This week's update:
- Message from Mayor Judith Hasko; Remembering Sue Crane
- CUBdate
- Reminder; Mountain Lion Talk Tonight 6pm
- Online Registration for Spring Session Community Classes is Open!
- Are you Worried about your Home Insurance Premium?
- Hey, PV! What happened on Saturday, March 8th?
- March Tip of the Month Brought to you by The Conservation Committee
- Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley
- Save the Date Neighborhood Clean up April 26
- Weekly Tip from the Wildfire Preparedness Committee
- Woodside Fire Protection March Update
- Peninsula Clean Energy Lowers 2025 Electric Generation Rate
- Woodside Fire NEW Chipping Program
- Upcoming Events
Message from Mayor Judith Hasko; Remembering Sue Crane
To our Portola Valley community:
Sue Crane, one of our Town’s most vibrant contributors, passed away on March 14, 2025. I offer my sincere condolences to her family and friends, and I, together with so many of our residents, will mourn this loss to our community.
Sue was very well-known in our Town, but many of us knew her in one or two contexts rather than in a wider perspective. I set out below examples of the impressive range of her contributions.
In 2024, Sue received the Portola Valley Founder’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to our Town. This was a very well-deserved recognition, given the numerous roles she played for our Town: Sue was a member of the Portola Valley General Plan Review Committee, a member of the Planning Commission, a member of our Town Council and Mayor of our Town for 2 years. She was chair of the Town Center Committee that planned for purchasing the Portola Valley School and converting it to the Town Center. She further served on the Friends of the Portola Valley Library, including as President of that body, and served on committees planning for Portola Valley’s 50th anniversary celebration.
These activities represent only a portion of Sue’s contributions to our community. On a more personal level, I remember her thanking our many volunteers for their time and effort on our Town’s behalf, with a smile and twinkle in her eye. I remember her stepping in to help move more quickly a long line at the Portola Valley Bakery table at our Farmer’s Market, to help the purveyor numerous times, and her speaking directly and clearly on Town issues she felt strongly about at our Town Council meetings. I also recall Sue’s stories about co-founding Ridge Vineyards, which has become one of the premier vineyards in the country, and the hard work she and her family put in to make it succeed.
We are so very fortunate to have had Sue as our friend, colleague, cheerleader and cherished community member. Please take a few minutes and enjoy your best memory of Sue.
CUBdate
Our cubs Fern Thistle and Spruce continue to grow under the care of Hospital Keepers at the Oakland Zoo. Cubdate weight update.
Spruce: 16.3lbs
Thistle: 18.9 lbs
Fern: 14.1 lbs
CUB Trivia
🐱Thistle is the easiest to ID. He has a very light face and muzzle. His face also looks longer than the other two and his right ear tends to curl at the tip a little bit.
🐱Spruce has a dark face and muzzle with the bluest eyes of the three.
🐱Fern has a light face with a dark muzzle and is overall the smallest. She’s also still the most shy so she’s usually the last one to approach us.
With this info can you guess who's looking at you curiously in the picture above?
CUB Trivia is from the Oakland Zoo Instagram
For more CUBdates, follow the Oakland Zoo on Facebook, Instagram , or visit their webpage
Reminder; Mountain Lion Talk Tonight 6pm
On March 20 at the Town Center at 6 PM, the Oakland Zoo will present an update on our lion cubs: Thistle, Fern and Spruce. Sponsored by Portola Valley's Westridge Garden Club and Conservation Committee. The Oakland Zoo's Vice President of Veterinary Services, Dr. Alex Herman, will speak about the cub's safety, healing and future. Amy Gotliffe, Vice President of Conservation, will share about the Zoo's work to conserve this protected species since 2012 and our strategy to ensure the survival of our native lions. You must register to attend; Register here.
Online Registration for Spring Session Community Classes is Open!
We have a great line-up of classes this quarter! Online registration for Spring Session is now open, for more information regarding class offerings and how to register please click here, to find out more information!
Are you Worried about your Home Insurance Premium?
In the last 3 years:
- Has your home insurance premium increased?
- Has your home insurance been cancelled?
- Are you without home insurance?
If so, please take 10 minutes to participate in the Portola Valley Insurance Tracking Form and help the town to track changes in home insurance policies within the community. 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. You will not be asked to share your personal information or home address.
By participating in this survey, you contribute valuable information that helps the Town understand the landscape of home insurance in Portola Valley.
Hey, PV! What happened on Saturday, March 8th?
Hey, PV! What happened on Saturday, March 8th? Yet another fun evening in Portola Valley at Music Trivia Night...
Who won, you ask? Bad Brains, aka Table 7, took home the trophy with their musical proficiency. Kudos to Bob Wickers, Karen & Eric Davis, Brad Adelberg, Christie Trott, Kevin & Geri Welch, and Elana Dusse. See them touting their hardware in the photo below.
And ya gotta love the team names: In addition to Team Bad Brains, table cards read: Smartinis, Bachman Turner Third Shot Drive, PV Swingers, The Playgroup, PV Bridgers, Ormondalers, KnowItAlls, No Ideas, and TubThumpers.
We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers - Mike Chang as emcee and expert question orchestrator, Cindy Rowe as organizer extraordinaire, Steve Rowe on set-up, Jon Myers distributing awards and Bao Chang, Patty Dewes & Karen Askey helping with check-in and scoring.
