September 12, 2007

CALENDAR

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

MUSIC

Sept. 8 – 23
Opera San José launches its 2007–2008 season with Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Eight performances are scheduled at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. As an extra treat, this production will be directed by Timothy Near, artistic director of San Jose Repertory Theatre. It will be her second directorial assignment for Opera San José—and first in a foreign language. This production is presented in Italian with English Supertitles. Conductors —Anthony Quartuccio, Joseph Marcheso. Stage director —Timothy Near. Tickets are $66, $78, and $88 (includes city facility usage fee) and may be purchased from Opera San José Box Office, 2149 Paragon Dr., San José, For more information, call 437-4450 or visit www.operasj.org

Sept. 21
If you missed the “Finding Mercury” performance at KFOG's music in the park last month be sure to catch them at Barnes & Noble in Almaden.  This must see live rock performance is scheduled for 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Almaden Expressway B&N location, 5353 Almaden Expressway in San Jose. For more information, call 979.0611 or visit barnesandnoble.com

Sept. 29 - 30
Symphony Silicon Valley presents An American Anthem at the California Theatre: The season opens with the world premiere of David Amram’s symphonic version of Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land, commissioned by the Guthrie Foundation. The program includes Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony and Janácek’s Sinfonietta, led by Maestro Polivnick in his sixth appearance on SSV’s podium. Admission is $24 - $72. For tickets and additional information, call 286-2600 or visit www.symphonysiliconvalley.org

ART

Sept. 14 – Dec. 31
San Francisco’s Metreon, located at 101 4th Street, hosts the North American debut of Da Vinci – an Exhibition of Genius, celebrating the man who invented the forerunner to the tank, camera, and automobile, engineered bridges and cities, documented the intricacies of the human body, in addition to painting the most famous piece of art in the world. This stunning, interactive and experiential exhibition has taken 10 years to create, and includes 3D animations illuminating the genius behind the famous Vitruvian Man and the Last Supper. Come see the most comprehensive traveling exhibition ever assembled on the greatest creative mind of the Italian Renaissance.  Admission fees are Adult $19.50, Seniors (62+), $17.50 and kids aged 4-12 years are $15.50. For ticket information, visit davincithegenius.com.

CHILDREN/FAMILY

Sept. 22
A Multi-Cultural Moon Festival: Bring your family to The Point, 3695 Rose Terrasse Circle, San Jose, to experience this special event from 7-9 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Enjoy an enchanting multi-cultural evening with a variety of performances encompassing Music, Dance, Song and Door Prizes.  This family-oriented program offers fun and enjoyment for young and old alike! Get you free tickets on a first come, first served basis at The Point. Call 270-7646 for more information.   

Sept. 28
World Water Monitoring Day: From September 18 – October 18 people world wide will be testing the condition of their local water resource as a part of World Water Monitoring Day. Join the cause with Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens for an afternoon of river exploration from 3:30 – 5 p.m. Search for aquatic insects and perform water quality tests to check for phosphates, nitrates, temperature and many more indicators that can tell us just how healthy the Guadalupe River is. Data that is collected will be submitted to the Water Environment Federation (WEF). Workshop location is 438 Coleman Ave, San Jose. All ages welcome, though children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $5/person. To register call 298-7657 or visit www.grpg.org to learn more.

Sept. 29
Happy Hollow and the History Park presents Family Movie Night: This event, held at the San JSoe Gioants Municiple stadium, 588 East Alma is free to the public on a “first come, first served” availability. The evening’s movie will be “E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial” shown on the Jumbotron screen. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the film starts at 7 p.m. The Giants BBQ will be open or bring your own picnic dinner. Bring your blankets – no chairs allowed in the outfield. No alcohol. In keeping with the “E.T. Phone Home” spirit, bring in your old cell phone for recycling and receive a Happy Hollow Park & Zoo admission pass and a History Park ice cream coupon in exchange! Limit one admission pass and ice cream coupon per person. For more information, 277-4193 or visit www.hhpz.org

