This week's update:
- First Summer Concert of the Season is Tonight
- Are you Interested in Running for Town Council?
- Portola Valley Wildfire Preparedness Committee: Insurance Changes Tracking Survey
- Too Toxic to Trash Guide
- Fall Styrofoam Collection Event
- Wildfire Preparedness Tip 2024 Wildfire and Preparedness Apps
- Conservation Committee Tip of the Month Yellow Star Thistle
- Upcoming Events
Portola Valley Summer Concert Series 2024 - 3 Fabulous, Free, Outdoor Concerts in Portola Valley!
The Portola Valley Summer Concert Series is an annual three-part concert series that takes place on Thursday evenings after the Farmers Market in the months of July, August and September. The events are organized by the Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee, and funded by the Town of Portola Valley.
2024 Summer Concert Series
7/18/2024, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM – Fog City Swampers is a high energy classic rock cover band playing a variety of classic rock tunes sure to get people movin' and groovin’.
8/8/2024, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM – Freddy Clarke & Wobbly World is a jazz, afro-cuban, funk, world music band that brings together talented musicians from around the world.
9/5/2024, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM –Bundy Browne & Guitar Gypsy are PV local musicians playing a jammy, bluesy mix of originals and covers influenced by Americana and R&B.
Are you Interested in Running for Town Council?
The Town of Portola Valley will have 2 seats open for the November 2024 Election.
Municipal elections in Portola Valley are scheduled on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years, to coincide with the Statewide General Election
Learn more about running for office by visiting the Portola Valley Elections Page.
Any member of the public who wishes to run for public office must:
- Be at least eighteen years of age
- Be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of California
- Be a registered voter of the Town of Portola Valley
Nomination Period Now Open for the November 5, 2024 Election
All potential candidates must obtain and complete the official nomination documents that are issued by the Office of the Town Clerk. This is done during the official nomination period, starting July 15, 2024 to August 9, 2024. All documents needed to qualify for candidacy are due by August 9, 2024. In the event an incumbent does not file nomination papers by that date and time, the period is extended to 5 pm. Wednesday, August 14, 2024 to non-incumbent candidates.
Portola Valley Wildfire Preparedness Committee: Insurance Changes Tracking Survey
The Portola Valley Wildfire Preparedness Committee has launched a new initiative to track changes in home insurance policies within the community over the past three years. This initiative aims to gather data on home insurance cancellations, premium changes, and coverage adjustments that affect Portola Valley residents. Additionally, residents can provide information on their current insurance policies or indicate if they lack insurance.
The survey is designed to be user-friendly and flexible, allowing residents to complete it multiple times within a given year. For instance, if you experience a home insurance premium increase, you can fill out the form. If you switch insurance companies later that month, you can fill out the form again. Should your policy be non-renewed or canceled later that year, you can complete the form a third time.
Why Participate?
By participating in this survey, you contribute valuable information that helps the Town understand the landscape of home insurance in Portola Valley.
How to Access the Survey
Residents can access the survey by clicking here. Your input is vital to ensuring that the community remains informed and prepared in the face of wildfire risks. The committee encourages all residents to participate and provide updates whenever there are changes to their home insurance policies.
Too Toxic to Trash Guide
Help us make a safer, healthier San Mateo County, and do your part to reduce Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)!
HHW can be harmful to humans, animals, and the environment. Learn about HHW and how you can dispose of it safely in San Mateo County Environmental Health Services’ Too Toxic to Trash Guide.
Fall Styrofoam Collection Event
August 18 | 11:45 - 1PM
August 19, 20 | 10 - 2PM
Valley Presbyterian Church (Lane Family Hall)
945 Portola Rd.
The most effective way of preventing Styrofoam from harming our planet is to eliminate its use altogether, but we know this is not always possible.
VPC is once again collecting Styrofoam (polystyrene) blocks* and delivering it all to the Newby Island recycling plant in Milpitas. There it will be compressed into blocks to be sent on to sites that will find alternative uses for it, keeping it out of landfill and waterways.
* The blocks need to be clean, white, block, rigid, not squishy foam, and no peanuts. And please do not leave any outside the church after these hours.
Donations gladly accept to offset truck rental.
