Crates to speak at Leaders event
HOLLISTER
– The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce’s next Lunch with
Leaders will be held on Wednesday from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at San
Juan Oaks. The speaker is Dr. Ron Crates, superintendent of the
Hollister School District. He will be speaking about the swine flue
and the schools’ impact on the economy.
The sponsor is Hospice Foundation. The cost is $15 in advance or
$17 at the door.
Crates to speak at Leaders event
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce’s next Lunch with Leaders will be held on Wednesday from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at San Juan Oaks. The speaker is Dr. Ron Crates, superintendent of the Hollister School District. He will be speaking about the swine flue and the schools’ impact on the economy. The sponsor is Hospice Foundation. The cost is $15 in advance or $17 at the door.
Theft prevention workshop set
HOLLISTER – A theft and loss prevention workshop is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Veterans Memorial Building in room 218. Scheduled speakers include Police Chief Jeff Miller and DA Candice Hooper. Topics include check issues, shoplifting prevention, safety and merchandising to deter loss. The cost is $5 per business. Please RSVP the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce by Oct. 30 at 637-5315. The event is sponsored by the chamber, the City of Hollister, the Hollister Downtown Association, the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce and San Benito Bank.
AARP tax-aide program seeks volunteers
HOLLISTER – The American Association of Retired Persons is looking for volunteers to help with its free tax counseling and preparation services offered from Feb. 1. to April 15. Volunteers will learn tax law and will help prepare personal income tax returns for middle-to-low-income residents. Each year, AARP volunteers prepare tax returns at more than 10,000 sites nationwide.
Volunteers will receive free tax training from the Internal Revenue Service, and are asked for a commitment of 40 hours over the 10-week season. Local training is scheduled in late Jan. 2010. Volunteers do not need to be AARP members.
For more information, contact Dolly De Vasier, the San Benito County coordinator, at 637-1980.
SBHS career fair
San Benito High School will be hosting a career fair at the campus, 1220 Monterey St., in Hollister, Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Employers and college recruiters are invited to participate in the career fair.
To participate, RSVP by Nov. 1 to Sonja Romero at 637-5831, ext. 185 or by e-mail to sr*****@sb***.us.
Community dialogue on the environment
GILROY – A community dialogue on the environment will be held in the 1905 City Hall Building, now the Lizzaran Tapas Bar, at the corner of Monterey Road and 5th Street, in Gilroy, Nov. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be a presentation of, “The Historical Ecology of the South County from Coyote Creek to the Pajaro Basin,” by Robin Gossinger of the San Francisco Estuary Institute. A panel discussion with audience participation will take place on current environmental topics such as the County Habitat Conservation Plan, Oak Tree Reforestation of the Valley, Coyote Valley Wildlife Corridor and Wetland Preservation. Lunch will be available for purchase and will be served during the panel. 20 percent of all lunch purchases will go to support the Committee for Green Foothills.
For more information, call 650-968-7243 or visit in**@gr************.org.
Nominations due in November for small-business awards
FRESNO – The Small Business Administration is looking for nominations for the Small Business Awards, to be presented during the National Small Business Week, May 24-26, 2010.
The Fresno SBA office, which services 15 Central California counties, is now accepting nominations for several categories, including Small Business of the Year. Trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations are encouraged to nominate candidates.
Nomination criteria and deadline dates for all award categories can be found online at www.sba.gov/ca/fresno or by contacting Melende Ward at 559-487-5791 ext. 143. The deadline for some categories is November 13.
Send all nominations to: U.S. Small Business Administration, 2719 N. Air Fresno Drive, Ste. 200, Fresno, Calif., 93727, ATTN: Melende Ward.
SBA launches new online training
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched an online training course to help women who own small businesses learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities.
The new training course “Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs” is part of an ongoing government-wide initiative to promote opportunities for women-owned businesses in the area of government contracting.
“Federal contracts can provide unique opportunities for women entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow their businesses and create jobs, particularly during these tough economic times,” said Karen Mills, the SBA administrator. “It’s also a win for federal agencies, by contracting with women-owned small businesses; they are working with some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the country.”
For more information or to take the course, visit www.sba.gov or go directly to www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining.
Pat’s Place in need of volunteers
HOLLISTER – Pat’s Place, a thrift shop at 101 Fifth St., in Hollister, is in need of volunteers. The thrift shop benefits Community Food Bank, which has seen a 25 percent increase in demand in the last few months.
The store sells slightly used kitchen items, furniture, clothing, books and more at low prices. According to a press release from Mary Anne Hughes, it offers “a revenue source badly needed for the Community Food Bank. The ever-increasing demand on the Community Food Bank’s services requires money to purchase food and supplies.”
She said while monetary donations tend to be seasonal, the hope is that Pat’s will offer a year-round source of income. Donations are accepted for the store, and volunteers are needed to sort the items, price them, stock and sell the items.
To find out about volunteer opportunities, call Mary Anne Hughes at 637-0340 or stop by Pat’s Place, or call 637-5500. Donations are accepted Monday through Saturday. The store Is open to the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Winter intersession cancelled at Gavilan
GILROY – Gavilan College staff sent out an e-mail at the beginning of October that classes scheduled for the winter intersession would be cancelled due to budget cuts.
“The topic of winter intersession has been thoroughly discussed among campus groups and shared governance committees over the past several weeks,” wrote Kathleen Rose, the vice president of instruction, in the e-mail. “An analysis of the costs associated with winter intersession was completed, with particular attention to the history of general education/transfer classes that have been offered in the past. Based on the FTES projections for the year, along with the development of the spring schedule, the decision has been made to not hold winter intersession for this academic year. Students are encouraged to work with the counseling department to review the impact this may have on individual education plans.”
The winter intersession was scheduled for Jan. 4-29. Spring classes will begin Feb. 3.
The college has formed an Expenditure Reduction Task Force to identify and recommend cost savings, due to cuts from the state budget. The elimination of the winter classes will allow the staff to offer more courses during the spring semester.
