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San Jose Innovation And Creativity
CONTENT What’s Inside Matters.
Neighborhood 3.4 Featuring: Gary Singh/Blank Club/Angelina Haole
37 N. San Pedro St. San Jose, CA 95110 408-292-1502 thesatoriteacompany.com
a Larson: Contributing Writer
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CONTENT
Issue 3.4 “NIEGHBORHOOD “ End of Year 2011 The Makers:
Daniel Garcia Cultivator
Steveyann Jensen Contributing Writer
Sarah Garcia Marketeer
Mark Haney Contributing writer
Sarah Hale Sustainer
Aleksandra Bulatskaya Contributing Writer
Stacy Ernst Shaper/Blogger
Kevin Kempis Designer
Sobrina Tung Style Editor
Jeff Gardner Designer
Mary Matlack Contributing Writer
Daniel Millan Designer
Steveyann Jensen Contributing Writer
Sonia Ayala Intern Britt Clyde Proof Reader
Felicia Larson Contributing Writer Victoria Felicity Contributing Writer/Photographer
To participate in Content Magazine: editor@content-magazine.com
IN THIS ISSUE
Gary Singh/Angelina Haole/Blank Club
THE BLANK 22 CLUB
GARY SINGH DESIGN 12 Bank Of Italy PROFILE 16 Gary Singh 20 Angelina Haole 24 Pizza Bocca Lupo 28 Etsy-Hood
ANGELNA HAOLE
FEATURE 36 Two Attorneys 40 The Blank Club 44 Portuguese Bar 46 Neighborhood Challenge
WRITINGS 50 Nick Taylor FASHION 54 San Francisco Shirt Company NEIGHBORHOOD 60 Photo Contest Winners 65 Contributors 66 Cultivator’s Notes
SAN JOSE BY THE NUMBERS By Mary Matlack
San Jose is big - with roughly one million people and give or take 178 square miles. In fact, according to the 2000 census, San Diego, the 2nd most populous city, has us beat by an additional 300,000 people and more space which averages out to 3,772 inhabitants per square mile. San Francisco, the 4th most populous has 130,000 fewer people than San Jose, less space and a shocking 16,636 San Franciscans per square mile. Here in San Jose, I’ll share my square mile with just 5,118 of my closest friends and neighbors - another reason to be grateful to call the “South Bay” home. And when I drive 30 some-odd miles from the rural Morgan Hill borderlands through the technology parks and shiny campuses of the world’s leading tech firms all the way out to Alviso, San Jose’s own waterfront on the San Francisco Bay, I’m reminded of the geographic and ethnic diversity that is San Jose. San Jose is not perfect – in fact it is often messy, and confusing. We know that city government and public services are stretched thin. Our public schools struggle and their sheer quantity is astounding. Our namesake school district, San Jose Unified has 27 elementary schools, 8 middle schools and 8 high schools. As if that weren’t enough for the bureacracy to manage, the City of San Jose is home to an additional 14 school districts - each with their own complement of elementary, middle and high schools. Making sense of it all can be daunting, and yet, through the chaos, a city, a people and a culture not only survive, but thrive. Join us as we criss-cross the city exploring it district by district. Whether you live in rural Almaden or urban downtown, let’s get to know our city – by the numbers for logistics and by the people and places, for community.
MILPITAS 680 880
101
SUNNYVALE
SANTA CLARA SAN JOSE CUPERTINO
280
85 87
CAMPBELL SARATOGA 17
LOS GATOS
101
MORGAN HILL
COUNCILMEMBER
Pete Constant, serving since 2007 Prior to Politics: Constant was a San Jose police officer and a professional photographer. Claims to Fame: • Launched “Mobile City Hall”: A smartphone app used by District 1, but available to all districts, to report issues in their neighborhoods: graffiti, blight, shopping carts on the loose. • Hosts Virtual Town Hall events: First of its kind in San Jose - live streaming question and answer with city officials. CHALLENGE District 1 is underserved in terms of parkland. According to local Steve Landau, “The city counts school grounds as public space. Schools don’t like that - so they lock up.” As the densest district in San Jose, there’s no space for new park development.
district AKA West San Jose Extended like a hitchhiker’s thumb, District 1 borders Santa Clara, Saratoga, Cupertino, and Campbell with a narrow 3 mile stretch that connects it to the rest of San Jose. Winchester Boulevard, Saratoga Avenue and two expressways, San Tomas and Lawrence, bi-sect the district while Santana Row and Valley Fair remain out of arm’s reach, just across the border - or in this case boulevard, in the neighboring District 6.
OUTSTANDING NEIGHBOR
HISTORIC FACTS
“About four years ago, I attended a meeting about a stop sign. I was stunned at how few people affected decisions. I wanted to find out more and one thing lead to another,” recalls Steve Landau, leader of the District 1 Leadership Group. “Our area is very culturally diverse but it is hard to get cultural diversity into leadership groups. My hope is that we can get people to participate and get their voices heard.”
6 TRUCKS – 6 WEEKS
OLD SCHOOL COOL
$1000
Ever wonder why Valley Fair is home to many senior “mall walkers”? For the past 5 years, District 1 has hosted the original West Valley Senior Walk – an event that boasts nearly 500 participating seniors and 100 businesses. They walk, they visit and they take home swag.
Daily income for Sarah Winchester in 1897.
If you grew up in the area, you can remember waiting in line at the Century Theaters. When the movie was new, lines easily wrapped around the Space Age domes that make up the distinctive theaters. Century 21 was built in 1963 and the first film was “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” in 70mm format. The theaters still exist with their massive, hand-lettered billboards on Winchester Avenue.
NEW SCHOOL HIP Old McDonald’s Farmer’s Market on the site of what else, a building formerly knows as McDonalds. Filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and local goods, the pun is intended.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE One of the few city parks in District 1, the Calabazas BMX park is the bay area’s largest city funded BMX track. Bring your gear and certainly a helmet.
The number of trucks needed in 1922 to clear out the furnishings from Sarah Winchester’s 6 acre home.
116 Acres at the high point of Sarah Winchester’s farm.
OVER 21 Sure you can bring the kids along, but maybe you need a little culinary vacation. Many say that the best food, really our food scene claim-to-fame, can be found in the strip malls that flank the busy boulevards of San Jose. Winchester Boulevard delivers - with choices that span the globe. Peruvian: Isabella’s Restaurant, Ethiopian and Eritrean: Selam, Mexican: Taqueria Eduardo, American Diner: The Breakfast Place and Flames Coffee Shop, Japanese: Mizu, Vietnamese: Khan’s and the list goes on. A few blocks over, Saratoga Avenue is home to one of the best Japanese Ramen houses in the south bay, Ramen Halu. The lines can be long, but obviously those in the know will wait.