Wildfire Preparedness Tip 2024 Wildfire and Preparedness Apps
Since we last wrote about phone apps in 2022, there are more apps you might want to install on your phone for emergency and wildfire preparedness. Check out Genasys Protect, Pulsepoint AED, First Aid, and QuickMap.
- Watch Duty – Watch Duty should be your go-to for wildfire notifications, it consolidates fire maps and CAL FIRE incident reports.
- Genasys Protect – Shows you your Zonehaven zone and current evacuation status. Previously known as Zonehaven Aware.
- PV Connect – The Town’s app connects to the Public Works department so you can report new incidents or track existing ones.
- FEMA – FEMA notifies you of major disasters, gives tips to improve preparedness, and you can apply for FEMA assistance during disaster recovery.
- Air Quality apps – Weather, map, and fitness apps now tell you the local AQI on your phone and watch. To get many more official government details, go to AirNow.
- QuickMap – Caltrans shows you all the blocked streets, which could be useful in a disaster.
- Smoke Point – Developed by La Honda resident Gabe Schine, this app provides easy access to views from the network of Alert Wildfire cameras. Users can also report smoke and help pinpoint its location.
- MyShake –UC Berkeley notifies you of earthquake early warnings, has tips to improve earthquake preparedness, and you can report earthquakes as a citizen scientist.
- PulsePoint – Use this app to see first responder activity. It is useful when you hear sirens in your neighborhood.
- First Aid – The Red Cross has several apps for emergencies. First Aid has CPR instructions, how to use an AED, and other tips.
- SMC Alert - Every SMC resident should be registered on SMC Alert to receive emergency text messages such as evacuation warnings and orders for your evacuation zone.
Do you have other favorite apps? Please post recommendations via our Google Form or respond to this post on PVForum.
Conservation Committee Tip of the Month Yellow Star Thistle
This looks to be a banner year for Yellow Star thistle, one of our very worst invasive weeds. Please do what you can to remove this pest from your property. Your neighbors will thank you.
- Member of the Aster Family and Knapweed Genus, arrived in CA in 1850s from the Mediterranean Basin
- Prefers compacted or damaged soil, spreading rapidly along roadsides via cars and equipment.
- It has a very deep and vigorous tap root, but if you get the crown it will not grow back.
- YST chokes out most other vegetation and depletes the soil of moisture.
- The seed bank for YST can last ten years
- It is readily browsed by sheep and goats, but can be lethal to horses.
Control
- Hand pull or mow before <2% of plants are blooming (the first day you see flowers). This significantly reduces the reseeding rate. The goal is to get rid of the plants before any set seed.
- Goats effectively graze on YST, even in the spiny stage - allowing struggling native plants to receive more light and moisture.
- Replant area with fast growing natives such as native Salvias or Eriogonums (Buckwheats).
- Yearly weeding, mowing or grazing can keep YST under control afterwards, but it needs persistence for the first few years and ten years of no new plants before it can be considered gone.
More information on C. solstitialis can be found here:
UC Integrated Pest Management Pest Note:
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7402.html
California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) webpage:
https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/centaurea-solstitialis-profile/
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.
Red Cross Blood Drive - July 20th
Tam and James Horn are hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on 7/20/24 from 8:30am - 1:30pm at Alpine Hills Swim and Tennis Club in the Roadhouse. Sign ups are here:
Neighborhood Clean up - August 24th
Get ready for the next Neighborhood Clean-Up Day! Saturday August 24th 8am -11am.This event is free for Portola Valley residents - you will need to bring a copy of your GreenWaste garbage bill or the mailer insert as proof of residency.
Arts Fest 2024 - September 14th
Join local artists, authors, musicians, neighbors and friends at his celebration of the great creativity within our community. 10 AM-5 PM at Ladera Community Church. Hosted by PV Circle. Learn more: https://sites.google.com/view/portolavalleyartsfest/home
Styrofoam Collection Event August 18th
August 18 from 11:45 – 1PM and August 19, 20 from 10 – 2PM. Collection will be at Valley Presbyterian Church (Lane Family Hall) 945 Portola Rd.
Town Picnic & Zotts to Tots September 21st
Save the date for the annual Town Picnic and the popular Zotts to Tots fun run and bike race.