Saturday Stats: San Jose Commute Times

Do you think that your commute in Silicon Valley is pretty bad? Well, it turns out that it is probably less worse than in other major metros in California. The average commute in San Jose is 24.4 minutes. This compares to 28.8 minutes in San Francisco (the worst of ALL major metros), 28.3 minutes in Los Angeles, and 25.9 minutes in Sacramento. San Diego tied with San Jose at 24.4 minutes. As much as we complain, it is at least 18% worse up north.

Source: SVBJ

South First Friday Tonight!

The very first South First Friday of 2013 kicks off tonight, and it looks like there are several new participants in Downtown San Jose's premier art crawl. This is the first time I have even heard of the Seeing Things Gallery on 30 North Third St., same with the LGBTQ Youth Center. I also don't remember The Studio Rock Climbing Gym or Pagoda officially participating in the past. It should be a lot of fun, so come on down and check out some cool art at 21 venues Downtown! For more info click here.

New Feature Exhibits at KALEID Open February 1st

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Two new KALEID feature exhibitions help kick off the 8th year of the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk!
Join us for opening receptions for KALEID artists Melanie Sharr, and Jeff Hemming, two talented painters each unique in their narrative and aesthetic style.


LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION by Jeff Hemming


Houses In My Dreams by Melanie Sharr

Opening Reception Friday, February 1st, 7-11pm
Free & open to the public


88 South Fourth Street (@ San Fernando)
San Jose, CA 95112
info@KALEIDGallery.com
408-947-1785
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, noon -7pm
Free admission

San Jose Sharks Update – 1/30/2013

To say the Sharks have had an unbelievable start to the “2012”-2013 season is quite the understatement.  For those of you who have been in suspended in hypersleep for the last ten days, the Sharks are now 6 (wins) – 0 (losses) – 0 (overtime/shootout losses), already the best undefeated start to an NHL season in franchise history.  In fact, the Sharks have been so dominant, fans and commentators from all around the country have been chiming in to comment on the Sharks’ sheer force, and even to the point of joking how forward Patrick Marleau hit a “slump” when he only scored one goal against the Vancouver Canucks last Sunday.  (This of course, refers to Marleau tying a 97-year-old NHL record of most consecutive multi-goal games to start a season, with four.)

The most evident improvement of the Sharks’ effective play is, by far, their chemistry, the most visible of which being executed by the top line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Joe Pavelski.  If statistics are an additional indicator, Marleau, Thornton, and Pavelski are all currently within the top five highest point getters in the NHL so far this season, with Marleau and Thornton tied for #1.  In addition, Marleau is leading the league in goals, with nine (almost double the second highest), and Thornton is leading the league in assists.  Watching Sharks coach Todd McLellan’s assembled lines work in the offensive zone is simply incredible.  Occasionally, watching the Sharks execute an offensive zone cycle and fighting in the corners while even strength is like watching the Sharks execute a power play.  While the Sharks have been lacking in power play production in prior seasons, they currently lead the league in capitalizing on power play opportunities – burying the puck over 35% of the time.  Watch the team work on their power plays.  The tape-to-tape passes are crisp.  The puck movement is fluid.  Pretty rare to see when playing against the best skaters in the world.

If anyone is to understand how the best hockey is played, it is all about chemistry between the players.  Many fans believe that stacking a team with superstars or with young players is the key to victory, but history proves otherwise.  How well can a team pass to one another?  Can players effectively receive bad passes?  Is it easy for players to get open for passes or shot opportunities?  Can the team play well defensively?  These are questions that require answering when it comes to assembling (and executing the abilities of) an elite team.  Through personal experience and through historical data, the best performing teams have been defensive minded teams with strong abilities to move the puck and have amazing chemistry.  Just look at the recent Stanley Cup winning teams as examples.

While the Sharks have recently shown an impressive offensive campaign in these first six games (possibly excluding last night’s game versus the Anaheim Ducks), the defense has been equally impressive.  Besides outstanding goaltending performance (I mean, look at Antti Niemi so far this season), the defensemen have done a wonderful job as well.  One statistic many defensemen pay attention to is blocked shots, a somewhat recent statistic the league has actively recorded, but probably one of the most important overlooked statistics by fans and commentators alike.  Blocked shots have changed the game in a significant way, often having teams rely on elite snipers or masterful tip-ins to score goals.  A common defensive zone strategy is to crowd the net, since, well, the puck cannot exactly go through players.  Even while listening to play-by-play announcer Dan Rusanowsky, the frequency with which I hear “blocked shots” are increasing.  It seems Coach McLellan is learning from the success of other defensively minded teams who have adopted an aggressive “cut off all angles” defense strategy.

