CC 06-01-2021 Study Session Item No. 2 Community Funding Grant Program_Written CommunicationsCC 06-01-21
Study Session #2
Community
Funding Grant
Program
Written Comments
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Donna Austin <primadona1@comcast.net>
Sent:Thursday, May 27, 2021 8:15 PM
To:Darcy Paul; Liang Chao; Jon Robert Willey; Hung Wei; Kitty Moore; Kirsten Squarcia; City Clerk;
Cupertino City Manager's Office
Cc:primadona1@comcast.net
Subject:Line Item in the budget for Cupertino Historical Society
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Dear City Council,
I urge you to keep the Cupertino Historical Society a line item in your budget because I believe so strongly that our
history is vital to our community.
Why I Give by Donna Austin
"I believe Cupertino history is so important and our mission of gathering and preserving and sharing history is so
precious, that we must remember our people stories so they can be shared and built upon in our community. I believe
Cupertino History is common and unique. Common because every day people lived here doing everyday things and
unique because they accomplished the extraordinary with enterprise and innovation. We transitioned from productive
agricultural community to creating the center for technological innovation and education. Remembering our past is
essential to building the future of a strong community like Cupertino. That is why I give, so we don’t forget our stories!"
Please keep us in your line item budget because we do so much to preserve our history and share it with our
community.
Donna Austin
22283 N. De Anza Circle
Cupertino, CA 95014
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1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Kathy Stakey <kstakey@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, May 28, 2021 1:51 PM
To:City Council
Subject:Cupertino Historical Society
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recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Honorable City Council,
I am emailing you to express support for The Cupertino Historical Society becoming a line item in your budget.
The CHS is a valuable asset to the City of Cupertino and has continuous programs of interest to the entire community.
The members as well as attendees represent the diversity of our City. Recently they had a huge attendance at a Zoom
mtg at which a local author from the Mariani family discussed the richness of Cupertino as a growing community. They
also have an exhibit at the Cupertino Library displaying the early years of growth in our City of Cupertino.
Please vote yes to accept them as a line item in the budget.
Thank you,
Kathy Stakey
Sent from my iPhone
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Barbara Rogers <barbsbucket@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, May 30, 2021 11:36 PM
To:Darcy Paul; Liang Chao; Kitty Moore; Hung Wei; Jon Robert Willey
Cc:Cupertino City Manager's Office; City Clerk
Subject:Cupertino Historical Society Fuding
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
I urge you in your upcoming budget discussion at the June 1, 2021 Council Meeting to make funding
the Cupertino Historical Society & Museum a recurring line item in the City budget.
As past Mayor and Council Member and in the ensuing years, I observed that the Cupertino Historical
Society has continuous programming in its ongoing preservation of Cupertino's 160 plus years of
history.
This programming consists of:
-- Off site displays such as exhibits at the Cupertino Library.
-- Exhibits in the Museum, most recently "Homage to the Information Technical Revolution 1975-
1985," featuring local visionaries and entrepreneurs.
-- Educational traveling exhibits such as the Traveling Trunk where old-time items such as button
hooks, butter churns, etc, are featured.
-- Readings and Discussions of important current events, such as "Racial Justice--Black Lives
Matter," and reading groups on the histories of the Chinese and of the Japanese in Cupertino.
-- Preservation and storage of historical artifacts relating to Cupertino.
-- Preservation of local historic sites, such as the Craft House on Phil Lane.
-- Events at an historic site, with "A Sip of History" being the most recent, though canceled this year
due to the pandemic.
These are just a very few examples of the Cupertino Historical Society's sustained efforts to preserve
and educate about Cupertino's past.
I share them with you to show that the Cupertino Historical Society's mission and goals are ongoing
and consist of continuous varied programming rather than a few specific events.
As such, an annual line item in the budget is the better way to help fund the Cupertino Historical
Society & Museum.
In closing, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank you, individually and collectively, for your dedication to the
betterment of today's Cupertino and into its future.
Best Regards,
Barbara Rogers, Former Mayor & Councilmember
19764 Auburn Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
Tel. 408-710-9399
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Ms Robyn Coward <robyncoward@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, May 31, 2021 11:15 PM
To:Darcy Paul
Subject:Cupertino Historical Society and Museum Funding - PLEASE CONTINE TO SUPPORT CHSM
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sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Mr. Paul and Cupertino City Commissioners.
I am writing to urge you to reconsider the decision to eliminate funding for the Cupertino Historical Society and Museum,
which would force CHSM to to be placed in a pool of other non-profits to compete for grand funding.
It is well known that a community or city that doesn't know it's past will not understand or struggle with its future. At the
national level, the federal government keepers of American culture such as public television, museums, and the arts
receive a certain level of funding not based upon grants to help to ensure that important historical records are captured
and maintained, and where lessons from the past are kept for future generations.
