The Willow Glen Resident Around the Glen Presentation students seek food donations Residents seeking a way to help the needy can join Presentation High School students in their annual food drive. All food and money donations go to Sacred Heart Community Services. Donations can be dropped off at the high school at 2281 Plummer Ave., San Jose, or donors can call 408/264-1664 for a pickup at a home or business. --Sharon Parks Celebrate the holidays with live yuletide trees from Our City Forest Here's a gift idea for that hard-to-buy-for person: a living Christmas tree from Our City Forest. The local nonprofit group will deliver the tree to the recipient's doorstep. The trees can be kept and cared for after the holidays, or volunteers from Our City Forest will take them to be planted somewhere else in the community. "This is a great opportunity for people to enjoy the holidays and make a contribution at the same time," executive director Rhonda Berry said. Trees are from 4 to 7 feet tall and cost between $70 and $120, depending on species and height. In addition, the gifts count as a tax-deductible donation. Buying a live tree reduces the risk of fire, saves valuable landfill space, eliminates tree disposal issues and supports local environmental efforts. For information, call 408/998-TREES. --Sharon Parks Weather-wise water spokesman offers a flood of information Watch out for the new weatherman in town. His name is Noah, and he has a lot of wisdom to share about deluges and other natural phenomena. The bearded gentleman was last seen this previous winter, featured prominently in a series of public service ads created by the Santa Clara Valley Water District. His purpose, says public information representative Mala Magill, has been to promote the district's annual winter preparedness campaign. This year, Noah has his own television news network as well: the Hey Noah Network (HNN). Jan Yanehiro has signed on to report on the latest advances in flood preparedness throughout Santa Clara County. Noah also will spend time on the radio airwaves through the voice of Ronnie Schell, producing ads reminding residents that the winter months can bring a lot of rain. "This year we've added what we're doing as the public agency responsible for flood management to prepare the community," Magill says. "This is where the TV provides us access to do this." This week, Yanehiro and the Hey Noah Network will make their debut. Six different reports will air through mid-February. The spots will run on the early morning, evening and late news, as well as prime-time programming. The spots can be seen on KNTV-Channel 11 and KPIX-Channel 5. Falcon Cable and TCI Cable networks will also carry the reports. HNN will appear on Monday Night Football when the San Francisco 49ers play on Nov. 30 and Dec. 14. KBAY is the official radio station for Noah's 1998-99 campaign. Noah also will be heard on KGO and on the Spanish-language station KLOK. For more information on protection from flooding, call 800-HEY-NOAH. --Sharon Parks MADD offers party-goers a guide to safer holiday celebrations Ring in the New Year--but do it safely. That's what Precision Tune Auto Care and Mothers Against Drunk Driving want for all Americans in the upcoming holiday party season. "Factor safety into your plans to help ensure you and your loved ones will be around to welcome the New Year," Precision president and CEO Jay Ripley advises. PTAC and MADD have joined forces to co-sponsor the Tie One On For Safety ribbon campaign, designed to promote sober and safe driving in the upcoming months. "While MADD works to promote safe and sober driving practices throughout the year, we often see an increase in tragedies resulting from drinking and driving during the holiday season, when people may include alcohol in their celebrations," MADD national president Katherine P. Prescott said. For happier, safer holiday tips, contact Jodi Perkins (extension 235) or Betty Hoeffner (extension 340) at 847/291-1616. --Sharon Parks Willow Glen Little League signups to begin this week Willow Glen Little League will be signing up boys and girls ages 5 through 18 for the 1999 season. Volunteer umpires, coaches and managers can sign up at this time too. There will be three days to sign up: Thursday, Nov. 19th, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 21st, 12-3 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 6-9 p.m. at 1336 Cherry Avenue, San Jose, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Birth certificates will be needed for proof of age along with a current utility bill for proof of residency. Enrollment for the March to June season costs between $60-$85. For further information call 408/450-8502. --Sharon Parks 2nd Annual California SnowSports Expo The Second Annual California Snow-Sports Expo will be held at the San Jose Convention Center November 20-22. All those who enjoy skiing are encouraged to attend. The convention will feature Olympic gold medalists Nikki Stone and Diann Roffe-Steinrotter, World Champion Trace Worthington, three-time Olympian and Olympic aerial coach Kris Fedderson and two-time World Powder 8 champions Franz Fuchsberger and Hayden Scott. The snow sports stars will be at the convention to perform, instruct and meet visitors to the expo. It will include acts like Stone, Worthington and Fedderson taking off from a large trampoline in a high-flying freestyle air show. Fuchsberger and Scott will show their Powder Perfect video to offer tips on how to ski in the deep snows. Roffe-Steinrotter will be there to show snow-goers how to get the most out of their on-mountain experiences. Finally, at the end of the expo, visitors will be able to take part in a choreographed show by a team of four professional in-line skaters, skateboarders and BMX riders on a vertical halfpipe. In addition to all the tips, visitors will be able to find everything for their snow activities, plus free Value-Season California lift passes. The expo will include over 200 exhibitors like clothing and equipment manufacturers, demos, instructional presentations, a first-timer information center and a pre-season sale by Mel Cotton's Sporting Goods. The expo will be held Friday, Nov. 20 from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 general admission and kids under 12 are free. --Aji Mathai Lecture recounts tales of pioneers A husband-and-wife volunteer team who have made into a family project the marking of a Sierra Nevada trail used by the pioneers more than a century ago will recount their adventures at a talk next week. Jeanne and Bill Watson will speak at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, in the Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino. The public is welcome to attend the talk and slide show. Over the summer the Watsons began putting up National Historic Trail signs along the Carson Emigrant Trail with help from two of their young grandsons. The work of marking the trail by the couple actually began three decades ago, when they first started hiking the trail. --Metro Newspapers Repairs and repaving to close parts of the Los Gatos Creek Trail Part of the Los Gatos Creek Trail will be under construction in the upcoming weeks, as public works crews repair a retaining wall and repave sections of the trail. The trail between Lark Avenue and Vasona Dam will be under construction from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31. Repaving work on various sections of the trail will take place between Nov. 20 and Nov. 25. Detours will be set up whenever possible. The trail south of Main Street will not be affected by the work. For more information, call John Iaquinto at 399-5774. --Jeff Kearns [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 18, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.