FAMILY NIGHT The Retro Dome is the coolest thing to hit the El Paseo shopping center since Merlin’s Castle in the early 80’s. An old Century Theater – The Dome hosts professional musical theater, comedy, live music and retro movies. Think Schoolhouse Rock and Grease sing-a-longs.
CHECK IT OUT DISTRICT 1
DISTRICT 2
Councilmember Pete Constant sjdistrict1.com
Councilmember Ash Kalra sjdistrict2.com
MILPITAS 680 880
SANTA CLARA SAN JOSE CUPERTINO
The Retro Dome 1694 Saratoga Avenue San Jose, CA 95129-5110 (408) 404-7711 theretrodome.com
Silver Creek Sportsplex 800 Embedded Way San Jose, California 95138 (408) 225-1843 silvercreeksportsplex.com
Century Theaters (21-24) centurytheaters.com
San Jose Skate 397 Blossom Hill Road San Jose, CA 95123 408-226-1155 sanjoseskate.com
101
SUNNYVALE
280
85 87
CAMPBELL SARATOGA 17
The Winchester Mystery House 525 South Winchester Blvd San Jose, CA 95128-2588 (408) 247-2000 winchestermysteryhouse.com Calabazas Skate Park S Blaney Ave & Danridge Dr San Jose, CA 95129 sjparks.org/neighborhood/ calabazas.asp Isabella’s Restaurant 700 S Winchester Blvd San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 248-7378 isabellasrestaurantsanjose.com Selam 3120 Williams Rd San Jose, CA 95117 (408) 984-9600 selamrestaurant.com Taqueria Eduardo 3123 Williamsburg Dr San Jose, CA 95117 (408) 374-9764 The Breakfast Place 3132 Williams Ave San Jose, CA 95117 (408) 261-3714 Flames Coffee Shop 449 S Winchester Blvd San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 246-8154 flamescoffeeshop.com Mizu 1035 S Winchester Blvd San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 260-7200 mizusj.com Khan’s 335 S Winchester Blvd San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 241-4940 khanhsrestaurant.com
LOS GATOS
Hellyer Park Velodrome 995 Hellyer Ave San Jose, CA 95111 Tel: 408-225-0225 ridethetrack.com Metcalf Motorcycle Park Motorcycle County Park 300 Metcalf Road San Jose, CA 95138 (408) 226-5223 sccgov.org Hayes Mansion 200 Edenvale Ave. San Jose, CA 95136 Tel: 866-981-3300 dolce-hayes-mansion-hotel.com Silicon Valley Disc Golf Club http://svdgc.org
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MORGAN HILL
COUNCILMEMBER
Ash Kalra, serving sine 2008 Prior to Politics: Kalra worked for 11 years as an attorney for the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office. Claims to Fame: • First graduate of Oak Grove High School to serve on the San Jose City Council • First Indian-American Councilmember HISTORICAL FACTS In 1900, Everis and Jay Hayes, of The Hayes Mansion fame, began to purchase and publish a string of San Jose newspapers that would eventually become the San Jose Mercury News. The Hayes Mansion, in District 2, is now a conference center but when the Hayes brothers lived there, it was the political and social center of the Santa Clara Valley. The Hayes family owned the property until 1950.
district AKA South San Jose, Santa Theresa Driving Monterey Highway south, down the length of District 2, reminds me of its original purpose: Father Junipero Serra used this route to connect his California Missions. Foot traffic gave way to the Butterfield Stage Coach and eventually the railroad – en route to Monterey and beyond. The train tracks run alongside the highway today as does that 1960’s invention, Hwy 101. Coyote Creek and it’s 18 miles of bike trail run through District 2 passing the Edenvale Technology Park, 7 different neighborhoods and lonely cattle grazing on the hillsides. And to think that this suburban, techno-historic area was once home to Rancho Santa Theresa - a 10,000 acre land grant given to the Bernal Family in 1834.
OUTSTANDING NEIGHBOR
Unique Fact
Darryl Ospring, leader of the Coyote Creek Neighborhood Association and all around community superstar, has managed to unite her neighborhood to fight graffiti, install guard rails along Coyote Creek, protect an Ohlone burial ground (skeletal remains date back to 800 A.D.), and establish a grassy neighborhood park on a weedy vacant lot. Her reward? “Crime stats went down 85% in the last two years and I’ve got 100 volunteers geared up for the future.” When asked if graffiti is the main problem, Darryl sighs, “I’ve been doing graffiti for 30 years. If we can keep up with the abatement, then we can move forward and work on other things.”
20 Acres needed to house a natural gas power plant – Metcalf Energy Center - delivering 600 megawatts of power to northern California.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
459 Number of acres that make up the Metcalf Motorcycle Park open to off-road dirt bike enthusiasts.
1 Number of velodromes in Northern California. Hellyer Park Velodrome in District 2 is it!
OLD SCHOOL COOL
14
San Jose Skate, formerly Aloha Roller Palace, is a roller-rink, plain and simple. Classes for kids of all ages, private parties and fundraisers – they do it all.
Number of years Silicon Valley Disc Golf Club has been active in the Hellyer Park area. “The disc-golf courses make good neighbors,” says Darryl Ospring. They have fun and they’ve worked with the neighborhoods to bring in a sport and clean up La Raza and Hellyer Park.
NEW SCHOOL HIP If you’d like to play roller hockey, indoor soccer, flag football, box lacrosse, martial arts, golf, badminton or learn dance or cheer, the Silver Creek Sportsplex delivers – under one roof. Need pizza or beer? Check out High 5 pizza for good eats and plasma screens for all.
ALL AGES NIGHTLIFE The Silicon Valley Roller Girls mean business and when they are skating at home, grab the kids (or not) and head out to San Jose Skate. The hot dogs are plentiful and so is the Pabst Blue Ribbon.
