April 22, 2005

NEWS BRIEFS

May 6 Comedy Showcase supports youth recreation programs

Comedians Luke Torres, Erik Griffin and Edwin San Juan will participate in a Comedy Showcase fundraiser, with all proceeds benefiting children and youth recreation programs at East San Jose’s Alum Rock Youth Center.

Sponsored by the city of San Jose’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services and the Alum Rock Advisory Council, the Comedy Showcase will take place on Friday, May 6 from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the San Jose Moose Lodge #401, 1825 Mount Pleasant Road. Tickets are $30.

Luke Torres, the showcase headliner, was featured in HBO, Que Loco’s, Space Jam, In Living Color and has opened for Dennis Miller, Louie Anderson and Paul Rodriguez. Luke came from a small Texas town before moving to East L.A. because he “thought it would be safer.” His ability to imitate ethnicities, television shows and celebrities has made him one of the funniest comedians working today.

Erik Griffin is the winner of the 2004 Long Beach Comedy Festival. He is a first generation American with a Central American Caribbean mother and a father of European descent. With his multicultural background, he blends well into the American landscape, particularly in this era of cultural diversity.

Edwin San Juan is the youngest in his family of two brothers and one sister. San Juan says his family sticks close together like rice, the sticky kind. A nerd in high school, Ed was in the chess club. At Cal State Fullerton, he majored in human services and social work. After graduating, Ed worked in social services with adolescents on probation.

Tickets can be purchased at the Alum Rock Youth Center located at 137 North White Road, San José. For more information, contact Ed Solis at (408) 251-5757 or ed.solis@sanjoseca.gov.

Boy Scout spaghetti dinner fundraiser May 26

Evergreen’s Boy Scout Troop 264 will host a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on May 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 2650 Aborn Road. Dinner is $5 per person, including spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and a beverage.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the night of the dinner. If you have any questions, call Denise Hankes at (408) 238-7865.

VTA releases final EIR for the Capitol Expressway Light Rail Project

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has prepared the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Downtown East Valley Capitol Expressway Corridor Project in San Jose. It is now available for public review.   

The final EIR identifies the Light Rail alternative between the Alum Rock Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station and Nieman Boulevard as the “recommended alternative” for improving direct transit service in the Capitol Expressway Corridor.

The recommended Light Rail Project would extend the Capitol Light Rail line from the Alum Rock LRT Station to Nieman Boulevard in one or two phases. If constructed in two phases, the recommended Light Rail Project Alternative would initially terminate at Eastridge Transit Center with the subsequent phase ending at Nieman Boulevard.   

Light rail would operate in the median of Capitol Expressway with the exception of a side-running alignment on the west side of Capitol Expressway between Tully Road and Nieman Boulevard as part of a multi-modal transportation corridor with improved transit, pedestrian and bicycle access.

The Final EIR can be reviewed at VTA’s offices and at local libraries in the project area.  For more information or to obtain a copy or CD-ROM, contact VTA Environmental Planning by phone at (408) 321-5789, fax: (408) 321-5787 or e-mail at Capitol_Expressway.FEIR@vta.org.

The Final EIR can also be found on the project website at www.dtev-vta.org.

The VTA board of directors will consider the certification of the Final EIR and the approval of the recommended Light Rail alternative on Thursday, May 5. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose. Comments can be provided in person at the board meeting or can be submitted in writing to VTA Environmental Planning no later than noon on May 4.

April 23 spring cleaning event at West Evergreen flea market

“One person’s garbage is another’s treasure.” The West Evergreen Neighborhood Association hosts its third annual flea market on Saturday, April 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Barberry Lane off of King Road between Aborn and Tully Roads. All proceeds will benefit future neighborhood events. Free to all attendees. For more information, contact Carlos DaSilva at (408) 591-4718.

Mirassou family removes local vines, auctions off excess equipment

You may have noticed several physical changes around Evergreen’s local La Rochelle Winery lately at the corner of Aborn and Ruby.

According to Dave Eriksen, director of hospitality for La Rochelle Winery, the Mirassou family owners of the small boutique winery have removed many of the vineyards that used to surround the property because of the rising costs of farming and La Rochelle’s diminishing need for Cabernet Sauvignon.

