June 16, 2006

NEWS BRIEFS

YMCA honors Evergreen resident as Volunteer of the Year

Evergreen resident Dennis Chamberlain has been named the Adult Volunteer of the Year in the Redwoods YMCA branch at Camp Campbell in the Santa Cruz mountains.

He was honored along with 17 other YMCA of Santa Clara Valley volunteers at the recent annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner.

“Dennis is always willing to roll up his sleeves and do whatever is necessary to see a project succeed,” said Executive Director Tricia Meinhold. “He continues to advocate and educate on behalf of Camp Campbell through his leadership with the community service program at his company -- Agilent.”

A 2005 graduate of the San Jose Community Leadership Program, Chamberlain also works as a mentor at the Biotech Academy and Andrew Hill High School.

“During this year’s community campaign, Dennis has helped raise $10,000,” Meinhold said. “He has a great sense of humor, and people are still talking about his role as ‘mountain man’ during the association’s kickoff for the campaign.”

Fire damages LeyVa Middle School classrooms

LeyVa Middle School sustained heavy fire damage to a classroom and smoke damage to three adjacent classrooms on June 4. The fire department responded quickly and put the one-alarm fire out.

It appears the fire was intentionally set, said Kathy Gomez, the Evergreen Elementary School District’s director of educational services, adding the news came after the fire department conducted an arson investigation. Captain Alberto Olmos, from the San Jose Fire Department, noted that the structure of the building remains sound. LeyVa principal Chris Corpus said damage estimates range from $175,000 to $250,000.

"The contents were damaged more than the structure," he said.

Paint, wiring, sheet rock, light fixtures and the building's façade were damaged while the overall structure remains strong, he said. Also damaged were books, papers and other school paraphernalia possibly including several computers.

Students in the affected classrooms were shifted to others and Corpus said the students adjusted well to the changes with summer vacation right around the corner. The Saturday before the fire, about 100 students, faculty and community members spent the day cleaning up the school and its surrounding areas.

—By Carol Rosen

Evergreen Valley Recreational Club now open

The Evergreen Valley Recreational Club re-opened on May 15 for another fun summer of swimming and basking in the sun! This is a pool association with memberships limited to approximately 120 families in the Evergreen community.

The pool is located at 3380 Woodside Lane in San Jose. The club has one large heated swimming pool, a wading pool, new public showers and restrooms. A picnic area and BBQ's are available or you can reserve the area and host a swim party. A volleyball/large play area is also available for your enjoyment.

Membership dues for the new season are $400 per family. An application along with dues must be turned in to reserve a slot.

Applications are located next to the mailbox at the address mentioned above. You can drop off completed applications in the mailbox at the pool. To get more information, please contact Mary Kauzlarich at (408) 270-1024 or email maryw_k@yahoo.com.

American Cancer Society seeks volunteers, teams and survivors for Evergreen Relay For Life

The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers and teams for the Relay For Life of Evergreen. The 24-hour event will be held from 10 a.m. on August 12, to 10 a.m. on August 13 at Evergreen Valley High School. Organizers hold biweekly meetings at Megabyte Pizza at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

The public is welcome to stop by and learn more about how to get involved in the Relay For Life.

Relay For Life is a fun-filled, overnight event that mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones and raise money for the fight against cancer.

"Relay For Life is a 24-hour event to raise awareness about the progress against cancer as much as it is a fundraiser," said Theresa Neher, Volunteer Event Chair for the Evergreen Relay For Life event. "Individuals who are willing to give their time and energy to this exciting event are making a commitment to fight back against this disease and let the community know that we can beat cancer."

Teams of eight to 15 members gather with tents and sleeping bags to participate in the largest fundraising walk in the nation. Relay For Life brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, and places of worship-people from all walks of life. Teams seek sponsorship prior to the Relay, all with the goal of eliminating cancer.

Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, seek community support, coordinate logistics, find refreshments and prizes, plan entertainment, and lend their support in any way. If you would like to volunteer on the Relay For Life committee, or serve as a team captain, contact Jess Herrera at (408) 688-0108 or email jess.herrera@cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

District 8 Community Roundtable meeting June 20

The next District 8 Community Roundtable meeting is scheduled for June 20 from 7-9 p.m. at Carolyn Clark Elementary School, located at 3701 Rue Mirassou Dr. For more information and for agendas from previous meetings, visit the District 8 website at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/district8.

Los Paseos Youth Center Summer Camp Information

The Los Paseos Youth Center (LPYC), located on the Los Paseos Elementary School campus at 121 Avenida Grande, serves youth ages 11 through 17 with a variety of after school and summer programs. Summer programs begin on Monday, June 19, and runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Activities and events will vary daily, with special events and field trips provided for a nominal fee.

With its grand opening in January 2006, the LPYC offers an array of activities where youth can work and play on computers, video game systems, participate in various gym sports, and socialize with peers. The LPYC is free to all youth that meet the age and grade requirement (6th grade). LPYC offers a variety of incentive programs that recognize youth who participate daily and promote the program. The "Bring the Buddy" contest yielded 24 new participants with the contest winners and new participants attending a free barbeque. Currently, youth are entered in a drawing for a PlayStation 2 game simply for attending daily. Youth can expect motivational prizes for recreating in a safe environment.

Parents have the opportunity to participate as an integral part of their child's after school and summer activities by joining the LPYC Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC provides input on youth programming, assists in fundraising activities and develops strategic plans with short and long term goals. If you're interested in joining this committee, please contact Mario Day at (408) 224-0133.

Signups on June 17 for Summer Reading Celebration 2006

Hundreds of youth and their families are expected to flock to San Jose's neighborhood libraries as signups begin for the eight-week annual Summer Reading Celebration beginning June 17. Heaviest first day registration are expected at the following locations:

- Vineland Branch, 1450 Blossom Hill Rd.

- Berryessa Branch, 3555 Noble Ave.

- Calabazas Branch, 1230 Blaney Ave.

- Tully Community Branch, 880 Tully Rd.

The Summer Reading Celebration promotes awareness of library programs and services and encourages families with children of any age to read together just for pleasure. Literacy skills are strengthened naturally. More than 80 percent of year 2005 participants surveyed report that they read more and enjoyed reading more as a result of the program. For more on the program, see: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/youth/src_info.htm or call (408) 808-2183.

The eight-week program runs Saturday, June 17 through Saturday, August 12.