Silicon Valley Impressions Summer 2015
Happiness is being a Superintendent: Polly Bove Cupertino’s Cop for Life: Sgt. Rick Sung food revolution Cleaning Milpitas: and more... Mayor Jose Esteves
ISBN 978-0-692-40495-9 Your Grocery Market in the Bay Area Since 1987 www.marinafoodusa.com
~ Fresh exotic fruits and vegetables ~ Meat cut to order ~ Live Seafood ~ Deli SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 3 conTENTS
5 A Cop for life - Rick Sung 8 The Cupertino Food Revolution 2015 ! 13 Society 14 crossing Guards 16 The case for protected bike lanes 19 Clean House: Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves 22 aim through College instead of aiming at college 24 many castles on the hill Bay Area Hi Tech Architecture 28 APAPA Leadership Profile Submit letters and articles to the following address: Dr. Hsing Kung [email protected] 29 journey to the west Visitors from Hunan Silicon Valley Impressions 20111 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite #280, 30 connected community Cupertino, CA 95014 Cupertino Library Foundation Silicon Valley Impressions Team 33 Book Review Don Sun | Publisher Boys In The Boat Beverly Lenihan | Editorial Advisor Ling Ling Kulla | Editor 35 Polly BOve James Gong | Photographer Happiness is ... Ragini Sangameswara | Graphic Designer 39 FUHSD Teachers of the year
Cover photos: San Francisco 100th Year - James Gong Crossing Guards - James Gong Sunset - Adam Bartlett (Age 7) by Osh Bartlett Aspiring Surfers - Ruby Brownlee and Ryder Bartlett (Age 2) by Osh Bartlett
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 4 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM message from the publisher
svi magazine an open society media publication. copyright©2015
w hen a local firefighter held the first issue of The Silicon Valley Impressions magazine, and she said “I like the smell of the newly printed magazine. Nice!” “I know her, Hung Wei. She helped my kid in school!” A dad pointed at Hung Wei’s picture on page 22 in our first issue and said.
Living in Silicon Valley for over 20 years, I have seen so many people working together to help others in the community. There are many organizations in Silicon Valley that consist of volunteers who want to help others. These individuals and organizations gave me a wonderful experience as an immigrant living here. Since I started my own volunteering journey, I have been enriched constantly by my experiences with these people and organizations. It has been my dream to have a publication devoted to the community’s people, events, and the positive energy we generate.
After years of preparation, I am finally able to offer Silicon Valley Impressions Magazine to our community and the people I admire and love. With the talent and passion of a wonderful team, we are proud that we can write and promote the selfless human love and devotion of the people who live in the same place we all call home, Silicon Valley.
In each issue, we try our best to write about and portray a variety of people who work to better the community. Whether they are high-profile leaders or silent heroes, we will give each of them an equal amount of attention and care respectfully - our effort is small, but we will continue to do more for those people.
Don Sun
About this issue S ummer is here! Although temperatures in the Bay Area can reach 90 to 100 degrees, we are proud to keep our temperatures comfortable in this issue mainly because of the people in our magazine: the warm Polly Bove, the cool Sgt. Rick Sung, and the mild Mayor Jose Esteves.
Many thanks to architect Jorge Salem, Apple employee Anastasia Novozhilova , and Beverly Lenihan from the Library Foundation for your contribution to this issue on architecture, bike safety, and cool things about our local Library. We are honored to introduce Dr. Hsing Kung, who has done so much as an entrepreneur and as a philanthropist. Finally, a warm welcome to a Hunan Chamber of Commerce group on its tour to the U.S. Best wishes to them and to all the people who travel to other countries this summer. And yes, we have summer reading for you introduced by Joe and Ann Cleaver - The Boys in the Boat.
We are grateful to all the community service people whose love and dedication have inspired us. We cannot write about all of them in one issue, but we will continue to write about them one by one, issue after issue.
The Silicon Valley Impressions Team
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the writers and interviewees. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Copyright notice: No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing. Silicon Valley Impressions owns all rights to contributions, text and images, unless previously agreed to in writing.
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people A cop for life Rick Sung
Rick Sung, division commander for The West Valley Patrol division’s questions about his job here. Saratoga, Cupertino, and Los Altos new commander Rick Sung had his Hills talks to SVI about fighting mind set on being a cop since he “I am very honored to be back to crime, traffic safety, and being was 15 years old. Even though he the West Valley Division,” said a police officer in times of great had tried a few successful ventures, Rick, who is responsible for the he was not fulfilled. Then, in patrol operation of 960 square challenges. 2002, he graduated from the police miles of Saratoga, Cupertino, and academy and became a deputy Los Altos Hills. W hen you ask young children sheriff. He was happy and he has what they want to do when they never looked back. “We are very safe here in grow up, you will hear a few say “I Cupertino; there isn’t much violent want to be a cop.” Cops are among Silicon Valley Impressions crime and even property crime the most omnipresent community magazine (SVI) welcomes rates are relatively low compared people easily identified by children. Rick’s return to the West Valley to other cities with a large amount They fight the bad guys and protect Community and asks a few of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. us.
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Nevertheless, there is crime. number: Our call takers will ask a have permits. If not, they can be Right now, the local communi- series of questions when they get a cited. Don’t deal with them; just ties are facing a rise of burglaries. call. Please be patient; even when tell them (the persistent people) that Fighting crime needs the support the call taker is asking questions, you are going to call the sheriff. of the community. No law enforce- not everything stands still. They This will help to deter them. ment entity can achieve that alone. are dispatching the reports and A place is only safe when the the messages get relayed to our 7. Cell phone speed dial community is involved.” officers, who can take action right Number 1 for Cupertino: 408-299- away. Many times, they will be at 3233. You also can call 911, but He said that the power of the the scene even before the emergen- this is more direct. community is critical to any part cy call is over. of police work: “A couple of 8. Teenagers at home: Carry weeks ago, burglars started to 3. Where do the burglars come your phone all the time; always attack the Southwest region of from? Most of them come from lock the windows and doors, and Cupertino. When a neighbor saw outside of our areas: places such as always know where your exit is. If the suspects in a car parked outside Stockton, San Francisco, Hayward, the window is the only exit, use it of a house, she called the sheriff’s Tracy, Oakland, East Palo Alto, and to save your life. Just because you office and gave the house address, recently some from San Jose. The are home doesn’t always mean that an accurate description of the burglars may start somewhere in you are 100% safe. When driving, suspects, the car’s license plate the Bay Area and sweep through it is illegal to use earphones on both number, and the occupants’ activi- a few neighborhoods to finish in ears because it stops the driver from ties. Officers arrived in 45seconds , another part of the area at the end hearing emergency vehicles. For caught the suspects, and recovered of the day. the same reason, having earphones all the properties that they were or playing loud music may keep trying to steal”. 4. The impatient burglars: you from knowing what’s going on Until a few months ago, burglars in the house. You may not be able would knock on doors to make sure to hear when someone breaks into that people are not home. Because your house. You can put yourself in Tips from Commander Sung they have discovered that houses serious danger when a burglar goes on protecting your neighbor- are empty most of the time, they so deep in the house that you have hood from the attack of have done away with the knocking. a face-to-face encounter. Some burglars: The new behavior has evolved into suspects may act violently toward just going straight into the house by children, so please make sure that 1. Be vigilant and stay kicking the door open or breaking you can hear any movements and focused; most of the residents in a the windows. sounds in the house when you are neighborhood know who belongs alone. to the community and who doesn’t 5. The home-aloner: Please belong. If you see people wander- don’t engage with anyone who 9. Other helpful items: ing around your neighborhood breaks into your house. Always Surveillance cameras and burglar who don’t look like they belong, know your exit; let the burglars alarms are always helpful. We especially when they are doing know that you are inside the house. recommend having one of the something weird, like driving up Be careful when you leave the cameras point outward to the street and down the street or knocking house; it could be that they have to capture suspects’ vehicle descrip- on someone’s door, give us a call partners outside and waiting in the tion or possibly the license plates and our deputies will go there and car. If you can safely get out the of burglars at a neighbor’s house take a look. Remember to give us house, do so and call the sheriff’s across the street. The new high-tech as accurate account of the strang- office on your cell phone. camera today is in high resolution ers’ appearances as possible: race, and we can see everything very height, clothing, associated vehicle, 6. The door-to-door salesper- clearly. and any other physical traits that son: If someone knocks on the door can help the officers to identify or rings the doorbell, you don’t 10. The Neighborhood Watch them. have to open the door; just say “I Program is sponsored by the am not interested” In Cupertino, National Sheriffs’ Association 2. Calling the emergency door-to-door salespeople have to (NSA). www.sheriffs.org
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Neighborhood Watch programs are managing traffic tickets for the officers, whenever there is danger managed by the city government county and the state. of exposure to contagious disease, involving the following activities : the officer has to go through “When pedestrians and drivers are months of testing and treatment. ● Work with the police or next to each other sharing roads, Almost every time the level of sheriff’s office. These agencies are it can get very dangerous. We force applied in the situation is critical to a Watch group’s credibil- are trying to minimize the risk by justified”. ity and are the source of necessary doing what we believe is right for information and training. our community. We receive many Why not shoot the person in the complaints from residents who arm or the leg? “We are trained to ● Hold regular meetings to live in school zones about people stop the threat. Deploying deadly help residents get to know each who speed and who don’t stop for force is always the last resort for other and to decide upon program pedestrians, especially for children an officer. When a suspect is at strategies and activities. who walk or ride their bikes to close range with an officer, he school. Drivers often use the bike can close the gap between them ● Ask people who seldom lane to pass other cars in their way. in a matter of seconds. We must leave their homes to be “window But when kids go to school riding stop the threat instantly; there is watchers,” looking out for children their bikes in the bike lanes, they no time to aim at the arm and leg. and reporting any unusual activities rightfully think that this is a safe Furthermore, even if the suspect is in the neighborhood. space that belongs to them. Every shot in the arm or the leg, he or she life lost in a traffic accident is one can still fight or continue to hurt ● Gather the facts about life too many. We hope that issuing others if the threat isn’t stopped”. crime in your neighborhood. Check enough tickets will persuade police reports, conduct victimiza- those who don’t drive safely to Fit for the community: “Residents tion surveys, and learn residents’ start driving slower and be more who come in contact with our perceptions about crimes. Often, careful” reinforces Sung. deputies find them very friend- residents’ opinions are not support- ly and easy to work with”. West ed by facts, and accurate informa- Police violence: “Excessive use Valley deputies understand culture tion can reduce the fear of crime. of force should not be tolerat- and tailor their service to meet the ed. We get extensive training needs of a diverse population of ● Physical conditions like from the academy and through- the Cupertino community, which abandoned cars or overgrown out our careers on deploying just is part of the training program for vacant lots contribute to crime. enough amount of force necessary new deputies at West Valley Patrol. Sponsor cleanups, encourage to overcome suspects’ resistance residents to beautify the area, and regardless of how volatile the A few more words: “I am always ask them to turn on outdoor lights situation is”. available; my strength is my at night. availability and willingness to work “Nowadays, the media is powerful. with our community. If there is any ● Start a block parent program People watch news on TV or read community event that needs me to to help children cope with emergen- the newspapers for information. show up to answer questions and cies while walking to and from When bystanders on the street take provide clarifications, I will be school or playing in the area. videos with the cell phone camera there. Please reach out to me”. from a distance, these videos may not depict everything that is going Next time you hear a child say, on. From my own personal experi- “when I grow up, I want to be a Other items concerning ences, the suspect often is facing cop,” take him or her seriously. It police work the ground but will still resist could well be that he/she will be a the officers. Some are kicking, cop one day and most likely a very Traffic ticket myth: The police elbowing, even spitting with blood good one. department does not have a quota and calling to us that they have for the month or the year. It is contagious diseases such as AIDS illegal. We do not make a profit or hepatitis. We have to contin- from the traffic tickets we issue. ue our effort to take control of the The high price of a traffic ticket suspect. To ensure the safety of the reflects the administrative cost of SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 8 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM
Photo courtsey: Eureka Restaurant
The Cupertino Food Revolution 2015 !
