Reporters' notebook

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The Estero Municipal Improvement District will be honored next week for its water conservation efforts. The Silicon Valley Water Conservation Coalition will present eight awards on World Water Day, March 22, to local agencies that lead the area in conserving water. Estero provides water service for Foster City. It is being honored for implementing a water budget plan that saw a 42 percent reduction in water demand at 200 large landscape sites in the city. Others being honored are the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Adobe Systems and the Tuolumne River Trust. The awards will be presented 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 22, Redwood City Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Road.

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Mike Gravel, who formerly served in the U.S. Senate as a representative of Alaska, will be a special guest speaker at a League of Women Voters event in San Mateo next week. Gravel served in the Senate from 1969 to 1981 and ran for president in 2008. He will speak on reforming the ballot initiative process in the United States. Gravel and his wife have recently moved to Burlingame and have been attending League events recently. The event is 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 1300 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo.

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Catty, catty. During the San Carlos City Council’s recent discussion on whether to appeal a permit allowing a downtown night club to expand, Mayor Andy Klein said he’s been inside the Carlos Club more times than he can count for a first-hand look at questionable incidents. In response, an audience member asked — not that quietly — "is that where you got your DUI?” referencing Klein’s detainment by law enforcement last year. Klein was never charged.

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Victor Ferguson was named bus operator of the year and Seth Thompson was named maintenance employee of the year by SamTrans Wednesday. Ferguson has been with SamTrans since 1989 and has driven nearly every SamTrans bus route. Thompson has been with SamTrans since 2001.

The reporters’ notebook is a weekly collection of facts culled from the notebooks of the Daily Journal staff. It appears in the Thursday edition.