San Carlos Mayor Andy Klein Interviewed on Peninsula TV.

Mayor Klein Discusses Fiscal Health of San Carlos.

In case you don’t subscribe to Peninsula TV,   San Carlos Mayor Andy Klein recently sat down with Peninsula TV’s Dani Gasparini to discuss the new San Carlos Fire Department, increasing the level of Police services in San Carlos with the County Sheriff, moving Parks Maintenance to a private sector firm and San Carlos becoming the Service Provider for Recreation Services for the City of Half Moon Bay.

You can see the full interview in the video window below.  Just click on the play arrow…

One on One – Episode 1088 – Andy Klein from Peninsula TV on Vimeo.

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San Carlos Ponders Moving City Hall.

Reconfigure Resources.

Could the City of San Carlos be moving its home base?   If City Council member Matt Grocott had his way, the City would be moving its digs to another location in the city, perhaps on the east side, to a location that better fits the city government’s changing needs.  According to Michelle Durand’s article in this morning’s Journal, Councilman Grocott is re-igniting a topic he first tabled several years ago when he took his rotation as Mayor.

With the make-up of San Carlos government changing so drastically over the past 24 months, the City’s needs for facilities has also changed.  The outsourcing of the police and fire departments, combined with reduction of headcount in the city government has left the City Hall building severely under-utilized, according to the article.   Combine that with the chronic shortage of parking at the City’s main building, and it’s apparent that while the location of the City Hall is still ideal, the amenities it provides aren’t.

One of the catalysts behind the rebirth of this topic is the shortage of space within the San Carlos School District.   As the District grapples with ideas to expand the number of classrooms to accommodate its surging enrollment, there are those within City Hall who see this as a potential win for both parties.

What Do You Think?

Obviously, this discussion is just that — a discussion.  And there are many things that would need to happen before such a discussion could seriously gain any traction (like who is going to pay for it?)   But it’s an interesting idea, and one that should be explored further.  The “new” model of government we have in San Carlos doesn’t need the cavernous facilities of its predecessor.
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San Carlos: The City of Good Coffee.

Mo’ Joe.

If caffeinated libations are your thing, then you should now be able to find just about anything to suit your tastes on our very own Laurel Street in San Carlos.    While much of the recent commercial development on Laurel Street (especially the north stretch) has seemed to revolve around bars and restaurants, coffee shops have progressively wedged their way into the Laurel Street shopping scene.   And they’re about to get another big one next week….

Peet’s Coffee Opens on Monday.

The long wait for a Peet’s Coffee shop in San Carlos is about to end.  On Monday October 3rd at 6:00AM, the newest shop in the Peet’s chain will swing open its doors to San Carlos coffee lovers.   Situated at the former Blockbuster Video location, it’s right in between the two Starbucks locations on Laurel Street, and right across from the Plantation Coffee Roastery — a family owned establishment that’s endeared by many residents in San Carlos.    For die-hard Peet’s fans in San Carlos, it means the end of their trek to either Redwood City or Belmont to get their fix.

Too Much Coffee?

When Starbucks opened their second shop on Laurel near the corner of Arroyo, many felt that this would spell the end of the independent coffee shops on Laurel Street.   Certainly, like others in the food business, there has been a shakeout of some minor players over the years.    But Plantation seems to be going as strong as ever, and according to the Laurel Street Spy, the 1665 Cafe is serving up Blue Bottle Coffee on the south end of Laurel.

You could say that this is a latte coffee shops for one street, but I’d never write something that corny on this prestigious site.  I usually filter that stuff out, since there’s no grounds for such nonsense.   But time will tell whether or not one street can absorb this much coffee business.

Got a favorite place for your morning coffee that needs a shout?  Plug them in the comments below…
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San Carlos City-Wide Garage Sale: October 1, 2011.

Annual City-Wide Garage Sale.

If there’s a single day in San Carlos when it’s more treacherous for residents to drive around than the Tuesday Realtor’s tour, it’s on the annual San Carlos City-Wide Garage Sale!  All kidding aside, San Carlos Together has just announced the date for this year’s edition of this very popular event.   Saturday, October 1 will be the big day, and you can register for the event online at this link on the San Carlos Together website.    This is usually an extremely well-attended event across the city, so if you’ve been thinking about cleaning out those closets and rescuing your garage, this is the weekend to get it done.    In order to participate in the garage sale, you will need to be registered on or before September 24th.

For more details, check out the San Carlos Together website.
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San Carlos General Election — The Candidate Forum.

Meet the Candidates.

Next Tuesday, the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce will host a forum where the general public can meet the different candidates who are running for City Council and City Treasurer positions.  The general election for all of these positions will be held on Tuesday, November 8th.   This forum will be a great opportunity to meet the various candidates, and hear in their own words why they’re best fit to serve in these positions.   The event will even be televised live on the San Carlos Channel for those who can’t make it down there on Tuesday.

Here’s the complete press release on the forum, with all of the details about the time and location:

San Carlos, CA – September 7, 2011 – The San Carlos Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidates Forum in preparation for the November 8, 2011 General Municipal Election. The forum will feature candidates running for the offices of City Council and City Treasurer.

The Candidates Forum is an opportunity for business and community leaders, residents and interested parties to meet the candidates and learn their views on a wide range of topics.

