November 4, 2005

NEWS BRIEFS

St. Andrew’s Day Celebration at EVC Nov. 23

Evergreen Valley College will be hosting its 29th annual, free St. Andrew’s Day Celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The festivities begin with the traditional procession led by the Scottish American Military Society Color Guard and accompanied by bagpipers and drummers fully dressed in Scottish attire. A lively program follows on stage at the roundabout in front of EVC’s new library, with highland dancers, singers, the EVC Choir and more.

The Ministry of Food will be selling British bangers and meat pies and the Celtic Shoppe will be selling unique items as well. Professor Emeritus Andrew McFarlin, a founding faculty member, started the tradition of celebrating St. Andrew’s Day at EVC.

Over the years the program has grown from a few people gathered around a lone bagpiper to the popular event it has become today. For more information, contact Charles Montgomery at (408) 590-4548.

City of San Jose needs volunteers for holiday events

As the holiday season nears, many events such as the San Jose Holiday Parade call for volunteers. There are volunteer positions for all ages: kids, teens, adults and seniors. For upcoming events, please visit www.volunteersanjose.org or call (408) 723-3754 for more information.

E-Race Racism Run benefits NAACP youth leadership, health programs

The inaugural Silicon Valley E-Race Racism Run, which features a 5K run/walk, 10K run and 1-mile walk will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Lake Cunningham Park, 2305 South White Road, just off Tully Road, in Evergreen.

Presented by Chris Larsen Fund, the E-Race Racism Run will benefit youth leadership and health programs provided by the NAACP chapter of San Jose/Silicon Valley. All registrants in this new family fall event will receive a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments and more.

Awards will be given in the 5K and 10K events, three-deep to the finishers in each male and female age category in 10-year increments. Special trophies will go to overall male and female finishers and male and female Masters (over 40-years old) winners. The 1-mile walk is not timed; it’s designed to enjoy.

Entry fees for all three events with the E-Race Racism Run are $25 pre-registered, $30 race-day registration, and $15 pre-registered for participants under 17 years old or senior citizens 65-years and older, $17 day of registration.

Families of four are $55 plus $15 for each additional member ($60.00 / $20.00 day of). Family entries must arrive in the same envelope at the same time if mailing entry in. There are also nonprofit and church group rates available.
Participants can send their nonrefundable entries to On Your Mark Events, P.O. Box 1199, Arnold, Calif., 95223.

The E-Race Racism Run check-in and race-day registration will open at 7:30 a.m., with the start time of all three events beginning at 9 a.m.

For more E-Race Racism Run information and/or an application, call On Your Mark Race Management at (209)795-7832 or visit their Web site at www.onyourmarkevents.com.

For information about the NAACP Chapter of San Jose / Silicon Valley, visit www.sanjosenaacp.org.

Educational activities at Alum Rock’s Family Learning Center

The Family Learning Center at the Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Library offers a variety of education activities for children and adults with one goal in mind, to provide each with the skills and confidence they need to achieve their full potential.

It also enables parents to provide a supportive learning environment at home.

The center has established a partnership with East Side Adult Education to teach an English as a Second Language class in our community room, Tuesday through Friday, from 8:50 a.m. to noon. In October, 31 students were enrolled and more were on a waiting list.

Working with Partners in Reading, the center will offer a small group writing class starting Nov. 3 for adults who need assistance and practice with basic writing skills, such as business letters, filling out forms and more. The FLC has worked with Santa Clara University Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center for two workshops, Landlord-Tenant Problems and Worker’s Rights.

The center recently hosted a Books for Little Hands Resource Fair to acquaint preschool, daycare and home day care providers in the area about the services provided by Books for Little Hands and Smart Start San Jose. Two weeks before opening the library, the center also developed a partnership with the Avant! Foundation.

One of the first projects that the Star Kids were involved in was the Summer Reading Camp for third- to fifth-graders to enhance their reading skills. Seventy children took part in the Summer Reading Camp. They returned in October to continue doing volunteer work and assisting in the Homework Center.

FLC has formed other partnerships, such as with National Hispanic University to provide college awareness and application preparation for teens and the local Rotary Club to expand volunteer searches, since volunteers are a very important part of the many programs offered.

On Oct. 15, FLC completed its first reading readiness class for parents and children, 3.5 to 5 years of age. This class, held for four Saturdays, focused on the six pre-reading skills a child needs before going to school. While the children are learning the six skills, their parents learn activities they can do at home or in their cars that are fun and help the children learn.

The children also have their classes where they learn these basic skills, hear stories and do fun activities.

The Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Library is located at 3090 Alum Rock Ave. San José, Calif. 95127. The phone number is (408) 808-3090, and the e-mail address is: ar.sjpl@sjlibrary.org.

Evergreen-based Windermere Real Estate
office gains top-producing agent team

Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional real estate brand in the Western United States, has added two top-producing agents to its San Jose-Silver Creek Valley office. The successful team of Cherie and Lew Colon join Windermere’s growing Northern California network.

These two agents, who handled more than $60 million in real estate sales since the beginning of 2004, have joined Windermere to take advantage of the company’s unique marketing and technology resources and trusted reputation throughout the West.

Owned by Scott and Pamela Kliewer, the Windermere San Jose-Silver Creek Valley office welcomes these new associates to their team of more than 70 associates. Cherie and Lew Colon were among the top 25 real estate agents in the entire Intero organization, with Cherie being recognized as the number-one producer in the company’s Gilroy, California office.

“Windermere focuses on finding the best people, giving them the best tools, and getting out of their way. This extraordinary team truly represents the caliber of service, professionalism, and success that we strive to associate with,” said Scott Kliewer. “We look forward to helping these agents achieve even greater success using Windermere’s exclusive technology and marketing tools and resources.”

San Jose area residents of more than 16 years, Cherie and her husband Lew have built a strong real estate business in the area with approximately 90 percent of their business generated from past client referrals.

“I’m originally from the Northwest, born and raised, and up there Windermere is king—for a very good reason,” said Cherie. “They are known to have the most ethical and qualified agents who have the most integrity and the highest level of repeat clients. Those are the standards with which Lew and I have always run our personal business.”

She continued, “We have seen for ourselves how Scott, Pam and Dave run the Silver Creek office, and we are thrilled to be a part of an office that stands head and shoulders above the rest.”

The Colons can be reached at the Windermere San Jose-Silver Creek Valley office at (877) 965-5800.

Dave Cortese’s campaign for mayor seeks volunteers

The campaign to elect District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese to be the next mayor of San Jose is ramping up. If you would like to join his campaign, there are many ways to volunteer, big and small. You can also have Councilmember Cortese come out to speak to your group.

To find out more about how you can get involved, go to www.davecortese.com or contact Pattie Cortese at (408) 218-3963 or pattie@davecortese.com.

Attention: All young actors and actresses

Be a part of San Jose’s award-winning Young People’s Theatre Company at the Kirk Community Center, located at 1601 Foxworthy.

You can attend upcoming performances like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Nov. 5 to 19, and “The Wizard of Oz,” Jan. 21 to Feb. 11, 2006. Or join one of YPT’s ongoing programs such as the Great Wazoo Drama Club and the Young People’s Theatre Holiday Choir.

For more information regarding the YPT Company, contact Donna Becker at (408) 723-1571.