Zirana City Blog

Has anyone noticed how very beautiful the gardens in our neighborhood are this year? I was wondering if the amount of rain we had followed by glorious weather had anything to do with it? June is the month that one notices how well and showy the roses are. It is so hard not to stare at the lush gardens while driving, remembering to keep one’s eyes on the road! Mine (Betty Boop, Irresistible, double Gourmet Popcorn and tiny, tiny Si) bloomed like crazy. Contrary to popular myth, roses are not as fussy as some would lead you to believe. Following are some easy steps for the care of roses:  Make sure they have good air circulation and lots of sun by pruning out the inner branches and removing lower leaves at the bottom foot of the plant. If you deadhead (remove the spent blooms) regularly, water on a regular basis, and feed every 4 weeks with a  balanced rose food, you will see marvelous blooms all summer long. To prevent powdery mildew and hit a few aphids, it might be necessary to spray every few weeks with a  mix of 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp hort oil, 2 tsp of dishwashing soap in a gallon of water. A few spoonfuls of epsom salts at the base of the plant seems to help, along with a  product called Pay Dirt that my rosarian friend Lore recommends.   

Full article at -http://www.zirana.com/sanmateo/city_news/gardening_tips_for_june_by_mary_crowell_.html

 

You can read this review about a Salon and also read the response from the Salon below the review and then decide who was at fault.

 

Subject: First Impressions

 

I want to tell you what happened on Friday to my mother……….

 

Last Wednesday I made my mom an appointment at First Impressions on Boonville Rd for her hair.  When I called I made an appointment for low lights, high lights, cut and style.  I told them that she is in a wheelchair and that I would be dropping her off and then picking her up when she’s finished.

Jaime and I both go to this salon.  Mom has been before too, in the wheelchair, but with a different stylist.  Nothing has ever happened like it did this time.

 

Jaime and I took my mom in Friday at 1:00, nothing was said to us about ANYTHING.  We told them what mom wanted and that I would be back around 4 to pick her up.

 

At 3:30 I called mom on her cell phone to see if she was ready.  She was SO upset!  Told me that Isaac (the owner) colored her hair, whacked to cutting it and rolled her in the middle of the salon floor and left her………

He told her that he was not going to finish her and that he would wait to talk to me.

 

So, I called the salon after mom told me this to see what happened.  I did not know if mom made him mad or what!

 

When I called I asked who ever it was I was talking to, Who I was and that my mother is there in the wheelchair.  I found out that I was talking to Isaac the owner, the guy who mom had her appointment with.  He told me that he just does not do “OLD” people and that I needed to get one of the other stylist to do her hair or better yet, take her to another salon.

 

I hung up and went right away to go get my mom.  I got to the salon and it was full of people.  I saw mom sitting by the door.  Sure enough he colored her hair, but left it, he did not do ANYTHING else!

So I walked up to Isaac and asked him what the problem was.

He got ugly right away and told me that he does not do OLD PEOPLE!  That no one told him that mom was in a wheelchair and he does not do WHEELCHAIR PEOPLE either!

When I told Isaac that he just can’t treat his customers like that, he argued with me and then told me to follow him.  So I did.  He walked to the front counter and read out loud “WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE”.  He read that really loud and when he said the word “ANYONE” he yelled that word to me and told me that we were done and walked off!

My mom was SO EMBARRASSED and Humiliated!

So, if you know anyone that goes to First Impressions, tell them not to go

there!  They don’t treat people with respect!    They made a LASTING

IMPRESSION on us!

 

You can view the review at this listing:

 

http://www.zirana.com/TX_bryan/beauty_spa_salons/first_impression_salon_isaac/view_details.html

 

Response from the Salon -

Name: Zach Williams

Problem: Inaccurate description

Listing ID: 133

Comment:

 

I have been a friend of Isaac\’s for over 15 years and anyone who knows him personally should know that he would never turn down a client due to a disability or their age. The person that is slandering Isaac\’s name is NOT giving the full story. There is always two sides to every story, and we all know that. As a Hispanic community we should stick together and pray for Isaac, instead of using it as gossip of the week.

 

A lady dropped off her disabled mother (in a wheelchair) to get a color and highlight done and said she\’d be back in 3 hours. I don\’t know about y\’all, but I would NEVER leave a disabled family member anywhere alone. I have been in the salon environment since I was a child, and have never seen a person in a wheelchair in any salon without a caretaker or nurse with them. She rolled her mother into the salon and left without any further information, other than she would be back in 3 hours. At this point, Isaac was unaware that the client could not even lift her own leg from the chair.