As Cupertino is the home of Apple, the story of the original ways in which fruits and other plans were grown before Napa
Valley became known as a world wine capital, are among the many other Cupertino treasures are carefully preserved and
shared with the residents and visitors of Cupertino and beyond. As well, the inspiring stories of challenges that Cupertino
faced in the past, are great for informing ideas on how to address the needs of a future Cupertino. The book studies on
the story of the contributions of Chinese and other immigrants that have offered the opportunity for local residents to have
constructive dialogues on race were well attended, and serve as an unique opportunity to learn about how the past has
impacted our present relations with members our our community and provide constructive ways of addressing delicate
issues in a a positive way. Appreciation for the differences that Chinese, Italian and other immigrants brought to make
Cupertino what it is today, is valuable. As well, CHSM has also provided students with the opportunity to have meaningful
internships that help them enter the local job market.
Let's maintain a solid base of support at minimum to ensure that the curated collections and programs regarding our
wonderful city and it's residents can continue to be provided without undue stress. We know COVID 19 has hit many non-
profits hard, and we would like to ensure that that the loss of city funding will not increase the pressure on an already
challenging grant environment for non-profits. CHSM relies on volunteers and a shoestring budget, with very few paid
staff. Let's not only help CHSM preserve Cupertino's past and current history-in -the making, but also reduce the pressure
on grant funding for all non-profits by at least continuing to provide CHSM with the city funding they have had for
decades.
CHSM can certainly augment its budget with grants, but would not need to rely as heavily on grants if it could receive
some support from the city. A local government should continue to support it's local history.
Respectfully submitted,
Friend of CHSM Robyn Coward
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Anne Ezzat <aezzat95014@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June 1, 2021 12:39 PM
To:Darcy Paul; Liang Chao; Jon Robert Willey; Kitty Moore
Subject:$20k Grant to Cupertino Historical Society
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Mayor Paul, Vice Mayor Chao, Council member Wiley and Council Member Moore,
I am flummoxed by the Cupertino Historical Society's request for a twenty thousand dollar grant for the Snyder‐
Hammond house, a property they have not maintained. It is my understanding that historical properties in the city are
required to be maintained to a certain standard. Based on the current appearance of the property, it seems like a good
candidate for a blight complaint. The city should not reward the Historical Society for not maintaining the property by
giving them additional funds.
If the Historical Society is unwilling or unable to maintain the property, perhaps the city should negotiate to acquire the
property so that our past can be maintained and preserved.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Brooke Ezzat
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Cyrah Caburian
From:Judith Wilson <judykwils@earthlink.net>
Sent:Tuesday, June 1, 2021 2:21 PM
To:City Council
Cc:Jon Robert Willey; Hung Wei; Kitty Moore; Darcy Paul; Lchow@cupertino.org
Subject:IN support of Historical Society
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recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Hi Council members,
I am writing to you today in support of maintaining a line item in the budget to support the Historical Society of
Cupertino.
I am writing both as a citizen supporter of this organization, but also as a past Parks and Rec commissioner who dealt
with the community benefits process for many years.
It was my strong opinion, that Historical Society played a rather important and unique role in Cupertino that did not
really meet the criteria for the other community benefit applicants. That is why we originally took them out of the yearly
process, in the first place.
They play a role no other organization does and have fixed costs. It seemed very unfair to ask them to keep up their role
as our historical society, but not know their funding from year to year. If we honor and support the role they play, which
indeed I do and also thought the community did, then I thought as a city, our taxes, represented by a line item in the
budget should be dedicated to their operations.
They are a rather unique treasure in our city!
It is nearly impossible to go from year to year, running an organization and not know your funding sources.
I would strongly back keeping them out of the community benefits process and plotting them a known amount in a line
item in the annual budget Thank you for your consideration in this matter and thanks for all you do Judy Wilson
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Judith Wilson <judykwils@earthlink.net>
Sent:Tuesday, June 1, 2021 2:23 PM
To:Liang Chao
Subject:IN support of Historical Society
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
>
Hi Council members,
I am writing to you today in support of maintaining a line item in the budget to support the Historical Society of
Cupertino.
I am writing both as a citizen supporter of this organization, but also as a past Parks and Rec commissioner who dealt
with the community benefits process for many years.
It was my strong opinion, that Historical Society played a rather important and unique role in Cupertino that did not
really meet the criteria for the other community benefit applicants. That is why we originally took them out of the yearly
process, in the first place.
