District 10 City Council candidates face off on local issues

SERVING ALMADEN VALLEY SINCE 1986 n ALMADENTIMES.COM

FEB. 21 – MARCH 5, 2020 n VOL. 33, NO. 5

Almaden studentswin awards foressays hosted byDAR Los GatosSEE PAGE 4

My Rosie, My Riveter: A visit with living historySEE PAGE 10

A New Year celebrationLeland Bridge Night featured students, staff and performers

SEE PAGE 16

March primarynot giving California theexpected relevance in presidential race

By Dan WaltersCalMatters

The more or less officialrationale offered by thestate’s Democratic politi‐

cians for moving our presiden‐tial primary election to March3 was that the nation’s mostpopulous and diverse stateshould play a major role inchoosing a challenger to Presi‐dent Donald Trump and com‐pel candidates to pay attentionto our issues.

They implied that making thestate relevant in presidentialpolitics was worth forcing ear‐lier‐than‐usual decisions ondown‐ballot issues, includingcontests for 153 legislative andcongressional seats, countlesslocal government offices andhundreds of state and local bal‐lot measures.

An unofficial reason for mov‐ing California’s presidential pri‐mary from June to March wasthat presidential hopefuls wouldfeel obligated to cultivate Cali‐fornia’s political figures, makingthem more relevant or at leastfeeding their egos.

Moreover, it was believed, ifCalifornia Sen. Kamala Harriscould shine in the early roundsof caucuses and primaries, herhome state could give her pres‐idential ambitions a very bigboost.

So how’s all of that workingout? Not particularly well.

Harris was briefly the Dem‐ocratic flavor of the week butwound up as an early dropout.

See ELECTION, page 6

By Lorraine GabbertSenior Staff Writer

Housing, homelessness, and public safetywere the topics of a recent District 10 CityCouncil candidate debate held at West‐

Gate Church. The candidates are vying to replaceoutgoing Councilmember Johnny Khamis.

San Jose Women’s March founder Jenny Hig‐gins Bradanini, tech entrepreneur Matt Mahan,and businesswoman Helen Wang shared theirviews at the well‐attended forum hosted by theAlmaden Valley Community Association.

During the candidates’ introductions, HigginsBradanini referred to a December traffic fatali‐ty she was involved in, saying that her thoughtsand prayers are with victim Tim Starkey’s fam‐ily. In spite of the tragedy, Higgins Bradaninisays that her passion for public service remains.

“I’m committed to represent the district,” Hig‐gins Bradanini says. “I’m an independent voiceand I will serve the people of District 10, not spe‐cial interests.”

Mahan says he is motivated to run as the cityhas been struggling to effectively manage eco‐nomic growth, population growth, and its budg‐et. He is also committed to rebuilding citizens’trust in their government, as well as under‐

standing where their tax dollars go.“We need new energy and new ideas at City

Hall,” Mahan says. “We’re going to have somereal challenges ahead.”

Wang, who has served as a member of San

Jose’s Small Business Advisory Task Force, ispassionate to help small businesses succeed“with common sense policies” and to serve thecommunity.

See CANDIDATES, page 18

By Diane McNuttSpecial to the Times

In recognition of the 100thanniversary of women’s suffragein the U.S., Silicon Valley Reads

2020 celebrates the achievementsof women with books and eventsfocused on the theme “Women–Making It Happen.” Several of the185 public events planned duringFebruary and March will be held atSan Jose libraries.

Novelist Catherine Chung, authorof “The Tenth Muse,” the other fea‐tured book for Silicon Valley Reads2020 adult and teen readers, willspeak at the Vineland BranchLibrary on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1p.m. and at the Almaden BranchLibrary on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at5:30 p.m. Her critically acclaimedbook focuses on a trailblazing femalemathematician whose researchunearths her own surprising fami‐ly history.

Showings of feature films and doc‐umentaries scheduled for SiliconValley Reads 2020 include:

• “Miss Representation,” an inves‐tigation of how mainstream mediaand culture contribute to the under‐representation of women in posi‐tions of power and influence inAmerica, at the Rose Garden BranchLibrary on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m.

• “On the Basis of Sex,” a legaldrama about the life and early yearsof Supreme Court Justice Ruth BaderGinsburg, on Monday, March 9, 5:30p.m. at the Rose Garden BranchLibrary; Wednesday, March 11, 6p.m. at the Cambrian BranchLibrary; and Friday, March 27, 3:30p.m., at the Willow Glen BranchLibrary.

• “Mulan,” Walt Disney’s popularanimated film about a young Chi‐nese woman who joins the Imperi‐al Army accompanied by herguardian dragon, on Tuesday, March

3, 3 p.m. at the Almaden BranchLibrary.

All local public libraries will offerstory times for young children andfamilies, featuring “The Most Mag‐nificent Thing” by Ashley Spires, theSilicon Valley Reads picture bookpick for 2020. Some story times mayfeature celebrity readers and craftsactivities. An animated short filmversion of the book, narrated byWhoopi Goldberg, will also beshown at libraries in February andMarch.

Another major event on the 2020calendar is “Silicon Valley ReadsDay at the Computer History Muse‐um” on Saturday, March 28, whichincludes free admission to theMountain View museum; a presen‐tation by Claire L. Evans, author of“Broad Band: The Untold Story ofthe Women Who Made the Inter‐net,” an excerpt performance of the

See READS, page 6

District 10 San Jose City Council Candidates (l to r) Jenny Higgins Bradanini, Matt Mahan, and Helen Wang.

District 10 City Council candidates face off on local issues

Author Catherine Chung has written anexhilarating novel about a trailblazing math-ematician who unearths her own extraor-dinary family story and its roots in WorldWar II. Chung will speak at the VinelandBranch Library on Saturday, Feb. 22, at1 p.m. and at the Almaden Branch Libraryon Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m.

Silicon Valley Reads 2020 celebrates women with books, activities for all ages

ELECTION 2020

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LETTER TO THE EDITORMercury Mineshave had extensiveclean-up work

Dear editor,Some readers might misunder‐

stand the “Valley Currents” articleabout Almaden Lake. They mightthink the mercury mines, especial‐ly the Senator mine, are still dis‐charging tons of mercury to the Lake.This is not the case.

Extensive cleanup work and ero‐sion control at the mines hasreduced the erosion of mercury‐containing sediment. The Districtalso cleaned up visible banks of con‐taminated mining waste alongstreams on their properties. Theissue should now be what wasreleased to the watershed in the19th‐Century. Millions of pounds ofmercury were released in a 19th‐Century mercury‐mining “blowout.”The mercury is now scatteredthroughout the Guadalupe River andwatershed; where it is and what itis doing are important questions.

Tons of contaminated sedimentalready in the creeks downstreamof the mine are mobilized in highflows. Lake Almaden currently inter‐cepts some portion of this sediment.I am not sure letting the sedimentbypass the sink of Almaden Lake,and thereby flow on to the Bay, isactually a benefit to the environ‐ment, but let’s set that aside. Thepolitical and legal system struggleswith highly distributed environ‐mental problems that cross a lot ofproperty lines and political bound‐aries. Much of the antique mercuryblowout remains uncharacterized,let alone understood and addressed.It is possible that much of the mer‐cury blowout remains in the streamsystems and is causing some trou‐ble.

The reader should not placeresponsibility on the District or theabandoned mercury mine owners.They didn’t cause the blowout andthey have spent millions of dollars

See LETTER, page 6

Silicon Valley students recently receivedawards for their excellent award winningessays hosted by the Daughters of the

American Revolution (DAR) Los Gatos Chapter.Representing Almaden Valley, Nethra Srini‐

vasan, Leland High School, was named Christo‐pher Columbus District Winner and MeliaKolander and Zella Harper, Challenger SchoolAlmaden were named American History Con‐test Winners. Kolander is not only the districtVI winner, but she also won the State Awardfor the best American History essay for grade 5.

The Good Citizen Awards went to high schoolstudents who showed dependability, service,leadership and patriotism. The focus questionthey wrote about was “You and your peers areour nation’s leaders of tomorrow. How wouldyou energize America’s youth to fully engage

as effective citizens and why is that impor‐tant?”