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D
DESIGN
D
Developing Discontent
BANK OF ITALY:
Illuminating Past Pinnacles by Mark Haney
San Jose has a storied and historical past. Today the capital of Silicon Valley is known more for its cutting edge technology than historical buildings and unique personalities. The city stands in ambiguity, left without an identity or hallmark to showcase itself to the nation or the world. In spite of this, one such hallmark may be standing on the corner of East Santa Clara and South First Streets. At this intersection, the Bank of Italy building stands as a brief glimpse into what San Jose’s forefathers envisioned for this city and its downtown. One of the oldest high-rises in the city, the sixteen floor building was built to have a centralized location for the Bank of Italy, later becoming Bank of America, in 1929. Developer Amadeo P. Giannini, a San Jose native and an Italian-American, hired architect H.A. Minton to design the Mediterranean Revival and Beaux-Arts facade. Construction was finished in 1926, just one year before the completion of the California Theatre. Even back then, San Jose’s innovation was evident; the structure was built using earthquake proof methods, the first project of its kind in the area. This building represents the epitome of San Jose's spirit. Giannini saw a banking need within the immigrant community and filled it by opening multiple branches of his bank, the South First Street location being the largest. Located in center of the city, the building has created a physical reminder of vision, individual accomplishment and prominent architectural legacy in San Jose.
Currently, it remains unlit at night, an ominous black hole in the skyline. By illuminating it, the potential grows for its design to evolve it into an iconic image of San Jose and add a new dimension to the city's skyline. Due to proximity to more modern buildings, illuminating it would showcase its historical architecture to an even greater degree. With today’s technology, using cost effective high-powered LED bulbs would sufficiently cover the building in light while keeping electrical costs down. The City of San Jose did a similar project using LEDs on the Civic Auditorium, installing hundreds of bulbs to illuminate the building at night. Cities can grow to be defined by prominent structures. Just as the Golden Gate represents San Francisco and the Empire State Building signals New York, so the Bank of Italy should be the symbol of San Jose. It is time for this city to embrace the innovators of its past. Architect Daniel H. Burnham once said, “Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood and will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble and logical plan never dies, but long after we are gone will be a living thing.” Mark Haney, thinkbiggersanjose.blog.com, San Jose resident and blogger has big plans for the future of San Jose while maintaining a historical perspective; his goal is to create visions of this city. We welcome your comments and suggestions, at www.content-magazine.com.
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PROFILES
L O ST
IN TRANSITION
The man who knows San Jose like the back of his hand on a quest to discover himself and his place. By
Aleksandra Bulatskaya
Photography by
Victoria Felicity
L O ST I N T R A N S I T I O N San Jose is a city full of ghosts. They’re in the shadows of historic neighborhoods and blighted buildings. They are the city itself, haunted by forgotten communities and ways of life torn down to make way for a future that is now the present. A city in love with innovation and renewal, at times at the expense of history, Gary Singh is familiar with the heart, soul and even the ghosts of San Jose. A world traveler, musician, recovering alcoholic, writer and man on a perpetual quest, Gary’s history reads like the romanticized and tragically doomed histories of writers past. The hard truth is, happy people rarely make good writers but Gary didn’t share that notion. When asked if suffering at some points during one’s life is the trademark of a good writer, he responds, “You want to connect what you are writing about to some kind of personal experience or knowledge, but in the end it has to be your point of view and not anyone else’s. “I’ve never really fit in anywhere,” he offers, as he reflects throughout our conversation on his childhood, his years in music and traveling the world as a professor’s assistant at San Jose State. Born in San Jose to a Sikh father and an Anglo mother, Gary’s relationship with his father was complicated, and marked by long emotional absences. “My father was completely absent my entire childhood. Physically he was there, but not mentally… He was drunk the whole time. It’s sort of a cultural affliction for the Sikhs. They’re known as the Irish of India.” On his struggles with belonging and acceptance, he adds, “I’m sure that’s where a lot of my feelings of not fitting in come from and of course, I inherited all of his personal problems, like the alcoholism and everything else that comes along with it.” At sixteen, Gary suffered the passing of his father. Gary’s mother made sure that music filled the Singh household, teaching Gary to play the family organ. They still see each other every week and when Gary first started writing for The Metro, she saved his clips. “I had to tell her to stop at some point; she would be saving a lot of clips,” he laughed. Gary’s love of music continued in high school. Classes were no match for playing in a band and a hard partying, rock and roll lifestyle. Those were the days of the Cactus Club, when Nirvana and No Doubt would play the venue. Gary
remembers these as the ‘good old days of music’ in San Jose. “The politicians and 21-and-over age limit really killed the live music scene in San Jose,” said Gary with a shake of his wavy, shoulder-length hair. “The problem with this city is that it can’t decide what it wants to be. It doesn’t know if it wants to be a big city or a suburb. It’s all part of what I like to call the ‘San Jose condition.’” For a guy who seems to relish the role of perpetual outcast and challenger of established conventions, Gary spent considerable time in a collegiate environment — first, as a student when he received his bachelor of music degree, then as a master in interdisciplinary studies degree candidate, and later as an assistant professor for the department. It was during this time, as Gary was travelling for work, that he began paying attention to the interplay of cultural contrasts and similarities that intrigue him as a writer today. In the theater of interdisciplinary studies, a major that allows students to essentially make their own area of study, Gary and his friends regularly held conceptual stage performances involving deconstructing modern artifacts and activities, such as amplifying and destroying a car, or frying an egg on stage. In college Gary still enjoyed playing classical music and hung out with “seven different groups of people, from the underground rockers, to academics, to stage performers and classic musicians.” By touring San Jose’s different groups, he met local writers and caught on to writing as a profession. It started with a few freelance pieces that eventually lead to his weekly column, Silicon Alleys, in Silicon Valley’s most popular alternative newspaper. But the full-time gig didn’t last and eventually Gary went freelance with The Metro, whom he writes for today. “The fact is you can’t really justify paying someone for a full-time job if they are never at their desk,” admits Gary. Notably, all excuses of journalism being a profession that calls for being out of your desk on a regular basis are absent from his speech. “If I didn’t have writing, I don’t know if I would be sitting here today… I could have easily ended-up in jail, dead or still an addict if I wasn’t a writer.” Of course, while things could have turned out badly for Gary given his history, his family, and his vices, the simple truth is that Gary’s intellect and his gifts for articulating the world around him pulled Gary down a sharply different road. But Gary remains...plainfaced...and somber as he reflects on ‘what
could have happened’ — “Well, yeah, but that was just my path,’ he says, hesitating. “It could just as easily have been...a different path.” Is he saying this for my benefit or his? It’s hard to say, as his voice trails off, but the specter of ‘what could have been’ is incredibly present as we wrap up our conversation. Gary bemoans the dumbing down of reporting and mass communication that is now widely acceptable. He calls out specifically people who blog and write for The Examiner. “Everything is just so dumbed down; the standards are now lowered. I have friends who do it, and they’ll call me a prick, but I am a writer. I don’t post something on Suite 101 and call myself a published writer; that’s a bunch of nonsense.” In spite of the criticism there’s acknowledgement that this brave new world of citizen journalism and casual writers may just be the future. “I don’t want to discourage people from writing. Everyone should have the opportunity to write if they want to. Some of these people make more money than professional writers, so who am I to put them down?” As Gary wanders the streets of San Jose, he speaks of one day moving to India to get to know his Eastern heritage and his father’s side of the family. But India’s gain will be San Jose’s loss. Gary makes it clear that if he leaves, it will probably be indefinitely. “I couldn’t go for just two weeks. I would need much more time because for me it would be exploring that side of myself and that part of my family.” Gary has wanted to move to a bigger city before, but said that as part of his ‘San Jose condition,’ he has never left. Maybe that was the more challenging path to take. Gary is at work finding lost histories and discovering new ones in a city in flux with its own identity, just like Gary, neither of whom can be defined simply. Gary’s work describes what ‘is’ — and so, too, must the observation be made of Gary: a man at the crossroads of cultures, saved by his own gifts from what could have been, savagely observing the world and his peers through that same lens. He is. It’s his ‘condition.’ It’s enough. ----------------------To can find Gary Singh on facebook and read his column in the Metro visit: www.metroactive.com/features/
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Moving At the Speed of
Style Author _____ Felicia Larson Contact info: Angelina L. Haole Apparel Designer San Francisco Shirt Co. 408-390-8690 Cell 408-216-9596 Boutique angelina@sfshirt.com
Image Credit _____ Daniel Garcia
“True success was never going to come from chasing money. True success and happiness regardless of money, came to me through doing something I really wanted to do. Don’t chase the money let the money chase you.”