Sept. 26 – 30
16th Annual San José International Mariachi Festival: The opening gala concert 8 p.m. at San Jose State Event Center will feature Grammy Award Winners Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos with Mariachi Cobre and Tlen Huicani. Tickets are $40, $65, $80 and $125. Other events include outdoor music, a community festival and the best in Latin music from alternative to traditional. “Mostly Mariachi” closing concert on 9/30 features Marco Antiono Solis with Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, performing at the HP Pavilion at 7 p.m. Tickets are $55, $75 and $90. Event tickets are on sale now! Call Ticketmaster at 998-TIXS or (415) 421-TIXS or visit www.ticketmaster.com. For festival information call 1-800-MHC-VIVA or visit www.mhcviva.org

Oct. 6
Gunderson High School “Croptober” Fest: Local Creative Memory Consultants are joining forces to bring together a day for scrapbooking, and learning about digital software and custom framing.  Free classes, albums ideas, and new product displays through the day. The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Gunderson High School Junior class.  Registration includes cropping space, lunch, free gifts, door prizes and raffles prizes. Gunderson High School Gymnasium October 6, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Contact Susan at 813-0592 for registration information.

Oct. 13 – 14
Kick Start, Eat Smart: Join the Children’s Discovery Museum for a weekend of fun that will encourage healthy eating and staying active, including Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Presentation of “Zip’s Great Day!”, family yoga, folklorico dancing, family jazzercise, and more. Kick Start Eat Smart is a partnership between Kaiser Permanente and Children’s Discovery Museum of San José. Event hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on 10/13 and from noon - 5 p.m. on 10/14. For more information, visit www.cdm.org.

CLASSES

Sept. 15
South Bay Deutscher Schulverein, a German Saturday Language School, offers German language instructions at the Willow Glen Educational Park, Middle School Section, 2001 Cottle Avenue. The school offers classes for pre-school through teenagers, as well as adult beginners, intermediate and advanced courses on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.,  For more information visit our website www.sbds.org or call 266-5100. Please note that no information is available weekdays at the school location.

FIFTY PLUS

Sept. 18
Catholic Charities' Day Break Adult Day Support Center will host an Open House/Caregiver Resource Faire for families of Dependent Seniors living in Santa Clara County on from 1-3 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East San Jose. For more information, please call Amy Carlson at 325-5237.

Oct. 6
SeniorNet, computer classes for adults 50 and over will hold registration for computer classes on Saturday, Oct 6, at the Almaden Community Center located at 6445 Camden Avenue. Registration for intermediate courses at 1:30 p.m. Registration for Computer Fundamentals at 3:00 p.m. All classes will be held at the newly renovated Almaden Community Center. For more information call Don House at 268-1703 or visit www.snlcsj.org.

Ongoing 
The UC Santa Cruz Extension at 10420 Bubb Road in Cupertino hosts over 35 classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in subjects including photography, history, current events, memoir writing, Islamic studies and more. The first class, "Introduction to Digital Photography", begins on September 8th. Some classes are for one day. Others meet weekly or bi-weekly. Tuition is charged. For specific information, call Brendan Rawson at (408) 861-3876 or visit our web site at www.ucsc-extension.edu/olli

VOLUNTEERS

Ongoing
Do you enjoy working with children and have an interest in art?  The San Jose Museum of Art is currently recruiting volunters to join the Let's Look at Art Program.  As a volunteer docent you would bring art into classrooms and lead interactive discussions with the students.  Classroom visits are done according to your availability during school hours.  For more information phone 291-5393 or email Vol4LLAA@sjmusart.org.  No art experience is required.  Training session begins Oct. 17, 2007.

Hospice of the Valley has opportunities for volunteers with a variety of skills for patient and family services, community outreach, fundraising events and office support. Training is provided. For more information, call the Hospice of the Valley’s Director of Volunteer Services at 559-5600 or email request@hospicevalley.org.
Kaiser South Bay Hospice Programs is in need of volunteers. Sites are located in San Jose, Santa Clara and Redwood City. All volunteers are trained at no cost and participants are provided ongoing support and education. Volunteers go to patient and family homes providing helpful support in kind, caring ways. Requirements are approximately four hours per week. Call Steve Pankratz, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at 342-6631 or 342-6699.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sept. 20
Exclusive eWomenNetwork "Accelerated Networking" Lunch Event: Maggiano’s at Santana Row. 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Speaker: Craig Harrison, Expressions of Excellence, Berkely , CA “When Networking isn’t Working for You and 9 Mistakes to Avoid” $53/guests; late registration, beginning 9/15; $63 all registrants. For more information, Kristy Rogers 288-8484, or kristyrogers@ewomennetwork.com San Jose businesswomen are owners, corporate professionals and entrepreneurs who are committed to supporting and transacting business with women. At this event we will maximize our networking efforts by giving first and then asking for what we need to grow our businesses. We value business relationships and interaction. We will have extended networking time to get to know each other.