The American History contest was for 5‐8grades and asked the question” After spend‐ing two months at sea 400 years ago on theMayflower what would you have packed forthe trip and starting a new life in the wilder‐ness or would you have made different choic‐es and why?”

Christopher Columbus Contest was for highschool students. “Christopher Columbus’ firstexpedition set off in August 1492 when theyexplored the Caribbean after 5 months of sail‐ing. Imagine you are a sailor who accompaniedColumbus and describe your impression ofColumbus and the purpose of the expedition.Talk about experiences and significance of thediscoveries made.”

Above left: DAR Good Citizen Awards Winners: (l to r) are Honorable Mention: AthenaShiravi, Prospect High School; Honorable Mention: Sunamawit B. Yimer, LincolnHigh School; Third Place: Kaitlin Thompson, Saratoga High School; First Place: Kait-lyn Hoang, Presentation High School; and DAR Chairperson: Trish Boesel. (Not Pic-tured: Second Place: James Garrow, Bellarmine High School; and Honorable Men-

tion: Cassidy Chang, Branham High School.) Above right: American History Con-test Winners are: (l to r) Grade 5: Melia Kolander, District VI Winner, ChallengerSchool Almaden; Grade 8: Zella Harper, Challenger School, Almaden; Grade 6: Naini-ka Srinivasan, Challenger School, Shawnee; Grade 7: Ann Tran, Fisher MiddleSchool, Los Gatos.

Christopher Columbus District VI Contest WinnerNethra Srinivasan, Leland High School, with DARChair Person Sue Fitzpatrick.

Almaden students win awards for essays hosted by DAR Los Gatos

Leland Science Clubto present 2020Leland Science Fair:March 5

Leland Science Club is presenting the 2020Leland Science Fair from 3:15 p.m. to 6:30p.m. March 5.

The Leland Science Fair is an educationalplatform for elementary, middle, and high schoolstudents from schools in Almaden to showcasetheir science projects which will be judged with

prizes awarded. The Fair will be judged in two divisions: ele‐

mentary, and middle/ high school. 1st, 2nd,and 3rd places will be awarded in each divi‐sion. Special mentions will be given for everygrade level. Projects will be judged based onoriginality, knowledge of the subject, ability toanswer any questions, layout of the board, andcomplexity of project.

The goal of the Fair is to stimulate an earlyinterest in STEM and rekindle the love for sci‐ence in our community, according to NethraSrinivasan, President of Leland Science Club.She said that the Leland Science Club will alsobe hosting a program at the Almaden Libraryon Saturday, Feb. 29 from 1‐2:30 p.m. to assistthe students with their science experiment

planning process. “The Leland Science Fair is a great opportu‐

nity for students to observe and learn fromtheir peers as well as their seniors,” Srinivasansaid. “The Fair is a great chance for studentsto experience building a science project for thefirst time in an inclusive and encouraging atmos‐phere.”

The Leland Science Club committee is look‐ing for volunteers to help make this a fun eventfor the entire family! Please reach out to us ifyou are interested.

For further questions, contact the Leland Sci‐ence Club at [email protected].

For more information and to register, pleasevisit the Leland Science Fair website: sites.google.com/view/lelandsciencefair


Times Features

LetterContinued from page 4addressing the problems on their proper‐ties. In truth, the entire watershed is impact‐ed by the 19th‐Century mercury blowout.In the absence of the facts about watershedsediments, it is easy to pursue more ero‐sion control at the mines as well as puttingAlamitos Creek in a channel rather than let‐ting it continue to enter the lake. The lakewas made by gravel mining. What if the mudwashed off the gravel and left behind hasmore mercury in it than the sediment flow‐ing in from Alamitos Creek? What if patch‐es of 19th‐Century mining waste all along

the creek channels are releasing more mer‐cury than is removed by additional cleanupat the mines?

With time, the District and mine ownerswill likely be spending more and moremoney to control fewer and fewer poundsof mercury on their properties. Meanwhile,untallied millions of pounds of mercuryfrom the great 19th‐Century mercuryblowout, as well as hundreds of pounds ofmercury that have rained down from mod‐ern air pollution, will just keep rolling along,largely unknown and unseen, working itsway down the watershed, into the fish, andtoward the Bay and ocean.

Michael CoxMercury Mining Researcher and Geologist

ReadsContinued from page 1world premiere of “Coded” by the City LightsTheater Company, and a showing of the film“Great Unsung Women of Computing.”

For free ticket reservations, [email protected].

Julian Guthrie, author of “Alpha Girls,” thestory of four extraordinary women whothrived in the high‐stakes, male‐dominat‐ed investment capital world of Silicon Val‐ley, recently spoke at the Rose GardenBranch Library. Guthrie, a journalist for 20

years with the San Francisco Chronicle, isthe author of four books, including two best‐sellers.

Silicon Valley Reads, started in 2003, ispresented by Santa Clara County Library,Santa Clara County Office of Education andSan José Public Library. It selects books thatreflect a theme relevant to the region andasks everyone in the community to read,think, discuss and share their diverse per‐spectives.

For more information, visit SiliconVal‐leyReads.org.

Diane McNutt is coordinator of Silicon Val‑ley Reads.

ElectionContinued from page 1

Other candidates have swooped into thestate periodically, mostly to raise money.But in their rare public appearances, theyrarely make special efforts to respond to Cal‐ifornia issues.

Michael Bloomberg, the uber‐wealthy for‐mer mayor of New York City, is a latebloomer and has ignored other states whilespending heavily in hopes of making a bigsplash in California. He’s garnered manyendorsements but the latest tracking pollby data guru Paul Mitchell for Capitol Week‐ly has him with only an outside chance ofwinning any delegates.

Fellow billionaire Tom Steyer, a Cali‐fornian, is barely registering at all.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and formerSouth Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg toppedthe first two contests in Iowa and NewHampshire and Mitchell’s polling in earlyFebruary confirmed that they are leadingthe pack in California. Former Vice Presi‐dent Joe Biden, an early leader in Califor‐nia, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth War‐ren are fading here as they have national‐ly.

In other words, California is not standingout as an arena for changing the patternsdeveloping elsewhere. Our March 3 primarywill be only one of 16 on that day, which

has been dubbed Super Tuesday, and ourdrawn‐out voting system virtually blocksthe state from having a big impact.

We really don’t have an election day butrather an election month ending on March3. Most voting is by mail and it’s alreadyunderway. And as mail voting was begin‐ning, the state Legislature changed the rulesto allow more “no party preference” votersto cast ballots for one of the Democraticcandidates.

We won’t know definitely who won whatuntil early April because of the state’s labo‐rious system of deciding which ballots arelegitimately to be counted and because theDemocratic Party awards delegates both bycongressional district and statewide, withminimum vote thresholds of 15% for can‐didates to win anything anywhere.

Chances are very high that by the timeCalifornia actually reports its results in Apriland divvies up its delegates, outcomes inother Super Tuesday states, as well as theNevada caucuses and South Carolina primarylater this month, will have pretty much set‐tled who has a commanding lead.

The net impact of moving California’s pri‐mary from June to March may not be howit affects presidential politics but how aneight month gap between primary and gen‐eral elections affects choices for legislative,congressional and local government offices.

Dan Walters is a CalMatters columnist.


Times Community

Opera San José presents "Il trovatore,"Feb. 23, 28, and March 1 at the Cali‐fornia Theatre, now one of the most

intimate opera houses in the world locat‐ed in downtown San Jose.

Verdi’s Il trovatore has long been a sta‐ple of opera houses all over the world, andOpera San Jose has produced it only rarely,as it requires rare voices. This is an operathat helped make Irene Dalis one of themost celebrated dramatic mezzo sopranosin the world.

Opera San José will highlight the raw emo‐tions that drive Giuseppe Verdi's turbulenttale of love and revenge. The opera featuresan emotional, heart‐stopping score with amesmerizing story filled with romance,obsession, and retribution.

Based on the play El trovador by Span‐

ish playwright Antonio García Gutiérrez, Iltrovatore is known for its most famouschoral melodies ever written, the "AnvilChorus." This classic four‐act Italian operahas become a beloved favorite of audiencesaround the world.

