Election Night Results: Convenient, Easy and Live-Action

Election night returns for the November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election will be publicly reported beginning at 8:05 p.m. on the official website of the San Mateo County Elections Division of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, at www.shapethefuture.org. 

Subsequent returns will be reported on the half-hour until all precincts have been accounted for, as follows: 

                8:05 p.m. – Vote by Mail Ballots
                8:30 p.m. – All-Mail Precincts
                9:00 p.m. – Early Voting Centers
                9:30 p.m.  and each half-hour until complete – Live Precinct Ballots. 

Anyone may sign up to receive e-mail alerts with a link to the results page whenever new results are posted online.  The deadline for requests is November 5 at 5:00 p.m.   Go to www.shapethefuture.org and click on the link to November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election under UPCOMING ELECTIONS to access the online request form, or call 650-312-5222.

Election night returns will be posted on the Elections Office website in three convenient formats, at the “Get Election Results” link: 

• The “RaceTracker” web application allows the user to customize the report to: display all or only selected races; see what percentage of the vote has been reported; know which precincts have reported, and determine both percentages and raw vote totals from Vote by Mail ballots, early voting, and/or election day precinct voting.

• Printable PDF format reports are available if a paper record of the results at each reporting interval is desired.

• HTML format reports which are designed for fast, convenient, at-a-glance reviewing and scrolling of results.

In addition, real-time monitoring of the movement of voted precinct ballots from each polling place to the Elections Office Tally Room will also be possible with the website’s “Precinct Tracker” tool.

Live video coverage of the Tally Room operations will also be available on the website.

Media Contact:  

Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: 650-363-4988 E-mail: mchurch@smcare.org

Alternate: David Tom, Deputy Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: (650) 312-5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Code for America to Develop Technologies to Strengthen the Food Safety Net

Code for America, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that matches technology sector skills to local communities, has selected the County of San Mateo as one of its ten municipal partners for 2013. 

“San Mateo County is an environment of rapid technological progress, which we haven’t been able to maximize because of state and federal reductions,” said Board President Adrienne Tissier. “This fellowship will move our food safety net into the 21st century.”

Beginning February 2013, Code for America fellows will work alongside staff from the Human Services Agency and the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors to increase residents’ access to food assistance.  Projects will include raising public awareness of available services, the creation of a convenient, centralized point of entry to food resources and benefits, and improving the coordination between public and nonprofit food service providers and agencies.

“This collaboration provides an opportunity to benefit our community by using technology to reach people in ways we have not done before,” said Beverly Beasley Johnson, director of the county’s Human Services Agency which has seen a 93 percent increase in CalFresh caseloads over the last three years.

Founded in 2009, Code for America partners with local governments to foster civic innovation by embedding developers and designers in local governments to collaborate with municipal leaders. San Mateo County is one of 29 municipalities that applied for the 2013 fellowship cycle.

“We are very excited to officially announce our partnership with San Mateo County,” said Code for America Founder and Executive Director, Jen Pahlka. “San Mateo County is a leader in the innovation world and our fellows will have the chance to be at the forefront of that innovation. With the support of such forward-thinking and dedicated county staff, we look forward to building a long-lasting partnership.”

The County of San Mateo’s 2013 Code for America fellowship program is funded by the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation and the County of San Mateo.

“This is an uncommonly unique collaboration—government, a philanthropic foundation, and a technology nonprofit creating solutions together,” said James Higa Executive Director, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) and former Senior Director in the Office of the CEO at Apple, Inc., “Throw everything you’ve heard about government being slow and conservative out the window. This county innovates and embraces change.”

Media Contact:
Amanda Kim, Public Information Officer, County of San Mateo Human Services Agency
Phone: 650-802-6433, e-mail: akim@smchsa.org

County of San Mateo, Human Services Agency Mission

The San Mateo County Human Services Agency assists individuals and families to achieve economic self-sufficiency, promotes community and family strength and works to ensure child safety and well-being.

 About Code for America

Code for America partners with local governments to foster civic innovation. Through its Fellowship program, Code for America provides an opportunity for the web generation to give back by embedding developers and designers in local governments to collaborate with municipal leaders.  Founded in 2009, Code for America held its inaugural fellowship in 2011.  This year, Code for America has connected 26 fellows with 8 cities nationally.  Through the Accelerator program, Code for America supports disruptive civic startups, and through the Brigade program, Code for America encourages civic participation by organizing local groups of civic technologists to take action in their communities.

Day of Remembrance: Commemorate Victims of Domestic Violence; Learn about Resources

The Office of Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson and the Office of Supervisor Don Horsley in partnership with the Domestic Violence Council are hosting a Day of Remembrance to commemorate victims of domestic violence.

