Hundreds of people are invited to walk in the first annual Optimist Not Just the Child Walk-a-thon on Oct. 2, at Townsend Field in Santa Clara. The walking teams will collect sponsorships from local businesses and community members to help childhood cancer victims and their families.

Teams will begin walking the track at 9 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. As a special closing ceremony to the Not Just the Child Walk-a-thon, there will be a candle-lighting ceremony. The event is meant to pay tribute to those who have battled cancer. During the day, participants will celebrate the Festival of Families with children's activities, food and informational booths presented by walk-a-thon sponsors.

Through the walk-a-thon, local Optimists are reaching out to the greater community. The day will be led by the all-volunteer efforts of the Optimist clubs of Cupertino, De Anza/Cupertino, Los Gatos, Miracle Mile of Campbell, Santa Clara and Saratoga.

For more information or to make a donation or sign up a team of walkers, visit www.notjustthechild.com.

Measure M to kick
into gear at district

The Save the 7th Period campaign to raise $200,000 for the Campbell Union High School District has already wound down. Now parents and teachers in the district have focused their attention on an even bigger effort.

To overcome the most recent round of state cuts, the Campbell Union High School District Board of Trustees placed a parcel-tax measure on the Nov. 2, 2004, ballot. If the measure passes, a five-year, $85-a-year parcel tax would be levied on property owners in the district. The measure requires a supermajority—66.6 percent voter approval—for passage. The parcel tax is expected to raise $3.4 million.

Parents and teachers are inviting the public to attend the Yes on Measure M meeting on Sept. 21 to learn how people can get involved.

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at the Cambrian District Office Board Room at 4115 Jacksol Drive in San Jose. For more information, visit www.yesonm.org.

October is month
for scream movies

Casa de la Cultura Mexica is at it again. On the heels of its successful Sundown Cinema summer movie series, the Campbell-based nonprofit is set to launch its fall outdoor-movie event, called the Scream Series.

On the list of movies to be shown every Friday night at about 7:30 p.m. are Psycho, on Oct. 1; Frankenstein, on Oct. 8; Wolfman, on Oct. 22; and Dracula, on Oct. 29.

Casa de la Cultura is dedicated to preserving and promoting culture through art and education.

For more information, visit www. casadelaculturamexica.org.

Institute's recipe is
what the city ordered

The Campbell Planning Commission on Sept. 14 voted unanimously to allow the establishment of a new culinary institute in Campbell.

To be located at 700 W. Hamilton Ave., the Professional Culinary Institute will occupy almost 20,000 square feet of space on the third floor of a building that houses Gold's Gym and a language institute.

Campbell Planning Commissioners Elizabeth Gibbons and Michael Rocha said they were concerned that the available parking might not be adequate considering the expected number of students who will attend the school.

But David Korb, who was speaking on behalf of the institute, said most of the students will either carpool to the school or they will be living in nearby apartment buildings that the institute intends to lease.