* The Morgan Autism Center, located in San Jose, is a non-profit special education program for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Founded in 1969 the center provides a very positive highly structured environment with a high staff to student ratio.

* Morgan Autism Center 40th Anniversary Celebration Starry Starry Night

A Cocktail & Hors d’oeuvre Reception with a special performance by the dynamic band SAGE – (< music will play)
A fun-filled evening of fine wines, champagnes and culinary delicacies.

Event Co-Chairs: Helen Marchese Owen & Angela McConnell
Honorary Co-Chairs:
Mayor Chuck Reed, City of San Jose
Supervisor Elizabeth Kniss, Santa Clara County

$100 per person – Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Cocktail Attire preferred.
Raffle Tickets Available: 1 for $10, 3 for $20, 8 for $50

* Tap To Talk
Cupertino based Assistyx has developed a communication device:

Regardless of cause–autism, developmental disability, mental retardation, down syndrome, apraxia, and many diseases–TapToTalk can help those who are non-verbal or have other speech or learning challenges communicate and learn.

TapToTalk

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fun-size bar

The San Jose Tech Museum is looking for yucky leftover Halloween candy. It can be traded for a yummy NESTLÉ CRUNCH fun-size bar, and 10% off admission through November 8.
The collected candy is being transformed into a rocket ship sculpture. What fun!

Whats new at The Tech

Not only do we set clocks back an hour this weekend, we can also journey back in time to the days of the Frontier Village amusement park.

Frontier Village was a Western themed amusement park at the intersection of Monterey Road and Branham Lane in San Jose that operated in the 60’s and 70’s.

A Campbell resident opens their back yard up for Halloween that has an old western town modeled after buildings that were at Frontier Village. Included are authentic Antique Autos, signage and other memorabilia from the old amusement park. Dressed in western outfits, they will pass out candy to the kids.

You youngins and those wanting to reminisce may want to visit the Remembering Frontier Village website.

After your day of Trick-or-Treating remember to set your clocks back an hour. Yes, we are heading back to standard time.

Halloween Open Yard
871 Virginia Ave. Campbell

Saturday October 31, 2009
6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

“New” Frontier Village …

"Luann"

Open the San Jose Mercury News Thursday morning and go straight to the comics.

Greg Evans has created a special “Luann” about “Books For Treats“.

10/29/09
San Jose Mercury New
Comics – “Luann”

"Give Brain Candy. Feed Kids' Minds, Not Their Cavities."

With the sight of fallen brownish yellow leaves on the lawn, the next step will be the sound of the doorbell and shouts of Trick-or-Treat.

Rebecca Morgan is one Willow Glen resident who believes Halloween is the perfect opportunity to encourage reading. So much so that she began the Willow Glen based program “Books For Treats“.

Rebecca can’t pull this off all by herself. She needs our help:

* Wed., Oct. 28 — pick up 2 pallets of books from our storage area near Spartan Stadium and deliver them to the Diabetes Society, 3rd floor, Garden Theater. You’ll need a truck and a few people who can lift boxes of books onto hand trucks. There’s an elevator in the Garden Theater. (Great project for the Boy Scouts!)

* Thurs., Oct. 29 10-noon — Sort books into reading levels. (Wear comfortable clothes.) Diabetes Society, 3rd floor, Garden Theater. This is always fun as you get to see great children’s books and get to know other volunteers.

* Fri., Oct. 30, 9:00-noon, 1:30-4:30 — Lincoln Ave. Garden Theater portico. Set up and staff Books For Treats tables during Lincoln Ave. trick-or-treating. We’ll be giving books from 10:00-12:00 for pre-school children, and 2:00-4:00 for grades K-6, until books are gone. We need to set up tables, banners, and books from 9:00-10, then at the end of the day we need to clean up and pack up. We have been told Council member Pierluigi Oliverio will help us pass out books. This is always a wonderful experience, seeing the kids’ (and their parents’) faces light up when they get a book!

More:

* If you have sources of gently read children’s books, especially from baby through second grade, please contact them and see if they will donate. Email Rebecca directly for a drop-off point near Minnesota and Newport.

* You can buy gently read children’s books at the Oct. 24 Friends of the Willow Glen Library book sale.

* Make a monetary contribution to support her web hosting, bookmark printing, etc.

See Books For Treats for all the details.

Note: Check back here (SJMB) on the 29th of October for exciting news!

Pierluigi Oliverio

Tonight is council member Pierluigi Oliverio’s 3rd annual district 6 “Safety Fair & Outdoor Movie Event“.

Featuring – “WALL-E” by Disney/Pixar

When – Friday, August 28th

Time – 7:00 PM

Where – Bramhall/Willow St. Park – Willow Glen

Enter – Willow St. (near Meridian) cross street Glen Eyrie

Bring – a Blanket and Flashlight

We are not talking about the type of kites you flew as a kid. We are talking giant creature kites and kites made from fine paper and bamboo along with an assortment of other kites.

