December 2025

The e-Woodsider is a monthly, digital publication that includes current information and news, program and project updates, upcoming events, Council action recaps, and more!

To subscribe to receive this publication and other Town information directly to your inbox, visit www.woodsideca.gov/subscribe.

Photo of Woodside Town Manager Jason Ledbetter

Town Manager's Note

Congratulations to Cindy Safe on her Retirement!

Please join me in congratulating the Town’s Administrative Service Director, Cindy Safe, on her retirement from the Town of Woodside at the end of 2025. Over the last 13 plus years, the Town has benefited from Cindy’s consistent leadership of the Administrative and Finance Team. As the Administrative Services Director, Cindy was responsible for managing the daily finances of the Town, the annual budget, the Town’s payroll and acting as the staff liaison to the Town’s Audit Committee. As we will certainly miss Cindy, we wish her all the best in enjoying her well-earned retirement and we hope it is filled with great new adventures.

Town Council Reorganization

As things evolve and change with new faces at Town Hall, continuity with the mayor position remains. At the December 9 Council Meeting, Mayor Brian Dombkowski was nominated to serve another year as the Mayor of Woodside and his Vice Mayor will remain unchanged with Paul Goeld serving another term as well. The Woodside Town Council moves into 2026 unchanged from 2025, offering stability during a time of transition for management staff at Town Hall, the implementation of the Housing Element and development of the Town Center Area Plan Update.

Staffing During the Holidays

The Town of Woodside Town Hall will be closed to the public beginning Saturday December 20 and will reopen at 8 am on Monday, January 5. During this time, limited staff operations will be provided for building inspections and code enforcement. Priority will be given to emergency needs to keep the streets clear and clean during storms. The Town’s Public Works staff will be on call 24 hours a day during this time to respond to these types of emergencies. A reminder that sand and bags are free and available to residents throughout the year at Town Hall.

As 2025 comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a happy and safe end to the year. The Town has many exciting projects underway, and I am looking forward to seeing where 2026 takes us.

~ Jason Ledbetter, Town Manager

Town Updates and Alerts

Flyer - Hazardous Tree Removal on Sandhill Road

Hazardous Tree Removal on Sand Hill Road near Manzanita Way

Monday, December 22 through ~ Thursday, January 22

Expect Traffic Delays Monday through Friday from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Fire Safe, in conjunction with Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) is utilizing State Coastal Conservancy Grant funding to remove the remaining large Eucalyptus and Acacia trees along the 3800 block of Sandhill Road. The grant is focused on improving evacuation routes and wildfire resiliency in high fire risk areas.

Work is scheduled to start Monday, December 22 and is expected to conclude by Thursday, January 22. Work hours will be approximately 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday. There will be traffic control crews in place during the entire removal process with the south side lane open for traffic.

* Please choose alternate routes, or plan for traffic delays. *

The Town is on Social Media - Follow Us!

We are pleased to announce that the Town is now on social media! We are up to 43 followers on Instagram and 12 on Facebook since we launched last month! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Town!

Map showing location of sandbags near Town Hall

Sandbags Available at Town Hall

Sand and sandbags are available at Town Hall for Town of Woodside residents and businesses for the purpose of storm response and flood protection.

The sand is located in front of Town Hall as shown by the yellow circle on the location map. Visit the Town's Sandbag page for more information including how to properly fill, place and dispose of sandbags.

Call for Volunteers with a megaphone (PNG)

The Town of Woodside is looking for volunteers for its Citizen Advisory Committees

The Town of Woodside is looking for volunteers for the following Citizen Advisory Committees:

Arts and Culture Committee
Circulation Committee
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Environment and Open Space Committee
Livestock and Equine Heritage Committee
Recreation Committee
Trails Committee
Volunteerism Committee
Woodside History Committee

These are volunteer positions and serve in an advisory capacity to the Town Council. Interested residents may request information and applications by emailing Melissa Cardinale or picking up a hard copy at Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road.

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 30, 2026, by 5 pm.

Updates from Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD)

Woodside Fire's November Newsletter is out!

