By Scott's Seafood opens new Palo Alto site

Scott’s Seafood moved from its Palo Alto location on Bayshore Road across town to the former Stickney’s Restaurant site at the Town and Country Village on the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero next to Stanford University last month. T

Scott’s has operated in Palo Alto for the past 20 years. The restuarant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

For more information, call 323-1555 or log on to www.scottsseafood.com

Summer Fest in Mountain View

The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to hold its first annual Summer Fest and Chili Cook off from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., June 8th at Rengstorff Park.

The event will include great music, children’s activities, gourmet foods and a chance to taste some of the best chili the Mountain View community has to offer.

The Chamber is also in need of 100 volunteers to work three-hour shifts on Saturday, June 8th.

Volunteers will receive a free commemorative 1st Annual Summer Fest & Chili Cook-Off T-shirt. The booths will be staffed by teams, and up to five volunteers per booth will be needed.

For more information, call 968-8378 or e-mail, lhurnblad@chambermv.org.

Wine tasting at Niebaum Coppola

Palo Alto’s Niebaum Coppola will host a series of wine tasting events this month, each focusing on a different varietal or region.

Sommelier John Aylward will poor three wines per tasting and tell tasters as much, or as little, as they want to know about the grape, the producer and the production methods.

Wine is scheduled to be served from 6 - 9 p.m.at each tasting. There is a 20 percent discount offered on retail purchases of wines featured during the tasting. Tastings cost $10-20 depending on the featured wines.

The following tasting are scheduled for May:

Chardonnay, May 9; Villa Italia, May 16; Napa Cabernet, May 23; and Viognier, May 30.

For more information, call 752-0350 or log on to www.cafeniebaum-coppola.com.

‘A La Carte & Art’ in Mountain View

The Mountain View Central Business Association will sponsor the sixth annual A La Carte & Art festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 18-19 on Castro Street.

The event is scheduled to feature cooking demonstrations, a farmers’ market, ethnic and classic American foods, premium wines and microbrews, as well as a juried show with 175 artists.

For more information, call 964-3395 or log on to www.miramarevents.com

Mirassou winery hosts art benefit

Mirassou Vineyards will hold its first Global Performing Arts Benefit from noon to 4 p.m., May 18 at 3000 Aborn Road, San Jose, to benefit the Silicon Valley Coalition for the Arts (SCVA).

The internationally-influenced celebration will feature live performances by various groups from the coalition. Each venue will feature music, art, dance or acting from specific countries.

Admission includes wine tasting and a souvenir wine glass. Tasting tickets cost $28; under-21 tickets cost $10; and kids under 5 are free.

Guests may bring a picnic lunch or purchase goodies at the winery. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

Tickets are available in advance only and may be purchased at the winery or by mail, phone, fax and e-mail.

For more information, call (408) 274-4000.

Weight loss programs tax deductible

The Internal Revenue Service recently agreed to allow taxpayers to deduct weight loss programs from their taxes when prescribed by a physician for the purpose for treating an existing disease.

Programs fall under Section 213(A), or can be reimbursed through flexible spending accounts for medical expenses at work.

Last year’s tax code change came after the American Obesity Association petitioned the IRS for a change in its policy of excluding weight loss treatments from medical deduction.

Accoridng to the association, annual health-care costs from treating diseases caused by obesity is estimated at approximately $100 billion.

In addition, the U.S. Surgeon General declared obesity a national epidemic. A new study by the RAND Coproation, a Southern California think tank, health-care costs linked to obesity are greater than those related to smoking and problem drinking.

For more information about the IRS ruling on the American Obesity Asosiciation’s Web site, log on to www.obesity.org/taxguide.htm