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Around The Glen
St. Vincent de Paul needs Easter outfits
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is getting a greater-than-expected response from people in need hoping to attend its fourth annual Easter Bonnets and Baskets event, according to Executive Director Michael Fallon. He and the rest of his staff need more help from the community to provide the 1,100 children and their parents with Easter outfits and baskets on April 7. "There are so many programs at Thanksgiving and Christmas," Fallon said. "We chose Easter as another opportunity to help poor people."
He said the society invites its clients and those from other local agencies that help people in need to come to four different locations throughout the county. Parents choose Easter clothes for their children while high school student volunteers help the youth decorate hard-boiled eggs and baskets and fill them with candy and dental hygiene products, he said.
Only about 700 people were expected to participate this year, Fallon said. Although they are assuming only about 70 percent of the registrants will arrive, the society's staff is asking for more boys' and girls' Easter clothes in sizes 8 to 16, to meet the increased demand. Fallon said they could also use help from more high school students, especially if each brought a dozen hard-boiled eggs.
Donations should be brought to the society's thrift store at 2040 S. 7th St. by 10 a.m. on April 7. The store is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Volunteers should be at the store by 8:30 a.m. on April 7. For more information call 408.298.7290, ext. 119.
--Kate Carter
County is targeting domestic violence
Santa Clara County officials last week announced their participation in a federal initiative to help different agencies work together against domestic violence and child abuse.
The county is one of six areas in the nation involved in the Green Book Project, said Dana Bunnett, co-executive director of Kids in Common, a child advocacy agency in downtown San Jose that will be housing the new project's two staff members.
"It's based on a book about what needs to happen for victims of domestic violence and children in those situations to be handled properly," Bunnett said. "It's really a very exciting project because all these people are talking together, and now the funding is available to really implement system change."
County agencies and court systems are teaming up with nonprofit organizations and law enforcement to spend about $1 million of federal and foundation money over the next three years, she said. The goal is to have a single case manager assist a battered woman without having her children removed by Child Protective Services, as is often the case now, Bunnett said.
"The child and mother are punished twice because she's been battered," she said.
The project kicked off on March 29, and Bunnett said it should receive its grant money, announced on Dec. 1, 2000, later this year.
--Kate Carter
WGHS robotics team heading to Florida
Willow Glen High School's successful robotics team is traveling to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the national robotics meet this week, but it will take a little help to get the group there.
The team has been frantically raising the $12,000 it needs to send seven of its 20 members and a teacher to the competition. The money is to pay for the $4,000 entrance fee, as well as airfare, accommodations and transportation, and "parts for repairs" during their four days in the Sunshine State, said the team's teacher-mentor Mark Selden.
"It's a rough environment," he said of the competition.
More than 300 teams will be competing in front of about 4,000 spectators at the Epcot Center on April 5-7. But the Willow Glen team has already done well in California, participating in the second-place team alliance--out of 47 teams--in Southern California on March 15-17, and taking gold with their five-team alliance--out of 54 teams--in Northern California on March 23-24.
Selden said the team decided to join the field of national competitors after seeing how well they did at home.
This group of robot-designers and builders turned into fundraisers, he said, and has raised about half of what they need in a little more than a week. They hope to receive enough promises of donations to cover their costs before they leave on April 4.
To make a donation to the team, make checks payable to Willow Glen High School and send them to Willow Glen High School, attention Marty Burns, 2001 Cottle Ave., San Jose, CA 95125.
--Kate Carter
Schallenberger to hold open house
Parents of children who are, or who will be, attending Schallenberger Elementary School have the chance to visit the campus and see what work and play goes on there.
The school is hosting an open house evening on April 10, from 6:45 to 8 p.m. Each student will have a piece of art on display, the classrooms will be open and teachers will be available to answer questions.
There will also be a book fair in the Learning Resource Center from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and pizza will be served in the cafeteria from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
For more information, call 408.535.6253.
--Kate Carter
Ceremony kicks off light-rail construction
A light-rail groundbreaking ceremony was held at noon on March 29, marking the start of construction on the 5.3 mile, nine-stop extension from downtown San Jose to Campbell.
The $256 million project was unveiled to transit leaders and politicians at the Diridon Caltrain station.
Completion of the project is expected in fall 2004.
--Erin Mayes
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
