Partnering with Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill, law enforcement
personnel will trade in their handcuffs and badges for menus and
serving trays to assist Applebee’s wait staff during dinner.
Tip-A-Cop for Special Olympics
Partnering with Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill, law enforcement personnel will trade in their handcuffs and badges for menus and serving trays to assist Applebee’s wait staff during dinner.
During the course of their duties, they will share information with customers about the Tip-a-Cop event, Special Olympics, and solicit “tips” as donations for Special Olympics. Proceeds from the Tip-a-Cop event assist in allowing Special Olympics Northern California to provide year round sports training and competition to children and adults with developmental disabilities at no cost to them or their families.
To help, visit the restaurant, 8200 Arroyo Circle, from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
Details: Andrea Schofield, Special Olympics Northern California, at 392-0170, or officer Felix Figueroa, Gilroy Police Department, at 846-0522.
Reid-Hillview airport’s future up in the air
Citing a $225 million budget deficit this fiscal year, Santa Clara County supervisors will study the legal implications of closing Reid-Hillview airport in east San Jose. 
“With limited resources from the state and federal governments, the county will not be able to sustain the current services without creating new revenue sources,” observed Supervisor Pete McHugh in a press release. “It is our obligation to look at the properties we own and understand our options. We need to be visionary.”
Santa Clara County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado said: “Once we have reviewed the legal implications we will have the opportunity to consider if we will move forward and determine whether it will remain an airport for private pilots or become a revenue stream for county priorities such as Valley Medical Center.”
Supervisors Liz Kniss and Ken Yeager opposed the motion. Supervisor Don Gage has been out sick the past two weeks, but his office said he has historically opposed the closing of Reid-Hillview because the San Martin airport is too small to make up for the extra traffic.
Reid-Hillview is used by about 600 private pilots.
Local nonprofit hires executive director
Environmental nonprofit Committee for Green Foothills has hired Santa Clara county resident Cynthia D’Agosta to lead the organization. D’Agosta will take the reins of this 45-year-old advocacy and education organization beginning May 1, overseeing its programs and fundraising as its new executive director. The Committee for Green Foothills, headquartered in Palo Alto, works for open space and natural resources protection throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
A native Californian, D’Agosta’s community involvement and work experiences cover a range of leadership and team work on open space planning and natural resource protection. After earning her Masters in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and a BS in Science and Fine Arts, from UC Santa Cruz, Cynthia got into the work of protecting the environment.
She spent the last eight years working as the executive director of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority. Prior to returning to the Bay Area in 2000 for this position, Cynthia worked in Southern California on river restoration issues and park and open space planning for the County of Los Angeles and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.
D’Agosta, who lives in San Jose, said she’s excited to return to the work of open space protection and preservation.
“I am very inspired by the committee’s history, dedication, and successes,” she said. “I look forward to continuing in this tradition, and achieving new heights with the Committee for Green Foothills.”
