Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Will a new ombudsperson really change San Mateo County’s troubled jails?

Make time for The Prediabetes Wake Up Call on the San Mateo Patch calendar

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Saturday August 29th Patch AM
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Hi there, San Mateo! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Will a new ombudsperson really change San Mateo County's troubled jails?
  • How one San Mateo couple changed foster care—and why more help's needed
  • How a $20M microgrid could change San Mateo County outages

Also on today's calendar: The Prediabetes Wake Up Call and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 73 and low of 58 degrees.
  • Sunday: Breezy in the afternoon, temps: high: 71, low: 56.
  • Monday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 69 and low of 60 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Here's why San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is hiring an ombudsperson (almanacnews.com) — San Mateo County is adding an ombudsperson to its Sheriff's Office, aiming to give incarcerated people, families, and residents a clearer way to file complaints and push for jail improvements. The role, funded in the county budget, comes after scandals, a sheriff's ouster, and ongoing debates over mail access, medical care, and oversight. Advocates welcome more accountability but argue a fully independent inspector general is still needed.
   

• Bay Area Couple Who Fostered Troubled Kids For Decades Honored (patch.com) — In San Mateo, a longtime foster couple has been honored for three decades of caring for some of San Mateo County's most traumatized youth, and they're now retiring. Their story highlights how love, patience, and stability changed kids' lives, while county social workers warn of a serious shortage of local foster, or "resource," families. Officials are urging interested residents to step up for children who might otherwise be placed far from home.
   

• Power Outages Plague This SMC Coastal Town. A $20M Fix Is Moving Forward (patch.com) — San Mateo County is putting $3 million toward a new community microgrid, part of a $20 million effort to curb frequent power outages in a coastal town. Partnering with WestLight Energy, PG&E, and other groups, the county's Sustainability Department aims to create a more resilient local grid that can keep critical services running during future shutoffs.
   

📸 Around San Mateo

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🗓 Upcoming Events in San Mateo

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📣 San Mateo Shout Outs!

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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • RIP dear friend.
    We walked under you every day and admired your majestic beauty. You're a diamond in a city full of concrete. A 100 year old California Live Oak -… (Nextdoor Sunnybrae)
  • They were so worried about these "no turn on red" "no u turn sign" on 3rd Ave they should be focused on figuring out how to control the 3rd avenue overpass traffic.
    Those of us that live in this neighborhood are sick of the backed up traffic of people going to foster city or the SM bridge. (Nextdoor North Shoreview)
  • Whole Foods posted a job opening for Produce Team Member (Clerk, Floor Service) - Part Time Seasonal in San Mateo. Apply here.
  • San Mateo Union High School District posted a job opening for Mills Girls Soccer Varsity Head Coach in San Mateo. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near San Mateo here.

🗞 Nearby News

Foster City

Hillsborough

Belmont

  • Is reading dead? Not at the Bay Area's thriving Silent Book Clubs (mercurynews.com)
  • Beyond the Bench: Launch Your Elite Educational Consulting Career (morehouse.edu)

Ok San Mateo! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A bottle (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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