Larry Hancock presents an engaging free45‐minute talk about the opera to ticketholders before every performance of Il trova‐tore. The talk begins at 6:30pm prior toevening performances, and at 1:30pm priorto Sunday matinees. Open to all ticket hold‐ers; no reservations required.

Il trovatore will be sung in Italian withEnglish supertitles with a run time of threehours, including intermission at the Califor‑nia Theatre, 345 South 1st Street, San José.For tickets ($55‑$195) or more information,visit operasj.org or call (408) 437‑4450.

Opera San José presents "Il trovatore," Feb. 23, 28 and March 1 at the California Theatre, San Jose.Shown here is Manrico (Mackenzie Gotcher) comforting his true love, Leonora (Kerriann Otaño).Photo Credit: David Allen

Opera San José presents ‘Il trovatore’

YMCAs across the U.S. hosted thou‐sands of parents looking for adviceon how to manage rising social issues

such as cyber‐bullying and online safetylast week.

The events were part of a 16‐city collab‐oration coordinated by the YMCA to bringGoogle’s Be Internet Awesome parent work‐shops to U.S families.

A total of more than 315 workshops wereheld at YMCAs throughout the country inobservance of global Safer Internet Day.Locally, YMCA of Silicon Valley hosted 16workshops at local elementary and middleschool YMCA after‐school program sites tohelp parents instill healthy and responsi‐ble Internet habits in their children.

“As technology use among children con‐tinues to rise, parents often tell us that theyfeel they should be doing more to monitortheir children’s screen time activity andgive guidance on responsible digital citi‐zenship,” said YMCA of Silicon Valley Sen‐ior Vice President of Operations MaryHashiko Haughey. “We are proud to part‐

ner with Google to respond to the chang‐ing needs of families and to get Google’s BeInternet Awesome resources in front of par‐ents.”

The one‐hour workshops were free andfocused on Google’s Internet Code of Awe‐some: Be SMART, ALERT, STRONG, KINDand BRAVE. Families learned how to com‐municate responsibly online, understandreal from fake in the face of phishing andscams, build strong passwords, be positiveand kind online, talk about questionablecontent with their family, and explored whybuilding healthy tech habits is important.

Parents got access to free bilingualresources and answers to questions aboutonline safety and digital citizenship to helpfacilitate discussions at home.

The 16‐city collaboration marks the thirdtime that the YMCA has partnered withGoogle to host the Be Internet Awesomeworkshops. Following a successful pilot pro‐gram in Chicago in April 2019, the part‐nership was expanded to include an

See YMCA, next page

YMCA of Silicon Valley joins 16‑city Google/YMCA collaboration to mark Safer Internet Day


YMCAContinued from previous pageadditional five cities convening 100 parentworkshops last June.

Parents described the workshop as “infor‐mative” and “helpful” and left feeling com‐

fortable with initiating a discussion about dig‐ital safety with their children. As a result, theYMCA coordinated the latest round of work‐shops to coincide with Safer Internet Day onFeb. 12 to reach even more families.

For more information, visit: www.ymcasv.org

Times Community

Eagle Court honors fourScouts at JointVenture Churches

Boy Scout Troop #294 held an EagleCourt of Honor at Joint Venture Church‐es for Scouts, Henry Paul, Russell

Chough, Troy Rosenbaum and Colin Scales;each achieving the rank of Eagle Scout on Feb. 1

This event was even more special becausethese four young men all were part of CubScout Pack #282 Den 2. According to BoyScouts of America, only 2‐4% of all scoutsever achieve the rank of Eagle. Since 2010they have worked numerous service hourson community service projects throughoutthe Almaden community.

To achieve the rank of Eagle, a Scout musthave earned at least 21 merit badges, demon‐strated the Scout spirit, held various lead‐ership positions within the troop, and mustdo an Eagle Scout Service Project whichincludes, planning, development, pitchingthe idea, scheduling, fundraising, and lead‐ing a project to help better their communi‐ty. Once the project is completed, the Scoutmust then pass a board of review with theirtroop, area scout council members, and anational review by the Boy Scouts of America.

The boys completed the following Eagleprojects:

Henry Paul’s project was the constructionand building of three dog houses for SiliconValley Pet Project Dog Day Out Program.

Russell Chough’s project was the demolitionand rebuilding of planter boxes for the Pio‐neer High School Special Education Program.

Troy Rosenbaum’s project was construc‐tion and building of two cello and bass cartsalong with a cabinet for Mr. Krijnen’s Orches‐tra room at Castillero Middle School.

Colin Scales’ project was the building andinstallation of dividers to the existing bandroom cabinets for Mr. Bowman’s Band class‐

room at Castillero Middle School.The newly honored Eagle Scouts expressed

their thanks to Troop #294 Scoutmaster’sPaul Pesek, Marty Rauchwerk and PeterSwartz, Assistant Scoutmasters Reed Caner‐day, Nathan Etter and Craig Thrower, EagleAdvisors Mike Rosenbaum , Rick Dexter andCraig Thrower, Troop #294, Cub Scout Pack#282, Den 2 Leader, Sally Moiseff, Amato’sPizza, Crossgates Swim Club, and the manyother parents and volunteers who helpedalong their trail to Eagle.

Four Eagle Scouts honored (L-R) are: Henry Paul, Colin Scales, Troy Rosenbaum and Russell Chough.

Pictured above, top to bottom: Henry Paul – Doghouse; Russell Chough – Pioneer planters; TroyRosenbaum – Castillero orchestra carts; and ColinScales – Castillero band storage pictured with musicteacher Mr. Bowman.


Times Feature

By Paul J. RafterSpecial to the Times

As it turned out, she was born the sameyear as my mother, Mary Torres was.At first she seemed just another sen‐

ior‐aged woman to this senior‐aged guy. I had just sat down on an empty bench at

the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center that serv‐ices the National Historic Site in Richmond,California. Our city‐sponsored senior citizengroup in San Jose, located some sixty milessouth of Richmond, had hosted a bus tour.The Visitor Center, housed in a factory dat‐ing back to World War II, had several floorsof displays and films describing the historyof the place, heavily featuring the contribu‐tion of the women and African‐Americanswho came to Richmond from all over theU.S.A. to build Liberty and Victory Ships—standardized transports cranked out at a ratereaching one a day for outfitting during thewar—as well as to assemble Jeeps and otherwar materials.

We were there for the Home Front Festi‐val, held every year since 2000. People wereencouraged to dress up in relevant periodclothes. Wearing the iconic Rosie the Rivet‐er blue denim overalls and red bandanaswith white polka dots wrapping up their hairwere dozens of women, girls, and men—thesite is located across the bay from San Fran‐

cisco, so yes, men too. You may be familiarwith the famous period poster of a womandressed like this and flexing her bicep. Onewoman at this event was dressed in a pro‐fessional baseball uniform as in the movie “ALeague of Their Own.” (Ooh‐la‐la.) Another in

See ROSIE, page 14

My Rosie, My Riveter:A visit with living history

Mary Torres


Festival of courage and strengthreturns Sunday, March 15

By Kevin LarsenTimes Staff Writer

It all takes place on the hillside of one ofSan Jose’s most beautiful landmarks: SanJose Gurdwara Hola Mohalla Festival on

Sunday, March 15. The event is complementary for everyone

to attend; no entrance or parking fees anddelicious free food is provided on plates withbeverages all day long, including different fla‐vors of ice cream. Also, anyone of all agescan participate in any sports or of coursejust to observe is great fun. Sometimes whenwe see others competing it inspires us to getactive and consider developing healthy andstrong habits in how we choose to live our lives.

The purpose of the event is to encourageall people to be healthy and engage in phys‐ical sports and challenges which help give aperson well rounded physical and mentalhealth. People of all ages enter into chal‐lenges of sports and skill demonstrations.Another purpose of this festival is to edu‐cate the community about the Sikhs andthe people of India. It is an opportunity foreveryone to have wonderful conversationsand to bring all closer together with under‐standing and love for one another.

