The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is an event held at cities across the country, including the Bay Area this summer, to promote awareness and raise funds for breast cancer programs including, research, screening and diagnosis, treatment, and various services.

Locally, Team Willow Glen was organized so its members could train together in preparation for the Avon Foundation’s walk in San Francisco July 12 and 13. They have scheduled training walks up to the last week before the event.

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer starts at Chrissy Field in San Francisco, crosses the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, then back to Chrissy Field to camp for the night. The second day is through San Francisco ending at Golden Gate Park.

You may have a personal reason for taking part in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a sister, mother, best friend, or even yourself. Men are encouraged to join and participate for someone they know or themselves. Janet Fouts, team captain of Team Willow Glen, pointed out to me that it is important to remember that men get breast cancer too.

Team Willow Glen has local fundraising events from yard/garage sales to a wine pairing dinner. The wine pairing dinner will be held at Fusion restaurant May 18 with 50% of the proceeds going to the Avon Foundation on the behalf of Team Willow Glen. Information about the dinner here.

Even though the walk is not until July, you my want to consider joining Team Willow Glen now so you can participate in those training walks. Training walks begin (carpool) and meetings are held at Elva’s Coffee Stop, 2206 Lincoln Ave. Willow Glen.

You need not live nor work in Willow Glen to join the team.

For more information about Team Willow Glen, joining, donating, upcoming events, and training walks, check here.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
San Francisco
Saturday and Sunday, July 12 - 13

Join thousands of Bay Area residents by leaving that smog inducing car at home. Strap that helmet on and get on your bike!

Why? Because May 15 is Bike to Work Day!

As part of this exciting event, there will be a over 190 Engergizer Stations strategically placed throughout the Bay Area where volunteers will be handing out treats, tote bags and bicycling commute-related information.

It’s healthy! It’s economical! It’s environmentally friendly!

I’m taking part! You should too!

The June edition of Bicycle Magazine identified San Jose as the 3rd runner-up for the Most Improved city for riding your bike. They stated that the weather and 200+ miles of bike routes and trails makes San Jose bike friendly. To add to the compliments, the author mentioned that if San Jose were on the East Coast, not competing with the likes of San Francisco, it could be considered a cycling mecca!

I can attest that most of San Jose is bike friendly. Riding 100+ miles a week, many areas of San Jose are a dream. However, there are still many areas that are less than desirable, mostly due to the deterioration of the bike routes, the roads, or simply the lack of a “safe space” for cyclists, particularly on overpasses and freeway entrances/exits.

Quite frankly, the article was a pleasant surprise! Hopefully our city government moves us from 3rd runner of of Most Improved to either the top 3, or runner up for best place to cycle!

Iranian New Year - Norouz means “New Day” and is a celebration of life festival at the beginning of spring.

Iranian-American community activities include Spring cleaning, buying new clothes, painting eggs, giving presents, being with family, friends and neighbors.

* The 1st Annual Iranian New Year Parade of Northern California:

Sunday March 30th - 10am to 4pm
Downtown San Jose – Intersection of Market Street and Park Ave.
The parade will be followed with singing and dancing in the park.
(Admission is free)

* The 5th Annual Norouz Festival and Concert:

Saturday April 5 and Sunday April 6 - 10am to 7pm
Vasona Park in Los Gatos
Entrance from Blossom Hill Road or University Ave.
Persian foods, dance groups, family entertainment.
And someone to get excited about: Rushid - is confirmed.
(Admission is free)

Eggs, representing fertility, are boiled and painted with colorful images then placed on the Norouz table.
Photo credit goes to Alireza Najafian. Please look at his beautiful work on flickr.

Norouz Festival

The 6th Annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” will be held Wednesday, April 9th @ 4:00 p.m. Real men will dig out their high-heels to walk the walk and call awareness to the problem of sexual assault.

This year join:
Rob Davis, Police Chief, San Jose Police Department
Darryl Von Raesfeld, Fire Chief, San Jose Fire Department
Wayne Davis, Santa Clara County Director of Operations for AMR
Russ Hancock, President/CEO, Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Chris Johnson, Photographer
Dan Fenton, Chairman of the Board, Team San Jose – President and CEO, San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau
And the man next door.

Everyone has a good time at this event .  Women are welcome to walk with their men to lend support,  or Band-Aids®

2008 Walk a Mile in Her Shoes:
Registration and shoe selection open, Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 4:00 p.m.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® walk to bring awareness, 5:00 p.m.
Post walk reception at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose,
5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Benefiting the YWCA’s Rape Crisis Center.

Sign Up Here  (Let them know if you need some new heels)

According to this morning’s edition of the San Jose Mercury News, San Jose’s City Hall is now at peace after the “Little Saigon” fiasco. With that resolved, it also brings Ly Tong’s fasting to an end.

What happened? Apparently Vice Mayor Cortese’s earlier recommendation of private funding for signs along the area was heeded by councilman Sam Liccardo, along with Mayor Chuck Reed (Yay Dave! — I live in his district). What doesn’t appear to be clear from the article was whether Councilwoman Madison Nguyen was involved in drafting the proposal.

For now, it appears the city will be distancing itself from the issue.

The approach makes sense — why this was not done before things got out of control is a bit curious. Gauging various stories on the issue, most link the issue’s escalation to a lack of leadership by Mayor Chuck Reed. Whether that’s true or not is not for me to say… but something went wrong.