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Welcome the following restaurants to the Cupertino Community. Cupertino doesn’t have enough neighborhood eateries other than Café Mac, which carries out its innovative spirit from cell phones, to laptops, to creative menus. As the City is building a few large-scale office spaces and residential buildings to accommodate the population boom, we also need more restaurants to feed the hungry. Here, we are happy to report that the following restaurants are opening in Cupertino on Stevens Creek Boulevard near you.
Lead by Eureka!, The Melt, The Counter, RootStock Wine Bar, and Fresh Pixx Pizza and Salad 10 restaurants will transform how you eat and order your food.
Photo courtsey: Eureka Restaurant
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1. The Melt from San Francisco: can have our own custom-made crust. Salad and pizza sounds like The Melt’s food mission is to burgers in Cupertino. The Counter a wonderful lunch meal, light, a) offer better quality food for uses locally sourced and sustain- healthy and fun. children that consists of 100% able protein, cheese, and vegeta- natural and wholesome foods with bles, and their breads are made by Address: 20080 Stevens Creek names that people can pronounce local bakeries. They have mastered Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014 and recognize, and the fill-out-the-slip and check www.freshpixx.com b) create jobs in the local everything you want ordering community. It’s the San Francisco method for their burgers and salads. conscientiousness with which 5. Eureka! from Hawthorne, CA: we’re familiar. Address: 20030 Stevens Creek Eureka! offers burgers, such as Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014 the bone marrow porcini burger, The Melt’s burgers are made with www.thecounterburger.com fig marmalade burger with melted 100% all-natural beef, the breads cheese, jalapeno egg burger, and are baked fresh, and the cheeses Catalina bison burger. This is a new melted on your burgers are real 4. Fresh Pixx Pizza & Salad: is a new age burger joint with other meat aged cheeses; so move over, kid in town but comes from the choices, including chicken, fish, Velveeta. Finally, the fountain pizza veteran Round Table Pizza. steak, and pork sandwiches. This is sodas are hand crafted with real Fresh Pixx Pizza and Salad offers definitely a meat lover’s restaurant. cane sugar. Goodbye corn syrup! custom made pizza. Since there The atmosphere at Eureka! restau- aren’t many Round Table restau- rants is big and airy, with wooden Address: 20803 Stevens Creek rants in Cupertino, we are grateful interiors throughout. With 3,000 to Blvd., Suite 110, Cupertino, that Round Table has a modern 4,000 sq. ft. of space, this restau- CA 95014 version to offer. Fresh Pixx Pizza rant is vibrant and festive every www.themelt.com and Salad in Cupertino will start day. you off with 50 choices of sauces, cheeses, and ingredients. It’s almost Address: 19369 Stevens Creek 2. Blast 825 Pizza from Fresno: like playing with your food: pick Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014 In the same shopping center as them, mix them, bake them and www.EurekaRestaurantGroup.com The Melt, Blast 825 Pizza, a fast, then eat them. But if you don’t casual pizza franchise, will let you feel like playing with your food, build your own pizza, all the way Fresh Pixx Pizza and Salad has 17 6. Lazy Dog Café from Southern from choosing the dough to select- specialty pizzas and salads. Both California: Lazy Dog also joins ing unlimited toppings. Cooked pizzas and salads are made to order, the burger and meat craze in the in a wood burning oven at 825 and salads are served atop a pizza degrees, voilà, you will have a fresh, custom-made pizza in 3 minutes. You can also build your own salad with choices of vegeta- bles, proteins, and dressings.
Address: 20803 Stevens Creek Blvd, The Saich Way Station, Cupertino, CA 95014 www.blast825pizza.com
3. The Counter from Culver City: this popular, Southern California based, build-your-own burger restaurant has come to town, having already invaded Palo Alto and Santana Row. Now, we Photo courtsey: Fresh Pixx
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Cupertino dining scene. While Banchan, the small dishes served then be served at your table. Lazy Dog Café has a more in Korean restaurants before your This will be a good place for extensive menu than Eureka! or meat cooks. breakfast and lunch. The dinner The Counter, its mainstay is still menu choices are limited and the the mighty burger. However, Lazy Address: 10493 S. De Anza Blvd., portions are small. They have a Dog also has pizza, pasta, steaks, Cupertino, CA 95014 good selection of fruit and vegeta- sandwiches, and salads, so it is ble infused water, fresh squeezed more like BJ’s. Lazy Dog should juices, and smoothies. You can also do well. 8. Lyfe Kitchen from Memphis, hang out at the restaurant any time TN: Lyfe Kitchen has a nice, clean during the day to have refreshing Address: 19359 Stevens Creek atmosphere with a menu heavy drinks and enjoy their indoor herb Blvd., Cupertino CA 95014 in vegetables and fruits, and is garden. all about clean eating and clean www.lazydogrestaurant.com cooking. It has a small menu that Address: 19399 Stevens Creek also includes hamburgers, but all Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014 the menu items are low in calories. 7. All that BBQ from Southern They try to avoid fried foods, www.lyfekitchen.com California: Here, you can eat and offer baked sweet potato meat till you drop: all-you-can eat fries instead. They have many skinny dipping cow (brisket), beef vegetarian and vegan choices as 9. Rootstock Wine Bar: Opened tongue, flap tail steak, pork belly, well: the morning veggie wrap, by the local McCarthy and beef belly, ribs and fish, chicken, with scrambled tofu, vegetarian Foley Families from Los Gatos, and octopus - all with various flatbreads, the Lyfe veggie burger, Rootstock Wine Bar sources degrees of spiciness. Another big quinoa crunch wrap, ancient grain its wines from the Santa Cruz treat besides the marinated meats stir fry, and gluten free bread. Mountains and other local regions, are kimchee and all-you-can-eat Order your food at the counter and and has an extensive and interesting
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 12 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM wine list. There is also a changing slushies with which to cool off reduce your guilt while fulfilling food menu of cheese, Charcuterie, in the summer, nor will you find your sugar craving. Meet Fresh flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, cakes, tarts, pastries, or cookies for will be popular with teenagers and and sweet bites to enjoy with the your parties. Instead, you will find adventurous foodies. wine or beer of your choice. Unlike mung beans, taro balls, lotus seeds, most restaurants, where the wine tapioca balls, herbal and coconut http://meetfresh.net accompanies the food, at Rootstock jellies, tofu pudding, winter melon Wine Bar, the food complements tea, bean crushed ice, and fruit- I in summary, we will have many the wine. It is a restaurant by locals infused teas to satisfy your sweet burger places, select-your-own and for locals. If you happen to live tooth any time during the day. The pizza places, tons of meats to in the residential complexes near desserts here are a mix of textures, enjoy, and trendy Asian desserts. Main Street Cupertino, you can from chewy, mushy, and melty to Thank god for the salads. What else walk home. powdery. Asian desserts are not do we need? Maybe Café Gratitude www.rootstocklg.com creamy or crunchy, but light and for salads and vegetable juices to chewy, a delight to the palate and detox us from the meat, alcohol, a source of additional fiber in your and cheese diet. 10. Meet Fresh: Welcome to the diet. Imagine taro, lotus seeds, red Asian dessert tradition. Here you beans, and mung beans after dinner, will not find gelato, ice cream, or or as a snack. These desserts will
Kevin Chen Beijing Duck House Farmer's Insurance Agent License #: 0D55386 北京食府 690 W. Fremont Ave., Suite 7 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 SuiteSuite B,B ,10883 1088 3S SBlaney Blane Ave.,y Ave, Phone : 408-730-0000 Cupertino,Cupertino ,CA CA 95014 95014 Cover your auto, home, business, life, insurance needs. Phone:Phone: (408)(408 )366-0588 366-0588
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 The best Beijing Duck restaurant in the Bay Area. Traditional Beijing style cooking, hot pot, Chinese savory crepes, and more. Come here to enjoy the taste of Beijing and eat like an emperor. SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 13
Society
When San Jose homeless encampment “The Jungle” was closed and its residents evacuated, many homeless people lost their places to go and were dispersed to live on the streets. About 40 of them made San Jose City Hall their temporary home.