The Parks & Rec Committee needs a few new members on the team. If you enjoy organizing, running, or thinking of new events that build community, please join us! More info here:
https://www.portolavalley.net/government/town-committees/parks-and-recreation-committee
March Tip of the Month Brought to you by The Conservation Committee
Did you know that Broom is:
- Highly invasive
- Flammable
- One mature plant can produce 10,000 seeds per season and can live up to 20 years
- The seeds can germinate even after 60+ years
- Seed pods can burst with enough force to fling seeds many feet away
- Outcompetes and chokes out native vegetation
- Contains alkaloid compounds that are poisonous to large domestic animals and makes pastures impenetrable
- It re-sprouts from the roots, so it must be pulled out with its roots
- The soil must be moist and large plants may need a weed wrench
- Impossible to remove once the soil is dry
French Broom
Genista monspessulana
The yellow flowers may look and smell pretty for a few weeks, but French Broom is one of our nastiest invasive local shrubs. It spreads quickly, choking out both natives and other desirable plants and it is very flammable. It is especially a problem in our Open Space Preserves.
Please consider clearing your property of this invasive shrub or ask your gardener to focus on it while the soil is still moist.
Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley
As the rainy season continues 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 (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.
Neighborhood Clean up April 26
Saturday, April 26, from 8 AM to 11 AM (no items accepted after 11 AM)
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. Hazardous materials are NOT accepted.
Weekly Tip from the Wildfire Preparedness Committee
Earthquake Survival Guide
Although January brought wildfires to top of mind, it’s a good idea to remember that Portola Valley is in earthquake country. You probably prepared for earthquakes a while ago, so refresh your preparedness thinking with the Earthquake Survival Guide from the San Francisco Chronicle. It is a compilation of their great articles from the past several years. Independent newspapers are a vanishing breed, and we are fortunate to have the SF Chronicle.
Secondly, install the MyShake app to receive earthquake early warnings.
Woodside Fire Protection March Update
This month, we’re sharing spring fire safety tips, preparedness reminders, and insights on the new Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). Plus, don’t miss our monthly “SPOTLIGHT” feature, highlighting a key home hardening tip to boost wildfire resilience. Stay informed, stay safe, and thank you for helping us build a resilient community!
National Poison Prevention Week: March 17-21
The goal of National Poison Prevention Week is to teach about the risks of poisonings at any age and increase everyone’s involvement in poison prevention.It takes place every year in the third week of March.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)
In February 2025, CAL FIRE released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA), including regions within the Woodside Fire Protection District. These maps, developed using advanced fire behavior models and current climate data, classify areas into three hazard levels: moderate, high, and very high.
Understanding Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ):
Purpose: FHSZ maps evaluate the likelihood and potential behavior of wildfires over a 30 to 50- year period, considering factors like fire history, vegetation, terrain, and typical fire weather. Hazard vs. Risk: The maps assess "hazard," which refers to the physical conditions that could lead to wildfires, without accounting for mitigation measures such as home hardening or recent fuel reduction efforts.
Watch this video by CAL FIRE to get a better understanding on Fire Hazard Severity Zones:
Stay Informed:
For the latest updates on fire hazard severity zones, defensible space requirements, and community workshops, regularly check the Woodside Fire Protection District's website and sign up for notifications.
By staying informed and proactive, residents can significantly reduce wildfire risks and enhance community safety!
Home Hardening Spotlight of the Month: Gutters
Gutters are important for collecting water but they also can collect leaves and other debris, making them susceptible to wildfire embers which can spread fire to your home. Regular clearing is necessary to reduce wildfire risk. The design and material of your gutters can also help protect your home from wildfire.
As always please check out our full monthly Public Education Newsletter and subscribe to our website to stay safe and informed!
Peninsula Clean Energy Lowers 2025 Electric Generation Rate
Peninsula Clean Energy is lowering electric generation charges for customers in San Mateo County, increasing the existing discount compared to PG&E rates. With this change, customers will now receive at least a 10 percent discount on generation costs, leading to monthly savings of approximately $7-$20 or more. Since its inception in 2016, Peninsula Clean Energy has offered its customers a discount of at least five percent below PG&E’s baseline electric generation rate, saving its customers more than $185,000,000.
Woodside Fire NEW Chipping Program
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 2-6:00 PM - Farmers Market
The Portola Valley Farmers Market will be held rain or shine. The market is open from 2 - 6:00 PM each Thursday.
Mountain Lion Talk
On March 20 at the Town Center at 6 PM, the Oakland Zoo will present an update on our lion cubs: Thistle, Fern and Spruce. Sponsored by Portola Valley's Westridge Garden Club and Conservation Committee. Register here.
Neighborhood Cleanup April 26
Get ready for the next Neighborhood Clean-Up Day! April 26, 2025 8am -11am. Free to Portola Valley Residents, bring a copy of your GreenWaste garbage bill or the mailer insert as proof of residency.
Credits:
Created with images by underverse - "register now words on spring white note book" • Francesco Scatena - "2025 BUILDING ACTIVITY AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HOUSING CONCEPT - 2025 Real Estate and Homeowner Association development concept with residential home model isolated on white" • sayilan - "The yellow spartium junceum plant" • Anastasiia - "Tax credits make ecofriendly homes more affordable with solar energy subsidies. Concept Renewable Energy, Solar Power, Tax Incentives, Ecofriendly Homes, Energy Efficiency"