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Sudden Oak Death discussion in Woodside
Join University of California, Berkeley Professor Matteo Garbelotto and local environmentalist Debbie Mendelson at an in-person meeting on Monday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at Woodside Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road, to discuss what was learned from the annual Sudden Oak Death (SOD) field survey conducted earlier this year.
“SOD blitzes,” held annually in spring, are one of the oldest continuously-running tree-focused citizen science programs in the country, according to Mendelson. Trained volunteers are tasked with identifying symptomatic leaves and with collecting them. Back at U.C. Berkeley, the presence of the disease that’s deadly to oak trees is confirmed on symptomatic foliage by a PCR assay, similar to that used for Covid-19, she said.
The talk will discuss the distribution of the disease based on the 2023 surveys and what the results mean in light of the new SOD variants that have been reported in California and Oregon.
Meet Portola Valley’s new town manager
New Portola Valley Town Manager Sharif Etman will be at a meet-and-greet over coffee from 9-10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The event was originally at the picnic tables next to Roberts Market, but has been moved to the Buckeye Room in the Town Center Community Hall, located at 765 Portola Road in Portola Valley. Town residents are invited to stop by and exchange ideas, give feedback and learn about upcoming priorities, according to an Oct. 26 town email.
-Andrea Gemmet
New pump track opens at Menlo Park’s Flood Park
San Mateo County announced that a new pump track opened on Oct. 21 to cycling enthusiasts at Flood Park, located at 215 Bay Road in Menlo Park. A pump track is a circuit of banked turns and small hills known as rollers meant to be ridden by pumping the body up and down instead of pedaling, and is most commonly used by BMX and mountain bike riders.
The pump track at Flood Park is paved and can be used by skateboarders and scooters as well. The track is located near the Iris Lane entrance to the park. Helmets are required and children under 8 years old must be supervised by an adult.
-Cameron Rebosio
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office rolls out online feedback forms
San Mateo County community members can now give their feedback when they talk or interact with the county’s Sheriff’s Office.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 19, introduced the “Officer Survey” initiative, where personnel will provide community members with a QR-coded business card. This will enable the recipient to fill out and submit an electronic survey detailing their experience with the Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office staff will compile and comprehensively review survey results.
“These customer service surveys offer a streamlined avenue for feedback. They are widely acknowledged as a standard mechanism for receiving feedback on performance, and our ‘Officer Survey’ initiative will enable us to do so in a more efficient and effective manner,” the law enforcement agency said.
Sheriff Christina Corpus said the initiative will not only allow her office to “effectively review and address potential gaps in certain areas but also to highlight and recognize our employees for excellence in customer service and community engagement.”
-Bay City News Service
