Children’s Advisory Board seeks members
The Children and Families First Commission of Santa Clara County
is recruiting interested people to join its Advisory Board. The
Advisory Board will serve as a source for professional and
technical expertise regarding program development and long-range
financial planning to provide community oversight and to encourage
community participation in Commission initiatives and
activities.
Children’s Advisory Board seeks members
The Children and Families First Commission of Santa Clara County is recruiting interested people to join its Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will serve as a source for professional and technical expertise regarding program development and long-range financial planning to provide community oversight and to encourage community participation in Commission initiatives and activities.
People are encouraged to apply who have an interest in early childhood development and who have experience in the following fields of expertise: medical, health, early care and education, media, finance, faith community, foundations, service organizations, business, non-profit, education, arts, or are a parent (e.g. special needs, grandparent, teen parent, and foster parent). Applicants must reside or work in Santa Clara County.
Those interested in applying to serve on the Advisory Board may obtain an application from the Commission’s website (santaclarakids.org) or by contacting the Commission at (408) 289-5330.
MH warily ups chamber funding
With reservations, Morgan Hill City Council members Wednesday approved a 40 percent increase in the annual stipend paid the Chamber of Commerce for business-oriented services the city doesn’t have personnel to perform.
As a result of a 4-1 vote, with Larry Carr dissenting, the chamber will receive $125,000 instead of $90,000. Periodic reviews were ordered to assure that chamber efforts meet city council goals for development.
Carr maintained that the chamber should juggle its current allotment to cover new activities, including more emphasis on tourism, expansion of the chamber Web site and implementation of a business-retention plan. Money spent, Carr said, is impossible to recover.
Other council members had concerns. Greg Sellers emphasized the need for a long-term plan to avoid annual requests by the chamber for more funding. The chamber’s total budget, with the increase, will be $480,000.
In the end, the council majority found enough safeguards to assure that they would retain oversight of spending.
Christmas Hill closed to public
Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy will be closed to the public until at least Oct. 6 to allow uninterrupted use of the preserve as a base camp for firefighters battling a wildfire that has consumed thousands of acres and at least a dozen homes.
Some 1,500 firefighters going to or coming from the fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west eat and sleep in the tent city that has been erected in the park.
The fire started Monday afternoon in a mobile home off Croy Road southwest of Morgan Hill and has spread north and south.
Taste runs this weekend
The 13th annual Taste of Morgan Hill – a fundraiser showcasing the products and services of businesses, organizations and clubs – is scheduled Saturday and Sunday. Arts, crafts and food vendors also will be out in force.
The festival, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, closes Monterey Street to vehicle traffic between Main and Dunne avenues. Admission and parking are free.
Proceeds from the festival help fund programs by the sponsoring chamber of commerce.
Volunteers needed for juvenile program
The Restorative Justice Program, which steers juveniles involved in misdemeanor offenses for the first or second time toward restitution instead of incarceration, is looking for adult volunteers.
Volunteers serve on a Neighborhood Accountability Board, which works with offenders to draft a contract for restitution – usually counseling and community service.
Candidates must be at least 18 years old, be a resident or business owner in Santa Clara County, pass a criminal background check and serve at least five hours a month. Information is available from Kathi Rangel at (408) 782-1625 or Lacey Trevino at (408) 846-8490.
Coe features mountain lion hike
Activities tomorrow at Henry W. Coe State Park include two Dan McCranie programs — a moderately strenuous 6.4-mile hike starting at 10 a.m. and an 8 p.m. slide show and talk on mountain lions. Hikers should carry plenty of water and a lunch.
Coe Park is 13 miles east of Morgan Hill along Dunne Avenue. Allow ample time because the road is narrow and winding.
A fundraising opportunity
The Theater Angels Arts League, a non-profit supporter of cultural activities in Gilroy, is looking for volunteers to support its efforts at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. The League is in charge of preferred parking and parking for the disabled at the faire, which runs through Oct. 20 at Casa de Fruta on Pacheo Pass Highway.
Volunteers can designate the beneficiary for the payment received by the League from the faire organizers. Compensation for volunteers is free parking and free entry to the park at the end of their service.
Four volunteers work each shift, from 8 to 12:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., collecting parking fees. Anyone interested in volunteering may contact Bill Flodberg at [email protected] or (408) 683-4683.
Casa de Fruta is 13 miles east of Gilroy on Highway 152, which also is known as Pacheco Pass Highway.
Best brew is local
El Toro Brewing Co. of Morgan Hill received three gold medals and an honorable mention in the best-of-show category at the recent California Brewers Festival. The brewery took gold for its Poppy Jasper amber ale, William Jones wheat beer and El Toro India pale ale. The India pale ale later copped the honorable mention.
The recognition comes on the heels of the brewery’s showing at the state fair last month. There it won four ribbons — three second-place and one third-place. The second-place winners were the India pale ale, El Toro golden ale and William Jones wheat beer. The third-place ribbon was for the El Toro oatmeal stout.
El Toro Brewing Co. will test its brews against the best in the nation next week at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, where it has won two gold medals and a silver.
Soccer league dance tonight
The Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League has scheduled its second annual dinner/dance tonight to mark the opening of the 2002-03 season.
The place is the Guglielmo Winery, 1480 E. Main Ave., Morgan Hill. A no-host cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m., with dinner (tri-tip or chicken) a half-hour later and dancing to the music of The Usual Suspects at 7 o’clock.
Tickets are $30. Information from Tracy Salvemini at (408) 776-1102 or Patty Rhodes at (408) 779-1971. Adults only, please.
Young actors take stage
The City of Gilroy’s community services department is presenting a parody of Little Shop of Garlic featuring 45 local young actors and actresses from Oct. 11-27 at the Gilroy High School theater, 750 W. 10th St.
The annual Children’s Fall Theater work is directed by John Biseglie. Proceeds will benefit the Kids Discover Art program next year.
Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. All tickets are $10 except for Saturday matinees, which are $8. Information is available at (408) 846-8836.
