The Bay Area Review, February 6, 2021

Volume 3 • Issue 2

February 6, 2021

Mayor Liccardo Statement on Appointment of VTA General Manager to U.S. Department of Transportation On Janurary 19, Nuria Fernandez, General Manager/CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) announced she would stepping down to accept a post in the BidenHarris Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Mayor Liccardo released the following statement: “I’m heartened to know that our President Biden can recognize talent and competence when he sees it, and Nuria Fernandez will leave big shoes to fill. Her leadership has prodded the VTA to break out of conventional, rigid thinking, and she’s been a wonderfully collaborative and insightful colleague.

I’m particularly grateful for her work in enabling the BART extension-the largest public works project in our County’s history--to proceed over, through, and around the many obstacles that have been put in the project’s

The Enduring Power of ‘Amazing Grace’ and What It Says About American Unity

By Chloe Veltman / KQED

Nuria Fernandez, Acting Administrator and Senior Official, Federal Transit Administration

path.”

VTA Board Chair Glenn Hendricks has appointed Evelynn Tran as

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interim General Manager/ CEO while a national search is conducted.

In his inauguration speech on Wednesday, President Biden called for bringing unity to a deeply hurt and divided country.

“This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,” Biden said.

“And unity is the path forward.”

Right after the president spoke, country music star Garth Brooks sang “Amazing Grace.”

It was one of no less

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than three performances of the old English hymn at Biden’s inauguration proceedings: nurse Lori Marie Key sang it at the national COVID-19 memorial on Tuesday and cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed it at the Inauguration Day concert.

[Continued on Page 10]

February 6, 2021

When... Where...

Russian Pianist Alexander Sinchuk To Perform in March

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Russian pianist Alexander Sinchuk, known for his affinity for darkly Romantic repertoire,” will be the featured artist in the March concert of Steinway Society – ­The Bay Area’s Home Concert Hall virtual series in March. This performance is recorded exclusively for Steinway Society and is not available anywhere else online.

The performance replaces Sinchuk’s planned Steinway Society appearance last March, which was postponed due to the pandemic. This year’s concert will be available during a fourday performance window, and patrons can view the

recording as many times as they’d like during that period. Mr. Sinchuk will give a short talk before the performance about his choice of pieces, while sharing information about his musical life and how he is faring during the pandemic. A recorded pre-concert lecture by Bay Area classical music expert Dr. Gary Lemco will also be available for viewers to watch at their leisure.

Born in the town of Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai in Russia, Sinchuk won first prize at the 2008 International Rachmaninoff and the 2012 International Horowitz piano competitions, and has

performed all over the world giving recitals and master classes. His performance at the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition received critical acclaim with the New York Concert Review noting, “he hurled himself at the Prokofiev Seventh Sonata, ‘Stalingrad’ as if he could see the carnage and smoking ruins in his mind’s eye.”

Sinchuk has studied at the Moscow Conservatory and the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. He is currently an assistant professor at the Moscow State Conservatory.

His performance of Sacred Music for Piano

by Serbian composer Svetislav Božić will be a world premiere.

ABOUT US Steinway Society - The Bay Area is a nonprofit organization based in Silicon Valley.

Now in its 26th season, this dedicated group of musicians, pianists, teachers, and arts lovers promotes excellence in piano performance and music education. Each season, Steinway Society presents a series of classical piano concerts featuring international award-winning pianists, as well as an active school music program. For more information on season subscriptions, individual tickets, the artists, and Steinway Society, go to www.SteinwaySociety. com or contact (408) 3005635.

“... A bright, emotional, powerful pianist. Along with these mighty qualities he does not lose exquisite, soulful lyricism. His style resembles that of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Alexander is captured by Rachmaninoff’s ideas, feels and understands them perfectly. Sinchuk leaves the impression of an intellectual pianist...” - Yuri Danilin, “Literaturnaya Gazeta” “Alexander Sinchuk is a bright new phenomenon in a modern musical world. He is able to carry on an intimate conversation with a listener. His bold and possessive pianism is distinguished by a particular, refined sound, vivid sparkling, characteristic sharp metric pulse and elegant virtuosity, able to convert into purely yet impulsive playing.” - Ludmila Osipova, “Radio Russia”

February 6, 2021

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Nearly a year into this pandemic we continue to move toward a safe reopening of the County. We cannot move forward without each of us taking all necessary precautions and steps to protect our community -- wearing a mask, social distancing, washing/sanitizing your hands, staying home to the extent possible. I will continue to advocate for a quicker and safe reopening of our County. As I do so, please reach out to my office to let us know how we can continue to be an advocate for you.

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February 6, 2021

Pulic Health

COVID-19 Cases in Santa Clara County Reach 100,000; Vaccination Continues Despite Limited Supplies As the one-year mark since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County approaches on Sunday, another unfortunate milestone has been surpassed: yesterday, the case count for the county topped the 100,000 mark.

Ongoing vaccination efforts offer hope and are rapidly expanding, even as vaccine supplies remain limited. As of January 28, at least 185,535 doses of vaccine had been administered in Santa Clara County, including 147,838 first doses and 37,697 second doses.

“The County and other vaccine providers have made substantial progress in vaccinating our residents age 75 and older, the group faces the very highest risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Officer for the County of Santa Clara.

“As we move forward in the vaccination process, equity continues to be a top priority and the County is committed to ensuring access to vaccines for our most impacted communities through a number of different strategies.”

The County Health System, which serves many of the highest need, highest risk populations in the community continues to expand its efforts. The County is also partnering with community-based organizations to get information, testing, and vaccinations into the hardest-hit communities.

This week, partner Gardner Health Services opened the first dropin vaccination site for healthcare workers and anybody aged 65 or older at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San José.

To date, healthcare providers in the County have received a total of 281,578 vaccine doses.

There are more than 58,000 vaccination appointments scheduled in the County in next seven days. Vaccine supplies remain the top concern, even as the County continues to ramp up capacity and build the infrastructure needed to vaccinate all residents age 16 and older as soon as possible. The County is also awaiting clarity and information from the State of California following this week’s announcement of a shift in strategy toward a “thirdparty administrator” for COVID-19 vaccine distribution statewide, and modifying its criteria for who should be vaccinated in what order. Despite these challenges, vaccine providers have continued to make steady progress in vaccinating residents.