Click here to view the Fire District's December newsletter including:

Winter Storm Readiness Checklist
Thank you from Woodside Fire

Also check out Woodside Fire's Winter Safety Tips on their website.

Letter from Fire Marshal Kim Giuliacci

Take a moment to read a special message from our Fire Marshal, where she looks back on the past year and reflects on all the progress we’ve made together as a community. From new safety initiatives to how we have expanded outreach efforts, it’s been a year full of growth—and we’re excited to keep that momentum going into the next one!

Click HERE to read more!

Woodside Fire Protection District
Trainings and Opportunities

WPV-Ready Ready Net Communicator Training

Join the Team That Keeps Our Community Connected

When disaster strikes, communication matters. Cell service and internet may fail, but two-way radios keep our neighborhoods connected. WPV-Ready Communicators are trained volunteers who use handheld radios to relay critical information between their neighbors, WPV-CERT, and the Woodside Fire Protection District.

If you live or work within the Woodside Fire Protection District, this class is your opportunity to become part of a dedicated community network that supports real-time information sharing during emergencies.

Training Includes:

How the local Ready Net works
Radio operations & handheld techniques
Standard message forms & proper radio etiquette
Maintaining situational awareness in an emergency
Your role as a WPV-Ready Communicator

Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Time: 6:30–9:30 PM
Location: Fire Station 19 — 4091 Jefferson Ave
RSVP: https://bit.ly/ReadyNet-Jan26

Click here to review the WPV-Ready Communicator flyer including the Volunteer Position Description.

Whether you're new to radios or looking to deepen your skills, this training will prepare you to provide reliable communication when your community needs it most.

WPV-Ready Flyer - Be Prepared Jingle Contest

WPV-Ready Jingle Contest

Submission Deadline: Monday, January 5

At WPV-Ready, we are committed to empowering individuals and families with essential knowledge for staying safe during emergencies. Our mission focuses on promoting preparedness and resilience within our communities. We believe a catchy jingle can make vital safety information memorable, ensuring that people remember crucial tips when it matters most.

Contest Overview
The objective of this contest is to encourage participants to create engaging jingles that effectively communicate emergency preparedness messages. We seek creative tunes that resonate with listeners and inspire action. Our target audience includes families, schools, and community organizations, aiming to reach individuals of all ages with clear and enjoyable messages.

Submission Guidelines and Judging
Submissions should be emailed to contest@wpv-ready.org in MP3 or WAV format, approximately 30 seconds long, and focus on themes like assembling go-bags or practicing evacuation drills. Entries will be judged based on creativity, clarity of message, and musicality. Prizes include a feature on our website for the 1st place winner, newsletter exposure for the 2nd place, and participation certificates for all entrants.

The contest opens on December 12, 2025, with a submission deadline of January 5, 2026 and winners announced on January 14, 2026. We look forward to your jingles!

Regional News and Opportunities

Mushroom Foraging Prohibited in County Parks – It’s Dangerous

Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) are deadly wild mushrooms that pop up in San Mateo County Parks, often after rain. Please note that San Mateo County Ordinance 3.68.080(a) protects all vegetative resources in County Parks including mushrooms. Mushroom collecting and eating is not allowed.

Recent reports of people becoming ill after picking and consuming wild mushrooms in parks and open spaces highlight the risk. Several species of poisonous mushrooms are common in the San Francisco Bay Area, including death caps, which can closely resemble edible varieties. Consuming poisonous mushrooms can cause severe illness and, in some cases, death. Pets are also at risk of mushroom poisoning. Learn more about poisonous and stinging plants found in San Mateo County Parks. If you or someone you know has eaten foraged mushrooms and feels ill, call California Poison Control immediately at 1-800-222-1222.

Next King Tide Project Dates - January 2 to 3, 2026

Learn How You Can Help by Taking and Sharing Photos!

The California King Tides Project helps the California Coastal Commission visualize future sea level by observing the highest tides of today. You can help by taking and sharing photos of the shoreline during King Tides to create a record of changes to our coast and estuaries.