Throughout the world the Festival ofCourage and Strength referred to as the HolaMohalla is held yearly by the Sikhs. Theirmission is helping each person in buildingstrength and welcoming all to know that weare all brothers and sisters, all connectedand here to help one another. The Sikhs donot proselytize or try to get people to jointheir religion instead they believe the entirehuman race is connected and each religioncan work in its own way to achieve the vir‐tuousness of God.

"We want everyone to know that this fes‐tival belongs to everyone and all are welcometo come and enjoy it to build new friend‐ships and understanding,” states a Sikh leader.It is clear that this festival is a representa‐tion of love from the Sikhs to all people inthis area and beyond.

President of the Gurdwara, Mr. Bob Dhillonstates: “This is a festival where you can comeand enjoy events with your family and walkaround to enjoy the activities. We welcomeyou as our guests and hope you have a won‐derful time.”

Booths of food & waresThere will be food booths offering com‐

plementary mouthwatering delicious hand‐made culturally authentic foods, includingice cream. There will also be many boothsthat will feature authentic traditional Indi‐an wares (clothing items, kid’s toys, jewel‐

ry and more) for purchase. It is like walkingthrough a bazaar in India. Community infor‐mation booths will feature San Jose Agen‐cies and the availability of complementaryservices.

The girl on the trainLong ago in India it is said that an elderly

man had to put his granddaughter on a trainto a city far away. She needed to go aloneand the older man wanted to protect her. Heasked a Sikh gentleman to sit with his grand‐daughter in the same compartment to ensureher safe passage. This was done and it all hasto do with the tenants of the Sikh religionand how honorable it is to the welfare of allin our world. It also demonstrates the impor‐tance of having strength and courage insideeach person’s heart.

The ProtectorsThe Sikhs have many cherished religious

tenants which promote goodness in ourworld and in giving back to those in need.Their beliefs are composed of equalitybetween man and woman and much more.The founder of the Sikh religion Guru NanakDev Ji saw the world suffering and urgedevery person of faith to seek within theirhearts that there is one creator which existseverywhere regardless of religion color orcreed. The Sikhs care and protect our worldand thus many refer to them as “The Pro‐tectors.” One of ten great leaders of the Sikhreligion, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji believedin teaching all to defend themselves withregard to building up courage and strengthin the heart and mind. Be strong, it is good.His wisdom is the reason why we are ableto observe and actually participate in theFestival of Courage of Strength today on anannual basis.

Building strength and courageHola Mohalla focuses on building up your

own personal strength and courage in allyou do. You and your family can join in andobserve many athletic competitions such asTug of War (different competitions for gents,ladies and children), Running Races for adultsand children, Martial Arts, competitive gamesand performances, Volleyball and Basket‐ball competitions, Horseback Riding com‐petitions, and Pony Rides for the little ones.Just watching the youngsters navigate thesaddle and ride the circular track is a joy toobserve and will bring a smile to your face.

Historical Significance of the GurdwaraYou can also take a tour and learn about

the culture as the San Jose Gurdwara, thelargest in the United States, is open to thepublic year round and is certainly one of themost beautiful places in the world. Many sayit is very peaceful and relaxing just to be

See FESTIVAL, page 15

Times Community News

San Jose Gurdwara Hola MohallaFestival completely complimentary



RosieContinued from page 10a period nurse uniform. (Make that a dou‐ble ooh‐la‐la.)

A woman more senior than me, dressedin a Rosie outfit with blindingly bright redknee socks, was wandering by, looking likeshe needed a seat, too. I invited her to sit withme. “I’m a Rosie,” Mary announced. I tookher to mean how she was dressed, you know,like people say on Halloween: I’m a vampire,or I’m a witch…like that.Of course, I thought, justlike the hundred or soothers dressed just likeher who were wander‐ing around the place. Shecontinued to talk. “Lastyear we broke therecord for Rosies,”meaning the number offestival attendeesdressed in the iconicRosie outfits. “This year,though, we didn’t enterso someone else couldwin this time.”

After asking her a fewquestions, I came tounderstand that Rosiethe Riveter celebrationshappen all around the country. And the Rich‐mond location, having just won the title forthemselves, decided to allow another loca‐tion the “most” honor.

She talked about the red and white polkadot bandana sea of heads all around us. “Noneof us wore those kind back then.” I pulledmy red bandana with a black and white pais‐ley design out of my blue jeans pocket. I wearit when I ride my Harley. We called themrailroad handkerchiefs back when I was akid. “Yes!” she said, “We wore ones like those!Only bigger.”

The picture became much clearer just then.I was talking to an actual Rosie, one thatworked at the Richmond shipyard duringthe war, dressed now, it seemed, in nothinglike what she actually wore back then. Now,she was just imitating the iconic Rosie theRiveter poster—the one with the official“Rosie” character wearing the blue denimoveralls, red and white polka dot bandanaoutfit while flexing her bicep—so as to be instep with all the visitors so dressed.

Then she changed the subject, talking abouthow she wanted to be the President so shecould spend our money on better things andin better ways. She talked about her son, whowas about my age. She talked about how SanLeandro was being overdeveloped withoutconcern for the people who lived there. I didnot want to interrupt her. Luckily, someoneelse did.

A man, maybe a bit younger than I, cameup and started talking to her like he knewher, like a familiar relationship. I asked if hewas her son. No. Then a woman of about thesame age as him joined him and gushed allover this Rosie sitting next to me about whatan honor it was to meet her. At that moment,I felt invisible. It started to sink in more: Iwas not just sitting next to a piece of livinghistory; I was sitting next to a famous pieceof living history.

More people, obviously connected to thecouple, gathered around and gushed plenty

on their own. My bench‐mate announcedproudly to them that some Silicon Valley pro‐fessional woman’s group was sending a limoto pick her up next week and take her to oneof their gatherings to give a speech. “The richwomen down there want me to tell themhow an uneducated woman can get rich!” Thegroup now in front of us wanted a picturewith my new friend. We got off the bench.She joined them; I snapped some photos withtheir camera. Then she said, “Let’s every‐body sing a patriotic song! Let’s sing ‘Amer‐

ica the Beautiful’!” With‐out a countdown or apitch cue, she launchesinto the song, unself‐consciously loud, lead‐ing the whole group ofsix or eight devoteesthrough the entire firstverse and chorus. Awk‐ward but sincere bestdescribes the attempt.When the singing wasover, the two of us satback down while thegroup moved away chat‐ting excitedly amongstthemselves: Can youbelieve that!? It’s real‐ly her! I never thoughtI would ever actually

meet her!! We are soooo lucky!During this exchange, I learned that she

self‐publishes a memoir, My Journey ThroughLife. (This helped explain the fan club.) Shedoesn’t sell the copies. She gives them awayfor free while gladly accepting donations—make that “cash gifts”—that she uses to fundthe next printing. “This way, I don’t have topay taxes.” Clearly, avoiding paying taxes onthe sale of these books is a victory for her.Evidently, she brings a large stock to eventslike this. She had me lift her giant handbag.It weighed a ton. “I only have three booksleft.” She bragged about how she could carrythis heavy bag around all by herself. I silent‐ly wondered: How many books did she startwith!? I asked if I could have one of the remain‐ing books. In a flash, there was one on mylap. In a flash, there was a cash gift in herhand. Eagerly scanning the book cover, I final‐ly learned her name: Mary Torres.

Just then, the tour guide for my seniorgroup, Barbara, stepped up to check in onme. I introduced the two women. I flashedmy copy of Mary’s book. Barbara got one, too.Then Barbara did what I somehow did notget around to doing. She asked Mary to tellus her Rosie the Riveter story…

Mary Torres was not a riveter. She madethat clear. Mary was a welder. Apparently,most of the constructors did not do any riv‐eting in the shipyards. They welded. It seemedakin to being a rock star. (Inserted into mycopy of her book was a loose photo of her,wearing her full welding outfit. The weldingmask that covered her face was painted witha happy face so her sweetheart could findher while she was working amongst all theother welders.) Mary said her job was to godown deep into the hull and weld the mountsused to chain battle tanks to the ship so thatthe tanks would not shift around while undersail. You may have heard the expression“loose cannon on deck,” referring to the daysof wooden sailing ships. Sailors definitely didnot want that happening because, if a 10‐ton

See ROSIE, page 19

Times Local News


FestivalContinued from page 11there. Ask about their history museum andyou will be amazed. They have many com‐plementary programs which you can findout about including Yoga. Their kitchen(Langer) is open 365 days of the year to offerdelicious hot hand made vegetarian foodsto anyone who enters at no cost. The Gur‐dwara is very accepting and welcoming toall people of all cultures and religions. Atthe day of the event, if you like, there aretimes for free tours of the history roomwhere visitors with a guide can learn moreabout the Sikh culture or you can come backanother day and do more exploring.

