Maria Cid recognized as Woman of the Year
Maria Cid, an active member of the Gilroy community, will be honored as Woman of the Year by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce during its 102nd Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 21 at Leal Vineyards in Hollister.
Cid, who owns Maria Cid Insurance Agency, dedicates her free time to various community endeavors. Among her efforts, she works with DACA students, the Edward Boss Prado Foundation and as board member for Youth Alliance. She played a pivotal role in raising awareness and support following the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.
She was named chair of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, vice chair of the SBC Chamber, board director for the Latino Family Fund, board director for 6th Street Studios and Art Center and recently an Ambassador for the Gilroy Foundation. She graduated from Leadership Gilroy Class of 2022, raising $74,000 with her classmates for Gilroy Veterans Hall.
The chamber will also recognize the following individuals, businesses and organizations:
• Man of the Year: Ramiro Rodriguez
• Large Business of the Year: Pacific Scientific EMC
• Small Business of the Year: La Catrina
• Entrepreneur Business of the Year: MMM Churros
• Non-Profit Business of the Year: Girls Inc. of the Central Coast
• Agricultural Business of the Year: Central Ag Supply
• Service Business of the Year: Gavilan College
• Green Business of the Year: RJR Recycling
For information and tickets to the dinner, visit conta.cc/3EtNWko.
Tamal Festival returns to downtown
The seventh annual Tamal Festival and Car Show, presented by Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services and Los Padrinos, returns to downtown Gilroy on Sept. 30 from 11am to 7pm.
The family-friendly event will feature food, a car show and music by Gabriel Perales and other DJs.
Garlic Festival Association accepting grant applications
The Gilroy Garlic Festival Association is now accepting applications for its nonprofit grant program.
Candidates for the grant should be based in Gilroy and the surrounding area.
Organizations involved in promoting Gilroy as a visitor destination or promoting the business community would normally be supporting the GGFA as part of their mission and therefore not normally considered for this award.
Grant funding is $500 to $5,000 per application, per year, with awards being presented at an event in October. To be considered for future grants, grantees must submit evidence the funds were used as described in the application.
Applications must be emailed to the GGFA by 9pm on Oct. 14 to gr****@gi******************.com .
For information and an application form, visit gilroygarlicfestivalassociation.com.
Tarantula Fest set for Oct. 7
The 2023 Morgan Hill Tarantula Fest will take place 10am-3pm Oct. 7 at Henry W. Coe State Park, 9000 East Dunne Ave.
The event is held at the headquarters campground.
Food will be available for purchase. Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets for prizes including a day with a ranger in the back country, Mother’s Day breakfast at the park, gift certificates for local restaurants, gift baskets and more.
See live birds of prey and other local wildlife presented by the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC). Tarantulas and other spiders will be on display.
The event is free, although parking at the Coe Park main entrance (located on East Dunne Avenue, about 13 miles from Highway 101) costs $8 per vehicle.
For information and to purchase raffle tickets in advance, visit henrycoe.net/events/TFEST_2023.
Symposium addresses shortage of educator housing
As a lack of affordable housing exacerbates the teacher shortage, school district leaders and school board members gathered at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) on Sept. 21 to learn about a variety of housing resources and projects.
The Educator Workforce Housing Symposium was co-hosted by the Santa Clara County School Boards Association, says a press release from the county office. At the symposium, the SCCOE released its Educator Housing Resource Booklet. The booklet provides information about legislation, laws, housing solutions and homebuying programs.
“Educator workforce housing resources and projects can be a key component of recruitment and retention of staff,” County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Ann Dewan said. “Partnerships are essential for sharing about existing opportunities and planning for projects and developments.”
Experts in teacher housing presented various ongoing education workforce housing initiatives, opportunities and resources in Santa Clara County, says the press release. Experts included Dr. Ayinde Rudolph, superintendent of the Mountain View Whisman School District, who shared the district’s experience of creating teacher housing. Rebecca Moller, founder and CEO of SYMBiHOM, showed attendees how garages can be renovated sustainably into ADU and provide a form of income to homeowners.
Hong Ngo, manager of Homebuyer Programs for the Housing Trust Silicon Valley, explained down payment assistance programs to help homebuyers. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of San Jose State University, spoke about the early stages of developing workforce housing close to the university.
The Educator Housing Resource Booklet is available at sccoe.to/EdHousingBooklet.