Explore a map of photos from recent King Tides.

Find out what time and how high the King Tides will be near you. Learn how to participate by uploading your photos via a web browser or with a free app. Your photos will be added to a map of this season's King Tides photos. As always, please be cautious and respect the power of the ocean, and don't disturb shorebirds that may be much farther upland than usual. Download a How to Participate flyer.

The California King Tides Project held a webinar on December 2, 2025 to walk through how to participate in the project, including tips on how to take a great king tides photo. Click HERE to view a video of the presentation.

Image of two adults giving children piggy backs

Families Needed to Foster and Support Local Children This Holiday Season

San Mateo County Human Services Agency is seeking caring adults to provide safe, stable homes for children and youth, from infants to young adults up to age 21, who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

The County especially encourages Spanish-speaking families and those of diverse cultures to apply, helping ensure that each child can grow in a setting that reflects and honors their language and heritage.

Families receive comprehensive training, free CPR and First Aid certification, and ongoing support, including mentorship and a monthly stipend to help cover each child’s needs.

To learn more about becoming a Resource Family and to see how you can make a lasting difference in a child’s life, visit the County's website, call 650-802-7636 or send an email to ResourceFamily@smcgov.org.

San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to Hold DUI Checkpoint Dec. 12, Increase Enforcement During Holidays

San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Enhances DUI Enforcement
Efforts Over the Holiday Season

The weekend of December 12, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office conducted a DUI checkpoint in the City of San Carlos to help improve the safety of our roadways. Deputies screened 458 vehicles, conducted 17 field sobriety tests and issued several citations for license-related violations. No drivers were found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Increased patrols will continue through New Year’s Day as part of the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which aims to stop suspected impaired drivers who put community safety at risk.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds drivers to celebrate responsibly by planning ahead and using a rideshare service, taxi or designated driver to get home safely.

These operations are made possible through grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Photo of Volunteers Conducting Homeless Count

Volunteers Needed for One Day Homeless Count in San Mateo County

Thursday, January 29 from ~5 to 11 am

San Mateo County Human Services Agency, in partnership with local community organizations, is seeking volunteers for the 2026 One Day Homeless Count on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

The One Day Count helps the County and its partners understand homelessness in the community and guide decisions about funding, programs, and long-term solutions that support people experiencing homelessness.

Click HERE to learn more and Register.

From Our Agency Partners

Reminders from GreenWaste

GreenWaste Christmas and New Year Pickup Schedule

Holiday Reminder! Household Batteries

Never place used batteries, including devices with embedded batteries, in any of your GreenWaste carts. Make sure your used AA, AAA, 9-volt, and small lithium-ion batteries are placed in a sealed and clear bag on top of your blue recycling cart on your collection day.

Special Events in December and January

Join the Woodside Arts & Culture Committee for the January First Friday Event - Nigel and Clive on Friday, January 2, 2026 at 7 pm

Nigel and Clive (Dave Eshleman and Norm Meister), who are the two lead players and singers in the world-famous Nigel and Clive and The British Invasion Band, claim that they were the most popular band in the U.K. in the early 1960s, even though you may have never heard of them. They were poised for international stardom, when a series of unfortunate events conspired to derail their careers. While waiting in Heathrow Airport for a flight to New York to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, they missed their flight. A desperate Ed Sullivan then turned to the Beatles, an obscure Nigel and Clive tribute band, to fill the slot, and thereafter the Beatles stole all of Nigel and Clive’s great work and passed it off as their own. Nigel and Clive are now on their “Back From Oblivion” tour in an attempt to regain their lost legacy and they look forward to a superb evening with note perfect, terrific instrumental and harmony renditions of great songs from the Beatles, Stones, Kinks and other 60s classics, and sing along if you wish!

Visit the Woodside Arts & Culture Committee's YouTube Channel to view recordings of past events.

Sustainable San Mateo County Webinar

How to Advocate for Plant-Forward Policies

Wednesday, January 14 from 5:30 - 6:45 pm on Zoom

Food nourishes us and enlivens us. But the choices we make in terms of what we eat can impact our health and have a devastating impact on our climate. Food is the third largest source of greenhouse gases, yet receives far less attention than other sources.