Take the shuttle or just walk inFor the past nine years the festival has

grown in attendance. There is free parkingin the Gurdwara and that fills up by morn‐ing and so many park along GurdwaraAvenue or at the schools where a free shut‐tle runs which will bring you to the site andback to your car later in the day. There arealso shuttles from nearby schools and youcan drive your car and walk into the mainfestival area on the field. More than 250volunteers assist in the festival from prepto monitoring and to completion and cleanup. Everything is done like clockworkbecause the volunteers and oversight lead‐ers are extremely professional in ensuringthis family friendly festival runs smoothlyand is of great enjoyment and meaningfulto all visitors.

Editor’s Note: To get to the San Jose Gur‐

dwara take highway 87 to 101 north. Youcan then take the Capital Expressway exitand drive to take a right on Quimby Road.Go all the way up the hill and the Gurdwarais on the right. Also, you can park your carat Evergreen High school part way up thehill and take a shuttle to the Gurdwara. Shut‐tles are also available at Carolyn Clark Ele‐mentary School and run all day from 10a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information visit: sanjosegurd‑wara.org or contact Kirpal Atwal (408) 835‑7712.

Ashley Koh of Almadennamed to Wheaton College Dean’s List

Ashley Koh of Alm‐aden Valley has beennamed to the Dean's Listat Wheaton College.

To earn Dean's Listhonors at Wheaton, anundergraduate studentmust carry 12 or morecredit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade pointaverage or higher on the 4.0 scale.

Koh, a Research Assistant for Oral Histo‐ries for Social Action at Wheaton College,graduated from Leland High School in 2016.

Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) is a coed‐ucational Christian liberal arts college notedfor its rigorous academics, integration offaith and learning, and consistent rankingamong the top liberal arts colleges in thecountry.



By Hongbo Wei and Ansh DhakaliaSpecial to the Times

To kick off the New Year, Leland Bridgehosted the annual Bridge Night on Feb.1, with students, staff and performers’

families participating in this popular annu‐al event.

For 19 years, the event has been held suc‐cessfully in order to raise school funds whileincorporating Chinese culture and celebra‐tion into the Almaden community. Howev‐er, this year presented a challenging deci‐sion. With the startling news of the coron‐avirus spreading rapidly around the globe,organizers were forced to reconsider whetherit was safe to continue this sacred tradition.At first, it was decided that instead of beingheld live, the event should be recorded andposted onto social media platforms. Aftermuch debate, student organizers decided tocontinue hosting the event, but also to elim‐inate the traditional practice of having vol‐unteers serve food to the audience and tolimit the audience to students, school staffand performers’ families as well.

As Leland staff and guests found their wayto their seats, performers applied the finaltouches on their costumes. To begin the eventwith a roaring start, Andrew Liu, Leon Huang,Curtis Luu, and Andrew Xiong masquerad‐ed around the stage in two golden dragoncostumes. These dragons danced to the tune

of the cymbal and tanggu which were playedby Janice Shih, Andrew Lihn and MichaelHan. After breaking the ice, the masters ofceremonies were introduced: Erica Fu, Kai‐lyn Xu, Bradley Liu, Eric Zhang, Justin Yangand Lauren Zheng. The MCs (Masters of Cer‐emonies) then sang and danced in MickeyMouse costumes to honor the year of the rat,with Eric Zhang playing the guitar.

The third performance featured Karen Linplaying the traditional pipa or Chinese lute.Bringing energy to the stage, members ofthe Korean Pop Group including Teresa He,Grace Park, Vivian Tran, Shannyn Cabi, Eliz‐abeth Liao, Britni Stoicich, and Lana Stoici‐ch, performed a fluidly choreographed dance.This was immediately followed by a per‐formance of the song “A Thousand Years” byChristina Perry with Daniel Man playing thepiano, Reagan Liu playing the cello, and Cyn‐thia Gao as the lead singer.

After waves of applause, Kailyn Xu gave atraditional Chinese dance with Erica Lamplaying the flute and Grace Fang performeda contemporary dance. Sparking up the mood,Maxwell Wu, Jasper Wu, Victor Man, DavidHsiao, Ernest Wu, Raymond Dai, and parentBeverly Lui danced to “Single Ladies.” Alexan‐der Lee, Ethan Chang, Andrea Kuo and Jan‐ice Shih starred in a Broadway show “LesMiserables” about a French peasant seeking

See next page

Leland Bridge Night featured students, staff and performers



redemption and discovering forgiveness. Tocelebrate their senior year, Eric Yin, Den‐nis Wang, Charlie He, and Brendan Lindanced to an upbeat melody. Then, VincentZhu performed magic on stage with Ms. Yuthrough a seemingly impossible card throwand Mrs. Burton by having a blindfoldedguest pick the Queen of Hearts.

Sophie He danced vibrantly to Queen’sDon’t Stop Me Now. Yuka Shindo, Chris‐tine Baek, Calvin Hsiao & Eric Zhang, sangone of this winter’s most popular songs“Some Things Never Change” from Frozen2. As the night neared its conclusion, dancegroup illumin8 featuring Ashley Chen, SeanHuang, Evan Ji, Bradley Liu, Daniel Man,Terrence Te, Kailyn Xu, and Justin Yang

reflected on their past three years per‐forming at Bridge Night and feelings aboutit. Their last dance was a Glow in the Darkperformance that held the audience’s atten‐tion.

After exuberant applause, nearly 50 vol‐unteer students ended the night by per‐forming a group dance with the MCs. Thevolunteers then cheered and thanked theleaving guests with a walk of fame.

Thanks to a team effort, the entire eventwas cleaned up in record time. Despite sig‐nificant obstacles, Leland Bridge Night 2020left a deep impression of both school andChinese culture upon attending guests whoare sure to return next year.

Photos courtesy of Brian Lee


Times Cover Story

CandidatesContinued from page 1

“I’d like to make the processes for smallbusinesses more efficient and easier,” Wangsays.

Housing Due to the housing shortage, the candi‐

dates were asked their thoughts on havingaccessory dwelling units (ADUs), workforcehousing, and mixed‐use development in Dis‐trict 10, which predominately features sin‐gle‐family homes. They all agree that AlmadenValley lacks the infrastructure for high‐den‐sity housing, which they say should be down‐town near transit systems. Of the choicesgiven, they all consider ADUs, also known asgranny units, feasible.

“In Berkeley, ADU housing is provided inexchange for help with yard work and shop‐ping,” Wang says.

Higgins Bradanini, who does not supportworkforce housing in District 10, says she isproud of the city for initiating ADU Tuesdayto cut down on red tape.

Mahan’s major concern is the housing short‐age and affordability crisis. He says the cityhas to make it easier to build housing down‐town, as the permitting process is too longand convoluted, and fees are too high. Mahanalso believes that other cities should step upto build housing, including Palo Alto andCupertino.

“The working poor can’t afford rent,” Mahansays. “We can’t keep adding jobs and notadding housing or more people will be pushedto the Central Valley, commuting for hourseach way.”

HomelessnessAll three candidates urge implementing

new solutions to solve San Jose’s homelesscrisis. They advocate long‐term mental healthfacilities, as well as long‐term treatment forthose suffering from substance abuse andaddiction.

“Sometimes, we have to intervene to getpeople the care they need,” Mahan says. “It’snot compassionate to let people die on thestreet.”

Wang advocates having emergency cen‐ters, mental health facilities, and shelters inwhich homeless people can be triaged todetermine their needs.

“Especially in winter, they each need a roofover their head, a bed to sleep in, a shower,and a hot meal,” Wang said.