Nearly three years ago a chance meeting between Angelina Hoale and Franco Uomo led to what is now the San Francisco Shirt Company, located on Santana Row in San Jose. While working a fashion show, Angelina realized one of the runway looks was missing a belt. She casually mentioned this to Mr. Uomo (not knowing who he was as the time). That brief exchange led to a conversation, which led Uomo to offer Haole a management position in his store. Angelina admittedly had no previous retail experience, but she says that didn’t matter. As she recalls, she believes there was something about her that made her the right person for the job, at the right time. Just before the infamous job offer, Angelina was working as an intern, she was a full time student at design school, and she was running her own staging business. Her “can do” attitude, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, are the trademark of a work ethic instilled by her grandfather. Angelina’s voice fills with pride as she remembers of him. “He moved his family from Maui to California. They had nothing. He didn’t finish school. You could say he was somewhat uneducated, but at the same time he was so driven to learn what he needed to learn to make his family successful. And he did.” Reflecting on her grandfather’s limited education and lifelong success, I asked Angelina how important it is to go to the “right” schools in order to succeed. Born and raised in San Jose and attending her neighborhood schools, Angelina responds with conviction, “You know what? It’s not about the school systems here. I really think that a good school is helpful, but I came from the worst schools. I came from a dynamic and interesting environment as a child; let’s just say that. I don’t think it matters as much as your own drive, and where you want to go--and the kind of people you end up interacting with over time. Because it’s all about the kind of people who influence you and help take you to the next level.” To meet Angelina is to experience life as a race, and watch her running at full speed. Like an Olympic athlete always chasing a new personal best, Angelina reflects, “I push myself. I don’t have a choice; it’s like breathing. I just feel it--like I’m being propelled. I can’t fake it and I can’t change it. I would like to have a more balanced life, one that involves kicking back and having lunch with friends, but it’s not in the cards for me. My career is everything right now.” The boutique at Santana Row opened a year ago; Angelina feels right at home. She describes her co-workers as “phenomenal, inspirational people, that makeup an important branch of my family.”
While the ultimate vision is to produce the boutique’s entire inventory in a workshop at Santana Row (a project now underway), much of what is currently available is part of a collaborative effort with designers from around the world. The boutiques partner designers produce pieces that fit with SF Shirt Company’s signature aesthetic. “It’s all private labels, so when they produce, they produce for us. It’s our label. But still their work is out there and being purchased. It’s a business decision. Everything we do is centered on this balance between business and art. So with the opening of the workshop we are moving more into the creative arena. But the rest is business. We’ve got to keep the store fresh. Because we’re busy building the business we can’t produce at that rate…yet!” With her drive, entrepreneurial spirit and ambition, I asked why San Jose makes sense as a place to design, manufacture, and produce fashion. “This is my home and Santana row is a unique micro-community. With the affluence here, there is a strong community of people who want and enjoy the better things in life; this is the perfect place to connect. Here, I have the ability to stand out as a designer.” Angelina’s loyalty to San Jose is powerful, heartfelt. But as one would imagine with any designer, she will still discuss aspirations to someday be represented in major metropolitan areas like San Francisco and New York. At this point in her career, the travel required to work in these markets and maintain her San Jose presence is a challenge—but one that must be overcome. In fact, never yet having left the United States, Angelina is enthusiastic as she discusses the hubs of fashion she wants to visit – and influence, from New York, to Europe, to Singapore and across Asia. Angelina wants to see her shirts, and her work, everywhere. Being infused with her zeal, her focus, and the hallmarks of success that now surround her, I asked Angelina to divulge her credo – her foundation. What guides her in life? What helps her make the sound decisions that have brought her this far? She smiles. “True success was never going to come from chasing money. Chasing money only got me money. True success and happiness, regardless of money, came to me through doing something I really wanted to do. That dream job that feels like it’s too good to be true--you have to do that. Don’t chase the money; let the money chase you.” Angelina’s boutique is located at Santana Row, and she is the kind of proprietor who is delighted to meet and greet new customers, building out her business into a vital community. Stop by her shop and enjoy the quality on display of items made right here--by her –and by San Jose; a great city, with a growing fashion footprint because of designers like Angelina with good fortune, good style, and the good sense to focus on the fashion, and just let the money do the chasing.