Join Sustainable San Mateo County on January 14 for the free webinar "How to Advocate for Plant-Forward Policies”. This session will clear up myths about the impact of food on our health and environment, and it will provide community advocates, students and residents effective strategies to influence decision-makers in their cities, schools and workplaces to support plant-forward policies.

Featuring experts Samantha Lau (Plant Based Treaty), Dr. Ulka Agarwal (Campbell Climate Plan Advisory Committee) and Jan Liband (Plant Based Advocates), you'll gain the tools to drive sustainable food system change right where you live.

Click HERE to Register.

Woodside Library Events

Visit the Library's Calendar page for more information and to register for individual events.

Additional Event of Interest at Portola Valley Library:

Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm

Registration is required and opens on December 23 at 12 am.
Click HERE for more information and to Register.

Library Flyer - December Calendar of Activities

Library Flyer - YNOVCON Short Story Contest

Mini Disco Ball Decorating

Sunday, December 21 from 1 to 2 pm - Registration Required!

Click HERE for more information and to Register!

Library Flyer - Noon Year's Storytime Celebration with Cookie Mouse

Joy of Drawing at the Horse Park at Woodside

Workshop Series - January 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 11 am to 12:30 pm

Registration is required and opens on December 25 at 12 am.
Click HERE for more information and to Register.

Save the Date!

Young Adult Novelist Convention

Saturday, February 28 from 11 am to 4:30 pm at Belmont Library

Click HERE for more information and to Register!

Community Recreation Opportunities

Photo of Danny Goldberg with Gongs and Singing Bowls

Sound Immersion Experience

with Danny Goldberg

Session on Fridays

January 16, February 20, and March 20
7 to 8 pm at Independence Hall

$45 per session, pre-registration

The Sound Immersion Experience with Gongs and Singing Bowls helps to balance and restore energy in your body. The healing vibrations pass through your body, opening blockages and allowing your mind to find peace within the sound. Through the vibrations of these instruments you can experience an inner calm and deep relaxation that enables you to journey within and center.

Join Danny Goldberg as he leads this experience. Danny shares the healing vibrations of the Gongs and Singing Bowls with a heightened sensitivity offering an extremely effective way to help relax, rejuvenate, and tune inward.

The Sound Immersion Experience with Danny Goldberg presents for Stanford University’s Health Improvement Program, Breathe Together Yoga in Los Gatos, Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, Peacebank Yoga in Redwood City and various other Bay Area locations. Danny shares the Sound Immersion with Google, LinkedIn, the 49er's, the Raiders, hospitals, recovery centers, veteran's centers and schools, as well as many festivals and conferences including Symbiosis, Beloved, Lightning in a Bottle, Lucidity, Days Between, Hog Farm Hideaway, Science & Non-duality Conference, New Living Expo, Wanderlust & many others.

Please register through ACTIVE.
For more details about Danny, visit Danny's website.

Person with hands up doing Qi Gong on the beach at sunset

Qi Gong Classes

Sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays Mornings

Check ACTIVE for Dates and Times

$10 per class

Qi Gong is an ancient Taoist practice that develops skills for adding years to your life and life to your years.

The Qi Gong practice involves:

Slow flowing movements that build strength and flexibility.
Breathwork that expands lung capacity and increases energy.
Energy work that improves your personal energy and connects you to the energy all around.
Learning basic principles of traditional Chinese medicine, giving us the tools to be our own best healers.
Enjoying the pleasure of practicing together as we learn to reduce stress and increase energy.

Qi Gong is suitable for all ages and abilities. The goal is to start where you are and avoid pushing into pain.

Each class stands on its own and there is lots of variety. Come join the fun! (Mat optional)

Please register for one or more classes through ACTIVE. Students can also drop-in to class each week and pay for the class at Town Hall before or after the class session.

Screenshot of Stay Connected button on www.woodsideca.gov

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For general questions or comments, please email townhall@woodsideca.gov.