“Santa Clara County continues to lead the way in vaccinating residents, despite challenges

with supply and other complexities,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. “Our County Health System and other healthcare system partners have risen to the occasion, and our vaccine delivery infrastructure is strong.”

The County Health System is operating three mass vaccination sites and multiple clinic locations, as well as a mobile vaccine clinic focused on long-term care facilities like nursing homes.

The County continues to explore new options for mass vaccination sites and communitybased locations, many

in partnership with other entities.

Ensuring equitable and efficient distribution of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is one of the most critical tools in combating the pandemic, but it will take some time for our community to reach a sufficient level of protection. “Everybody needs to keep masking, keep distancing, keep testing, and get vaccinated when it is your turn,” said Dr. Fenstersheib. “Check with your provider, see if you are eligible, and sign up for a shot. These are the tools we have to steer the course out of this pandemic.”

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February 6, 2021

Essential Workers and Others at High-Risk Push Back on State’s Age-Based Vaccine Rollout Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media

COVID-19 vaccine distribution has been a complex puzzle for California’s state and local governments so far, with efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible coming up against a limited statewide supply, technology issues with appointments and protests from antivaxxers.

On Jan. 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced multiple actions aimed to improve the state’s vaccination rollout, including transitioning to a statewide network and launching a new scheduling and data system in early February.

Newsom also announced that, going forward, California will shift to a statewide agebased vaccine eligibility system. The state will continue through the current vaccination tier, which includes individuals age 65 and over, and healthcare workers. In mid-February, eligibility will expand statewide to include teachers, school staff, emergency services – as well as food and agriculture workers in mid-February. After those groups are vaccinated, the state will determine the next tier of vaccine eligibility based on age.

State officials say that the new simplified approach to vaccine distribution will ensure that more vaccines get administered to Californians vulnerable to COVID-19, as well as provide clarity in a vaccine rollout that has differed county by county.

“We realize we have got to increase throughout, and while we are proud of the framework we put out, we recognize that it has advantages and disadvantages as it relates to speed and efficiency,” Newsom said at the Jan. 25 announcement.

According to the state’s coronavirus website, California has received over 4.7 million vaccine doses and distributed over 3.4 million doses as of Jan. 31. At the Jan. 25 briefing, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said about 125,000 people are receiving doses each day.

“At this moment of

scarcity, we need to make sure the vaccine is not just used to get to herd immunity, but to ensure that our most vulnerable [are protected],” Ghaly said.

The announcement was met with concern from groups who have been advocating for earlier access to vaccines, including certain classes of essential workers and people with chronic medical conditions.

Under the new agebased system, it’s unclear where Californians younger than 65 with disabilities or underlying medical conditions will fall on the state’s priority list. The CDC categorizes adults of any age with certain conditions -including heart failure, chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, a body mass index (BMI) over 30 -- and smokers, among other vulnerable groups, at “increased risk “of severe illness from COVID-19.

Advocates have argued

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Public Health that people with severe disabilities should be prioritized according to the original vaccine rollout tiers. At a Jan. 29 press conference, Executive Director of Disability Rights California Andy Imparato said, “The governor has said he is committed to equity. We share his commitment, and we support vaccinating older Californians as a priority group, but the commitment to equity is meaningless if all of the high-risk people who aren’t over 65 have to wait until June to be vaccinated. So many people living with high-risk disabilities, including those who are also in marginalized communities, are going to die if the governor doesn’t reconsider.”

The switch to agebased distribution also means that younger essential workers were pushed further back in the line to receive the vaccine. The next group of industries scheduled to receive the vaccine before the change included transportation and logistics; critical manufacturing; and industrial, commercial, residential and sheltering facilities/services.

SEIU California President Bob Schoonover released a statement on Jan. 25 regarding the eligibility change.

“Millions of working Californians, most of them people of color, have no choice but to

leave their homes and work each day, exposing themselves, their families, and their communities to COVID-19 and its devastation. Research shows that work is a major source of transmission.

California labeled these workers essential when the state wanted their service through the pandemic; if they are removed from the priority list for vaccination, the state is now saying they are expendable,” says Schoonover.

The California Transit Association sent a letter to Newsom on Jan. 25 urging the governor to return to the previous tier system or prioritize transit frontline workers alongside healthcare, emergency services, food and education workers.

In the letter Executive Director Michael Pimentel argues that public transit workers have provided critical services to essential workers and filled important gaps in emergency and social services.

“For many lowincome people, disabled individuals, seniors, communities of color, and essential workers, accessing the vaccine will require a trip on a bus, rail car or paratransit vehicle.

It would be unfortunate for the state to not ensure that those trips are as safe as possible for the rider and the transit frontline worker by ensuring transit frontline workers are vaccinated,” the letter reads.

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February 6, 2021

Professional Highlight

When Storms Hit, Local Civil Engineering Firm Sandis Prevents High-Profile Bay Area Facilities From Flooding In its 55 years in business, Sandis has weathered many storms – literally. The Campbellbased civil engineering firm is behind some high-profile Bay Area institutional projects including San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium and Apple Park.

Preparing for storms is not unlike earthquake preparation, said Sandis president Jeff Setera.

“As engineers we take the draining and flooding aspects of our work seriously, and think about things from a ‘what if’ scenario. It’s important to be proactive and know what to do and who to call if you suspect you have a problem,” he said.

For each project, Sandis works with project principals, contractors, architects and landscape architects to marry

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Two recent projects include the new Stanford University Medical Center and a major expansion of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. “Owners and architects are focused and rightly so, on, how does it look? We have to consider much more than just people’s perceptions as they walk in and out the front door,” said Setera.

Using data from Valley Water and based on institution location, Sandis evaluates flooding potential for normal, large and monster rainstorms, then incorporates drainage design into every project. For some projects, drainage and flood protection is a higher priority. The Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara facility, which opened in 2007 after 10 years of planning, design, permitting and construction, is one such example. Located adjacent to Calabasas Creek, Sandis implemented a grading and drainage scheme that provided flood protections and flood routing to work with the existing infrastructure that surrounds the property. “Early on in the design process we had to find the sweet spot at

Jeff Setara, President and Director of Sandis

which to set the building elevation and then implement protections to the basement level which is set 20 feet below the main hospital,” said Setera.

Other notable Sandis projects: • Currently working with UC Santa Cruz at Lick Observatory in Mount Hamilton to remedy the potential for soil loss and erosion, landslide debris and flows due to September wildfire.

