George Sampson is the morning news anchor on 1590 KLIV. He is also the station's News and Program Director. A 35+ year veteran of Bay Area radio and television. George has deep ties to the local community. A graduate of San Jose State University's Journalism program, George's first radio job came during his senior year at SJSU at the long gone all-news station KXRX. They sat me in a little room. Resolution: Work Hard, Learn Fast, and Give Back to Charity.

Bob Rempel was a co-founder and the first president of Spectra-Physics, the first company to commercialize laser manufacturing. Spectra-Physics was founded in 1961. The work done at the Mountain View company led to the now ubiquitous use of lasers, which can be found in every computer, hospital, and even every grocery checkout scanner!

Santa Clara County Council was a part of the first program for youth in Scouting - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The program consists of individual activity elements in various STEM topics structured for either Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. These topics are designed to encourage participation and to increase interest in STEM by making it relevant and fun. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak presented over 100 STEM awards to Scouts at our council court of honor.

In 1946 Lou and three business associates started Lou's Village on West San Carlos St. It was known as a dinner club, and such notables as Lucille Ball were seen there. In 1951, the restaurant was transferred to Lou's relatives who ran the restaurant until a few years ago when they permanently closed and sold the land to developers. The restaurant was known in the San Jose-area as a place to go for seafood or steaks. Soon, Lou's Village will re-open in Willow Glen, with all of the same things that made it famous.

I nominate Crewners Barbershop in San Pedro Square Market as an original, unique, personal, historic, entertaining and most of all a special place for a great shave and haircut. Crewners has brought a bit of nostalgia to San Jose as well as demonstrated that barbershops provide services and options for men that cannot be matched in a hair salon. In short Crewners has class!

First person to finish a 26-episode public broadcast television series as sole technician. He worked two cameras, did audio, and all post-production work for The Allaire Back Fitness Series.

Located in San Jose, Hospice of the Valley was the first nonprofit hospice and palliative care and grief support organization founded in Santa Clara County in 1979, hospicevalley.org. In November 2004, Hospice of the Valley launched the Transitions program providing a groundbreaking community service program, the first of its kind in Santa Clara County, designed to enhance choice and quality-of-life for individuals, caregivers and their families facing a life-limiting illness. March 2008: in collaboration with Santa Clara University Department of Counseling Psychology Hospice of the Valley presented the first Compassion in Action, a conference that convenes nationally renowned end-of-life care leaders to the Bay Area. In August 2009, Hospice of the Valley sponsored a web-based resource for Santa Clara County communities and residents caring for patients and families facing serious illness, seriousillness.org/santaclaracounty. November 2011: Hospice of the Valley was the first organization to publicly show "Consider the Conversation" end-of-life documentary film in Santa Clara County.

In the 100-year history of the nonprofit, civic organization called SPUR, this year marks the opening of the first office outside of San Francisco and into downtown San Jose. With a mission of promoting good planning and good government through research, education and advocacy, SPUR San Jose looks forward to bringing new ideas forward to solve the urban questions facing our city.