May 6, 2005

NEWS BRIEFS

Comcast Community Celebration

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to downtown San Jose May 14

Bring your family to downtown San Jose on Saturday, May 14, for a free day of entertainment at the Comcast Community Celebration. To show its appreciation for its customers, Comcast is working to give back to the San Jose community.

Starting at 1 p.m., between the Fairmont Hotel and San Jose Museum of Art on Market Street, you can enjoy live music starring local favorite, Mystique, the powerhouse Spanish rock and salsa group that has been packing dance clubs throughout the Bay Area.

Fun family activities include clowns, face painting, caricature artists, free prizes, giveaways and raffles. Free fingerprinting and photo IDs, courtesy of the San Jose Department of Crime and Prevention, will also be available as part of the KidSafe Program.

When you’re ready for a break, test-drive Comcast’s Latest Technology, including HDTV, ON DEMAND, and high-speed Internet services.

The exciting day concludes with an open air screening of “The Wizard of Oz” at 4 p.m. Don’t miss photo opportunities with Dorothy and other animated characters from The Wizard of Oz!

Evergreen Valley Recreation Club reopens May 15

Accepting new pool members

Almost two years after the Evergreen Valley Recreation Club was ravaged by fire, the private neighborhood swimming pool is hosting a grand reopening on Sunday, May 15.

New and old members alike are invited to see the brand new shower and bathroom facility, the picnic facilities, the volleyball, basketball and tetherball areas—and of course, the main attractions—a swimming pool and a baby pool.

Board President Kris Anderson admits it has been “a very lengthy process of obtaining permits and rebuilding, but we are ready to open our new and improved pool.”

To thwart another incident of arson, the pool includes additional fencing where the club meets Thompson Creek. Lighting will be added so the volleyball and basketball areas can be used at night. New security monitors and alarms, with a “panic” button for problems, will also be installed.

Tucked away at 3380 Woodside Lane near Kettmann and Aborn roads, this hidden jewel had originally been built decades ago as a neighborhood cabana. Now available to all Evergreen residents interested in paid membership, it will reopen completely compliant with American Disabilities Act requirements, including a lift for safe handicap access to the pool.

If you’re interested in a seasonal membership to this local recreational facility, the cost is $400. Members who joined in 2004 are eligible for a discounted price of $375. Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the summer. This is family facility with no lifeguard on duty, so parents are responsible for their children under age 18.

For more information, contact Board President Kris Anderson at (408) 274-8068 or ka95121@earthlink.net.

Sunday, May 15, 3 p.m.

Free ‘Opera in the Park’ at Overfelt Gardens

The Chinese Cultural Garden Foundation, the Institute of Sino-American Studies and the city of San Jose’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services present “Opera in the Park, ” Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m. at the Overfelt Gardens Park in the Chinese Cultural Garden, 2145 McKee Road.

Spend an afternoon basking in a free Opera in the Park performance with mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao and special guests, the “Harmida Piano Trio,” with San Francisco Opera cellist Emil Miland, violinist Dawn Harms and pianist Laura Dahl.

Experience Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” Beethoven’s “Ghost,” Brahms and a new song cycle by Jake Hegge composed for Zheng Cao and the Harmida Trio, plus other classical music pieces with a new age twist.

Bring a hat and sunblock. Have a picnic! Bring a lawn chair, or sit under the trees. Enjoy the relaxed and family setting – then get ready to experience the music.

VIP seating and an up-close musical experience is available for a tax-deductible donation. To reserve VIP seating, contact opera@chineseculturalgarden.org or call (408) 258-3231 for more information.

Overfelt Gardens is a non-alcoholic, tobacco free park. This event is dedicated to peace and harmony.

Evergreen residents appear in ‘Seussical, The Musical’ through May 15

Evergreen resident Jarrod Washington is featured in the Children’s Musical Theater San Jose’s Mainstage production of “Seussical, The Musical” through May 15, at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose.

Washington plays Horton, the lovable and loyal elephant from the Jungle of Nool. Other Evergreen residents in the cast of 14- to 20-year-old performers appearing in supporting roles include Missy Harter, Ailea and Lydia Merriam-Pigg, Sameera Naghavi, Angeline Navarro and Rebekah Sousae.

Inspired by the unmatchable rhyming and whimsical imagination of Dr. Seuss, “Seussical, The Musical” follows Horton the elephant from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkis and back, protecting his small friends on the planet of Who from danger and despair.

Other familiar Seuss characters join Horton, including Gertrude McFuzz, the Sour Kangaroo, Yertle the Turtle and The Cat in the Hat, who orchestrates the entire story in his own mischievous and zany ways. Like Seuss stories, “Seussical, The Musical” carries a positive message to both onstage characters and audience members alike, reminding all to believe in themselves and others around them for exactly who and what they are.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for children 12 and under. As part of a yearlong sponsorship from the Target® Corporation, all tickets are just $9.50 at the special Target Family Matinee performance on Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the CMTSJ Web site at www.cmtsj.org. Or phone the CMT Box Office at (408) 288.5437. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the CMT Box Office, 1401 Parkmoor Ave. at Meridian, San Jose, Monday through Friday, 12 p.m.- 6 p.m. or at the Montgomery Theater at the corner of Market and San Carlos streets one hour prior to performances.