• Worked with the San Lorenzo Valley Water District post CZ Wildfire in assessing damage and infrastructure rebuilding.

Sandis focuses primarily on institutional projects and clients but offers the following easy tips to home and business owners to prevent flooding: • Clean gutters and down spouts; be sure area drains (often located in back or side yard of homes) are clear and in proper working condition.

• Rake up any leaves

or debris collected in gutters or storm drains in front of your home or business during storms when City workers are overwhelmed to help blockage and ensure proper flow.

About Sandis: Along with civil engineering, surveying and planning, Sandis offers traffic engineering, stormwater management, steel surveying, and 3D Scanning and AsBuilts Sandis provides professional design, survey, and construction consulting services to meet or exceed client needs and expectations profitably. Professional services are offered to clients throughout the design and construction phase of various projects.

Sandis’ portfolio includes Stanford University, Stanford University Medical Center, San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium, Apple Park, Kaiser Santa Clara, San Jose Earthquakes Avaya Stadium and Jack London Square. They strive to exceed clients’ expectations at every stage of a project. https://www.sandis.net

February 6, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors, This pandemic has impacted both landlords and tenants across California in their ability to meet their financial obligations. To aid both tenants and landlords, the State Legislature, this week, took early action to extend the eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021 and distribute $2.6 billion of the latest federal stimulus dollars to cover unpaid rent.

According to a PolicyLink report, in Santa Clara County alone, 37,305 households owe an estimated $173.5 million in “back rent” (or unpaid rent). Of those households, 22,269 are low-income. When back

rent is eventually due, tens of thousands of families will be faced with evictions and crippling debt while, at the same time, landlords will see severe financial hits and cashflow challenges.

While it is imperative that we take action immediately to get federal relief money out the door to protect our most vulnerable, to avoid crushing debt and mass evictions, we also need in place a backstop through tenant-landlord mediation to ensure tenants or landlords that don’t receive adequate funding don’t fall through the cracks.

This is why I have

been pushing for, as part of this equation, increased tenant-landlord mediation services. A lifeline to both landlords and tenants, mediation is necessary to bring parties together and resolve contentious situations.

To this end, I’d like to thank my colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee and Chair, Senator Nancy Skinner for moving forward with my idea for a statewide multilingual call-center to answer questions and provide direct technical support to landlord and tenants over the phone to help ensure that no one goes unhoused. For those landlords and tenants

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We have a responsibility to do this right so that nobody is left behind. View my full comments at https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2k7Axblbw3U and learn more by reading the below local news coverage.

Mercury News: https://

www.mercurynews. com/2021/01/28/ california-lawmakersapprove-rent-reliefeviction-protections/ KTVU Fox: https:// www.ktvu.com/news/ california-lawmakersextend-evictionmoratorium-through-june SF Gate: https://www. sfgate.com/news/article/ California-lawmakersagree-to-help-coversome-15906128.php

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February 6, 2021

Community COVID Update

COVID-19 Cases in Santa Clara County This past week, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department reported 191 more individuals in the county who contracted COVID-19 have lost their lives. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the county to 1,372. As of Friday, January 29th, the total case count had reached 100,997, and the 7 day rolling average of new cases (based on specimen collection date) was at 776 cases per day.

As of Friday, there were 487 COVID positive patients hospitalized

in Santa Clara County (down from 585 the prior week and 638 the week before that). Of these hospitalizations, 133 were in the ICU. COVID positive patients now occupy 38% of all ICU beds, and just 15% of beds are currently available.

These ICU bed capacity numbers already factor in surge beds that are staffed. More data can be found through the Public Health Department’s Data Dashboards at https:// www.sccgov.org/sites/ covid19/Pages/dashboard. aspx.

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State Moved the County of Santa Clara Into Purple Tier (Tier One) On January 25, 2021, the California Department of Public Health announced that the Bay Area Region is no longer subject to the State’s Regional Stay At Home Order. However, Santa Clara County continues to experience an alarming rate of COVID-19 transmission, and hospital and ICU capacities remain extremely limited in the county and region. The danger COVID-19 poses to our community has not subsided, and the County Health Officer

urges businesses, entities, and residents to continue exercising the utmost caution even as certain restrictions are lifted by the State.

Effective January 25, 2021, all businesses, entities, and individuals in Santa Clara County are subject to the restrictions in the Purple Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, and to additional restrictions that the County Health Officer has imposed. As always, businesses, entities, and individuals must follow

both the State and County Health Officer Orders, and where there is a conflict between the two, the stricter rules must be followed. Following this announcement, the County prepared an Executive Summary of the Revisions to the Health Officer’s Mandatory Directives, which includes a list of the key rules under the current local orders that are applicable to all businesses and remain in effect – see attached.

County Vaccination Efforts The COVID-19 vaccine program continued its rollout this week. On Tuesday, the County announced that the County of Santa Clara’s Health System was expanding COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals 65 and older, following the State of California’s current guidance for vaccine allocation.

County residents 65 and older could begin scheduling appointments for openings beginning on Wednesday, January 27 and thereafter. The County is also partnering with community clinics to ensure that residents can access vaccines in community-based settings, and has launched a pilot mobile vaccination clinic to ensure vaccine access for staff and residents of long-term care facilities, where residents are among the most at risk of severe

illness and death from COVID-19. In addition, to assist residents who lack internet or computer access with scheduling appointments, the County has hosted appointment sign-up fairs in community locations in East San José, Gilroy, and Cupertino, and plans several more in the coming weeks.

Following the State’s priority phases and tiers, each healthcare system​ decides what categories of patients they have the capacity to vaccinate at any given time. Our understanding of the current landscape of other providers in our community is that: Stanford and El Camino Health are offering vaccinations to eligible healthcare personnel and individuals 65 or older; Kaiser, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and

El Camino Health are offering vaccination to healthcare personnel and those 75 and older; and Regional Medical Center and Good Samaritan are only offering vaccinations to healthcare personnel. The County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard is updated daily with information about vaccine allocation and administration by healthcare providers throughout the county.

The latest updates on vaccine eligibility and how to schedule an appointment are available on the County’s website at sccfreevax.org.

February 6, 2021

Madam Secretary: Shirley Weber Takes Oath to Serve as California Secretary of State

Page 9

A Step Forward

Tanu Henry | California Black Media

On Jan. 29, former Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber, who represented parts of San Diego and its eastern suburbs in the lower house of the state legislature for eight years, has been sworn in as Secretary of State of California.

