November 16, 2007

NEWS BRIEFS

Community United

Basketball was fun on Saturday night, Oct. 13, when Evergreen teachers and staff went up against Bubba Paris and his fellow celebrities. The Evergreen community united and the Celebrity Basketball Game was a huge success. Each of the 19 participating schools is receiving over $1,100 from the proceeds.

The game was the first event held by the new, grassroots Evergreen Community Education Group (ECEG). ECEG consists of parents from the Evergreen Elementary School District schools and Silver Creek High School. ECEG hosted this event to build community awareness and unity, and to raise money for schools.

This standing room only fundraising event filled Silver Creek High gymnasium. Celebrity players included Bubba Paris, Guy McIntyre, Eason Ramson, Dana McLemore, Michael Merriweather, Merv Fernandez. Ray Cartwright, announcer for the event, did not miss a beat. The fun-loving Bubba Paris rumbled with the players and involved the crowd in the game.

In the end, it wasn’t the score that counted, but that the teachers had all made new friends and that parents and staff from different schools came together to benefit our children.

ECEG is planning for the second annual 2008 Celebrity Basketball Game.

Joey Chestnut looks to gobble a world record

Airs on Thanksgiving at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Think you can eat a lot of turkey—think again. Spike TV and Major League Eating present “MLE Chowdown: The Turkey Bowl” as the world’s top eaters look to consume an entire 20 lb turkey in 8 minutes. The two giants in the sport, Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi, look to gobble a new world record as they battle it out with the other six top eaters.

“MLE Chowdown: The Turkey Bowl” airs on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22 at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM on Spike TV.

The event’s undercard will consist of other top eaters in a cranberry sauce eating contest.

The world’s current #1 ranked eater, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, took the eating world by storm this year when he defeated eating legend Kobayashi at the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest held in Coney Island, NY

Megabyte restaurant expands

Megabyte has expanded its space to accommodate more people and for private parties. The popular restaurant added approximately150 square feet by moving into the area formerly occupied by a drapery store. “It just made sense,” said Ed Abelite, co-owner of Megabyte and developer/general manager of Canyon Creek Plaza.

Megabyte has become a favorite place for soccer teams, families and nearby residents, often filling the place to capacity. The extra room allows for overflow and is already being used. Abelite says some decorating improvements are underway and it’s a quieter place to watch sports on the TV.

Enroll your kids in the Evergreen Institute of Music and Fine Arts

It’s Free, it’s Music and the Arts!

If you want to Rock, you first have to learn Bach. The Evergreen Institute is making music and the arts part of the life of all Evergreen children by focusing on the classical foundation of music that forms the basis for all popular musical styles: Jazz, Latin, Soul, Rock, etc.

Children between ages 7 and 11 and their parents and other adults are welcome. Learn the art of singing, enhance music reading ability, become part of a choir, or prepare for a performance.

Mother, father or both parents if at all possible, are encouraged to participate along with their children based on their experience and competence levels. An initial Winter Concert is planned for late December.

The Institute is guided by talented, trained musicians and music directors Eleazar and Rebeca Inciarte, with the added assistance of Ericson Faustino. The instructors have extensive experience and degrees in music, music instruction, and/ or voice. 

Sessions will be held on Saturdays from 2 - 2.45 p.m. and on Thursday evenings from 7.45 - 8.30 p.m. Children between the ages of 7 and 11 are accepted. Adults of all ages are eligible. All students must audition.

Training is free through the remainder of 2007. Auditions are now underway. Call 408- 274-1200 or email gracelc@sbcglobal.net to enroll or attend the initial session on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Grace Church of Evergreen 2650 Aborn Road.

Our City Forest

Our City Forest is a non-profit organization based in San Jose committed to building stronger and greener communities by planting and caring for the urban forest and more importantly, by involving the community in caring for the urban forest. Some of the upcoming opportunities are:

Tree Amigos Classes—Starting Nov. 28
Learn everything you need to know about trees and becoming one of our prestigious Tree Amigos (trained volunteers).

Tree Treks
Free tree tours through downtown San Jose on the 3rd Saturday of every month, call to sign up. First tour: Nov. 17.

Volunteer Planet Teachers
Our new Planet Tree education program is looking for volunteers interested in helping to give presentations to classrooms K-12. Training will be provided.

Free Trees program—Free Trees for San Jose parks, schools, and neighborhoods. Apply for free trees now. We provide help in organizing planting projects, lessons on how to plant trees, and instructions on how to keep your tree alive! We plant for senior citizens and disabled residents.

For all info call: 99-TREES (408-998-7337) or go online at OurCityForest.org or email us at: volunteer@ourcityforest.org.

Airman Garlit completes basic training

Air Force Airman Michael C. Garlit has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

He is the brother of Jeremy Garlit of Prindiville Drive, San Jose. Garlit is a 2005 graduate of Silver Creek High School in San Jose.

PG&E offers free furnace inspections

Ten-point furnace safety and efficiency checklist helps save energy and money

Pacific Gas and Electric Company reminds customers to schedule free furnace inspections and gas pilot relights. Safety and efficiency inspections performed on gas furnaces will help customers save money on their home heating bills this winter. Gas furnaces with dirty filters, leaky ducts or other problems use significantly more energy to heat living space.

PG&E offers free furnace safety inspections and gas pilot relight appointments. Custo-mers can schedule these free services with PG&E online by using the “My Account” feature on www.pge.com to select a convenient date and time. Customers can also schedule an appointment by calling PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000.