The 22nd Annual Berkeley Kite Festival will take place this weekend (July 25-26) at the Cesar Chavez Park in the Berkeley Marina.

The Berkeley Kite Wranglers are the foremost giant creature kite team in the world with nearly 30,000 square feet of giant show kites in their collection. Watching a group of these giant kites fly in formation is stunning.

Highlighting this year’s festival is a group from the Sode-cho Kite-Flying Society of Hamamatsu, Japan, which will present its traditional Machijirushi kites, made from fine paper and bamboo. The Machijirushi kites used in a nearly 500 years old kite-fighting competition, the goal of which is to force the other kite out of the sky using just your kite.

For the kids there is free kite making (11:00 – 1:00) and kite flying lessons (11:00 – 4:00) and a designated area for families and their kites.

Event highlights include: world-record attempt for giant creature kites, team kite ballet, Japanese-style Rokkaku Kite Battle, humongous kites & windsocks, kite sales tent. manufacturers’ demonstrations, Taiko Drummers from Taiko Spirit, and more.

Bring your own picnic as food is usually expensive at most events.

Parking is $10.00 at the Berkeley Marina and of course, there will be traffic. An option would be to park on the other side of the freeway (near University and 6th) and use the walkway overpass to get to the park. The event is free.

AC Transit bus line 9 goes to the Berkeley Marina; line 9 is available from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.

22nd Annual Berkeley Kite Festival
Cesar E. Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina

Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26, 2009
11:00 am to 5:00 pm

510-535-KITE

Admission: Free

On Sunday July 19, NASA Ames will host Moonfest 2009 a celebration of all things related to the moon; including the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalks and NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission.

The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. In 1969 on July 20, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, while Michael Collins orbited above.

The event will have a variety of hands-on activities and presentations by NASA and space industry experts. Some of the Moonfest exhibits and activities include:

Ask a Lunar Scientist
Ask NASA experts about their jobs. This will be a chance to informally interact with lunar/ space experts about their work, career paths, or other topics.

Small Spacecraft Division, NASA Ames Research Center
Visitors will get an overview of current and future Ames’ satellite missions, build their own little satellite, and have the chance to talk to people directly involved in those missions.

Moon Rocks
The real deal.

Model Rockets
Scale models of the Apollo Saturn V, scale models of other spacecraft from the Apollo era will be launched between noon and 2:00 pm at the airfield (shuttle buses will be available).

MoonPies
The Planetary Society allegedly will be handing out mini MoonPies.

Kids’ Activities for preschool through middle school will include puzzles, coloring contests, and quiz games.

There will be speakers from various backgrounds throughout the day (click name for time and topic): Lawrence Krauss, Anthony Colaprete, Susan Hackwood, Diane Wooden, and Donald Pettit.

Astronaut Donald Pettit is veteran of two spaceflights and lived aboard the Space Station for 5-1/2 months. Recently, he was aboard the STS-126 Endeavour Shuttle/Station assembly mission.

The event organized by the NASA Lunar Science Institute, a new organization that supplements and extends existing NASA lunar science programs and LCROSS. Follow them on Twitter.

Moonfest 2009
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, 94035

Sunday, July 19, 2009
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Admission: Free
Free parking, limited public transportation is available.

America’s birthday, time to celebrate with parades, barbecues, picnics, festivals, and fireworks!

Events are free; however, at some locations there will be food for purchase, some activities may have a fee, and there may be parking fees. Plan early.

Here are some places to view fireworks and/or enjoy a day of celebrations:

San Jose

The City of San Jose, Happy Hollow, History San Jose and Kelley Park will also participate in the new July 4th Fireworks celebration at Municipal Stadium and San Jose State University.

There will be free fireworks viewing in San Jose following the San Jose Giants game on the San Jose State University East Field next to Spartan Stadium or at Kelley Park. Note that no coolers are allowed on University property; in addition, tailgating will be restricted from parking lots and no alcohol allowed. Parking is $8.00 in all lots.

A map showing parking and viewing areas along with hours here (PDF).

Event Information

San Jose America Festival at Guadalupe River Park’s Discovery Meadow canceled because of budget constraints.

Santa Clara

Picnic and Fireworks Extravaganza
Central Park, 909 Kiely Boulevard

Pancake Breakfast at 8 am, followed by games and entertainment throughout the day at the Pavilion along with a carnival area, petting zoo, face painting, and swimming at the International Swim Center. Bring a picnic lunch or purchase foods at the event.

Fireworks at 9:30 pm; Pre-fireworks entertainment will be provided from 7:00 pm on the lawn area near Millikin School.

408-615-3140

Great America will have fireworks Saturdays in August.

