Election officers go extra mile for democracy as paid volunteers The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters on Friday issued an urgent call for volunteers to work as election officers on Nov. 6. “This is a remarkable opportunity for Santa Clara County residents to observe, promote and facilitate one of our most important civil liberties;...

County, partners break affordable housing barriers It practically takes a fistful of permits to open a lemonade stand in Santa Clara County today, let alone build affordable housing for the homeless. Most people probably want to help. But they almost invariably resist affordable housing complexes in their own neighborhood. Undaunted, the County of Santa Clara,...

Public health data now at fingertips of researchers   The County of Santa Clara recently released a powerful new tool that allows anyone to easily dig into public health data and slice it up in countless illuminating ways. At the unveiling of the Department of Public Health’s open data portal on Sept. 4, Deputy Director...

Nonprofit Ethics: Valley Medical Center Foundation earns Seal of Excellence The public’s faith in institutions of all sorts may be crumbling. But one Santa Clara County-related organization fortified its reputation for strong nonprofit ethics: the Valley Medical Center Foundation. The foundation is the nonprofit fundraising arm of the County-run Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. It...

Elders in tune Every one of us is gradually moving toward old age, and more and more of us seem likely to live right up to the century mark. In a youth-oriented culture, the prospect of age-related decline is uncomfortable to contemplate. Yet while we must indeed adjust to the inevitable changes, old age need...