Suite B, 10883 S Blaney Ave., Cupertino, CA 95014 Phone: (408) 366-0588
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F orbes ranked Cupertino number 27th in America’s Best Small Towns in 2012. And I can see why. Cupertino is green, has great weather, a flat terrain and is home to about 60,000 inhabitants and Apple, Inc., The Cupertino City Hall area on Torre Avenue has a pleasant public square to sit outdoors and have an irresistible red velvet latte from Bitter + Sweet or a Boba Tea. I’ve spent the last three and a half years working in Cupertino and lived here when I first moved back to California from the Boston. I’ve come to love Cupertino. There is one key area where I think this city is lacking that keeps it from reaching it’s full potential as a quaint small town: it needs a great biking case infrastructure. Only about 12% of students in Cupertino bike to school, and probably less than 1% of adults bike as a way of getting around. These numbers are low, I think, primarily because of the wide roads that run through the center of Cupertino and the lack of safe biking infrastruc- ture. A large portion of the working population also commutes far outside for of the city, which contributes to low biking rates, but that shouldn’t stop the city from becoming a city that bikes. One can bike to run errands on weekends, for leisure, or to the transit stations to get outside of the city.
What Cupertino needs are protected bike lanes. The convention- protected al American bike lane is going out of style. A few inches of paint to separate a person from fast-moving cars has not been enough to keep people biking safe or to make biking a mainstream form of transportation bike across cities. The only way that biking can become a viable way of getting around in Cupertino and nearby cities is if we implement protected bike lanes on streets that are busy, wide, or where vehicles move fast. lanes According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, Cupertino ranked 24th worst out of 104 cities in its category for accidents with cyclists (http://www.ots.ca.gov/Media_and_Research/Rankings/default.asp). It’s no surprise that biking hasn’t picked up here and that people avoid it by altogether.
ANASTASIA Additionally, the biking infrastructure around the Silicon Valley should Novozhilova be a connected network, rather than end abruptly once you reach city limits. Have you ever driven from Cupertino to San Jose to find that the road has suddenly ended and you are forced to drive on a dirt road or share tracks with a train? My guess is no. Our inter-city and inter-state road system is advanced enough that you can cross city and state lines smoothly, yet cyclists experience ending bike lanes all the time.
So where should these protected bike lanes go? There are two very large, and key streets where most of the city’s businesses, De Anza College, and several Apple offices stand: De Anza and Stevens Creek Boulevards. De Anza is an eight-lane mega street, which is almost as wide as a freeway. Stevens Creek is eight lanes in some areas, but appears to be six most of the time. It is also dangerously large and fast. These are the two streets that should be targeted for protected bike lanes.
Using Streetmix.com, I’ve mocked up what De Anza Blvd looks like today. SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 15
cyclists don’t ever enter the center of the intersec- tion with cars, but instead use special cross walks to get from lane to lane.
(http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/05/06/salt-lake-city- to-install-nations-first-protected-intersection-for- bicycling/).
One lane on De Anza Blvd can be removed and converted into a wider and protected bike lane. De Anza has the potential to be much safer and more pleasant.
Factors that would need to be considered are bus stops and driveways for this style of protection. The bike lane on Stevens Creek is wider and better grade than the one on De Anza, but it still needs protec- tion. An organization called “People for Bikes” created Oppositions to Bike a great infographic describing the various kinds of protected bike lanes, their cost, and aesthetic appeal. Lanes Below is a snippet of it. Some people may argue against removing car lanes, citing that this would increase traffic. But when did Personally, I think that the turtle and large bumps are a it become OK for us to risk the life of one group of good place to start on Stevens Creek because they are people in order to spare an inconvenience another relatively inexpensive to install and provide the right group? How many lives is one person’s extra 10 or level of protection. 15 minutes worth?
The tragic death of a high school student biking to school in Cupertino last October shows the need for safe roads for all transportation types.
The other side of this is that having wider lanes has not solved traffic congestion. Loop 610 in Houston is one of the most congested freeways in Texas. Would adding additional lanes really solve the problem? Wide lanes are an unsustainable solution to solving congestion. (http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/2014/09/ houstons-congested-roads-spread-far-and-wide/) (http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/14-ways-to- make-bike-lanes-better-the-infographic)
The De Anza and Stevens Creek intersection can be But Cupertino is Not modeled off of what is being proposed in Salt Lake City. It’s protected on each side, with islands in the Amsterdam middle of the intersections that allow for easy right and Some would argue that Cupertino is not left turns between cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. Amsterdam, and that we can’t achieve the same What it comes down to is thinking about bike lanes as level of biking infrastructure that has been achieved extensions of the sidewalk, rather than extensions of the in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. The fact is, is that roads. You can see below that, similar to pedestrians,
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Amsterdam wasn’t Amsterdam citizens to adopt a new lifestyle and amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world- before it was Amsterdam. aim to save energy. The country transport-cycling-kindermoord). made a commitment to alternative From the 1950’s to the mid forms of transportation. Nowadays, With the right investment and 1960’s Amsterdam was a typical more than 25% of all trips in the political will, Cupertino, and the car-centric city. But by the 1970’s, Netherlands are made by bicycle, Silicon Valley in general, can all of the effects of traffic city and 38% in Amsterdam. become a city where biking for had taken its toll. The number of (http://www.theguardian. transit is the norm, and cars are deaths caused by cars rose to 3,300 com/cities/2015/may/05/ used for longer trips. deaths in 1971 with more than 400 of those deaths being children. This loss led to protests that had the slogan Stop de Kindermoord, which translates to “Stop the Child Murder”.
The 1973 oil crisis worsened the situation. Saudi Arabia and other Arab oil exporters imposed an embargo on European and North American countries, which quadru- pled the price of oil.
