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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods PC Blood Los Gatos--Thanks to Community Hospital of Los Gatos, local Jehovah's Witnesses can now undergo major surgery without arriving at Heaven's Gates. The hospital's Bloodless Program offers Jehovah's Witnesses, who believe the Bible forbids ingesting blood and therefore refuse transfusions, a handful of alternatives based on blood-saving technology. "They want good medical treatment; they just don't want to use blood," says Program Coordinator Glenna Aitken. Propping Funds Willow Glen--Proposition 10, passed in November 1998, is infusing local groups with much-needed funding, awarding $1.8 million to the Children and Families First Commission. The funding is one of the first in a series of allocations to be made every two to three months. CFFC has agreed to contribute $2 million annually for three years to reach the goal of health insurance for every child in the county. "You'll see moneys going into education, all kinds of programs to improve life for children ages zero to five," says spokesman Dan Orloff. VTA Extension Campbell--Construction is set to begin in spring on the new Vasona Light Rail line into downtown Campbell. The extension, known as Phase 1, has a total cost of $256.5 million. Since the 1980s, the Campbell-Los Gatos area has been a subject of scrutiny by the VTA. "It was a congested corridor," says VTA's Vasona Project Manager Mark Robinson. Highways 87 and 17 offer few possibilities for expansion, and there are insufficient routes from the west valley to downtown San Jose. An estimated 8,000 to 9,000 people will ride the Phase 1 addition daily. Extending light rail service into the area is expected to alleviate congestion and pollution, as well as improve traffic flow. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]