TWO BUCK Tuesday Tomorrow!

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Join us at KALEID Gallery for this upcoming Two Buck Tuesday! Come enjoy an inspired evening of art demos, performances, live painting, $2 art & quirky people get together!


Lots of $2 ART! (art by Michael Borja pictured above)


And here are just some of the interesting artists and crafters you will meet!

Michele Guieu invites you to participate in a messy paper collage workshop and to experiment with colors and transparency. Tear the paper or use scissors and compose a one of a kind image. Paper (different types and colors), glue and brushes are provided. Size of the collage: 8x5.5”.


Laura Callin Bennett will help us make Pysanky (Ukrainian Dyed Easter Eggs). These are not your typical pastel dyed eggs! You will be able to draw intricate designs in wax and use brilliant dyes to create one-of-a-kind egg artwork.



David Mejia will paint your portrait on the spot for a small fee.

Brande Barrett will demonstrate how to make art into glass pendants.
Aaron will draw your name in Graffiti for a small fee.


LIVE ART By:

Jared Konopitski
Erikka Hugger
Nik Caesar
John Hageman
Leeonnista
Al Preciado


Also featuring live, improvisational Belly Dance by Nour El Ain!

Tuesday, March 20th, 7-10pm
It's free and open to all ages!


88 South Fourth Street (@ San Fernando)
San Jose, CA
info@KALEIDGallery.com
408-947-1785
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, noon -7pm, free admission

SJC is Getting a Lounge Again

This may seem like a small thing, but if you have business travelers paying thousands of dollars for premium seats or frequent travelers that have achieved ultra platinum quadruple black diamond status, access to a business-class lounge is pretty much assumed at any international airport. San Jose and Oakland are probably two of the largest airports in the US without a single lounge. SJC used to have an American Airlines Admirals Club, but it closed in 2009 not too long after the discontinuation of their international flights.

Now that ANA is bringing nonstop flights between Tokyo and San Jose (sweet!), the lounge is coming back. This time it will be on the third floor of the International terminal, which is between Terminal A and C. The 5,300 sqft lounge will have workstations, a conference room, "quiet" seating, TVs, express spa services, food, a full-service bar, and private restrooms. The total cost is $1.3M and it will be ready before flights to Tokyo kick off in early 2013.

Source: SJBJ

The Siren Show March 18th

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

The Pennywell presents The Siren Show
featuring art work by: Allen Vu, Jo Anne Yada, April Gee, Ale Germann , Herlinda Lozano, Thinh Le, David Meijia, Melody Lu, Murphy Adams, Nicolas Caesar, Chris Mengarelli, Sonia Orban, Kelly Greenwalt, Kari Olandese, Jaycee, Vi Dang, Courtney Thiesen, John Hademan, Anthony Barbaria, and David Canavese

Sunday, March 18th 11am-6pm
LIve music by Containher
food & beverages provided
The Pennywell
205 Jackson Street @ No. 5th Street
San Jose

St. Patrick's Day Litter & Illegal Sign Clean Up

To balance out today's debaucheries, why not participate in a good cause--the Great American Litter & Illegal Sign Clean Up. For all of the info, just continue reading below.

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It's St. Patty’s Day – Be Green with Me and Clean

Don't forget this Saturday, March 17th, is the Great American Litter & Illegal Sign Clean Up at John Mise Park. Come celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day with me and other members of the community. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. followed by a brief orientation from City Staff.

We will be picking up litter in and around parks, schools, sidewalks and neighborhoods in District 1 as well as removing illegal signs posted on utility poles, street signs and park strips. We will then meet back up to have a FREE pizza lunch prepared by The Pasta Market and enjoy music from our DJ Rich McCoy.  

Please spread the word to all of your friends and family members. This event will be held rain or shine, so don't let a little rain stop you from coming out to help clean up the District 1 community!

You can sign up at the event or by registering at: http://2012greatamericanlitterpickup.eventbrite.com. Contact my office at (408) 535-4901 if you have any further questions. See you all out there!  

Neither snow, nor rain, nor thunderstorms, nor hail, will prevent the Great American Litter Pick up from happening!