The Prime Minister during that time, Den Uyl, urged Dutch
James Cai, J.D., served as in-house legal counsel for Yahoo! Inc. His focuses his practice on corporate and business law, advising interna- tional business clients that are starting up or expanding their operation in the United States, and applying L-1 visas for high level executive employ- ees. He also represents foreign nationals filing Eb-5 investment immigrant visa petitions. He has served as an outside general counsel for multi- national corporations to incorporate US subsidiaries, conduct mergers and acquisitions and defend them in civil lawsuits and arbitrations. He also practiced law with Morrison & Foerster LLP and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP (now known as DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary). Mr. Cai holds a Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia. Mr. Cai is committed to community services and is frequently James Cai, J.D., invited as a guest speaker and commentator on current legal issues by local Phone: (408) 210-9634 news media, non-profit organizations and chambers of commerce. He Email: [email protected] is the co-founder and Chairman of Silicon Valley Information Business www.SACattorneys.com Alliance (www.sviba.org) and served as a commissioner for Community Address: 111 N. Market Street Development Block Grant Steering Committee for the City of Cupertino. Suite 1020, San Jose, CA 95113 SAC ATTORNEYS LLP
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 17 Clean house: Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves takes on the task to Eliminate odor once and for all from his city Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves
M ilpitas residents suffer from has been working with the Newby hired a lawyer to work with Newby two sources of headache from the Island Landfill company, but Island. Normally, the city of San city of San Jose: The Newby Island progress has been very slow. Jose would just approve it but now, Landfill and the San Jose/Santa because the people are against it, Clara Water Pollution Plant. Both This year, the company submitted the San Jose Planning Commission occupy a large area of land next to a proposal to expand the landfill has agreed to do another odor the city of Milpitas. The Newby capacity to add another 95 feet, study. This study will take around Landfill occupies 342 acres of land which will raise the height of the six months. Newby Island claims and the San Jose/Santa Clara Water landfill to be 245 feet. We are in that the odor comes from other Pollution Control Plant occupies litigation with Newby Island now. sources, such as the sewer plant, 1760 acres north of San Jose. They have done an environmental the Bay and other industrial Both plants emit noxious odors study, but we don’t trust that study sources. Based on the Bay Area to the air. The citizens of Milpitas and want an independent odor air quality management district have finally had enough. More study. (BAAQMD), almost 50% of the than 20,000 people have signed bad smell calls are caused by the Now, a large group of people from a petition calling on the Newby odor from the landfill. If we can Fremont and Milpitas are protest- Island Landfill to mitigate the odor work to reduce 50% of the odor, ing against the expansion and the from their city. Jose Esteves, the that would be a huge improvement. existence of the odor. The odor mayor of Milpitas, is supporting his problem should be addressed citizens’ efforts. Working with City The Newby Island Landfill lease even without the expansion. The Manager Thomas Williams, they will expire in 2025 or 2026. With landfill has many negative impacts have hired a lawyer to represent the new expansion, it will last until on our city. Many businesses and the city to sue the Newby Island 2040, which is a long time for our homeowners are deterred from Landfill for possible environmen- residents to suffer. locating to Milpitas because of the tal violations as well as health risks smell. Housing values are kept I hope that The City Council and from the operations of the landfill. lower than other cities because of Planning Commission of the city Mayor Jose Esteves: Newby Island the smell. Nobody wants to live of San Jose will listen this time. In Landfill is located closest to the near a garbage dump. the past, I believe that they have city of Milpitas. People living not been listening. The reason The expansion project is being in Milpitas or driving through may be financial or political. addressed and controlled by the have been complaining about the Even so, businesses should have a San Jose Planning Commission garbage odor in the air. Since last sense of social responsibility. The and the City Council. I want to December, the smell has become landfill area is now surrounded by seriously address this issue. We worse and even though the city a large population and it cannot
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 18 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM be operated the same as it was 80 exchange for a better environment. away from the city if it cannot years ago, since its first opening The City of San Francisco does mitigate the odor. in 1930s. We believe that air with not have any landfill in the city’ such bad odor can affect people’s people pay more to transport their SVI: In addition to the Newby health. The litigation hopefully can refuse far away, which makes the Island Landfill, the other get a new environmental report city pleasant and allows residents odor-causing business near the and require Newby Island Landfill to enjoy better air and a cleaner city of Milpitas is The San Jose/ to mitigate the smell before the environment. Having a garbage Santa Clara Water Pollution plant. expansion can be approved. dump nearby really impacts quality The plant is the largest tertia- of life negatively. ry plant in the Silicon Valley, Ideally, the Landfill would not serving 1.4 million people and emit so much odor to the environ- I am working hard on this and have 17,000 businesses. The cities that ment if it is covered well. Maybe been working on the odor problems discharge to the facility include the garbage needs to be covered since the 1980s because I’d like to San José, Santa Clara, Milpitas, well or better treated. It could be change the reputation of Milpitas as Cupertino, Campbell, Los Gatos, more expensive to do it right, but a bad smelling city. We established Monte Sereno, and Saratoga (City the company should do it right. an Odor Hotline number for people of San Jose Website). They are This will protect everybody in the to call. The problem is that the staff doing all they can for the environ- area and ensure the survival of their of the regulating agency, the Bay ment. Built in 1956, the plant business. Seeing that Milpitas has Area Air Quality Management, removes solid waste from wastewa- become such a highly populated doesn’t come right away. When ter and cleans the water before city, it is really not good practice to they finally come out, the smell letting it into the bay. The solid have such a large landfill nearby. is gone. The hotline has been waste created in the process is Many landfills (such as the ones established for 10 years and people left outside into drying lagoons in Mountain View and Palo Alto) have been calling—but there is and dries it using the sun. The have been closed because of the no improvement. This time, we method is energy-efficient—but the odor and because it is not good to are serious; people have started to outcome is a bad smell in the air. have them in densely populated protest and sign petitions. We hope areas. the elected officials will finally In its effort to fix the smell and listen and changes will happen. address other complaints by the The residents in Milpitas would However, there are 10 districts in residents, it is in the process of really love to see the Landfill in San Jose and the odor only affects modernizing its facility through their backyard be moved to another one district: North San Jose District a Capital Improvement program. place farther away. In this case, 4. The other nine districts are not The total project is estimated to be the current location can serve as a very concerned about the issue $2 billion dollars carried over 30 transfer station to collect garbage because they are not impacted. years. The plant will spend $250 to and arrange for the garbage to $300 million to renovate the drying be transported to a less populat- If the Environmental Impact Report bed and divert it indoors. The new ed place. We understand that the finds that the odor creates toxicity facility’s operating costs will be an disposal fees for residential trash in the air and the garbage pollutes additional $10 million a year. can be more expensive, but people the water, we would like the are willing to pay a higher price in Newby Island Landfill to be moved Mayor Jose Esteves: I am a member of the Treatment Plant Advisory Committee (TPAC). We are so confident with the project that we can even use much of the reclaimed land as a commer- cial center after the master plan is finished.
SVI: In October 2014, Money Magazine listed Milpitas as number 29th Best Place to Live among 50 small cities in the nation. People
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 19 love the city for its entrepre- the movement against the landfill. Service’s non-independent odor neur friendly atmosphere, safe study, and will reconsider a new community, great schools, afford- Jennifer Strohfus: Speaking of independent odor study. In fact, able housing, clean neighborhoods landfills along San Francisco Bay, data from Bay Area Air Quality and friendly people. Considering 39 out of 44 have been closed Management District (BAAQMD), that Pleasanton is also on the list before or upon reaching their an independent government as number 31, Milpitas has done maximum height and capaci- agency, has confirmed that more a great job. No wonder Mayor ty. How could the Newby landfill than 90% of the odors are from Esteves is working harder to push survive for over 80 years and Newby landfill. A landfill not the city to be better than number could still apply for an expansion only can pollute the air but also 29, with so many things on his when reaching its maximum height pollute the ground water and soil, plate to make the city a better and capacity? The reason is that so a comprehensive odor study or place: working with the VTA on odor receivers’ agencies, in this environmental impact study that regional traffic issues, working case, Milpitas and Fremont, have includes water, air, and soil impacts with the City Planning Commission no authority over the landfill’s should be considered. and City Council to limit high land usage and operations. If the density housing to only The Great landfill were located in Milpitas or Reducing trash will be a more Mall vicinity, and of course to Fremont, where the odor receivers sophisticated choice than expand- clean the air. Milpitas is a small and victims are, it would have been ing the Newby landfill. It is time city fighting for its rights with the closed a long time ago. for the SJ government to deny some big shots. Once the air is the expansion permit and follow clean and the local traffic is under Approximately 300–500 people the CEQA guidelines and its own control, we hope that Mayor Jose attended three of the San Jose municipal codes. Esteves can take a breath and relax. Planning Commission meetings regarding the landfill expansion, Milpitas Resident Speaks Up: In and more than 100 people drove 2014, Milpitas resident Jennifer to Sacramento to attend two Strohfus initiated a petition on CalRecycle public hearings. change.org(www.tinyurl.com/ People feel that they have suffered stoplandfill), and many Fremont, long enough and could not take Milpitas, and North San Jose it anymore. Having clean air is a residents joined her. The group basic human right! collected more than 22,000 online San Jose Waste Water Treatment Plant: The and paper petition signatures Because of the residents’ objections Plant will be able to move beyond “pollution control” and become a complete “resource against the landfill expansion. the San Jose planning commission- recovery” facility that is fully integrated into Below is a short message from one ers delayed the permit expansion the surrounding community and environment of the Milpitas residents who led three times, discarded Republic (Courtesy of The City of San Jose)
summer time
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 20 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM crossing guards unknown heroes
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 21 crossing guards unknown heroes
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 22 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM aim THROUGH College Instead of Aiming AT College Dr. shin wei
Team leader Ellen Kulla with local children at 2015 Summer Camp in Ningxia, China.
“H ow did you spend your last of extracurricular activities, as programs to cultivate students’ two summers?” This question well as ways to motivate them to interests and abilities in business, on Stanford’s and Princeton be involved actively instead of engineering, environment protec- University’s application forms passively. tion, healthcare, computer science, has become one of the most politics, communications and many challenging questions for college Five years ago, IvyMax initiated other areas. Students learn basic applicants. “Spent the summers the Global Philanthropy Leadership finance knowledge and gain experi- preparing for SAT” is definitely not (GPL) Programs, bringing students ences in credit evaluation, risk what the admission officers hope to poor areas in China and Nepal management, transaction process- to see. to help the local communities. ing and other lending related Throughout all these years we practices through Peer-to-Peer Over the past decade since we found, students learn much more Microfinance program. Sustainable started IvyMax, thousands of through these real world experienc- Environmental Engineering students had to face the challenge es than what they get from school. program provides students opportu- of what to pick for extracurric- We call them experiences from the nities to set up their own devices ular development. As college “second classroom.” and solve drought, green power, planners, we have developed and irrigation issues. Helping the effective methods for our students Inspired by trending issues around local village doctor, Public Health to fully understand the meaning the globe, IvyMax designed GPL program enables students to gain
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 23 hands on knowledge in the medical in college admission officers’ These two girls mentioned above field and learn about disease decision-making process. It is also both went to GPL programs with information through real cases. what really matters in shaping a IvyMax and they both gained From interviewing the founder young people’s horizon and future admission to Yale and Stanford. of an NGO to helping with the landscape, much beyond simply The results are satisfactory, but renovation of orphanages, students attending one’s dream college. the girls have learned to see the have proactively and consistent- admission as more than just an ly themselves in humanitarian Assume you were an admission end. They’ve discovered the real work through the Nepal Orphanage officer at Yale. Would you be meaning of being a doctor, and Improvement program. Rooted impressed by someone who’s father they have started their own paths in Silicon Valley, the Technology is a doctor? Maybe yes, maybe toward contributing to the greater Innovation program and Digital no. How about someone who has good after their GPL experiences. Gaming, Art and Design program developed her interest in healthcare immerse students in an innovative through personal experience? She Global Philanthropy Leadership environment while cultivating their went to a remote village in China, Programs provide platforms for interest and potential in hi-tech discovered that the only clinic in our students to pay attention to industries. village lacked basic equipment, real world problems, think about and then initiated a Public Health something larger than themselves, These programs are not simply program that brings all the resourc- and finally try to develop sustain- designed to add bonus points es she could gather in the US to able solutions to the problems. to students’ college applica- help the local Chinese communi- Instead of simply acting for the tions. Given that they do enrich ty. What about another student who “live or die” college application students’ extracurricular profiles, not only succeeds in school and results, the lessons students learned the programs are tailored to inspire conducts science and healthcare from these “second classrooms” our students to consider something research projects, but also devotes help shape their minds to care larger than oneself. They offer several years of her high school about greater goods. While aiming a new perspective, a new place to improving the condition of the through college, these young to stand, and more important- village’s clinic by fundraising in people with big hearts have also ly, a new way of thinking which the U.S., as well as helping the become much more qualified is in most cases coherent with the village doctor as an assistant during candidates for the top-tier schools. philosophies of top-tier universi- her summers? ties’. This is what really matters
Summer Camp students help local farmers to build green houses in Ningxia province China. June 2015.