The event will take place on Tuesday, October 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 400 County Center, Redwood City.

During the event, community partners will offer resources to address domestic violence in San Mateo County. Additionally, a ceremony will be held to honor survivors of domestic violence and those who fight against it. View the Day of Remembrance Flier.

“Over 6,000 San Mateo County children witnessed domestic violence in their home and over 300 adults were provided emergency shelter and transitional housing in 2011 alone,” said Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson. “Given the scope of this problem, it is imperative that the County of San Mateo continue to provide the support survivors need to protect themselves and their children from perpetrators of domestic violence.”

“Domestic violence shouldn’t need high profile cases to make us aware it exists in our community,” said Supervisor Don Horsley. “We have the obligation to do our best to protect victims and to prevent people from becoming future domestic violence victims.”

The Board of Supervisors declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

October Newsletter: Youth Town Hall, Art Showcase, Parks Survey, Discover & Go and More

Welcome to the October edition of the San Mateo County e-newsletter.

This is our opportunity to share with you stories about the work we do in the community, provide you with updates on our initiatives and invite you to participate in a variety of events. We begin with a look at the 10th annual Art Showcase, featuring local artists with disabilities. 

Art Showcase: Reception and Silent Auction Friday, October 26

Fitu Petaia

Fitu Petaia sees the world with an artist’s eyes, and he expresses himself through music, poetry and illustration. When inspiration strikes, the South San Francisco resident loves to “sing it out,” improvising poetry in a clear, sweet falsetto. “I like freestyling a poem,” said Petaia, 24. “But when I sketch and paint and color, I think about it ahead of time.”

Petaia is one of two dozen San Mateo County artists featured in the 2012 Art Showcase, taking place through Friday, October 26, at the Caldwell Gallery, located on the first floor of the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, in Redwood City. Viewing is free.

Petaia and his fellow artists live with a range of serious disabilities. But the works at the exhibit show that inspiration and talent can transcend physical limitations.

Pegasus by Yukari Sakura

Members of the public have the opportunity to meet the artists, experience the work up close and possibly take home a beautiful work of art at this year’s Artists Reception and Silent Auction on Friday, October 26, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Caldwell Gallery.

Petaia’s silent auction piece is a large illustrated panel from his Lethal Weapon comic strip, an action adventure series featuring the artist’s alter ego, an undercover cop named Roger Murdoch.  “He’s a rogue,” said Petaia of his fantasy double. “But I’m mostly an artist and a comedian.”

Freedom by James Dawson

(Petaia’s art work was not available for a photograph.)

Proceeds from the auction benefit both the artists and the programs that supply instruction, studio space and supplies. Admission to the Silent Auction is $10, and tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/271980.

What: Artists Reception and Silent Auction

When: Friday, October 26, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Where: Caldwell Gallery, first floor, 400 County Center, Redwood City

The event is sponsored by the Board of Supervisors and the Commission on Disabilities. For more information, contact the Commission on Disabilities at 650-573-2700 (voice) or the California Relay (711) for the deaf or those with hearing or speech impairments. 

Vision for San Mateo County Parks

San Mateo County Parks is undertaking a strategic planning process to ensure that our vision for our park system remains relevant and sets priorities for the next five years. As we look forward to 2018, we would like to hear from you about your experience in our parks and how you would like to use our parks in the future. 

We hope that you will take a few minutes to rank your priorities for our parks.
 
Completing the survey takes approximately five minutes. It can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SMCParks2018
Please complete the survey by October 28, 2012.

San Mateo County Youth Town Hall 2012

If you work with youth or care about the future of our county, then you are invited to attend the San Mateo County Youth Town Hall this Saturday, October 27, at the College of San Mateo.

Issues being discussed are bullying; stress and mental health; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; foster care; youth violence and gangs; environment and sustainability; career preparation and jobs; LGBTQ; education; nutrition; and sexual health.

While adults are welcome to observe the entire forum, the ideal time to attend will be starting at 2 p.m. when youth will be presenting ideas for collaboratively addressing the various issues.

View a complete agenda and learn more details. (Note the lunch order is strictly for the youth!)

The event is a project of the San Mateo County Youth Commission, StarVista, the County of San Mateo and other community partners.

If you plan to attend, contact Seren Pendleton-Knoll, Youth Commission Program Coordinator at seren.pendleton-knoll@star-vista.org or 650-401-8617 ext 20. 

Discover & Go
 
Your San Mateo County Library card allows you free or discounted access to the Marine Mammal Center, Asian Art Museum, Oakland Zoo, Lawrence Hall of Science and many other Bay Area museums and cultural institutions.
 