 

 

 

When it was time for her mother\’s appointment, Isaac began coloring her hair and the lady could not even hold her own head up. She was slumped over so far that he had to continuously pick her head up for her so that the color would not drip down her face. When it was time to shampoo her hair, Isaac had to ask for assistance from a friend (who has no nurse training

either) of his to lift the lady  out of her wheelchair and into the shampoo chair to rinse the color out. They could have hurt the client or themselves while transferring her into the chair, which could have resulted in legal action (against Isaac as the owner of First Impression) had the client been hurt in any way. At this point, Isaac realized he could not continue her services and do her highlight as requested because she could not keep her head up or get herself out of her chair. The client was very upset when she was told the services could no longer continue and called her daughter to pick her up. The daughter came in furious and insisted that Isaac highlight her mother\’s hair. She was being extremely rude and difficult. Isaac explained to her that she should not have left her mother alone knowing her condition. She was arguing with Isaac and he simply asked her to leave.

Stylists are not trained to lift people up and down professionally without hurting themselves or the client. The type of care this woman required warranted professional assistance, and the daughter should have been well aware of this.What if the client needed to go to the bathroom? There were no females in the salon that could have helped her ( not that it is their job anyways).

Did she expect Isaac to clean her soiled mother? Or, was she planning on letting her sit in the same Depend for 3 hours?

 

THE REAL FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE CLIENT\’S DAUGHTER FOR HER NEGLIGENCE.

 

I can\’t believe she is dragging his name through the mud like this because she did not get her 3 hours of free time, and this is what it really boils down to. For the record, Isaac did not refuse service to a disabled client, nor did he say he did not do elderly people. He has many clients that come in with wheelchairs, and have been his clients for years, and they are always accompanied by a family member or a nurse. Not to mention, he has had a hurt leg for the past year. How can he be expected to lift or care for another person\’s well being, when he has a disability of his own that requires him to sit while styling his clients.

 

 

 

For those of you who know Isaac, repost this or copy and e-mail it to everyone you know in his support. Surprisingly, people who were supposed to be his friends are also forwarding the ugly e-mail without getting his side of the story. The lady who is slandering his name has gone to extremes such as contacting KBTX, The Eagle, and everyone she can get a hold of on the Internet.

 

WOW, she REALLY wanted her 3 hours of free time!!!

 

 

 

Title: HORRIBLE

Author: Kimberly (Guest)

A review for “Aunt Chilada’s Cantina”. You can view the review at this listing: http://www.zirana.com/FL_palmharbor/restaurants/aunt_chilada_s_cantina/view_details.html

 

February 20th a group of ten women went out for a nice dinner and salsa dancing, but discovered that they would not be able to join the salsa dancing due to bad service at Aunt Chiladas Cantina.

I arrived at 7:15pm and asked for a table for 10 people. I was told that the wait would be about 20 minutes long. Around 8:10pm, my group became anxious and I asked the hostess why we have not been seated, she told us that she could seat us at two separate tables. We agreed to this and sat down looking forward to what we hoped for dinner and salsa dancing.

8:15 pm - The waitress came to our table and took our drink and food order and it was looking good.

9:10pm- Very hungry and anxiously waiting for our food so that we could join the 9:30 salsa dancing lessons that also took place in Aunt Chiladas Cantina.

8 of 10 of our meals arrive at 9:10pm and to start two of them are incorrect. Also we sit with empty drinks and no silverware to eat the food we have.

9:30pm Not our entire group still has their food YET and the waitress is missing in action. Jessica walks back to the kitchen and asks what is going on with our order and drinks.

9:45 We have our food in front of us and can eat and we are still waiting on drinks to come, but the manager is arguing with Jessica about how Aunt Chiladas is not FRIDAY’S! He is very rude to all of us and tells us that they are doing the best that they can do and that this only happens on in every 4 years at the most.

We end up getting a 30% discount, but still missed out on Salsa Dancing and all vowed never to return to Aunt Chiladas for food service.

 

I will let Jessica give more info because she spoke directly with the waitress and manager.

 

Jessica Says

The waitress when approached would agree to what was being asked and then hide in the back which escalated the problems because we were continuing to wait on water, silverware and for some of us our food. The manager then he arrived at the table said it was not his job to explain why our service had been so bad and that I should “respect” him more because he had been doing this for eleven years. I then explained to him that this happening once every four years was still inappropriate and that this time his lack of concern about his guests treatment was multiplied by 10 because we were all from different families. He said he was concerned and that’s why he came out of his office when we asked to speak with the manager. IF HIS RESTAURANT WAS SO BUSY THAT THEIR SERVICE WAS THIS POOR HE SHOULD NOT OF BEEN SITTING IN HIS OFFICE! I could go one but the same things were said repeatedly. At the end of dinner, I asked to speak with him once more because I wanted to write the owner a letter informing him of our experience, when he arrived at the table he snapped and said he had done everything to correct what happened by giving us 30% off and telling us he would fire the waitress. I explained that those were not solutions or corrections of the problems and that his rudeness made everything worse. I explained that I would be writing the owner and the better business bureau a letter in regards to our experience. He said that he just purchased the rest of the shares of the restaurant on Friday and if I wrote a letter to the BBB he would take his own action. He then continued to explain that he was a 4th year law student and that since he gave us 30% off this would be harassment . So his lack of concern, disrespect and threatening ta tics finished off the evening on a bad note. Please join us in our strike against the Restaurant because under no circumstances should customers be treated in this manner.