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 24 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM many castles on the hill By Jorge Salem I n the past few years, Silicon Valley has experienced a resurgence of major corporate campus planning and construction. This is exciting news for an area that remains America’s top region for technology and entrepre- neurship and one that continues to attract top talent from all over the world. Since the 1960s, Silicon Valley has been the home of major global corporations that have revolutionized communications through innovative product design and development, software, and social media. Three of these companies, Apple, Facebook, and Google, are in the process of planning and building major campuses within a few miles of each other.
Each of the three campuses is different and carries the imprint of its company’s corporate philosophy, through which each attempts to project to the world its unique design characteristics. All are architecturally unique and offer different perspectives on how people will work and live well into this century.
APPLE Courtesy City of Cupertino A pple’s campus in Cupertino, CA carries the imprint of its founder, Steve Jobs, clearly. In April 2006, Jobs announced to the city council of Cupertino that Apple had acquired nine contiguous proper- ties where it would build a second campus, the Apple Campus 2, which will be located one mile east of the existing facility. Originally expected to break ground in 2013 and open in 2015, the project experienced delays and began in 2014. It is now expected to open in late 2016 or early 2017. Apple’s decision to stay in Cupertino dates to its historical ties with the community.
The new campus, situated on a 175 extensive landscaping, and offer Research. Designed by London acre (0.71 km2) site, is planned parking both underground and in based architects Foster + Partners, to house up to 13,000 employ- a parking structure. Media reports it is described as a building that ees in one central, four-story have described the new structure expresses “neo futurism.” In circular building of approximate- as a “spaceship,” while some an interview with Architectural ly 2,800,000 ft2 (260,000 m2), others have called it a “donut.” Record magazine, Foster + which will include a café for The main building is a mile round Partners’ founder and chairman, 3,000 people, be surrounded by and will be used primarily for Sir Norman Foster, explained that
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 25 he was inspired by the idea of backup electrical supply. 27,000 as MPK 20, the building was a London square, where houses trees will surround the campus and conceived by Canadian architect surround a park (also common Apple has hired a leading arborist Frank Gehry to be the world’s in other American cities, such from Stanford University to help largest open-plan office. “Our goal as Boston and Savannah). This landscape the area and restore was to create the perfect engineer- idea evolved ultimately into the some of the indigenous plant life, ing space for our teams to work present design: a circular structure including apricot orchards. All together,” said Facebook founder surrounding a large outdoor park. landscaping is intended to make Mark Zuckerberg. The building Although it is designed to be the area look very park-like, and it itself was designed and built in self-sufficient and earth-friend- will include miles of jogging paths just three years, and compris- ly, the range of materials used in and walking trails. Pedestrian- es a relatively simple construc- the construction will be top of the and bicycle-friendly Apple will tion of metal, concrete and glass. line. “As with Apple’s products, maintain 1,000 bikes onsite for Employees have already begun Jobs wanted no seams, gaps, or staff to travel around the campus. to move in, and the move will be paintbrush strokes to show; every phased over the next few months. wall, floor, and even the ceiling, Hiring Foster + Partners did not Compared to Apple’s campus, is to be polished to supernatu- come cheap. The project’s budget Facebook’s expansion is approxi- ral smoothness. All of the interi- for the iconic “new spaceship- mately six times smaller, and has a or wood was to be harvested from like” R&D building has ballooned different feel. The focus is not on a specific species of maple, and from less than $3 billion in 2011 to iconic architecture; function, not only finer quality “heartwood” at almost $5 billion today. Numerous image, is key. the center of the trees would be design changes were made and used,” an insider told Business keeping the budget under control “The building itself is pretty Week. Its architecture is consis- has been a challenge. It is unclear simple and isn’t fancy. That’s on tent with the focus on product whether the community will purpose,” said Zuckerberg. “We detail that has made Apple an icon have access to the park inside want our space to feel like a work in the global world of technolo- the campus, or if visitors will be in progress. When you enter our gy. The building’s architecture and confined to the Visitor Center buildings, we want you to feel how its obsessive attention to detail is building. much left there is to be done in our similar to Apple’s products and mission to connect the world.” the company’s top executives Despite criticism of the scale of have participated in critiques of the project, Apple’s campus will As loyal as Apple is to its iconic the building throughout the design be a very distinctive and unique product image, Facebook’s new process, often directing changes in landmark that will undoubtedly building emphasizes collabo- its design in collaboration with the attract many visitors to the area and ration and social interaction, building’s architects. boost the city’s revenue. which is the company’s hallmark. “From the start, Facebook CEO Other facilities include a 1,000 seat Zuckerberg wanted a space that auditorium, 300,000 ft2 (28,000 was unassuming, matter-of-fact, m2) of additional R&D facilities, and cost effective. He did not a fitness center, an orchard, and a FACEBOOK want it overly designed,” Gehry dedicated power generating plant said in a statement. “This is the enlo Park is a few miles to that will be the primary source of M building that we created for him.” the northeast and is the home of electricity (powered by natural He described his collaboration Facebook. The company’s success gas). with Mark Zuckerberg further: “It and employee growth has led also had to be flexible to respond Architects and planners today to expansion to another campus to the ever-changing nature of are very sensitive to the environ- across from the main headquar- his business: one that facilitat- ment, and the Apple campus is ters. Further along in construction ed collaboration and one that did going green as well. The structure than the Apple campus, the almost not impose itself on their open and will be outfitted with solar panels, completed building is over 430,000 transparent culture.” and although it will run primar- ft2 in size. It is a massive structure ily off the Cupertino power grid, that will ultimately house approx- As with Apple’s campus, the site solar energy will be used as a imately 2,800 people. Known has a large area that is landscaped,
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 26 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM
Photo courtesy: Jorge Salem except that the green space is work together, and it’s easy for where four new building clusters a nine-acre roof garden. The people to move around and collab- would allow Google to add roughly landscape team has planted some orate with anyone here.” 10,000 employees to the 19,000 400 trees on the roof, and Facebook already there, is a blend of vision- hopes it will become a haven for ary architecture and site planning. local bird species. The roof also includes a half-mile walking path The architectural and site plan where employees can relax during GOOGLE proposal for the new “Googleplex” breaks. was submitted to the city’s local I n Mountain View, CA, slight- planning department in February Unlike Apple, which has a differ- ly north of Menlo Park, Google is 2015 by the European architectur- ent hierarchy of management and in the planning and design stages al firm of Bjarke Ingels Group in a different corporate philosophy, of a corporate campus. Google, Denmark, and Heatherwick Studio Facebook’s building was designed which is distributed present- in the U.K. The proposal also does to be “the largest open floor plan ly among many buildings, wants away with traditional doors, stairs, in the world—a single room that to create a campus that feels like roofs, and walls. It will be interest- fits thousands of people,” as Gehry Google. Trust Google to think ing to see how the two firms will described it. “There are lots of big! Its wildly ambitious propos- collaborate. small spaces where people can al for 60 acres in Mountain View, Photo Courtesy: Heatherwick Studio/B.I.G.
