October 13 - Town Hall Meeting With Assemblymemeber Jerry Hill and former Assemblymember Sally Lieber

On Thursday, October 13 from 6-8 pm, I am proud to act as moderator at a town hall meeting featuring Assemblyman Jerry Hill and former Assemblywoman Sally Lieber.  The FREE event, open to ALL residents, will be held at San Mateo City Hall located at 330 W. 20th Avenue in San Mateo.  

Click HERE for larger version of flyer.

Co-hosted by the San Mateo Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans, a non-profit civil rights organization, the town hall will discuss the effects of recent redistricting in our neighborhoods.  The event will also feature Assemblymembers Hill and Lieber, who are expected to run for election in the new California State Senate seat created by redistricting.  Senator Leland Yee, our current Senator, is also an invited guest. 


The event is free and open to all residents.  Refreshments will be served. 

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About OCA San Mateo:  Established in 1987, the OCA San Mateo Chapter is one of the four chapters in the Bay Area and one of the seven chapters in California. OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) is a national nonprofit nonpartisan, civil rights advocacy and educational organization dedicated to embracing the hopes and aspirations and advancing the social, political and economic well being of Americans of Chinese and Asian descent. 

Note:  This event is not sponsored by the City of San Mateo and does not utilize any public funds.  OCA San Mateo is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit.   

Bayfront Cleanup - September 17, 2011

Last Saturday I took my girls out to take part in the 27th annual "Bayfront Cleanup Day".  Cities and organizations throughout the Bay Area met to spend the morning cleaning up our most beautiful and precious resource -- The San Francisco Bay. 


I started the day at 9:00 a.m. with community leader and marina lagoon resident Rick Sakuda, as he organized a group of volunteers to clean up the marina lagoon in both San Mateo and Foster City.  Employee groups from Prometheus Real Estate Group, Solar City, and Gilead were on hand to help clean up the lagoon. 

My two daughters helped me fish out plastic bags, water bottles, and even an office chair out of the lagoon.  My kids love to help play in water and mud, and they also got to learn about the importance of keeping our waterways clean. 

Around 10:30 a.m., we moved over to Ryder Park along the San Mateo shoreline, were we joined over 800 of our neighbors to help clean up the Bay Trail.  

I helped the City of San Mateo register countless elementary, middle school, and high school students who showed up to lend a hand.  I also helped City staff, including the Public Works Department, as they served a picnic lunch to all the participants.  Thanks to Whole Foods and other sponsors for sponsoring the lunch!

All in all, it was a great day to clean up the Bay.  Efforts such as this are important not only to clean up our Bay, but to highlight the importance of keeping our environment clean and sustainable for everyone.  Thanks to the wonderful City of San Mateo staff who staffed the event, and to everyone in the community who showed up to help!  


Here are some photos from the day: 

 Thanks to Community Leader and Marina Resident Rick Sakuda for Organizing the Lagoon Clean-Up!

The Staff from Prometheus Real Estate Group Registering Volunteers

My Daughters Doing Their Part To Clean-Up the Bayfront!

My Daughter and I Taking a Break After Hauling An Office Chair Out of the Lagoon

This is One Less Bag of Trash That Will Bother Our Bay!!

City of San Mateo Staff Busily Helping Volunteers

Mayor Jack Matthews Thanks All the Participants

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Neighbors Working Together to Improve Our Coummunity

Last night's City Council meeting showed why we live in such a great City.


Thanks to the leadership of local residents working with our City Public Works Department, a new program to help owner save $2000-$3000 on their sewer lateral replacements was approved by the City Council.  I was proud to support this community effort to make home improvement easier for more of our neighbors.


Sewer laterals are the pipes that connect your home sewer system to the "main" sewer line that runs down the middle of the street.  In San Mateo, the average home was build in the late 1940's after World War II, meaning that for most of us our sewer laterals are well past the end of their useful life (My own sewer lateral was replaced in 2005 after many, many visits by local plumbers!)