Higgins Bradanini recommends using theCounty fairgrounds as a homeless encamp‐ment. She says that the working poor are onepaycheck away from homeless and advisesfinancial aid for those on the edge. HigginsBradanini also advocates providing domes‐tic violence victims priority for housing.

“Women and children are living on thestreet,” Higgins Bradanini said. “We needpolitical will and bold leadership. We seemto be waiting and it’s getting worse.”

Public safety and pension plansHiggins Bradanini says that San Jose is still

600 officers short and although burglarycrime is down, violent crimes like domesticviolence and rape are up.

“I’d look into bringing in more police offi‐cers faster,” Higgins Bradanini says. “We grad‐uated 40 officers two weeks ago, so we’re onour way.”

As her car was stolen from her drivewayin the middle of the night and used in a felony,a detective came and took DNA. However,Higgins Bradanini says that 96 percent of

stolen cars just end in a report taken ratherthan an investigation.

“We have burglary prevention, but I wanta burglary investigative unit so we can catchthese criminals doing repeat break‐ins,” Hig‐gins Bradanini says. “We can do more withcommunity service officers. Having thempresent in neighborhoods makes people feelsafer.”

Mahan agrees that San Jose is too thinlystaffed with 11 officers for every 10,000 res‐idents.

“New York has 43 officers per 10,000 res‐idents and Austin has 30,” Mahan says. “Wehave a fraction of what other major cities do.”

As the current budget limits the numberof officers San Jose can hire, Mahan is opti‐mistic this will be resolved as the city’s taxbase grows along with new jobs and hous‐ing downtown, including Google. He also saysthe city must get a handle on unfunded pen‐sion liabilities.

“About $1 out of $3 of local tax revenuegoes to unfunded pension liability,” Mahansays. “If we don’t get them self‐contained andself‐funding and out of operating budget, itwill be difficult to increase staffing in a mean‐ingful way.”

Wang says that the city’s pension plan isunderperforming and should be reformed.

“We have to sit down with the unions andwork together on the pension plan,” Wangsays. “They need to diversify and invest themoney.”

Higgins Bradanini agrees that the pensionfund is mismanaged and says the city shouldlook into 401(k) plans with better returns.Higgins Bradanini notes that the fire andpolice don’t have Social Security when theyretire, only pensions. She says that police areoverworked as there is not enough staff.

“Working for the city used to be a great jobpeople were proud of,” Higgins Bradaninisays. “We don’t hear that anymore.”

Mahan calls for an independent analysis ofhow the city allocates its finances and per‐forms. He suggests the city learn from othercities.

“As we educate ourselves, we engage thecommunity and educate voters so we canbuild consensus around common sense solu‐tions,” Mahan says. “What’s going to maxi‐mize tax dollars from the community?”

Closing statements All of the candidates want to see a city gov‐

ernment that is transparent, efficient, and fis‐cally responsible. Wang and Higgins Bradani‐ni are against additional taxes.

“The city can’t keep putting the burden onresidents,” Higgins Bradanini says.

Public safety, transportation, and buildingup the police force are priorities for HigginsBradanini.

“It ties in with how we’re taking care of thehomeless, environment, and transportation,”Higgins Bradanini says. “I am for our com‐munities, for our families, and for all. It’s aboutall of you, all of District 10, and all of SanJose.”

Wang says that Coyote Valley and the wet‐lands are top priorities for her as she’s focusedon clean water for residents. She also wantsto get the homeless off the streets.

Public safety and public infrastructure arefundamental to Mahan.

“If you don’t feel safe, nothing else matters,”Mahan says. “I want to make sure our com‐munities are as strong as they can be. I wantto be an independent voice for our neigh‐borhoods.”



Want to submit a

news itemfor the

Almaden Times?Press day: March 4, 2020Deadline: March 1, 2020

Write to [email protected]

The Almaden Senior Association mem‑bers are a diverse group of enthusiastic,active, 50+ adults who enjoy new learn‑ing opportunities, new experiences, andnew adventures.

Membership in the Almaden Senior Asso‑ciation offers discounts and opportunitiesto enjoy . . .

• exercise classes for all levels of ability;• lunches and other social programs

organized and run by members of the Associ‐ation;

• book clubs, cooking, computer and photography classes;• trips to local and not so local places of interest such as the Steinbeck Museum

in Salinas, Whale Watching in Monterey, casino trips and more.

As a member you’re encouraged to help plan these activities and suggest newones to enjoy. The Senior Association Philanthropy Program set up a process todonate funds to other non‐profit organizations that reflect our mission.

ConnectedWe enjoy meeting new people, making new connections and getting involved. Allvolunteer opportunities are based on your time and energy commitment. Fees forclasses, trips and social events are kept low because of senior volunteer participa‐tion and membership strength.

Stop by the main desk at the Almaden Community Center and ask for an applica‐tion today. Yearly dues of $10 are returned to you by discounts to most of the pro‐grams you participate in.

Join us today, meet new people and get involved with classes and programs thatwill enhance your life and open new doors.

For more information, go to www.almadenseniors.orgContact via email: [email protected]

By Johnny KhamisSan Jose City Councilmember

Despite my five‐year effort toeducate the public andlobby the County Board of

Supervisors to implement Laura'slaw, with the support of my col‐leagues on the San José City Coun‐cil, County leaders failed to movethis law forward on January 28.

Laura’s Law is atemporary, court‐supervised, involun‐tary conservatorshiplaw that would helpsome of the most vul‐nerable mentally illpeople on our streets.While it will help asmall number of theoverall population ofunhoused people,that handful are themost severely men‐tally ill, have had sev‐eral interactions withlaw enforcement, andhave the biggest ef‐fect on our community’s quality oflife. Laura’s Law has been imple‐mented in neighboring countiesand is producing positive outcomesfor both the homeless and for tax‐payers, and Santa Clara County ismissing an opportunity to helpthose who are unable to get helpfor themselves.

Despite this disappointment, Iwas pleased to see that, after manyyears without significant, focusedaction, the County made someprogress, such as approving theO’Connor and St. Louise hospitalsas clinical service sites for home‐less individuals that need medicaltreatment, and enhancement ofmental health services at the SantaClara Valley Medical Center. Coun‐ty‐wide, voters approved MeasureA, a $950 million affordable hous‐ing tax, to fund 120 new housingdevelopments in Santa Clara Coun‐ty, including 4,800 units forextremely low‐income individu‐als and families at risk of home‐lessness.

I remain concerned, however,that the County is not looking atquicker, more easily implement‐ed, and less costly ways to housethe unhoused. One strategy thatSan José has utilized is to refurbisholder buildings, like the Plaza hotel,into transitional housing. Refur‐bishing existing spaces is quickerand cheaper than planning, design‐ing, and building new transition‐al housing. The County previous‐ly passed up $20 million in foun‐dation funds to put with $50 mil‐lion in taxpayer funds to help con‐

vert the old City Hall Annex build‐ing into 150 units of homelesshousing and they’re now lookingto spend twice the money for near‐ly half the number of beds. Iencourage them not to make thatmistake again, when it comes tothe existing jail structure. Insteadof demolishing the building, theyshould seriously consider remod‐

eling it into up to 674beds for the unhoused.Building 674 beds ofnew transitional hou‐sing elsewhere wouldcost upwards of $404million.

Additionally, thecounty ought to con‐sider housing usesfor the underutilizedfairgrounds that haveseen three revital‐ization efforts datingback to 1998 fizzleout (a fourth plan,released back inOctober, would see it

become a “grand public space”, butI’m not holding my breath). Iencourage the county to considerbuying existing buildings, evennew ones, to address the housingcrisis more quickly.

Our residents, and our un‐housed, deserve a more urgentresponse to the crisis of home‐lessness. I call on the County torevisit Laura’s Law and to findways to get people into transitionalhousing faster, and at a lower costto taxpayers.

District 10Report

Johnny Khamis,City Councilmember

Homelessness: If it’s acrisis, let’s act like it!

RosieContinued from page 14cast iron cannon broke loose, itwould tear apart a wooden ship,not to mention the havoc reekedupon the crew. Can you imagine a40‐ton battle tank loose in the holdof one of these Liberty or Victoryships? The ship would surely sinkwith all its cargo and at least someof its crew. Mary was very proudthat she had such an important job.