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 The stars now join Apple’s Still in the early stages, with many first gain approval from the city of spaceship! First, there are those details yet to be worked out, it is Mountain View to reinvent both a artificial skies—four giant glass unclear how many green features swath of land within the city and canopies that allow the company to will be part of the new campus. the concept of office space. Clearly, create its own microclimate. The Google says that a significant many planning and building code floor, meanwhile, is made of giant portion of the HQ’s energy needs design variations will be submitted plates that slope upwards gently will be met sustainably. Car parks for approval. like a series of ramps, so that the are hidden from sight underground, 10,000 staff members do not need and the public renderings show a Looking at the three campus- to use the stairs to move from focus on landscaping that will offer es, several things appear fairly one level to another. According visitors and staff a greater connec- obvious. First is the desire to keep to Bloomberg, Google will have tion with nature. the design consistent and reflec- the ability to add extra meeting tive of each company’s unique spaces as they go, using stackable, In contrast to the inner-focused, culture. Second, green architec- modular rooms. closed loop design of Apple’s ture and green sites are common to sustainable Cupertino campus, all three. Lastly, there is a consis- “Google says it will invent a kind Google’s new quarters appear more tent goal to integrate the companies of portable crane-robot, which it fragmented, open, and accessible. with their communities. From a calls ‘crabots,’ that will reconfigure planning standpoint, one hopes that these boxes and roam the premis- “We’re really making sure that we Apple will make its gardens, or at es like the droids in Star Wars,” make spaces very open and accessi- least part of them, accessible to the their website explains. Staff will ble, so it’s not just for Googlers, public to increase the link with the be able to ride their bikes straight but for anyone in the area to come surrounding community. This is to their desks, thanks to the cycle by,” said David Radcliffe, Google’s what Google says it will attempt to lanes that run around the building, Vice President of real estate. do. In Facebook’s case, it will be and exercise and yoga classes will hard to open the roof to the public. be held on the balcony on the top The goal is flexibility, which, as floor. the Silicon Valley Business Journal For all three companies, it is certain noted, is important for a company that their campuses will continue With a campus that also includes where business units can spring to fascinate architectural buffs, and acres of manicured parks, hiking up or disband overnight. Google’s will undoubtedly generate scores and bike trails, restored coastal goal is that the first structure, called of articles and analyses that will wetlands, shops, cafes and 5,000 the Landing, will be complet- explore the effects and relationship units of proposed housing, there ed by 2020 (it would replace what that a building and its site have on is really no reason for employees is now an 18-acre office park.) If its workers and the surrounding ever to leave. It remains to be seen everything goes as planned, the community. whether or not the city will approve entire campus would be complete this development. by 2024. However, Google must
Photo Courtesy: Heatherwick Studio/B.I.G. 28 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM
APAPA leadership profile Dr. Hsing Kung
D r. Hsing Kung has achieved “Community Star Award” from many career successes: he was Asian Americans for Community the Chief Manufacturing Officer Involvement, and “Helen Tao for SDL, which was sold to JDSU Activist of the Year” Award from for $41 billion in 2000; he was Silicon Valley APA Democratic the President and CEO of Pine Club in 2004. Photonics until it merged with Opnext in 2000 for $20 million; Dr. Hsing Kung has many academ- he was the Chairman of Luxnet, ic degrees: BSEE from National a publicly traded company in Cheng Kung University, PhD EE Taiwan; and he is a partner of The from University of California at Acorn Campus Ventures where Berkeley, and MBA from Santa he and his partners oversee many Clara University, startup companies in the fields of life science, semi-conductors, We have only one question to Dr. organization where the members telecommunications, wireless Kung: When you have achieved so welcome newcomers from different communications. much what more could you ever background and nationalities. They want in life? are very happy to have the support Dr. Hsing Kung has volunteered of the Chinese members. and served in leadership Dr. Kung talked to SVI magazine positions in many nonprof- and answered our one and only The Chinese community, in it organizations:Monte Jade question. general, is not interested in integra- in 2004, Fremont Union High tion in the local community or School District, United Way, First, he is very proud of his volunteering in social work. I American Leadership Forum, Asian journey to integrate himself into like community work. I started Americans for Good Government, American society (which he calls from the Chinese communi- Shinshin Education founda- the mainstream community) as ty simply because it is easier: tion, the Rotary Club, Silicon a successful business leader and it is easier to make friends, it is Valley Creates, and APAPA (with philanthropist who has helped, easier to communicate, and it is a generous commitment that for and mentored people from many easier to work with people who we every dollar APAPA raises, he will cultures and communities. understand. match with his own donation). Having gone through this rich and The Rotary Club initiated me into Dr. Hsing Kung has received fulfilling experience, he wants the mainstream community. The endless rewards: the Distinguished to promote more multi-cultural journey was not easy. I had to Alumni Award from Cheng Kung integration in the Asian communi- work at it. I had to learn about the University Alumni Association ty as well as the arts and a cultured interests of the American people in 1997, Partnering for Education lifestyle in Silicon Valley. He is not to make conversation. I educated award from The National Council yet fully satisfied with respect to myself on sports, politics, and even of Negro Women, Northern these goals. His journey has many about various holiday topics. California Sections in 2001, challenges and opportunities. with his wife Margaret, “Venture My next step to integrate in the Culturists” award from DeAnza It takes work: “My first step out mainstream society was through College in 2001, the “Asian of the Chinese community is the participating in the American American Hero 2002” award Rotary Club of Cupertino, for Leadership Forum program, which from County of Santa Clara, which I am very grateful. The helps to educate and develop Rotary Club is an international Continued on page 32
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM 29 journey to the west
T he classic Chinese novel Journey United States business, culture, and experiences and insights on how to the West depicts a Buddhist society. The Hunan businesspeople to best educate children and how monk’s journey to India to obtain have a reputation as hard working, to get into top universities in the Buddhist sutras for the monaster- excellent team members who are U.S. A few Chamber of Commerce ies in China. This was a spiritu- well cultured in the areas of litera- groups in the Bay Area will have al, intellectual, and emotional story ture, poetry, and art. Hunan is the a dinner with them to exchange about the journey that had opened main Chinese commercial region business interests and maybe build the mind and eyes of the people for tea production, entertainment, a few joint venture companies. The in the Middle Kingdom. The newspaper, and animated films. local host, Tang, Aimin(唐爱民), journey took 16 years to finish and The Hunan businessmen are called president of the Hunan Chamber of succeeded in obtaining 35 differ- 儒商 (well-cultured businessmen). Commerce in Silicon Valley, will ent sutras in thousands of volumes. be traveling with the group. It has Traditionally, the Chinese people The 38 business people will visit been his long-time vision to bring have tirelessly sought knowledge top universities in the U.S., such as business people from his region and inspiration from the people in Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. They to visit the United States. He feels faraway lands. The exotic colors will tour sites such as the Grand that this kind of exchange can and flavors of the distant kingdoms Canyon, the Hudson River, the move forward Chinese econom- have always stirred the curiosity Potomac River, and Miami Beach, ic development as well as social and interests of the Chinese. as well as the Lincoln Memorial, progress. Times Square, and the White Silicon Valley Impressions House. During their short stay in All in all, this will be a fun and magazine has reported on a group Silicon Valley, they will tour high educational trip that can fulfill the of 38 Chinese business people who tech companies such as Google, mind, the heart, and the spirit with will journey throughout the United Apple, HP, and Tesla to acquire the rich images and sounds to bring States this July. Organized by the “sutras” of innovation and making home. They should have a fun trip Hunan Chamber of Commerce in money. Here, they will be joined by and volumes of “sutras” to bring California, the goal of the trip is educational communities to share back to their business temple. to study the many aspects of the
The Members of the Shaoyang delegation
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 30 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM Connected Community by Bev Lenihan
Cupertino Library Foundation
H ow do you define ‘quality of About half of adults (50%) say that overall educational, profession- life’ in Silicon Valley? What makes today’s children will grow up to be al and personal development of you feel satisfied with your own worse off than people are now. A its residents. The Library plays personal quality of life? For some third (34%) say they’ll be better off a pivotal role in the success and it is our great schools. For others, and most of the rest say they aren’t vitality of Cupertino. And, they it is our magnetic ability to draw sure. can be proud of its standing: entrepreneurs to explore innovative The Santa Clara County Library technologies and their applications. In general, quality of life can be System has been ranked #1 or #2 Yet others are drawn primarily to summed up by those elements that nationally over the last decade by our outstanding climate, and the make for a connected communi- Hennen’s Public Library Ratings leisure time activities our weather ty—or communities. The Cupertino (“HAPLR”). provides year round. Would you Library Foundation has been say this generation is better off than fostering this connectivity as a The Foundation’s vision for the our parents’ generation? strategic imperative for the past Library is to encourage life-long decade or more. Maybe you have learning and self-improvement From national research done by noticed-or been a part of their so that Library users of all ages Pew Research survey: Once Again, programs connecting community. may become more knowledgeable The Future Ain’t What It Used to We hope so. and well-informed, more enlight- Be, the idea that each generation of ened and proactive members of the children will grow up to be better Cupertino Library Foundation community at large. Some in our off than the one that preceded it has was chartered as a CA 501( c ) (3) community believe even more can always been a part of the American non-profit in 1994 to fund projects be done at our physical and online dream. But barely a third of adults and programs of the Cupertino Library and out in the communi- expect things to work out that way Library not funded from normal ty, to keep pace with technology for today’s children. income sources. The Foundation and current learning styles. There is also educates the greater Cupertino always more opportunity. community about the role the Cupertino Library plays in the It’s fairly easy to acknowledge that the Cupertino Library, the Cupertino Library Foundation and The Friends of the Cupertino Library offer a rich assortment of options to residents of all ages. However recent develop- ment projects in Cupertino such as the new Apple Campus 2 and plans for Vallco Center have some whispering to their friends, “What about our quality of life? Where are the arts in Cupertino? Is the money from development all Cupertino cares about?” Others are more outspoken about the traffic
