For tickets or information, call Filoli weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 650-364-8300, ext. 508, or visit: www.filoli.org

In today’s busy world, we do not all have time to attend meetings to learn about what is going on. However, an informed citizenry is the foundation of democracy. Videos of Council and General Plan meetings help assure that everyone is treated fairly. It avoids some of the problems which we have all seen in the past where there was arbitrary treatment of applicants for planning approvals. Videos enable wider participation in the important decisions such as the General Plan update that impact all of us. Back in March 2007, Susan George promised to study the issue of having the Town provide streaming video as many of our neighboring communities do, but then a year later the item was unceremoniously dropped from her work list.

We firmly believe the Town should provide this service. Back in February of 2007, we brought a cashier’s check for $31,045 of our members very generously donated money to the Town and we were unceremoniously turned away — that’s right the money was refused! Susan George even refused to accept our letter to Council explaining the need and desire for web casting in Woodside. Unless the Town Council believes that it, the Planning Commission, and the ASRB work better when they are not seen or herd, web casting is a no cow brained idea.

While we don’t have microphones at the COWncil table, we can’t bring the meetings live and we don’t have the best seat in the house from a filming perspective, at least you can see and hear your Town officials in action. By the way, there has never even been any discussion with us by anyone from the Town about whether there was a way to work together to facilitate the process for those who are interested.

While we continue to believe that the Town should provide this service, as long as the Town fails to do so, we will try to continue to bring you MOOtube. We once again want to give a big holler and shout out to all of the COWs who have made donations to fund MOOtube.

It’s that time again when our little calves go pasture to pasture looking for Halloween treats. We used to have our own little Haunted house and fun night right here in Town at several locations including the last few at Woodside Village Church. We hope some day someone here in Town will have another but until then there are many fun activities and goings on in our neck of the farm. Planning ahead for a safe Halloween weekend? Below we have a list of local events and information from San Francisco to San Jose from several different sources including Haunted Bay, SFgate, and ABC7news.

Check out our Moo-tastic guide for a barn raising good time!

For family’s and kids of all ages:

Night of the Living Dead - Palo Alto Children’s Theatre
October 29 - November 7, 8 pm-10 pm; Halloween show starts at 9 pm
1305 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 463-4970

This creepy tale from the crypt is brought to life with amazing Costumes, fantastic special effects makeup and a talented cast of zombies and more. The story begins in a Pennsylvania graveyard with teens Johnny and Barbara who are out to pay their respects to a lost love one. This all changes, however, when they discover the flesh eating zombies about who are out to get them! Tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults.

The Creature: A new type of Frankenstein’s monster is shambling onto the stage in this Black Box Theater version of the Mary Shelley icon. Part love story, part horror story. Through Nov. 7. Thick House, 1695 18th St., San Francisco.

Exploratorium Creature Features: The Exploratorium goes frenetic for Halloween, with exhibits and events designed to haunt and frighten, including the Neverwas Haul, a three-story haunted house on wheels; the Cemetery of Dead Science, a creepy graveyard; plus a display of giant insects, “mad scientist” experiments (with plenty of slime), monster machines and much more. 3-8 p.m. Sat. 3601 Lyon St., San Francisco.

California’s Great America’s Halloween Haunt
Fridays and Saturdays, October 2 - 31, plus Sunday, October 25 7pm - 12am
4701 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408)988-1776 x8848
Six spine-tingling haunted mazes, four themed scare zones, one themed attraction, four head-turning live stage shows, plus the park’s collection of world-class thrill rides

Winchester Mystery House Flashight Tours

525 S. Winchester Boulevard
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 247-2101
Special 65 minute Flashlight Tours of the Winchester Mansion are given every Friday the 13th and at Halloween. You’ll tour the rambling, mysterious mansion at night with only the moonlight, a souvenir flashlight, and your imagination to provide illumination through the bewildering maze of rooms and stairways. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended as tours do sell out.

Family Halloween Day: Ghoulish games, creepy crafts, a haunted maze and Zombie Zone are on the agenda. Come in costume. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, San Francisco.

Ghosts, Terror & Evil in Opera: Fremont Opera singers will bring monsters to life in this collection of operatic tales of the supernatural. 4 p.m. today. Mission Coffee Roasting Co., 151 Washington Blvd., Fremont.

Haunted Hornet - Monster Bash: The USS Hornet, docked at Pier 3 in Alameda, will get into the spirit of things with music by the Cocktail Monkeys, tours of the Haunted Hospital, Elvira’s Fright Simulator and a costume contest. 7:30 p.m.-midnight Sat.

