Santa Clara Valley Water District Receives Award
For the second year in a row, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is the recipient of the 2006 California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE), this year placing at the silver level for the Eureka Award.
The CAPE curriculum follows the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program which annually recognizes organizations for advancements and performance in seven key areas including leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement/knowledge management, human resources, process management and business results. The Malcolm Baldrige criteria are performance excellence frameworks that any organization can use to improve overall performance.
Last year the water district – which manages the county’s major watersheds, including 10 reservoirs and more than 800 miles of streams and large groundwater basins – earned the award at the bronze level.
The California Council for Excellence, which administers the CAPE program, named 22 recipients this year. The recipients span multiple industries including health care, finance, aviation, and education. The District has achieved the highest level of the award of any other government agency in California.
The criteria are designed to help organizations use a united approach to organizational performance management that delivers value to the customer, improves organizational effectiveness and fosters organization and personal learning. Organizations are awarded based on their ability to incorporate the criteria into their structure. The application process is comprehensive and includes 200 questions followed by an in-depth, on-site assessment by a team of trained examiners. A California Council for Excellence evaluator team visited the District in November.
Denise Shields, chair of the CAPE Award stated “The Baldrige Award at both the state and national level have the same criteria. The criteria are rigorous and organizations that apply are putting themselves through the most respected and demanding filter in the country. To win this award on any level is worthy of tremendous respect. ”
“The Malcolm Baldrige criteria provide a valuable process to identify the District’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, ” said Larry Wilson, chairman of the water district board of directors. “Earning the award tells us we are fulfilling our commitment to deliver the highest quality of services to Santa Clara County. ”
Bay Area Bridge Tolls Rise to $4
Effective this month, Bay Area drivers will see a $1 toll increase on the seven state-owned bridges.
The toll has jumped from $3 to $4.
The Golden Gate, which is independently operated , will not see an increase and tolls will remain at $4 for FasTrak users and $5 for motorists who pay in cash.
More than 130 million vehicles cross the seven bridges each year, generating about $400 million for maintenance and upgrades. The $1 increase will generate an extra $125 million for seismic retrofitting on the Bay, Benicia, Antioch, Dumbarton, Carquinez, Richmond and San Mateo bridges.
The toll hike was authorized by the state Legislature in July 2005 with the passage of Assembly Bill 144, which established a financing plan to complete the state Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program, including construction of the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The Bay Area Toll Authority gave final approval of the toll increase in January of 2006.
Rebekah’s Receives Technology Grant
Rebekah Children’s Services, with offices in Gilroy and San Jose, was recently the beneficiary of a partnership between IBM and United Way Silicon Valley.
United Way Silicon Valley received a technology grant from IBM consisting of computer equipment valued at $46,364. The grant included 21 Young Explorer computer systems designed for children. Several human services agencies applied for the grant. United Way Silicon Valley and IBM selected five of the applicant agencies: Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, The Salvation Army, YWCA of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County Office of Education and Rebekah Children’s Services.
Rebekah Children’s Services received four of the computers valued at $2,149 each.
Details: www.rcskids.org or 846-2142.
Call Goes Out for 29th Annual Queen Pageant
The Gilroy Garlic Festival Association is seeking contestants for the 29th Annual Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen Pageant. Contestant applications will be available beginning Jan. 16 at the Garlic Festival office, 7473 Monterey Street.
Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen Pageant is a scholarship pageant. Contestants are judged on personal interview, speech, talent and evening gown. In addition to the selection of Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen, scholarships will be awarded to many pageant contestants.
Applicants must be a resident of Gilroy, San Martin, Morgan Hill, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, or Aromas; a single female who has never been married and has no children; a high school graduate by June 2007; and between the ages of 18 to 24 by July 2007.
Deadline to submit an application is no later than 4:30pm, Feb. 16. The Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Pageant is scheduled for March 31, beginning at 6pm at the Gavilan College Theater.
Details: 842-1625.
Caltrain Board Welcomes New Member, Elects Officers
San Jose City Councilmember Forrest Williams has been sworn in as the newest member of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which runs Caltrain.
Williams serves on the board for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board. He represents VTA’s interest in Caltrain, and replaces Ken Yeager, who was recently elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Jose Cisneros was elected chair, and Jim Hartnett was elected vice chair, in a unanimous vote.
Chair Cisneros, who serves as the San Francisco mayor’s appointee to the JPB, also is the city treasurer for San Francisco. Vice Chair Hartnett is a Redwood City councilmember and chair of the San Mateo County Transit District board of directors.
During 2006, Caltrain experienced a growth of nearly 13 percent in average weekday ridership, and maintained an on-time average of about 95 percent.
The Caltrain board has nine members, with representatives from each of the three counties through which the rail service operates – San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. The Caltrain board meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 am at 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, two blocks from the train station.
For more information about the board or for other Caltrain information, visit www.caltrain.com.
Toys for Tots Collects 8,500 Toys From ‘Stuff the VTA Bus’ Event
San Jose – Hundreds of deserving Bay Area children got some holiday cheer this season thanks to the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority’s record breaking “Stuff the Bus” event. Tallies show that 8,500 toys were donated this year, compared to 2,500 toys in 2005.
“VTA’s investment in our community goes beyond providing transit services,” said Bernice Alaniz, deputy director of marketing and public affairs. “Participating in these kinds of events allows VTA to be a good community partner and we’re thrilled to be part of improving the holiday for those in need.”
The event, held in December, has been a holiday tradition since 1995.
Toys offered by the community stuffed an entire bus from floor to ceiling by 1:30pm and a second bus had to be called. The second bus was half filled by 6pm, completing the record-breaking day of donations.
For the past 11 years VTA has partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and 94.5 KBAY radio to help spread hope for less fortunate children.
For more information on future Toys for Tots toy drives, call the San Jose office of the U.S. Marine Corps at (408) 286-6501.
