This week the Belmont Community lost a dedicated member.

George Metropulos, 65, served as mayor in 2003 and was on Belmont City Council from 2001-2005. He was a lifelong Belmont resident, from his first days attending Nesbit Elementary in Sterling Downs, then Ralston Jr High, and finally, Carlmont High School.

George was known for his bright personality and love of music and drama gave him an enthusiasm for life that was infectious. 

In his dedicated career in the Belmont Redwood Shores School District, George was a much-loved 2nd Grade teacher, connecting with so many Belmont families over the years. In his years on the council, he was proud to model for his students that local government is made of regular folks serving the community they love.  

George also served as a football/basketball announcer for Carlmont and gave his time and his sonorous voice as MC for many years of Save the Music Festivals, along with countless other local events. 

George was truly a local treasure and a very good human being. The San Mateo Daily Journal posted an article about him this week, click the button below to read more about our George. 

George's impact on our community is undeniable and he will be dearly missed. Goodbye dear friend and thank you for your service to Belmont. 

The County's Department of Emergency Management is asking for the public’s help in estimating the damage caused by recent storms in the unincorporated areas.

Completing this survey (also available in Spanish) will help determine if the County qualifies for state or federal disaster assistance from the storms that began New Years Eve 2022. Completing the survey does not guarantee the region or the property owner will be eligible to receive disaster assistance.

The survey is for property owners and renters as well as business owners. It only takes a few minutes to complete.

All of our parks have been reopened, with a few exceptions, just in time for weekend outdoor activities. Here's our current updates: 

Twin Pines Parks: Open, except for the rear of Twin Pines Park. Both sides of the bridge, near the Redwood Picnic area and the far end of the walking path. Please continue to stay away from the creek. The ground is still very unstable.

Open Space trails: All of our open space trails are now open, except for the Chapparal Trail. Here are some reminders if you use any of our open space trails: 

• You may encounter marked and unmarked hazards as trail conditions have changed 
• Beware of fallen trees and erosion
• Avoid wet trail sections
• Use Trails at your own risk

We will continue to share updates as they become available. We thank you for your cooperation and your patience. 

Where Does Change Begin?

Contestants are asked to reflect on their own personal experiences and role in addressing forms of injustice and consider what steps can be taken toward building a stronger community.

Original poems or essays should creatively respond to the above question in context with Dr. King's famous quote:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Excerpt from “Strength to Love,” 1963.

To learn more about submitting an entry, click on the button below. 

Employers: Minimum Wage Update
New Rules In Effect January 2023

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, all employers of employees who perform at least two (2) hours of work per week within the geographical boundary of Belmont must pay those employees minimum wages of not less than $16.75 per hour.

More information available at www.belmont.gov/minwage

Congratulations are in order for Belmont Oaks Academy's 5th Grader Maya M (pictured here flanked by her teachers) and Stella L, for taking first and second place, respectively, in RethinkWaste's 2022 poster contest.

Maya's original piece is titled, "“The Possibilities of a Jar” and Stella's original piece is titled, “Upcycling is Upgrading the Planet!”

On Thursday, their entire school came out (pictured below) to see Maya's first place artwork on display on the side of a Recology San Mateo County truck. Expect to see her work in our community throughout the year. 

Well done, Maya AND Stella, we're very proud of you, and to Belmont Oaks Academy for celebrating their achievements.  

Recreation Coordinator Danielle Giuliacci was recognized this week by the National Recreation and Park Association in its 30 under 30 Recreation professionals thriving in 2023 program. 

The association received more than 100 nominations from 28 states; Danielle is one of only two recipients from California. 

When Danielle began working for the City, she quickly realized the community’s need for a scholarship program and an all-inclusive camp program.

With little resources, Danielle reviewed, applied for, and received a $28,800 county grant to provide scholarships to underserved youth. This launched our first-ever inclusion camp in 2022. Adding to that, Danielle also saw secured Americans with Disabilities Act swings for two parks.

Her initiative meant that we were able to offer the first and only inclusion camp in San Mateo County. In addition, her scholarship program provided $9,000 toward reduced camp fees (75 - 100 percent discount) for local families.

