June 14, 2007

NEWS BRIEFS

Fund-raiser to be held this weekend to raise money for Relay for Life team

The Pertner’s Posse Relay for Life team will be holding a BBQ fund-raiser this Saturday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. The first annual Relay for Life in Almaden Valley will be held June 30 and July 1 at Leland High School and benefits the American Cancer Society.

Teams are forming now to participate in the 24-hour relay, which includes an inspiring survivor lap. Kim Pertner has formed Pertner’s Posse and is having the BBQ to raise funds for her team. A minimum donation of $50 per person is requested at the event, which will take place at the Santa Clara County Horseman’s Association at 20350 McKean Road in San Jose. Drinks, appetizers and dinner will be included as well as music, which will be provided by the Silver Creek Country Band.

For more information, visit www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/almaden/kimpertner and to RSVP, call Kim Pertner at (408) 472-1107 or e-mail kpernter@valin.com.

No answer yet on city auditor’s future

Gerald Silva

The San Jose City Council again met behind closed doors to discuss the situation facing the auditor’s office and its appointed head Gerald Silva. Council members took no action and did not set a new meeting, according to Mayor Chuck Reed’s spokeswoman Michelle McGurk.

Apparently, the seven staff members, including Silva, will remain on leave until the council makes a decision. Last week the Times reported that before Silva could reprimand an employee for not doing a good job on an audit, the employee filed a harassment complaint against Silva.

Silva has been on leave since mid-May because of “job stress.” He has held the position of auditor for the past 20 years.

Fatal motorcycle accident on Bailey Avenue claims the life of podiatrist

On Sunday, June 10 at 11:10 a.m., police were dispatched to a single-vehicle traffic collision on Bailey Avenue, east of McKean Road. Officers arrived and found the motorcycle had hit a power pole. The victim, 67-year-old Aaron Ditlow, was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle involved is a 1997 Yamaha motorcycle.

Preliminary investigation indicates the driver lost control of the motorcycle while attempting to avoid a quail in the roadway. There is no indication of drug or alcohol influence. Ditlow, a Sunnyvale podiatrist, and his adult son were both riding motorcycles at the time of the crash.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call Investigator Liz Checke of the San Jose Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit at (408) 277-4654. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP.

San Jose R.A.C.E.S. Amateur Radio Field Day will be held weekend of June 23

The San Jose R.A.C.E.S. Field Day will be held June 23-24. The annual event is an opportunity for hams all over the country to set up simulated emergency stations in public areas. Using only emergency power (generator, battery, solar or similar options) they make contact with other stations all over the country and the world using a multitude of radio modes.

Since 1933, hams have organized field days to test their emergency communications skills, prepare for disaster, and have a good excuse to have fun in the park. The American Radio Relay League or ARRL (http://www.arrl.org) now sponsors Field Day annually, on the fourth weekend of June. Field Day is now the most popular amateur radio event in the U.S. and Canada.

Each year, Field Day carries a theme and a logo. This year the theme is “Bitten by the Bug!” to signify the way many ham radio operators feel about this combination of hobby and service.

San Jose R.A.C.E.S. (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service), sponsored by city of San Jose's Office of Emergency Services and FEMA, is an all-volunteer organization that provides additional communications channels to the city organization in times of declared emergency. Communications support for public services events of a non-emergency nature are also provided by amateur radio operators; for example, they provide communications support for the annual Holiday Parade.

The San Jose RACES organization is also a member of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the emergency communications organization of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). This dual membership enables the members of San Jose RACES to participate in events beyond the city of San Jose.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides planning guidance, training programs, and technical assistance for establishing a RACES organization at the state and local government level.

Information about San Jose RACES can be found at http://www.sjraces.org.