January 12, 2009

News Briefs

Local group to release CD

A local music group, Pocketful of Dreams, has announced its first CD, "Purpose," which will be released at a party Saturday, Jan 10 at Orchard Valley Coffee, 349 East Campbell Ave.

The band includes Kristen Engineer, Lori Jensen, A.J. Koleth, Sandor A. Tamas and John Perrine. Engineer is a local music teacher and has directed the Cambrian Park Kiwanis Club's summer music camp the past several years.

Volunteers needed to help wipe out graffiti

On a quarterly basis the Anti-Graffiti and Litter Program holds a Citywide Graffiti Clean-Up Lend-A-hand Event. During the week of Jan 12-18, there is a concentrated graffiti abatement done with the outcome of significantly reducing graffiti citywide.

Anti-Graffiti and Litter Program staff are assigned to council districts with the outcome of driving each council district street by street to look for and remove any graffiti spotted. Recently we also have developed a flyer that goes out to the community. We are looking for community members to assist us in graffiti abatement.

The Anti-Graffiti and Litter Program will provide needed graffiti kits to any San Jose resident who is interested helping remove graffiti. You can pick up the kits at the Anti-Graffiti Program office at 501 Vine St., cross streets Almaden Boulevard and Woz Way from Jan 12-17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The kits also will be available for pickup on Sunday, Jan. 18 by appointment only. For more information please call us at 277-3208.

Mark your calendars

The Santa Clara Branch of the National League of American Pen Women presents their annual Celebrity Luncheon honoring local women achievers in art, letters, and music. This year the theme of the event held on Feb. 7 from 11 a.m to 4 p.m is the “Roaring Twenties” featuring a fashion show, entertainment, music and comedy as well as a buffet lunch and silent auction and raffle.

Besides honoring the local women, the event raises funds for the branches high school scholarship awards. The event will be held at the First Congregational Church at 1980 Hamilton Ave. For more information contact ShaRon Haugen at (408) 238-2340 or haugends@sbcglobal.net.

SarahCare Adult Day Center offers brain fitness for seniors

SarahCare(R) announced that it is offering the Posit Science(R) Brain Fitness Program Classic(TM) to seniors in its adult day care centers across the country. SarahCare decided to offer the Posit Science program because of extensive scientific validation of the program and high satisfaction reports from program participants. The program consists of six exercises done on a computer, and is the only program with published studies proving it works. Published studies show that the program improves memory on average by ten years and results in faster thinking.

SarahCare provides an upscale country-club like setting for seniors at a reasonable cost and provides services like hair salons, day spas and putting greens. “Our clients and their families are concerned with taking care of the body and the brain,” said Merle Griff, CEO of SarahCare. “For that reason, the Posit Science Brain Fitness Program is key to keeping our clients happy and to attracting new customers.”

SarahCare offers the program at its Campbell site located at 450 Marathon Dr. For more information visit www.sarahcarecampbell.com or call 374-2273.

A healthy New Year’s resolution for your eyes

EyeCare America and local ophthalmologists offer free eye exams

In honor of Glaucoma Awareness Month taking place in January 2009, EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, encourages those without insurance to take advantage of its national Glaucoma EyeCare Program. The program offers free glaucoma eye exams for those who are uninsured and considered to be at increased risk for glaucoma.To find out if they are eligible to receive a referral for an eye exam, those interested should call 1-800-391-EYES (3937). The help line is open 24 hours a day, every day, year round. All eligible callers receive a referral to one of EyeCare America’s 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists who provide an examination for glaucoma and initiate treatment if necessary. Uninsured patients receive this care at no charge.
 
Additionally, EyeCare America is providing VHS tapes free of charge to those interested of the “Glaucoma and You” video, featuring baseball legend Willie Mays and actress Diahann Carroll, and DVDs of the “Glaucoma: A Guide for Latinos” video (available in English and Spanish), featuring boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya. These 30-minute educational videos have been developed to increase glaucoma awareness, diagnosis and treatment among African-Americans and Latinos. Those interested in receiving either of the videos may call 1-877-887-6327. The tapes will be available while supplies last.

People may call the toll-free help line at 1-800-391-EYES (3937) anytime, for themselves and/or family members and friends, to see if they qualify for a glaucoma eye exam or to request free eye care information.

More information can be found at www.eyecareamerica.org.

New Police Chief announced

Capt. Greg Finch (right) has been appointed as Campbell’s next Police Chief, City Manager Dan Rich announced in December. Finch replaces Dave Gullo, who is retiring in February after 13 years as chief and 29 with the department.

“Greg is exactly what we need at this point in Campbell’s history,” said Rich. “I have been watching Greg for the past three years and have been uniformly impressed by his depth of knowledge, his breadth of experience, as well as his commitment to this organization and community. The more I talked to Greg, it became clear to me that it would be a waste to do a national search when the best person was already right here.”

The city of Campbell and the Police Department in particular, will experience significant changes in the coming years with numerous retirements and ongoing fiscal constraints. “Greg knows the organization better than anyone and I am confident he can effectively move the department forward,” said Rich. “I welcome the opportunity to work more closely with Greg as a key member of the city’s Executive Team.”

Finch, in accepting the position, noted “I feel privileged to work for such a great organization, community, and department,” said Finch. “I look forward to the opportunity and recognize the commitment and hard work that the previous chiefs’ have done to establish a well respected police department. It is truly an honor to be selected and I am excited to take on my new responsibilities as chief.”

Finch began his career with the Campbell Police Department as an officer in February 1987 and was promoted to Sergeant in May 1996. He was appointed Captain in December 2006.

Finch, who received his BA from San Jose State University, was born and raised in San Jose, where he lives with his wife Tonie and three daughters.

Campbell’s Christine Hoeflich a finalist of the National Best Books 2008 Awards

Engineer turned author Christine Hoeflich recently published “What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening.”

“What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening” by Campbell resident Christine Hoeflich is an Award-Winning Finalist in the Autobiography/Memoir category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.  The winner of this category is Julie Andrew’s memoir Home: A Memoir of My Early Years.

In “What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening,” Ivy-League engineer Hoeflich is thrown into crisis by devastating events that affect every level of her life. Searching within for her own answers, she discovers that her higher self had planned her life, including her biggest challenges. Hoeflich believes that “What Everyone Believed” is a harbinger and a practical guide for facing the current challenging times.

For more information visit www.whateveryonebelieved.com.