Willow Glen Resident

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News Briefs

Outages, brownouts affect Willow Glen

Power went out in portions of San Jose, including Willow Glen, on July 22 through July 24 as PG& E struggled with demands and equipment problems caused by triple digit temperatures.

Jeff Smith, spokesman for PG& E, said as of July 24 36,000 San Jose residents were without power because of the continual strain on the electrical system.

The outages are a result of consecutive days of heat which have not allowed the electrical systems to cool at night like they usually due, according to Smith.

Willow Glen residents have been experiencing a dimming in power since July 17. The cause can be blamed on the hot weather and an increased demand in power that strained electrical equipment, said PG& E spokesman Brian Swanson.

"For most of our service area, our electrical system held out just fine," PG& E spokesman Bill Swanson said, "but in the Willow Glen area, we did experience an increased load on our electrical equipment."

PG& E replaced damaged transformers on the evening of July 17 and the following night, and since then, the equipment has been running without any problems.

Several areas throughout California experienced brownouts, which occur when electrical equipment is forced to work harder and longer than usual, Swanson said. The result is a lower power output.

To avoid brownouts and outages PG& E continues to ask residents to conserve energy and Swanson suggests people reduce their usage during peak hours from 4 to 7 p.m. and set their air conditioners to 78 degrees.

Deputies squelch
auto theft on Paula

Three men were arrested on charges of auto theft and possession of stolen property on Race and Paula streets, which borders the Willow Glen area.

Ignacio Valadovinos, 21, Alejandro Esquivel, 19, both of Oakland, and Jose Pineta, 20, of Tracy, were arrested after deputies saw the men running from a white car on Paula Street, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department spokesman Serg Palanov.

Deputies responded to a 911 call shortly after 3 a.m. when a witness reported that an auto theft was in progress. When deputies arrived, Valadovinos was apprehended immediately. Esquivel and Pineta fled from the scene.

The San Jose Police Department was called to assist the sheriff department and set up a perimeter for a search. Dogs were also brought to the scene. Around 4:30 a.m., police found Esquivel and Pineta hiding inside a van that was parked half a block away.

The three men were booked at the Santa Clara County Jail on charges of auto theft and possession of stolen property.

Host families are
needed for students

As the 2006-07 school year approaches, STS Foundation is looking for host families who will open their homes to exchange students in the San Jose area.

High school students from around the world are coming to study in San Jose during the 2006-07 school year. They will integrate themselves into a San Jose family with the goal of experiencing American culture while studying at an American high school. These students will provide insight about their own culture with host families.

STS Foundation, a nonprofit student-exchange organization, helps link students with families. The foundation looks for interested host families able to take in a student and eager to share their life with the teen in a safe environment.

For more information, contact Lillian Clemente at 800.522.4678 or email at lillian@stsfoundation.org and visit www.stsfoundation.org.

Build a music card
at computer camp

Third-through sixth-graders can learn about computer science at a free drop-in program at the Intel Museum.

"Sizzling Semiconductor Summer" runs until Aug. 3, and again Aug. 8 -31. Children can drop in anytime on Tuesdays or Thursdays for a 45-minute session of guided and self-directed activities. The program features how computers talk and decode secret messages, building a musical card while learning how circuits work, and discovering how sand is used to create silicon.

Intel Museum opened in the early 1980s to record the Intel Corp.'s history, including its role in silicon technology. Admission and parking is free.

The museum is at 2200 Mission College Blvd. in Santa Clara, in the Intel Robert Noyce Building. For more information, call 408.765.0503 or visit www.intel. com/museum.

Donations needed
to stock backpacks

Sacred Heart Community Service is helping get children off to school, but they need the community's help.

The nonprofit is looking for both donors and volunteers for the Pack-A-Back School Supplies Drive on Aug. 18.

Sacred Heart plans to pass out 1,000 fully stocked backpacks to children in low-income families.

Donors can give $40 per child, or corporate sponsors can give $1,000 for an entire classroom. Sacred Heart also accepts backpacks filled with one lunch box, No. 2 pencils, a pencil sharpener, erasers, a glue stick, ruler, two packs of crayons and markers, ballpoint pens, a three-ring binder, two packs of wide-ruled paper, two writing tablets, two folders, one box of Kleenex and a disposable camera or
35 mm roll of film.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade will use the backpacks. Sacred Heart requests no blue or red backpacks, due to school regulations.

People are also needed to help fill the backpacks on Aug. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m., or distribute bags on Aug. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, call 408.278.2180 or visit www.sacredheartcommunityservice.org.

County takes over
Cultural Initiatives

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley may be closing this year, but its successful program, Creative Education, will continue to bring the arts into public schools.

On July 1, the Santa Clara County Office of Education took over the program. The Willow Glen-based nonprofit began the program when it was formed in 1997, with a goal to bring standards-based art instruction to kindergartners through fifth-graders. The program includes multiple disciplines, such as dance, music, theater and visual arts.

Since its founding, the program has given nearly $10 million in grants, technical assistance and professional development to 127 elementary schools in Santa Clara County.

The Cambrian School District, for example, received nearly $200,000 from Cultural Initiatives, which helped the district develop the Cambrian Arts Council and a lively arts curriculum.

According to the nonprofit, Cultural Initiatives was meant to operate finitely and in the past decade has successfully integrated arts into the community.

The county district will administer the program in its Instructional Services Branch. The county's goal is to expand the program into more schools and grades.