By Mary Crowell   

 In February, because of the iffy weather, it is still difficult to do full-time gardening. Now is a super time to read those great gardening magazines. I love the “Garden Gate”, “Fine Gardening” and “Sunset” also any articles about Going Green! Environmental issues are something that we all have to understand for the world to continue into the future. What can an individual do? Tending a garden brings you closer to the earth and “how” you garden can make a difference. Avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides by switching to natural resources such as lady bugs, insecticidal soaps, Sluggo (for snails and slugs),=2 0compost teas and keeping your plants healthy. Ever try layers of newspaper under your mulch? It ends up using less mulch and the newspaper does eventually break down, but keep colored papers in the recycle bin. What about a drip irrigation system? It uses less water and can be very efficient, especially if you get one of the new timers with a rain sensor. How about recycling plastic pots? Our own San Mateo Garden Center can always use your castoffs, along with local nurseries who may take back their own pots. Check with them.    Continue doing your pruning, fertilizing, applying the organic dormant spray, looking at catalogues, reading about your plants and planting spring flowers and shrubs.

Rest of the srticle at http://www.zirana.com/cupertino/city_news/gardening_tips_for_february.html

Power Outages: Do you know what to do when the lights go out?
Fall and winter season brings cold and windy weather, and the possibility of downed trees and poles causing power outages.  It’s important to know a few basics when it comes to both food and personal safety while experiencing outages in your home.   

Tips for food safety during an outage:
• Avoid opening and closing both the refrigerator and freezer doors to maintain the cold temperature.
 
• A half filled freezer will hold food safely for 24 hours while a fully filled freezer will safely hold food for up to 48 hours.
 
• Quickly move items in the refrigerator to a cooler (low cost Styrofoam coolers work too) filled with ice to preserve perishable items.
   
• Prioritize  which items are more perishable than others and eat the most perishable first

When the power is out, take special precautions to avoid indoor cold related emergencies.   
Acute hypothermia - Occurs when a person suffers rapid loss of body heat, which typically occurs from immersion in cold water.

Subacute hypothermia - This happens usually in cool outdoor temperatures below 50°F) when a person doesn’t have adequate clothing, wind chill susceptibility or lack the ability to cope with the cold due to their personal health and nutrition.

Chronic hypothermia – Typically occurs from ongoing exposure to cold indoor temperatures below 60°F. 
Be sure to keep warm clothing and blankets available.
Treat hypothermia by bundling the person in warm blankets and covering their head with blankets or a knit cap.  Let them take sips of a warm drink – not alcohol.  Do not rub body parts that appear to be frostbitten.  If the person is losing consciousness, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Read rest of article at- http://www.zirana.com/cupertino/city_news/december_simply_safe_.html

By Mary Crowell Recently I found this Chinese saying in a magazine and it spoke to me:  Pleasure for an hour, a bottle of wine; pleasure for years, a marriage;  pleasure for a lifetime, a garden. Speaking of pleasure, my epiphytic cacti  gave me such joy this season with about 75% of my large hanging plants blooming  with no duplicates. For those unfamiliar with epis, as they are called, do a  Google search with image for epiphyllum hybrids and you will see why they make  me smile.      Hope everyone was able to make it to the San Mateo County Fair this year,  unfortunately I was in Alaska at a cousin’s reunion so missed all the fun of  entering designs and specimens. I heard though, that there were beautiful cut  flowers and potted plants along with some innovative balcony gardens. The  amateur and professional gardens outside Redwood Hall were especially gorgeous  along with the artful and creative floral designs. There were some huge  challenges this year as floral arts had a new venue.     September is also the month many garden clubs resume their meetings after a  summer hiatus. There are many advantages to joining a garden club. You learn  about horticulture and floral design and you widen your circle of friends and  your plant population. I think gardeners, on the whole, are very generous and  very friendly. All the bay area garden clubs and societies welcome new members  with open arms, cuttings, plants, bulbs, divisions, diverse programs, tours and  great eating treats at the meetings. Check with the San Mateo Garden Center or  with me for a society or club that might interest you.