Then, it was time for her to go.The woman taking Mary to theBART train station had finished hershift behind the Visitor Center’ssouvenir counter. As I watchedMary go, it felt like a butterfly choseto land on me, spending a momentto share its beauty with me, thenflying away. As generous and briefas that, it was over. I have no pho‐tograph of us. But I have her book.I have her story. I have the mem‐ory of that moment. Lucky, indeed.

© 2018 Paul J. Rafter


CAMPBELL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST400 W. Campbell Ave.Campbell, CA 95008(408) 378-4418Pastor: Rev. NaomiSchulzNo Matter Where You AreOn Life’s Journey, YouAre Welcome Here!We are an Open andAffirming Congregation,and celebrate members ofthe LGBTQ+ Community.Joy-filled worship everySunday at 10:00 AM, withcommunion open to all.Join Pastor Naomi fortea/coffee at Orchard Val-ley cafe in Campbell dur-ing community drop-inoffice hours from 11 AMto 1 PM on most Tues-days.Our ministries/activitiesinclude:• Bible study on the sec-ond and fourth Wednes-day of every month, at6PM.• A Food Pantry servinganyone in need--open Tu/Th/ Sa 10:00 AM toNoon.• Lighted Window Pro-ductions featuring uplift-ing concerts, thought-provoking theater produc-tions, informative lec-

tures, and even an occa-sional karaoke night--all ina wholesome environ-ment. Our activities flow fromour core values:• Extravagant Joy• Passionate Faith• Loving Respect• Deep Connectedness • Intentional Growth • Shared Laughter Visit us at our web site at:[email protected] better yet, visit us atour worship services onSundays at 10:00 AM.Coffee, refreshments, andconversation always, rightafter service.

CONGREGATIONALCHURCH OF ALMADENVALLEY, UCC6581 Camden Ave., SanJose, CA 95120. Pastor,Rev. Marty Williams, 408268 0243.www.ccavucc.org.We are a welcomingchurch with a progressiveapproach to faith, worshipand giving to our localcommunity. We are proudto be UCC, Open andAffirming (O&A) and wel-come members of theLGBT community. Wesupport local LifeMoves(formerly InnVision) Shel-ter Feedings once amonth, San FranciscoNight Ministry, Second

Harvest Food Bank,Church World Service,and CommunitiesResponding to End Pover-ty.Worship Sunday, 9:00 AMfollowed by fellowshipand refreshments. 1stSunday in Worship: HolyCommunion2nd Sunday in Worship:Folks Choir and PotluckSunday.Tuesdays, AA Meetings,8:15 - 9:15 PM.Wednesdays, 9:30 AM,Women’s Study Group.

CHURCH OF CHRIST5351 Carter Ave., SanJose 95118408.265.5837www.bibleroad.orgWe strive to be a group ofChristians that love andhonor God and JesusChrist in our daily lives.We assemble each Sun-day to encourage eachother through singing,studying, praying andsharing in the Lord’s sup-per. Simple—just likewhat one reads about inthe New Testament.Bible class at 9:30 AMWorship at 10:30 AMLocated in south SanJose near Kooser Rd. andCamden Ave. (behind theAlmaden Valley AthleticClub). Come make newChristian friends!

THE EPISCOPALCHURCH IN ALMADEN 6581 Camden Ave. SanJose, CA 95120. TheRev. Shelley Booth Den-ney, Rector Phone:408-268-0243Web:www.eca-sj.org At the Episcopal Churchin Almaden (ECA), we arejoyful followers of JesusChrist. Through worship,study, fellowship and out-reach, we strive to nur-ture and grow a strongfaith community of believ-ers, a family of all ages,where each member feelswelcomed, loved, valuedand empowered to serve.Children are especiallywelcomed and cherishedas an important part ofGod's family. All juniorhigh and senior high stu-dents are welcome toparticipate in our YouthGroups. During theschool year we have jointSunday School with oursister church, the Con-gregational Church ofAlmaden Valley, UCC. TheEpiscopal Church inAlmaden offers the fol-lowing regular opportuni-ties for worship: Sundayat 7:30AM and 10:45AM,Holy Communion service.Each Sunday service isfollowed by a coffee hourfor friendship and conver-sation.

EVERGREEN ISLAMICCENTER (EIC)http://www.eicsanjose.org2486 Ruby Ave, San JoseCA 95148. (408) 239-6668"As-Salaamu-Alaikum",which means "Peace beupon you".Q) What is Islam, who areMuslims, and what is theQuran?A) Islam is a faith andway of life. It is the last inthe line and a continuationof the Abrahamic faiths.People who follow Islamare called Muslims. TheQuran is the Divine bookthat guides all mankind tocome closer to their cre-ator.Please visit our website tolearn more.

FIRST CHURCH DOWNTOWNWorshipping at 55 N. 7thStreet, in downtown SanJose. (Horace Mannschool) firstchurchdown-town.comTelephone: (408) 294-7254 x310. We are acommunity serving theChrist from the heart ofthe City, working to knowJesus and make Jesusknown by serving, wor-shipping, and learningtogether. Worship servic-es are at 10:00 AM at theHorace Mann CommunityCenter (7th and SantaClara Streets). Worshipincludes both contempo-rary and traditional music,a message that is relevantto real life, based in theBible, and meaningful topeople of all ages andbackgrounds. We work inour community to providereal assistance and long-term, life-saving solutions:food, housing, counsel-ing, and spiritual direction.Our children's & families'ministries include Sundayclasses, outdoor familyactivities such as bikerides and fishing trips.Come, Make a Differenceand feel the differenceGod can make in your life!

GRACE CHURCH OFEVERGREENwww.GraceChurchSJ.netSee you on Facebook2650 ABORN ROAD atKettmann, across fromEvergreen Public Library.Serving Evergreen forover 50 Years. John SGoldstein, PastorChristian Worship every

Sunday at 11.00 amTogether let us build livestoward excellence!Music Institute(408) 791-7772After School lessons onPiano, Violin, Viola, FlutePreSchool, Age 2-6years. Caring for yourchild with God’s love andaffection.

HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLICCHURCHFaith.Knowledge. Com-munity - this is ourpromise to our members.If you are looking for anactive Christian faithcommunity, we inviteyou to experience HolySpirit Parish Community.All are welcome! We arelocated at 1200 Red-mond Avenue, San Jose,CA 95120. Mass is cele-brated at 8:30 a.m. Mon-day - Friday. Our week-end Mass schedule isSaturday 5 p.m., Sunday8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30a.m. and 6 p.m. Rite ofReconciliation is everySaturday at 4 p.m. or byappointment. Our ParishOffice is open Monday -Thursday 8:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m. and Friday9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Call 408-997-5100 forrecorded information or408-997-5101 to speakwith someone in ourparish office. Informationon Faith Formation forchildren and adults canbe obtained by callingour Catechetical Office at408-997-5115. Get inthe loop with our 3sixtyHigh School Youth Min-istry by calling 408-997-5106. Holy Spirit Schoolserves grades Pre-Kthrough 8th, and is locat-ed at 1198 RedmondAvenue. You can reachthe school office at 408-268-0794.

THE POINT CHURCH3695 Rose Terrasse Cir San Jose, CA 95148(408) 270-7646 English Service:Sundays at 9:30 &11:00 AMSpanish Service:11:00 AMCambodian Service:11:00 AMCantonese Service:11:00 AMMandarin Service:11:00AMYouth Extreme Point(7th-12th grade):Every Saturday at 6:30PM - 8:30 PM

SAINT ANTHONYCATHOLIC CHURCHWe invite you to becomea part of our hospitable,intimate Catholic parish.We are a caring commu-

nity, promoting spiritualgrowth, reaching out topeople in need andwhereyou get to knowpeopleby name. Weoffer children's religiouseducation (CREATE);Youth Ministry (BLAST& X-STATIC); ScriptureStudy (day & evening);Senior's Group andmany other adult min-istries as well. SaintAnthony parish is locat-ed in Almaden Valley at20101 McKean Road,San Jose, 95120. Ourweekend Masses are at4 p.m. on Saturday atour historic church at21800 Bertram Road inNew Almaden, CA95042 and on Sunday at8:30 a.m.,10:30 a.m.,and 5:30 p.m. at theMcKean Road location.Our Parish Office is openMonday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.and Tuesday thru Thurs-day, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and1 - 4 p.m. For more infor-mation, stop by theParish Office or call(408) 997-4800, or visitour website at www.churchstanthony.com.Fr. Larry Hendel, Pastor.

