April 20, 2007

NEWS BRIEFS

Vice Mayor Cortese and City Council honor the birth of Buddha

Vice Mayor Dave Cortese and the San Jose City Council have joined forces in proclaiming the lunar month of April as “Le Hoi Phat Ðan Truyen Thong Dân Gian, ” a reflection of Buddha’s birthday.

For centuries, the Buddhist community has celebrated Buddha’s birthday and commemorates his teachings, which emphasize peace and harmony within the individual.

This year, the Vietnamese Buddhist community has adopted the month of April on the lunar calendar, which is the month of May in the Eastern Calendar, as the month to promote peace and harmony and has officially named it as “Le Hoi Phat Ðan Truyen Thong Dân Gian. ”

The City of San Jose, at the initiation of Vice Mayor Cortese, marked this historical event as part of the evening session of the San Jose City Council meeting inside council chambers for the Vietnamese Buddhist community in San Jose, by presenting a proclamation to several revered leaders of the Buddhist community, including:

- Most Venerable Thich Nhu Dien from Germany
- Most Venerable Thich Thang Hoan from Louisiana
- Venerable Thich Giac Dang from Texas
- Venerable Thich Vien Ly from Southern California
- Venerable Thich Nguyen Sieu from Southern California

Evergreen Valley Recreation Club Open House May 4-5

The Evergreen Valley Recreation Club will be open for another fun summer of swimming and basking in the sun! The club will be opened to members from May 12 to September 30. The pool is located at 3380 Woodside Lane in San Jose.

The club will be holding on open house event on May 4 from 6-8 p.m. and on May 5 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for those interested in joining the club.

The club has one large heated swimming pool, a wading pool, new public showers and restrooms. A picnic area and BBQ's are available and you can reserve the area and host a swim party. A volleyball/large play area and patio deck area are also available for your enjoyment. Membership dues for the new season are $375 per family. To reserve your membership, mail or drop off your application and dues in the mailbox at the pool entrance.

Applications and information are available online http://evrcpool.tk or at the at pool entrance. Any questions please visit http://evrcpool.tk or email evrcpool@yahoo.com or call (408) 327-9201.

Vice Mayor Dave Cortese announces “Justice for Immigrant Children” march

Vice Mayor Dave Cortese and United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta recently announced that San Jose would hold a march in support of justice for immigrant children. According to tentative details provided by the District 8 office, the March to Support Justice for Immigrant Children will take place on Sunday, April 29 at approximately 1:30 p.m., beginning at the Federal Building before terminating at the San Jose City Hall Plaza.

Key leaders across various disciplines (education, municipal affairs, social welfare, and religion) will unite to invite youth from around the city to participate in a peaceful demonstration. Leaders will emphasize the importance of not leaving school during the instructional day to participate in protests and rallies.

For more information, please contact the District 8 Council Office at (408) 535-4908.

San José Children's Faire 2007 April 28

"Watch Me Grow" is the theme of programs honoring the Month of the Young Child taking place at San José library branches throughout April and capped off by the 19th Annual San José Children's Faire. The Children's Faire features more than 50 activity booths sponsored by organizations and businesses with services and/or products for families with young children. Each booth offers a free, hands-on activity for children aged 2-12, as well as child development resources for parents and caregivers. Family entertainment, special attractions, exhibits and food are also offered.

The 19th Annual San José Children's Faire will take place on Saturday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Discovery Meadow in front of the Children's Discovery Museum, located at 180 Woz Way in downtown San Jose. For more information, call (408) 808-2617.

‘A Taste of the Valley’ to be hosted by San Jose East/ Evergreen Rotary Club on May 19

Ruth Ashford (left), President of the San Jose East/Evergreen Rotary Club and Maggie Wilhelm, fundraising chair for the San Jose East/Evergreen Rotary Club discuss the contents of a folder that will be given to sponsors and participants at "At Taste of the Valley," a wine, beer, and gourmet food tasting event at History Park San Jose, on Saturday, May 19 from 5-8 p.m. History Park San Jose is located at 1650 Senter Rd. in San Jose.

Tickets for the event are $65 per person, and each guest will receive a commemorative wine glass, a variety of gourmet foods, delicious desserts, selective wines, and an evening of music and fun.

For more information on tickets, event details and sponsorship, call Maggie Wilhelm at (408) 280-5338.

—Photo by Thom Harney

Rock-it Science camp registration now open for summer sessions

Rock-it Science, located in Santa Clara at 2110 Walsh Avenue, recently announced an expanded schedule of their summer science camps. Camp sessions are still available for June 18-22, June 25-29, July 2-6, July 9-13, July 16-20, July 23-27, July 30-August 3, and August 6-10. Registration is open now at www.rockitscience.com.

The Rock-it Science summer camps utilize storytelling and innovative science experiments to capture the children’s attention and imagination. Camp themes run the gamut from experiments that fly to experiments that bubble and smoke! The camps serve children ages 5-12.

The goal at Rock-it Science is to spark, nurture and develop young people’s enthusiasm and ability to learn science successfully. Each camp day begins with a scientific concept introduced through a zany tale involving Jack, Jill, and The Evil Mr. Fred. Then the kids begin hands-on experimentation to determine possible solutions to the cliffhanger story.

Kids are encouraged to think creatively, to try things out, make mistakes, make corrections and discover how to solve problems. They don’t just reproduce a pre-determined result – they experience the joy of discovery for themselves.
To learn more about Rock-it Science and this summer’s camp offerings, go to www.rockitscience.com or call Rock-it Science at (408) 969-1900.