In her new role as the state’s top election official, the former chair of the California Black Legislative Caucus replaces Alex Padilla, who Gov. Newsom appointed to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

“I will be the 1st Black woman to serve in this role and only the 5th Black person to serve as a constitutional officer ever #RepresentationMatters,” Weber tweeted, celebrating her confirmation and the mark she has made on California political history.

Later, she thanked the

people of California for placing their confidence in her and promised to fulfill the duties of the role.

“I am humbled to be able to continue to stand up for Californians as Secretary of State,” Weber said. “I thank the governor for his nomination, the state senators and the Assembly members who voted to confirm my appointment, and the Californians who expressed their faith in my ability to assume this critical office. I look forward to lifting up and defending our democratic values of inclusivity and participation in this new role.”

Both houses of the state legislature unanimously confirmed Weber. On Thursday, Senators gave Weber their nod with a 20-0 vote. No republicans voted.

The day before, her former Assembly

colleagues approved her appointment by a 70-0 vote.

“Dr. Weber is a tireless advocate and change agent with unimpeachable integrity,” Gov. Newsom praised Weber when he appointed her in December.

“The daughter of sharecroppers from Arkansas, Dr. Weber’s father didn’t get to vote until his 30s and her grandfather never got to vote because he died before the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965,” the governor continued.

“When her family moved to South Central Los Angeles, she saw as a child her parents rearrange furniture in their living room to serve as a local polling site for multiple elections. Now, she’ll be at the helm of California’s elections as the next Secretary of State – defending and expanding

the right to vote.”

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) tweeted After the Senate confirmed Weber.

“This is a loss for the assembly, but a huge gain for our state. @ ShirleyWeberPHD has been an incredible leader of our house. We will miss her, but I know she will serve as secretary of state with the same strength and leadership she brought as a legislator.”

In the Assembly, Weber authored several highprofile bills that became law, including a measure that created one of the strongest laws against

police use of force in the country. Another set up an 8-member commission to study California’s role in the enslavement of – and discriminatory practices against -- Black men, women and children, and the ways the state may be liable for those actions.

No date has been set yet for the special election to replace weber in the state’s 79th Assembly District. But late last month, Weber’s daughter, Akilah Weber, who is a medical doctor based in San Diego, announced her candidacy to run for the seat her mom just vacated.

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February 6, 2021

The Power of a Song

The Enduring Power of ‘Amazing Grace’ CONT’

By Chloe Veltman / KQED

Perhaps more than any other popular song in American culture, “Amazing Grace” has become a source of strength and solace for many of our country’s presidents, across the political spectrum, in times of struggle and hardship.

It was played on the bagpipes at Ronald Reagan’s funeral. And Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have all called the hymn one of their favorites.

As a variety of California artists with strong connections to the song point out, “Amazing Grace” has a transformative effect on people from all walks of life, and can be a powerful tool to help bring them together in these deeply divided times.

Obama’s Solo Barack Obama is a president who especially understood the universal appeal and healing power of the hymn.

In June 2015, thenPresident Obama memorably broke into song in the middle of his eulogy for South Carolina state senator and church pastor Clementa Pinckney.

Pinckney, along with eight members of his congregation, had been gunned down at their church by a white supremacist earlier that

month. It was the latest in a spate of mass shootings motivated by racial hatred.

That moment, when Obama responded to the massacre by singing “Amazing Grace,” is considered one of the most powerful of his presidency.

So much so, it inspired a new song.

Just days after Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, folk singer Zoe Mulford wrote, “The President Sang Amazing Grace.”

Mulford’s lyrics recollect a leader who in her mind was able to connect with people in their grief.

“When no words could say what must be said / For all the living and the dead / So on that day and in that place / The president sang ‘Amazing Grace.’ “ “He was with those people in the church and speaking to them, and he was also speaking to the rest of the country and the rest of the world who were watching him on television,” Mulford said. “And the fact that he could be fully present for the people in that room and also be speaking to the rest of us really, really struck me.”

One Version Begets Another

Folk radio stations across the country picked up Mulford’s song. Famed folk singer Joan Baez happened to be listening while driving near her home in the Bay Area.

“When I first heard it, I had to pull the car over because I started crying,” Baez told NPR in a 2018 interview.

She said hearing that song inspired her to make her own version of it.

When Baez sang the song on tour in Paris in 2018, she wrapped up her performance by noting how much she missed Obama.

“He wasn’t perfect, but he was a president,” Baez told the crowd. “Right now we have nothing.

Nothing but destruction.”

Baez released a video to accompany her version of the song.

A book publisher in Sonoma County was transfixed by the animations in the video, drawn by Jeff Scher.

Despite the bleakness of the topic, she decided to commission a children’s book using Scher’s paintings and Mulford’s words.

“One of the reasons we decided to acquire this book was because it was such a dark time in terms of leadership,” said Nina Gruener, publishing director of Cameron Kids in Petaluma. “And we were all aching for that kind of elegance and understanding and empathy that Obama so beautifully portrayed on that day.”

Then, in those final fraught weeks leading up to last November’s

Drag theater artist Taylor Mac performs ‘Amazing Grace’ as part of the epic cabaret show, ‘A 24-Decade History of Popular Music.’ The song took on a new meaning for Mac during the Trump presidency. Photo

By Sarah Walker

presidential election, a new online music video of “The President Sang Amazing Grace” — featuring San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet and Ethiopian American vocalist Meklit Hadero — racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

Obama’s singing of “Amazing Grace” in Charleston was a moment when Americans were faced with a choice, Hadero said.

“Were we going to choose this path of racist, white supremacist leadership that encourages the darkest parts of American history to wield their guns?” Hadero said.

“Or were we going to choose the possibility of something else?”

For Hadero, Obama’s decision to sing “Amazing Grace” spoke to his willingness to be vulnerable.

“We don’t want our presidents to do that,” she said. “And yet those can

be the moments where we connect as human beings to each other. And so, why not have a president that can do that?”

Rooted Deep in the Black Church “Amazing Grace” has traveled far and wide since English clergyman John Newton, a former slave trader, wrote the lyrics in 1772.

“It’s unclear what, if any, music he used when he invoked it as part of a sermon,” said music journalist Steve Turner, the author of the book “Amazing Grace: The Story of America’s Most Beloved Song.” Turner said Newton published the hymn in 1779. “And it found its way over the years into many different hymn collections with many different tunes.”

