Severe Winter Weather

The Hayward area is being pounded by a series of powerful storms driven from the Pacific this week. The most severe is scheduled to hit on Wednesday. The intense winds and rain have already caused power outages and flooding across low-lying areas. Please take the time now to prepare in advance and assure your family a safe winter as the storm passes through.

During Severe Winter Weather, if it has been raining hard for several hours, or steadily raining for several days, be alert to the possibility of a flood. Listen to local radio or TV stations for flood information and know what the terminology means:

Urban and/or Small Stream Flood Advisory- Alerts the public to flooding that is only an inconvenience (not life threatening) to those living in the affected area. This advisory is issued when heavy rain will cause flooding of streets and low lying areas places in urban areas. Also issued when small rural or urban streams are expected to reach or exceed bank-full.

Flood Watch- A flood is possible in your area. Those living in the flood plain are urged to be ready to take action if a flood warning is issued or observed.

Flood Warning- Flooding is occurring or is imminent in your area. Heavy rain in a widespread area can cause continued soil saturation.

Flash Flood Watch- Flash flooding is a possibility or a close watch in your area. Those in the affected area are urged to be ready to take action if a flash flood warning is issued or if flooding is observed.

Flash Flood Warning- A flash flood is occurring and signifies a dangerous situation. Very heavy rain that falls in a short period of time can lead to flash flooding, depending on local terrain, ground cover, soil saturation and initial creek conditions.

Listen to local radio and NOAA Weather Radio for weather reports. TV stations for information and advice. If told to evacuate, do so as soon as possible. Be alert to signs of flash flooding, mudslides and be ready to evacuate on a moment’s notice. Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks, and storm drains. Do not drive around barricades; they are there for your safety. Prepare for the power to be out for some time.

When traveling outside your normal area, check to make sure those local areas are safe to visit and that driving conditions are safe to travel. Know what to expect and know your area’s flood risk. If unsure, call your local planning and zoning department. If you live in a flood plain, check to see if you have insurance that covers flooding. If not, find out how to get flood insurance. Keep insurance policies, documents, and other valuables in a safe deposit box or another secure water tight location. If forced outside, wear several layers of loose fitting, light-weight warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Have a Family Disaster Preparedness Guide ; Prepare 72 hour (minimum) kits for your home, workplace and car. Understand what and how to use the items available to you. Move your furniture and valuables to higher floors of your home or work. When a Flood Watch is issued, identify where you could go if told to evacuate. Choose several places, a friend’s home, in another unaffected area, a motel, or a shelter.     

Sand bags are available to all City of Hayward residents during rain storms free of charge (up to 12 bags). The bags are located in front of the City’s corporation yard at 24505 Soto Road. Assistance is available upon request to load the bags. If you need assistance during the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Monday through Friday the office can be reached at 510-881-7745. After hours residents need to call the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7000.

For detailed, updated weather information just for your area, please see our website at:  www.hayward-ca.gov  Click on the red “Disaster Preparedness” button then, click on the  “Severe Weather” button or contact the Hayward Fire Department Emergency Services Office for additional information at (510) 583-4948.

State Sen. Ellen Corbett and board member Carole Rogers responded with sharply worded letters of there own.  Click below to read the letters…

An Open Letter to the Community

From Rajendra Ratnesar, M.D.

Straight Talk about the Future of our Hospitals

This past year our area hospitals have experienced the greatest challenges in their history. We are facing a state deadline to rebuild Eden Medical Center, while struggling to find a solution for San Leandro Hospital. Despite efforts to boost business and invest heavily in new technology, San Leandro Hospital maintains an average daily census of 50 patients and suffers devastating financial losses that cannot be sustained over time.

Our efforts to save San Leandro Hospital have been substantial, and the local community has voiced their support for the hospital and caregivers. But that is not enough.

Our 2008 agreement with Sutter Health gives Sutter the legal right to take ownership of San Leandro Hospital. It is our wish to work with Sutter and Alameda County Medical Center to find a regional solution that addresses the complex issues faced by all of our hospitals, and find the right mix of services that the community needs and will use.