(Another note on defense strategies – I will try not to often mention the cheap 1-3-1 defense strategy overwhelmingly executed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, as much as I can help it.  That’s a different story for another day)

Overall, I firmly believe the Sharks have developed a successful strategy, and it has shown.  While currently holding a 6-0 undefeated record so far this season, it is also important to note the great majority of the games have been completely dominated by the Sharks, as they currently have been outscoring their opponents 26-10.  This is in direct contract to the equally undefeated Chicago Blackhawks, who have a less impressive 22-13 margin, and in the opinions of many, have been terrific, but not completely dominant, with wins primarily with one goal differences.

Hopefully, over time, I will be able to update more frequently and to provide a game-by-game analysis.  My direction is more to analyze significant statistics and to look at overall team strategies.  If any of you want to see, specifically, who won games, who scored, read obvious information, and to read about bandwagoner/fair-weather “fan” rants from local kids and/or beat reporters, go ahead and use a search engine to find a whole pile of lackluster articles – there’s plenty of those.  The perspective I hope to push is one of playing analysis for the die-hards like myself, the same people who attended games since the Cow Palace days, and have been supporting the Sharks through good times and bad.  I hope you all appreciate this direction, and please feel free to message and/or provide commentary to help me direct my analysis.  As I may have mentioned before, I have created a statistical chart that I am only now starting to use and will eventually post it on this blog publicly for you all to use and manipulate.

The Sharks are at home again, tomorrow night, where they face the Edmonton Oilers (for the second time).  As many of you remember, the Sharks scored six within the first period last week in Edmonton in front of their sellout crowd.  Hopefully, the Sharks can continue their winning campaign at home again, and to beat the Oilers – again.

For those of you itching to see scores and statistics, I will list some below for you to marvel at.  What a tremendous start to the season!

Current record: 6 (wins) – 0 (losses) – 0 (overtime losses), 1 shootout win (an important statistic when it comes to tie-breakers, as a regulation and/or overtime win are more desirable).

Statistics with which either the team or team player leads the NHL:
- Point standings – 12 (tied with Chicago Blackhawks)
- Goal differential – 26-10 (San Jose Sharks)
- Points – 14 (Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton)
- Goals – 9 (Patrick Marleau)
- Assists – 11 (Joe Thornton)
- Power Play Goal % - 35% (San Jose Sharks)
- Penalty Minutes – 37 (Ryane Clowe)

(Got to love the last one!)

Until next time, fellow die-hards!  Go Sharks!

New Walmart Neighborhood Market in Evergreen Opens Today!

The Evergreen Village Square will finally have a new anchor tenant. Walmart Neighborhood Market is moving into the former Lunardi's space and is having their grand opening today! This is probably my favorite shopping center in Evergreen. It has a unique configuration with a cool little park in the center, has a view of the hills, and is within walking distance of many homes. It's a shame that Lundardi's left, but I think that the Walmart Neighborhood Market is going to be a much more practical (and affordable) option for the area.

Check out the full press release below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             

 

 

Walmart Opens New Neighborhood Market in Evergreen Village 

New store offer customers savings with grocery format

 

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 25, 2013 – Walmart will open a new Walmart Neighborhood Market in the Evergreen area of San Jose on Wednesday, Jan. 30. The store, located in Evergreen Village Square near Aborn Road and Ruby Avenue, is occupying the former Lunardi’s Market space, and will once again provide Evergreen Village with a full-service grocery store.

 

“Walmart looks forward to serving Evergreen Village by bringing a much-needed grocery store back to the Square,” said Store Manager Priscilla Sanchez. “Not only will the Neighborhood Market revitalize the long-vacant building, it will provide additional healthy, affordable food choices for this community.