“Amazing Grace” traveled across the Atlantic, where it was enthusiastically picked up

by Baptist and Methodist preachers in the nascent

February 6, 2021

Page 11

The Power of a Song

https://live.stanford.edu

United States. Eventually, the words were paired with the now-familiar tune.

The song took particularly deep root in the Black church, where it’s been sung across generations.

“Now ‘Amazing Grace’ for us, is a traditional song,” said Margaret Pleasant Douroux, a gospel music composer and longtime member and choir director of the Greater New Bethel Baptist Church in Inglewood, California.

“It has always been a landmark for Black America and Black church.”

Douroux, who founded the Heritage Music Foundation, was in the audience the day Aretha Franklin recorded her iconic take on “Amazing Grace” in Los Angeles in 1972. She said it was hard not to sing along with the Queen of Soul.

“We’ll just join right

in, especially if we know the song,” she said.

“Somebody’s gonna be singing with Aretha Franklin!”

There’s no song quite like “Amazing Grace,” Douroux said, for capturing the Black Christian experience.

“Amazing Grace means something helped us: ‘It was grace that brought us safe thus far, and Grace will lead us on,’ “ she said, quoting the hymn.

Douroux said Obama’s singing of “Amazing Grace” in Charleston meant a great deal to her.

“I’m so proud that President Obama chose that song because it related,” she said. “And we don’t have many things to relate to Black people in the White House.”

California Connections The song has also reached millions of people outside of the religious community because it

speaks so eloquently about rebirth and redemption. Folk singer Judy Collins, who spent some of her childhood in L.A. and struggled for years with alcohol addiction, is among many secular artists who has a strong personal connection to the song.

“I’m sober now 43 years,” Collins told KQED. “And the amazing thing is that I ever got sober. It’s total grace.”

Collins released a landmark version of “Amazing Grace” in 1970, while still battling her addiction, and went on to rerecord the song last year — on the 50th anniversary — backed up by a virtual choir.

“It’s a powerful song which reaches all kinds of people of every race, denomination, religious persuasion, color, character,” said Collins.

“It doesn’t matter who you are. Once you hear ‘Amazing Grace,’ it sticks.”

Many artists with California connections have taken the song in completely new directions, like drag theater performer Taylor Mac. Mac has unhappy memories of being forced to sing the hymn at Christian Science church as

a kid growing up in Stockton.

“I can’t say that I was particularly drawn to the song at all,” Mac said. But over time, it grew on the performer.

Dressed in teetering patent-red platform heels, a fantastical headpiece festooned with balloons and a glittering hoop dress, Mac performed a minor-key version as the opening number in a mammoth stage production chronicling the history of American popular music.

The critically acclaimed show, “The 24-Decade History of Popular Music,” debuted right before the 2016 presidential election and toured the U.S. through much of Trump’s presidency.

Mac made a video of “Amazing Grace” on the streets of San Francisco.

“It became kind of a prayer for grace for the country,” Mac recalled.

“It stopped being about God for me. In the Trump years, it became this beautiful way to start the show and say, ‘Hey, we’re all praying for actual grace now.’ “ Turner, the music journalist, said “Amazing Grace” has such universal appeal, and can see the song, with its call for redemption, becoming a hallmark of Biden’s time in office.

‘A Song You Can Sing Together’ “America is now in a situation where there needs to be healing and

there needs to be things that both sides agree on,” Turner said, pointing to this tumultuous era, which has included racially motivated killings, one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, the recent assault on the nation’s Capitol, and a deadly, ongoing pandemic.

“There needs to be a song that you can sing together,” Turner said.

President Biden’s inauguration speech was at heart a call for togetherness.

“Through civil war, the Great Depression, world war, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed,” he said. “In each of these moments, enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward.

And we can do that now.

History, faith and reason show the way, the way of unity.”

It makes sense that singer Garth Brooks called on the audience to join in during his performance of “Amazing Grace” at the inauguration.

“I’m going to ask you to sing this last verse with me. Not just the people here. But the people at home. At work. As one.

United,” Brooks said before launching into the song once more.

Of course, all of us singing “Amazing Grace” together won’t by itself solve this country’s problems. But maybe it’s a good place to start.

Page 12

February 6, 2021

Business

Neighboring States Use COVID-19 to Lure Silicon Valley Businesses Away

by Madelyn Reese | Story Courtesy of San Jose Spotlight California’s neighboring states are seeing an influx of Silicon Valley companies and workers, and they’re more than happy to tell you about it.

When stay-at-home orders went into place last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many white-collar workers went home to work remotely. This left South Bay business offices empty, and many wondering if it was worth it to stick around the Bay Area when they could go anywhere — for much cheaper.

According to a January LinkedIn report, which lumps in San Jose with the San Francisco Bay Area, hiring was down 7% in December 2020 in the area compared to December of the previous year.

Many workers are indeed seeking greener pastures.

Seattle, Austin and Sacramento have seen the highest upticks in relocating Bay Area workers, the report found, while numbers in nearby

An aerial view of Cityview Plaza in downtown San Jose

cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix have been climbing steadily.

The Arizona surge Arizona has seen a huge boom in attracting California companies since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s building on a trend that started several years earlier.

The Arizona Commerce Authority, the state’s leading economic development organization, lists recruitment of outof-state companies as one of their top approaches to growing the state’s economy. Since 2015, the authority has worked with nearly 100 companies on projects originating from California that have decided to move or expand operations into

Arizona.

According to spokesperson Connie Weber, almost a third of those businesses moved to Arizona between March 2020 and January. That’s double the number of businesses in the same time frame a year earlier.

“Business decisionmakers in California have expressed frustration over cumbersome and costly regulations in California,” Weber said. “Business leaders also cited a desire for affordable housing for their employees as reasons to move operations to Arizona.”

San Jose-based Align Technology, famous for its Invisalign braces, established its new global headquarters in Tempe, a suburb outside of Phoenix

in January. Most of the company’s top leadership, including the CEO, CFO and vice president of human resources, made the move to Arizona.

Employees were allowed to choose between staying in San Jose, where some offices are still based, or moving to Arizona.

“We chose Tempe for our new corporate headquarters for many reasons, including its proximity to San Jose, favorable corporate operating environment, low cost of living, and overall quality of life,” said CEO Joe Hogan when the company announced its move.

