The Mayor’s Week in Review (June 3-9)

This week’s post is dedicated to the memories of Jean Canepa and Col. Dale Luehring.

Do you get an annual physical?

I do – and it’s called The Dipsea Race.  I had it today.  I survived.  That’s the point, right?  ‘Nuff said!  And if you still aren't convinced, check out this amazing Dipsea video shared with me by my friend, and Dipsea and GPAC colleague, Larry Davis: Blind faith.  Thank you Hannah for pacing, pushing, and inspiring me to the very end. 

What else?

CERTainly amazing people: The Council took some time on Monday to thank 4 long time CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) members for their service.  These included Michael Fischer, Katherine Randolph, Steven Podesta and Maggie Lang.  We really can’t thank CERT members enough for agreeing to be first responders.  Are you CERTified? Are you READY?  See Get CERTified!

Our new Fire Captain:  Darrin Allen is a very nice, humble man who was promoted to Captain a few weeks back.  It was a pleasure last week to publicly acknowledge his well deserved promotion.

The essence of Small Town Character in the air:  Here’s a nice one:  last week I met Bruce Pratt, our new Building Maintenance Supervisor.  Know what he said (this from a total outsider)?  “I have been to many towns, up and down the west coast, and there’s something different going on here; the people take pride in their town, and the employees take pride in their work.”  I told Bruce that’s the smell of STC permeating the air.

June is National Safety Council Month:  This month we are trying to raise awareness about leading causes of preventable injuries.  The theme is “Safety Starts with Me,” and the City wants to use it to foster a culture of safety each week around issues: 

·      Last week:  Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls

·      This week:  Employee Wellness

·      Week 3:  Emergency Preparedness

·      Week 4:  Ergonomics 

For all safety information, please click here: A healthy June. 

The biggest complaint last week?  Construction noise & traffic!  There’s a LOT of residential construction going on this summer.  We are being inundated with calls – I’m even getting them at home (it’s fine).  To be clear:  no work is allowed on Sundays, whether you are a contractor or a homeowner (though painting and yard work are permitted).  We have rules around construction, and large projects have detailed construction management plans.  For more information, please access the City web site at: Construction Rules of the Road.  

This of course reminds me to remind you of the upcoming East Blithedale Construction, from June 23-August 24, from Camino Alto to Elm.  I’ve been writing about it.  We talked about it at our Community Meeting on May 14 too.  You should have gotten a postcard in the mail about it too.  It’s going to be challenging at times, so please help us spread the word!  You can download and print a copy of our informational flyer here: Construction Flyer.  Finally, please please please be courteous to our neighbors and do not “cut through” residential side streets during construction periods.   Add time to your trip and plan an alternate route using Miller Avenue or Camino Alto if possible.   Thank you! 

Mitigate the Sumer Slump:  We have this situation in America because of our K12 academic year where kids simply fall into a “slump” in the summer months, study skills get dull, and we spend the first few months of a short school year digging back out.  Angie’s offering a way out of the “slump” this summer with the Library’s “Summer Reading 2013: Reading is Delicious” program.  Sign up is this week and the program begins on June 24.  We’ll be offering eight weeks of free childrens events, including outdoor performances, story times, book clubs, classes, author visits, movies, and reading games.  Read more about the program here: Avoid the Summer Slump! 

About town: 

ALERT:  Once again, the Library is open late (until 11 PM!) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as a “study hall” for students taking finals this week.  How cool is that? 

But there’s more . . . . 

Monday: 

·      Planning Commission:  7 PM at City Hall

·      Monday Night Movies: Berkeley in the Sixties (1990):  730 PM at the Library

 Tuesday: 

·      Art Commission:  7 PM at City Hall

·      Computer Class: Photoshop Fundamentals:  7 PM at the Library 

Wednesday: 

·      American Experience Book Club - Go Tell It On the Mountain, by James Baldwin:  7 PM at the Library 

Thursday: 

·      ALERT:  Tamalpais High School Graduation.  Congratulations to all our Seniors!

·      Library Board of Trustees:  7 PM at the Library

·      Emergency Preparedness Commission:  7 PM at City Hall 

Friday: 

·      Parks & Recreation Special Meeting:  9 AM at City Hall

·      Computer Class -- Word Basics:  3 PM at the Library 

Saturday: 

·      Friends Book Sale:  9 AM at the Library

·      City Councilmember's Table on the Plaza:  10 AM at the Depot 

Sunday: 

·      Hello!  It’s Father’s Day.  I love this day because I get lots of artwork from my kids (everything they bring home with them from the school year – I have a treasure trove of stuff I just don’t have the heart to toss out).  And this year, I’ll share it all with my Dad, who is here with my Mom for the THS graduation celebration.  (Then I get on a flight east that afternoon for work . . . grrrr . . . it always gets in the way of something, doesn’t it?)

·      Father’s Day Special -- The Hipwaders: 11 AM at the Old Mill Park Amphitheater.

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Thanks for reading.  Enjoy the week.  Enjoy the graduation.  Happy father’s day. 

Xo 

Andy