The Rotary Club of Gilroy will welcome renowned singer and actress, Tammy Nelson, on Dec. 19 at its noon-hour meeting held at the Gilroy Elks Lodge.
Best known for her starring role in the one of the most successful live music revues in history, Nelson performed in “Beach Blanket Babylon” for nearly 27 years at Club Fugazi in San Francisco.
First starting as an understudy for the revue in 1993, after 17 years, Nelson replaced the longtime lead, Val Diamond. Over the years, her performances in the revue included Miss Italy, French Streetwalker, Jewish Mother, Cowgirl, Fannie Mae, and she wore the San Francisco skyline hat during the show’s finale.
Nelson began in the entertainment industry performing with the San Jose Civic Light Opera, the West Valley Light Opera, the Saratoga Drama Group and the Campbell Gaslighter Melodrama and Big Lil’s Melodrama, which helped provide the training for her acting, singing and improvisational skills.
On Dec. 31, 2019, “Beach Blanket Babylon” ended its 49-year run as the world’s longest-running musical revue.
The Rotary Club of Gilroy meets every Tuesday at the Gilroy Elks Lodge, 2765 Hecker Pass Highway, at noon. Cost of the program and buffet lunch is $25, and guests are invited to attend. To reserve or for information, contact Club Secretary Nicole Abbott at 408.472.5469 or ni***********@cb******.com .
Meetings to discuss diversity policy
The City of Gilroy is looking to hear perspectives and experiences from the community as it develops its Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) policy.
Officials will host focus group meetings for the public to share their insights on what the city can do to advance the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
There are three opportunities to participate:
• English Focus Group: Dec. 19, 5-6:30pm at the Gilroy Library
• English Focus Group: Dec. 19, 7-8:30pm at the Gilroy Library
• Spanish Focus Group: Dec. 20, 6-7:30pm at the San Ysidro Community Center
All participants will be thanked for their time with food and refreshments.
Those who are interested in participating are asked to fill out a form at tinyurl.com/3s7kyjzf.
If you are selected to participate, you will receive an email and phone call to confirm your participation.
For information, email Bridget Brown at bb****@mi****.com .
Supervisors push early detection in fight against breast cancer
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last week directed County officials to expand opportunities for breast cancer screening for residents to ensure early detection of breast cancer.
County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who authored the proposal with Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, said he hoped to see “more screenings, in more places, serving more people,” given the importance of early detection in the fight against breast cancer. Simitian specifically called out the need for additional, alternative screening technologies particularly for women with dense breast tissue.
As part of the proposal from Simitian and Arenas, the Board directed staff to provide information about cost, logistics and the potential efficacy of improving or expanding current programs. County staff was also tasked with providing ideas for new programs and public outreach.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is a leading form of cancer in women, accounting for 30% of new cancers each year and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women and have the lowest five-year relative breast cancer survival rate of any racial or ethnic group. For Hispanic women, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death.
In all, about 42,000 women and 500 men in the U.S. die each year from breast cancer.
“We know that regular mammogram screenings are the best way to detect these types of cancers early, and that some women may want to discuss alternative screenings with their doctors,” said Simitian, who is chair of the County’s Health and Hospital Committee.
“Early detection of breast cancer is critical, and we know this is especially true for women of color,” Arenas said. “When breast cancer is detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is 99%. With this in mind, our policy request calls for identifying the barriers to access for breast cancer diagnostic screenings and creating equitable solutions that can address racial and health disparities in our community—steps that can and will save women’s lives.”
The Simitian/Arenas proposal was supported by Cancer CAREpoint, Are You Dense, Inc. and Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc., Community Health Partnership, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Latinas Contra Cancer and Bay Area Cancer Connections.
