This week's update:
- Town Hall Closed for Presidents Day
- Conservation Committee -What's Blooming Now
- Annual Portola Valley Town Broom Pull
- Conservation Committee -Tip of the Month
- Trivia Night Recap
- Hawthorns Area Design Meeting Thursday 2/29, 6PM to 10PM
- Wildfire Preparedness Committee Weekly Tip
- Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley
- Upcoming Events
Town Hall Closed for Presidents Day
Town Hall will be closed on Monday, February 19, 2024 for the Presidents Day Holiday.
Per the Town's Noise Ordinance, No construction/landscaping activities allowed on February 19th for Presidents' Day.
Conservation Committee - What's Blooming Now
Manzanita
Arctostaphylos spp.
One of the first bloomers of the new year is Manzanita, a local native that thrives in the poor soil and low-water conditions of much of our area. Their native range is from southern British Columbia through the West and into much of Mexico, with approximately 100 species and subspecies, many of which have been cultivated. There are Manzanitas that are appropriate for sandy or clay soil, full sun to half shade, and range in size from very low groundcovers to full sized trees.
Manzanita are evergreen and the trunk and limbs have a beautiful reddish/orange bark that peels in an attractive manner and can lend a striking architectural look when pruned well. The bare branches are beautiful as part of arrangements. The wildlife value of this plant is high due to the profusion of flowers in the winter and summer berries which support a number of native birds and other animals.
Some manzanitas can be fire hazards, but with appropriate selection, placement and maintenance others can be fire safe. Homeowners should consider defensible space guidelines before planting them near their homes. The Conservation Committee has produced a separate resource describing understory habitat and defensible space, available through the town website.
Check with your local nursery for help finding the appropriate variety for your landscaping needs.
Did you Know?
- Manzanita means "little apple" in Spanish?
- The berries are edible and can be eaten by themselves or ground into a meal.
- Native Americans made an herbal tea from the leaves to treat poison oak rash.
- The ‘Dr. Hurd’ manzanita variant was discovered here in Portola Valley and is a very popular tree-sized form that tolerates a wide variety of local conditions.
- Most manzanita do not tolerate summer water once established.
- There is a manzanita appropriate to replace almost all standard landscaping plants and they support a much wider array of insects, the basis of our local biome, which are rapidly becoming critically endangered.
Annual Portola Valley Town Broom Pull
Sunday March 3, 2024
Sponsored by the Portola Valley Conservation Committee
Please join the Portola Valley Conservation Committee, community volunteers and Scout troops and spend a couple of hours pulling this invasive weed from public lands and rights-of-way.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the Historic Schoolhouse – we will be done by noon.
Bring friends and neighbors – it’s a fun way to contribute a little muscle power and tackle this problem as a team
Conservation Committee - Tip of the Month
Seedlings: Native Plant vs Weed
After our recent rains lots of things are sprouting up. To provide the best chance for natives to survive we find it easiest to get the weeds out early, while they are still small and the soil is moist.
Here are a few photos of young plants, both natives we want to encourage, as well as those invasive weeds that are should be gotten rid of early.
Native Plants
Weeds
A few photos of seedlings of our most obnoxious invasive weed species.
Trivia Night Recap
What’s a Trivia Trifecta? A beautiful evening, incomparable contestants & volunteers, and fabulous fun! Parks & Recreation would like to thank all our wonderful residents for their can-do attitudes, great minds, and being gamers on Saturday. WE GOT BRAIN AND WE GOT SOCIAL!
We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers - Danna Breen & Susan Adams at Registration, Dipty Parikh on the popcorn machine/set-up, Ellen Lussier taking photos (and helping with popcorn/set up) Beth Rabuczewski, Bao Chang & Mia Banks as scoring wizards, Patty Dewes & Cindy Rowe addressing our thirst, and the infamous Jon Myers as Super Emcee.
But who won, you ask? The Waysiders, captained by Katherine Maslyn, took home the gold and the Know-It-All title. Perhaps those Nerds Candies from a round win fueled them to the finish line! Photo below: Back row, L to R: Gary Ellis, Fay Ellis, Chris Buja,Nathan Hanley, Bonnie Crater, Jessica Reynolds Front row, L to R: Katherine Maslyn, Gary Reynolds
One of the questions was, “Who Was Portola Valley’s First Mayor?” If you thought Bill Lane, as many folks did, you thought wrong. Only one team, the runner-up Got Governance?, captained by Mary Hufty, aced this question…answering Nevin Heister - you can read a bit more about Nevin here: https://www.almanacnews.com/morgue/2002/2002_09_25.hiester.html
Team names were clever, clever, and clever as well. Here they are, in order of final point counts, behind Waysiders and Got Governance?: Team Craneal; Rusty’s Fan Club; Um, Actually; Brookside Bombers; Purple Haze; Barnum-No Bailey; The “A” Team, aka, The Quizzly Bears, A Streetcar Named Quizire, Team TurnQUIZt (Just Not Last Place!!), Ormondalers, and Trivial Pursuit of Happiness.