The event will be held at San Carlos City Hall, 600 Elm Street, in the City Council Chambers on Tuesday, September 13th beginning at 7:00 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public.

It will also be broadcast live on the San Carlos Channel (Comcast Cable TV Channel 26) and on the City of San Carlos web site. San Carlos voters and interested viewers will also be able to watch an archived copy of the forum the following week on the City’s web site.

In this election, there are three candidates running for two open seats in the race for City Council: Ron Collins, Mark Olbert and incumbent Randy Royce running for re-election.

The City Treasurer’s seat will be contested for the first time in 24 years. Incumbent Michael Galvin will be running for re-election against Harold Schuette in the upcoming November election.

Moderating the forum will be Jim Fahnestock of Edward Jones Investments, a long-time Chamber member, volunteer and emcee.

For questions about the Candidates Forum, contact David Bouchard, CEO of the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce at (650) 593-1068.

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San Carlos Community Movie Night: August 27.

Toy Story 3 at Burton Park.

The San Carlos Park and Recreation Department has pulled together what sounds like an absolutely fabulous community event:  The San Carlos Community Movie Night.  On Saturday August 27th the Park and Rec Department, along with the Sheriff’s Activity League and the San Carlos Youth Advisory Council, will present an outdoor showing of Toy Story 3 at Burton Park.    Everyone is encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs and catch a great movie outdoors!   There will even be free popcorn and lemonade while they last.

Redwood City holds a similar event every Thursday night called Movies on the Square, where they show outdoor movies in the huge square in front of the old courthouse building.  They utilize a huge inflatable screen and lots of remote speakers, so the fidelity of the presentation is surprisingly good.  It’s a very popular event in Redwood City, and the square is usually packed with families taking in a free movie.  I hope the Park and Rec Department is able to make this a recurring event — movie nights are very popular in small towns in the mid-west, and if our Friday Night Concerts are any indication, it will catch on here too.

The Details:

Community Family Movie Night

What: Toy Story 3
Where: Burton Park
When: Saturday, August 27th
Time: 8:00pm (Sunset)

Bring your family, friends, chairs, blankets and dessert. Free popcorn and lemonade while it lasts.

Click here for the official flyer on the event:  San Carlos Community Movie Night
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White Oaks Neighborhood to Celebrate National Night Out.

Ice Cream Social:  August 2.

For the second year in a row, the White Oaks neighborhood of  San Carlos will throw a bash to celebrate National Night Out – a time to strengthen neighborhood spirit and unity – with a delicious Ice Cream Social.  The date is next week, Tuesday, August 2nd  from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m, and the location is 2125 White Oak Way. This is like a huge block party – and everyone in White Oaks is invited.

National Night Out is an event that’s held every year across the entire country to highlight the Neighborhood Watch programs.  Its goal is to create a fun and casual environment for neighbors to meet one another, and more important, educate them on important crime prevention tactics such as:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness.
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs.
• Help neighbors prepare for emergencies.
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Bring Your Favorite Ice Cream.

If you missed this event last year, you won’t want to miss this one.  Last year the San Carlos Police Department hosted a K-9 demonstration, and the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department dropped by in one of their new fire engines.  This year, the police department is now the San Carlos Bureau of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and Captain Greg Rothaus says there will be some special surprises from his agency at this year’s function.   This is a great educational event, but it’s also an opportunity to get reacquainted with your neighbors.

Please bring your favorite ice cream or topping to share, and chairs to sit on if you like.  Residents of the 2100 block of White Oak Way will supply the plates, eating utensils and some tables.  Once again, Diane and Laila Adle are graciously organizing and hosting this event.  And they would greatly appreciate some help.  If you can volunteer, please drop them an email.

Come one, come all!! Enjoy a nice summer evening and bring the entire family.
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Trinity Presbyterian Nursery School in San Carlos Has Openings.

Space Available!

Now those are two words I thought I’d never see associated with this educational institution.  In the 22 years that we’ve lived in San Carlos, I can’t recall the last time that there wasn’t a wait list to get into Trinity Presbyterian’s very popular nursery school program — and for good reason.  We have known many families whose children have attended this program, and have had nothing but rave reviews about this school.   It’s located on the grounds of the Trinity Presbyterian Church on the corner of Brittan Avenue and Alameda, and has been providing play-based education for San Carlos toddlers for more than 50 years.  It’s a safe bet that many of their early graduates now have their own children attending this school.

Trinity is a little bit different than other pre-schools in that it’s a co-operative school, which means that parents are required to volunteer some time at the school during school hours.   Depending on the class size, that usually equates to one or two days per month — certainly doable, even for working parents.   But because this year several families moved out of the area, and a few other moms had to go back to work full-time, there are a few openings in the following classes:

• Tuesday/Thursday 9:00 – 11:30 AM class for 3-year olds.
• Tuesday/Friday 12:45 – 3:15PM class for 4-year olds.

Interested?

This is a great opportunity to get one of the toughest pre-school tickets in town, since there’s almost always a waiting list to get in.  For more information, email the school at tpsnursery@aol.com, or you can call directly at (650) 593-0770.
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Are you ready to step up to the most comprehensive data available about the San Carlos Real Estate market? Then subscribe to the White Oaks Blog for free by clicking here. Be sure to follow the White Oaks Blog on Facebook at https://Facebook.com/WhiteOaksBlog , and on Twitter @WhiteOaksBlog.
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