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