April 7, 2005

Calendar of local events

Unless otherwise noted all phone numbers are in the 408 area code.

THEATER
April 8 – 23
The Tabard Theatre Company presents its third and final production of the 2004-2005 season, “The Last Night of Ballyhoo”directed by Irene Trapp. “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” explores questions of race and cultural identity with a light hand that touches the heart and mind equally. Cultures collide as the premiere of “Gone with the Wind” and preparations for Ballyhoo, a lavish Jewish society ball, overshadow the impending threat of war. Set in 1939, Atlanta, this is the story of two Jewish families coming to an understanding of who they are told with great humor and insight. A portion of the concession proceeds from each production will benefit Jewish Family Services (www.jfss.org). All performances are at Joint Venture Churches, 6581 Camden Avenue (near Almaden Expressway), in San Jose. For additional information, call the Tabard Box Office at 979-0231.

April 12 – 24
American Musical Theater of San Jose presents”Tapestry, A Musical Revue Based on the Life of Carol King;” A dazzling musical event celebrating the achievement and artistry of King’s musical career. Tapestry will be at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose. From “Up on the Roof” to “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” King’s body of music comes to life in this high energy production, with six performers and five musicians. Tickets are $45 - $72. For information call 1-888-455-7469 or visit www.amtsj.orj.

MEETINGS
Ongoing:
Association of Republican Women meets the third Wednesday of each month at the Almaden Country Club, on Crown Blvd in San Jose. Mr. Keen Butcher is the scheduled speaker for the April 20 meeting. Mr. Butcher leads the local GOP efforts in voter registration, candidate development and political outreach. Meetings begin at 10 a.m. with a continental breakfast offered at 9:30 a.m. at a cost of $10 per person.
The Santa Clara Co. Horsemen’s Association, founded in 1939, meets the third Friday of each month at its property located at 20350 McKean Road, San Jose. Increase your knowledge of horses and enjoy the kinship of fellow equestrians. You don’t need to own a horse to be a member. Call 268-4215 or check out our website at www.horsemens.org.
Leads Club, the original business referral networking organization meets every Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. on Hillsdale near Almaden Expressway.  For location details and more information, call Yvonne at 239-6385.
The Las Madres Adoptive Moms Group meets twice a month on Friday mornings for play dates and lunch.  Once per month we also have Mom’s Night Out, a family activity and a newsletter with stories written by members as well as informative articles and book reviews on adoption.  For more information, visit www.lasmadres.org
Business Leads Unlimited (www.onlineblu.com/admin ) meets at 7:15 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Denny’s Restaurant on Blossom Hill Rd approximately one half mile east of Almaden Expy.
Las Madres Adoption Group is a wonderful support system for those who have gone through the adoption process and are looking to share the joys and challenges of parenting an adopted child.  We have regular play dates for newborns-5 years old and monthly “mom’s night out.” For more information, contact Barb Griswold at barbgris@aol.com or call toll free 1-877-LasMadres.  
Oakridge Century Theatres in association with Las Madres Neighborhood Playgroups presents CineMamas! A morning out to the movies for moms and their little ones. This group meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., There are three showings to choose from, baby-safe sound levels, cheerios at the concession stand and a relaxing atmosphere with other moms who understand kids are kids! Check CineMamas.com for a weekly update on what is showing. Kids under 3 are free!
Le Tip International, a business leads networking group meets every Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. at Denny’s Restaurant, 1140 Hillsdale Aveue. For more information, call 298-9131.

CHILDREN & FAMILY
April 9 - Saturday
Santa Teresa’s historic Bernal Ranch, 260 Bernal Road hosts an afternoon of “Scrub-A-Dub & Old Time Games.” From 1 - 4:30 p.m., participants will play games from 100 years ago during fun-filled afternoon at the ranch. Bernal Ranch is located at the corner of Camino Verde and Manilla Drive in San Jose, near Santa Teresa Hospital. Contact 226-5453 for more information.

April 11 – 15
Join Vasona Lake County Park staff for Junior Ranger Day Camp, an interactive weeklong series of morning outdoor adventures. A different nature topic and activity will be featured each day from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event is open to kids ages nine to 11. Snacks are provided. For registration and information, please call 354-2608. Vasona Lake County Park is located at 333 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos.

Ongoing
Almaden Ladybugs Soccer Premier/Class 1, U17 Girls, Tryouts for State Cup and Spring/Fall season, every Tuesday and Thursday. Date of Birth after 7/31/88. Contact Roger Haupt 779-7697, Linda Urzi 723-0928. All practices held at Gunderson High School.     

