Better Bike Plan Workshop

Tomorrow there will be a public workshop for San Jose's Better Bike Plan 2025 project. Many more bike sharing stations are coming to San Jose, and this is a great opportunity to provide your input on a plan that will make biking "safer, easier, more convenient, and more comfortable to everyone."

The workshop takes placer from 11am to 1pm, December 1st (tomorrow), at Veggielution in Emma Prusch Farm Park (647 South King Road, San Jose).

What's Going on, Diridon?

The SJSU Urban Planning Department and CommUniverCity are hosting a community event to educate San Joseans about the Diridon Integrated Station Concept. As many of you know, Diridon will become one of the busiest transit hubs in the country over the coming decade--especially when the BART and High Speed Rail connections are complete. This event will provide some insights on what is already being planning and give you the opportunity to share your two cents.

There will also be free food, games, and raffles! The event takes place at the Poor House Bistro (87 South Autumn St., San Jose) on Saturday, December 1st, from 11am to 1:30pm.

San Jose Arts Scavenger Hunt: Dec 1 - 12

A free scavenger hunt launches this Saturday and runs all the way until December 12th. All you need to do is follow the hashtag #12DaysofArt. Each morning at 8am, the San Jose Downtown Association will post a clue on Facebook and their website. The clue will have a photo and written hint and all you have to do is figure out the location of the venue. If you are one of the first 10 people to arrive at that location at the specified time, you win a prize!

This is an amazing incentive to explore Downtown San Jose. I hope this event gets bigger and bigger every year! All of the details are below.

Who: San Jose Arts Marketing Roundtable presents

What: #12 Days of ARTS – a social-media driven scavenger hunt for arts prizes. More than 120 chances to win, including two Grand Prizes! Free to compete and win.

When: Saturday, December 1 through Wednesday, December 12, at various times each day

Where: In and around downtown San Jose

Why: An opportunity to give back to our community and encourage folks to have fun exploring San Jose and its vibrant arts scene. Theater, music, dance, museums, galleries, more.

Where to Go:

Follow the hashtag #12DaysofArts and your favorite San Jose arts organization’s social media sites. Each morning at 8 am, the San Jose Downtown Association will post a clue on their website at sjdowntown.com/12DaysofArts and on their Facebook page @sjdowntown. Watch for the #12DaysofArts clue consisting of a photo and a written hint. You must figure out the location of the day’s venue. The specific time to arrive will be noted.  It could come at any time during the day. 

How Does #12 Days of ARTS Work?    

Each morning a clue will be posted on the San Jose Downtown Association’s Facebook page @sjdowntown, which will also stream at sjdowntown.com/12DaysofArts and be shared on numerous arts and related downtown social media sites. To play the game, you must figure out the “secret” location of the arts organization…a theater, a gallery, museum, events venue, etc. and be one of the first 10 people to arrive at that location at the specified time to win a prize package. 

Those 10 people (or teams) are guaranteed to win a bag filled with wonderful arts surprises like free tickets to shows, entries to exhibits and fun events to participate in. Other surprises await such as dining coupons, free beverages, and logo items of hats, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and more. Ten bags are given away every day…sometimes more!

Every person is limited to TWO wins of the prize bags over the twelve days of the scavenger hunt, but even if you are a two-time winner, you should keep participating! Every person who finds the correct location is entered into the drawing for a grand prize. The more you participate, the more entries you get. 

The first 10 winners each day are asked to take a selfie showing the location of the arts organization from the clue and posting it to their social media with the hashtag: #12DaysofArts. Two GRAND Prizes will also be awarded through random drawings. If you missed a chance to win an Arts Prize Bag on any given day, you can still enter for the Grand Prizes by snapping a selfie and posting it to your social media with the hashtag. Anyone can play one time, or all twelve days!

Additional Information: This is the fourth year of #12 Days of Arts. It grew out of the monthly “brown bag lunch meetings” of the Arts Marketing Roundtable and it has been such a huge hit over the last three years, that we've brought it back again. Winners have included people who played the game just once or played every day, people who had never been to a live theater event or a symphony concert or a museum before, and even people who had never even been DOWNTOWN before. 

We had so many people miss out on prize bags last year, that we have added the element of GRAND prizes and have made them open to anyone…whether you won a prize bag or not. To enter to win, just post a selfie in front of one or more of the “secret” locations and include the hashtag #12DaysofArts. Random drawings will determine the winners. 

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  

Silicon Valley Pet Project opens community center today

The Silicon Valley Pet Project is opening Pup Plaza, our first canine community center, at Cambrian Park Plaza (14408 Union Avenue, San Jose). Today they are having an open house from 3pm to 8pm where you can hang out with other dog lovers and learn about upcoming programs and shop at the new retail boutique with items from local artists. Details are below.