The Discover & Go program allows library users to make reservations online by date or by venue and print out a pass. Patrons without Internet access can reserve a pass by telephone or in person and print out a pass at their local library.
 
Access to museum pass reservations is limited to SMCL cardholders who are 16 years of age and up. The savings can be substantial.
 
Learn more at Discover and Go.

Supervisors Take Stand for Environment

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, October 23, voted to protect the environment by banning the free distribution of single-use carry-out bags at retail outlets, the first step in what the Board hopes will be a region-wide effort.

The Board voted 5 to 0 to phase out the use of plastic bags by retailers in unincorporated areas of the county by April 22, 2013, giving time for stores and consumers to comply with the new law and to locate reusable bags.

Read the entire news release.

Improving Health One Step at a Time

Have you seen a number of County employees walking around with a small black plastic device on their shoe or belt and wondered what it was? The device is called a Pebble™ and is an all-day activity tracker that motivates people to be active anytime, anywhere.

It is one component of Healthrageous, an 8-week pilot program the County is testing with its health insurance partner, Blue Shield of California. As it fights rising health care costs, the County is looking for tools to engage its employees in adopting the habits that prevent or control chronic conditions. The County believes utilizing interactive tools and programs like the Pebble™ and Healthrageous will allow the County to:

• Engage employees in their own health and
• Target programs to prevent chronic illness, and improve the management of chronic conditions

Once the pilot program has concluded the County will use the data and feedback gathered from participants to determine if the program will be rolled out to a larger population of employees.

Translators Sought

With more than 900 requests for interpretation and document translation over the last two years, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services is seeking people to review documents for accuracy and literacy.

Translated documents should ideally be reviewed by clients, consumers of behavioral health services (mental health and substance abuse) and their family members. If you know someone who fits this description and would be available to help, please contact Joe Balabis at 650-573-3474 or JBalabis@smcgov.org. Stipends are available.
 
Help is needed in all languages.

Volunteer Opportunities and Things To Do

Join the Trail Patrol

Trail Patrol volunteers assist Park rangers by hiking in County Parks to note safety issues along the trails. These volunteers also serve as park ambassadors by answering visitor questions, providing trail recommendations and hiking directions. Hours are flexible. This is a wonderful opportunity to hike the trails you love while helping San Mateo County Park rangers. For more information, contact Carla Schoof at cschoof@smcgov.org.

Day of Remembrance: October 30

Help raise awareness about domestic violence and learn about resources in the community at the Day of Remembrance on Tuesday, October 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 400 County Center, Redwood City. Call 650-599-1009 for more details. The Board of Supervisors has declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Vote

In addition to casting a ballot for U.S. president, voters on November 6 will decide on numerous local and state measures and candidates. Be sure to mail in a ballot or get to the polls.

 

This newsletter was produced by the San Mateo County Manager’s Office. Please contact Marshall Wilson, the communications director, at 650-363-4153 or at mwilson@smcgov.org with any questions or comments.

Supervisors Take Stand for Environment: Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags, Encourage Reusable Bags

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today voted to protect the environment by banning the free distribution of single-use carry-out bags at retail outlets, the first step in what the Board hopes will be a region-wide effort. 

The Board voted 5 to 0 to phase out the use of plastic bags by retailers in unincorporated areas of the county by April 22, 2013, giving time for stores and consumers to comply with the new law and to locate reusable bags. (View Staff Report)

“We’re going to devote time and energy over the coming months to reach out to consumers and businesses, educating them about the environmental benefits of the ordinance and giving them time to adjust,”said Board President Adrienne J. Tissier, who co-sponsored the ordinance along with Supervisor Carole Groom.

Recognizing that plastic bags blowing in the wind, clogging creeks and streams and littering the environment is a regional problem, the Board also approved an Environmental Impact Report that can be used by 24 Peninsula cities in adopting their own ordinances. The report found that a staggering 552 million plastic bags are used annually in the 24 cities and the unincorporated area of San Mateo County.

Read the entire entry.

San Mateo Bridge Closed This Weekend, Oct. 19-22

Caltrans will close both directions of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, October 19, to 5 a.m. Monday, October 22.

The full closure will allow crews to install a new seismic joint and replace 60 feet of the bridge deck just east of the high rise.

Commuters are asked to use alternate routes such as the Dumbarton Bridge, San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, or the southern route along Highway 237.

 

On the eastbound side (Foster City) the on-ramp from Edgewater Boulevard and Metro Center Boulevard will be closed. On the westbound side (Hayward) the on-ramp from Industrial Boulevard and Clawiter Road will be closed. All off-ramps will remain open.

 

Traffic will be guided to exit eastbound Highway 92 at Foster City Boulevard and westbound Highway 92 at Clawiter Road. 

