By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

The Community Services Agency (CSA) honored Judy Marcus as its outstanding community volunteer at its 2001 Hometown Heroes Annual Recognition Breakfast.

The early morning breakfast at Hyatt Rickey’s in Palo Alto drew corporate sponsors, major underwriters and community friends. CSA associates and elected officials from the federal, state and local levels came to honor the recipient.

“Last year 200 people attended and we received $15,000 in contributions. This year more than 260 people attended and more than $20,000 has been donated,” Executive Director Tom Myers said. “That’s because of Judy’s friends.”

Curtis Church, president of the CSA board of directors, presented Marcus with the honored award.

“Judy put CSA where it is today. She is a clear thinking visionary,” Church said. “As a volunteer, Judy always looks at the cup as being half-empty. Through her efforts, Judy engages in services that focus on the needs of the community and benefit all individuals who are involved.”

With the help of a large screen, Maureen Wadiak, CSA associate director, portrayed the range of problems encountered with the homeless and the needy. She spoke of the need for emergency assistance during today’s economic slowdown and the Alpha Omega program CSA provides with the aid of local churches.

Keynote speaker Chuck Geschke, chairman of the board of Adobe Systems, elaborated on the history of print from the Gutenberg Bible to the software used in digital technology today.

“The Internet has changed everything. Today, 95 percent of the photos on the Web use Adobe Photoshop,” Geschke said. “As for long term, I am very bullish on technology in Silicon Valley.”

Geschke said years ago Adobe Systems decided to designate a fraction of its profits for philanthropy. The company works closely with a service organization that concentrates on education, the homeless and the hungry.

“We encourage every employee to provide time and money to philanthropy,” Geschke said. “When we look at resumes, we concentrate on that particular item.”