May 10, 2005

News Briefs

Get down and Boogie this weekend!

Put on your dancing shoes, pop some Tums and head on down for a great time at the annual Boogie on the Bayou Festival this weekend, May 14 and 15.

Held in historic downtown Campbell’s E. Campbell Avenue the festival, formerly known as the Prunefestival, draws huge crowds to dance to the tunes of bands like the Motordude Zydeco and the Fred McCarty Band and feast on Cajun food and other delicacies. Over 125 arts and crafts vendors will set up shop downtown, and there will be lots of games and activities for young kids.

The events will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hospice of the Valley Western Gala will feature
“A Night of a Thousand Stars” on May 20

Hospice of the Valley hosts the 25th annual Western Gala - “A Night of a Thousand Stars” on Friday, May 20 at the Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose.

Set in a stunning Western-themed backdrop, the evening includes an elegant dinner prepared by renowned Chef Steven Parker, premium wine tasting, silent and live auction. Returning as Honorary Chair is Senator Elaine Alquist and serving as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies and Auctioneer is KLIV/KRTY’s John McLeod, vice president of programming for Empire Broadcasting.

Tickets for the gala are $150 per person. Funds raised will go towards palliative end-of-life care and bereavement programs.

Hospice of the Valley is the oldest nonprofit, public benefit hospice serving Santa Clara County since 1979, providing palliative end-of-life care to adults and children facing life-limiting illness and bereavement support to over 20,000 families.

For tickets and sponsorship information, contact Beth Williams at (408) 947-1233.

Letter Carrier’s Food Drive for Second Harvest to be held May 14

On Saturday, May 14 place non-perishable food items in a bag by your mailbox and your letter carrier will help deliver it to the Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed local senior citizens, children and others who rely on their services to put food on their tables. Look for the brown paper bag, which will be coming in your mail soon to participate.

Blackford Elementary School to host May 21 annual Multicultural Festival

Blackford Elementary School in the Campbell Union School District is having a Multicultural Festival on Saturday May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will be a free event open to the public.

The festival is designed to promote community, tolerance, education and diversity.

The event will feature Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Phillipines, Mexico, China and India.

There will also be an occupationally impaired booth to educate people about children with disabilities. There will be activities, crafts, multicultural stories, music, and performances and over 200 students, their families and community members are expected to attend.

Blackford Elementary School is located at 1970 Willow Street in San Jose.

Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Dylan Park Pettiford

Westmont alumni Dylan Park Pettiford graduates from Air Force basic military training

Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Dylan E. Park Pettiford has graduated from basic military training at Lack-land Air Force Base, San An-tonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Park Pettiford, a 2002 Westmont High School graduate, is the son of Rory Pettiford of Campbell.

Campbell Times and Times Media receive award for supporting
American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life

The American Cancer Society Silicon Valley branch held their annual awards dinner May 4 and took that opportunity to thank many of those in the community that support the group’s efforts— including the Campbell Times—in raising money for research and providing education and services to area cancer patients.

“The American Cancer Society’s Caring through Communications award is our way of showing our deep appreciation for local media making a difference in the ongoing fight against cancer,” said Angie Carrillo, public information officer for the American Cancer Society Silicon Valley. “The Times Newspaper Group newspapers have always supported our Relay For Life events with stories, ads and staff. They have also published articles on healthy life choices and how our fundraising efforts provide services that positively impact lives in our community.”

An additional nine local media outlets were also awarded this honor: the San Jose Mercury News, SVCN, KNTV, KICU, KION, Silicon Valley BizInk, the Milpitas Post, the Monterey County Herald and the Salinas Californian.

Other honorees of the evening included Gay Crawford who was given the Patient Courage Award, Susan Morgan was given the Ruth Hunter Memorial Award and Linda Ankeny, who was given the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department, led by Dr. Marty Fentersheib was given the Collaboration Award.

Lynne Nguyen was given the Rookie of the Year Award. Brookes Brown was given the Dare To Do Award. Dallas Chambers was given the Special Recognition Award.

An active member of the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee of the Colon Cancer Free Zone project Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn has been a front-runner in promoting colorectal screenings in the community and received a special recognition award for her efforts.

Citti’s Florist received the Corporate Champion Excellence in Volunteerism award. Board member and Vietnamese Cancer Awareness Committee chair, Dr. Huy Trinh received a Diversity Award for Exceptional Volunteerism. Dr. James B. Higgins, DDS, Diane Lewandowski, Florence Lambert, Nancy Kleist, Beth Rondone and Grace Tan all received awards for Excellence in Volunteerism.

For cancer information 24 hours a day/7 days a week, call (800) ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Bay Area Air District seeking clean “Air Champions”

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District)—along with the American Lung Association, RIDES for Bay Area Commuters and the U.S. EPA—is soliciting nominations for the 2005 Clean Air Champions award. This award began in 1992 to recognize individuals who demonstrate a consistent, inspirational and personal commitment to improve air quality.

“A Clean Air Champion is a person whose extraordinary efforts to promote and achieve clean air deserves to be recognized,” said Jack Broadbent, Air District executive officer. “Past winners include elementary school children, high school and college students, radio and television personalities, elected officials and professionals who inspire others to make clean air choices in their daily lives.”