Recent efforts by two District Board members are stopping that progress and seriously threatening the future of all of our hospitals. In their well-intentioned attempt to save San Leandro Hospital, they are posing a serious threat to San Leandro Hospital, Eden Hospital, the future Sutter Medical Center in Castro Valley, and services at Alameda County Medical Center.  The District has been sued by Sutter Health which is seeking to enforce the 2008 agreement by Sutter Health forcing the District to deliver and convey title of San Leandro Hospital to Sutter.  Sutter Health is also seeking delay damages in excess of $5,000,000 due to the District’s alleged breach of the 2008 agreement.

What is happening?

The two Board members, encouraged by vocal supporters and labor unions in San Leandro, are secretly attempting to have the District attempt to rescind the agreement with  Sutter Health which was approved by the District after five public meetings in 2007 and  which lead to Sutter’s commitment to rebuild Eden and support San Leandro Hospital. They wish to undo the agreement despite legal advice from two different law firms stating that the 2008 agreement between the District and Sutter is not likely to be overturned and that the District could be liable for substantial damages.

What will be the consequences of their action?

First, their ongoing spending to fight the agreement has cost the District nearly $400,000 in legal and consultant fees. If they continue, and the District cannot prove its case the findings may lead the District to bankruptcy.

Second, if they pursue action to undo the agreement, Sutter Health may be released of its obligation to rebuild Eden Medical Center. They can simply abandon the project. It would be far easier to abandon the project and pursue their damage claims than invest the full $320 million in a community that is not supportive of their efforts. Without a new hospital, Eden Medical Center will close its doors in 2013.  Furthermore, because of the legal cloud over ownership of San Leandro Hospital, there is a substantial risk of closure of the facility as well by next summer,

 How has this happened?

The actions of these Board members have gone unnoticed by most residents of the communities we serve. Their efforts have focused on San Leandro, and have ignored the rest of the District communities of Castro Valley, Hayward, San Lorenzo and a portion of Union City.

What can you do?

All residents of the District have a say in this matter.  The Board of Directors represents the entire District, not just San Leandro.  Because of their focus on San Leandro, we may lose both hospitals. This is wrong, and it is time for all residents to step up and say so.

The Board of Directors needs to hear that the residents of the District who supported the decision in 2008 in greater numbers are still supportive of the agreement and want the new hospital to be built.

As well-intentioned as the efforts to save San Leandro Hospital may be, they are ignoring expert advice and threatening the future of Eden Hospital, San Leandro Hospital and Alameda County health services by trying to undo the previous agreement rather than trying to find a solution by working constructively with all parties, Sutter, Alameda County Medical Center and the County of Alameda.

It is important for the entire community to speak on the subject and, so far, the District has heard primarily from members of the San Leandro community.

Attend the next meeting of the Eden Township Healthcare District and express your opinion:

 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at the HARD Administrative Offices, 1099 E Street, Hayward

Senator Ellen M. Corbett responds to letter regarding San Leandro Hospital

SACRAMENTO – Senator Ellen M. Corbett (D-San Leandro) issued the following statement in response to the letter sent out by Dr. Ratnesar:

“This statement does not accurately reflect or describe the efforts of the Eden Township Health Care District Board.  This Board has worked diligently to stop the closure of a critical hospital and emergency room that serves all of Alameda County’s residents.  They are working to protect a public asset and ensure that San Leandro Hospital does not become a victim of Sutter Health’s ongoing pattern of irresponsible practices.”

“This letter is disingenuous, inaccurate and another scare tactic to stop the public from fighting the closure of their hospitals in Castro Valley and San Leandro.  In public meetings over the last two years, health care providers, Alameda County officials, and residents have talked about options to keep both our hospitals open.  The only voice that has not been part of the discussion for a solution has been Sutter Health.  It is Sutter Health that has filed the lawsuit that threatens to spend the important remaining assets of the district instead of agreeing to a thoughtful and legitimate mediation process that allows for a less costly solution.”

“In addition, this letter inaccurately describes state deadlines for seismic compliance.  There is substantial time to meet current mandates.  I have successfully worked with the state in the past to make sure these deadlines do not impact local health care facilities and I will continue to do so in the future.”