‘Getting taxed like crazy’ Even some small Bay Area businesses are making the move to Arizona.

Jennifer Rozen, who lived in San Jose for more than 20 years, owned and operated a chiropractic practice with her sister. In November, she relocated to Gilbert, Arizona, another suburb of Phoenix southeast of the city.

Not only did her family move, but her sister’s family came along, too.

“It was probably four years ago my husband started talking about exiting the Bay Area,” Rozen said. “Some of our reasons included

overcrowding, traffic and just an intensity of living that really isn’t experienced anywhere else.”

She said things had changed drastically in San Jose since she had moved there, and she and her family no longer had the same quality of life.

It had also become cost prohibitive to run her small business.

While the pandemic and ensuing shutdowns weren’t a deciding factor for Rozen and her family, their decision was “definitely accelerated” because of it, she said. “(We’re) constantly getting taxed like crazy,” Rozen said. “There’s many factors… Cost of living was (also) a consideration.”

Rozen said they could enjoy the same quality of life for cheaper. Plus, Arizona is still close enough to California to keep in touch with family and friends.

“Living in an area with more conservative politics was important for us too,” Rozen said. “In California I think we’ve been losing many personal freedoms.”

Continue reading at https://sanjosespotlight. com/neighboring-statesuse-covid-19-to-luresilicon-valley-businessesaway/

February 6, 2021

Tourists Happy With Hawaii Safe Travels Program

By Linda Hohnholz, eTN editor

Almost all tourists coming to Hawaii are aware of the state’s Safe Travels program and understand what they need to do before they arrive and what is expected of them while they are on vacation. And they’re fine with it all and having a great time.

Despite challenges for some in the pre-testing process, the vast majority of visitors (85%) rated their trip “Excellent.”

Ninety-four percent said their trip either exceeded or met their expectations. These are the results made available by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) which released the results of a special study. This study surveyed visitors from the US mainland who visited Hawaii in the first two weeks of December 2020, to gauge their experience with Hawaii’s Safe Travels

program and overall trip satisfaction.

Hawaii’s Safe Travels program allows most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county to bypass the mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner.

The test has to be taken no earlier than 72 hours from the final leg of departure and the negative result must be received before departure to Hawaii.

Nearly every visitor surveyed was aware of the state’s pre-travel testing protocols prior to arrival, and 79 percent of them said the pre-travel testing went smoothly. Among those who indicated they experienced issues with the pre-testing process, almost half (46%) said they felt the 72-hour window for testing was

unreasonable, 37 percent encountered difficulty finding a Trusted Testing Partner and 15 percent said their test results did not arrive in time.

Nearly all of the respondents were aware prior to arriving in the islands of the local government mandates in place to prevent the spread of the virus and limited availability or capacity of visitor amenities.

The survey also asked questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, Hawaii’s rate of COVID-19 infections as a factor in selecting the destination as a place to visit, and likelihood to return to the islands.

HTA’s Tourism Research Division partnered with Anthology Research to conduct the survey, as part of the contract for the Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Study. The online survey was conducted between December 21, 2020 and January 4, 2021. The findings were presented during HTA’s Board of Directors meeting on January 28.

Page 13

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FlyersRights Issues COVID-19 Mitigation Policy Memorandum

By Harry S. Johnson

President Biden’s Executive Order directed the DOT and other agencies to implement a mask rule and to consider other measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

FlyersRights.org published its COVID-19 Mitigation Policy Memorandum, calling on the DOT and FAA to consider implementing additional policies.

President Biden’s Executive Order directed the DOT and other agencies to implement a mask rule and to consider other measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In addition to analyzing mask rule considerations, FlyersRights’ COVID-19 Mitigation Policy Memorandum proposes:

• improved social distancing policies, including mandatory middle-seat blocking • Temperature and Covid-19 checks Suspension of refund and change fees to encourage sick passengers to reconsider travel FlyersRights.org is the leading airline passenger consumer organization on health and safety issues that has been a leading consumer advocate in air travel safety and COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Page 14

February 6, 2021

Making A Difference

49ERS Donate Over 2,000 Books Through Read For Justice Program In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, over 2,000 second and third grade students from San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) received a copy of the book What If We Were All The Same!

by C.M. Harris as part of the 49ers Read for Justice program. Purchased by the 49ers from the Multicultural Bookstore, in Richmond, Calif., the book demonstrates the importance of diversity and unity as part of the Read for Justice program’s aims to encourage literacy and

educate children about diversity, equity and inclusion at an early age while supporting blackowned businesses and authors of color.

DL Arik Armstead read the book aloud to a second-grade class from Cesar Chavez Elementary School in San Francisco and was joined by the author and bookstore owner, Tamara Shiloh, followed by a group discussion. The 2,000 SFUSD students who received the books and a Read for Justice bookmark this week will

view and discuss the readaloud with their classes.

A native of Sacramento, Calif., Armstead is passionate about working with youth and launched the Armstead Academic Project, which works to ensure all students have access to a quality education. For his tireless philanthropic work, Armstead was named the 49ers 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee and was also chosen as the Week 10 NFLPA Community MVP.

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February 6, 2021

Double Take BOE Member Malia Cohen Raises Red Flag on Bank-Breaking Prop 19 Tax Costs Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Malia M. Cohen, the only African American member of the California Board of Equalization (BOE), has some critical concerns about the cost homeowners will have to bear because of Proposition 19, a constitutional amendment that took effect on Dec. 16, 2020.

Cohen, who represents 10 million Californians in 23 counties on the board, is concerned with how Prop 19 will affect Black and other minority homeowners across California. The BOE is the commission responsible for implementing the law.

“The challenge is that it was voted upon and the election has been certified.

So, it’s the law,” Cohen said during a virtual media news briefing with reporters from across the state on Jan. 29 organized

by California Black Media.

In her commentary, Cohen discussed the ways the law will impact all property owners.

“It not only affects our respective Black communities,” she told the reporters. “It affects all homeowners and property owners in the state of California. When people wake up there is going to be a massive coalition (to fight it) -- possibly an uprising. People need to know what the real deal is.”

Cohen said, at

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appearances she is planning similar to the news briefing she had with CBM, residents of California will begin to hear about “the first steps” they can take to become educated about how Prop.19 will hit their bottom lines. This is something she feels was not adequately explained to voters when the referendum was placed on the ballot last November.

