Mayor to give State of the City address
The community is invited to join Mayor Marie Blankley for the State of the City presentation over coffee and donuts on June 4 at 9:30am in the Council Chambers, 7351 Rosanna St.
This event will provide an opportunity to learn more about the City and ask questions.
To read a written report on the State of the City prior to the meeting, read the May Spotlight with the Mayor at conta.cc/3Mm8NZ7.
Summer Reading Program launches at library
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) invites patrons of all ages to participate in the free Summer Reading Program, “Read Beyond the Beaten Path.”
The event, which runs from June 1-July 31, encourages all readers to explore the world through reading and get out into the outdoors.
“The pandemic has forced a lot of people to scale back family vacations or weekend trips, but SCCLD’s Summer Reading program can introduce you to free and simple ways to explore all of the wonders that Santa Clara County has to offer,” said Mike Wasserman, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and chair of the Library Joint Powers Authority Board. “The library has planned wonderful in-person and virtual programs that can educate and entertain you—from guided hikes, learning about animals of the Americas, musical performers, book clubs and more.”
Participants can earn a reward for reading five books and completing one activity this summer. Completion rewards will be available starting on Aug. 1.To sign up, visit sccl.beanstack.org/reader365 and register for Summer Reading.
In-person voting centers now open
In-person Vote Centers are now open throughout Santa Clara County.
Voters will have access to a host of additional services, including language assistance and accessible voting systems.
“Our Vote Centers are open to everyone,” said Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey. “We encourage voters to vote early to avoid lines on Election Day. If you still need to register, you can do so and vote at the same time at any Vote Center.”
Twenty-four Vote Centers are now open. The remaining 77 Vote Centers will be open for four days beginning June 4.
Vote Center hours are 9am to 5pm everyday, and 7am to 8pm on Election Day, Tuesday, June 7.
Vote Centers offer a traditional voting experience for those who prefer to vote at the polls, but unlike polling places of the past, voters now have the ability to cast a ballot in-person at any Vote Center in the county instead of being tied to a single polling location.
In addition to in-person voting, voters may also drop off a Vote by Mail ballot, get a replacement ballot, update their address, conditionally register to vote, use a touchscreen voting machine with accessibility features, and receive language assistance.
For a list of Vote Centers, visit sccvote.sccgov.org/vote-person/official-vote-center-list-and-schedule.
Orthodontists provide scholarships to students
Wafelbakker Anderson Orthodontics presented $2,000 scholarships to five seniors from area high schools.
In Gilroy, Cecilia Souza of Gilroy High School and Kianna Quinones of Christopher High School received the scholarships.
Wafelbakker Anderson Orthodontics’ history of philanthropy dates back to 1988 when Dr. Bas W. Wafelbakker bought the practice in Gilroy. Today, he and Dr. Chris M. Anderson have additional offices in Morgan Hill, Hollister and Walnut Creek.
In addition to donating through high school charity events, they supply scholarships to local school students.
“We practice in the community, and we personally believe that it is important to give back to the community,” Wafelbakker said. “Pretty much all of our philanthropy is geared toward children because treating children is our business. As kids, we both had dreams and people who encouraged us. We want to pay that forward. However, kids have different talents, so we’ve started giving back to organizations like Little League, basketball and football teams, swim teams, science competitions, high school choirs and more.”
Wafelbakker and Anderson support children by donating pro bono orthodontic care via school charity auctions.
“We always donate a case to treat through school auctions, and we often throw a few more cases in,” Wafelbakker said.