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furnish the new Cupertino Library Arts, Science Series which was constructed with City • STEAMLeads funding and opened in 2004. In • CLASP Research Tool • Santa Clara Valley His- 2009 the Foundation acted as the tory Collaborative lead catalyst and donor in bringing • Film Series together a community partnership • New Reading Room Remodel of Library support groups includ- • Teen Room enhancement ing the Cupertino Rotary and The • Tech Tool Bar • Silicon Valley Reads 2008-2015 Friends of the Cupertino Library. In • PlaneTree Health In- congestion, and concern for the addition to the funds raised by the formation Center welfare and safety of our children. Foundation, the Library receives • Art Display Walls for com- gifts of money, equipment, books, munity artists Self-check machines Major sources of funding for the and time from Friends of the • Library and from time to time from • Collection additions - including Library forThe Santa Clara County E-Resources such as the Dragon- Library District (under the Joint corporations, and individuals. Cash Source, Qikan Chinese Magazine Powers Authority) are property contributions usually total in excess • New CD Bins in order to taxes which pay for more than sixty of $55,000 annually and reflect the display better and permit percent of the cost to operate the community’s generous, support and easier access, and more. Library. While relying on locally commitment to the Library. generated property taxes and Two great examples of major the special library tax for eighty But even all this is not enough “wins” for Library patrons are percent of its revenue, the remain- for the programs, collections the middle school S^4 science ing amount comes from the State, and services to keep up with the contest and the Tech Tool Bar, fines, and interest income. accelerating expectations and needs assisting patrons of all ages in of the greater Cupertino communi- accessing and using Library The Library District is commit- ty. The Cupertino Library has resources through portable ted to funding 60 hours of weekly almost 225,000 items of its collec- digital devices. Over 250 middle service, and the City of Cupertino tion checked out each month. school students have learned currently contributes an additional Weekly, more than 16,000 men, to do primary research through $409,403 annually for six addition- women and children visit the the online databases available al Library hours. Accordingly, the Library, all with varying interests, at no cost to Library card hold- Cupertino Library is open to the needs and ethnically diverse ers. The S^4 contest entrants public 66 hours each week, and cultures. In 2002, the Foundation learn while having fun during the hours span every day of the received an unexpected legacy gift the summer break from school. week. Grants are also received for from a local resident who passed programs such as literacy. Fines away. Under the terms of that The Cupertino Library Founda- and fees paid by Library patrons gift, the Foundation was able to tion Board has worked closely account for about 3% of all Library establish a permanent endowment with the Cupertino Community revenue. and use the earnings from those Librarian, Gayathri Kanth, to funds to help initiate and/or fund prioritize projects and include However, normal funding sources various programs and projects for estimated budgets, based on do not allow for expansion of the Library. research and prior experi- the many and varied interests of ence of the Library Staff. the diverse Cupertino communi- Since its inception, the Cupertino ty. The Foundation takes a leader- Library Foundation has raised The priority projects, programs ship role in fundraising for more than $3.5 million dollars . and services for 2015-17 are: incremental needs and initiatives In addition to the funding of the • Silicon Valley Reads 2016-2017 furniture and fixtures of the new • S4-Super Science Searches for the Cupertino Library, and for for middle school students projects which connect communi- Library in 2004, recent program • Hack-a-thon all night pro- ty groups to the residents. The and project funding have included gram for teens Foundation has raised more than monies for: • STEAM Leads $3.5 million since its incorpora- • PlaneTree Health In- • S4-Super Science Searches formation Center tion including a successful $1.2 for middle school students • Cultural and Arts Programs million capital campaign to help • Fusion: Technology, • Technology Enhancements
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The Cupertino Library Foun- ships throughout the area with SV the conservative nature of the dation will continue to be the Creates promises to enhance our Berk study and the benefits quan- ‘go-to funding source’ for those art offerings to the community. tified in that study, we in Cu- programs and services the Li- pertino can expect similar if not brary and Foundation identify The Cupertino Library Foun- greater benefits from becoming to enhance and enrich current dation Connected Community involved in the Cupertino Library collections and means of main- initiative offers opportunities Connected Community effort. taining the physical location, for instruction, education, en- online resources, and community richment and life-long learn- We invite and encourage those outreach that stimulate intel- ing to all area families at all who benefit from the Cupertino lectual and educational growth. times, 365 days a year. Library and the other Santa Clara County Library resources to join Our Connected Community does Based on a benefit study per- us in building programs. It is the not happen without effort. Cu- formed on-behalf of the Santa best investment we can make to pertino Rotary and the Friends Clara County Library District by ensure our connected community. of the Cupertino Library were Berk & Associates in 2013, “for valuable funding partners for the every dollar spent supporting the Contact us: Teen Room enhancement. The Santa Clara County Library, the Cupertino Library Foundation 10800 Cupertino Library Foundation residents of Santa Clara County Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Board is partnering with other Library District see a return in www.cupertinolibraryfoundation.org local service groups, the school the range of $2.50 to $5.17.” [email protected] districts, CEEF, the Chamber, and Although a similar study has not approaching past and potential been completed exclusively for major donors. Building relation- the Library in Cupertino, given
Continued from page 28 Hsing Kung leadership qualities for local high concentration of well-educat- international conflicts are expect- community leaders. The program ed people and world-class ed to arise from cultural rather focuses on and promotes diversity companies, but it is often viewed than ideological, national or class in leadership. This amazing experi- as lacking arts and cultural activi- disputes.” He argued that immigra- ence helped me to completely ties and atmosphere. There are tion without assimilation could grow to appreciate other communi- also many multi-cultural arts and create violent clashes between ties and feel comfortable to work cultural activities that are carried different cultures in the U.S. with people of any background and out within its own group of people. culture. We need a shared stage where Dr. Hsing Kung’s efforts to assimi- we can have performances from late himself into the American After the American Leadership many different cultures and we culture and his wish for his Forum experience, I joined the need a shared space where we can fellow countrymen to assimilate United Way, which is an organi- exhibit multi-cultural art to reflect themselves shares the same idea zation that supports global philan- the diversity and talents in our with the “clash of civilizations”. In thropy. Since then, my connection community. To achieve this, I need the ancient Chinese social ideolo- to the world community became a team who believes in my vision gy, political leaders need to help a more natural and comfortable. I to work with me and local govern- diverse society to achieve harmony. have become the bridge between ment to help launch the many arts This idea of harnomy has allowed people of various backgrounds and culture programs in concrete the Chinese civilization to survive and their communities. I am locations. Currently, I don’t have for 5,000 years. Sometimes, we do working hard to help many Chinese enough support yet to promote on a need to apply ancient wisdom in immigrants to be more community large scale quality art and cultural modern times. oriented. It has gotten much better programs. now than before, but it’s still not enough. In his “clash of civilizations” theory, Harvard political scientist More arts and culture in Silicon Samuel P. Huntington warned Valley: The Silicon Valley has a American leaders that, “future
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Book Review: The Boys in the boat
Ann & joe cleaver
T he Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their cruel anti-semitism that existed, as Nazi Germany Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics, by Daniel prepared for the 1936 Olympics, in the hopes of James Brown, chronicles the University of Wash- building a testament to the rise of their new Ger- ington’s nine-man rowing crew’s extraordinary many. He brings in images of the behavior of Hitler, success during the Great Depression. A thrilling Goebbels, and Goering as they use propaganda and read, the book is inspirational, and takes the lives subterfuge to hide their true ambitions. of nine young men of very humble beginnings on an exhausting journey of unexpected achievement. Throughout the book, by juxtaposing adversaries During the time of the Great Depression, families in flowing narrative, Brown creates excitement that were leaving their homes and heading west in the won’t let the reader put the book down. He poses hopes of jobs and survival, only to find continued collegiate rivalries, uncouth achievement versus hardship and poverty. Such was the case with the sophisticated overconfidence, fidelity versus arro- Rantz family. gance, loyalty versus distrust, and throughout, the value of mentorship in personal achievement. The writer follows one of the crew, Joe Rantz, whose early life began in abject poverty as he was The writer interviewed Joe Rantz up until the time abandoned by his father to fend for himself at the he died, and then continued with his daughter who age of 13. Courage and conviction in himself leads provided fresh points of view. him through one difficult life challenge after an- other. Brown documents the electric rowing rivalry Reading the book, we find it’s not surprising that between the Universities of Washington and Califor- the movie rights have been purchased by Miramar nia that continues to this day, and the path their boat and is likely to be valued among other inspirational took to overcome the established Eastern schools to epics like “Unbroken” , “Seabiscuit”, “Chariots of win national championships, and finally earn their Fire”. way into the Olympics. Joe and Ann Cleaver are members of the Cupertino Many books have used the backdrop of the rise of Rotary Club, they live in Cupertino and enjoy read- Fascism to frame their novels. Daniel Brown does ing with the Rotary’s book club. the same and provides his own vivid picture of the The Boys in the Boat Book cover: Courtesy of Penguine Books
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Happiness is being the superintendent for 10,000 teenagers
I n her book, “It Takes a Village,” Hilary Clinton presents her own vision of raising children in America. Clinton acknowledges that safe neighborhoods, good teachers, good healthcare, and other aspects of a “good village” are necessary for the care of our children. She states repeatedly that it is up to all of us to see that we, as a culture, ensure that our children are cared for well. Silicon Valley Impressions magazine had the pleasure of interviewing the leader of such a village: Fremont Union High School District’s Superintendent, Polly Bove, who spoke about how she manages this village to take care of our children’s academic, social, health, emotion- al, and life skills’ well-being.
The Fremont Union High School District encompasses Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and parts of San Jose and Santa Clara. The District is responsible for the Monta Vista, Homestead, Lynbrook, Cupertino, and Fremont High Schools. It is one of the largest districts in the area and is also the third highest rated high school district in California. Our schools draw people from other parts of Northern California, the nation, and even the world to live here. Superintendent Bove has been here since 1989. We talked to her about many different subjects.
