February 7, 2008

NEWS BRIEFS

SJUSD suspends serving meat products to students

San Jose Unified School District last week pulled all its meat products from the school’s menus until further notice in response to a USDA notification they have placed an “administrative hold” on beef processed at Hallmark Meat Packing and distributed by Westland Meat Company of Chino, Calif.-based on a pending investigation of the facilities and allegations made by the Humane Society of the United States.

Make garden art with recyclables at MetroED workshop

Turn Trash to Garden Treasures at Metropolitan Adult Education Program’s (MAEP) new free-of-charge World Garden Workshop on March 1, at the Erikson Adult Center located at 4849 Pearl Ave.

Master Gardeners Rod Rankin, Patricia Dunosky, Jeanne Eige and friends will treat gardeners to whimsical recycling fun, turning junk into gardening art.

The free workshop will be held, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Erikson Adult Center (room to be announced). The World Garden is located on the southwestern edge of the Erikson Adult Center campus. Look for the redwood trees and the greenhouse roof after entering the fenced parking lot on Minas Drive, off of Pearl Avenue.

To register for the free workshop, call (408) 723-6450 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and ask to have your name added to the March World Garden Workshop list, or e-mail ritab@metroed.net. Sign up early, space is limited.

Community Action and Pride grant program accepting proposal requests

The city of San Jose will be accepting applications for the Community Action and Pride (CAP) Grant Program Cycle 22. The RFP application packets are currently available.

Applications consisting of one original and six copies (copies can be double-sided) must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4 at the Neighborhood Development Center, 1601 Foxworthy Ave.

The mission of CAP, a program of San Jose’s Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, is to promote the development of healthy and self-reliant neighborhoods by supporting residents to unify for action, actualize their collective power and create community-based solutions to meet the long-term physical, social, and economic challenges of the neighborhood.

The CAP Grant Program provides financial support to help resident-based groups conduct activities that build or strengthen the neighborhood organization, improve neighborhood conditions, or address issues important to neighborhood quality of life. Funded projects will operate from July 2008 through June 2009.

Technical assistance workshops are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23 from 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 6:30 p.m.–8 p.m. at the Neighborhood Development Center. Spanish and Vietnamese translation will be provided by request, minimum two days prior to the workshop.

Please call in advance to RSVP at (408) 723-4114. Staff is available to answer individual questions regarding the application until April 2. Please call (408) 723-4114 for individual assistance.

By issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP), the City of San Jose does not make any assurances that it will enter into any service contracts.