The City had previously had an ordinance that provided courtesy maintenance for homeowners whose sewer lateral was blocked where the line ran under the sidewalk or street.  While this ordinance helped some homeowners save on maintenance costs, there were two big problems with this ordinance: 

1. Only about 17% of homes in the City were eligible for this program due to requirements on the types of sewer lateral a home had. 
2. The ordinance did not address the pressing need to replace aging infrastructure.  

On their own initiative, members of the Sugarloaf Homeowners Association approached the San Mateo Public Works Department to voice their concerns.  Working with City Staff, these resourceful neighbors helped craft a new program that was approved by the City Council last night.  


Under this new program:

1. Homeowners will be able to obtain free video scoping service when there is a problem with their lateral line. 
2. If the lateral line is defective, homeowners will be able to apply for up to $2000 to $3000 to cover the costs of a lateral replacement.  Best of all, this money comes from fees paid by the City to the State help reduce sewage overflow in the Bay.  The State allows the City to apply those fees to help homeowners improve their sewer systems. 
3. The City also helps homeowners by providing a list of approved contractors to do the work, or the homeowner can select their own contractor and still apply for the $2000-$3000 reimbursement for the work.  

While I voted to approve this innovative effort, I can not take any credit.  The credit goes to the residents of the Sugarloaf Homeowners Association and our City Staff who worked long hours to make this new ordinance a reality.  This cooperative spirit is yet another example of why the City of San Mateo is a great community to live in!  

To view details of last night's meeting and the program, click here.  

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Cheesecake Factory Preps to Open in San Mateo

by Dave Colby & Joan S. Dentler

San Mateo Patch, Septebmer 17, 2011

   

 What began as a humble cake baked in a Detroit kitchen has grown into one of the country’s most successful restaurant franchises.

The Cheesecake Factory, which will open its first San Mateo County location in the Hillsdale Shopping Center on Monday, is famous not just for its cheesecake (more than 30 flavors), but for its inventive menu and generous portions.

Alethea Rowe, senior directing of marketing for the Calabasas-based restaurant franchise, said the company is excited about opening in San Mateo.

“The Hillsdale Shopping Center is a great shopping destination. All of the enhancements that are being done in the mall make this a great spot for Cheesecake Factory,” she said.

She noted that two new retailers, H&M and Forever 21 Mega Store, will soon be opening in the mall.
The 8,300 square-foot restaurant employs 271, and Rowe added that they are still hiring for server positions.
The restaurant, which occupies the old Mervyn’s department store site, can seat 311 guests in its one-story dining room and outdoor patio. Take-out and curbside service will also be available.

“We’ve redesigned the parking lot so that it can accommodate more cars at our curbside pickup,” Rowe explained. “Just call ahead and we’ll carry it out to your car.”

The new restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily, and brunch on Sundays.

Although San Francisco is the home to the company’s Bay Area flagship store, Rowe expects San Mateo to be an equally popular location. “We will offer the same great service and food, and we hope it will become everybody’s favorite family restaurant.”

Of the 154 Cheesecake Factories nationwide, eight are in the Bay Area.

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27th Annual Bayfront Clean Up

Tomorrow morning communities around the Bay Area will host the 27th annual Bayfront Clean Up.

The City of San Mateo will be hosting an official event at Ryder Park from 8:30 am until noon. No advanced registration is required. Food, music and fun will be provided while we clean up the Bay!

Tomorrow morning I will be with one of our local homeowners associations doing Bay cleanup in our local lagoons. This local offshoot of the Bay cleanup will be meeting at Virgo Lane off Beach Park and Polaris in Foster City starting at 9 am.

Hope to see you out on the Bay tomorrow!

For more information, visit the San Mateo City website here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad. Apologies for typos!

Discussion with State Controller John Chiang

Attending a talk on ways to help small businesses with California State Controller John Chiang.