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According to Ron, the owner of Pizza Bocca Lupo, there is one very important aspect to mak-
ing a traditional Neapolitan-style pizza: the oven. So important, in fact, that when I caught up with him a few weeks before opening, he was right in the middle of moving a 5,000 pound, Naples-imported oven into the restaurant himself. Most business owners wouldn’t mind paying a small fortune to have someone else move such a behemoth, but not Ron. To him, moving his oven safely into the restaurant was as momentous an occasion as a groom carrying his new bride over the threshold. When Ron explained the unique attributes of the oven, which is the traditional cooking apparatus for Neapolitan-style pizzas, I began to understand his zeal. First, it cooks at a much higher heat than regular pizza ovens (up to 900 degrees!) and has a low dome which causes the pizzas to cook in just 90 seconds. Ron was born and raised in Naples, so it’s no wonder he’s so passionate and knowledgeable about authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. Working as an engineer by day, Ron is a mix of builder and pizza connoisseur, even building his own pizza oven, a smaller version of the one in the restaurant, in his backyard. I sat down with him and Pizza Bocca Lupo’s pizziolo — a pizza maker who specializes in Neapolitan pizzas — Bradley Cleland and kitchen designer Zeden Jones to find out the meaning behind the restaurant name and what they’re hoping to bring to the San Jose dining scene. I saw the oven says Stefano Ferrara Napoli on the front. What does that mean? Ron: Stefano Ferrara is the family that builds these pizza ovens. There’s three families in Naples that build these ovens by hand, brick by brick. So it’s really very unique. So you imported it from Naples? Ron: Yes. I went to Naples to train. I know two families who own restaurants there who trained me to make pizzas. I was there for one weekend the first time. The second time I was there for a week and a half, every day. It was very intense. What’s your history with pizza? Why did you decide to open up a pizza shop? Ron: Growing up in Naples, pizza is basically the fast food of choice. It’s very inexpensive. When we moved here to the U.S., I missed a really good Neapolitanstyle pizza. I built my own oven in my backyard, also brick by brick. It’s small though, nothing like this one. I made lots of pizzas in my backyard. Just cranking them out. Zeden: What I think is unique about Ron is his passion. When you first meet him, you have no idea. It’s through the
pictures he has on his iPhone that you learn about how much experience he has; you learn about the brick oven in his backyard. He’s real quiet, but he has this passion. He’s making his hobby into his profession. Have there been any speed bumps along the way? Zeden: Because this is such a unique piece of equipment and because it comes from another country... it was a challenge for the jurisdiction. First to wrap their heads around what it is and second to give him permission. Usually if you set up plans for a restaurant, you get approved in 2 months. It took us five months to get approved. So this is the first time San Jose’s ever seen this kind of oven? Ron: Yes, I think actually in all of Santa Clara County. There’s a few places in San Francisco that have it. What’s unique about your pizza? Ron: Because it cooks so fast, it will be a little more juicy than a New York-style pizza. It’s wood-fired, so it will have that smoky taste. Are you going to import your ingredients? Ron: The flour will come from Naples. I found a really great local supplier for the tomato sauce. He’s very passionate himself and he makes tomato sauce that’s very similar to the style in Naples. What does Bocca Lupo mean? Ron: The mouth of the wolf. When I was in Naples for that week and a half of training, I’d tell people I was opening up my own pizzeria, and the first thing they said was “In Bocca al Lupo.” It means good luck; it’s like break a leg. What brought you to San Jose? Ron: Work. I tried to find work in
Naples, but there were no jobs over there. I did a study tour through the U.S., got in touch with a company here, did an internship, and that’s still where I’m working today. Did you know you wanted to open your restaurant in San Jose or was it the San Pedro Square Market that did it? Ron: I always had this dream that I’d have this place with brick, nice beams, a rustic feel, and nice outdoor seating. When I walked by the San Pedro Square Market, I got this vibe. I thought, “Hey, this is it, this is where I want to be.” The concept of the market where you basically only have to build out your kitchen made it affordable. Do you have any advice for San Jose business owner hopefuls who want to take a leap and follow their dreams like you did? Ron: Be persistent, do your homework, and talk to the right people. Do your research. What are you most excited about with this new venture? Ron: To bring something unique to this area. What’s going to be the thing that happens that makes it all worth it? Ron: People enjoying the food. In Naples what do people say when they really like something? What should people say to you if they really like it? Ron: Buonissimo — it means great, good-tasting. Pizza Bocca Lupo is located in the San Pedro Square Market at 87 N. San Pedro Street, San Jose. www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com/pizzabocca-lupo
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FEATURES
There is order in this courtroom as we wait for Judge Hector E. Ramon to arrive. Voices are low. The court clerk is busy at her computer terminal in front of the judge’s bench. The court reporter is setting up next to her, ready to document the sentencing of Dana Kovacevich, a San Jose man who was convicted in May of shaking his 5-weekold son to death. For Santa Clara County’s Deputy District Attorney Luis Ramos and Deputy Public Defender Andy Gutierrez, it’s the beginning of their workday. Ramos prosecuted Kovacevich. Gutierrez defended him.
They’ve both worked for their offices for eleven years, but they’ve never tried a case against each other before.
By Diane Solomon Photography by Daniel Garcia
THIS ROOM
seats 60 spectators but today only Kovacevich’s mother, aunt and cousin are present while Kovacevich and the attorneys sit at two wooden tables in front of the judge’s bench. Kovacevich, 40, looks tired, and he’s overweight the way someone who’s spent four years in jail since his arrest is overweight. His pale skin and shaved head make his brown eyes, brown moustache and goatee stand out. He wears the clothes that the incarcerated wear to court, a dun-colored T-shirt stamped, “Santa Clara County Department of Corrections,” baggy hospital pants stamped the same, pink socks and peach-colored rubber sandals — clothing that humbles and humiliates. Gutierrez, 43, speaks softly to Kovacevich, sometimes patting his back and shoulders. Ramos, 44, sits upright at his table looking at papers. They both wear nice suits but Ramos’ seems to fit better. Gutierrez seems a lot younger than Ramos and really earnest. Maybe it’s because when he talks to you, he really looks at you — he leans in and tilts his head like he’s really trying to hear what you’re saying. For two men on opposite sides, they have a lot in common. Both are one of eight children of Mexican immigrants, they grew up on San Jose’s Eastside, they describe their early years as poor, their fathers left them the same year — when Gutierrez was five and Ramos was six — they ran varsity cross country at some of the same high school track meets, they majored in history at UCLA, and they now live with their families within blocks of each other in Willow Glen. They’ve both chosen lives of public service at a work place that most of us hope we never see. Kovacevich is a case in point. The court ruled that five-week-old Justin’s death wasn’t an accident. During the trial, Gutierrez and Ramos studied X-rays, autopsy reports and postmortem photographs and listened to medical witnesses and County coroners talk about how this infant was likely beaten to death. At any one time, they’re working dozens of cases, arranging investigations, and meeting with experts, witnesses, victims and defendants about child molestations, homicides, and sexual assaults. The court assigns their clients. They cannot pick and choose them. One of about 120 County public defenders, Gutierrez might seem like he has the harder job because his clients are accused of horrible crimes, but when he explains his work, there’s this sense of mission, wonder and amazement. “It was difficult for me growing up, and I’ve had tremendous setbacks as a kid,” says Gutierrez, “but I think that’s given me this empathy, this almost insatiable need to fix other people’s problems.”