We're proud of you Danielle, keep up the amazing work, and congratulations on your well-deserved recognition. 

Belmont Library Events
"LionDanceME"

Come celebrate Lunar New Year at Belmont Library.

LionDanceME will perform the traditional lion dance. Originally started as a high school club, LionDanceME has quickly expanded, and they have performed at various festivals and celebrations all over the Bay Area. Their colorful and spectacular lions will bring us the joy of this festival and celebrate Lunar New Year with you at our libraries.

Belmont Library
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023
10:30 – 11 a.m.

Learn to podcast
Four Week Free Course

“Create Digitally” is a series of in-person workshops for adults that are interested in using digital resources to facilitate creation.

This progressive workshop will teach adults how to write, rehearse, record, edit, and distribute podcasts. Group podcasting activities will be provided to attendees. Each session will allow attendees to get hands-on with materials and equipment used for podcasting. The desired outcome of this podcasting series will be to produce several podcasts for fun.

Starts Feb. 8, 2023
5-7 p.m.

In today’s screen-dominated world, how often do parents truly get a chance to untether their kids from the internet and feel that special bond?

In 2020, the traditional fathers-daughters dance was rebranded the “Sweetheart Dance” and is now open to all children ages 5 to 12 and any adult guardian of their choice.

The event boasts a fun night of music and dance, including silly photos photo booth, heart-shaped crafts galore, a chocolate fountain, and Princess Tiana who brings her sing-along magic. Belmont’s very own Dream Dinners is providing appetizers.

Adult Guardian tickets are $30 for Belmont residents or $35 for non-Belmont residents. Children attend for free. Need to add a sibling? Siblings are just $15.

The Hideout: Bingo Night - If you are looking for something different and exciting to do on a Friday night, this is the perfect event for you! Join the Hideout for a neon bingo night. There will be minute to win it games, video games, and a huge bingo tournament! 

The Hideout: Breakfast in the Cottage - It's time to sharpen up your cooking skills! Join the Hideout staff as they teach you how to make the ultimate Saturday morning breakfast. This class will focus on making waffles, muffins, and parfaits.

Traffic Signals Back to Work

A few traffic signals that needed some extra attention have now be restored to working order. This week, our crews resolved the issues at the signals at: 

• Ralston Avenue & Belmont Canyon
• Ralston Avenue & Alameda de las Pulgas
• Ralston Avenue & Cipriani Boulevard/Continentals Way
• Ralston Avenue & Tahoe Drive
• Ralston Avenue & Hallmark Drive 

Thank you Public Works team! 

Help us Reduce Storm Risks
Limit the impacts of flooding

Thank you to all of our residents for taking action to secure sandbags for your homes and businesses. Your patience while we replenished our supplies was appreciated. Your help in limiting our city's flood risk during winter storms is vital. 

We appreciated how proactive you were in preparing for the winter storms. You helped reduce the impacts of flooding.

Here are some tips on ways you can help minimize property damage:

Clear Leaves from Storm Drains
The changing of seasons from autumn to winter comes littering of tree leaves. We sweep residential streets every other week to remove leaves and debris.

Fallen leaves can make their way down to storm drains, where they gather and block inlets, and create localized flooding. Here are some ways you can help reduce the impact of localized flooding by following these simple steps:

• Move your vehicle from the street the night before your scheduled sweeping day.
• Do not blow yard debris into the roadway or gutter.
• Do not sweep leaves into piles taller than one foot.
• Place branches in the compost bin.
• Trim trees and vegetation back behind the curb, and be sure there is a vertical clearance of 14" over the roadway so the sweeper can clean to the gutter.

If you see a storm drain blocked/covered with leaves, or localized flooding is occurring due to blockage, rake the leaves away (if you are able) and notify Public Works at 650-595-7425.

Clean Property Valley Gutters
Valley gutters lie within a drainage easement, which are established on property plats to provide designated areas for surface run-off from private or public land to culverts and pipes, which empty into San Francisco Bay. 

Over time, if they are neglected, storm water exiting broken or blocked gutters could erode these areas, causing instability, creating potential mudslides.