David Lim
San Mateo City Council
dlim@cityofsanmateo.org
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San Mateo City Council Unplugged

YOUR

SAN MATEO CITY COUNCIL

                     UNPLUGGED!

Dear David,  

During my first two years in office, a common suggestion I've heard from residents, businesses, and community groups is:

"Why don't you make it easier for us to share our ideas with you?"

You asked.  I've listened.   

I am pleased to announce two gatherings designed to allow you to share your ideas in an informal environment, away from the agendas, the microphones, and the 3-minute time limits normally associated with Council meetings.  

It's the San Mateo City Council.  Unplugged.  

Please join me at the Main Library at  55 W. 3rd Avenue in the Laurel Room on either of the following dates and times.   

• Tuesday, September 20, 2011 from 6-7 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 6-7 p.m. 

Come join me and fellow Councilmembers to share your ideas on how together we can make our community a great place for all of us.  Ask questions and get answers directly from your elected representatives!

Residents old and young, as well as businesses and community groups are welcome to attend.  As an added incentive, a raffle will be held with great prizes from some of our local merchants.  Light refreshments will also be served.*  

Our City is only as good as we make it.  I hope to hear from you on September 20 and October 25.   

Sincerely,  

David Lim  

San Mateo City Council

P.S. - Everyone's voice is important.  If you have friends or family who would be interested in this email, please forward it to them! 

* - Raffle items and refreshments are donated and will not be provided using taxpayer money.

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9-11 Memorial San Mateo

Attending 9-11 Memorial at San Mateo Fire Station 23. God Bless America!

New Tutoring Center Set to Open at MLK Jr. Community Center: Community Bands Together to Help Local Students

I am please to highlight the opening of the new tutoring center for local San Mateo students at the Martin Luther King Junior Community Center located at 725 Monte Diablo Avenue in San Mateo this evening, September 6, 2011 from 6-7 p.m.   Media and members of the public are welcome to attend the grand opening this evening from 6-7 p.m. 

 

The tutoring center is the result of a collaborative effort between the City of San Mateo, a $7,500 grant from the Boris and Vera Bogart Foundation, and volunteer work from local neighbors.  

The tutoring center at the MLK Center will provide much needed access to quiet, dedicated study space for local students.  Generations of students, especially those in the North Central Neighborhood of San Mateo, will benefit from the collective team effort put forth by San Mateo residents to make this tutoring center a reality.

Initial funds for the tutoring center were provided by a $7,500 grant from the Boris and Vera Bogart Foundation, which was started by the late Boris Bogart to help fund programs for disadvantaged and underserved youth.  

Additional funds were received in federal grants secured by the San Mateo Community Relations Commission and the City of San Mateo Community Development Department. 

But even with these additional funds, the community needed to ban together to make the tutoring center a reality. 

With funds for the tutoring center still tight, Community Relations Commissioner Joshua Hugg recruited his neighbor Erik Waldorf, a local interior designer, to volunteer his time and energy to design and furnish the tutoring center for no charge.  

This tutoring center is a great example of neighbors banding together to make our community better for everyone.  Community leaders such as Commissioner Hugg, the late Mr. Bogart, and Mr. Waldorf are to be commended for their dedication to the youth of our community.

Thanks to everyone involved!

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Dishcrawl Back in San Mateo - September 14 - 7 PM

I'm happy to welcome back DISHCRAWL to San Mateo on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 pm.  

If you haven't experienced the fun of walking around downtown sampling 4-5 of the best restaurants San Mateo has to offer with 30-50 of your closest, newest friends, what are you waiting for?  Sign up here. 

So grab your friend, spouse, or significant other, or just sign up by yourself.  It's sure to be a great gastronomical event on September 14 at DISHCRAWL. 

Here is my previous post about Dishcrawl: 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Dishcrawl San Mateo - A Culinary Adventure in Our Own Backyard

Last night my wife Terri and I hired a babysitter and went out for a night in Downtown San Mateo for one of the hottest new trends to hit the Bay Area -- DISHCRAWL!