“In every case I get, whether it’s a young woman who’s been raped or a robbery gone bad and someone dies, it’s easy to look at the person as a monster,” says Gutierrez. “But I’ve got to start from the ground up and double check everything and figure out, ‘did the police miss something or make a mistake?’ My job is to convince the jury that he or she isn’t guilty of the main charge, or is guilty of a lesser charge, or isn’t guilty at all.” He looks for what he calls the moral story. When he can map out a crime as a logical outcome of poverty, child abuse or other trauma, he says the monstrous becomes human and explainable to a jury in a way that may get past their biases. “My job is to find out the why,” says Gutierrez. “That helps justice because it gives you confidence in whatever verdict or plea bargain is achieved, that it’s reliable, that we looked at everything, and we didn’t come from this narrow perspective of ‘what are the legal elements of this crime?’ and ‘did you meet them or not?’ If you can provide that answer, you help the defendant, the Court, society and the victims who need closure.” “We don’t have to talk to the victim’s family,” says Gutierrez, “District Attorneys do. They have to talk to the little girl that’s been molested. They have to talk to the family that wants their daughter’s body found. Think about those conversations for a second. I wouldn’t want to be privy to them, but prosecutors do.” Luis Ramos is one of 180 attorneys in the District Attorney’s office. I spoke to him at his office on the 6th floor of the Santa Clara County Building on Hedding Street. Ramos’ office is small and made orderly with one desk and tables along each wall. Like Gutierrez’s office, there’s no window, and there are the same stacks of file folders and black binders. On the walls are Ramos’ Boston University School of Law and UCLA diplomas nicely framed along with the covers of tennis and basketball magazines. “Someone has to represent the individuals that are charged with extremely serious crimes,” said Ramos. “Defendants have constitutional rights to be defended, and I admire the people who want to do that job, absolutely. But I don’t see myself on that side. I’m a career prosecutor.” “I felt a sense of being on the outside as a Mexican kid growing up in San Jose and becoming a lawyer, becoming a prosecutor, feels like you’re part of the system instead of outside of the system, and there’s satisfaction in that.” “Talk to any of the lawyers on this floor, and you’ll find that their motivation for doing their job is to keep our community safe,” said Ramos. “We speak for victims who cannot speak for themselves and we work to make sure that they’re made whole again. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting someone
to admit that what they did was wrong, or it’s as complex as making sure they’re found guilty and sent to prison.” California and Santa Clara County’s jails hold large percentages of African Americans and Latinos, yet there aren’t many Latino prosecutors. I asked Ramos if his heritage made a difference. “I do feel an extra sense of responsibility to make sure that I’m doing my job professionally, that we’re prosecuting the correct individuals and that we’re pursuing cases that we can prove, but I also feel like the Latino community needs to know that they’re represented on both sides,” said Ramos. “What’s remarkable about the Kovacevich trial is that it’s one of the few times when the prosecutor, myself, the defense attorney, Andy, and the judge are Latino. That hasn’t happened to me very many times in my whole career, and we talked about this during the trial. I thought it was a great example to the community that we’re now at every part of the system and that people can feel confident if they’re Hispanic, or whatever, that they’re being represented. Justice is being done for them, not to them.” I expected to see rough, tough and worldweary looking criminal types in the courtrooms of the Superior Court’s second floor. Instead they’re filled with young Latino kids. Gutierrez and Ramos were from this same at-risk demographic. Thirty years ago, while Ramos attended Burnett Middle School, which is a few blocks away from his office, his mother supported eight children by assembling calculators at Commodore by day and doing housework for neighbors at night. He says his mother and teachers at San Jose High School not only encouraged him to work for the grades, scholarships and grants that got him to UCLA, they convinced him that he could do it. While Ramos was playing soccer at Empire Elementary, reading science fiction and enjoying family BBQs at Hellyer Park after services at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Gutierrez was living homeless with his mother and three younger siblings. They stayed with relatives, slept in unlocked cars, or broke into the hotels on the Monterey Highway to find places to sleep. He didn’t go to school. One day when he was about 8, his mother led them into an aunt’s backyard and left them. His aunts and uncles each took a child. Gutierrez went to Willow Glen with the Evergreen Valley College professor uncle and his high school teacher wife. “I was perfect for them,” recalls Gutierrez, “because
I didn’t know how to read.” By the 7th grade, he went from D’s and F’s to honors classes. “I see a lot of the people that are charged with doing gang crimes, and they’re so young,” says Gutierrez. “If I didn’t get pulled out of Story and King [roads] where I was being raised, I could be one of them. “ “It takes one powerful influence to change a kid’s life, even a kid in a bad neighborhood. You have a whole accumulation of factors that can predestine them to delinquency, but even with all those factors if you have one person—a good coach, a powerful role model, someone they respect—that’s all it takes to change that person. I had those people. Many kids in San Jose don’t.” Ramos and Gutierrez bring heart to a seemingly faceless criminal justice system. Ramos spends a lot of time with his clients, especially the young victims of sexual assault and their parents, gaining their trust and shepherding them through the trauma that court proceedings generate. Gutierrez is often the last person his clients will speak to before going to prison. “What do you say to somebody who’s crying and inconsolable because their family doesn’t want to see them, everybody thinks they’re a monster and they’re being sent away for life?” asks Gutierrez. “Do you just say ‘good luck’ or do you try to get them to understand there is life after a life sentence?” “There’s a majesty to life that can’t be limited by prison walls, and I’ve seen clients come to the realization that ‘you know what? There is life after life. I can make good for myself. I can make good for other people. I can love myself again. Others may not, but it’s possible that someone may love me.’ There’s redemption,” says Gutierrez. “Is that a lawyer’s role? Legally? No, but humanly, I think so. Is it consistent with what I’m doing as a lawyer? I think so,” says Gutierrez. “If you know a guy is going to go away for life, is there something else you can do to make the rest of their life somewhat livable? Because of the nature of the cases I have, I have to have those relationships and that evolving dialogue on a regular basis. It sounds somewhat spiritual. I’m not a very religious person, but I believe in being humane to people.“ I was surprised at how quiet the courtroom was when Judge Ramon told Kovacevich he’d be spending the next 25 years and maybe the rest of his life behind bars. Soon after, he was led away by the deputies. After his mother, aunt and cousin left, I followed Gutierrez and Ramos out of the court house. The last I saw of them, they were walking up Hedding Street toward their offices, talking.
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the blank club
“A p l a c e w h e r e t h e m u s i c i s n ot secondary” corey o’brien
By
V i c to r i a F e l i c i t y
James Castillo
Corey O’Brien
You might find yourself on the corner of Almaden and Post street during the day if you are picking up a friend or family member from the greyhound station. What you might not realize is at night a musical epicenter and San Jose cultural haven is found right across the street. On many nights tour buses and vans filled with music equipment line the street. Musicians from all over the country come to showcase their sound at this South Bay live music venue.
In early 2003 The Blank Club was established. What was once known as Plant 51, a restaurant that had musicians play during their dinner hour, was transformed into one of Downtown San Jose’s best live music venues. For people looking for the true gritty nightclub experience, amazing music and some of the best drink specials around The Blank Club is where they need to find themselves if they’re looking for a memorable night out. The owners have a passion for good live music. The goal was to bring Downtown San Jose a club that is like Exit in Chicago, Helter Skelter in Los Angeles, or LoLa’s Houston. “I always wanted to open a club that had a true nightclub atmosphere. A place where the music is not secondary.” Says owner Corey O’Brien. The Blank Club has turned into one of San Jose’s best live music venues left in Downtown. James Castillo the club manager recalls a story about one of the most outrageous things that has ever happened. “A few years ago some of our
good friends from the MTV’s hit show Jackass stopped by for a visit. If you have seen any of their stuff they are extreme and that’s just how they are normally. So they came into the club and did some crazy stunts and left all the people at the club with this awesome experience. Things like that happen that make this place what it is.” The atmosphere of The Blank Club is very distinct. Sitting at the bar before the club opens the club feels so open and spacious when the lights are up. But once the club doors open for business, the lights are turned down the iconic red light is turned on and fog begins to seep onto the dance floor with the disco ball turning and music blaring the club becomes a place where people can cut loose. “Clubs seem to be ultra clean and purified these days. If you think of the bar scenes in Blaxploitation films we wanted it to be like that. I loved that all the bar scenes in those movies were dark, shady and smoky.” Don’t worry about the dress code The Blank Club is a no-fuss club, so grab a drink at the bar and find your place under the glowing disco ball dancing to the sounds of your favorite songs.
“Clubs seem t o b e u lt r a clean and purified these d ay s . I f y o u think of the bar scenes in B l a x p l o i t a t i o n films, we wa n t e d i t t o b e l i k e t h a t. . . d a r k , s h a d y, a n d s m o k y. ”
Check out the upcoming bands and monthly events on The Blank Club’s website. www.theblankclub.com All events and shows at The Blank Club are 21+. Valid ID required for entrance. Every Thursday night The Blank Club hosts Atomic a dance party night featuring some of the best New Wave, Electro, and Indie Hits. One Saturday a month Adult Dance Party brings Indie, Electronic and Remixes. The third Saturday of the month Club Satori features the best Gothic, Industrial, New Wave and Death Rock music.
Looking to play at The Blank Club? Bands & Promoters: Before contacting the booker about a show, please send your media kit to: The Blank Club 44 South Almaden Avenue San Jose, CA, 95113 After sending your media kit, please follow up with an email to corey@theblankclub.com regarding your booking request or inquiry. Do not call the club. Please keep in mind that because of the high volume of booking inquiries a response may take several days.
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The Challenge For one week, Content Magazine’s busiest writers would take on the challenge of taking care of all of their familial, entertainment and otherwise needs within a single mile radius from their homes. Meaning that with the exceptions of driving to work and other non-negotiable obligations, they would concentrate all errands, activities and attentions on their respective neighborhoods. Stacy hails from the cute, single-family home hub of Cambrian, while Sarah resides in the arguably more bustling neighborhood of Martha Gardens in downtown San Jose. Who will have a harder time sticking to the single mile rule? Who will discover hidden gems in their neck of the woods?
Sarah_URBAN I feel like I know my neighborhood pretty well. We’ve been living in an old Victorian duplex on the south side of Downtown for about five years. We make it our goal to walk or ride our bikes into town. The first thing I did was Yelp everything around my address within a one mile radius. I was surprised to see how much is included within a mile in compacted city blocks. There were multiple grocery stores, tea and coffee shops, restaurants, theater, mechanics, manicurists, and even a pottery studio. This challenge didn’t feel so challenging anymore. I added my own little twist -- use this week as an excuse to explore and discover new places while meeting new people and get to know my neighborhood from a different perspective. My typical week consists of working, shuffling my kids from here to there, grocery shopping, meeting up with friends, eating and responding to some urgent request from someone in the family for a last minute gift, school supply or trip to the bank. This week was no different. Instead of shopping at the Market Safeway for groceries, I opted to try two of the grocery stores I pass all the time. One, a little Mexican Panaderia on the newly dubbed Calle Willow, the other an Asian market that appears small and humble on the outside but seems to keep going and going once you get inside. The Dai Thahn Supermarket on South 2nd Street features live seafood in tanks, exotic vegetables, fruits and packages with mysterious labels, and was my choice for new grocery sampling. I was amazed at the variety and freshness of the produce and how inexpensive most of these high-quality products were. El Rico Pan Bakery gave me the perfect excuse to bring treats for a work meeting. My co-workers were not disappointed, as everything tasted delicious. I met a friend for coffee and insisted she come my way to participate in my challenge. We met at Bijan Bakery, one of the best and only bakeries in downtown San Jose. Bijan had such a huge selection of treats we had trouble making a decision. The Princess Cake and the Triple Chocolate Mousse both sounded delicious! It was a warm summer night and as we sat outside my friend told me she never knew this place existed. Parking was the only drawback and ended up costing us $5. It’s the one reason I wish we lived just a little bit closer to all the downtown action. My daughter is a little obsessed with bubble tea. On a family walk, we decide to try the coconut almond bubble tea at a little hole in the wall restaurant on the corner. She’s in love with the treat, I’m in love with the fact that we’ve found a spot to satisfy our cravings within walking distance from our home for a fraction of what it costs at the usual place we drive to. As I suspected, the week of living local wasn’t hard and it was fun to discover new places. I never did find a place to get all my kids’ school supplies, at least not for the price I’m used to paying at one of the chain stores. Despite the hitch, I am now a little more in love with where we live. It’s exciting to discover what new treasures lie behind each of the store fronts we pass each day.
