Exhibition Honoring One in Three Women Subjected to Violence
Join the Celebration of Women's History Month and International Women's Day through March 21st. Amnesty International San Jose Group have teamed up to tell the stories of women facing and overcoming violence worldwide through the works of local and international artists. Visit the exhibition at 451 S. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113.

ALAS agarró vuelo
ALAS inauguró el pasado 12 de marzo su nuevo local ubicado en la avenida  Parkmoor # 1401 en la ciudad de San José. A la ceremonia especial asistió el Alcalde Chuck Reed y felicitó este gran esfuerzo que hace ALAS al ayudar a mujeres de bajos recursos a convertirse en empresarias. (EO publicará una nota especial en nuestra próxima edición)

Trade School Students Excel In Regional Competition
By Osvaldo Castillo
Manuel Elizando is a Gold Medal winner. But he is not an Olympian. He is an air conditioning student at the Central County Occupational Center in San Jose. He recently competed at the SkillsUSA Regional Competition, held in late January through February in San Jose, Hayward and Salinas.
"I had to do a demo on a parallel circuit," Elizando said. "I had to wire six light bulbs to the circuit and be able to turn them on with a switch."
Elizando is one of 37 students who competed at SkillsUSA, a national organization for career-technical education students within trade, technical, industrial and health occupations. Other Gold Medal winners include Jeffrey Leong, Justin Riley, Ryan Foster, Victor Castillo, Daniel Rivera and Robert D'onofrio Jr. Sliver medal winners include Derek Dellinger of, Veronica Bauer and Logan Hernlund.
They competed in the areas of Heating and Air Conditioning, Job Interviewing, Job Skill Demonstration, Computer Technology, Carpentry, Welding, Intro to Auto, Collision Repair and Auto Refinishing.
Despite their success at the SkillsUSA regional competition, many of the students were surprised at what they achieved. They all also believe they will do well at the state competition, which will be held in Fresno, April 23-26.
The Central County Occupational Center is a unit of Metropolitan Education District and provides career-technical education for high school student in six districts: Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Milpitas Unified School District, San Jose Unified School District and Santa Clara Unified School District. Students attend the center for half of their school day and the other half they attend at their home high school.
"The students can talk to their counselors to sign up for CCOC and can attend in their junior, senior or both years," said Michelle Alaimo, communication specialist for the Metropolitan Education District. "The learning here is hands on and not all lecture. They work in a business like atmosphere and get to see the results."
For more information on the Central County Occupational Center, visit www.metroed.com.

Meals to Seniors
As part of an annual Meals on Wheels Campaign, some seniors currently enrolled in the County's Senior Nutrition Program received a special visit this week. From March 16-20, 2009, all five County Supervisors and 10 mayors throughout the county have volunteered to deliver meals to home-bound seniors, and support a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of hunger amongst older adults and seniors, and promote partnerships to eliminate it.
The County of Santa Clara Meals on Wheels Program is available to home-bound seniors who are ill, disabled, or otherwise isolated and unable to obtain food or prepare meals for themselves. The Senior Nutrition Program distributed over 1,167,631 hot congregate and frozen home delivered meals.

March in Sacramento
By Cindy Rodriguez
Rosa Perez, San Jose/Evergreen Community College District Chancellor, spoke about private institutions like Standford and the importance of keeping the tuition fees low in public schools. She also spoke about AB540 students and the acceptance of the Dream Act to a crowd of 5,000 students on the steps of the State Capitol Building after the march against budget cuts in Sacramento this Monday.