Our cool Dishcrawl badge of honor!

The idea behind Dishcrawl is to "blend good food with good company" according to owner and founder Tracy Lee. The concept is simple:  For $25 per person (drinks not included), you get to walk around a City and sample the best food from 3-4 different restaurants.  On the way, you meet, mingle (and drink!) with 50-60 new friends! 

Adding to the fun of the event, the names of the restaurants are kept a surprise -- only the meeting location for the first location is revealed via email 24 hours before the event. 

Terri and I joined a group of 50 other Dishcrawlers in front of our first stop:  RAVE BURGER at 144 East 3rd Avenue in Downtown San Mateo.  We signed in with the friendly Dishcrawl staff, got a cool Dishcrawl button to wear for the evening, and then . . . eating ensued!

Terri in front of Rave Burger with our new Dishcrawler friends!

At Rave Burger, we started off with sweet potato fries and homemade curly fries, then had a mini-cheeseburger made with all natural Niman Ranch beef.  Despite warnings from seasoned Dishcrawlers to "pace yourselves", I threw caution to the wind by eating two helpings of sweet potato fries.

Our 2nd stop was to newly-opened FLETCH'S at 385 2nd Avenue, across from the movie theater.  Fletch's serves authentic Chicago Style hot dogs -- hot dog with sweet green relish, onions, mustard, tomato, dill pickle, and pepper on a poppy seed bun.  Fletch's is so authentic, the buns are delivered daily from Chicago!

Meeting the owner of newly-opened Fletch's Hot Dogs

I was so busy admiring the Chicago-themed decoration of Fletch's I barely had time to eat my hot dog before it was time to move onto our 3rd stop which was . . .

KINGFISH at 201 South B Street.  An upscale American restaurant specializing in seafood and steaks, we were whisked to a private room upstairs where many of us bought the famous Hurricane drinks (fruit juice and rum) Kingfish is known for.  While we sipped our drinks, we were treated to warm homemade truffled potato chips sprinkled with creamy blue cheese and chives, followed by baked garlic parmesan bread.  To top it off, Kingfish served us delicious filet mignon crispy potstickers topped with red pepper vinaigrette and pesto aioli.

At this point, I was seriously stuffed, and so it was fortunate that our 4th and (supposedly) final stop was a little further back up 3rd Avenue.  We all needed the walk to make some room for our last stop!  By that time all 50 of us had mingled and talked for over an hour, so we were a merry band of Dishcrawlers as we headed to

ASTARIA at 50 East 3rd Avenue, located on the ground floor of the historic Ben Franklin Hotel.  Specializing in California fare, the owner of Astaria, Alicia Petrakis greeted us and escorted us inside.

At Astaria, we ordered a tasty pineapple mojito while dining on delicious Asian style pulled pork tostadas and sauteed portobello manchego and gorgonzola quesadillas.  It was truly a great way to end a wonderful evening of Dishcrawling.

Or so we thought.  We were then told that as a surprise, a final stop was being added to our night.  We therefore tramped back into the night, and ended up at . . .

BEARD PAPA'S at 365 2nd Avenue.  Known for their fresh and natural cream puffs, we all loaded up on chocolate and vanilla cream puffs.

And with that, our Dishcrawl adventure was over.  We traded phone numbers and emails with some of our new-found friends, and made plans to meet up at the next edition of Dishcrawl in San Mateo.

That's the beauty of Dishcrawl.  Each Dishcrawl is a unique experience with all new restaurants, and all new adventures, so our next outing will feature all new places to eat. 

As a San Mateo City Councilmember, I was excited to see such an exciting, vibrant, and tasty experience come to Downtown San Mateo, and I look forward to welcoming back Dishcrawl later this summer.  I hope everyone in our neighborhood will come out for to make new friends, try new foods, and have a wonderful time!!

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