‘Chess’ production to benefit CMTSJ May 19 – 22

“Chess,” a fully staged production featuring professional actors from all over the Bay Area, opens for one weekend, May 19 – 22, at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose.

Adam Campbell as Freddie and Lyndsay Faye as Florence star in “Chess,” a fully staged production featuring professional actors from the Bay Area, May 19 – 22, at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose. Photo by Josh Miyaji.

Directed and choreographed by Kevin R. Hauge, the company’s inaugural Marquee Production will benefit ongoing programming for Children’s Musical Theater San Jose, where many local Evergreen children have trained.

All proceeds will help CMT continue to offer performance opportunities and training for youth as well as high quality productions for theatergoers and families throughout Silicon Valley.

“Chess” is a musical sensation written by former ABBA members Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice. Set during the Cold War, it follows two rivals, one American and one Russian, as they struggle through their own life-like games of chess: The one they are playing for their country and the one they are playing for their own lives.

“We are so excited about this year’s Marquee production, which we hope will become an annual event, not only because it will help raise much-needed funds for our programs, but also because it offers another venue for outstanding local talent,” said Hauge, who also serves as CMT’s artistic director.

General tickets are $35. Special VIP tickets are available for the performance on Friday, May 20, for $50, which includes a post-show champagne reception at Hotel St. Claire.

To purchase tickets, visit the CMTSJ Web site at www.cmtsj.org or phone the CMT Box Office at (408) 288.5437.

Tickets may also be purchased in person at the CMT Box Office, 1401 Parkmoor Ave., San Jose, Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. or the Montgomery Theater at the corner of Market and San Carlos Streets one hour prior to performances.

All aboard for District 8’s Annual Bus Trip to Sacramento

Monday, May 23, date finalized

Here’s your best chance to meet state and local legislators to learn about the latest news on the California state budget and voice your concerns about how our education dollars are diminishing.

For the third year in a row, Councilmember Dave Cortese will sponsor a one-day bus trip to Sacramento for any concerned Evergreen citizens striving to make a difference. Listen, learn and voice your opinions face-to-face with our local governmental representatives, including Senator Elaine Ahlquist and Assemblyman Joe Coto.

The trip is scheduled for Monday, May 23, to coincide with the governor’s May Budget Revision. The release date of the May revision is expected to be about May 15.

The bus will leave from Red Robin at Eastridge at about 7 a.m. and return at about 6:30 p.m. You must R.S.V.P. with the District 8 Office to ensure that there’s enough room on the bus.

For more information, call Rabia Chaudhry, Council-member Dave Cortese’s chief of staff, in the District 8 office at (408) 277-5242.

EVHS to host its first ‘Relay For Life’ Aug. 13 – 14

Teams, committee members needed

The American Cancer Society will hold its signature event—Relay For Life—at Evergreen Valley High School, Aug. 13-14.

This community-based and volunteer-organized event is a 24-hour walk designed to empower communities to take up the fight against a disease that has touched so many.

Last year, Relay For Life raised $2.9 million in the Silicon Valley/Central Coast Region, $23 million in California and more than $300 million nationally. This summer, Relay For Life will be the Evergreen community’s first such event.

The Cancer Society is looking for teams and committee members. For more information, contact the American Cancer Society’s local Special Events Manager, Trenton Turner, by phone at (408) 688-0108 or e-mail at trenton.turner@cancer.org.

Build your own volcano at the YSI Summer Science Camp, “Deep Earth, Deep Space.” More than 35 fun-filled nature and natural science camps are offered at Alum Rock Park in San Jose.

Alum Rock Park

YSI’s Summer Science Day Camps—June 13 to Aug. 12

Youth Science Institute’s Summer Science Camps were voted “Best of the Best” in 2004 by “Bay Area Parent” readers.

These fun-filled camps, located in beautiful Alum Rock Park in San Jose, combine hands-on activities with the inspiration of science.

Children age 3 through 12 can choose from camp topics like Animal Friends, Mighty Forest, Bird Brains, Bugology, Creek Week, Wild Wonders, Indian Summer, Science Sleuths, Phunky Physics, Curious Chemistry and more.

Weekly half-day camps are scheduled from June 13 through Aug. 12. Fees are $105-$115. Scholarships may be available. For a free camp schedule and descriptions, call (408) 356-4945, or visit YSI’s Web site on-line at
www.ysi-ca.org.

Boy Scout spaghetti dinner fundraiser May 26

Evergreen’s Boy Scout Troop 264 will host a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on May 26 from 6 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.

Urban Art festival

The Renaissance Academy is currently seeking Bay Area artists and vendors for its San Jose Urban Art Festival to be held Saturday, June 4. For more information, contact Liz at (408) 518-1540 or www.freewebs.com/renaissanceacademy.