SAN JOSE GURDWARA3636 Gurdwara Ave.San Jose, CA 95148 Theword Sikh (see-kh) means"disciple" or "student." ASikh is a practitioner of thefaith founded in the 15thcentury by Guru Nanak inPunjab of old British India.A Guru who is a "teacher"or "enlightener" completesthe relationship of teach-ing and learning. Sikhismis monotheistic andstresses the equality of allmen and women. Sikhsbelieve in three basic prin-ciples; meditating on thename of God (praying),earning a living by honestmeans and sharing thefruits of one's labor withothers. Currently there areclose to one million Sikhsliving in the USA andCanada and 25 millionSikhs living around theworld. Sikhism is the 5thlargest religion in theworld. At the Gurdwara(House of God) in SanJose we welcome all. Wepray daily for peace andprosperity for everybodyin the world. Come tovisit and enjoy Langer(food) in our kitchenwhich is open 365 days ofthe year and serves com-plementary vegetarianmeals. We also encour-age you to enter our histo-ry room on site and walk

the beautiful grounds.Learn more about us andcommunity events wesponsor by visiting ourwebsite; http://www. San-JoseGurdwara.org

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISICATHOLIC CHURCH5111 San Felipe Rd., San Jose, CA 95135408-223-1562. www.stfrancisofassisi.comor www.stfrancisofassisipreschool.orgWe invite you to join ourcommunity of faith locatedin the Evergreen area ofSan Jose. We are aninclusive diverse commu-nity striving to serve asDisciples of Jesus Christin the footsteps of St.Francis, offering prayerfuland joyful liturgies; evan-gelization, fellowship, andservice opportunities tothe community. We offerspiritual opportunities forall ages, including chil-dren's liturgy, dynamicE.C.H.O - Jr. High, IGNITE- High School and NorthStar -Young Adult Min-istries, along with smallfaith communities andopportunities to help thepoor and marginalized ofSan Jose. Our Preschoolis the only Catholic Pre-school offering qualityfamily oriented service inthe Evergreen and SilverCreek areas. Our Chapel,Gathering Hall, ParishOffice, Mission Center,Parish Gift Shop, Memori-al Garden and Preschoolare all located at 5111San Felipe Rd. Pleasecome join us to worshipat one of the followingtimes and locations: St. Francis of AssisiChapel: Saturday 5:00PM,Sunday 8:30 AM, 10:30AM, 12:30 PM, 4:00 PM(Mass in Vietnamese),6:00 PM Youth MassSt. Francis of Assisi Gath-ering Hall Sunday 9:00 AM, Sun-day11:00AM, Igbo Mass -Second Sunday of themonth 12:30 PMMt. Hamilton Grange -2840 Aborn RoadSunday 9:30 AM The Villages Gated Com-munity (Cribari Auditori-um) Sunday 8:15 AMFor more information,please call or visit us atthe Parish Mission Centeropen M-F 9:00 AM -12:00PM; 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.Come join us and shareyour presence with us sothat together we may growand share our gifts to helpbuild God's Kingdom!

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Symphony orchestra celebratesBeethoven's 250th anniversary

Symphony Silicon Valley presents Naka‐matsu Plays Beethoven to celebrate the250th anniversary of Beethoven on Sat‐

urday, March 21 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March22 at 2:30 p.m. at the California Theatre indowntown San Jose.

With this concert the Symphony joins theworld‐wide celebration of Beethoven’s 250thanniversary. Over three seasons, pianist JonNakamatsu and the orchestra will performall of Beethoven’s piano concertos. Featuredwill be the Second piano concerto, whichthe young virtuoso used as a display pieceto make his way in Vienna. Schumann’sheartfelt Symphony No. 4 concludes, bridg‐ing the worlds of Beethoven and Brahms.

PROGRAM:* Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2

* Beethoven: Choral Fantasy* Schumann: Symphony No. 4Conductor: John NelsonSoloists: Jon Nakamatsu, pianoSymphony Silicon Valley ChoraleTo order tickets, visit www.sympho‐

nysiliconvalley.org or call the Box Office:408.286.2600; Or visit the Box Officebetween 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday throughFriday at 325 South First Street in down‐town San Jose, between San Carlos and SanSalvador Streets just one‐half block fromthe California Theatre.

Easy, inexpensive parking is just one blockaway at San Jose City Garage on San CarlosStreet with entrances on 2nd and 3rd Streetsfor $5.

Photos courtesy of Symphony Silicon Val‑ley.

Symphony Silicon Valley presents‘Nakamatsu Plays Beethoven’ Mar. 21 - 22

Jon Nakamatsu

1820painting ofBeethovenby JosephKarl Stieler


DAN WALKER

Realtor® CalBRE #00758244

(408) 892-4813 [email protected]

KRAIG CONSTANTINO

[email protected]

(408) 219-9122

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SUSANBOERNER

(408) 921-7619compass.com/agents/susan-boerner/

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THERESE SWAN

[email protected]

(408) 656-8240

MARGARET &DAVID YOST

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(408) 599-2130 www.YostGroup.com

MARK & MADELINECHIAVETTA

(408) [email protected]

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San Jose City Pavement Maintenancethree‑year plan(’20‑’22) released

The three‐year San Jose City PavementMaintenance Plan from 2020 through2022 has been released as part of the

nine‐year project.The pavement plan will preserve and reha‐

bilitate 213 miles of major streets and 420 milesof local/neighborhood streets.

The City of San Jose’s pavementmaintenance program made his‐tory last year with a 280‐mile pave‐ment maintenance program in2019.

The 2019 projects are now com‐pleted, and that was just the begin‐ning of a nine‐year program torepave every mile of local andneighborhood streets in San Jose,while continuing to care for ourmajor streets as well.

By the end of the nine‐year pave‐ment maintenance program, 1490miles of local streets and 944 milesof major streets will have beenimproved.

The City’s Department of Transportation isprioritizing contiguous areas to ensure we getas much paving done as possible for the allo‐cated tax money.

The initial focus is on project zones withthe lowest average PCI (pavement conditionindex), which is an average score across alarger area, so while you may be on a streetthat is worse than most streets in the area, itmay not be within a zone with as many poor‐ly‐rated streets as another area.

For the 2020 construction season, the pave‐ment maintenance program is funded to thetune of $111.8 million dollars by a variety ofsources: SB1, VTA Measure B, Measure T, anda federal grant. The first three sources will sup‐port the City’s budget and program through‐out the remainder of the 9‐year duration.


Driving School

Advantage Driving School is the premier driving school in northern Califor-nia. Advantage Driving School has trained more than

300,000 students to drive safely since 1994. We offer complete programs for both traditional classroom and online courses.

Driver Training is the behind the wheel training which prepares your child to pass the driving test at the DMV. We also offer complete programsfor adults and senior citizens. If you have never driven or just need some

supplemental instruction to improve your driving skills, we are just theschool for you! We believe Advantage Driving School offers a great

combination of experienced driving instructors and affordable prices! Location: 5440 Thornwood Drive, Suite F;

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Call to place your ad today! (408) 898-7534

Property Management

MusicLessons$15 perlesson

Piano, guitar,drums, bass,voice, flute

(408) 268-6703

Jewelry

Singles

Almaden Valley (Senior) Singles

The organization that

brings single residents of

Almaden Valley (95120)

over 65 to enjoy a social life

close to home and take part

in community service.

Come and join us for our

monthly breakfast which is

held at 9 a.m. on the third

Tuesday of each month at

Cup and Saucer,

Princeton Plaza Mall,

1375 Blossom Hill Road.

Home Services

Kitchen/Bath

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dsTimes Features

District 10 City Council candidates face off on local issues

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Transcript of District 10 City Council candidates face off on local issues