Changeable message signs will be posted throughout the Bay Area to notify motorist of the upcoming closures.

 

Please visit the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge project page or the Caltrans Twitter page for updates on the progression of the construction.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/sanmateobridge/

Twitter: @CaltransD4

Follow the conversation: #SMHBridge

 

Still Time to Register to Vote for Presidential Election

October 22 is the last day for eligible voters to file a new or updated voter registration card to be entitled to vote in the November 6, 2012, Presidential General Election.

For the first time, eligible voters can register online at http://registertovote.ca.gov/

While voters may still register to vote by filling out a voter registration card, the San Mateo County Elections Division urges individuals to take advantage of online registration. Eligible voters will directly input their information online, avoiding human error on the spelling of names or addresses.  Accordingly, online voter registration is expected to be more accurate and efficient.  

Voter registration cards are available at the San Mateo County Elections Division (directions and hours), as well as at any public library, city hall, or office of the U.S. Postal Service or Department of Motor Vehicles.  A mailed registration card that is postmarked on or before October 22 will satisfy the deadline.

 To be eligible to register to vote, a person must be:

(1) A U.S. Citizen;

(2) At least 18 years old by Election Day;

(3) Not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction; and

(4) Not deemed by a court to be mentally incompetent to register and to vote. 

 Further, registered voters must re-register whenever they have

(1) Moved to a new address, or

(2) Changed their name, or

(3) Desire to change political party affiliation.

 The website of the San Mateo County Elections Division provides the latest registration statistics, updated weekly: https://www.shapethefuture.org/voterregistration/registrationstats.asp. 

The website also contains a link that allows eligible and registered voters to confirm their current registration status.  To do so, go to the home page and click on “Check My Registration/Access My Election Materials/View My Sample Ballot Pamphlet.”

Take a Free, Guided Hike at Huddart Park on Saturday, October 20

Take A Hike — the name of our free monthly series of guided hikes — comes to beautiful Huddart Park on Saturday, October 20.

Take A Hike begins at 9 a.m. from the main parking lot. Plan to spend at least 45 minutes with rangers and volunteers who provide information about park history and the local habitat.

Bring water, dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. We supply the beauty and fresh air courtesy our San Mateo County parks.

The park’s 974 acres offer an extensive trail system of 15 trails that take visitors through majestic second-growth coast redwoods, mixed evergreens, California laurel, coast live oak and Douglas fir. A route via the Bay Area Ridge trail connects to neighboring Wunderlich County Park.

Get driving directions. For more information follow us on Facebook or call the Office of Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson at 650-599-1009.

 

Reception and Silent Auction for Artists with Disabilities on October 26

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the Commission on Disabilities are pleased to announce the 2012 Art Showcase featuring artwork by local artists with disabilities who reside in San Mateo County is underway.

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Art Showcase.

The Art Showcase Exhibit is on display through October 26 at the Caldwell Gallery, located on the first floor of the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, in Redwood City. (Map and directions)

The Caldwell Gallery is open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  This is an excellent opportunity for the public to see the fabulous artwork and the tremendous talent of artists with disabilities in our community. 

There will be an Artists’ Reception and Silent Auction on Friday, October 26, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Caldwell Gallery. Come meet the artists and view their artwork up close.

The Silent Auction will feature many of the works from the Art Showcase Exhibit.  Admission is $10 and tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/271980.

For more information, please call the Commission on Disabilities office at 650-573-2700 (voice) or the California Relay (711) for those who are deaf, or have hearing or speech impairments.

Media Contact:

Office of Supervisor Carole Groom 650-363-4568.

Read more San Mateo County news at http://sanmateocountynews.wordpress.com

 

Join the Great California ShakeOut on Oct. 18

You are invited to join millions of people who will Drop, Cover, and Hold On on October 18 at 10:18 a.m. in the 2012 Great California ShakeOut!

Last year more than 12.5 million people were registered in ShakeOut drills worldwide. Participating is a great way for your family or organization to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes.

The main goal of the ShakeOut is to get Californians prepared for major earthquakes, so use the ShakeOut as an opportunity to learn what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Learn tips on how to prepare, protect, and recover.

Anyone in California can participate, from a single individual at their home to a major company at the office. Talk to your coworkers, neighbors and friends about the ShakeOut and encourage their participation.

Sign up for free at www.shakeout.org/california/register to be counted in the ShakeOut Drill, get e-mail updates, and more.

​You have the power to make a big difference in how you and your community survive and recover from the next damaging earthquake.

The ShakeOut is a project of the Earthquake Country Alliance, California Emergency Management Agency and other agencies and partners.

You can find checklists and information on how to put together a disaster kit at http://www.smcready.org/

Learn more about the Great California ShakeOut: