Here is the April newsletter - scroll down to see index of items that includes: Stop sign, Safety Ballot initiative, Big Basin Turnaround, Water Conservation, Prospect road improvements, getting CERT certified, Stay Safe classes and upcoming May events. For the newsletter archive, visit http://www.rishikumar.com/newsletter Here is a call to action related to 1. San Jose Water insurance mailers 2. Safety - mitigating impacts of Prop 47. City Happening, Info, & News Stop sign: Join the June 7th Traffic and Safety Meeting Action Requested: Safety Ballot initiative Big Basin Way Turnaround Project Conserve water and avoid super high water bills Checkout 211 service Saratoga Flickr Group Election Officers Needed by our county Superintendent of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Retires Saratoga Schools Emergency Management Meetings Prospect Road Improvements SB 827 : Housing Bill Defeated Upcoming Events May 8th Get CERT Certified - every neighborhood needs CERT (Series) ‘Stay Safe, Stay Secure!’ Classes (Series) Grief Recovery Workshop (Series) Free Smart Cycling Training No-Cost Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day April 25th, Arbor Day April 29th, State of the city April 28th, California Native Plant Society’s 44th Wildflower Show April 27th and May 4th, Mary Poppins May 1st, Bay Area News Club Meeting May 4th, Saratoga’s Got Bollywood May 5th, Bike to the Future May 19th, National River Cleanup Day May 20th Hakone Matsuri May 20th, Saratoga Safety Fair July 22nd Car Show in Saratoga Q&A with Councilmember Rishi Kumar Visit www.RishiKumar.com/faq for the complete list Glimpses: A Pictorial View, happenings from April

1.
April 2018 Newsletter
Newsletter intern: Priscilla Widjaja
On Mobile/Tablet, View in Landscape Mode
Contents
A Note From Rishi:
Email CPUC: SJWC Insurance mailer + Mitigate effects of Prop 47
City Happening, Info, & News
● Stop sign: Join the June 7th Traffic and Safety Meeting
● Action Requested: Safety Ballot initiative
● Big Basin Way Turnaround Project
● Conserve water and avoid super high water bills
● Checkout 211 service
● Saratoga Flickr Group
● Election Officers Needed by our county
● Superintendent of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District
Retires
● Saratoga Schools Emergency Management Meetings
● Prospect Road Improvements
● SB 827 : Housing Bill Defeated
Upcoming Events
● May 8th Get CERT Certified - every neighborhood needs CERT
● (Series) ‘Stay Safe, Stay Secure!’ Classes
● (Series) Grief Recovery Workshop
● (Series) Free Smart Cycling Training

2. ● No-Cost Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day
● April 25th, Arbor Day
● April 29th, State of the city
● April 28th, California Native Plant Society’s 44th Wildflower Show
● April 27th and May 4th, Mary Poppins
● May 1st, Bay Area News Club Meeting
● May 4th, Saratoga’s Got Bollywood
● May 5th, Bike to the Future
● May 19th, National River Cleanup Day
● May 20th Hakone Matsuri
● May 20th, Saratoga Safety Fair
● July 22nd Car Show in Saratoga
Q&A with Councilmember Rishi Kumar
● Visit www.RishiKumar.com/faq for the complete list
Glimpses: A Pictorial View, happenings from April
A Note From Rishi
Call to action: Insurance mailer from San Jose Water,
Mitigate Prop 47 effects
Dear neighbors,
Here is a call to action related to
1. San Jose Water insurance mailers
2. Safety - mitigating impacts of Prop 47
#1 SAN JOSE WATER
Earlier this week, headlines in San Jose Mercury News declared “Wells
Fargo facing $1B fine” Reports: Unnecessary selling of insurance latest

3. scandal to rock banking behemoth. Read the USA Today article here
https://tinyurl.com/WellsBillionFine
As we all know, San Jose Water company has been also trying to
“position” pipes insurance for a few years now. Not 1, not 2, not 3, but
umpteen mailers that seemingly makes it a priority for us as per this “San
Jose Water company” mailer.
Seeing this insurance pitch again arrive into our mailbox has raised a few
pertinent questions:
● Is SJWC allowed to aggressively position a 3rd party insurance
company? Do we really need this insurance?
● Are they following best practice?
● Are they possibly misusing their customer contact list? Are they
making a percentage of every sales?
● Why is SJWC representing Home Emergency Insurance Solutions,
California License #0F79326 office at 601 Merritt 7, 6th floor,
Norwalk CT and an authorized representative of AMT Home
Protection Company 2200 Highway 121, Suite 100, Bedford TX
76021
Over the years, I have received a few emails from folks expressing
concerns.
Why don’t we let CPUC investigate?
Please send the letter today. CPUC is already running an investigation and
audit of San Jose Water. How about we add this to the list also?
COPY AND PAST THE SAMPLE LETTER

4. You can find the protest letter at www.RishiKumar.com/water (search for
Insurance)
Or you can pull the information from the google doc here
Let me know if you have any questions
#2 SAFETY
Join the movement to mitigate the unintended consequences of Prop 47
and Prop 57 that kicked off a spurt of property crimes. This would be a
ballot initiative that needs 300,000 + signatures to get on the November
2018 ballot. Help Us Keep California Safe. Sign the ballot form (we can
setup a date and time to meet in Saratoga). You can submit your interest
to sign at https://tinyurl.com/VolunteerTeamRishi and we will contact you
to setup a time to meet. We will likely meet every Saturday between 10AM
to Noon at the Big Basin Cafe
Thank you for the opportunity to serve Saratoga and protect our interests.
As always, I am keenly invested and interested to address Saratoga’s top
challenges and to enhance the quality of life of every Saratogan. Happy to
collaborate.
Thanks
Rishi

5.
City Happenings, Info, & News
Stop Sign ­ Join the June 7th Traffic & Safety Meeting
Our City continues to collect vehicle behavior data at the 4th and Big Basin Way
Stop Sign to determine if safety is improved as intended. The Traffic Safety
Commission will evaluate this information at a special meeting on Thursday,
June 7 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Interested residents are encouraged to attend
this meeting and share their input with the Commission. An update will then be
brought back to the City Council for review. Please consider emailing city staff
mcabute@saratoga.ca.us if you want to express your thoughts or join the June
7th meeting
ACTION REQUESTED: Help Us Keep California Safe
Join the movement to mitigate the unintended consequences of Prop 47 and
Prop 57 that kicked off this spurt of property crimes. This would be a ballot

6. initiative needs 300,000 + signatures to get on the November 2018 ballot.
Help Us Keep California Safe
­ Sign the ballot form (we can setup a date and time). You can submit your interest at
https://tinyurl.com/VolunteerTeamRishi
Please sign up below to join our fight to help qualify — and ultimately pass —
the "Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018."
https://keepcalsafe.org/ please read https://tinyurl.com/KeepCalSafe
Yes, we can make our community safer by mitigating the unintended consequences of Prop
47 and Prop 57 that kicked off this spurt of property crimes.
How about a ballot measure "Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.” for
California?
Check out https://keepcalsafe.org/
Gory details of the Initiative Measure is here
ACTION REQUESTED:
This measure will fix three related problems created by recent laws that have threatened the
public safety of Californians and their children from violent criminals. I really one of them:
Reform theft laws to restore accountability for serial thieves and organized theft gangs
Many cities are falling behind this ­ just do a google search
Please let me know if you are interested in teaming up by submitting your interest here
We gotta pull back some of the changes via Prop 47 and Prop 57
This initiative needs 300,000+ signatures to get on the November 2018 ballot.
Together let us Keep Saratoga Safe and Keep California Safe
Like their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CAsafety/

7. Conserve water and avoid super high water bills
Despite the heavy rains throughout March, the Sierra Nevada snowpack stands at only 52 percent of
normal. Efficient use of water needs to become a permanent way of life for the 39 millions
Californians.
Make use of 211 Service
Share your photos: Saratoga Flickr Group
Show us what you love about Saratoga!
There’s no better way to see Saratoga than through the eyes (or lens) of our
residents and visitors themselves! Share your photography talent in the City of
Saratoga’s Flickr Group and submit photos that show what you love about
Saratoga. Submitted photos will be considered for use on the City’s website,
social media platforms, and in other promotional materials to showcase what
makes our community special – the people & places, parks, landscapes &

8. cityscapes, culture & art, and nature & animals. For more information and to
view the Flickr group, visit https://www.flickr.com/groups/SaratogaCA
Election Officers Needed
ELECTION OFFICERS NEEDED ON JUNE 5th: Are you interested in earning up
to $200 while serving the community and seeing democracy in action? The
Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office needs 5,000 to 6,000 Election
Officers to work polling locations for the June 5, 2018 Election. Bilingual
positions are available in up to 19 different languages. (See list below.)
In addition to Election Day workers, the Registrar’s office is hiring full-time
temporary positions for its Early Vote Centers that open 10 days before the
election. These officers will receive three weeks of training to operate the seven
full-service facilities around the county. Previous clerical experience is required
for Early Vote Center workers.
Anyone can be an election officer as long as they are a U.S. citizen and
registered voter, a legal permanent resident 18 or older, or high school student at
least 16 years old.
Election officers will receive a stipend of up to $200 for their services, including
a bonus for being bilingual. Training is provided and classes will begin soon.
Early Vote Center applicants have additional vetting as potential County
employees and are especially encouraged to apply immediately.
For more information about election officers or Early Voting Center positions,
contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office at 1-408-299-POLL (7655). Online sign-up
for election officers is available under the “Volunteer” tab at www.sccvote.org.
Bilingual individuals are needed who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese
(Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese), Tagalog, Korean, Russian, Farsi, Punjabi,
Japanese, Hindi, Telugu, Portuguese, Khmer, Syriac, Tamil, Gujarati and Nepali.

9. Big Basin Way Turnaround Project
On April 10, the City received an Encroachment Permit from Caltrans for the Big Basin
Way Turnaround Project. Construction will begin when Saratoga's Fiscal Year 2018/19
funds become available.
Superintendent of Los Gatos­Saratoga Union High School District
Retires
Superintendent of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Bob Mistele
retires. Thank you Bob for your service
Saratoga Schools Emergency Management Meeting
On Thursday afternoon, a meeting was held at West Valley College with
representatives from local schools and organizations to discuss emergency
readiness, communications, preparedness, and planning. It was the second
annual meeting and participation continues to grow as school administrators
and personnel recognize the many risks they face. The group has agreed to
meet again to continue discussions.
You can expect some changes with Saratoga High Policy related to enhancing
the on-campus safety. Stay tuned.
Prospect Road Improvements
Prospect Road Improvements – Macedonio Nunez
There continues to be progress with the Prospect Road Improvements Project.
The following will take place over the next two weeks:
1) The contractors will install accessibility ramps, concrete curb, gutters, and
sidewalks at Saraglen Drive to Prospect Center.
2) BetweenMillerAvenueandKristyLanenearChristaMcAuliffeElementary School,
the contractor has started demolition for the installation of the new concrete
curb, gutter, and sidewalks.

10. 3) The City worked with VTA to temporarily close the existing bus stop near
Miller Avenue due to the demolition work in that area.
Last week, Prospect High School was on Spring Break, so the City’s contractor
used that time to install the access ramps at Lyle Drive to avoid disruption of
school day operation.
SB 827 ­ Housing Bill
SB827 housing bill that would have given the state unprecedented power over local authorities died
in the first committee hearing yesterday.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/17/major­california­housing­bill­dies­in­first­committee­heari
ng/
Upcoming Events
Start May 8th: You can be CERT Certified
In time of disaster the operations of Saratoga CERT are coordinated from the City
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as pre-planned neighborhood divisions assess the
damage in their neighborhoods, assist the injured, fight small fires, perform light search
and rescue, and fulfill disaster related tasks as needed.
See details here
http://www.sccfd.org/images/documents/community_education/CERTFlyerSaratoga2018.pdf
Every neighborhood should have an emergency response volunteer team.
Get going on May 8th, email barry.stallard@sccfd.org to get registered

13.
‘Stay Safe, Stay Secure!’ Classes
FREE Safety Class Series at Saratoga Senior Center. Santa Clara County
Fire Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, and the City of
Saratoga are hosting a series of adult and senior safety classes to keep
you prepared, safe and secure. All classes will be offered at the Saratoga
Senior Center. Call 408­868­1257 to register. Four class sessions will be
held, beginning March 21, and will present the following topics:
­ "Crime Prevention & Home Fire Safety"
­ "Be Ready: Seniors Prepared!"
­ "Preparing Residents for Home Emergencies"
­ "Preparing Caregivers for Medical Emergencies"

14. ­
Grief Recovery Workshop ­ April 22nd, and 29th, and May 6th;
4:00 ­ 5:30 p.m.
The workshops will be held at Saratoga Federated Church - Douglass Hall,
20390 Park Place, Saratoga. The Grief Ministry is providing a workshop on
self-care for those who are grieving, and those caring for others who are
suffering a loss. Come for your own sake of for the benefit of one another.
Care recipients and care providers will grow together. Consider attending
with a friend. Sessions will include practical tools, stories shared by those

15. further along the same road, spiritual guidance, recommended resources,
and fellowship with others living a similar experience. While our focus will
be on bereavement, the workshop will be helpful for those recovering from
other forms of grief, such as the loss of marriage, employment, or health.
You may register for this class by calling Peggy Beck, Grief Ministry
Coordinator, at (408)-867-1000 or by email:
peggy.beck@saratogafederated.org.
FREE Smart Cycling Training this Spring!
VTA & Santa Clara County Public Health Department is offering Smart
Cycling bicycle safety courses for FREE this spring. This is a 2-day course
with one classroom session & one bicycle riding session. If you feel
uncomfortable bicycling on busy streets, this is a great way to gain skill &
confidence. There are several different sessions at locations around the
county. http://www.vta.org/SmartCycling
No­Cost Household Hazardous Waste Drop­off Day
No-Cost Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day
Call www.hhw.org @ 408.299.7300.
- --Saturday, April 21, at County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off
sites in San Jose or Sunnyvale.
-- April 28 in Santa Clara on
Earth Day is April 22 and a good reminder about recycling and protecting our
environment. Do you have household hazardous waste, such as paint, cleaning
products or pesticides that you need to dispose of safely?
For Cupertino and Palo Alto residents, please do not make an appointment.
Contact your city's household hazardous waste program.
• Cupertino (800) 449-7587

16. • Palo Alto (650) 496-5910
If this weekend isn’t convenient, no-cost Household Hazardous Waste
drive-through drop-off events are scheduled throughout the year at locations in
San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Martin, for community members to
safely and sustainably dispose of or recycle paint, batteries, light bulbs,
pesticides, household cleaners, automotive fluids, cooking oil, cosmetics and
garden chemicals.
Maps and directions are online and provided with sign-up. Site addresses and
directions to the facilities are only made available to residents at
time-of-appointment to prevent unauthorized drop-offs and to ensure safe
collection by professional staff.
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rwr/hhw/Pages/hhw.aspx

17. Arbor Day on April 25th
State of the City on April 28th

18. Bay Area News Group meeting on May 1st
How has Saratoga News changed? Are you interested to see the old Saratoga
News stories...specific to Saratoga back?
Meet with the Bay Area News Group.on May 1st at 5:30 pm at the Masonic
Lodge on 131 E. Main St., Los Gatos.
Your chance to provide feedback
You cannot make it?
Email Mario Dianda, executive editor of community news. His email is
mdianda@bayareasnewsgroup.com
April 28th: California Native Plant Society’s 44th Show
Discover the magic of planting natives in your front / back yard
West Valley College to Host the California Native Plant Society’s 44th Wildflower
Show
(Saratoga, CA) West Valley College will host the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of
the California Native Plant Society’s 44th Wildflower Show on Saturday, April 28
from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The CNPS will showcase the plant biodiversity of Santa
Clara, San Mateo, and surrounding counties. The free event will feature a variety
of native wildflowers and plants, lectures, workshops and tours. This year’s
show will feature an “Art of Conservation” theme. Expert botanists, gardeners,
biologists, and students will be on site to interact with the public and answer
questions.
California Native Plant Society Executive Director, Dan Gluesenkamp, will
provide the welcoming lecture, Thoughts on the Magic of Native Plants at 10:30
a.m.Wildlife artist, naturalist, and author John Muir Laws will present, How to
Sketch Wildflowers, at 11:15 a.m. Howard Meyer from Mountain Feed and Farm
Supply will present an Introduction to Aquaponics at 1:00 p.m. Other lectures
and workshops will cover gardening with natives, rare plant hot spots in San
Mateo and Santa Clara counties, photography and pruning demonstrations.
Hundreds of native plants and wildflowers will be on display along with

19. descriptions of where to find them locally. Local native plant nurseries and
artisan vendors will be on site and Buck, Brush, & Bramble will provide musical
entertainment.
Tours of the West Valley College campus will showcase the native plants and
landscapes and the restoration project of Vasona Creek, which runs through the
middle of campus. Learn how the riparian corridor of the creek is being restored
with native, drought tolerant plants and innovative storm water management
techniques. The WVC Biology Department, co-host of the event, will give tours
of the department, showcasing artist Debbie Bakker’s intricate teaching murals,
current research and outreach projects, and the site of the ongoing Science
Garden installation.
The West Valley College campus is located at 14000 Fruitvale Ave., 95070. The
show will be located in the Biology wing of the Science and Math buildings,
which parallels Allendale Avenue. Free parking in Lots 1 and 2 during the event.
http://westvalley.edu/maps
Find out more about John Muir Laws at johnmuirlaws.com. More information on
California Native Plant Society Executive Director, Dan Gluesenkamp
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/about/staff.ph
CNPS photos of wildflowers are available at http://cnps-scv.org/photos/. Find
creek restoration photos at https://goo.gl/LYbTgL and teaching mural photos at
https://goo.gl/2vh3Ko.
For more information please visit http://westvalley.edu/wildflowers and
cnps-scv.org, cnps_scv@yahoo.com, or call 650.260.3450.
Saratoga High School Production of Mary Poppins
Saratoga High School’s production of Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s Mary
Poppins on April 27th/May 4th @ 7:30pm and April 29th/May5th at 2pm
Someone magical is returning this April! And she’s practically perfect in every
way. Join Mary Poppins as she uses her own special combination of magic and
common sense to teach Jane, Michael and their whole family how to value each
other again. With her jack-of-all-trades cohort, Bert, Mary Poppins turns London

20. upside down in this enchanting, irresistible musical based on the books by P.L.
Travers and the classic Walt Disney film. Saratoga High School’s production of
Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s Mary Poppins will be on
April 27 and May 4-5 at 7:30 p.m.
April 29 and May 5 at 2 p.m.
in the McAfee Performing Arts Centre, 20300 Herriman Avenue, Saratoga.
General admission is $15. Discounted, $12.50 tickets are available for matinee
shows if one purchases at least four. To purchase tickets online, visit
www.saratogahigh.organd click on the 'Buy Tickets Now' button. Or starting
from April 23, at the SHS administration office at lunchtime on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays. Tickets can also be purchased at the door before the
performance – come early!
Bike to the Future
Two teams from Saratoga High School will compete in Bike to the Future, Silicon
Valley Clean Energy’s electric bike building scholarship competition, on May 5
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Gilroy Gardens! You can join to support the

21. students, learn about clean transportation and commuting, and get bike safety
tips! The first 100 guests will receive a free ticket to the park! For more
information, visit http://www.svcleanenergy.org/biketothefuture
National River Cleanup Day on May 19th
Do you regularly notice a creek, river, or lake that is plagued by litter in
Santa Clara County? If so, we encourage you to be a site coordinator for
the annual National River Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 19, 2018, from 9
a.m. to noon. Register by March 2: https://t.co/aGFkjoi6gK
https://t.co/6pe3be6nvu
Saratoga’s Got Bollywood
Always held on the first Friday of each month in
Saratoga. Do not miss the one in May, RSVP at
tinyurl.com/SaratogaBollywood .
Hakone Matsuri ­ Hakone Gardens; Sunday,
May 20th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Hakone Matsuri is a Japanese Festival, featuring a kimono show and
sale. Admission is $5, and children 4 years and younger will be admitted
for free. There will be no available parking at Hakone Gardens, but there
will be shuttles from the West Valley College Parking Lot 5. The event will
feature Shamisen, Chorus, Martial Arts, a Tea Ceremony, a Children’s
Booth, Japanese Food and Beer, and Vendors. The event will be
supported by the Consulate General of Japan, and for more information,
you can call: (408)-741-4994, or visit www.hakone.com.
Safety Fair on May 20th

23. Car Show on July 22nd

24.
Q&A with Councilmember Kumar
Visit www.RishiKumar.com/faq for the complete list.
Rishi in the News
http://www.dailycal.org/2018/04/02/governors­advisory­committee­convenes­help­select­new­uc­reg
ents/
http://www.indiapost.com/bollywood­event­showcases­bay­area­talent/

25. Glimpses ­ A Pictorial View
Saturday Morning “Cappuccino and Conversation” with
Rishi

26.
Neighborhood Watch and CERT Meeting at Friendship Hall

27.
Annual Pancake Breakfast ­ Saratoga Fire Department
With former Saratoga Captain John Hirokawa

28.
College Admissions Seminar in Saratoga

29.
L to R Sophia Kao, Seema Kumar and Hoi Poon

30.
Color Run by the Youth Commission

31.
California Department of Education “K­12 Computer
Science Implementation Panel Meeting

32.
Saratoga Bollywood Night