“We still retain a few vines locally for esthetics and posterity, while much of our wine is made from vineyards in Monterey County,” said Eriksen.

“Since the brand change in 2002/2003 to La Rochelle, we have been producing a much smaller quantity of a much higher quality wine that is not available on the “broad market,’” continued Eriksen. “Winemaker Tom Stutz has been creating some incredible vintages mostly from the family’s vineyards in Monterey County, as well as from other surrounding growers, that can be purchased only directly from the winery.”

With a previous capacity to pump out more than 300,000 cases of wine a year, and only producing about 9,000 cases this past year, the owners auctioned off much of the winery’s excess production equipment on April 6.

This means that you will no longer see many of the multi-thousand gallon tanks that have been residing behind the winery, because they are no longer needed for its current wine selections.

“All of our current wines have been made inside our cellars, in oak barrels from all around the globe, and at much smaller quantities,” added Eriksen. Efforts are currently underway to remove much of the now unnecessary equipment accumulated over the years from when the winery was producing much higher volumes of wine.

For more information contact Dave Eriksen at (408) 274-4000.

Sunday, April 10

Free jazz concert at La Rochelle Winery

La Rochelle presents one of the South Bay’s premiere jazz duos, Primary Colors, on Sunday, April 10 at the Winery from 1 – 3 p.m., in its final concert of the season.

The key to this band is the great chemistry between vocalist Nate Pruitt and guitarist Rick Vandivier, who have been working together steadily since 1980. They complement on another perfectly.

In 2004, Pruitt was awarded the San Jose Jazz Society’s lifetime achievement award. Whether it’s jazz standards or gritty blues, this band is always up for a good time and a wonderful musical adventure.

La Rochelle also will be featuring the artwork of marine artist, Jim Campbell. Jim’s unique art can be found all over the Bay Area from San Francisco to Carmel. Come mingle with the artists, and taste some great wines. The tasting room will be open from 12 to 5 p.m.

While you’re there, you can also shop. All logo-clothing items at the winery are 25 percent off in April. For more information, e-mail La Rochelle Winery at info@LRWine.com or call (408) 274-4000.

For more information about the jazz duo, go to www.primarycolorsmusic.com.

Local volunteer opportunities offered

Our City Forest tree teachers
Planet Tree instructors teach children in grades K-12 about trees and the environment. If you can help at least two hours weekly during school hours and enjoy teaching children in a classroom setting, contact Our City Forest. E-mail dscott@ourcityforest.org or call (408) 99-TREES. Training is provided.

Food for hungry, homeless
Volunteer as a food gleaner from local grocery stores for food kitchens such as Martha’s Kitchen, Sacred Heart Community Services and Emergency Housing Consortium. For more information, contact Carlo Pedron, San Jose Elks, (408) 269-2214 or cell (408) 309-9507.

Support local mentoring program
California Community Partners for Youth helps communities implement a responsive strategy with local high-potential, at-risk teens and their families. In a community context, teens learn to make life-changing choices. The program is currently seeking a volunteer to help with basic clerical tasks. For more information, contact Jeff Bornefeld at (408) 396-4782 or jeffb@ccpy.org or go to www.ccpy.org.

California cancer detection center assists low-income women

“Every Woman Counts,” a program offered through the California Department of Health Services, provides free breast exams and mammograms to eligible low-income women in California.

Local partnerships provide breast and cervical cancer information and education to women. Local doctors are providers to the program, offering free breast exams, pap smears and mammograms. 

For more information, call the toll-free state number (800) 511-2300, and choose from six different languages: English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese.

Apply by April 11

One open position on the Elections Commission

The San Jose City Council is accepting applications for an appointment to the Elections Commission. The opening is for a four-year term ending March 1, 2009.

The Elections Commission monitors compliance with all campaign and ethics ordinances in the San Jose Municipal Code. It reviews and investigates allegations of violations of the code and makes recommendations for enforcement action where appropriate. It also makes recommendations to the city council regarding campaign and ethics regulations and policies.

