July 5, 2007

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

T.J. Martin Park’s recent face-lift courtesy of Almaden
Valley Youth Soccer League and City of San Jose

T.J. Martin Park is getting a face-lift courtesy of a partnership between the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League and the City of San José. In preparation for the work, the City has fenced off a large portion of the grass for the summer.

Dozens of league volunteers dedicated the majority of their Saturday on June 16th to begin the restoration of the pitch. Dead grass in high traffic zones was removed and areas around all the sprinkler heads were leveled. Volunteers picked up rocks and filled holes left by burrowing park residents. They spread truckloads of soil to
even out low areas and prepare the ground for new sod which was laid on June 23rd. During the interim week,
the fields were aerated to promote growth and spread with topsoil and seed to thicken existing grass. City staff repaired and relocated sprinklers to provide adequate irrigation for a healthy field. The league and the City will work together to water and mow the park throughout the summer to ensure the new sod and grass are well established prior to the fall soccer season.

Those working towards improving the park included AVYSL parents and Board members, and a few students
willing to put in a hard day’s work toward their high school volunteer requirements. In addition, staff from Jensen Landscaping donated their time over the weekend to guide the efforts of the parent volunteers. San José city employees rounded out the team, moving materials in and out of the park as needed.

The Almaden Valley Soccer League hopes to be formally recognized as having adopted the park once city officials confirm that the league has exceeded the minimum required 60 hours of volunteer efforts towards the park’s improvement. Over 100 volunteer hours were logged during the first day of work at TJ Martin.

With 2,000 children and close to 200 teams registered to play soccer within AVYSL each fall, the availability of quality fields continues to be an important issue for the league and its volunteer board members. TJ Martin is the only city park in District 10 zoned for organized sports that is adequately sized to support youth soccer.

The AVYSL board continues to work with the city and local school districts in order to find creative ways to provide field space to allow a fun, community soccer experience for all interested players within its jurisdiction.

Community members interested in volunteering time to help the league and its young players can offer their services
on-line at www.almadensoccer.org.

Bret Harte Middle School students learn showbiz magic at Walt Disney World

Students from Bret Harte Middle School traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort on June 20 to go behind-the-scenes of a modern day circus. The group from Almaden Valley, using the travel planning services of WorldPass Travel Group, took part in the Disney Youth Education Series Program (Y.E.S.) “Showbiz Magic at La Nouba” by Cirque Du Soleil.

Each year, groups from around the world travel to Walt Disney World to take part in one of the several Disney Y.E.S. programs offered throughout the Resort. Most of the programs take place in and behind the scenes of the world famous Theme Parks.

Areas of study include career discovery, life management, physical science, natural science, history, art and humanities. The programs use the varied resources on stage and backstage to bring real world examples to the learning experience.

For more information on Disney Y.E.S. Programs, visit www.DisneyYES.com or call 800-603-0552.

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