On Nov. 3, 2020, California voters approved Prop. 19, the “Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families, and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act.” Although Prop 19 was enacted in December, Cohen warns that a critical part of the legislation will take effect on Feb 16. Until that date, the state currently allows tax breaks for parent-child transfers. When parents give or sell real property to their children (or perhaps, grandchildren), that heir continues to pay property taxes at the same rate assessed on the home value as the parent.

After Feb. 16, Prop. 19 will eradicate the parentchild exclusion. Then, parents would still be able to transfer their house to a child, and the child may keep the parent’s assessed value. But the Prop. 19 law has added one critical condition: the child must

move into the residence and make the property his or her own primary residence.

If not, the property will be reassessed at what the current tax cost is for the home at that time.

Cohen discussed the immediate property tax implications and how it might impede property owners’ intentions to create generational wealth by transferring their personal residence and other property they own to their children as part of their estate planning.

BOE Tax Counsel Richard Moon also participated in the briefing.

“What is required that a child moving into the home must file a homeowner exemption and that needs to be done within a year of the transfer date,” Moon said.

“The child has one year to move into the family home and maintain that family home in order to keep the exclusion. But if they move out after three years, the property would be assessed at that point.”

Rates of Black homeownership in California and across the country are still far below that of Whites and other minorities. Critics of the law say the fact that Prop.

19 could set up even more barriers to African Americans owning homes – and straddle struggling families with additional financial burdens – is

problematic.

About 2.2 million Black people reside in California, around 5.5% of the state’s population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the rate of White American homeownership sails over 73%, while that of African Americans stands at 41%, Black Enterprise magazine reported in 2019.

According to data compiled by Lending Tree, the country’s leading online home loan marketplace, Los Angeles is one of the cities with the highest percentage of Black homeowners.

Utah’s Salt Lake City, Texas’ San Antonio, Oregon’s Portland, and Northern California’s San Jose are also included on that list.

African Americans primarily generate wealth through homeownership and home inheritances, according to data included in the Urban Institute’s “2019 Black Homeownership Gap: Research Trends and Why Growing Gap Matters” report.

“Homeownership is currently the largest single source of wealthbuilding” among the Black population, the

February 6, 2021

Page 17

Double Take

study stated. Between 2005 and 2008, over 240,000 African Americans lost their homes to foreclosure according to the Center for Responsible Lending.

“The financial crisis triggered a massive

destruction of wealth for African Americans,” Alanna McCargo, codirector of the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center told the Washington Post in 2019. “Wealth is inextricably linked to

housing, and that wealth gap is evident in figures for Black-owned property in this country.”

The law, as it is written, would exclude from the term “purchase” and the phrase “change in ownership” for purposes

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of determining the “full cash value” of property in the purchase or transfer of a family home or family farm, for example.

Hardy Brown, Publisher Emertius of the Black Voice News in Riverside – the oldest African American-owned newspaper in that city -- says some of the spirit of Prop 19 may have been positive. The state intended to provide financial cover for the mostly White Californians living in fire and flood prone parts of the state in the event disaster happens.

But what it ends up doing, he argues, is decimate the wealth of Blacks and other minorities.

“It doesn’t help,” says Brown. “It might make a quick buck for campaign contributors or help the state to be a good neighbor to some people, but severely harms others in the process. What it really ends up doing is putting another law on the

necks of Black people in the state of California. It will choke the breath right out of us.”

Under its constitutional mandate, the BOE oversees the assessment practices of the state’s 58 county assessors, who are charged with establishing values for approximately 13.6 million properties each year.

We are not talking about $25 million palaces in Malibu. We are talking about humble homes.

Middle-class homes,” Cohen said. “I live in the Bay View community (of San Francisco). We’re talking about Baldwin Hills of Los Angeles or Encanto in San Diego and other communities throughout California.

Homes that were purchased for $100,000 decades ago that now have a market value of over $1 million. These homes were paid for through hard work and could be potentially lost.”

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Page 18

February 6, 2021

The Battle Continues

As Stay at Home Order Lifts, COVID-19 Testing Remains One of the Most Important Tools in Pandemic Response Testing opportunities will be available this week in San José, Gilroy, Los Altos, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Palo Alto

As the Stay at Home Order was lifted statewide last week, public health officials in Santa Clara County remind residents to continue vigilantly testing for COVID-19.

It remains one of the most important tools in the pandemic response, especially now that more activities are resuming while community transmission of the virus remains high.

“Since the Stay at Home Order has been lifted, some activities with high risk of exposure will resume so it is more important than ever to be mindful of our actions to keep our communities, friends, and families safe,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Officer for the County of Santa Clara. “Mask up, keep your distance, and get tested regularly if you are at risk of exposure.

These public health measures are still our best

tools.”

Testing opportunities are being continually expanded, rotating to new neighborhoods each week.

Mobile testing buses will be offering appointmentbased testing in San José, Campbell, and Gilroy.

Drop-in testing may be accommodated if space allows. Appointmentbased testing continues seven days a week at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, along with standing walk-in sites in San José and Gilroy.

Rotating appointmentonly city sites will be in Los Altos, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Palo Alto.

Appointments can be made starting seven days in advance of the testing date until all slots are reserved at www.sccfreetest. org. Appointmentbased testing is also available in San José at the Fairgrounds, with appointments now

available five days in advance. Testing is free at all these sites.

Appointments are essential for reserving a testing slot.

The County would like to remind people that hospital emergency departments are not the appropriate venue for a COVID-19 test when symptoms are not present and there is no emergency medical issue.

Emergency Departments are for people who need emergency care and are currently very busy caring for patients with urgent medical needs.

The County test sites provide COVID-19 tests free of charge, regardless of immigration status, and no doctor’s note is needed. At some County test sites, people with insurance may be asked to provide their insurance information, so that payment from the insurance company can be

SPACE: Keep safe distance

FACE: Don’t touch it

HANDS: Wash them often

collected. However, patients won’t be billed for any co-pay, deductible, or any other cost for testing.

Those without health insurance or those who do not provide insurance information can still get a test at those sites.

For people without COVID-19 symptoms, the County currently offers indoor and drive-through sites.

People with symptoms are directed to drive-through sites to reduce the chance of getting others sick.

For those with healthcare coverage, systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter/ Palo Alto Medical Foundation and others are required by County order to offer free testing to symptomatic persons, persons who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case, and all “essential workers.”

