Scares for Cares raises nearly $15K
A youth-run spooky film festival shattered its $10,000 fundraising goal by raising $14,975 this year.
Created by brother-sister team Nolan and Quinn Harr, Scares for Cares encouraged youth to get creative and film hair-raising short films each October. Viewers voted on their favorite movies by making a donation to the Lucile Packard Children’s Fund.
“We are so proud of all the participants this year, the movies were all really amazing,” Nolan said.
The winning movie this year was “Escaping Asylum Horrors” which brought in $3,980. Starring Nolan and Quinn Harr, Declan and Fiona McInerney, Alexa Cross, Luke and Analeia Pacheco, and Jayden and Jackie Zhuge, the short film is a terrifying tale written, directed and acted by the kids.
While Quinn is excited that their movie won the top prize, she admits that another movie this year was her favorite.
“I really loved all the movies, but ‘The Candy Snatcher’ made me laugh every time I watched it,” she said.
Voting is now closed but all the Scares for Cares movies can still be viewed at scaresforcaresmovies.godaddysites.com.
Los Gatos, surrounding neighborhoods score high in health report
The median income for residents in the neighborhood cluster of Los Gatos, Cupertino and Saratoga is triple the state average, according to A Portrait of California 2021-2022: Human Development and Housing Justice, a report released Nov. 10 by Measure of America.
This is the third such study in a decade-long series offering statistics and analysis of how Californians are doing in health, education and earnings.
Using the American Human Development Index (HDI), which measures well-being using health, education and earnings on a scale from zero to 10, the report found that California continues to outpace the country overall on key metrics.
Though the HDI score has improved by 14.9 percent since 2000, the score for Native American Californians has fallen by 22.5 percent and increased only slightly for Black Californians.
The neighborhood cluster of Los Gatos, Cupertino and Saratoga scored an HDI of 9.24 compared to the state’s 5.85, with life expectancy at 86.4 years, above the statewide average of 81 years. The median income is $120,400, whereas the state average is $39,528.
Measure of America is an initiative of the Social Science Research Council. To view the report, visit measureofamerica.org/california2021-22.
With holidays approaching, health officials urge booster shots
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is recommending all eligible members of the public who live or work in Santa Clara County receive a Covid-19 booster shot. The booster is appropriate for almost everyone ages 18 and older six months following the last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, or two months following the Johnson & Johnson vaccination.
As of Nov. 9, 206,765 county residents had received their booster shot out of 1,082,317 eligible residents.
“We want to safeguard the public and prevent a Covid-19 surge as the holiday season approaches,” said Dr. Sara Cody, county health officer. “We ask everyone who can to sign up for a booster shot to protect themselves, their family and their friends. Get your booster now and make your Thanksgiving gathering safer.”
County clinics are taking appointments at sccfreevax.org and many locations accept walk-in patients for booster shots.