The Time Outs: These four musical ghouls will stage a macabre dance party featuring old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll and “kid-centric indie pop.” Kids and adults are encouraged to wear costumes, sing along, learn new dance moves and walk like a monster. 11 a.m. Sat. Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, Sausalito.

Jack O’ Lantern Jamboree: Children’s Fairyland caps its 30th annual Halloween event today with a Monster Mash Parade, 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Other events (featuring the Blue Fairy and Buki the Clown) are sprinkled throughout the afternoon. 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland.

San Francisco Ghost Hunt: Jim Fassbinder guides you to the city’s most notorious haunted sites. 7 p.m. daily (except Tues.). Queen Anne Hotel, 1590 Sutter St., San Francisco. www.sfghosthunt.com.
San Francisco Halloween Festival: Stage performances, arts and crafts booths, a haunted house and a drag queen contest - it’s all here. 4-11:30 p.m. Parking Lot A at AT&T Park, San Francisco.

For the adult part of the herd wander over to some of the clubs and bars that have adult costume contests and decore to liven up your Halloween. Check out the sources above for what’s available.

And shed sunshine, we have !! We initially conducted a poll, which had a huge response, and showed us that overwhelmingly COWs shared our concerns. We have urged the COWncil to fix the review process; to update their antiquated regulations for septic systems; to ask for the report on retaliation; stop butchering our landscaping; we asked where’s Hope Sullivan when her departure had not been announced; and warned the COWncil to be careful on code definitions. We have called attention to issues of COWmunity concern including Sudden Oak Death and Fire safety here and here. We have highlighted local events and activities. And when the Town refused to video its meetings, we took it upon ourselves to show the meetings on MOOtube.

There have been changes and improvements at the Town since we started. Both Hope Sullivan and Kent Dewell are gone. The new staff seems to be more responsive. The COWncil meetings have improved since MOOtube began. But, we still hear stories of unfair treatment. We still see long proposed reforms not instituted. See this story and this one. We still see issues that deserve more serious attention than they are receiving from our Town leaders.

We have been true to the COW Mission, which is to foster Communications among concerned citizens; to promote citizen Oversight of town activities; and to Work together for the betterment of our community. We remain strictly anonymous in the tradition of the Federalist papers. We link to our source material to assure factual accuracy. We welcome disagreement.

We look forward to continuing to discuss local concerns and issues with the herd and bringing down the barn with our fellow COWs at the next local shindig. We hope you will join us.

The meeting room at Hansen Hall at the Sequoias in Portola Valley was packed almost a hundred strong, showing the strong interest in fire safety. A representative from the Citizens Emergency Preparedness Program (CERPP), which is responsible for helping to train citizens to help their neighbors in a crisis spoke first. In Portola Valley, CERPP holds two disaster preparedness drills a year – one for fire safety, and one for earthquake safety. The representative talked about the San Mateo County Alerts program, which we’ve written about before. He laid down some scary, but important, facts about fire danger in a wildfire situation. He stated that most houses don’t actually burn from direct contact with flames, but from drifting embers drifting ahead of the main fire. The embers find refuge in eaves and roofs and decks, and start their own fires. That’s why Woodside’s new fire regulations are so important. We all need to go further and implement fire-wise landscaping and make smart choices in outbuilding and remodeling materials. It is essential to make sure the “fuel load” on your property (both in your landscaping and in making sure your roof and gutters are cleared) is kept low.

He also said that fires can spread faster than you can run, and you can’t always tell which way to go in an emergency. Firestorms are so chaotic, not even emergency providers can be certain to know the best way to flee. Accordingly, you should expect smoke, fire, horse trailers, etc. on the roads as you leave. He and later speakers all really stressed that you should evacuate as soon as you realize your home is in danger and not wait for the fire to reach you. He also stressed practicing fire drills with your family. You should be ready to leave in a five to ten minute time frame if necessary which means you should be able to lay immediately hands on important documents and “can’t lose” mementoes.

Next to speak was our own Fire Marshal, Denise Enea, from the Woodside Fire Protection District. Denise is a greatly respected official, who has always given good advice when she speaks to our Town COWncil. She spoke about small fires turning into large fires, the importance of topography on the way fire spreads. You should know your local terrain and, most importantly, create a defensible space around your house. She stated that homes without defensible space around them are most likely to burn. She showed some dramatic photographs of a house surrounded on all sides by flames but due to its robust defensible space, it survived.

She also spoke on the dangers of smoke inhalation, especially to those with respiratory illnesses, and gave some concrete advice on what to do when a fire alert is called. She suggested organizing family and pets, opening the garage door (since power could go out at your home), and grabbing documents. She did say there were some last minute steps to give your house a better chance when you evacuate such as leaving a ladder on the side of your house that reaches the roof, giving firefighters easy access to your roof; attaching a hose to any water taps you have, and taking flammable outdoor furniture and welcome mats inside the house to avoid giving embers a chance to catch. If you have time, you could also brush debris off your roof, and secure / cover any openings to your house. Especially important here in horse country, if you have large animals, don’t wait, but evacuate as soon as possible. She had a mnemonic reminder on how to stay safe: ‘PLEASE’, or Prepare, Leave Early, And Save Everyone.

The next speaker represented the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services. He reminded people again about the SMC Alerts program, and also spoke about TENS, or the Telephone Emergency Notification System (aka reverse 911), a program that can call everyone in a region (with a landline) with an emergency warning. He stressed that these systems work better together, and that people should sign up for SMC Alerts even if they have a landline and would get a call from the TENS which he stated could alert the whole of Portola Valley in approximately four minutes. He also stated that emergency officials would go door to door if necessary to alert people to an emergency.

Representatives from both Woodside Priory and from the Portola Valley School District detailed their schools’ plans for fire safety. The event wrapped up with questions from the audience, many of which were Portola Valley-centric, but some of which resulted in good general advice, such as:

o The value of having an old-fashioned land line phone that doesn’t require electricity, in order to ensure contact with the TENS.
o Microchipping pets is important since it can help reunite lost pets with their owners after a disaster.
o The fact that wood chips actually burn relatively slowly. They are generally damp and, of course, are close to the ground which renders them much safer than standing brush.

The meeting wrapped up with some sobering talk about the recent 1,000-acre Santa Cruz fire which sprang up literally overnight. While our area is better served with roads it is unlikely that such a fire could spread so quickly here, it does point to wildfire’s frightening potential for destruction.

This was a great presentation. We hope you will take the time to view it on MOOtube. In our Public Service area we have other informational videos from Woodside and the surrounding area on various Public Service topics.

This type of public education is important and appreciated as witnessed by the number of people in attendance. We urge our Town COWncil to recognize the importance of providing such information and hold a Woodside meeting.

The September 23rd meeting of the General Plan Task Force focused on the Open Space Element (read the current Open Space Element here and most of the meeting was devoted to a presentation by an outside expert, Trevor Hebert of the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, the 1200 acre natural laboratory just south of Woodside. The speaker demonstrated the power of GIS (Graphical Information Systems) technology and how it could help our Town manage our natural resources better and more inexpensively. See here for more information.

The basis of the data is airplane surveys of the ground using laser beams instead of cameras to bounce light off ground, water, and vegetation, and taking the returned light and assembling an very detailed map of the terrain at different levels. Over 500 million data points are studied. That data can then be manipulated to show the courses of creeks, different types of vegetation, fault zones, and other facts.

This technology could be used in support of Woodside’s Backyard Habitat Program (pages 31-40). It could be used to show stream corridors and natural habitat, habitat quality, and the average slope of parcels. Mr. Hebert noted that right now culverts and small bridges do not show up properly and have to be fixed manually. He told the Task Force that based on his data, and following Woodside’s definition of riparian corridors (25 feet from the bank of a stream or 50 feet from the center of a creek, whichever is greater), a surprising 13% of the Town is likely within a riparian corridor, and a whopping 50% of parcels likely have riparian corridor within their borders!

In response to a question from a Task Force member, Mr. Hebert said this data was important because creek areas are very vulnerable to damage, and damage done in one area can affect land and water upstream and downstream from the damaged site. He mentioned the problem of mud and sediment washing downstream and causing flooding, the use by wildlife of streams as highways to seek food and mates, and also stressed the value of healthy creeks in relation to property values. As he said, most people don’t want to look at ditches with muddy water running through them.

Mr. Hebert showed how the technology can show degraded environments – including some near Woodside, and speculated on what might have caused the damage. He also displayed a former nursery site that was left completely bare and damaged when the nursery closed down, and showed how nature was repairing it with new vegetation.

Another task force member asked whether this technology could reduce the need for expensive surveyors. Mr. Hebert said the answer was probably yes, but in cases of disputes, surveyors might still need to be used. He did say that he thought that his GIS maps were as accurate as anything a surveyor on site could produce.

The last interesting point was that the GIS system could show slope, and average slope over a parcel which is important when any property over 12.5% grade triggers development restrictions in Woodside.

Check the meeting out on MOOtube!

Aside from the update on the horse statue that is to placed on Village Hill, the COWncil also approved their audited 2008-2009 financial statements, a permit for an AIDS bike ride on October 17th, and a resolution allowing a company named Acterra to apply for federal money allocated to the Town of Woodside to run an energy assessment program for homes. A resolution reducing the fine for a couple who cut down some trees without a permit - a big issue at a previous COWncil meeting - was delayed to the next meeting.

The main issue was a continuation of a big controversy about the closing of a big stretch of Woodside Road to parking. Under pressure from Caltrans, which had stated its intent to unilaterally close the stretch of highway from Cañada Road to beyond Woodside Elementary due to encroachment on the bike lanes by parkers, the COWncil was scrambling to have some control over the process by implementing their own solution. Their first attempt to ram through a parking ban in July was met with frankly angry pushback by parents from the elementary school, most of whom complained that the school COWmunity hadn’t had an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal. Both Mayor Mason and COWncil member Boynton had had some skeptical words for the parents, saying that issue of parking by the school has grown worse and worse over the past few years and the school and parents haven’t taken ownership to fix the issue, which lead to pushback from the parents saying that it wasn’t just the school’s issue, but a Town issue. A clearly frustrated COWncil referred the matter back to staff and returned to it during this meeting.

What a different a few months and some outreach make! The tone of this meeting was much friendlier and more productive than the acrimonious July disagreement-fest. Town staff (especially Paul Nagengast, Town Engineer) took the lead in working with parents and the school district. – Paul deserves extra credit here for doing parking counts and being very visible during this process!

Many people spoke at this meeting, and the tone was very positive. It is generally recognized that change is necessary. Most speakers were filled with praise for how the process has gone since that July meeting. The general sentiment from both COWncil and citizens was that this attempt to fix the parking situation along the road wasn’t likely to be perfect, and would have to be returned to for tweaking with time and experience. Hopefully the hard-earned compromise will pass muster with Caltrans!

After acknowledging the work staff and school district have done, and in some cases obliquely apologizing for tempers flaring at the July meeting, the COWncil voted unanimously to approve the new parking restrictions. Here’s a list taken from the agenda item:

1. “No Stopping and Parking Anytime”, along the north side of Woodside Road (westbound) from Cañada Road to Miramontes Road.
2. “No Stopping and Parking Anytime”, along the south side of Woodside road (eastbound) from the western boundary of Roberts Market parking lot west of Cañada Road to Fox Hollow Road except during the hours 8-9:30 a.m. and 2-4 p.m, M-F.
3. “No Stopping and Parking Anytime”, along the north side of Woodside Road from Martin Lane to Kings Mountain Road.
4. “No Stopping and Parking Anytime”, along Albion Avenue from Woodside Road to Prospect Street fronting the drainage ditch on the east side and the west side to 139 Albion Avenue.
5. Authorization for signs to placed.
6. Authorization for the Town Manager to provide exceptions to the “No Stopping and Parking Anytime” on Woodside Road to accommodate special events.

We were happy to see an exception was made for special events. Parking for important Town events would otherwise be absolutely impossible. We also want to call out the homeowners along Albion Avenue for “taking it for the team” in not opposing restricted parking on their own street. This will avoid turning the whole street into a parking lot. A parking permit system for residents and their guests was talked about at the meeting. We urge the COWncil to put that program in place since these residents should be able to use their own street.. We also want to commend everyone involved for being able to work together on a solution that will hopefully improve the situation for all users of the roads. We hope the Susan George recognizes that if the Town had started a dialogue with the school and neighbors first, instead of jumping the gun in July, a lot of hurt feelings and anger could have been avoided.

Let us know what your experiences are with the new parking restrictions along Woodside Road we want to know how they are affecting you!

After the main event, the final item on the COWncil’s agenda was an uncontroversial measure to preserve some land near Barkley Park as open space. The preservation and restrictions on use of the 1.7 acres had come up last September, but the COWncil sent it back to staff for refinement. They wanted to make sure that the Town would still have the power to improve the existing trail and keep up landscaping if the agreement was put into place. Town staff managed to answer the COWncil’s concerns, and they voted for the measure unanimously.