“I also encourage the public to attend the meeting on December 16^th and voice their support for keeping both of our hospitals open”

For more information, visit Senator Corbett’s web site at http://www.sen.ca.gov/corbett

According to the new tenants of 3199 Alvarado St. in San Leandro, they took down the landmark (albeit dilapidated) Levitz spike n’ sign about three weeks ago. It has been replaced with their own Dependable Logistics Services sign, which is about half as high as its predecessor. Dependable, a warehousing and trucking company, signed a 13-year-lease for the 260,000-square-foot space nearly a year ago.

Luke Sims, San Leandro’s director of community development, said current zoning would never allow for something as tall as the Levitz sign. He did acknowledge that it was an unusual piece of the skyline.

“The Levitz Needle,” he said. “Yeah, that was kind of a skewered, ’60s-looking thing.”

Dependable general manager Trevor Schirmer said the surrounding community had wanted the big sign taken down, and they were happy to oblige. It has been dismantled and scrapped.

“Now you can look at our sign and make it your landmark,” he said.

Photo is of the Levitz sign in happier discount furniture days, taken by Studio H on flikr one morning in 2005.

An old Union Pacific steam-powered locomotive is on tour in the area, and will be making a run from Oakland to Stockton on Wednesday morning.

According to the UP tracking site, our leg will bring it through San Leandro, Ashland, Cherryland, Hayward and Union City! It is scheduled to leave Oakland at 9 a.m. and arrive in Stockton around 11:30 a.m., so those with an inkling to see some vintage steam action should plan accordingly.

The planned course follows the rails next to the BART tracks, down San Leandro Street, Western Boulevard and Whitman Street.

We’re trying to figure out the best spot along the route to watch this magnificent machine chug through. Any suggestions?

Around these parts, it’s expected to remain more than 100 degrees warmer than that, for the time being.

East Bay School Cuts Showdown as Hayward Teachers Rally Today Against Music, Smaller Class Size Hits

Marching Band to Join 3:45 p.m. Protest Over $12 Million District Cuts List

HAYWARD — Sparked by the state budget crisis, the Hayward Unified School District’s plans to find $12 million in “savings” for next school year by potentially cutting all elementary instrumental music and class size reduction efforts  — and scrapping high school art and other electives – is prompting a protest rally at Birchfield Park this afternoon. Teachers and members of the award-winning Hayward High School student marching band will attend, and the “Angry Tired Teachers Band” of Hayward High educators will play rock protest songs.

“This district is making the same mistake as the governor and lawmakers in Sacramento by trying to balance the state budget on the backs of students,” said Kathleen Crummey, president of the 1,330-member Hayward Education Association. “Music and arts programs are vital to a well-rounded education, and instrumental music in the lower grades is crucial to strong programs in middle and high schools. The district will have about $11 million in reserves and therefore should not be looking at such severe classroom cuts.”

Among widespread cuts being considered for the next school year, the district is considering ending the 20-student class-size caps in K-3 classrooms and changing the high school block system of scheduling to give students a choice of only taking six classes per year instead of eight, which could eliminate high school music and art programs.

*WHAT: Protest rally by hundreds of teachers and students against music and other cuts now among $12 million in budget “savings” under consideration by the Hayward Unified School District for the 2009-10 school year.

*WHEN: 3:45-5:30 p.m. TODAY, Tuesday, Jan. 13.

*WHERE: Birchfield Park, Santa Clara at Winton streets, across from the main post office in Hayward

Hayward power plant foe and recent City Council candidate “Redwood” Rob Simpson has a 1,000-strong forest of 2-foot-tall redwood trees on his Grandview Avenue lot that he’s willing to give away to anyone who wants to plant one.

Simpson’s been doing this for years, he said, and started because he felt “environmentally responsible” for driving a large car. He didn’t want to downsize his transportation – Simpson is a pretty tall guy — so he started giving away the trees as a mitigation measure. This batch will bring his grand total up to 31,000.

“I’m just spreading my seed,” Simpson said.

Anyone who wants a tree should contact Simpson at www.redwoodrob.com or 510-909-1800.

So, what do you think? Pros, cons?