eleven story administration building was constructed. "Dial-A-Ride", a victim of its own success, was commenced in late 1974 and abandoned in early 1975; said to have "too much demand with too few resources". Transportation "outreach" still exists. Cortese chaired the Board when the Angela Davis trial was assigned to Santa Clara County. The county became the focus of international attention. The first question asked by the media at the initial major news conference was "can a black, communist, woman get a fair trial in Santa Clara County?" Cortese answered: "anyone can get a fair trial in Santa Clara County." Santa Clara County was one of the first major public entities to establish a smoking ban in restaurants along with one of the first comprehensive recycling programs in the country. The establishment of a central building permit center received national recognition from the National Conference of Counties during their meeting in Madison, Wisconsin where Cortese received the award. The Board asked the electorate to establish an extensive countywide rural parks program which allowed for the acquisition of numerous regional type parks. Two of those purchases, the pristine ten thousand acre Grant Ranch Park and the popular Lake Cuningham Park were in his supervisorial district at the time. In a letter dated October 2, 1975, John B. Dewitt, Secretary and executive director of Save-the-Redwoods League wrote to then chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Dominic L Cortese: "Dear Mr. Cortese, I want to thank you for your effective action to complete the Grant Ranch Park purchase. Future generations will praise your leadership and foresight in making possible this great public park for the people of the South Bay Area. The public will long remember your wise decision to make this park a reality. (Signed) Sincerely, John B. Dewitt" (Santa Clara County Archives: Grant Ranch).The program is still in existence. Assembly career Cortese served as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Local Government for years. In 1990, he switched to become the chairman of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife. He carried the landmark Cortese-Knox Local Government Reorganization Act, which is still called a "best seller" by the State Printing Office and is the guide for all local government annexations, boundaries, formations, detachments and new cities. He was named Legislator of the Year by the American Planning Association in both 1985 and 1989. In 1989, The California Council American Institute