Monday was a big day for Puente de la Sur Executive Director Rita Mancera. One of the South Coast’s most visible public servants, Mancera was honored as the Woman of the Year in the 24th Assembly District.  Assemblymember Matt Berman presented her with the recognition during ceremonies at the Assembly in Sacramento. "It is an honor to pay tribute to Rita's exceptional work in the 24th Assembly District,” Berman said in a prepared statement.

Oracle (TO): Are you looking to pass legislation regarding education? Marc Berman (MB): I’ve asked the Speaker of the Assembly to create a select committee on the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. It is a document that was created 57 years ago that set out the goals and responsibilities for the University of California system, the California State University system, and our community colleges.

A bomb threat to the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto on Monday, part of a rash of similar threats to Jewish centers nationwide, has shaken up the community. State Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, said in a statement Tuesday he was “saddened and deeply troubled” by the bomb threat, especially as police continue to investigate the vandalism of a dozen buildings and street signs with swastika symbols in Palo Alto and at Stanford University earlier this year.

The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center campus was closed for about two hours this evening after staff at the facility received a threatening phone call, the organization said on Twitter. The call contained a bomb threat, an email from the JCC to its members stated. The site at 3921 Fabian Way was evacuated and parents were notified of where to pick up their children, according to a tweet posted at 5:25 p.m.