Your Neighbor,

Pete Constant
San Jose City Councilmember, District 1
San Jose City Hall | 200 E. Santa Clara St., 18th Floor | San Jose, CA 95113
408-535-4901 | pete.constant@sanjoseca.gov | www.sjdistrict1.com

San Pedro Square Market Updates

I have always been bullish on The San Pedro Square Market, even after numerous delays and the loss of a few promising tenants. However, I'm going to make a really bold statement and say not only will the Market be a tremendous success... but it will be the inflection point that will change people's negative perceptions of Downtown San Jose and will likely be one of the most successful markets of it's kind in the US.

Some people are going to cringe when I say this, but it does have a lot of similarities to Santana Row. The attention to detail in the Market is impeccable, from the hummingbirds hanging from the ceiling to the flower selection in the courtyard. It has great open-air dining options, including the incredible courtyard with the Peralta Adobe. There is live music and entertainment. And, it is being progressively elaborated. Santana Row wasn't built in a day, in fact it is still being built. With SR, I always enjoyed going there and discovering what is coming next. There were always new surprises to discover, and now the same is happening with the Market.

Before I get into the updates, let me tell you where The Market and Santana Row are different. 1.) Instead of national anchors and restaurants, every tenant in The Market is a local small business where the owners are incredibly passionate about what they do and are striving to deliver the best possible product possible. SR venues go for consistency, the Market is going for excellence and innovation (can give you examples of innovative concepts from every food vendor). 2.) Price. The Market has the best value proposition imaginable for dinner. Pay "lunch" prices all day long, mix and match foods from vendors, no reservations needed, and it's both kid and adult friendly (three bars by summer).  3.) History. There is actual historical value in the venue itself. It is more than retail in a box. The Market will actually help preserve some San Jose history and make it more accessible to the public.

Okay, now for the good stuff.  Here are the updates since the last time I posted about the Market:

• On a Roll is now open right at the front of the Market. They serve Vietnamese sandwiches, noodle plates, spring rolls, tofu, and several other items. I've tried it already... the noodle plate with the pork is fantastic. Great addition!
• New seating has been added outside the Market and adjacent to On a Roll.
• The Crepe place (Crepe-Paris) is about 2 weeks away from opening. They'll have both savory and sweet crepes and be right between Vino Vino and On a Roll.  Also, they will likely stay open late to provide food for the post 10pm bar crowd.
• A new awning has been added in the courtyard, as well as some new festoon lighting.
• A new sign has been added for Blush, which also looks like it's getting a roll-up door on the side of the building.
• Building #2 (Lusardi) is 4-6 weeks away from opening. Unlike Building #1 (El Dorado), it's likely going to open mostly full with the following vendors:
• Treatbot Karaoke Ice Cream Truck
• Veggiebox - fresh, local veggies and prepared dishes
• Blush - Sushi, oysters, and a really unique bar
• Showroom - Boutique apparel, including I<3SJ shirts
• Ay Dios Mio - Mexican  
• The Little Cheese Shop - Cheese, Charcuterie, and Gourmet Foods
• San Pedro Square Seafood
• Loteria Taco Bar will be coming to the original building later this year.
• New Saturday San Pedro Farmers Market which will wrap around the Market and kick off April 7th!

GeneWeave Biosciences Raises Initial $12M

Another non-greentech company in San Jose is picking up funding, GeneWeave Biosciences. They're grabbing $12M in their first round (Series A) to develop molecular diagnostic technology that detects life-threatening pathogens. Brand new companies like this one getting substantial amounts of funding is a great sign for the entrepreneurial community in San Jose.

If you're a molecular biologist, assay development scientist (?), instrumental development engineer, or quality manager... they are also hiring.

Source: SJBJ

Wednesday Wishlist: North San Pedro Ballpark

Today's Wednesday Wishlist comes courtesy of one of our readers, Anthony Dominguez. I think he makes some valid points and I'm sure we can all agree that the closer the ballpark is to the downtown core, the better. I'm sure we'll have a lot of discussion on this one, so as always post your feedback in the chat =).

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Back in March of 2009, Rhamesis Muncada (aka Marinelayer at the A's new ballpark blog) stated to readers that the current Diridon Site might not be the only one considered for a future A's ballpark.  Talk about a teaser!  At the time many of us simply stated "huh?" and threw out all the usual suspects in terms of past sites considered, i.e. the Fairgrounds, Airport West/FMC, and Berryessa.  I theorized that another possible site for the ballpark could be North San Pedro/Brandenburg (NSP)...and guess what, I was right!

