Several things I’m grateful for this year
We all have things we’re personally grateful for on this Thanksgiving — health, family, friends — but as a region, the South Bay has a lot to be grateful for, too. Here’s a big thank-you to all the people working to make this a better place to live:
• Communityminded sports teams like the San Francisco 49ers, San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Giants and San Jose Sharks. On Tuesday night, 19 49ers players, including tight end George Kittle, helped serve dinner at Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose. There were lots of news cameras there to capture the good deed by a 10-1 team, but here’s the important part: Just as many players were there in previous years when the team’s record wasn’t as good (and the media paid less at
tention).
• The strong women we have leading so many nonprofits in the South Bay. To name just a few: Camille Llanes-Fontanilla at Somos Mayfair, Cayce Hill at Veggielution, Tamara Alvarado at the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation, Jessica Paz-Cedillos at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and Kyra Kazantzis at Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits.
• People like Destination: Home’s Jennifer Loving, the Housing Trust’s Kevin Zwick and First Community Housing’s Geoff Morgan, who work to find people stable housing; and others like Andrea Urton of HomeFirst and Marcus Givens, director of Project WeHope’s Dignity on Wheels, who help make life easier for those still on the streets.
• The teams at Local Color — Erin Salazar, Ellina Yin and Haley Cardamon — and Empire Seven Studios — Juan Carlos de Araujo and Jennifer Ahn — and others like Lila Gemellos for beautifying the city with colorful murals,
beating back the beige reputation of “Tan Jose.”
• The talented people who fill South Bay stages every season, with a special thanks to Cathy Spielberger Cassetta, the founder and producing artistic director of Tabard Theater who is stepping down at the end of this season, and Opera San Jose general director Larry Hancock, who is departing the company after 35 years (and carrying on the legacy of founder Irene Dalis since 2014).
• The chance to ride my
bike with the kids on open streets twice a year now at Viva CalleSJ, thanks to Ed Solis and the team at San Jose’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department (plus several other city departments that pitch in to make it happen).
• Enthusiastic San Jose State President Mary Papazian, who has taken Spartan Pride to a level it hasn’t seen in a quarter century. And special thanks to the Rev. Michael Engh, who presided over a decade of growth at Santa
Clara University before stepping down in June.
• Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone — not for our annual property tax assessments but for his stalwart support of the arts. The city of Sunnyvale recognized him with its Community Award in September for his contributions to the creative culture of that city, and he also has done so on a countywide level for decades.
• Our multitude of museums and galleries — from the San Jose Museum
of Art, which celebrated its 50th birthday this year, to the New Museum Los Gatos and Triton Museum in Santa Clara, which give local artists a place to shine.
• Cherri Lakey and Brian Eder for keeping South First Fridays going month after month in downtown San Jose for over a decade (and prompting similar art walks in Japantown and Campbell).
• Alida Bray for a 21year career working to preserve and share the city’s heritage at History San Jose (and for the nonprofit’s board for finding the energetic Bill Schroh Jr. to succeed her as History San Jose’s CEO). The same thanks to Brian Grayson, who stepped down as Preservation Action Council’s executive director last spring after 11 years (though so far, he has proved irreplaceable).
• Entrepreneurs like Jordan Trigg, Ryan Sebastian, John Lopez, Jo Lerma-Lopez, Marie Millares and others who have given us new restaurants and pop-up businesses to sate our dining and shopping needs. Scott and Shannon Guggenheim at 3Below Theaters are doing their best to keep us entertained with shows on stage and screen (and the best way to show our gratitude is to fill those seats).
• The people behind our countless festivals and community events like San Jose Jazz’s Summer and Winter Fests, Pow!Wow! San Jose, Campbell’s Oktoberfest, Cinequest, the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, the Rose, White & Blue Parade, Christmas in the Park, Rotary Fireworks and Santa Clara’s just-revived Parade of Champions. Former Fairmont Hotel marketing maven Lina Broydo once told me San Jose should be known as “The City of Festivals.” Are we there yet?
• The near lovefest between the Sharks and the city of San Jose for the past 26 years. Sure, they have their disagreements, but we’ve seen in Oakland and Santa Clara just how bad relationships between sports teams and their home cities can be.
Finally, thanks to all of you, the readers — both in print or online — who give us a reason to keep telling stories about our community. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!