The Willow Glen Resident

Around The Glen

Goodwill seeks to include additional people in civil suit

Goodwill Industries of Santa Clara County is seeking to amend a civil suit against two former Willow Glen employees to include seven others who may have been involved in an embezzlement of charity funds, Goodwill officials said.

The original civil action, filed Oct. 17, sought to recover $1.3 million in assets reportedly found in the possession of former Willow Glen Goodwill store manager Linda Faye Marcil and the estate of Carol Marrs, former general manager of store operations.

If the court approves the motion, the civil suit will expand to include Bonnie Marcil, Jeffrey Marcil, Dale Rice, Ellen Salas, Linda Cervantez, Clifford Miller and Michael Mitchell, officials said. A hearing on the motion will take place in March.

Linda Marcil has pleaded no contest to theft and conspiracy charges; Bonnie Marcil, Salas and Rice have pleaded guilty, said Stephen Lowney, deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County.

Miller and Mitchell have also pleaded guilty to charges connected with the case. Jeffrey Marcil is set to enter a plea on Jan. 29. Except for Cervantez, all are reportedly related to Linda Marcil, by either blood or marriage.

"[We] are becoming more and more outraged at what we are finding," said Hugh Barnett, president of Goodwill. "The millions of dollars that these people stole from Goodwill would have been used to benefit the thousands that pass through our program."

Goodwill operates 10 retail stores and 60 donation trailers in the county. Profits help fund vocational education, job training and employment-placement programs at the Goodwill Institute for Career Development in downtown San Jose.

"Our civil action is just one of several measures to close the book on this horrible chapter in Goodwill of Santa Clara County's history," Barnett said.

The embezzlement case came to prosecutors' attention last fall.

--Christine M. Lias

City council seeks ethics board member

The San Jose City Council is accepting applications for an appointment to the Campaign Finance Review and Ethics Board. The ethics board monitors compliance with all campaign and ethics ordinances in the city's municipal code and makes recommendations to the council regarding such regulations and policies.

The board also reviews and investigates allegations of code violations and makes recommendations regarding enforcement of ethics ordinances.

Applicants must be registered voters in the city of San Jose and have demonstrated some familiarity and experience with campaign laws. Each of the board's five members must be appointed by a two-thirds vote of the council.

Board members may serve a maximum of two four-year terms, during which they cannot hold any other public office or publicly endorse or engage in any political or campaign activity on behalf of any candidate for city office. Board members cannot have run for public office within two years before they're set to begin their tenures, and they may not run for office for two years after their term on the ethics board has ended.

Application deadline is Feb. 5. Selected applicants will be interviewed Feb. 24 by the mayor and councilmembers during a regular council meeting.

For applications and further information, contact the city clerk's office at 277-4424.

--Anne Gelhaus

Juice store helps out local schools

Local schools will get an energy boost from Jamba Juice next month, when its Willow Glen store plans to donate $417.75 to Willow Glen elementary and high schools.

The smoothie and fresh-squeezed juice store, which opened Jan. 14, had agreed to donate 5 percent of its total sales generated from the week of Jan. 19-25. The schools will evenly divide the money.

Checks will be given to school representatives at the Willow Glen Jamba Juice's grand opening celebration at 1140 Lincoln Ave. The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

--Rebecca Wallace

Planners needed for San Jose Senior Games

Those with a flair for archery or a passion for racquetball are just the people the San Jose Senior Games Committee is looking for to help plan its third annual "Silicon Valley Classic" games, which will be held in July.

Each year, the games attract about 700 athletes age 50 and above from all around the state, organizers said.

Planners are needed to help organize volleyball, racquetball, badminton and archery events, as well as a race walk, triathlon (swimming, cycling and road race) and 5K and 10K road races.

Winners in age and gender categories get the chance to compete in the Senior Games state and national championships. The "Silicon Valley Classic" is sponsored by the city of San Jose.

For information on planning or participating in events, call games coordinator Gina Aning at 559-8553.

--Rebecca Wallace

Volunteers needed to staff crisis line

CONTACT of Santa Clara County is looking for volunteers to provide counseling, intervention and information to those who call its 24-hour crisis line.

An orientation for the 50-hour course training is planned for Feb. 12 , and the first training session will be held Feb. 19. There is a volunteer-training fee of $48.

Training topics include mental illness, human sexuality, domestic violence, substance abuse and suicide counseling. Training also requires 12 hours of apprenticeships with established volunteers.

Limited scholarships and class credit are available to those who qualify.

CONTACT is a nonprofit agency affiliated with LIFE LINE International. Specialized programs include a parental stress line, teen line and anti-hate line.

For more information, call 275-6176.

--Christine M. Lias

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