January 23, 2009

CALENDAR

Unless otherwise noted all phone numbers are in the 408 area code.

MUSIC

Jan. 26 – Feb. 3
West Valley Masterworks Chorale Auditions: Experienced singers are encouraged to make audition appointments. Location is Room MU-11 in the Music Building (next to Theater), of West Valley College, 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga. Spring rehearsals begin Feb. 3, every Tuesday night from 6 - 9:10 p.m. The West Valley Masterworks Chorale will sing in Carnegie Hall Summer 2009.  There are openings in all voices, especially Tenor & Bass. For more information, go to www.westvalleychoirs.org   

Feb. 7 – 22
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Opera San Jose brings Mozart’s comedic Cosi Fan Tutte to the California Theater for eight performances. Filled with irony and observation, Cosi Fan Tutte – “so do they all” casts all women from the same weak-willed mold when it comes to resisting temptation. Mozart even put his own wife in this category, though he himself was far from faithful. It is the story of two smug, young officers who accept a bet from a skeptical, old bachelor to test their girlfriends’ faithfulness. It is this element of cynicism pitted against naiveté that gives this comic gem its serious edge. In Italian with English Supertitles. Conductors are David Rohrbaugh and Anthony Quartuccio. Tickets are $69, $81, and $91 (includes city facility usage fee) from Opera San José Box Office, 2149 Paragon Dr., San José, CA 95131; or call 408-437-4450; 408-437-4455 fax; Visit www.operasj.org for additional information and performance times.

DANCE

Jan. 25 & Mar. 15
Ballet San Jose Audition Tour For 2009-10 Season: Dennis Nahat, Artistic/Executive Director of Ballet San Jose, announces open auditions for the company’s 2009-10 season, which runs from Sept. ‘09 – May ‘10. Requirements; bring headshot, resume and dance photo if available. Women must wear light or skin color tights and bring pointe shoes.  Men must wear light color tights and bring ballet shoes.  All dancers should bring character shoes. Audition will include ballet class, pointe work and partnering. No pre-registration required.  Please arrive at least 20 minutes early to fill out the audition application and pay any fees. Location is 40 North First St, from 1 – 3 p.m. – phone 288-2820 for directions. Fee: $20 registration (Member of AGMA, fee is waived). For additional information, contact Les Reinhardt, Stage Manager – 408-288-2820 ext. 235 or PSM@balletsanjose.org. If you are unable to attend, send a DVD or VHS highlighting your work to: Les Reinhardt, Stage Manager Ballet San Jose, 40 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
 
CHILDREN/FAMILY

Jan. 29
The First Annual San Jose School Leaders’ Roundtable:”How to Avoid Overparenting and Its Impacts on Children”. Parents today are more involved and engaged in the lives of their children than ever before. While academically-prepared, alarming indicators show our children are also among the least resilient, self-reliant, and/or independent. These unintended consequences follow when overly protective driven, and enabling parents allow their ambitions for their children to impair the natural progression of youthful misjudgments, anxieties, and – ultimately – independence. Learn firsthand from educators representing some of San Jose’s finest private and public schools how “overparenting” can lead to serious setbacks in a child’s adult life, and what our school leaders recommend as parents prepare their children to become successful adults. Participants in this open forum discussion include:Tim Brosnan, Principal, Archbishop Mitty High School; Liz Chamberlin, Principal, Leland High School; Ole Jorgenson, Head of School, Almaden Country School; Harry McKay, Head of School, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School; Mary Miller, Principal, Presentation High School; and Mary Beth Riley, Principal, Notre Dame High School. The School Leaders’ Roundtable will be hosted at Almaden Country School at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Jan. 30
Smucker’s Stars on Ice “On the Edge” tour returns for its 23rd season at the HP Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. This all-new production features Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen and as a special guest, 2008 World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Jeffrey Buttle. Cohen and Buttle will be joined by an outstanding cast of Olympic, World and National Champions. Tickets for the Smucker’s Stars on Ice performance are on sale now and start at $25. They may be purchased at the HP Pavilion Box Office, by visiting www.starsonice.com, or by calling Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Bay Area (408) 998-TIXS, (415) 421-TIXS or (510) 625-TIXS. Group (10+) information is available by calling 408-999-5841. A Portion of the Smucker’s Stars On Ice Proceeds to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