Examples of “essential workers” include teachers, healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, and persons who work in agriculture or food manufacturing.

For more information on testing rights, see our Frequently Asked Questions page at https://www.sccgov.org/ sites/covid19/Pages/ order-health-officerfaq-06-15-20.aspx The County also collects and publishes data on testing by large healthcare systems: https://www.sccgov.org/ sites/covid19/Pages/ dashboard-testing. aspx#hstesting.

All test sites are mapped on the County’s website at www. sccfreetest.org. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog.

Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.

ELBOW: Cough into it

HOME: Stay if you can

February 6, 2021

Meriwest Sponsors over $1 Million in Affordable Housing and COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Grants

Page 19

People Focused

Meriwest Credit Union continues focus on building better communities~

Meriwest, one of Silicon Valley’s Premier Credit Unions sponsored grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank to support projects of two Community Based Nonprofits. The Credit Union also provided additional support to local charities to assist them in meeting the needs of their clients during the pandemic.

Meriwest sponsored a grant of $1,055,000.00 for CityTeam San Jose through the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program. This project will renovate an existing transitional housing and emergency shelter for homeless and low income residents.

It will also provide meals and improve the financial mobility of residents through financial educational workshops.

In addition to the grant, Meriwest also hosted a holiday drive for residents donating men’s clothing, toys and books to support their

literacy program.

According to CityTeam’s San Jose Executive Director, John Scott, this grant will provide major restroom and air systems improvements to their residential facilities where hundreds of men each year receive hot meals, transitional housing, and supportive services that launch them into permanent housing, fulltime employment, and the life-skills needed to continue their success.

“CityTeam is so thankful for Meriwest’s support in obtaining this funding and their ongoing care for our community members’ well-being.”

Meriwest also sponsored a Pandemic Relief grant of $37, 500.00 for the African American Community Services Agency through the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Access to Housing and Economic assist for Development (AHEAD) program.

The AHEAD grant will be used for

operating support and needs-based services to ethnically diverse low-income families and seniors in San Jose and greater Santa Clara County.

In addition to the grant, Meriwest provided staff hours, sponsorships for virtual events and nonperishable food to support the Community free food program.

Milan Balinton, Executive Director of AACSA said “The African American Community Services Agency is thankful to Meriwest Credit Union for sponsoring us. With these funds, we have the ability to serve more of our community residents. Thank you Meriwest Team for your contributions to help our community.”

“Particularly during this unprecedented time, Meriwest is honored to work with the Federal Home Loan

Bank of San Francisco to secure grants to these very worthy recipients. We are part of this community of people helping people and we will continue our pledge to support and work on behalf of those most in need.” Said Julie Kirsch, President and CEO of Meriwest Credit Union.

Meriwest has had a longstanding commitment to improve the lives of residents of communities we operate in. In 2020, individual staff donations to various charities exceeded $23,000.00 and 100% of our employees volunteered over 1000 hours to help feed, clothe or increase financial literacy of our community residents. Throughout the most challenging year we have endured, Meriwest was out in the community doing our part to help

others.

We live and breathe the Credit Union Motto of “people helping people.”

About Meriwest Credit Union Meriwest Credit Union, one of Silicon Valley’s largest and established financial institutions, has been providing proactive, personal, convenient and innovative financial services to over 82,000 businesses and families throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Tucson, Arizona, for more than 59 years. More information can be found at www.meriwest.com About Federal Home Loan Bank About Federal Home Loan Bank Federal Home Loan Bank San Francisco is a cooperatively-owned wholesale bank. We are a reliable partner for member financial institutions of all sizes – supplying ready access to competitively-priced liquidity, expert financial services, and resources for targeted community and economic development – in all phases of the economic cycle.

We partner with our members to promote homeownership, affordable housing, and economic development.

Get to Know Silicon Valley’s Business & Real Estate Headquarters

Property Management If you own rental property in the Silicon Valley, Monte Sereno, Palo Alto, Saratoga or anywhere in the South Bay, we can help you care for your property to minimize your time and maximize your ROI - contact us today to see how we can help!

Silicon Valley Property Management Group will keep your rental property...

SAFE, SECURE, PROFITABLE... ...so you don’t have to.

With a real estate attorney and a Silicon Valley real estate developer on staff to guide and protect you and your property, we maximize your ROI.

• We maintain your property’s value • We secure your ownership rights • We protect your investment

Gregg Bunker

CEO, Partner Silicon Valley Property Management Group

Call (408) 559-5649

VISIT US ONLINE

svpropmgmnt.com • svpmg.net

or siliconvalleypropertymanagementgroup.com

Buy & Sell: Residential & Commercial Real Estate We’ll list any home from $9,500

Tap into Gregg Bunker, Rob Roham & Shannon Farrell and their team of over 30 real estate pros No matter what your budget, no matter where you’re looking, the BRG Realty team is here to help you buy or sell your home or business and save you money in transaction fees along the way!

• Over $50 million in listings for sale • Los Altos condominium project • Homes, condos, and land

Gregg Bunker: (408) 781-1725 Rob Roham: (408) 888-5700 Shannon Farrell: (408) 896-5351

Visit us online: brgrealtycorp.com Agents: Join BRG Realty: NO – NO – NO – NO – Work

Desk Fees!

NO – Office Fees!

Sign-Up Fees!

NO – Sales Quotas Franchise Fees!

Minimum Number of Transactions!

IN-OFFICE or ON-LINE from anywhere

Silicon Valley’s Best Coworking Space, Hot Desks, Meeting Rooms & Private Offices Choose from many flexible, powerhouse workspace options: Hot Desks: Sit at any open desk, any time the Coworking Business Center is open Internet Cafe & Coffee Shop: Lightning fast Wifi, salads, sandwiches & more - proudly serving Peet’s Coffee Meeting Rooms & Conference Rooms: Multiple rooms to choose from to host your event Virtual Offices: Prestigious Silicon Valley business address with no overhead

Learn More & Join Us: SiliconValleyBusinessCenter.net siliconvalleyexecutiveinvestorsinc.com

NOW RECRUITING WEALTH MANAGERS

Contact Gregg Bunker at gregg@greggbunker.com to discuss your wealth management qualifications and our upcoming opportunity.

Bunker Business Network Headquarters 1900 Camden Avenue | San Jose, CA 95124 (408) 558-3600