Sept. 22
Leigh High School Class of 1987 20th Reunion.  It will be held at the Hyatt Santa Clara.  You can register online at www.nationalreunions.com or shanicrosby@msn.com.  Other weekend activities are planned.

Sept. 22 – 23
The Eight Annual Holistic Arts fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Divine Science Community Center, 1540 Hicks Ave. in San Jose. This event is a great opportunity to discover today’s leading trends in the visionary arts, holistic health, human potential, spiritual and psychic awareness, and future alternatives. Over 20 experts will speak on holistic subjects, including Crowman, shaman and vision quest leader. Other highlights include the UFO Panel, the Holistic Music Concert, Yoga for your Eyes workshop, Drumming and sharing circle, Dowsing class, and the Crystal Bowl Equinox Meditation ceremony. Over 50 exhibitors will offer products and services covering the full range of today's holistic alternatives. For more information, call 448-6276 or visit our web site at http://www.california.com/~eameece/haf.htm.

Sept. 28
Una Delle Piu Belle Esperienza Italiana:  The Ultimate Italian Experience!  Enjoy authentic Italian cuisine and vino, plus cocktails and entertainment.  Also,  a silent and live auction against the background of Willow Glen's oldest home and one of the region’s finest examples of historic preservation, the Roberto Adobe, 770 Lincoln Avenue, and Sunol/Splivalo Estate.    This event honors John Bruzzone for preserving and restoring this important cultural landmark, and kicks-off the 27th Annual Italian Family Festa and Founder’s Day Weekend in Willow Glen. Tickets are $85 or $75 per person for groups of 15 or more and $70 per person for PAC*SJ members.  After Sept. 21, all tickets will be $85 per person; $95 at the door.  Hours are 6-9:30 p.m. Proceeds will help preserve historic resources throughout San Jose.  Call 998-8105 or visit www.preservation.org for tickets and information.  Space is limited.

Sept. 29
Pioneer High School Education Foundation E-waste Recycling: The Education Foundation is holding its fall e-waste recycling event from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Pioneer High School,1290 Blossom Hill Road. Proceeds from the event benefit students and teachers of PHS. Just drive in, drop off, and we'll unload items for you. We will accept televisions, monitors, computers, laptops, stereo/radio, printers, telephones, cell phones, ink cartridges, fax machines, DVD/VCR players, and cameras. For more information, visit www.pioneerhigh.org or email foundation@pioneerhigh.org

Oct. 11
American Red Cross Blood Services volunteer orientation:  Greet, inform, and thank our wonderful donors at Santa Clara County area blood drives or make important deliveries as a volunteer driver.  Minimum commitment is only two 3-hour shifts per month.  Evening and weekend volunteer shifts available.  Orientation takes place at our San Jose Blood Center, 2731 North First Street from 10 a.m. to noon. Advanced sign-up is required.  For more information, call Anne at 510-594-5165 or email blackstonea@usa.redcross.org.

Ongoing
Princeton Plaza Fair: ( Meridian, at Kooser and Blossom Hill) inside the Mervyn’s Plaza. Fairs will be held on the second Saturday of each month. Coffee and donuts for early bird shoppers. For more information, visit www.aplhazetaevents.com or call 761-6913.

MOMS Club of San Jose - Blossom Hill/Santa Teresa chapter: We are a playgroup that meets a few times per week for many fun, social activities. Our website is www.bayareamoms.org, Contact Victoria Meline for more information 888-5838. Upcoming events include Edenvale Park, on 9/20 from 11am-1pm. and Vista Park, on 9/25 from 10a.m. - noon.

HAVE AN ITEM FOR OUR CALENDAR?
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, Fifty Plus, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by email 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 Road, Ste. 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.