out nomination papers. But he failed to qualify for the ballot because he is not a registered voter in our community. Yes, that is a requirement. Oh, I am so biting my lip right now and don’t think I need to comment on that one. . . . Music to the following districts’ ears is being heard. They will not have to hold elections this year because there are no challengers to the incumbents. The money they will save is staggering. In the Redwood City Elementary School District race, two incumbents — Shelly Masur and Dennis McBride — will rejoin the board with newcomer Alisa MacAvoy. The district budgeted about $50,000 for the election and will now be able to use it elsewhere. This will be MacAvoy’s first elected position. McBride is starting his second term on the board. Masur was originally appointed to the board in 2005. She succeeded in winning a two-year term later that year after her only competition bowed out during a debate. This will be her first four-year term with the board. In the Sequoia Union High School District, all three incumbent trustees will be returning to the board. President Olivia Martinez, and trustees Don Gibson and Lorraine Rumley were all first elected in 1999. The three, along with colleagues Gordon Lewin and Sally Stewart, are faced with figuring out how to come up with the $3.15 million discrepancy between the total costs of remodeling projects the school district started and the bond money it will receive in upcoming years. An estimated savings of $120,000 to $150,000 for the district because they will not hold an election might help. Sequoia has an estimated $54.3 million left from the two bonds and is committed to $57.4 million in work. Voters have approved bonds twice since 2001 for a total of $158 million. But it seems they need more and are considering going back to voters to approve another bond. I don’t know many that would support another bond given the fact that many projects have been considered luxuries for the district instead of necessities. I mean, why does every campus need a top-notch performing arts center? And so on. Also, did you know that in the Sequoia district, out of the 1,915 students in the senior class, about 385 of them have yet to pass at least one portion of the California High School Exit Exam? More on that next month. I guess it is fortunate for the incumbents running for re-election that these types of issues will not be brought up during a campaign. The San Mateo County Community College District had budgeted to pay $383,000 — the bill for the 2005 race. All three incumbents — Dave Mandelkern, Patricia Miljanich and Karen Schwarz — will return for another four years. It will be Mandelkern’s second term and the fourth term for Miljanich and Schwarz. Given the number of terms and years all these incumbents have been around, I have to wonder if these people just die on their boards? I commend them for their public service, but come on now — isn’t it time to let others have the opportunity to make a difference? We all know it is almost impossible to beat an incumbent because voters are so uninformed and, unless there is a major issue, just stay the course. No wonder nobody runs against them. After an impressive and very time-consuming appeal process, the City Council approved the Costco expansion but added some new conditions. I do not know if you attended or watched the nearly six-hour meeting on the tube, but I was so proud — even though I did not agree with them — of the residents in that neighborhood who took a stand and challenged the “process.” In doing so, they at least make the corporate giant more accountable to our community. There will be a 30-day statute of limitations on the council’s decision, in case a lawsuit is filed within that time frame. I doubt there will be, so here’s to cheaper gas and more discounted selections. But then again, do I really need 52 more rolls of toilet paper? As I was saying… . . . . . .
‘Top Model’ Hopefuls Line Up at RWC Salon The line in front of The Beauty Lounge in Redwood City stretched halfway around the block of Broadway and Winslow Street, but its length didn’t stop a number of glamorous women from queuing up on Saturday, Aug. 11. The local salon, owned by Chris Randolph and his wife, Leticia, was the Bay Area audition site for the ninth season of “America’s Next Top Model.” Tyra Banks hosts the reality show, which pits 10 to 14 would-be models against each other in a series of elimination rounds to determine the winner. There are no “rounds” of auditions — contestants are selected from this week-long, nationwide search or they are not selected at all. As the morning wore on — auditions began at 10 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. — nervousness mounted. Alyssa Sweitzer, of Fairfield, said her biggest worry was “not getting picked.” “This is my first time really going out,” the 18-year-old said, referring to her relative inexperience in modeling. “My mamma kept telling me that school was more important and that I should finish school before I jump into anything else.” Aside from “working on my mamma’s nerves,” she’d devoted her past weeks to rehearsing for her audition. To sign up for the audition, aspiring contestants had to preregister online. The actual auditions consisted of an interview with a camera; the tapes were then sent to the show’s producers, who will evaluate them and make their selections over the next few weeks. None of the young women were allowed to hear what questions were being put to their competitors during the camera interview. Only one candidate was allowed in The Beauty Lounge at a time. Each candidate was then led to the back of the salon, where she faced the camera and answered the “Top Model” crew’s questions. “I was pretty nervous being on the spot and answering questions,” said Marisa Urbina, 21, of Napa, after her audition. Unlike Sweitzer, Urbina has been modeling for a few years, mostly in hair advertisements. If she is selected, “America’s Next Top Model” would easily be her biggest showcase. The auditions were The Beauty Lounge’s biggest showcase, too. “We spent all week preparing,” said Randolph. “We want to handle these types of events in the future and we want people to be aware of our location.” Randolph said The Beauty Lounge was chosen as the Bay Area site when he answered a general advertisement for those who were interested in hosting “Top Model” auditions. “This is a brand new salon, so this is excellent publicity,” he said. “It’s been an extremely exciting process.” The line outside The Beauty Lounge wrapped around the block as women waited for their turn to audition for “America’s Next Top Model.” Thousands Take Part in Bicycle Tour More than 2,000 bicyclists turned out Sunday, Aug. 5, for the annual Tour de Peninsula, one of the great summer biking events in San Mateo County. The tour serves as a popular fundraiser for Bike Sundays, the Sunday closure of Cañada Road that permits carefree biking, skating, running and strolling. The 33-mile tour route, which begins and ends at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, is laid out to highlight two of the San Mateo County Department of Parks’ premier family biking opportunities — Sawyer Camp Trail and Cañada Road. After completing the tour, riders picked up their “Official Tour de Peninsula Dirty T-shirt” and got a chance to visit post-ride expo booths while they enjoyed music played by the Chris Ford Band. The organizer and beneficiary of the tour, the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation, was established in 1988 and supports the preservation and restoration of native habitats and environmental education. The foundation seeks grants and contributions from individuals, foundations and businesses and to date has raised $7 million to support 30 different programs of the San Mateo County Department of Parks. Supervisor Rich Gordon, honorary chair of the event, said, “I congratulate and thank all of this year’s participants. The Tour de Peninsula is a great way to feel the benefits of physical exercise and help all residents of San Mateo County by raising funds to support the county park department’s Bicycle Sunday program.” The San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation is located at 215 Bay Road, Menlo Park. To learn more about Foundation volunteer opportunities, ranging from being a docent to clearing trails, call 650-321-5812 or visit www.supportparks.org. Top left: Mark Simon, founder of the Tour de Peninsula, and Rich Gordon, San Mateo County supervisor, at the Tour de Peninsula Aug. 5. .TheSpectrum.AUG.07
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