February is Silicon Valley Reads Month, and residents will have ample opportunity to partake in literary events to discuss David Mas Masumoto's book, Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm.

On Feb. 1, the program commences with "Conversation With Mas," an interview with the author at the Montgomery Theatre in downtown San Jose. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Then on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Ave., the program will feature several longtime residents sharing stories and memories of the days before microchips and modems in "Remembering the Past in Willow Glen: When Peaches and Apricots Were King." Refreshments will also be served.

Silicon Valley Reads is presented by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library and the San Jose Public Library Foundation. The goals of the program are to promote reading and literacy while engaging the community in dialogue.

For more information or to see a complete list of events, visit www.soliconvalleyreads.org.

State workers' comp
costs have tripled

The cost of workers' compensation in California tripled between 1999 and 2003 and far exceeded nationwide increases, according to a report released Jan. 13 by a San Francisco-based think tank.

The Public Policy Institute of California report points to rising medical costs and the increasing number of employees who suffer major permanent disability in workplace incidents as factors in cost increases.

The total number of workplace injuries and illnesses actually decreased over the four-year period, according to the institute.

State legislation intended to curb workers' compensation costs was enacted in 2003 and 2004, but the report warned that it was too soon to tell if the measures address the root causes of rising costs.

One reason could be that contributing factors have not been pinpointed. Some factors, however, were outlined in the report.

A small number of cases account for a majority of the costs, with about 80 percent of medical benefit dollars going to the relatively low number of workers whose injuries cause permanent disability, according to the study.

The report also indicates that between 1997 and 2002, medical benefits in California rose at more than twice the nationwide rate.

Volunteers are sought
to help teach reading

The San José Public Library is seeking volunteers to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Volunteers will offer one-to-one tutoring of English-speaking adults who read or write below the ninth-grade level.

Volunteers will receive 14 hours of training, instructional materials and ongoing support. No experience is necessary, but a commitment of two hours per week for six months is required. Orientation is scheduled for Jan. 26, and orientation and training will be held on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. For more information call the San José Public Library at 408.808.2361.

Yancey to headline the
business exchange event

Sandra Yancey, founder and CEO of eWomenNetwork.com, headlines the San Jose Women's Business Exchange on Feb. 2. Yancey will share her advanced networking techniques on how businesswomen can turn their networking interactions into business transactions and explain how being a "femtor" to other women enhances business-building relationships.

The dinner event, hosted by the eWomenNetwork San Jose chapter, will be at Capital Club Athletics in San Jose. Advance registration for the event is required and a limited number of sponsorships and display tables are available.

To register for the Women's Business Exchange or to secure a sponsorship, contact Kristy Rogers at 408.288.8484, or visit www.eWomenNetwork.com and click on Our Events Calendar. Tickets are $49 for eWomenNetwork members, $59 for guests. After Jan. 29, the cost is $65.

Bay Area poll cites three
major citizen concerns

Bay Area residents cite transportation, the economy and housing as their top three concerns, according to the 2004 Bay Area Poll released on Jan. 12 by the Bay Area Council.

Out of the 600 Bay Area residents polled in nine counties, 26 percent rate transportation as the most important problem facing the region. Twenty-three percent think that the economy is the biggest problem and 17 percent think affordable housing is the issue. Nearly 80 percent of those polled believe that the cost of housing has worsened since 2003.

Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, said the poll results reflect public concern. "We need to speak in one voice about these problems,'' he said. "None of them are simple problems. We need to devote a great level of commitment, strategic thinking and working with government officials to change for the better.''

The poll results did, however, show that residents are optimistic that the region will grow economically while the quality of life continues to improve.

The Bay Area Council has initiated public policy and research on critical infrastructure issues in the Bay Area since 1945. The council uses poll results to communicate community concerns to legislative representatives, the governor and businesses.

The poll was conducted by Field Research Corporation.