The Elections Commission is comprised of five members appointed by no less than a two-thirds vote of the council. Each member must be a registered voter in the city of San Jose, have some demonstrated familiarity and experience with campaign laws and be representative of the community. They may not be employees of the city nor hold any other public office.

All applications received by April 11 will be submitted to the mayor and council members, who will notify the City Clerk of those they would like to interview. Following interviews during a regularly scheduled council meeting, the mayor and council members cast written ballots, which are read into the record by the City Clerk.

Applicants must receive a two-thirds vote of the council (eight votes) to be appointed to serve on the Elections Commission. Applications and additional information may be obtained from the Office of the City Clerk, 801 North First Street, Room 116, San Jose, Calif. 95110 or telephone:(408) 277-4424

Junior League awards grant funds to 7 local non-profit agencies

The Junior League of San Jose awarded $25,000 in grant funds to seven non-profit agencies in the Santa Clara County area. Each year many agencies apply for a grant from the money the league sets aside from fund-raising efforts to help other non-profits that work in our community. The Junior League of San Jose’s (JLSJ) mission and focus is to support non-profits in the Santa Clara County by providing voluntarism as well as funds.

This year grant requests totaling more than $122,000 came into the league. After each request was reviewed and a site visit was performed, members of the Community Response Committee voted on which agencies would receive the grant money and how it would be allocated.

Funds were awarded to Campbell Parent Participation Preschool, Estrella Family Services, Emergency Housing Consortium, San Jose Family Shelter, Learning & Loving Education Center, RAFT (Resources Area for Teachers) and HOPE Services.

The Junior League of San Jose is a non-profit organization of women committed to improving our community through voluntarism. League volunteers focus on helping children enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive. The league also responds to short-term requests for assistance with financial aid for local non-profits. Last year, JLSL contributed over 27,000 hours of service and $247,000 to the community through collaborations with and grants to local non-profit agencies.

JLSJ is one of 294 Junior Leagues in the Association of Junior Leagues International. For more information on JLSL and its community programs, call (408) 264-3058 or visit www.jlsj.org.

Junior League hosts volunteer recognition

The Junior League of San Jose will host the 36th Annual Volunteer Recog-nition Luncheon at the San Jose Convention Center, 150 W. San Carlos St. on Friday, April 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This event, with the theme “Celebrating Success in Voluntarism,” is designed to celebrate the important contributions made by volunteers in our community. More than 100 volunteers will be honored with Certificates of Appreciation and 17 will receive the prestigious “Crystal Bowl Award,” generously sponsored by Tiffany & Co.

One of the “Crystal Bowl Award” winners will be chosen for the “Volunteerism at its Best” Award and will receive special recognition. The nominating agency sponsoring the winner will receive a $1,000 stipend from the Junior League of San Jose. Additionally, United Way will present the Corporate Leadership Award to FedEx Corporation for their commitment to the community at the luncheon.

Tickets for the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon are $28 and include a wonderful three-course lunch. For more information on the luncheon or to purchase tickets, call (408) 264-3402 or visit www.jlsj.org.

Save the date: May 19

Third annual EVHS Cougar Classic Golf Tournament

The Evergreen Valley High School Athletic Booster Club is sponsoring one of its major fundraisers of the year, the annual EVHS Cougar Classic Golf Tournament, on Thursday, May 19. It will be held at the Los Lagos Golf Course, 2995 Tuers Road, in San Jose.

The booster club is looking for players in foursomes, at $100 per player. In addition to a great round of golf including the car, each player will receive a barbecue dinner and a free T-shirt. What a deal!

The booster club is also looking for event sponsors who would like to advertise their company on a tee as well as on a T-shirt for just a $125. All proceeds will go to the Girls and Boys Athletic programs at EVHS.  

Entry forms will soon be available via the Web site: http://www.evhscougars.com/.

Just print out the entry form, fill it out and mail it in with your entry fee to Evergreen Valley High School, Attn: Dee Quinet, Golf Tournament Chair, 3300 Quimby Raod, San Jose, CA 95148.

For more information, you can contact Quinet at (408) 347-7166 or (408) 710-2618 (cell). Or contact Jane Brehmer at (408) 896-6570 or jane_brehmer@amat.com.