Kayak ride offers new view of San Jose
If you want a different perspective on downtown San Jose, floating beneath it on a kayak in the Guadalupe River will do the trick. I navigated the waterway Wednesday morning at the invitation of Carl Salas, who has taken his boat and paddle out for occasional exercise on the river since last year.
There was so much to see, including carp swimming in the surprisingly clear water, ducks floating on the surface and the occasional bird flying through the trees and riverbank growth. It was amazingly serene, and easy to forget you were in the middle of downtown — until our boats emerged from the Santa Clara Street overcrossing and downtown’s office buildings loomed above.
There was also a lot of trash, from plastic bottles and aluminum cans to clothing, tarps and other debris from homeless encampments that dot the riverbank. As we paddled south from the Arena Green area toward Adobe Systems, our boats dodged submerged shopping carts and I was snagged on a car tire resting just below the waterline.
Fortunately, we weren’t there alone.
The visit was timed to coincide with a midweek cleanup by the South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, which has hauled out more than 152 tons of trash from Los Gatos Creek and the Guadalupe River since 2013. (Read more about their work at sbcleancreeks.com.) Two members of that volunteer group also set out in a canoe to get some of the trash that couldn’t be reached from shore.
In the end, I was glad for the chance to see the river in a new way and to know that there are volunteers trying to keep it beautiful. And I’m glad I didn’t end up in the drink myself, needing to be hauled out with the trash.
CHANGES IN THE AIR» Jewish
Federation of Silicon Valley CEO Jyl Jurman retired June 30 after being with the Los Gatos-based organization since 1988.
“We will all miss Jyl’s hard work, leadership and unrivaled dedication to our community as Federation CEO for the better part of two generations, and we wish her all the best in her retirement ,” said Lael Gray, chief executive officer of the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center.
Gray will serve as the Federation’s interim CEO while also continuing at AP J CC, which is also housed at the Gloria and Ken Levy Family Campus on Oka Road.
The two organizations are in talks about a possible merger this year, with a goal of providing donors and members of the community one clear point of entry to participate in and support Jewish life in the valley.
CURSES! >> Well, the Winchester Mystery House’s self-guided tours lasted only a day, another casualty in the reopening rollback announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.
But an announcement from the landmark San Jose attraction noted that the Sarah Winchester Garden Tour is still available all this week and on Wednesdays through Sundays starting next week.
Go to winchestermysteryhouse.com for more details.
THIRST FOR EDUCATION >> San Jose Water announced a $50,000 donation Thursday to San Jose Aspires, a program out of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo‘s office to put high school students on the path to college. The program provides a free online tool for learning opportunities, mentorship and advising, as well as a micro-scholarship program. Think of it as an electronic version of the college counselors that too many schools have too few of. The program is run by the San Jose Public Library, and in the next year it will expand with partnerships at Overfelt High, San Jose High and Opportunity Youth Academy. And although San Jose Water’s donation certainly helps, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared with the need.