Help a child
GILROY
– Child Advocates of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties is
looking for volunteers to mentor and speak up for abused and
neglected children who have been placed in the foster care system.
Orientation will be held in Gilroy on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 6 to
8 p.m. To find out how you can make a differ
ence in the life of a child, call 416-0400 or e-mail
in**@********es.org.
Help a child
GILROY – Child Advocates of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties is looking for volunteers to mentor and speak up for abused and neglected children who have been placed in the foster care system. Orientation will be held in Gilroy on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. To find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child, call 416-0400 or e-mail in**@********es.org.
Learn about police station
GILROY – A one-hour community briefing on the re-design of Gilroy’s new Police Station will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 7 to 8 p.m., in the Gilroy City Hall Council Chambers, 7351 Rosanna St. The public is invited to attend. Details: Bill Headley at 846-0450.
Holy Child Feast
GILROY – The Asian American Association of Gilroy will celebrate the Feast of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) on Friday, Jan. 9, at St. Mary’s Church, 11 First St. At 5:45 p.m., they will escort the Holy Child into St. Mary’s Church with the community and the English Mass will start at 6 p.m. This religious tradition has a Spanish origin and has been a cherished tradition in the Philippine Islands for centuries. Recognized by the Vatican, it is similar to the devotion to the Holy Infant of Prague. Details: 847-5151.
Audition for ‘Footloose’
MORGAN HILL – The South Valley Civic Theatre will be holding auditions for the teen show “Footloose” on Friday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at SVCT Warehouse, 8565 Monterey Road (behind Kelly Moore). Teens in grades 7 through 12 can audition for this play. Please wear dance attire and prepare a song with sheet music. Details: 390-3101.
Be prepared
GILROY – The City of Gilroy is currently organizing its first series of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) classes. The CERT program trains residents to respond properly to disasters. Details on the next series of hands-on classes are not set yet but will be given from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. There is a nominal fee to sign up. Details: e-mail mh****@****ic.com.
Bands needed for battle
GILROY – The Elk’s Lodge, 2765 Hecker Pass Highway, is accepting applications for bands, musicians and soloists who wish to participate in their Battle of the Bands at the fifth annual Wedding and Special Occasion Showcase on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1. Show off your skills to people looking for performers for their special events and compete against other musicians. Applications are due by Jan. 14. Details:
682-4700.
Apply for Block Grants
GILROY – Requests for proposals are now available for the City of Gilroy’s 2004-05 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program at the Housing and Community Development office, 7351 Rosanna St.
The City is expected to receive $593,000 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $60,000 will be available for competitive awards in the public service category for public service activities.
The CDBG Program works to benefit low-income households, aid in the prevention of slums or blight and meet urgent community needs. If your group or agency is interested in applying for funds during the upcoming funding cycle, contact the Housing and Community Development staff at 846-0290. Proposals are due by Jan. 26, at 5 p.m.
Hospice volunteers needed
GILROY/MORGAN HILL – The Kaiser Permanente Hospice Program at Santa Teresa Hospital, 50 E. Main Ave., Morgan Hill, is in need of volunteers for the Gilroy and Morgan Hill area. Hospice volunteers are needed to do home visits to hospice patients and families and/or make bereavement phone calls on a monthly basis. Training is provided. Details: Steve Pankratz or Ken Watkins at 342-6699.
Try outs for Pride softball
MORGAN HILL – Pride of Morgan Hill Girls Softball ‘A’ tryouts for age groups 12U ‘A,’ 14U ‘A’ and 16U ‘A’ will be Sunday, Jan. 11, at Community Park in Morgan Hill. Times are: 12A and 16A age groups will be at 1 p.m.; 14 and under will be at 1 p.m. for pitchers/catchers and 2 p.m. for position players. Coaches are Gene Ciraulo for 12A, Frank Benutua for 14A and Rich Yamashita for 16A. Details: Jeff Bernadini
778-6062.
Women in Afghanistan
MORGAN HILL – The challenge facing the women of Af-ghanistan is the subject of an informal lecture Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. given by Rose-mary Stasek, Mountain View city councilwoman.
Stasek recently returned from her second trip to Afghanistan this summer where she worked on a reconstruction project in the women’s prison in Kabul.
Stasek will present a slide show and discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, specifically the continuing challenges facing women during this time of dramatic transition.
The lecture is sponsored by American Association of University Women branches in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, and will be presented at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, Monterey Road at East Fifth Street. Free and open to the public. Details: Katie at
778-9632 or 782-9632.
Find local falls
MORGAN HILL – The Greenbelt Alliance is hosting the chance to travel through Uvas Canyon County Park on Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On this moderate, four-mile looped hike, discover several different waterfalls, including the wide Upper Falls and the three-tiered Triple Falls. The event is free, but reservations are required. RSVP at (415) 255-3233.
Play in real snow
MORGAN HILL – A Children’s Garden Childcare and Learning Center, located at 610 E. Dunne Ave., will host their third annual “Snow Day Open House,” on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids up to 12 can bring their mittens and play real snow games, snowball golf, go down a giant snowman slide, do ice painting, pet baby snow bunnies and more. Free and open to the public. Families can also tour their award winning center and meet the teachers. Details:
778-1977.
Good for air and your wallet
SAN JOSE – This winter, Santa Clara County residents can make a clean air choice and save hundreds of dollars, too. The Bay Area Air District is offering up to $500 in rebates when a wood burning appliance is replaced with one that uses natural gas instead. Switching to gas will reduce air pollution and improve the air quality in neighborhoods. For a listing of participating retailers, visit www.sparetheair.org or pick up a brochure at the City Hall Resource Area.
Learn to swing
MORGAN HILL – Put on your dancing shoes! All are welcomed to the Morgan Hill Grange Hall at 40 E. Fourth St. on Tuesday nights to learn swing and country dances. Beginning West Coast Swing is offered at 7 p.m. and is followed by Country Two-step lessons at 8 p.m. No partners needed. Details: 686-0772.
News Items: Please fax local news items to City Editor Jodi Engle at 842-2206, e-mail to ed****@****ic.com or mail to 6400 Monterey St. Gilroy.