They play a role no other organization does and have fixed costs. It seemed very unfair to ask them to keep up their role
as our historical society, but not know their funding from year to year. If we honor and support the role they play, which
indeed I do and also thought the community did, then I thought as a city, our taxes, represented by a line item in the
budget should be dedicated to their operations.
They are a rather unique treasure in our city!
It is nearly impossible to go from year to year, running an organization and not know your funding sources.
I would strongly back keeping them out of the community benefits process and plotting them a known amount in a line
item in the annual budget Thank you for your consideration in this matter and thanks for all you do Judy Wilson
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Seetha Lakshmi <slakshmi@cupertinolibraryfoundation.org>
Sent:Tuesday, June 1, 2021 11:23 AM
To:Kirsten Squarcia; City Clerk
Cc:Kiran Varshneya-Rohra; Shailendra Jain
Subject:CLF Document for Agenda item #1 at 06/01/2021 city council meeting
Attachments:Item1 for 20210601 Kiran Varshneya Seetha lakshmi Shailendra Jain on CLF proposal.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Hi Kristen,
Please find the pdf file attached here, to be displayed when the CLF board members are called on to provide
public comments regarding agenda item #1 in tonight's meeting.
We request the three speakers to be called in the following order:
1. Kiran
CLF proposal for funding request:
A Virtual Education Platform for Seniors
Kiran Varshneya Rohra, MS, MBA
Cupertino Library Foundation, President
*My comments today reflect my position as the President of the Cupertino Library
Foundation.
CLF Model
PARTNERSHIPS:
Partnership leveraging Senior Center, Cupertino Library, Chamber
of Commerce and funded by Cupertino City Parks & Rec Commission.
◦Partnership with local non-profits
◦Partnership with Sponsors like the Forum Health Fund
◦Partnership with the Platform provider: GetSetUp
SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY:
Addressing the digital-divide experienced by Seniors.
Providing courses that help with:
◦Education, skills development and creativity.
◦Engagement and social interaction.
◦Health and Wellness.
HIGHLY QUALIFIED BOARD:
◦11 Members with diverse background and professions.
◦Strong project execution.
◦Answerable to sponsors.
2
CLF Programming in 2020 -2021
•Wellness Series
•Andy Wen, Ron Sinha.
•Classic Film Series (Hitchcock)
•1st film then COVID-19 restrictions
•Chamber of Commerce Education Series (5 events)
•Biggest S4 yet;
S4: Super Summer Science Search Contest
•Writing Workshop
•Laughter Yoga (6 sessions)
•Senior Series: CyberSecurity (3 sessions with Stanford Scholars,
Industry expert, and County Sheriff )
•Virtual Townhall with City Manager on Covid-19-Vaccination
•Questionnaires for City Council Candidates
City Council Candidate Questionnaire, 2020:
Kitty Moore: "see how important it is to provide the Zoom meetings
and to provide a way to facilitate discussion.The library could
provide sessions which allow the participants to see one another
and have Q & A sessions and other valuable interactive meetings
among diverse ages. This would require some coordination but
could really provide some opportunities for thoughtful engagement
on various subjects".
S. Scharf: "Technology education."
Hung Wei: "keeping seniors engaged will prevent them from feeling
useless or even depressed.The Library is an ideal place to provide
both, a place where seniors can give back to the community and at
the same time, continue to learn new skills and new hobbies.
Prompt: What do you see as the needs of our senior community in terms of information or programs they
can benefit from? And how do you see the role of the library and hence CLF to be championing that.
Thank You!
Q/A
*My comments today reflect my position as the President of the Cupertino Library
Foundation.
CLF proposal for funding request:
A Virtual Education Platform for Seniors
Seetha Lakshmi, PhD
Cupertino Library Foundation, Board Member
*My comments today reflect my position as a Board Member of the Cupertino Library Foundation.
COMMUNITY NEED
•By 2034, there will be more seniors than youths in USA
•Just like physical fitness, life-long learning and interactions with peers
are crucial for the wellbeing of older adults
•Pandemic has led to limited offerings from Senior Center and Library
•Digital Divide is a serious problem for a portion of older adult population
•Economic reasons, training, skills, and experience
•Need options for meaningful engagement and opportunity to socialize
•Results from surveys conducted during CLF’s 2020 Senior webinar series
show strong demand for a program like the one proposed heree
Cupertino Library Foundation’s GetSetUp Program
A Free Virtual Education Platform
for Older Adults 55 and over for 1 Year
•Daily classes/sessions on digital literacy, as well as enrichment focused
subjects
•150+ different sessions to keep learners engaged
•Live Interactive Group Sessions
•Taught by older adult educators
•Small group of peers
•Fun and interactive learning
•Build an online community
•Class notes and video for review later
Program Benefits
•Empowers and builds confidence in older adults to “Age in Place”
•Promotes continuous learning and neuroplasticity
•Teaches new skills for those wanting to achieve specific goals
•Creates a sense of community
•Fosters making new friends/connections with peers
•Increases socialization and reduces isolation and loneliness
•Digital literacy will be a valuable skill for seniors even beyond the
pandemic
•Opportunity to become an instructor/guide to teach other older adults
and get paid
•Members stay healthy, productive, and connected
Thank You!
Q/A
*My comments today reflect my position as a Board Member of the Cupertino Library Foundation.
CLF proposal for funding request:
A Virtual Education Platform for Seniors
Shailendra Jain, PhD
Cupertino Library Foundation, Board Member
*My comments today reflect my position as a Board Member of the Cupertino Library Foundation.
•Aging in Place
•Technology – Devices
•Smart phone, Tablet, Alexa, etc.
•Apps
•Personal services apps - to order food, groceries,
prescriptions, rides, etc.
•Financial services apps – online banking, Paypal,
Venmo, Zelle
•Communication Tools
•Zoom, Gmail, Facebook, Whatsapp, Social Media
•Small Business Tools
•Health and Wellness
•Travel & Entertainment
•Virtual Social Hours
•Custom Courses
CATEGORIES OF CLASSES/SESSIONS
AAging in Place (select few classes: examples)
•Earth day Celebration with Your Grandkids
•Boredom Busters – For Seniors
•How to make extra Income from Your Home
•Beyond Failure – Using Failure for New Beginnings
•Ageless Grace: exercises for the Body and Mind
•Great Spring Meals in 30 Minutes or less
•Count your Blessings
•Introduction to Organizing and Managing your Affairs
•Dementia: Conquering the Challenges of caregiving
•Importance of Health care Advocate
HHealth and Wellness (select few classes: examples)
•Morning Fitness – Fitness Combo
•Stretch and Destress Yoga
•Qigong for Beginners
•Natural Remedies
•Coping with Stress Using Music & Movement
•Plant-based eating
•Strengthen & Stretch with Slow Flow Yoga
•Get Moving with Line dancing.
FFinancial Planning (select few classes: examples)
•Financial Fitness: Budgeting Basics
•Live or Retire Abroad - Finances and Costs
•Healthy Meals on a Budget
•Financial Protection for Older Adults with Lisa Schifferle and Kate
Kramer
•Get Set Up with Today’s Ride Services
•Understanding Medicare Costs
•Ideas for reducing expenses
•Financial Fitness: Intermediate Budgeting
SSocial Media (select few classes: examples)
•Stay Connected with Friends & Family
•Introduction to Facebook
•Advanced Features of Snapchat
•Exploring Your Crafts and Hobbies through Social Media
•All about Privacy on Facebook
•Twitter: What It Is & How It Works
•Facebook Messenger - How It Works & Why Use It
•Share Photos on Instagram - Why it's so Popular
Thank You!
Q/A
*My comments today reflect my position as a Board Member of the Cupertino Library Foundation.
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Jean Bedord <Jean@bedord.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June 1, 2021 4:25 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:PPT for Study session tonight
Attachments:Bedord Council - 2021-06-01 Historical.pptx
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Hi,
I'll be speaking at the council study session tonight....could you bring up this PPT full screen when I speak? I'll send you
the text of my presentation afterwards.
Thanks, much!
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cell: 408‐966‐6174 / Land line: 408‐252‐5220
6/1/2021
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City Archives / History
•Jean Bedord
•Cupertino City Council
•June 1, 2021
Responsible Support of Education
Cupertino Archives
•Cupertino Library: California ‐ Western Americana Collection (CWA)
•Books
•Magazines
•Cataloged – requires staff resources
•Historical Society
•Photos
•Ephemeral Materials, i.e. posters, plaques
•Historically relevant artifacts
•Lumpy objects
•Storage is major issue – loss of Quinlan Center storage room, expense of a storage
unit
•City operations – digitized documents from operations
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6/1/2021
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Funding for archives
•Library ‐ $233,790 line item in budget
•Historical Society ‐ $20,000 “begs” for funding every year
•Established 1966
•Over 100 years of Cupertino’s history
•More than 5,000 items including manuscripts, graphics, photographs, books,
artifacts, and other historically relevant objects accessible at museum or on loan
•Volunteers staff Quinlan Historical Museum and provide cataloging
•Historical buildings
•Stocklmeir House – city owned, needs $500 K minimum to restore
•Synder‐Hammond House – owned by historical society. Needs $500K minimum to
bring up to code for caretaker, NO public access, Zoned open space
MORE EQUITABLE ‐ $50,000 annual line item for Historical Society
collections, insurance, maintenance and operations
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