CLASSES

Feb. 7
Successful Backyard Birdhouses: Do you wonder why some people always seem to have baby birds in their yards? Where and how you mount the bird boxes and which boxes attract your local birds is critical to your success. Join Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens and Mike Azevedo, County Coordinator for Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society’s Cavity Nester Recovery Program for tips on attracting birds to nest boxes in your neighborhood. Learn which local birds use nest boxes, what areas of the city these birds call home and where those birds like their nest boxes to be placed. You can also help restore the cavity nesting bird population that has been declining with the Audubon Society’s program to put up and monitor nest boxes at parks, cemeteries and other open spaces. This workshop, sponsored by the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens will be held at the GRP& G Visitor & Education Center, 438 Coleman Avenue in San Jose. Pre-registration is required by calling (408) 298-7657 or visit www.grpg.org to learn more. Hours are 10 a.m. – noon, fees are $10/members, $15/non-members

Feb. 9
Learn how to Prune Ornamental Shrubs & Trees: This free Metropolitan Adult Education Program (MAEP) World Garden Workshop will be held at the Erikson Adult Center, 4849 Pearl Ave, San Jose from 10 a.m. to noon. Master Gardener Sue Bell will teach gardeners of all skill levels how to prune and maintain ornamental shrubs and trees. To register for the workshop, call 723-6450 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and ask to have your name added to the February World Garden Workshop list, or email your name and phone number to ritab@metroed.net. Sign-up early, as space is limited.

FIFTY PLUS

Welcome Wagon Chapter #3: Women’s Social Group with activities that include Golf, Tennis, Hiking, Bridge, Canasta, Pinochle, Luncheons, Movies, Antiques, Book Club, etc. For more information, please email Gail:  gailmagg@aol.com or call Veronika (408) 559-3734

VOLUNTEERS

Good Sam Gift Shop Volunteers Needed: The Auxiliary of Good Samaritan Hospital invites you to join our team of dedicated volunteers and have fun while serving your community.  Our gift shop service is looking for enthusiastic and customer service oriented volunteers to help in both the shop and the stockroom.  A minimum commitment of four hours per week is expected.  No retail experience is necessary.  Please call the Auxiliary office (408) 559-2345 to have an application packet sent to you and to sign up for a one-hour information meeting.  Applications are also available at the Good Sam web site:  goodsamsanjose.com.” 

Tax Volunteers Needed: The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteers who would like to help seniors file their taxes for this upcoming tax season from February 1st till April 15th. If you have experience filing taxes or enjoy doing the taxes for your family and friends this temporary volunteer opportunity would be a rewarding experience! You would be volunteering at Evergreen Library on Thursdays from 10:00am – 1:00pm. There will be a tax training classes in January at the Office on Aging. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please call Cory Hunt at (408) 979-7906

MISCELLANEOUS

Jan. 24
Chaboya Middle School PTSA Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event: This is our second annual partnering with ASL; a state authorized electronic waste recycler to help raise funds for Chaboya Middle School. We are holding this at the Chaboya Middle School parking lot between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. This event is free to the public and it is so easy, you just need to drive up and drop off your electronic junk at 3276 Cortona Road, ASL employees will be on hand to assist you. Items accepted: Computers, computer monitors, laptops, keyboards, mice, printers, cables/cords power supplies, disk drives, zip drives, televisions, VCR’s, DVD players, stereo equipment, radios, tape drives, cell phones, shredders, oscilloscopes, PC boards, lab equipment, telephones, fax machines and microwaves. For questions, contact Brian Fernandez, PTSA coordinator at 593-3450.

Ongoing
Las Madres Neighborhood Playgroup: Las Madres is a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing ways for families with children ages 5 years old and younger to network and receive parenting support and education. Run entirely by volunteers, we warmly welcome mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts and nannies to join. Playgroups arranged by children’s birth year and we currently have active playgroups for babies, toddlers and preschoolers born from 2003 through 2008. Most playgroups meet one or more times a week. Any person who supports Las Madres’ non-profit educational mission may join. Members start with a support-group only membership for $30 and may add playgroup(s) for $20. To join, go to www.lasmadres.org or call 1-877-LAS MADRES. There is a 30-day trial membership.

Saturday Mornings with Society Dog Evergreen: The Society Dog Evergreen “pack” is moving into its winter hours starting Jan. 3, 2009. Start your Saturday with a group dog walk on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. Your dog wants to go! Grab those gloves and leashes & join up with the pack. Check our website for times and locations www.societydog.com; Yelp Line 408-671-3417

Get listed!

We are seeking calendar items pertaining to the South Bay communities we cover in our seven monthly community newspapers: Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, Willow Glen, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by e-mail or fax several weeks before the event. Send an email to candy@timesmediainc.com or fax to Candy Richter at 494-7078. Photos should be sent digitally as jpegs or mailed to Calendar, Times Newspapers, 1310 Tully Rd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95122. Due to the large volume of items received calendar requests left on voice mail cannot be used. Space is limited.