On May 25, members of Woodside Village Church voted to promote Pastor Ama Zenya to senior pastor of the church, effective June 26, according to a press release.

Zenya, who lives in Woodside with her husband and two sons, began at the Woodside church as pastor in 2015 for an interim period.

Zenya was ordained in 1998 after receiving a master's in divinity and biblical studies from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. She grew up in Kenya, East Africa, and is the daughter of a British-Kenyan father and an Irish-American mother.

Zenya envisions continued collaboration between the church and the community.

"It feels like a new beginning for Woodside Village Church that we have been working toward for the past seven years," she said in a statement. "The whole atmosphere on the church campus is infused with peace, love and joy, and I believe that our neighbors and friends feel that sense when they step on campus. The church has identified compassion, creativity, community and joy as our core values, and my hope moving forward is that we continue to create a place where those values shape the experience of everyone who visits."

The community is invited to celebrate her new role on June 26.

To learn more about the church, visit wvchurch.org.

Atherton: City manager gets a raise, bonus

The Atherton City Council voted last week to give City Manager George Rodericks a 5% annual raise, bringing his salary from $244,623 to $256,854, effective July 1. The council also awarded him a one-time bonus of $15,000.

City Attorney Mona Ebrahimi said at the council's June 15 meeting that his hard work to complete the civic center was a major reason for the raise.

The pay bump also brings his salary in "closer alignment with that of other comparable cities," according to a staff report. In Woodside, Town Manager Kevin Bryant makes around $242,000 annually.

College district receives $480K to support formerly and currently incarcerated students

The Rising Scholars Network has granted the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) $480,000 to support formerly and currently incarcerated students in the district through Project Change, according to a June 15 press release.

Project Change, located at the College of San Mateo (CSM), has served nearly 300 formerly and currently detained youth through dual enrollment and on-campus programming. The program offers college readiness summer bridge programs, social and academic support services, cohort learning communities and academic pathways to prepare for transfers to universities or entering the workforce.

"Our district is proud to partner with the Rising Scholars Network to remove academic barriers for students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system," said Chancellor Mike Claire in a statement. "This additional funding will allow SMCCCD to replicate its success at CSM and expand the program districtwide."

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Rising Scholars Network is providing $480,000 — $160,000 per year for three years — to replicate the program at Skyline College in San Bruno and Ca?ada College in Woodside, and expand the model and services at CSM.

The program won the 2018 California School Board Association Golden Bell Award.

For more information, go to collegeofsanmateo.edu/projectchange.

New hires in Ravenswood district

The Ravenswood City School District Board of Trustees approved hiring new administrators for the 2022-23 school year during its June 9 meeting.

The new staff include Sara Stone as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, hired with an annual salary of $191,526; Silindra McRay, chief strategy officer, with a salary of $187,771; Joan O'Neill, director of human resources, with a salary of $143,305; and Reece Matsumoto, director of finance, with a salary of $129,253.

Ravenswood Measure I update

The Ravenswood City School District's $110 million school bond measure to bring classrooms into the 21st century has received nearly 72% voter approval, according to the latest San Mateo County Elections results from Tuesday, June 21.

There are 1,707 votes in favor and 670 against.

—Angela Swartz

Kiwanis Club awards over $80,000 in scholarships to M-A seniors

Eleven graduating seniors from Menlo-Atherton High School (M-A) received a cumulative $80,500 in scholarships from the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club at a luncheon on June 7.

The recipients of the scholarship were recognized for their academic achievements and community involvement. For over four decades, the Kiwanis Club has awarded scholarships to M-A seniors, totaling $1.2 million over more than 40 years.

"This year's scholarship winners are exceptional and highly motivated. They are tomorrow's leaders, and we hope our Kiwanis scholarships help them achieve their dreams," said John Martin, Chair of the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club's Scholarship Committee.

The 2022 recipients of the Kiwanis Club Scholarship are:

•Daisy Isabella Bola?os

•Angelina Causor

•Henry Donald

•Adriana Garcia

•Alexandra Lopez-Vasquez

•Guadalupe Maldonado Solorzano

•Maria Maldonado Solorzano

•Kaitlyn Pohlman

•Sophia Sharif

•Leilani Valenci

•Brianna Villalon