Council candidate forum
Cupertino Rotary Club and the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a Cupertino City Council candidate forum on Oct. 14 at noon at the Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N. Stelling Road, The in-person forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale.
Candidates vying for the three at-large seats up for election Nov. 3 are Planning Commissioner Tracy Kosolcharoen, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Gopal Kumarappan, J.Z. Wang, Planning Commissioner Santosh Rao, Mark Fantozzi, Councilmember J.R. Fruen, Planning Commissioner Seema Sharma Lindskog and John Tang.
For more information, visit https://lwvcs.clubexpress.com/election-forums.
CASA grads
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley swore in 29 new Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers on Sept. 1.
All graduates completed 30 hours training on topics including child development and outcomes planning. Additionally, the graduates attended a mandatory tour of the courthouse before being sworn in by Shawna Schwarz, the supervising judge of the Santa Clara County Dependency Court, better known as foster care.
CASA volunteers advocate for youth in the county’s foster care system. To better serve children currently on the waitlist for a CASA volunteer, Child Advocates aims to diversify its volunteer base by recruiting more male, bilingual, Spanish-speaking, and LGBTQ+ advocates. The recent class helps advance that goal, with three bilingual Spanish speakers, five male advocates, 12 languages represented and three volunteers who identify as LGBTQ+.
CASA volunteers are not required to have a particular background or experience. Each volunteer undergoes a thorough training process and is supported by Child Advocates staff once they’re matched with a youth or siblings in foster care.