COWncil COWmunications followed, with COWncil member Boynton reporting on the results of the Firewise advisory board meeting. In addition to COWncil member Boynton, the advisory board, includes Chief Muela, Town Manager Susan George, Fire Marshal Denise Enea, and others. They are working on its long term goals, focusing first on education on fire safety. Mayor Mason similarly reported on a League of California Cities seminar on fire prevention that among other topics, discussed the new ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ fire survival strategy. He reported that Orange County firefighters are now devoting half an hour per residence to go over fire prevention and survival strategies with homeowners. We’re glad that the safety of our Town and concerns over fire are still uppermost in our COWncil member’s minds!

The Horse Fair is held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in front of Town Hall, and has a barn full of horse-related activities for the whole family. The Fair, which is free thanks to its sponsors, is a great place for both the horse-obsessed and the merely horse-curious, with WHOA’s website declaring that the event is a great place to find a place to learn to ride and mingle with fellow horsy folks. No doubt there will be a lot of talk and a final fundraising push for the mare and foal statue on Village Hill.

Events at the Fair include watching a real blacksmith practice his craft, learning about local horse groups and their riding programs, enjoy carrot cake and apple juice with your fellow Woodsiders, and visiting the Woodside Community Museum. There’s plenty of things for young calves to do too – the Fair will have an equine petting zoo, allow children to get their picture taken on a pony, watch a puppet show, bob for apples, and decorate horse cookies! Pony rides , the delight of childhood , are also available. There is also the opportunity to ride the Wells Fargo Stagecoach , a piece of history for some and just a fun ride for others.

Selected art work by local students, will be on display during the fair. Children will also be encouraged to make their own horse-themed art during the fair.

One of the main events of The Day of the Horse is the Progressive Trail Ride ., It is described on the WHOA’s website as multi-generational, bringing together riders with differing levels of skill and from different riding cowmunities – Western, English, etc. R iders come from as far as Southern California to participate. Horses and riders are plied with food and drinks during the leisurely ride, and costumes are encouraged! Riders are also eligible for goody bags if they pass by a certain number of stops. The Progressive Trail Ride is held between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. While pre-registration has closed, the registration form says late registration is still available for $50. You can even wait until the day of the event but it’ll cost you $75 .

The 2009 Day of the Horse is a unique local event. Don’t miss it !

To check out the schedule of events, please visit the link. The website also has a list of sponsors and outfitters for the event.

To see photos of previous Days of the Horse, please visit here.

The current design is the compromise following the controversy we wrote about back in May of last year, where we told you that some members of the COWmittee wanted a statue of a horse-and-rider in western tack. That set off a tempest in a paddock, with citizens who ride English style, show jumpers and others who merely are fans of horses in general decrying it as unrepresentative of the full horse cowmunity in our Town. COWncil member Dave Tanner waded in on that issue by saying that the English style riders and show jumpers might end up wanting their own statues!

The current image of a mare and foal debuted at the 2008 Day of the Horse and since then the Landscape COWmittee has raised $80,000 of the total $100,000 the statue is projected to cost. Because the project is nearing finalization, the matter is coming back to the ASRB for input on the siting of the statue this coming Monday October 5th.

In an interesting move, instead of standard story poles for new construction, the Town has set up a life-size photo of the proposed horse statue (misleadingly in full natural horse colors, as opposed to in the color and appearance of the actual proposed statue) on Village Hill, directly across Woodside Road from the Village Pub. This is the currently proposed site for the statue. You can take a look from now until for several weeks after the COWmittee meets.

While we will welcome the foal and mare as an appropriate symbol of our Town, we are particularly glad Town funds are not paying for this project. (Of course, staff time is being used and the Town is not charging permit fees.) Preliminary review of the site has found that the statue will have to be attached to the hill with foundation piers, which will spike the cost beyond the original $100,000 forecast. We hope that in these tough economic times, the Landscape COWmittee can find enough donors to be able to finish this ambitious project without the infusion of public dollars!

Public art is often controversial so, take a look for yourself and if you have a strong opinion, you should voice it now.

· Foster homes and/or adopters for a number of adult minis.

· Farriers willing to donate their services this coming week to trim some of the minis’ hooves.

· Donated grass hay – if people can bring it to Los Altos Hills, it will be distribute d to foster homes.

· Financial gifts – the Peninsula Humane Society work is funded entirely by donations. This rescue will cost them several thousand dollars so they are asking for donations.

Any willing foster home, adopter, Farrier or donor should contact PHS/SPCA Lead Investigator Christina Hanley at her office number,
650/340-7022, ext. 384 or her work cell, 650/483-5647.

We applaud the fine work of the Humane Society and hope the mini-horses find good homes.