Short Takes Short Takes (August 11, 2004)

Geology 101

Approving meeting minutes is usually a perfunctory task, but it inspired a bit of levity at a recent Woodside Town Council meeting. Councilwoman Carroll Ann Hodges, a retired geologist, pointed out a typo in the notes from a June meeting.

Daniel Jackling, the wealthy mining tycoon whose 1920s-era mansion is threatened by Steve Jobs' plans to demolish it, was described as a "copper magnet."

The correct phrase for the man who revolutionized the copper mining industry is "copper magnate."

"Copper isn't even magnetic," Ms. Hodges said.

Liar, liar, pants on fire

Woodside firefighters are warning of a scam involving phone solicitations to donate to the Association for Disabled Firefighters. Although local calls haven't been reported, people in Southern California have been hit up for contributions to a worthy-sounding charity that apparently is not legitimate.

According to the Palm Springs fire department, telemarketers remind people to check the batteries in their smoke detectors and then ask for a donation for disabled firefighters and children's burn camps. It appears the association collects hundreds of thousands of dollars and sends only a very small check to a burn center, according to Brenda Best with the Orange County Fire Authority.

A grand day out

The annual Pooch Pageant, a light-hearted competition and fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley, is looking for sponsors to give city kids (from the Girls Club of the Mid-Peninsula in East Palo Alto) a day in the country (Portola Valley Town Center) with a canine animal shelter inmate.

The pageant is set for Sunday, September 12, with "celebrity" emcees Jamis MacNiven of Buck's and Ken White, who's top dog at the Peninsula Humane Society. For details, call Joan Fuetsch at 529-2800, ext. 102, or e-mail her at poochpageant@yahoo.com.

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