If you know a Bay Area resident who is making a difference for cleaner air—at home, on the job or in the community—let us know! Self-nominations are encouraged. To nominate online visit www.cleanairchampions. org or call (1-800) HELP AIR to have a form sent to you by mail.

Your nomination can be mailed to: Clean Air Champions Award, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 or fax it to (415) 749-5101

The deadline for nominations is May 31. The 2005 Clean Air Champions will be announced in July and honored in a public presentation before the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Board of Directors in San Francisco.

YSI offers “Best of the Best” Summer Science Day Camps at San Jose’s Alum Rock Park

Bay Area Parent readers voted Youth Science Institute’s Summer Science Camps “Best of the Best” in 2004. These fun-filled camps, located in beautiful Alum Rock Park, in San Jose, combine hands-on activities with the inspiration of science.
 
Over 35 camps are offered for children aged 3 through 12. Camp topics include Animal Friends, Mighty Forest, Bird Brains, Bugology, Creek Week, Wild Wonders, Indian Summer, Science Sleuths, Phunky Physics, Curious Chemistry and many more.

Weekly half-day camps are scheduled from June 13 through Aug. 12. Fees are $105-$115. Scholarships may be available. For a free camp schedule and descriptions please call (408) 356-4945, or visit on-line at www.ysi-ca.org.

Future Families to hold fund-raising bocce tournament and Italian Festival

Bocce for Bambini Will Help Raise Needed Funds for Nonprofit Foster Care and Adoption Agency

Future Families, a nonprofit foster care and adoption agency that matches children with caring families will hold its first annual Bocce for Bambini fund-raiser on Thursday, May 19.

The event will take place at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos and is sponsored by the Los Gatos real estate and business community. Bocce for Bambini will feature a bocce tournament, an Italian dinner, an auction, live music and dancing.

Since 1984, Future Families has provided foster care, adoption and respite care programs to meet the needs of abused or neglected children and the families who care for them. The organization also offers advice, reassurance and practical support to the children and their new families. Each year, throughout the Bay Area, Future Families successfully places more than 30 at-risk children into safe, loving homes with specially trained foster or adoptive parents.

Transforming Los Gatos into festive Little Italy, Bocce for Bambini will begin in the afternoon with a team-based bocce tournament. Later in the evening, ticket-holders will enjoy authentic Italian cuisine and live entertainment and dancing.

Attendees will also have the chance to bid on fine wines, dining, weekend getaways and more during the Merchant of Venice live auction. The highlight of the auction is airfare for two to Florida and a week at a condo in Sarasota topped by dinner with Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador. All proceeds from the event will benefit Future Families, helping to place children in healthy, stable homes.

“At Future Families, we help children from our local community who have been abused and neglected,” said Paula Gann, executive director of Future Families. “We find these children permanent, stable homes by turning to the compassion of families willing to bring children into their homes and give them security and loving care. Bocce for Bambini gives the community a chance to support this work and join these families in making a positive difference in the lives of these children.”

Bocce for Bambini will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. For more information about the event or Future Families in general, please contact Gaby at (408) 298-8789 or visit www.futurefamilies.org.

Introducing the first CRT Recycling System operating in Northern California

Old Monitors represent one of the largest waste streams in the next 3-5 years

San Jose based company, ASL, has implemented the best available technology for recycling unwanted computer monitors and televisions. The first environmentally correct, California State supported and approved CRT Recycling System offers a safer alternative in handling potentially toxic and hazardous cathode ray tubes (CRTs) residing in these products.

California legislation specifically prohibits landfill disposal of monitors and televisions. Lead in the form of Lead Oxide (PbO) is embedded in the glass tubes in CRTs. It is used to shield users from radiation and not a hazard when the CRT is intact. Once the glass tube is broken and exposed to water, over time, the lead can “leach out” and contaminate ground water. Lead is well known for damaging the human central nervous system.

The safe solution
ASL Board Chairman Howard Misle and President Steve Hart wanted to offer a solution for CRT recycling. They immediately went to work in finding the best possible way to provide Northern California with a recycling solution for electronic scrap, in particular, monitors and TVs.

“CRTs can be potentially hazardous and must be treated with respect when recycling to avoid any undue catastrophic damage to our environment and public health,” comments Bill McGeever, vice president of ASL. “We found the safe solution for CRT recycling and feel good about being able to finally offer Northern California a sound, easy alternative in the disposal of these things. The CRT Recycling System uses nothing but electricity and compressed air,” points out McGeever, “no water or chemicals are used. ASL recycles without placing any of the resulting materials in landfills or shipping it to Third World countries. We recycle everything.”

No appointment, no charge, no hassle
Spring clean garages, attics and storage facilities to get rid of outdated television and computer monitor clutter. ASL recycling service offers FREE collection service, with some constraints, to all California consumers and businesses large or small. For pick up call 1-877-279-0230. Drop offs are always welcome. ASL is located at 524 Brennan St., off of Junction Avenue.