The path that the supporters of “Little Saigon” took is still a bit puzzling to me. The only thing I can think of is the emotions representative of a people who were displaced from their homes due to Communism led them to this path. There were those who strongly opposed any formal discussion of renaming this section of Silicon Valley real estate, while there were also those who were willing to pursue some recognition and preservation of their culture in a country they now call their home. I think this might be key to the whole thing. Yes… despite what naysayers may think, this is their home, just as the Italians, Irish, Chinese, Japanese and a countless number of immigrants made the good old U S of A their home. I think it’s probably fair to say that the same criticisms of the Vietnamese community can be equally extended to every immigrant group in American history.

Was this necessarily the right path? While it all seems a bit extreme, only time and history will tell. Also, despite the seeming polarization of the community, not to mention anyone who had something to say about the issue, I think we should consider what this means for everyone, not just the Vietnamese community.

What does this all mean? Well, thanks to some great professors I had in college many moons ago, and my involvement in my own community, I learned that mono-cultures breed fear and intolerance towards anyone that doesn’t blend in. In food speak, the reality is that our country is not a melting pot (I like to say fondue), it’s really a nice stew, where almost every ingredient is still recognizable. While not as refined as a fondue, each ingredient in it’s lumpy goodness is bathed in a thick gravy that suspends each ingredient uniquely, but in a single recipe to create a stew. That’s pretty much America - each culture is still uniquely identified but each is American.

What have we learned from this? In the end, probably nothing as politics goes.

However, as citizens, I think it’s easy to forget that we create the communities we live in… not some bureaucrat that said the right things to get voted into office. Maybe we should all create a little passion of our own to build the communities and the homes we want…

As my wife told me a long time ago, home is where we live, love and play… and that could be anywhere.

The Sister City Program:
During a White House conference in 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a program designed to foster personal relationships between cities of the world. The City of San Jose now has seven Sister Cities. The San Jose - Dublin sister city relationship, known as ‘twinning’ in Ireland, was established in 1986.

Councilor Paddy Bourke, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and his delegation will join with San Jose City officials, business and university representatives from March 6th through the 11th.

Dublin Sister City Welcome Breakfast

Friday, March 7
San Jose Museum of Art
110 S. Market Street
Registration and Informal Reception – 7:30 a.m.
Breakfast – 8:00 a.m.
Tickets - $35

 

City Hall Flag Raising Ceremony

Friday, March 7, 10:00 a.m.
City Hall Plaza on Santa Clara Street
Mayor Chuck Reed and San Jose City Council
St. John Vianney School Students
San Jose Fire Department Color Guard Unit
San Jose Police Department Color Guard Unit

 

San Jose Dublin Sister City Committee Spirit of Ireland Dinner

Saturday, March 8
San Jose Athletic Club
196 N. Third Street
No-Host Reception – 6:30 p.m.
Seating for Dinner – 7:30 p.m.
Business Attire
Tickets - $150

The City Hall Flag Raising Ceremony, on the 7th, is the only event that looks to be free. Otherwise, pull out your credit card.

See: 22 Year Anniversary Celebration.

What’s in a name? Unfortunately for the Vietnamese American community here in San Jose ‘a name’ has become a conduit for division. By favoring the name “Saigon Business District”, Councilwoman Madison Nguyen has come under suspicion. She has been accused of having a (not so) hidden agenda. Was she only acting on behalf of her constituents when she became involved with the Vietnam Town Plaza?

The name “Little Saigon” has been used without controversy in San Francisco, Orange County, and Houston. Viet émigrés have worked hard to make this area of San Jose not only a successful business district, but also a symbol of freedom. Why did this become an issue only in San Jose? What harm did Mayor Chuck Reed and the Council imagine? If we follow the politics, or the money, will we find an answer? Let us hope that this vexatious situation will be resolved with a diplomatic solution.

Looking over Silicon Valley from Sierra Road.

2/20: Stage 3 - Modesto to San José:

The race begins this morning in Modesto at 10am. It will be a great triumph just getting to San Jose. The route will take the riders to Patterson then up and over the 4360-foot summit of Mt. Hamilton. This is a beautiful drive by car, but not an easy feat by bike. The weather could add extra caution to the 18-mile descent.

Once here in the valley, the cyclists will be directed north on Piedmont Road and then unbelievably they will be asked to make it up Sierra (Grade) Road. This ‘hill’ of 1,943 feet in 3.7 miles may very well be the decider of today’s race. The downhill run from Calaveras Road to Piedmont Road, and then to City Hall should be a welcome breeze.

The CHP will be restricting motorized traffic during the day:

Calaveras Rd. - closed 1 to 3pm

Rolling Closure Areas:
Piedmont Rd.
Mabury Rd.
becomes Taylor St.
N. 2nd St.
St. James

3rd St. - closed between St. James and San Fernando noon to 6pm

Santa Clara St. - closed from Second to Fourth early morning to 6pm
and from Fourth to Seventh will be closed to 8pm.

Finish @ City Hall

AMGEN’S TOUR OF CALIFORNIA
STAGE 3 COVERAGE BEGINS WEDNESDAY AT 9:30A

Comcast TV
081 VERSUS
Wed, Feb 20, 8:00p - 9:00p

This morning I dropped off some new pajamas at the Fairmont Hotel.
The PJ ladies will be out front happy to take donations until 10am.