When Mount Madonna School 7th grader Taylor Krilanovich set out
to study the forest disease Sudden Oak Death, her goal was more
than just informational
– she wanted to find a solution to a problem she was familiar
with first-hand.
MMS 7th grader places second in county science fair 
When Mount Madonna School 7th grader Taylor Krilanovich set out to study the forest disease Sudden Oak Death, her goal was more than just informational – she wanted to find a solution to a problem she was familiar with first-hand.
“I’ve seen a lot of trees die from Sudden Oak Death,” Krilanovich explains. “If it goes on for 5 more years, we won’t have any oaks left in California. I wanted to see if I could find out more about it and maybe come up with a way to help cure it.” And she may have.
Through her research, Krilanovich says she found that there’s a substance in the duff of redwood trees that seems to help at-risk trees mitigate the damage caused by Phytophthora ramorum, the plant pathogen that causes SOD. Krilanovich’s research and presentation earned her second place in the Junior Division, Botany category of the recent Santa Cruz County Science Fair.
Sudden Oak Death is a critical problem on California’s central coast.
A widespread dieback of several tree species in California and Oregon forests have been attributed to the disease which affects the leaves and twigs of numerous other plants in forests and nurseries.
VTA sees increase in ridership
Following its new bus service launch in January, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority saw an increase in total monthly system ridership for bus and light rail during February 2008. Average weekday ridership was 5.9 percent more than the same period last year and the highest since February 2003.
February marks the first full month of the new service. The average weekday bus ridership last month jumped 5.6 percent in comparison to February 2007. Fiscal year to date, bus ridership is up 4.6 percent compared to the same time last year.
On Jan. 14, VTA launched a redesigned bus system, the largest overhaul of the network in more than two decades. The new service affected thousands of transit riders and included re-routing, the introduction of two Express Bus lines and Community Buses. The service change impacted 74 revised bus routes, with 19 lines offering service frequencies of 15 minutes or less.
Nighttime work continues at Highway 152/156 intersection
Eastbound Highway 156 at Highway 152 will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through March 31.
The road closure will allow crews to build a temporary frame to support the weight of the bridge during construction.
Motorists on eastbound Highway 156 wanting to access east or westbound Highway 152 will be detoured to Fairview Road, to San Felipe Road then back to Highway 152.
The much-anticipated flyover at the Don Pacheco Y, where state Highways 152 and 156 cross, will allow eastbound cars to pass over drivers headed west into Hollister. The intersection is notorious for backing up weekend and holiday traffic for miles in both directions.
The $35.4-million project is expected to be finished in the spring of 2009, according to the Valley Transportation Authority.
Women raise $14K for nonprofit
For the second consecutive year, ladies from across the Bay Area gathered in Gilroy for the Annual “Got-to-Have-It” Charity Luncheon, hosted by the philanthropic group, Hearts of Gilroy. The sold-out March 8 event raised more than $14,000 for Community Solutions, an organization committed to promoting positive change for individuals and the entire area.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can make a difference in our community,” said Cathy Caserza Light, Hearts of Gilroy co-founder and board member of Community Solutions.
More than 110 women attended the social affair, held at Gilroy’s Eagle Ridge Golf Club. Participants brought high-end “white elephant” gift that were included in the silent or live auctions, which featured bottles of wine, dinners and tasting packages, as well as jewelry.
The Luncheon’s Annual “Hearts of Giving” Crystal Award honoring women who make a difference in the community was presented to Katherine Filice, owner of the marketing and design firm, Articulate Solutions.
Community Solutions was founded as a teen drop-in center in 1972 and has grown in response to the needs of the community. The organization provides a comprehensive spectrum of prevention, intervention, treatment, residential and housing services to the communities of South Santa Clara County, South San Jose and San Benito County.
Details:
