Eggs-citing news for San Jose City Hall’s resident falcons
It’s been an exciting time for FalconCam watchers, who have spotted four eggs in the nestbox atop San Jose City Hall, home to peregrine falcons Clara and Fernando El Cohete.
The first egg was probably laid Feb. 26, and three others followed, including No. 4 on Wednesday. The normal incubation period is a little over a month, so viable eggs could start hatching in early April. And if that happens, it’ll be the 13th year that Clara has produced young since arriving on the scene in 2007.
She and Fernando have been an item since 2012, making him her longest-running mate. The city of San Jose, in partnership with the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, has a web page devoted to the falcons, along with a link to the FalconCam trained on the nestbox, so fans can keep an eye on the incubating eggs over the next few weeks. And don’t worry if you miss anything: there’s a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SanJoseCityHallFalcons) and YouTube videos (www. youtube.com/user/SanJosePFA).
DISTRICT SEEKING HALL OF FAMERS >> The East Side Union High School District Education Foundation is on the hunt for nominees to join the 137 members of its Thomas P. Ryan Hall of Fame. The high school district in San Jose, founded in 1951, has more than 200,000 graduates out there, so it’s a pretty good pool to choose from.
Every other year, the foundation inducts a class of about nine to 12 honorees who have achieved widespread recognition in their chosen fields and serve as a role model for current students in the district.
Past honorees have included legendary Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett, author Khaled Hosseini, Yahoo founder Jerry Yang, playwright and director Luis Valdez, San Jose City Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco and former Councilwoman Rose Herrera. (I also sneaked in as a representative of Santa Teresa High in 2017.)
San Jose State President Mary Papazian also will be honored at the Nov. 9 induction dinner because of the Spartan Promise, a partnership among the district, the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and San Jose State.
To nominate an alum for the hall of fame or get details on the foundation’s fifth annual Crab Feed fundraiser on March 23, go to www.esuhsdef.org/hall-of-fame.
SHAKESBEERIENCE IS BACK >> It has been quite a while since the last production, but ShakesBEERience is returning to Cafe Stritch in downtown San Jose on Tuesday.
It’s a staged reading of one of Shakespeare’s plays by professional and amateur actors with no sets and no real costumes to speak of. All of Cafe Stritch’s interior serves as a potential stage, and actors have been known to pop up on the bar for a monologue, orate from the balcony or join the audience in a pint of beer or glass of wine.
Director John McCluggage‘s Buck Hill Productions has partnered with Silicon Valley Shakespeare to produce a threeplay season this year, beginning with an abridged version of “Henry IV, Part I” on Tuesday. Previous shows were held Mondays, but Tuesday happens to be the birthday of both McCluggage and Silicon Valley Shakespeare Dramaturg Doll Piccotto, who is performing in the show.
The doors open at 5 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. performance, and it’s free, as always.
YOUTH ADMITTED FREE AT SAN JOSE MUSEUM >> I ran into San Jose Museum of Art Executive Director Sayre Batton last week, and she was excited about the museum’s new policy to offer free admission to youths 17 and under as well as undergraduate college students and schoolteachers.
She said it’s part of the institution’s mission in its 50th anniversary year to get more young people into the museum more often. And a goal of hers that also could make that a reality? Having the downtown museum open every night.
The free admission initiative is being funded through a grant from the Yellow Chair Foundation, which was founded by Angela Filo and her husband, David Filo, a co-founder of Yahoo. The foundation has been low-key about its giving in the past, but what a great way to make its presence known in the downtown San Jose arts community.
It’s also worth noting that the new admission policy goes into effect to coincide with the opening of “Undersoul: Jay DeFeo,” featuring some previously unseen works by the Bay Area artist, who died in 1989.
A gallery talk and tour of the exhibition with curatorial associate Kathryn Wade will take place Thursday at 12:30 p.m. and is free with museum admission.
Go to www.sjmusart.org for details.