Celebrating Families is a program that aims to put the family back together and break the cycle of dependency. The judge wanted it for his model Family Treatment Drug Court, which works with parents who have lost custody of their children because of substance abuse. Studies show that the program gives extraordinary promise.

Tisch has worked with children of alcoholics and addicts both locally and in Russia and Mexico for more than 20 years. She was the founder of Kids are Special, which has since merged with Eastfield Ming Quong's program. And she wrote the curriculum for a course at Saratoga High for freshman aimed at preventing addictions.

For schools and orphanages in Russia, Tisch wrote the model for a prevention program and trained those using the program--teachers, health workers and others. There are now 17 shelters in Moscow for homeless children, thanks to a partnership between Prevention Partnership International and a Russian program called OPORA.

Tisch has a masters from Stanford in counseling psychology and began her studies after combating her own addiction to alcohol. She is the director of Prevention Partnership International--on its advisory board are Mary Gardner and Mary Ellen Comport of Saratoga and Pat Heller and Ann Wright of Los Gatos.

VOLUNTEER OF YEAR: Tracy Halgren of Saratoga has been named Volunteer of the Year by the Peninsula Open Space Trust for her contributions to land conservancy. She has been a significant fundraiser in POST's $200 million capital campaign called Saving the Endangered Coast.

Halgren is a founding member of Skyline Society Committee, which recognizes donors who contribute $1,000 or more to POST annually. She has a talent for bringing in the high rollers to ensure that thousands of acres of hills, forests, bluffs, beaches and farms will be preserved.

As a leader of the 25th anniversary committee, Halgren was instrumental in raising funds for the preservation of Bear Creek Redwoods--1,065 acres in the Los Gatos hills. She lobbied at local council meetings and her efforts raised $62,000 in grants from Monte Sereno and Los Gatos.

Those funds will help buy the property which was slated for luxury homes and a golf course. The land is now managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

"Tracy sets the gold standard for our volunteers," said POST President Audrey Rust. Halgren and her husband, Chris Houck, volunteer as conservation monitors, visiting properties annually to ensure that preservation requirements are being fulfilled. They met at Netscape.

He was one of the founding engineers and she was a usability engineer. Halgren is also chairman of the Saratoga Arts Commission.

NURSE HONORED: Kathi Lee received the 2004 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Nurse Manager Role Award at the 30th annual ARN Educational Conference in Atlanta, GA. Lee is a nurse manager at Community Hospital of Los Gatos' Rehabilitation Center.

The award recognizes a nurse who has advanced rehab nursing care in a middle management position. Lee directs rehabilitation nursing quality improvement programs. The Rehab Center objective is to restore emotional, psychological and physical vitality to patients.

Modestine Fain is director of the center.

VIOLIN SOLOIST: Saratogan Ashley Lau, 15, the most recent winner of the California Youth Symphony's Young Artist Competition, was the soloist at the California Youth Symphony Orchestra's November recitals in Cupertino and San Mateo. Besides the soloist slot, Ashley also won the President's Prize of $200.

She's a junior at Saratoga High School and began her violin studies at age 4. She now studies with Jenny Rudin of Palo Alto. Other honors include Outstanding Musician Award from SJ Symphony Youth Orchestra, Command Performance Award from the California Music Educators Association and winner of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition.

The CYS Holiday Concert will be held Dec. 12 at 2:30 p.m. at Foothill College Smithwick Theatre. The free concert will feature traditional holiday favorites.

MUKO CELEBRATION: Some 63 travelers visited Japan recently to celebrate Saratoga's 20-year Sister City relationship with Muko. The trip proved so popular that two groups were formed and John Tauchi was the leader of both. Mayor Ann Waltonsmith took her first journey to Muko.

FOR SOLDIERS IN IRAQ: The Saratoga Senior Center regulars spent November collecting items to send to the soldiers in Iraq--such things as toiletries, games, playing cards, phone cards, CDs. Fran Wasserman and Pearl Bell are leaders of the campaign, which is ongoing.

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