compiled by the El Reportero’s staff
Youth from the Bay Area, joined thousands other young activists from all over the country to attend what is considered the largest single effort in history to lobby Congress on climate and energy policy, the Energy Action Coalition. The summit was held from Feb. 27 to March 2 at Capitol Hill in Washington.
Formed in 2004 by youth organizers, the Energy Action Coalition is composed of hundreds of organizations and local groups around the country focusing on environmental and social justice causes.
The coalition was, until recently, headquartered out of San Francisco. It has now set up shop in Washington D.C. and has managed to move a lot more than its of- fi ce to the nation’s capital. Over ten thousand youth are expected to participate in Power Shift ’09.
The rally’s mission was to demand a clean, just energy future and a robust new energy economy. The youth held more than 350 lobby visits with representatives from all 50 states.
Health emergency drill to simulate door-to-door distribution of medicine
As part of the San Mateo County Health System’s “Silver Dragon III” emergency drill, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and the San Mateo Coastside Medical Reserve Corps (SMC MRC) will go door-to-door delivering earthquake preparedness information from 9 a.m. until noon.
The exercise will test the ability of the Health System to work with local cities, law enforcement, fi re departments MRC and CERT teams to distribute large quantities of medicine and medical supplies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
CERT and SMC MRC volunteers throughout the county will practice their readiness to provide emergency assistance, specifically in the event of a major health emergency such as Pandemic Infl uenza, a food or water-borne illness, or an intentional release of a bio agent. In order to test door-to-door distribution as realistically as possible, CERT and MRC teams will be distributing earthquake preparedness brochures to simulate the medicine that could be delivered following a health-related emergency involving large segments of the population.
New S.F. branch library opens
City offi cials, including S.F. Mayor, Gavin Newsom, City Librarian Luis Herrera, Supervisors Sophie Maxwell and David Campos attended the grand opening of the Portola Branch Library’s new building.
The Portola Branch is the ninth branch to be completed under the Branch Library Improvement Program, which is funded by a $105.9 million bond measure passed by voters in November 2000.
The branch is one of four libraries that were housed in leased facilities and are now being replaced by city-owned buildings.
Project costs totaled about $6.2 million. A separate fundraising campaign by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library provided new furniture and equipment for the branch.
The light and airy new 6,300-square-foot branch features a beautiful public art display of four handmade glass and metal shutters, a view garden, an expanded children’s section, a designated teen space and a program room that will allow after-hours access for the community. The branch also includes an expanded collection of books, CDs, DVDS and other materials, new furniture and shelving, a prominent reading area, more computers, Wi-Fi access to the Internet and more functional work spaces for the Library staff.
