Creating Happy Homes - Strong Families

November is Adoption Month in San Mateo County, however happy endings happen year round! Ron and Mary Beth and their kids, Bruno and Maya, were on hand at our Board of Supervisors meeting on November 15th to share their family with us. You can go online to find out more about our programs and the joys that they can bring at: http://hsa.smcgov.org/adoptions .

First Ever Veteran of the Year Luncheon Event Held at the Hiller Aviation Museum

More than 150 community members attended San Mateo County’s inaugural Veteran of the Year Luncheon Thursday, an event that not only honored the more than 33,000 veterans in the county, but also highlighted the hard work put forth by a few individuals dedicated to making life easier for all veterans.

San Mateo County Veterans Commission to Honor Veteran of the Year - Inaugural ceremony to feature keynote by U.S. Navy SEAL

The San Mateo County Veterans Commission will honor three individuals and a Peninsula church at its first annual Veteran of the Year luncheon held in appreciation of their notable commitment and significant effort to improve the quality of life for those who served our country.

Veterans honored with free admission to all County parks

As a tribute to our county veterans and their families, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the waiver of park entrance fees beginning on November 11, 2016 going forward. I asked our Board to consider this request and to honor our veterans and their families by welcoming them to the most beautiful and wild places in our County - our parks! The proposal was unaninously approved by the Board and supported by the San Mateo County Parks Commission and the San Mateo County Parks Department.

Kudos to SamTrans for rerouting East Palo Alto/Menlo Park busses

Kudos to SamTrans and the City of East Palo Alto! Together you've solved an important community problem by the rerouting of 280 and 81. High schoolers headed to Menlo-Atherton High School found themselves with a 2-3 hour commute...Not anymore! According to a Management Analyst for the City of East Palo Alto, " the 81 daily nearly filled to bursting with students heading over to the high school." Thank you, Samtrans!

Poetry is Nature

Congratulations to all of the poets who attended the "Poetry is Nature" celebration at the Woodside Library especially those who shared their poetry at this very enjoyable afternoon. Thanks also to San Mateo County Poet Laureate Caroline Goodwin and our incoming Poet Laureate Lisa Rosenberg for reading their poetry, too. Three submissions by poets from Camp Glenwood were amazing. Such talent!

Menlo Park Woman Named County's Next Poet Laureate

Her role as Poet Laureate will be to elevate poetry among San Mateo County residents and to celebrate the literary arts.

2016 Barbara Hammerman Honorees - Lupe Oropeza and Monica Castillo

Congratulations to Lupe Oropeza and Monica Castillo, the 2016 Barbara Hammerman honorees! Thank you for your leadership and your effective advocacy of domestic violence victims in San Mateo County. You are public servants of the highest order, selected by your peers, and recognized for your outstanding work. We owe you a debt of gratitude for all that you do.

San Mateo County Board Of Supervisors Appoint Lisa Rosenberg As The Next Poet Laureate

Today, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors appointed Lisa Rosenberg of Menlo Park to the honorary post of Poet Laureate. Her role as Poet Laureate will be to elevate poetry among San Mateo County residents and to celebrate the literary arts.

South County - Park Shuttle Program

The South County Park Shuttle Program will launch in two weeks on Saturday, September 10th providing free weekend transportation to Edgewood and Wunderlich Parks! The south county weekend shuttles will collect people from stops in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks and Redwood City.

Measure K on the November Ballot

The Board of Supervisors unanimously supported the placement of a measure on the November ballot that, if approved by a majority of voters, would extend the current Measure A half-cent sales tax for an additional 20 years. That ballot assignment for this measure is Measure K. The 75-word ballot question reads:

Meet our AMR “Save a Life” Scholarship Winners!

Meet Carlos Garcia and Nereyda Guzman, the very first young people to be awarded the American Medical Response (AMR) "Save a Life" Scholarship" in District 4. They are enthusiastic, determined and hard-working. This scholarship will make a real and immediate difference in the lives of these two deserving young people and ultimately in the lives of people in our communities.