 

Read rest of the article at http://www.zirana.com/sanmateo/city_news/september_mary_mary_how_does_your_garden_.html

24th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday, September 20th, 2008 9am to noon Join thousands of San Mateo County residents in the state’s largest volunteer event focused on protecting the marine environment. Each year, San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program (SMCWPPP) and the California Coastal Commission partner to coordinate Coastal Cleanup Day in an effort to engage people to remove debris from the bay and inland waterways; identify the sources of debris; and ultimately change the behaviors that cause pollution. Since the program started in 1985, nearly 700,000 Californians have removed more than 10 million pounds of debris from our state’s shorelines and coast. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy that takes place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.

Read rest of the article at http://www.zirana.com/sanmateo/city_news/coastal_cleanup_volunteers_needed_saturday.html

By John Dozier.

August real estate sales activity for the greater Cupertino area continued at a pace very similar to previous months.  There were 56 closed sales in August compared with 49 for June and 55 in July.  There are currently 49 pending sales, slightly less than in the previous month possibly reflecting the longer period necessary to process loans.  Pending sales are homes that are under contract, or in escrow waiting to clear inspection and financing contingencies prior to close.  There were 97 homes for sale at the end of August compared with 117 at the end of the July.  It is significant to note that the summer market is usually a little slower than the spring and fall markets.  There are still a significant number of homes that continue to sell above their asking prices.  The majority of these homes tend to be priced between $900,000 to $1,500,000.  There were 10 sales that closed above asking price in August compared with 16 in July.  Most, however, were not significantly over.  There were 12 home sales in the price range above $1,500,000 in the month of August, compared with only 3 in July.      For the most part, prices are holding steady.  Buyers are showing a disciplined approach and are doing their homework before coming to the table with an offer!  Lending restrictions are now much tougher than they were prior to the recent changes in lending practices.  It is imperative now, for Buyers to obtain loan pre-approval before seriously looking for a home.

 

Read the rest of this article at -http://www.zirana.com/cupertino/real_estate/cupertino_home_sales_remain_constant.html

Act 2 in the garbage soap opera

By Michelle Carter Zirana Managing Editor The soap opera that has become the South Bayside Waste Management Authority has unveiled Act Two. In response to a searing letter from San Mateo Supervisor Jerry Hill that took issue with the transparency of the board’s process for choosing a new garbage and recycle pick-up service, SBWMA has removed Kevin McCarthy, its executive director, from the selection process. McCarthy was the source of Hill’s complaint. After SBWMA settled on Norcal Waste Systems, dumping Allied Waste which has held the contract for nine years, two weeks ago, McCarthy then took the unusual action of emailing the four unsuccessful bidders asking them to write a letter defending the SBWMA’s bidding process. “[I] have a special and awkward request to make: can [you] write a letter stating that while you are certainly disappointed with the results and you not being selected you feel the rfp processes were conducted professionally, thoroughly and with the highest level of transparency and integrity,” McCarthy wrote in the Aug. 23 e-mail. After that, Hill took issue with the transparency of SBWMA process which, he wrote, makes him “suspicious of what I’m getting from them.” Besides removing McCarthy from the selection process, SBWMA chair Larry Patterson wrote that the executive committee will review and approve direct correspondence with the proposers regarding the selection process and the committee’s role in contract negotiations with the short-listed firms will be increased for direct oversight.

 

Rest of the article at http://www.zirana.com/sanmateo/city_news/act_2_in_the_garbage_soap_opera.html

By Bob Boog.  A lot of newspaper ink has been spilled lately over HR 3221 - the Housing and Economic Recovery Act - which was recently passed into law. This legislation could have significant implications for the Santa Clarita Valley housing and mortgage industries, so I wanted to point out a few things that could impact you or someone you know.   The main thing that may impact most first-time homebuyers is the elimination of what is called the “Nehemiah Program”.  The Nehemiah Program is a down payment assistance program where a home seller contributes up to 6% of the selling price of a home to a non-profit agency called Nehemiah. For a fee of about $400, Nehemiah then provides the money as a legal down payment to a homebuyer. This popular FHA program has helped over 900,000 families obtain homeownership since 2000, however, it is unpopular with HUD because many of these homes eventually end up in foreclosure.   As this new Federal legislation is currently written, the Nehemiah program will be phased out of homes insured by HUD for homebuyers on or about October 1. There is currently some discussion as to when the exact date will take effect, but if you know someone who is in interested in using this program to buy a home, they should have their FHA loan application in process prior to October 1.

Read the rest of this article at http://www.zirana.com/santaclarita/real_estate/impact_of_hr_3221_on_santa_clarita_real_estate.html