Attached are some photos of the event for viewing pleasure. Until next time! Happily Brought to You by the PV Parks & Rec Committee :-)
Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - Learn About the WFPD Fuel Mitigation Ordinance 23-03
Over the past several months, WFPD Marshal Kim Giuliacci has conducted a great deal of outreach on the upcoming Fuel Mitigation Ordinance 23-03, which will have its first reading at the Feb-27-2024 WFPD Board Meeting. All existing and new homes will be affected.
The WPC dedicated 2 meetings for workshops, and all district residents are encouraged to review the workshop slides and the Town’s recordings. The Nov-15-2023 workshop presented the ordinance, and in the Jan-15-2024 workshop, FM Giuliacci responded to all the feedback she had received. Both WPC meetings were well-attended.
WFPD’s goal is that all district residences be inspected every 3 years. Homeowners are highly encouraged to schedule a Home Assessment. Homeowners will gain the most knowledge and understanding if they are present to walk through the property with the inspector. A report will be emailed within 48 hours, and homeowners will be able to upload photos to show continual progress in mitigation.
Hawthorns Area Design Meeting Thursday 2/29, 6PM to 10PM
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space is developing a plan to open the 79-acre Hawthorns property for public access. The Public Access Working Group (PAWG) for Hawthorns will hold a meeting on Thursday, 2/29, from 6pm to 10pm, with the goal of finalizing an access point along Alpine Road, parking lot placement/layout, and trail use.
Information about the Hawthorns Area Plan can be found here:
https://www.openspace.org/what-we-do/projects/hawthorns-area-plan
The 2/29 meeting will be held at MidPen’s Administrative office, 5050 El Camino Real, Los Altos. A Zoom link and agenda materials will be shared closer to the meeting date.
The meeting overview reads: PAWG to discuss updated conceptual design alternatives including parking and driveway options, internal trail system and connections, trailheads, trail uses, and local and regional connectivity opportunities. Receive public feedback.
Here is a link to the agenda materials from 12/16/23. You will find detailed information and drawings that show access and parking alternatives.
https://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/Hawthorns%20PAWG%20Mtg%204%20-%20PACKET_0.pdf
It is important to send your feedback and opinions to MidPen asap and prior to the 2/29 meeting, as decisions may be made. Send your feedback to info@openspace.org in order for your voice to be heard.
Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley
As the rainy season starts it is good to be prepared for winter storms. The town has resources to help. You can review the Winter Storm Preparedness page for tips on how you can protect your home. Click here to view the page.
The Town of Portola Valley provides a complimentary emergency supply of sandbags to help its residents protect property from flooding during the rainy season.
The self-serve sandbag station is located at Portola Valley Town Center along the southern driveway, across from the basketball courts. The station is accessible daily and will remain available through the end of the rainy season. Learn more about the sandbag station here
Emergency Contact Information
This is also an advisory to Town residents to please notify Town Staff if you see a downed tree, or other hazard, that blocks a trail or a roadway. During regular business hours, call 650-851-1700 x200 (8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday). On weekends or outside business hours, please call the County Dispatch at 650-363-4000, who will then alert Town staff, authorized members of the Public Works Committee, or the Fire Department. For additional important contact information, please visit the Town’s website.
Up-to-Date Weather Forecasts
For up-to-date weather forecasts and weather-related advisories, please visit the National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov.
The self-serve sandbag station is located at Portola Valley Town Center along the southern driveway, across from the basketball courts. The station is accessible daily and will remain available through the end of the rainy season. Learn more about the sandbag station here.
Upcoming Town Events
Councilmember Hufty Office Hours
Councilmember Hufty holds office hours in the Heritage Room every 2nd and 4th Wednesday 10 AM to 12 PM.
Every Thursday 2-5:30 PM - Farmers Market
The Portola Valley Farmers Market will be held rain or shine. The market is open from 2 - 5:30 PM each Thursday.
Annual Portola Valley Town Broom Pull
The Portola Valley Conservation Committee and Scouts will gather at the Historic Schoolhouse Sunday March 3, 2024 9am.