In many ways Josh, NSP would be superior for an A's ballpark than the current choice of Diridon for the following reasons:

1) More foot traffic for San Pedro Square Market/future housing/future retail developments from core downtown parking and future Santa Clara Street BART subway portals.

2) A bit further away from the "NIMBY" noise of Shasta/Hanchett Park and Willow Glen.

3) Easier access from 880 via Coleman Avenue and future Autumn Parkway.  In fact, surface parking for the ballpark could be built just northwest of 87 and Bassett St./UPRR tracks. (see the land plot via Google Earth/Maps).

4) Still within a 15 minute walk of Diridon Station and mere minutes from light-rail at St. James Park.

5) Leaves the Diridon Site open to more lucrative housing, office and retail associated with future Diridon Transit Center.

6) Much less traffic conflict with simultaneous events occuring at HP Pavilion; traffic more spread out through the downtown core.

I've also theorized Josh that perhaps in the future, Lew Wolff and the city of San Jose could do a land swap with Barry Swenson Builders.  Swenson could lease NSP to Lew Wolff/A's for the privately financed ballpark IN EXCHANGE for the city of San Jose leasing the Diridon Site to Swenson for his proposed residential development.  Because of the flight path of SJC, I've always felt that NSP (itself part of the downtown core) would be more conducive for a noise generating sports venue, while Diridon (with it's transit connectivity) more conducive for housing/office/retail.

Why do I feel the parties should consider a site change, considering all the work that's gone into planning for Diridon?  One reason is that Lew Wolff recently stated a ballpark in San Jose wouldn't open now until 2016 at the earliest, a full four years away.  There would still be time to conduct a full (or supplemental) EIR for a NSP ballpark.  Groundbreaking for the ballpark doesn't have to occur until the Spring of 2014 under the new scenario.  Save for a few old buildings, NSP is also clear and ready for construction as well.

Another reason concerns NIMBYS.  Again, NSP is more "downtown core" in flavor, and perhaps residents of nearby condos would welcome a ballpark in their backyard.  I recall some Newballpark commenters (who lived in that area of downtown) stating they would love to have a ballpark at NSP (see increased property values!).  We are already hearing grumblings from the Shasta Hancett/Rose Garden crowd about the possible noise and lights of a Diridon Ballpark.  In my opinion a NSP ballpark would make things much easier for the A's and city in this regard.

Lastly, the referendum issue.  No public vote would be necessary under the scenario of NSP because Lew Wolff/The A's would be dealing with a private land owner in Barry Swenson.  This would cease being an "issue" of the city of San Jose buying land for Lew Wolff and his millionaire sports team.  I also think opposition would die down due to the ballpark now being in the downtown core and away from nearby neighborhoods.

I've included a photoshop illustration (courtesy of Marinelayer) to give you an idea of how a ballpark would fit in at NSP.  In fact, if you "reversed" current images of the proposed Cisco Field it would fit in perfectly at NSP.

Anthony Dominguez (Tony D.)

P.S. One more item on my fantasy North San Pedro ballpark: I would incorporate the "James Square" building, located at the NW corner of Devine and N. Market Streets, into the ballpark site. James Square could be renovated much like the older buildings of the San Pedro Square Market and act as the SE gate/entrance to the ballpark. The building itself could house shops, restaurants/concessions and perhaps have a rooftop terrace for dining/beverage consumption.

Introducing Green Energy Match (GEM)

The City of San Jose and the Silicon Valley Energy Watch are sponsoring a new program that rewards you for saving you your energy bill. For all of the info, just read the blurb below.

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Save money.  Save energy.  Shop Local.

GEM  is a program sponsored by the City of San José that rewards residents for saving energy at home with coupons from local merchants. The program is a win-win-win as it helps residents save money, offers merchants free advertising and exposure, and strengthens local shopping districts and communities.

GEM is available in three pilot neighborhoods:  Hillview, Evergreen and Willow Glen.  The coupons, 70%-off from participating local merchants, are awarded monthly based on the energy savings shown on PG&E bills.

Go to  http://www.wattzon.com/learning/article/introducing-green-energy-match-gem to sign up.

Interested merchants should call 650-948-2004.

GEM also provides community grants of $500 to local groups.  Please call 650-948-2004to learn more.

GEM is sponsored by the city of San Jose' and Silicon Valley Energy Watch.  The program is administered by WattzOn, a Santa Clara County energy efficiency company.