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Home My WebLink About03-2012 SpringSummerSaratoganC I T Y o f S A RATO G A CALIF O R N I A1956 SaratoganThe Spring/ Summer 2012 Activities Near You According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children should have a minimum of 60 minutes each day of physical exercise and adults should have a minimum of 30 minutes, 5 days a week. To help facilitate a healthy and active Saratoga community, the City offers a broad range of recreational classes and activities. For adults, there are classes such as yoga, Tai Chi, and ballet. With summer break approaching, there will be many camps and classes available for children to stay physically active. For more information about recreational classes or camps, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/cityhall/rec/ recreation_activities/default.asp. Visit the CDC website for information on physical activity guidelines for children and adults, www.cdc.gov/ physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines. Healthy Saratoga Multiple studies have concluded that walking briskly for just 30 minutes each day, 5 days a week, can make a significant impact on a person’s health. According to the Mayo Clinic, walking briskly reduces bad cholesterol levels (LDL), increases good cholesterol levels (HDL), lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes, and manages weight. Additionally, Harvard Medical School’s March 2011 Health Issue stated that walking speed may also be as much of an indicator of life expectancy as it is a promoter of it. Specifically, after the age of 65, how fast we walk may predict how long we have to live. To promote healthier behavior and lifestyle, the City of Saratoga is working toward becoming a “Let’s Move City” in reaction to First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. The initiative is designed to encourage local governments to develop long-term, sustainable approaches to reducing childhood obesity. The City has directed the Parks and Recreation Commission to organize a program that promotes physical activity. In response, the Parks and Recreation Commissioners created “Let’s Walk Saratoga,” a guided walking program to help Saratoga residents locate and use existing walking trails. The City of Saratoga’s Parks and Recreation Commission will kick-off its first guided walk on May 20, 2012 beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the Joe’s Trail at Saratoga De Anza trailhead in Congress Springs Park located at 12940 Glen Brae Drive. The event will include a family friendly 2-mile flat walk along Joe’s Trail and is the first of a series of guided walks showcasing Saratoga’s beautiful walking and hiking trails. The Parks and Recreation Commission members will act as guides on these walks. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes, sunscreen, and a pair of walking shoes. Other guided walks will include exploring shaded trails at Villa Montalvo in August and a hike to Hunters Point in the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in October. Joe’s Trail at Glen Brea Drive Entrance Parks & Recreation Kids’ Basketball Stroke Awareness Studies show that taking a person suffering stroke symptoms to a certified stroke center within the first three hours of occurrance can help dissolve stroke-causing blood clots. The Stroke Awareness Foundation offers the following acronym, FAST, to help identify stroke symptoms: Face Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? Arms Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm weak or numb? Does one arm drift downward? Speech Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is the speech slurred? Time If the person shows any of these symptoms, CALL 9-1-1 Immediately! Safe Alternatives to Pesticides Chemicals found in pesticides can harm children and pets because they tend to come into closer contact with these chemicals when playing on floors, lawns, and garden areas. Pesticides also eventually reach the Bay through storm and household drains, since wastewater treatment plants do not detoxify pesticides in the water. Below are safe alternatives to using pesticides developed by the Statewide Integrated Pest Management program (IPM). For more information, visit www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/WATER/U/alternative.html. • Plant pest-resistant or well-adapted plant varieties such as native plants. • Discourage pests by modifying the way you design, water, fertilize, and manage your garden. • Alter the garden or home environment to deprive pests of the food, water, shelter, or other requirements they need to thrive. • Keep pests out of the home and garden using barriers, screens, and caulking. Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, Nearest Stroke Center to Saratoga • Squash, trap, wash off, or prune out pests. • Rely on helpful insects in the garden to kill pests, thereby eliminating the need for insecticides that may end up in waterways. • Use nonchemical methods and only use pesticides as a last resort if pests are reaching intolerable levels; choose products carefully so that the least toxic, most effective material is used. • If you decide to hire a pest control company, choose one that is certified in IPM techniques. Visit www.mywatershedwatch.org and select “Solutions to Pest Problems” to find a certified pest control company. The Stroke Awareness Foundation, located in Campbell, has been instrumental in increasing the quality of care for stroke victims and bringing greater awareness to this disease in Santa Clara County and throughout the Bay Area. Santa Clara County has nine Stroke Certified Hospitals, four of which are near Saratoga in San Jose. In 2006, the Foundation worked with the County Board of Supervisors to develop and approve a policy that redirects emergency medical transportation to take stroke victims to Certified Stroke Centers, where patients have immediate and unprecedented access to quality stroke care. This piece of legislation was the first of its kind in California and in the United States. This year, the Stroke Awareness Foundation (SAF) celebrates its ten year anniversary. To learn more about stroke awareness or support the Foundation, visit www.strokeinfo.org. Coleoptera (a.k.a Lady Beetle) Used for aphid control City Corporation Yard Solar Panels On February 29, 2012, the City held a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the solar project on the roof of the City’s Corporation Yard! A total of 78 solar panels were installed, 42 of which were won by the City in 2010. The new solar array will produce approximately 18 kilowatts (kW) of energy and will provide for 100% of the Corporation Yard’s energy use. Protecting Your Vehicle by Captain Ken Binder Saratoga residents can take a few easy steps to help prevent or mitigate the chances that their vehicles will be targeted by theives. Below are tips to help prevent break-ins. • Always lock your vehicle doors and park in busy, well-lit areas. • Do not leave valuables in your car or in plain view. • Unload valuables as soon as you arrive at home. • Mark your valuables with some personal identifier and record all serial numbers to help recover your property. • Report all suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s non-emergency number at (408) 299-2311 or call 9-1-1. Captain Ken Binder PHASE I Solar Panel Installation PHASE II Solar Panel Installation 78 SOLAR PANELS • Peak Output, STC 18.3kW • Peak Output AC Actual 15.3 kW • Yearly Energy Production 28,610kWh • CO2 Prevented (lbs/25 yrs) 806,165 COST SAVINGS • Annual Savings, Year 1 $3,884 • Annual Savings, Year 10 $6,558 • Total Savings Over 25-year Life $142,595 • Increase in Building Value $81,697 To learn more about The Saratogan, make comments, or suggest story ideas, contact Mainini Cabute with the Saratoga City Manager’s Office at mcabute@saratoga.ca.us or (408) 868-1275. You can also find The Saratogan online and sign up for email alerts at www.saratoga.ca.us/saratogan. C I T Y o f S ARATO G A CALIFO R N I A1956 Ask Our Staff Have a question? Send your questions to mcabute@saratoga.ca.us or (408) 868-1275. C I T Y o f S ARATO G A CALIF O R N I A1956 Dear Sam, The City Council adopted the Tobacco- Free Recreation Area Ordinance in September 2010 banning smoking and use of tobacco products from all City- owned parks and recreational areas. The Ordinance aims to significantly reduce second-hand smoke in Saratoga, due to its harmful health effects. To learn more about the ordinance, visit http://library.municode.com/index. aspx?clientId=16616. Kevin Meek, Parks Division Manager Dear City Staff, Why are there “no smoking” signs at Saratoga parks? Sign-Reading Sam Annual Neighborhood Clean-up Program The West Valley Collection & Recycling (WVC&R) Annual Neighborhood Clean-Up Program for Saratoga residents begins July 9, 2012 and continues through September 16, 2012. This annual program allows Saratoga residents the ability to place an unlimited number of items on their curbside, on their scheduled day, at no additional cost. All residents will receive a flyer in the mail two weeks prior to indicate their exact clean-up date. For additional information, residents may contact WVC&R customer service at (408) 283-9250. Entrance into the Saratoga Village Village Facade Improvement Program Village business owners with storefronts visible from Big Basin Way are eligible to receive 50% reimbursement for façade improvements up to a maximum amount of $5,000. The City encourages all interested business owners to submit an application and a project proposal. Visit http://www. saratoga.ca.us/about/village/default.asp for more information on the grant funding. Dear City Staff, Do I need a business license to operate a small business at my home? Home-Business Harriet Dear Harriet, The short answer to your question is “yes.” However, not all businesses are appropriate to operate at your home. The following link takes you to the City’s business license application form which contains general regulations for home businesses: http://www.saratoga. ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload. asp?BlobID=6098. Contact the City’s Community Development Department at (408) 868-1222 if you have additional questions. Julie Ingraham, Accounting Technician