Los Gatos

Civic Center, 110 E. Main Street

Los Gatos Celebrates the 4th of July for the whole family, all day 11:00 am – 5:30 pm. Beginning in the morning will be games and activities at the Civic Center. BBQ and cold drinks will be available for purchase at the food court all day.

The San Jose Wind Symphony will perform on the front lawn of Los Gatos High School beginning 1:30 pm.

Back over at the Civic Center there will be free cookies and a performance by the Peninsula Banjo Band, 3:30 pm.

Then at 4:45 pm, it is free bingo and lemonade!

Event Schedule (PDF)

408-354-6820

Milpitas

Independence Day Festivities
Milpitas Sports Center, 1325 E. Calaveras Boulevard

Water activities at Milpitas Sports Center Pools during the day; pool party 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Barbecue, at the pool party 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm; nominal fee.

Concert & Fireworks at Milpitas Sports Center Football Field; 8:00 pm (gates open at 7:30 pm); bring a picnic dinner.

408-586-3228

Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill Community Park, 100 Edes Steet

Along the parade route at 9:00 am Car Cruise & Entertainment and then the Official Santa Clara County Parade at 10:00 am (with bands, horses, and floats).

During the day in downtown is the family festival with live entertainment and car show from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

In the evening from 6:00 pm is pre-fireworks entertainment with the fireworks scheduled for approximately 9:15 pm.

Redwood City

Activities will include arts & crafts, food, kids area, parade, and yes, fireworks.

The best way to get to the parade site is to take Caltrain to the Redwood City station. The parade is literally on the other side of the tracks.

Fireworks viewing at the Port of Redwood City have very limited access; they can be seen from downtown and anywhere west of Highway 101 where there is a clear view of the skies above the Port.

Festival – 9:00 am

Fireworks, Port of Redwood City – 9:30 pm

Maps – Parade, Festival, and Restrooms

Berkeley Marina

The 4th of July on the South Shore of the Berkeley Marina from noon to 10:00 pm, there will be music, dancers, and jugglers all for free! Adventure Playground, is open 11:00 am – 8:00 pm. Sign up for an old-fashioned sack race, create a nature sculpture with environmental artist Zach Pine, or get your face painted. Try the giant slide or splash in the water at the beach. In addition, art & craft booths, massages, free sailboat rides from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

Fireworks will be off the end of the Berkeley Pier at 9:30 pm.

Ride your bike over the Berkeley Bicycle Overpass and park free near Adventure Playground. Free admission, alcohol-free event, no cars after 7:00 pm.

Event Information


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If you have a creative child with a lot of imagination who needs something to do this summer, check out the San Jose Repertory Theatre’s Creative Dramatics Summer Workshops.

San Jose Repertory Theatre is a great place for children and teens to spend their summer. The Creative Dramatics Summer Workshop is a series of two-week programs that teaches youth improvisational and play-building skills. Sessions are offered for children and teens between the ages of 5-16, starting June 22 through July 20. All workshops are held at San Jose Repertory Theatre’s Fourth Floor Studio Theatre, located at 101 Paseo de San Antonio, in downtown San Jose.

“We’re delighted to offer a summer program for kids and teens that focuses on their ideas and their creativity,” comments Karen Altree Piemme, San Jose Rep’s Director of Outreach. “There are many opportunities out there for kids to perform in a play. At the Rep, we celebrate kids’ imaginations by giving them the opportunity to create their own plays.”

Led by San Jose Repertory Theatre professionals, participants develop their improvisational acting and play-building skills. In each two-week program, the first week focuses on character creation, communication, scene building, storytelling, and the collaborative nature of the improvisational process. During week two, participants use those skills to develop their own short play or improv showcase. At the end of each two-week session there is a final presentation of the participants’ finished works. Families, friends and the community-at-large are invited to view the final presentations.

“The program was originally started to fill a void in the offerings of summer arts programs in the community. There were lots of great programs that allowed kids to perform in plays or musicals that already existed,” Altree Piemme continues. “There wasn’t much available, though, that focused on the creative process. Kids’ natural impulses are to imagine – characters, stories, whole new worlds. We see it in children from a very young age. The Rep’s Creative Dramatics Summer Workshops help kids capitalize on those imaginative impulses and learn to use them in a nurturing, supportive, collaborative environment.”

 Creative Dramatics Summer Workshops Sessions:
 • Session I:   Ages 5-7   June 22-July 3,  9:00am-12:00pm
• Session II:   Ages 11-13   June 22-July 3,  1:30pm-4:30pm
• Session III:   Ages 8-10   July 6-July17,  9:00am-12:00pm
• Session IV:   Ages 14-16   July 6-July 17,  1:30pm-4:30pm
• Session V:   Ages 5-7   July 20-July 31,  9:00am-12:00pm
• Session VI:   Ages 11-13   July 20-July 31,  1:30pm-4:30pm

For more details contact Melissa Locsin at 408-367-7292 or MelissaL@sjrep.com.