 

Walmart has worked closely with the shopping center owner, Shapell Properties, and the City of San Jose to bring a grocery store anchor back to Evergreen Village Square.  “Shappell built the first few phases of Evergreen Village in 2002 with the vision of having a vibrant merchant square for the community to gather and shop close to home, “ said Kelly Erardi, Vice President of Shapell Properties. “We have been working to bring a grocery store anchor back to Evergreen Village Square, and are pleased that Walmart has stepped up to fill the void.”

 

“Evergreen Coffee Company joins other Evergreen Village Square businesses in welcoming the Walmart Neighborhood Market to the neighborhood,” said owner Denise Belisle. “The square has long sought another grocery store anchor for the vacant space.  We are excited for Walmart to join our special community.”

 

The approximately 41,000-square-foot store features a wide variety of locally produced fruits and vegetables, including those from Ocean Mist Farms, Boskovich Farms, Tanimura and Antle, San Miguel Produce, Earthbound Farm Organic, Naturipe Farms, California Cuties and Foxy Organic, among others. The store will offer fresh bread, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The self-serve deli will feature rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked pizza and standard deli sides. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, dairy products, organic items, and an expanded selection of Asian and Mediterranean items. 

 

Shoppers will also appreciate the convenience of the store’s pharmacy and its full range of products and services to support the health and wellness of customers and their families. The pharmacy team can answer questions and offer health and wellness solutions. They can also assist customers who wish to transfer their prescriptions to the Walmart Neighborhood Market. 

 

The store also sells stationery, paper goods, pet products, hardware items and has a Celebration Station, where customers can buy gift wrap and gift bags, greeting cards and party supplies. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store. The store will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

 

“We are thrilled to be opening the Evergreen Village Neighborhood Market just in time for the Super Bowl and spring holidays,” said Sanchez.  “From veggie platters, chicken wings and dips for the big game to chocolates, cupcakes and goodies for Valentine's Day, we will have everything you’ll need to have fantastic celebrations.”

 

The store will offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.  All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online at Walmart.com and pay for the items with cash at all stores in the U.S. Walmart is the first major retailer to offer online purchases without the need for banking services or a credit, debit or prepaid card.

 

Opening Creates 90 Jobs

Approximately 90 part- and full-time jobs were created with the store opening, said Sanchez who started her Walmart career in 2000 as a part-time hourly associate in Tulare. She transferred to San Jose and has worked at Walmart stores on Monterey Highway and Story Road over the past 10 years. She brings a wealth of experience such as department manager, support manager, and personnel manager to the new Walmart Neighborhood Market.  

 

Grand-Opening Celebrations

The store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:15 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 30. Store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Doors to the new store will be open to the public following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Special events on grand-opening day include product giveaways and samplings from companies such as Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Bimbo Bakeries, Nabisco and more. Chester Cheetah, the Oreo Cookie Man, the Keebler Elf and Bimbo Bear are scheduled to make appearances, and various entertainment events will also take place. Celebration events are also planned for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1 and 2. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.

 

Community Groups Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants

The grand-opening celebration includes at least $10,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups. Recipients include: Alum Rock Youth Center, District 8 Community Round Table, Evergreen Valley Education Foundation, Evergreen Valley High School Band, FAAN Walk for Food Allergy, San Jose Fire Department, San Jose Police Activity League, the San Jose Veteran Center, Shop with a Cop Foundation and Masumoto Elementary School.  Additional funds will be available throughout the year for local organizations that serve the community.

 

Walmart will also be announcing $175,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Council. Recipients include Dress for Success Silicon Valley, the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and the San Jose Public Library Foundation. Non-profit organizations interested in learning more can visithttp://www.foundation.walmart.com.

 

Healthier Food and “Great For You”

Walmart made a major commitment to make food healthier and healthier food more affordable, ensuring families won’t have to choose between a product that is good for them and one they can afford. Steps in the healthier food initiative include:

• Reformulate thousands of packaged food items by 2015 by reducing sodium and added sugars and removing all remaining industrially produced trans fats.
• Make healthier choices more affordable by providing savings on fresh produce and reducing the price premium on “better-for-you” items.
• Provide solutions to address food deserts by bringing stores in underserved communities.
• Increase charitable support for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and choices.

