Community Notebook Community Notebook (June 09, 2004)

Free train rides this weekend

Want to take the kids to San Francisco? Or San Jose? Take in a Giants game? Or the art fair in Burlingame? Or anything in between?

Remember Caltrain will be giving free rides this weekend, June 11 and 12, to celebrate resumption of weekend service after a two-year gap, while the railroad prepared for the new Baby Bullet express trains that started to roll last Monday.

For schedules or more information, call 1-800-660-4287; or go to www.caltrain.com.

La Honda Country Fair and Music Festival

Arts, crafts, music, food -- and no dogs -- will enliven the 13th Annual La Honda Country Fair and Music Festival this weekend, June 12 and 13, from 11 a.m. until dusk among the redwoods of the Coastside community on Highway 84.

Among local bands that will provide continuous music will be The Gary Gates Band, This Way Up, Delta Vee, The Mark Reid Band, and David Elias.

Admission is free to the annual event sponsored by the La Honda Merchants Association. For information, call 747-0351.

Seats available on city commissions

Civic-minded Menlo Park residents now have a number of opportunities for serving on city volunteer commissions.

There are now openings on the housing, library, parks and recreation, and transportation commissions, as well as on the Las Pulgas Committee, which deals with issues in the redevelopment area including Belle Haven.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5:30 p.m. June 15 for the Las Pulgas Committee and Parks and Recreation Commission, and 5:30 p.m. July 6 for the others, City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden said. For an application, go to www.menlopark.org or call 330-6620.

'Green Blues' fest at Foothills Park Friday

Performers Sista Monica and the D.B. Walker Band will entertain for the environment at a "Green Blues" party Friday, June 11, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., at the lake in Foothills Park in Palo Alto.

For this event, a benefit for the Palo Alto-based environmental organization Acterra, people who don't live in Palo Alto will be allowed to get into the park.

To make the event more environmental, participants are asked to bring their own food and drink -- and pack out their trash. No refreshments will be sold.

Tickets at $15 each must be purchased ahead of time. Children under 12 are free. For tickets, call 962-9876; or go to www.acterra.org.

Locals join Boxer campaign

The campaign committee to re-elect U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer to a third term has several prominent local faces.

The initial members of the committee, whose names were announced recently, include U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Atherton; San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon of Menlo Oaks; and Menlo Park City Councilwoman Mickie Winkler.

According to a press release from Sen. Boxer's campaign, the committee will "work to spread the word about Senator Boxer's accomplishments, register voters, and get them to the polls in November."

A Democrat, Sen. Boxer will face off against Republican candidate Bill Jones in the fall.

World Affairs Council: Women in Afghanistan

Nadia Hashimi, who grew up in Afghanistan under the Russians and the Taliban and now works there for the charity CARE, will speak on "The Status of Women in Afghanistan" for the World Affairs Council of Northern California at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 8, at the Bechtel International Center at Stanford.

The talk will be preceded by a reception at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for members, $8 for nonmembers, and free for students with valid ID. For information or reservations, call 415-293-4600, or go to www.itsyourworld.org.

Hazardous waste event planned for June 12

Rather than carelessly dumping hazardous materials down the drain, local residents can correctly dispose of such items as paint, motor oil, batteries and pool chemicals by bringing them to a Redwood City drop-off location on Saturday, June 12.

Residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Redwood City and East Palo Alto can participate in the event by making an appointment in advance. Call 363-4718 or go to www.smhealth.org/hhw/appt. Business waste, explosives and infectious or radioactive waste will not be accepted.

Summer youth pass on SamTrans

For $25, kids -- and their parents -- can buy a summer youth pass for unlimited rides on SamTrans buses from June through August. Kids 17 and under can use the pass to ride on all the local and express buses run by SamTrans. Three monthly youth passes would cost $66.

The passes are sold at SamTrans headquarters, 1250 San Carlos Ave. in San Carlos, and at nearly 100 SamTrans pass sales outlets throughout the county, including all Safeway stores. They can also be ordered by mail. For more information, call 1-800-660-4287, or go to www.samtrans.com.

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