Notes: 'Tip a cop' benefit in Menlo Notes: 'Tip a cop' benefit in Menlo (September 29, 2004)

Officers and staff from the Menlo Park Police Department will serve their community in a different way on Thursday, October 7 -- waiting tables from 8 a.m. to noon at Stacks' restaurant in Menlo Park, at Santa Cruz Avenue and El Camino Real.

The tips received by these servers, who are volunteering while off-duty, go to the San Mateo County Special Olympics. "It's actually kind of fun," says Menlo Park Police Officer Louis Tommei.

This is the second "Tip a cop" event held by the department this year; the first one raised $2,200.

Woodside museum sets its regular hours

Woodside's new Community Museum will be open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. beginning October 1. The museum is also open by appointment; call 851-1294.

The current exhibit is a display of artifacts from the Native Americans who first peopled the Woodside area, curated by Woodside resident Irenne Zwierlein.

The museum is located in the century-old Mathisen farmhouse at Town Center, at Woodside and Whiskey Hill roads. The restored farmhouse was dedicated in October 2003, following a four-year campaign by Woodside History Committee members to restore it to its former modest glory.

The dirty truth about wine

Back-yard vintners, Shiraz-swirling geology buffs and just plain oenophiles are invited to a free public lecture on geology and its impact on the fruit of the vine at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 30, at the U.S. Geological Survey, Building 3, 345 Middlefield Road in Menlo Park.

David G. Howell, geologist emeritus, will ponder trivial questions such as, "How did continental glaciation help shape Napa Valley soils?" and "What effect will global warming have on the vineyards?" as well as crucial conundrums, such as, "If two-buck Chuck is drinkable, why bother with a $100 bottle of wine?"

Call 329-5000 or go to online.wr.usgs.gov for directions or information.

Program on tools to help disabled people

The Menlo Park Library will host a discussion and demonstration of devices for people with visual, hearing and physical disabilities on Saturday, October 2.

The program, "Assistive Technology for Independent Living," will begin at 11 a.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the library, at 800 Alma St. Admission is free.

Lecturers and demonstrators include: Frances Franco, California Telephone Access Program; Bernie Frazelle, General Technologies; and Brent Duisenberg, Center for Independence of the Disabled.

Free van service is available to Menlo Park seniors and people with disabilities. To schedule transportation, call 330-2512 or e-mail roth@plsinfo.org.

Barbecue and luau at job-training center

The Menlo Park job-training center known as OICW -- for Opportunities Industrialization Center West -- promises cool jazz, tasty barbecue and island dancing at an "evening in paradise" from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, September 30, at OICW headquarters, 1200 O'Brien Drive in Menlo Park. The free evening will include a short program at 5:30 p.m. R.S.V.P. by calling 330-6429.

OICW will train transportation workers

OICW, the Menlo Park job-training center, is offering a one-shot program to train and place transportation workers -- including those at San Francisco International Airport -- who lost their jobs in the wake of the 9/11 tragedies. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, September 30. For more information, contact OICW at 330-6429, www.oicw.org, or visit the school at 1200 O'Brien Drive in Menlo Park.

Free compost for Atherton, Menlo Park

Compost from yard trimmings collected at curbside every other week will be available to Menlo Park and Atherton residents on Saturday, October 9.

Residents may take up to 1 cubic yard of compost (about six garbage cans) at no charge. Proof of residency is required.

Compost will be available at Holbrook-Palmer Park in Atherton from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Compost will be available in Menlo Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the entrance to Bayfront Park.

The compost pick-up is sponsored by the South Bayside Waste Management Authority/Rethink Waste agency, formed in 1982 to help local communities manage and reduce waste. For more information, go to RethinkWaste.org.

Mills alumnae plan kick-off brunch

The Palo Alto Area Mills College Club will hold its traditional kick-off brunch Saturday, October 9, at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton. The event begins at 10:30 a.m.

President Jane Yates of Portola Valley will greet guests. Adrienne Bronstein Becker of Menlo Park is chairing the gathering for the second year.

Guest speaker is Nancy Thornborrow, director of the MBA program at Mills College and chair of the economics department.

Board members for the coming year include Sharon Neiderhaus, Linda Mallard and Anna Henderson of Portola Valley; and Nancy Patch, Barbara Hunter, Phyllis Bader and Jane King of Menlo Park.

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