LOCAL SCENE

WELL-KNOWN WINE AUTHOR VISITS LOS GATOS

The Tasting House, 368 Village Lane in Los Gatos, will host a book signing and wine tasting event with Karen MacNeil on Feb. 25 at 4pm.

MacNeil is the author of the award-winning book, “The Wine Bible,” one of the best-selling wine books in the United States with more than one million copies sold. She is an instructor at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies program where she teaches the course Wine’s Connection to Culture and Place: Stories in a Bottle, and is the creator and Chair Emerita of the Culinary Institute of America’s Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies.

Carrying more than 400 wines from across the globe, the Tasting House offers a menu of wine and food flights, bistro plates served à la carte with recommended wine pairings, and bottles for every budget.

Ticket price is $75. This includes a signed copy of the third edition of “The Wine Bible,” an educational wine tasting experience with MacNeil, and a glass of sparkling wine and a cheese and charcuterie buffet upon arrival.

➝ tastinghouse.com/events.

Los Gatans Recognized At Montclair State University

Two Los Gatos residents were named to the Fall 2022 Dean’s List at Montclair State University.

KB Merkel and Bridget Opperman were among the students recognized. The Dean's List gives recognition to students with a 3.50 or higher semester GPA if a minimum of 12 credits is earned in courses that contribute to the GPA and if there are no incomplete grades for that semester.

Montclair State University is a research doctoral institution located 12 miles from New York City.

Report Damages To Property That Occurred During Winter Storms

The January winter storms brought widespread heavy rain, flooding and strong winds to Santa Clara County causing damages including flooding and mudslides across the region. The County of Santa Clara continues to gather damage information from residents for submittal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in an effort to help community members recover from the extreme weather event.

The County of Santa Clara is accepting self-reported damage estimates of properties that occurred between Dec. 27 to Jan. 31 due to the winter storms.

“The County is reaching out to our partners and community members to gather any additional damage estimate information that we have not received to date,” said Dana Reed, director of the Office of Emergency

Management. “We have also requested an extension through CalOES to submit additional damage reported.”

Community members are encouraged to self-report property damage estimates by going to PrepareSCC. org/Flood and taking the damage estimate survey or by calling the County’s Winter Storm Emergency Response and Recovery hotline at 408.808.7778.

The self-reporting period will end on Feb. 23 at 11:59pm.

Valley Water Accepting Grant Applications

Valley Water is accepting applications for its 2023 Safe, Clean Water Grants Program. Each year, Valley

Water provides funding for projects that support the mission of providing safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment and economy.

"We’re dedicated to supporting projects that make a difference in our communities," said John L. Varela, chair of Valley Water's Board of Directors. "Through our Safe, Clean Water Grants Program, we are able to work with Santa Clara County residents toward the common goal of protecting and enhancing our water resources."

The Grants & Partnerships Program is part of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, a parcel tax Santa Clara County voters renewed in November 2020. For 2023, Valley Water has a total of $1.4 million with no minimum or maximum amount per project that fits into the following categories:

• Water Conservation: Projects that research and identify devices, programs and strategies that can help save water and promote conservation efforts.

• Pollution Prevention: Technical assistance, public education or other means to reduce contaminants in water.

• Volunteer Cleanup Efforts and Education: Projects that assist with cleanup and watershed stewardship activities, as well as education and outreach about watersheds.

• Wildlife Habitat Restoration: Projects that support or restore native plants and animals. Examples include creating or enhancing wetlands to remove non-native, invasive plants to protect threatened or endangered species.

• Access to Trails and Open Space Grants: Projects that provide and increase access to open space and creekside trails.

Valley Water encourages applications from those working on projects that promote equity and allow resources to reach historically underserved areas. First-time applicants and applicants that demonstrate financial stability are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due by March 10. ➝ valleywater.org/grants.