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SVI: How do the Asian parents and new classrooms, cafeterias, athlet- Working with a demographer students affect our schools? ic facilities, etc. These are 30-year and the city governments, we investments for capital expendi- can assess new construction and Polly Bove: Asian parents are tures. Because of the communities’ projects to predict our schools’ supportive of and committed to commitment to our schools through future needs. Our demographer also their children’s education. the issuance of bonds, we are able serves the Cupertino Union School However, some people are worried to have high quality buildings and District, which has a younger that such an intense focus on make improvements in our existing population, most of whom will academics puts too much pressure facilities, which are largely over 50 go to high schools in our district. on the children. However, with years old. We feel fortunate to have Therefore, our forecast is quite the right combination of support parents who are dedicated to their accurate. and expectations, what the Asian children’s education. parents have done and what the The Fremont Union School District children have achieved are quite Funding for teachers, programs, Foundation (http://fuhsfoundation. remarkable and powerful. The and technologies comes from the org ) also helps support the schools blending of cultures from all over General Fund Budget, which is by funding activities and athlet- the world will benefit all of us. supported by local property taxes. ic programs. The funding received Our school district is not funded by from the Foundation will serve As educators, we are learning to the state. Nearly all of our money all five schools according to their provide the same kind of support comes from our local communi- needs. Any donation is important for the children. ties. Of all the resources we receive to us, and volunteering to perform from the community, 85% ends work at the schools is also a good SCHOOL FUNDING up in the classroom in the form way to help. of teaching supplies and teachers’ SVI: The communities of salaries. Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, BEYOND ACADEMICS: and Saratoga have experienced This is a different financial PERSONAL INTERESTS a population boom due to the structure from that in The AND ENRICHMENT successful businesses established Cupertino School District, which by corporations like Apple, Google, manages the elementary and Our board and our communities Facebook, LinkedIn and others. middle schools. These schools are are focused on a comprehensive This population growth requires funded by the state on a per person, high school experience for all the more resources for our schools in per day basis. In contrast, because children. We do not simply provide terms of school facilities, teachers, we are not funded by the state, we an education in engineering, math, and programs in a time of financial have one large pot of money that and technology; we also have art, difficulties and budget cuts. Thus, is distributed to different schools, music, drama, journalism, speech, schools must find creative ways regardless of how many students debate, and more. Each high to fund various projects and we have. school has many organizations in programs. which the students can explore and PREPARING FOR nurture their own interests. Many Polly Bove: It is important to clubs, such as future business understand that our District draws GROWTH leaders, athletic clubs, robotics, resources from separate financial and hundreds of others, help our structures for various needs. We expect that the student popula- students broaden their interests. tion will grow by approximate- We are proud that our high schools The financial support needed ly 1000 students by 2020 or 2021. have been able to retain these for school facilities is separate We now have over 10,000 students programs despite budget cuts and from that used for teachers and throughout the district. We have fiscal limitations. These programs programs. Facility improve- experienced the greatest increase and their projects are made possible ment programs are funded by in the Fremont, Cupertino, and because of the strong parental bond measures. Measures B and Homestead High Schools, while support that we receive. K, which passed recently, will be Monta Vista has leveled off and used to improve our schools’ facili- Lynbrook High School has had ties by funding the construction of modest growth.
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BEYOND ACADEMICS: education. We have a postsecond- GETTING INVOLVED: EMOTIONAL HEALTH ary program that helps mental- PARENTS ly challenged children transition Teen suicide is a growing health from high school to adulthood. The first thing that a new student concern, and is the third leading Our behavior therapists and school who enrolls in our school does cause of death among young psychologists work with these is see the enrollment counsel- people ages 15 to 24 (American children from the time they are or, who verifies addresses. This is Psychological Association , May high school freshman to the age not a strategy to keep people out, 2015). Since October of last year, of 22. After the kids finish 4 years but to maximize the dollars spent four teenagers in California’s in high school, they then go to on the kids who actually live in Palo Alto schools have taken their another 4-year program to learn the community. The parents then own lives, and this is not the first life skills, such as riding the bus, work with an assistant princi- group of teen suicides this area and simple work skills so that they pal, guidance counselor, or EL has seen: In 2009 and 2010, five can become productive citizens. coordinator. It is important for the local teenagers killed themselves We are proud of these programs. parents to be involved in as many by stepping in front of trains, and We have quite a few children who programs as possible and go to more suicides followed the next have illnesses such as Asperger’s as many events as possible with year (Mercury News , March syndrome and even severe autism their children. Participating in PTA 2015). who might qualify for residential meetings, back-to-school nights, treatment. However, thanks to our and athletic and music events help Polly Bove: Suicide is a complex programs and resources from the the parents get to know the school issue for which there are no simple mental health community, they are and its environment. answers. We wish to do everything able to remain in their homes. we can to prevent it, because GETTING INVOLVED: we are losing our most precious BEYOND ACADEMICS: STUDENTS resources. Palo Alto is also trying MAKING FRIENDS desperately to develop appropriate solutions. To make the best of high school Depending upon where our local life, it is important to get involved companies recruit their employees, In our district, we take our from the very beginning. Learning our school may receive students should not take place only in the students’ emotional health very and families from anywhere. Many seriously. We have professionals classrooms—school life is also of these families are internation- part of a student’s studies. There with degrees in marriage and child al. We have excellent programs therapy, and a number of school are many important lessons that for both students and adults who are learned both in and outside psychologists and therapists on are learning English. We also have all of our campuses. We train the the classroom, and one of those social groups in native languages is teamwork. This important skill teachers to be aware of signs of where newcomers can go and ask emotional distress, and refer those can be learned at FUHSD in many questions, and we provide linguis- ways, including while working in children to one of our profession- tic and community liaisons to help als. We try to stay focused on the teams in a science class, through new students and their families participation on a sports team, by children’s emotional health. We assimilate into the community. continue to feel very fortunate, singing in the choir or playing in the band, and by joining different partly because of the tremendous The Link program and Ambassador clubs on campus. amount of support we receive from Program in our high schools our parents. They are aware of their help link older students with new children as well, and very often, students. The students in the Link BEYOND COLLEGE they are the ones who let us know program work to provide a friendly when the kids need help. and welcoming environment for the We have approximately an 85% freshman. They make friends with college entrance rate, and we are We also have a spectrum of the new students, have lunch with very proud of that. However, the programs for children who them, and ensure that they adapt to goal of a public high school district have moderate to severe mental the school without difficulties. is to serve all the kids who are here. challenges. 9% of these programs For our highest achievers and those are served through special who will go to college, it is our job
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015 38 SILICONVALLEYIMPRESSIONS.COM to engage them and to find ways math, and minored in physics and City Council strongly consider to challenge them, while for the rhetoric. I had graduate degrees in implementing a system whereby 15% who are not college bound, it math, psychology, and education. I developers contribute towards is our job to help them figure out went to The University of Illinois, the cost of educating students what they are passionate about, and Champaign, simply because it was who reside in their development what excites them in their work near my home and it offered me projects. every day so they can continue to the most financial support. I was build their strengths and decide grateful that I had a chance to go to Being first is a brave, ethical, and what to do in life. For the kids who college, so I studied hard. There are thoughtful thing to do. When the are struggling, it is our job to ask, many factors that a college consid- money comes to us, it allows all the “What are you struggling with?” ers when choosing a student, but cities to receive resources for the and “How can we help?” Our they do not determine whether or education of the children. We can measurement for success is that no not the student will be successful. set an example for voters in other matter who you are and where you cities, so that they will continue to start, you can take the next step work with their cities to secure the successfully. resources needed for our schools. CITY GROWTH AND There is no secret for success; it is With deeP GRATITUDE just important to do your best and DEVELOPMENT find your passion. Colleges look One of our most precious resources for kids who have been themselves, By law, city government cannot that has made the District great is have done well, and given their all. advocate on behalf of the school our teachers and staff, all of whom It is the growth of the entire child, when it plans for future develop- are incredibly committed to this of his/her internal characteristics ment. Given these limitations and community and to our students. and interests that make a person challenges, we still need to try to Many teachers could teach at other successful. work together to ensure that the schools and receive higher salaries, developers in our community value but they chose to teach for us. Our Every experience in a child’s life the same things that we do. The teachers are smart, passionate, and will influence him/her later. If only way for them to do so is to have deep connections with their parents are worried that there are provide resources for the communi- students. Many students want to only a few options, then they will ty, such as those for our schools. learn because they think that their become anxious. There are many teachers believe in them and care more options than we can imagine. The Fremont Union High School about them. Children mature at different stages, District is dedicated to working and with our attention and care, in partnership with local cities Each year the district selects 6 they can grow up at their own pace to serve our community best. outstanding teachers to receive the and succeed eventually in what Recently, the five members of Teacher of the Year Award. On the they do in life. the FUHSD Board of Trustees next page, we have posted the 2015 accompanied me to a Cupertino teachers of the year for Fremont LIFE AS POLLY BOVE City Council meeting, at which Union High School District. I spoke about the importance of Congratulations. As parents, we, My father expected me to become developers providing support too, are grateful that you are here an engineer. In college, I studied to schools in the communi- for our children. ty. I suggested that the Cupertino Advertise with us Silicon Valley Impressions is a quarterly magazine serving Cupertino, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and other cities in Silicon Valley. We distribute to your local supermarkets, libraries, community centers and hotels.
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Congratulations! FUHSD teachers
Mr. Robert Richmond Ms. Susan Rocha Lynbrook High School of the year 2015 Cupertino High School
Ms. DeAnne Berryhill Mr. John Shelby Ms. Stephanie Fujii Mr. Pooya Hajjirian Adult and Community Homestead High Fremont High Monta Vista High Education School School School
SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS | July 2015