CLASSES
April 11 - Monday
Are you tired of raveling and unraveling your hose or is your current irrigation system failing? Join Derek McKee, Principal, Beals Alliance, Inc and the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens in this introductory irrigation class to save time and money, while keeping your plants adequately hydrated all year long. The class will include information on irrigation basics, irrigation materials, system set-up, design and layout, use zones and water conservation and controllers and operations. The workshop will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Guadalupe Garden Center, located at 715 Spring Street in San Jose. The fee is $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Space is limited, so reserve your spot early by sending a check to: Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, 50 West San Fernando Street, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95113. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted via phone or mail. Refunds for the events will only be made if the event is cancelled or if there is a waiting list. For more information please visit www.grpg.org or contact Kary Wilson, the Education Coordinator, at education@grpg.org or 298-7657.

Ongoing
Fine Art Lesssons: Fine Art Classes in Watercolor, Oil and Soft Pastel with Gillian Lane Altieri, at the New Almaden Community Center, Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beginning and intermediate classes, all skill levels are invited. $20 per lesson or $60 per month (3-4 lessons).Call 268-2990 for information and materials lists.
ACE Tennis Academy offers tennis instruction for boys and girls ages 7-17, from beginner to tournament level players. Classes are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information and registration, phone 650-302-4250 or e-mail acetennis@sbcglobal.net.

HEALTH
Ongoing:
Aasha Pediatrics, 2060 Aborn Rd., Suite 230, (behind Red Lobster) is offering free consultation on newborn care to expectant parents. Get all your questions answered toward being best prepared for the arrival of your child. For a personal appointment, call Dr. Meena Sathappan at 274-9099.
Bay Area Alzheimer’s Association now includes meetings at Kaiser Santa Teresa. Meetings are held in the San Jose Kaiser Family Health Center, Conference Room C, 3rd Floor, located at 276 International Circle. For more information call 800-660-1993

FIFTY PLUS
Through April 15
IRS-certified volunteers will provide Tax-Aide assistance for persons with lower income. Free tax preparation is available for lower income clients, with preference given to those over 60 years of age. Tax counselors are available to assist clients in many languages. The Office on Aging can direct eligible older adults to the appropriate site. Languages spoken include: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Burmese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Tagalog, French, Hindi, Vietnamese, Polish, Armenian, and Persian. Call 277-4790 to locate a site that fits your needs. You may then contact that site and make an appointment. Be prepared to bring with you: last year’s tax returns, this year’s forms with mailing label and all income verifications (W2 or WP2 forms), interest/dividend information (1099’s) and total amount of Social Security or Disability payments for calculating credit.

VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
Ongoing:
The Campbell Highland Games Association is seeking volunteers for all day on Friday and Saturday June 17-18 for the 27th Annual Campbell Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Gathering. The event is June 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Campbell Community Center, but the work starts now. High school and Church community service groups are also welcome. If you are interested, call 219-9264, or 629-9325.
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, www.wcsv.org, seeks center volunteers and home care volunteers to care for injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild. We also need volunteers to help with educational outreach, database/office management, landscaping, facilities planning and fundraising. The Wildlife Center, located in San Jose, has an active and enthusiastic corps of volunteers committed to welcoming and training new supporters.  Join us in giving a hand to our Silicon Valley wildlife. Email Patricia at volunteer@wcsv.org or call 929-WILD (9453) ext. 350 for orientation dates.

MISCELLANEOUS
Ongoing
The Almaden Valley Women’s Club is currently seeking sponsors for The 29th Annual Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival held at Almaden Lake Park on Sunday September 25, 2005.The Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival sponsorship program enables corporations, small businesses, and individuals to support the community through the philanthropic activities of the Almaden Valley Women’s Club. Different levels of sponsorship are available. Information about the Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival can be found at www.almadenartwinefestival.com. Interested sponsors please contact Ellen Hudson-Snyder at sponsors@almadenartwinefestival.com.

HAVE AN ITEM FOR OUR CALENDAR?

We are seeking calendar items pertaining to the south bay communities we cover in our seven monthly community newspapers: Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, Willow Glen, Fifty Plus, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by email or fax several weeks before the event. Send an email to candy@timesmediainc.com or fax to Candy Richter at 494-7078. Photos should be sent digitally as jpegs or mailed to Calendar, Times Newspapers, 1310 Tully Road, Ste. 107, San Jose, CA 95122. Due to the large volume of items received calendar requests left on voice mail cannot be used. Space is limited.