 

The “Great For You” icon appears on select Great Value and Marketside products as well as fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables. The icon was developed to help customers easily identify nutritious food options so they can make healthier eating choices for themselves and their families. For more information, visit corporate.walmart.com/healthier-food.

 

About Walmart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices.  Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,400 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook athttp://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

 

 

 

FACT SHEET

San Jose Walmart Neighborhood Market

 

Store Facts

• Location: 4055 Evergreen Village Square, San Jose, Calif. 
• Approximately 41,000-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market

• Store opens Wednesday, Jan. 30, following a 7:15 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Priscilla Sanchez
• Pharmacy manager: Peter Ea

• Store hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week

 

Store features

• Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a self-serve deli with fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, frozen foods, organic items and an expanded selection of Asian and Mediterranean items
• Additional merchandise includes health and beauty aids, pet and cleaning products, hardware and stationery
• Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital-photo processing center, Walmart MoneyCenter and Walmart Site-to-Store

 

Charitable giving

• $10,000 in grand-opening grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to area organizations, including:

• Alum Rock Youth Center
• District 8 Community Round Table
• Evergreen Valley Education Foundation
• Evergreen Valley High School Band
• FAAN Walk for Food Allergy
• San Jose Fire Department
• San Jose Police Activity League
• San Jose Veteran Center
• Shop with a Cop Foundation
• Masumoto Elementary School

 

• $175,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation California State Giving Program will be presented to area organizations, including:

• Dress For Success Silicon Valley
• Silicon Valley Education Foundation
• San Jose Public Library Foundation

 

Employment

• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in California is approximately $12.89 per hour.*
• Walmart’s benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including health-care coverage with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers eligible associates matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance.

* Average wage taken October 2012 See http://corporate.walmart.com for details.

Win a Pair of Tickets to Menopause The Musical!

The off-Broadway sensation Menopause The Musical is coming to San Jose for 17 performances at the Montgomery Theater between Feb. 6th and 23rd. We are giving away not one, but two pairs of tickets to the opening night performance on February 6th! Ticket prices are ranging between $35-$65.

Entering the contest is simple. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and use the Punchtab widget (just like our Sharks giveaway). You can get bonus entries for liking us on Facebook, following on Twitter, etc. Again, we are giving away two pairs of tickets and they are for the February 6th performance. The contest only runs until this Friday.

Here is a description of the show: "Set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common but a black lace bra meet by chance at a lingerie sale. The all-female cast makes fun of their woeful hot flashes, forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and more!  The laughter-filled 90-minute production includes parodies from the classics of the ‘60s and ‘70s and ‘80s."

For more information on the show click here, and to buy tickets head over here.

January 2013 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Move Inc., is moving into 32,405 sqft at 10 Almaden and joining more than 70 tech companies located in Downtown San Jose. Malwarebytes and Rosetta Marketing are also moving in to the building.
• MACLA has purchased the space they were leasing from the city in SoFA and have plans to renovate the space by expanding the art gallery, adding a cafe/retail space, and creating artist/creative entrepreneur studio space.
• The Irish Innovation Center is transitioning to the SV Global Accelerator, and they will now support startups from all over the world.
• The City Fish has opened at 30 E. Santa Clara St. [Josh: 4 stars on yelp, replaces the mediocre Uncle Bernie's]
• Don Pedro's at 43 Post is reopening after a remodel.
• The new First Church is going to be a two-story 21,000 sqft building with a ground-floor sanctuary, community rooms, preschool, a kitchen, and second-floor offices and classrooms. There will be a slick patio on top of the building.
• The next HER city event is Feb 5th at the Silicon Valley Capital Club, featuring a cooking demonstration, a variety of foods and wine, and even cognac tasting.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

San Jose Named Best-Performing City of 2012

Typically I would save a stat post like this for Saturdays, but this one is so good that I had to make it a Monday post. The Milken Institute has named San Jose the best performing city of 2012. This is based on increased job growth, increases in salaries and wages, and GDP/productivity growth. Last year San Jose was ranked #51 on the list, so the improvement has been dramatic.

San Francisco is #36 on the list and New York is at #11. For those who misguidedly think tech is migrating up north, high tech GDP per capita is over 220% higher in San Jose than it is in SF (and that's including San Mateo, Redwood City, Menlo Park, etc as part of SF).

Source: Milken Institute