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Community Interest
Fun After Fifty Club Installs New Officers
to classes that will help in those areas.
Students will be learning medical terminology, math needed for dosages
and, if needed, writing development.
With limited space, the program expanded to start with 38 people on Tuesday,
Jan. 17. Students will take between 14.5 units to 18.5 units per semester as a
group depending on their skill level. “It’s not easy; it’s accelerated. [These
students] can all succeed if they put the time in,” Hayes said.
Hayes is optimistic the program can be duplicated starting this fall if the
funding continues. Given the need and interest, a database was created of
those who were interested.
This isn’t the first time the college has offered free training. More than a
year ago, English and accounting courses were offered in Menlo Park. Last
year, thanks to a different grant, Cañada offered home energy retrofitting
training. Despite the budget challenges, Hayes noted more and more people
need job retraining. Hayes and her staff are always looking for new ways to
meet those needs. To learn more about the program visit canadacollege.net/caa.
The Redwood City Fun After Fifty Club installed their newly elected officers
at their first meeting of 2012. The swearing-in ceremony was officiated by
Bruce Utecht, manager of the Veterans Memorial Senior Center.
Marilyn Centoni continues as president. David Desideri stepped up to vice
president, with Dolores Siegfried as second vice president. Money managers
Chito DeLeon and Rudy Grana remain executive treasurer and treasurer,
respectively. The secretarial pool of Fran Benedetto, (membership), Margaret
Powers (correspondence) and Dolores Weigand (recording) remains intact.
Newly elected trustees Sandi Williams and Stanley Butler join trustees
Maureen Grover (immediate past president), Karl Girardi (past president) and
Gloria Stent to fill out the team.
Dennis Berglund and his 11-member dance band will continue to entertain
the center with music of the ’40s and ’50s from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the last
Friday of the month. Jack Hickey will continue to serve the club in an appointed
role as public relations chair. The club-sponsored Fun After Fifty Bowling
League continues at Bel Mateo Bowl after the Mel’s Bowl shutdown.
Fun After Fifty congregates each Tuesday in the VMSC Sunset Room at 10
a.m., with meetings beginning at 11 a.m. in the theater. This is followed by
lunch and bingo. The club has two websites: the rwcfaf.com/wp interactive
site created by Marilyn Centoni with the assistance of her son Scott and the
original rwcfaf.com created by Hickey. These will eventually be combined
into rwcfaf.org.
Cañada College Offers Free Job Training
Those hoping to train in a new field are faced with numerous challenges —
rising unit fees, book cost and limited space in classes.
Cañada College in Redwood City recently launched a free medical administrative
assistant certificate program. Originally limited to 30 students, the grantfunded
program will run over two semesters. The program is totally free to
those accepted, and students will leave prepared for the testing required to
apply for jobs in the growing field. “I think it’s just a wonderful opportunity,”
Linda Hayes, dean of Cañada’s Workforce Division, said.
The program covers tuition fees, textbooks and material fees. It provides
students the training to get started in a front office position and possibly start
earning a livable wage. Once a person is employed, he or she can return and
cover the costs — thanks to the new salary or financial aid — for back office
training, said Hayes. “You can keep developing those skills to climb the
ladder,” said Hayes.
Jeri Eznekier, who is coordinating the program, explained interest has been
high. About 200 people inquired about the program and 85 applied, she said.
“So many people need retraining,” said Eznekier.
Getting a medical assistant position isn’t as simple as applying. Eznekier
explained many offices require a number of tests to be completed before a
candidate will be considered. Through the program, students will have access
The Redwood City–San Mateo County Chamber of
Commerce Announces Award Recipients — Golden
Apples and 2011 Business Woman of the Year
In recognition of the contribution of business to education, the Port of Redwood
City and Honey Bear Trees will receive the Redwood City–San Mateo
County Chamber of Commerce’s Golden Apple Awards this year for their
commitment to local education. The Golden Apples will be awarded at the
chamber’s annual dinner and awards recognition banquet at the Hotel Sofitel.
The Golden Apple recognizes businesses that strive to make a difference in
city schools. Nominated by Jo-Ann Sockolov, the president of the Redwood
City Education Foundation, the Port of Redwood City is being recognized
not only for being a lead sponsor of the RCEF’s premiere fundraising event
“Benefit for a Brighter Future,” but also because with their support the
RCEF was able to expand the “Music for Learning” program to reach 4,000
students. The port also sponsors regular visits by historic tall ships, which
offer educational tours and programs on their vessels to local school children.
The port has a history of supporting the schools for more than 25 years. The
port’s annual “Port Poster Contest” is conducted as an opportunity for Redwood
City elementary school children to compete for prizes while learning about their
hometown port. The winning school also receives a generous donation from the port.
In making the nomination Sockolov said, “We are proud to partner with the
Port of Redwood City. Its commissioners and staff are stalwart advocates of
our students and schools and they have chosen to make a solid investment in
our children’s and our community’s future.”
Also receiving a Golden Apple is Honey Bear Trees, whose nomination by
Jane Taylor, chair, Local Business Program of the Redwood City Education
Foundation, recognizes them for their enthusiastic support of Redwood City
schools. Honey Bear Trees has a school fundraising program. They donate 15
percent of the sales of Christmas trees to a particular school or educational
foundation when a customer mentions it when purchasing their tree. Taylor
said, “I think what I find significant is that Honey Bear Trees started their
fundraising effort in 2007, and they continued to expand the program as the
downturn in the economy started and when many small businesses were
eliminating any charitable giving that they were doing.”
The chamber’s Golden Apple Award was started 16 years ago by its Education
Committee to recognize what business does for the educational community.
Golden Apple Award recipients the Port of Redwood City and Honey Bear
Trees both exemplify a commitment to education and demonstrate what great
partnerships with the business community can accomplish.
The chamber’s Business Woman of the Year Award for 2011, co-sponsored
by United American Bank in Redwood City, was presented to Nori Jabba,
director of community affairs for DMB Associates.
Jabba obtained her master’s in urban and regional planning from George
Washington University in 1991 and then began working for Pacific Gas and
Electric Company. At PG&E she traveled throughout the state studying and
forecasting land use and development patterns and later managed real estate
transactions and strategic planning for the northern half of PG&E’s service territory.
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