Weekly Message | Governor Orders Statewide Shutdown of Indoor Dining, Movie Theaters, & More

Weekly Message ~ July 2020

Business News

UPDATE: Governor Orders Statewide Shutdown of Indoor Dining, Movie Theaters, & More

On Monday, July 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a sweeping shutdown of indoor dining, movie theaters, family entertainment centers and additional indoor operations in all counties, including San Mateo County, amid a statewide spike on COVID-19 cases.

“Governor Newsom’s measures further emphasize the need for all of us to do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County Health Officer. “That means wearing a face covering, maintaining social distancing, and limiting our activities. It’s up to us to determine our future.”

The following must close statewide – including in San Mateo County – under the governor’s emergency order:

Dine-in restaurants (indoor)
Wineries and tasting rooms (indoor)
Movie theaters (indoors)
Family entertainment centers (indoors)
Zoos and museums (indoors)
Cardrooms (indoors)
Brewpubs, breweries, bars and pubs (indoor and outdoor)

Outside dining is still allowed.

Read the Full Press Release Here

Wells Fargo Launches $400 Million Small Business Recovery Effort

"Following an April 2020 industry-leading commitment to donate all gross processing fees from the Paycheck Protection Program, Wells Fargo unveiled today the details of an approximately $400 million effort to help small businesses impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic keep their doors open, retain employees, and rebuild. Through Wells Fargo’s new Open for Business Fund , the company will engage nonprofit organizations to provide capital, technical support, and long-term resiliency programs to small businesses with an emphasis on those that are minority-owned businesses."

Read the Full Press Release Here

California High-Speed Rail Authority Launches Online Resources for San Francisco to San Jose Project Section - Community Open House

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) launched an online web portal for the San Francisco to San Jose project section. The new portal, similar to portals created for other recently released environmental documents, is designed to help the public better understand the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) released July 10, 2020.

The new online web portal, accessible via the Authority’s website at hsr.ca.gov , will be available for the duration of the public comment period for the Draft EIR/EIS. Authority staff will use this portal to conduct online/teleconference webinars and answer questions from members of the public.

The online open house dates and times, unchanged from the original in-person schedule, are as follows:

Open House Live Webinar #1: July 20, 2020 4 to 7 pm
Open House Live Webinar #2: July 30, 2020 4 to 7 pm
Open House Live Webinar #3: August 5, 2020 4 to 7 pm

Learn more

Around Menlo Park

San Mateo County Fair - Pop-Up Movie Nights!

The San Mateo County Fair is pleased to announce its upcoming releases in their summer pop-up drive-in movie nights; tickets can be purchased following the link below:

On show days, guests will drive into the Fairgrounds at 1346 Saratoga Drive , and be directed where to park. A ticket attendant will scan tickets via guest mobile device, through the car window. Tickets are $35 per car presale.

Showtime is 9pm (Gates open at 7:30 pm ) and will be shown on a 52-foot x 26-foot widescreen. Smaller cars will not be parked behind taller cars. Guests will tune into an FM radio station to hear the movie’s audio.

The Pet Place Will Close After 28 Years

Long-time Menlo business, The Pet Place , will close its doors this summer. "It is with overwhelming sadness we are announcing the closure of The Pet Place at the end of June. We are heartbroken and it is one of the most difficult decisions in our life" -Lynn and Marc Macy. To read the full letter to their clients about closing, click here .

The Pet Place does have store fixtures available for sale! View their contact information here .

Visit their website!

Shredding Event

Free shredding of confidential files for Menlo Park residents! This is a shredding event only. The electronic waste recycling portion has been canceled.

To practice social distancing, please follow these guidelines:

Please label "Shred only" on any shredding materials and leave them in the trunk.
It is recommended to remove all other personal items from the trunk to avoid any accidents.
Residents will drive up to the vendors, remain in their vehicles with their face masks on, and the vendors will pick up the shredding materials from the trunks.

Shred event ends at Noon or when the truck is full, whichever comes first.

This free event is sponsored by the City of Menlo Park and ReThink Waste.

Saturday, July 25, 9 am to 12 pm

333 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park

Learn more

Members at Work

Congratulations to Cheeky Monkey for 20 Years!

Owned by husband-and-wife team Anna and Dexter Chow, Cheeky Monkey Toys started in a 900-square-foot store with three employees. They expanded to its current location ( 640 Santa Cruz Ave ), a space over four times the size, in 2007. The store has made giving back a priority by donating over $20,000 annually to local schools, children’s hospitals and non-profit organizations serving youth.

Cheeky Monkey Toys has also won many awards over the years, including community recognition through numerous readers’ choice awards from local newspapers, local recognition from the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce with the Golden Acorn for Business Excellence in 2011, and industry recognition from the Western Toy and Hobby Representative Association’s Retailer of the Year in 2016.

Visit their website!