Dog lovers rejoice! Silicon Valley Pet Project opens community center for

dog adoptions, educational events, and workshops

SVPP celebrates “Pup Plaza” launch with Open House on Giving Tuesday, Nov 27, 2018

SAN JOSE, CA - November 20, 2018 - Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is celebrating the grand opening of Pup Plaza, Silicon Valley’s first canine community center, with an open house on Giving Tuesday, November 27, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  The new facility is at Cambrian Park Plaza Shopping Center (14408 Union Avenue, San Jose).  Guests are invited to visit the newly renovated space, meet and hang out with dog lovers and dogs, learn about upcoming educational programs, explore opportunities to foster or adopt, and shop at the new retail boutique which features items from local artists.

Programs like Shelter Dog Day Out are already on the curriculum at Pup Plaza.  In partnership with the San Jose Animal Care Center, Silicon Valley Pet Project volunteers will bring adoptable dogs from the shelter to Pup Plaza every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Shelter dogs will have an opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air and socialize with volunteers and the public. “Doga” – or Dog Yoga – is another program offered twice a month on Sundays starting November 25.  During Community Open Hours, Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy the dog-friendly space (with or without their dogs), ask questions about how to get involved, or be directed to community resources related to pet ownership. Pup Plaza can also be reserved for dog birthday events or any dog friendly social gathering.  For more information, go to Pup Plaza’s website at pupplaza.org.

“We believe that spaces like Pup Plaza will provide the community with resources about adoption and pet guardianship, while celebrating our love for pets in a fun, upbeat environment.” said Melissa Lisbon, SVPP President.

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About:

Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization committed to saving local at-risk shelter pets through rescue, community involvement, and education. SVPP is a proud rescue partner of the San Jose Animal Care Center, San Jose’s municipal animal shelter. Since starting operations in 2015, SVPP has rescued and adopted over 975 cats and dogs.

Upcoming Events:

Doga at Pup Plaza

Every first and third Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
First session: Sunday, November 25

Following the success of the Doga in the Park summer series, SVPP will continue to host Doga (yoga with dogs) sessions at the newly opened Pup Plaza. Each Doga session will be led by a certified yoga instructors and is perfect for people and pups of all levels. Each session is $25 and all proceeds go to support the organization. To reserve tickets, register here.

Shelter Dog Day Out at Pup Plaza

Every Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In partnership with the San Jose Animal Care Center, Silicon Valley Pet Project volunteers will bring adoptable dogs from the shelter to Pup Plaza. Shelter dogs will have opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air and socialize with volunteers and the public. Interested volunteers can fill out a volunteer application here. Please mention Dog Day Out Program in the application.

Community Open Hours at Pup Plaza

Every Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Guests are invited to visit Pup Plaza to learn more about the space, upcoming programs, or ask for advice regarding pet ownership and adoption. Guests are also encouraged to simply relax and enjoy the space with their furry critters and friends!

Daimler and Bosch will trial autonomous taxis in San Jose

All roads are headed towards robotaxis. Every major auto manufacturer is investing heavily in self-driving technology, and services are coming far sooner than you think. Waymo--which is owned by Google--will be the first to launch a paid service using autonomous vehicles. Arizona will be the first to get the service over the next couple months, followed by the Bay Area.

Right on the heels of Waymo, Daimler and Bosch are doing a pilot in San Jose during the second half of 2019. They will use a fully autonomous Mercedes Benz S Class to transport passengers between Downtown San Jose and the San Carlos/Stevens Creek corridor (Santana Row & Valley Fair). That is probably the route in San Jose in greatest need for a transit upgrade.

Unlike Waymo, who is already running some cars with no safety driver--they will have two safety drivers in each vehicle. You will be able to summon a car by using an app and presumably the service will be either very low cost or free during the trial period. Welcome to the future.

Source: Engadget, SVBJ

Coworking Foundation begins new chapter in Silicon Valley

All Good Work is a nonprofit foundation that connects "social impact organizations" (mostly nonprofits) to donated workspaces. The foundation has officially expanded to Silicon Valley and already has a network of 15 flexible workspace hosts. Veggielution is one of the first San Jose organizations that will benefit from their generosity.

The official launch of their Silicon Valley program took place a week ago at Common Grounds and featured a speech from San Jose Mayor, Sam Liccardo.

For more info on the launch and the organization, head over here and here.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

Hope you all have a wonderful time and lots of delicious eats today. Warm wishes to you and your family from your friends at The San Jose Blog!

VTA's Holly Trolley is back for the holidays!

VTA has a special historic train all decked out for the holidays that loops around Downtown San Jose. The train runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 23rd to December 30th. It runs on the Light Rail tracks between the Civic Center and Diridon Station and is completely free. It is worth seeking out if you are visiting Christmas in the Park, Downtown Ice, or any other Downtown holiday attraction.

For a timetable, click here.