Stacy_SUBURBAN At the start of this challenge, I felt confident that it wouldn’t be difficult to adhere to the challenge rules. Distances have never been an inconvenience for me and I’m fortunate to say that I have many businesses close to home. However, once I started searching on Google Maps, I found that most of the businesses in my neighborhood were outside of a mile perimeter. What I thought was going to be a simple week turned into a real challenge to get creative with what I have nearby. My typical week consists of driving to work, going to school, meeting with friends and family, picking up groceries for meals, and taking my dog for walks. When I originally signed up for this assignment, I didn’t think twice because I assumed my favorite grocery store was within a mile of my house. It turns out that my go-to grocer is just over a mile away and won’t be an option. Talk about a bummer! Luckily, the International Food Bazaar is a little less than a mile away, so I grabbed my reusable bags and headed out the door. At first glance, the Bazaar seemed a bit smaller than my usual grocer. However, the outdoor fruit stands, floor to ceiling shelves, and sections for fresh food and packaged goods proved to be a clever use of space that made-up for any lost square footage. There was a great variety of fresh foods and exotic ingredients and I ended up spending the majority of my time exploring my new grocery find. I did have trouble finding my usual ingredients, but the staff was extremely helpful in finding my favorite essentials and suggesting possible substitutes for those they did not carry. Another eye-opener was how many of my favorite eateries were outside of my zone. Seeing as how food is rather important to my husband and me, we were both relieved to find that we had at least two of our favorite eateries within our radius. My husband used the challenge as the perfect excuse to have dinner at both Adelita’s Taqueria and Blue Rock BBQ throughout the week. Adelita’s was easy to walk to and we were able to enjoy our conversation on the way. I asked a friend if we could switch our usual meeting place and go to a coffee shop closer to my home. This worked out well and I was able to make friends with baristas and have a great cup of coffee within walking distance from my house. Overall, the week was more difficult that I expected. I was hoping to discover new, cool places that would be easy to walk to, but I was disappointed when I found this was not the case in my neighborhood. I live in a suburban area surrounded by homes. I don’t live far from local business, but as I have discovered they are not all within walking distance. This challenge has helped me to appreciate the places that are close to home and gave me a reason to venture out and try new and unexpected places.
It is with considerable pleasure that I introduce a friend and SJSU colleague, Nick Taylor. Students and creative writing faculty are already fans of his considerable talent showcased in Taylor’s first novel, The Disagreement, published by Simon & Schuster in 2008. It won the Michael Shaara Prize for Excellence in Civil War Fiction. Taylor has also received fellowships from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the William R. Kenan Jr. Trust for Historic Preservation. He has taught since 2007 in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. This past spring he served as a Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Lecturer at EFL University in Hyderabad, India. He lives on the Peninsula with his wife and daughter. The following excerpt is from Father Serra’s Confessor, his new novel. The narrator is Father Francisco Palóu, a confidante of Junípero Serra who founded Mission Dolores in San Francisco. In this excerpt, Father Palóu greets the first natives brave enough to enter the Spaniards’ camp. Enjoy!
Father Serra’s Confessor Excerpt from a new novel by Nick Taylor
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ust as at Carmel, the first heathen to visit our camp during daylight hours were children: two boys, perhaps ten or eleven years old. Their naked bodies were painted head to toe in swaths of red, yellow, and blue. One boy was several inches taller than the other and had a bone through the nasal septum. The shorter boasted no adornment other than the paint. When they emerged from the thicket, I was in the ramada making entries in my journal. I closed my book as silently as possible and rose to my feet. I did not smile, for we had learned in Carmel that to show one’s teeth was taken as a threat and not a greeting. I raised one hand, palm facing the boys, and said softly, “Amar a Dios.” The taller boy stretched his arm across the chest of the other, holding him back. Their pupils were dilated in alarm. Because they did not run away immediately, I guessed that they were not here on their own account, but had been put forward by their fathers or the headmen of their tribe. However dangerous it seems to a Spaniard to send children as scouts, there was a certain logic to it: children were less threatening in the eyes of hostile parties, and thus less likely to be struck down. This was particularly true if the hostile parties hailed from the spirit world. “I greet you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. I am Brother Francisco Palóu.” The boys said nothing, their bodies taut as cats stalking prey. I pointed to the wooden cross. “This is the symbol of our faith. You will know us by this sign.” I drew a cross in the air with one hand. Though we were separated by several yards, the boys flinched with each wave of my arm, as though they expected flames to erupt from my fingers. Without turning my back to the boys, I went to the trunk where I kept the Eucharist vessels. I circled the trunk, opened the lid, and removed the
bundle of feathers. “Do these belong to you?” I asked. I pointed to the boys, each one in turn, and then to the feathers. Keeping one arm on the chest of his brother, the older boy pointed to the bell. He spoke a few words in his tongue—an amalgam of clicks and gutturals. “Yes,” I said, gesturing alternately to the feathers and the bell. “You left these here.” I bowed slightly, making sure the boys remained always in my peripheral vision. I returned to the trunk, put the feathers inside, and removed a bar of chocolate. I broke off two corners. “Are you hungry?” I lifted the chocolate to my mouth and pantomimed eating. The boys did not answer by voice or sign. I took a careful step forward. Then another. When I was just a yard away, I reached out with one of the pieces of chocolate. The younger boy made a move for it, but his brother stopped him. Realizing that the duty fell therefore to him, the older boy stepped forward and opened his mouth. I put the chocolate on his tongue. He left his mouth open. As the chocolate began to melt, his tongue turned shiny brown. I reached out the other piece to the smaller boy, but the older brother held him back. The little boy protested, and in return got thumped on the chest with his brother’s fist. “Swallow it,” I said to the older boy. “It is sweet.” I slowly closed my eyes and reopened them, trying to express the pleasure of chocolate. To demonstrate, I popped the second piece of chocolate in my own mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Es delicioso, We call it chocolate.” Just then there was a noise in the brush and the boys whipped their heads. It was only a bird, but the boys decided that they had seen enough for today. The older one spat out what remained of the chocolate and wiped his mouth with his fingers. I grabbed the leather thong and rang the bell. “When you hear this,” I said, “you may come and hear the good news of Christ. The Lord welcomes everyone in his house. Bring your parents, bring your aunts and uncles, bring anyone—“ But the sound of the bell had frightened them. Deerlike, they bounded into the thicket and disappeared, bare feet only skimming the ground.
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N O I H S FA D O O H R O B H G NEI
Photography _____ Daniel Garcia Make-up & Hair _____ Danielle Randleman Model _____ Bianca, Scout Models Gowns _____ Angelina Haole of San Francisco Shirt Company Assistances _____ Sarah, Victoria, Mike, Suzanne & Matt. Jewelry _____ Just Jewels
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photo contest We our honored to present the 2011 Neighborhood competition winners’ gallery. Thank you for the over two hundred images that were submitted by Santa Clara Country resident photographers. It really gave our esteemed panel of Jurors a variety of images to consider. After discussion and lunch, our judges, Susan O’Malley of ICA, Bryan Kramer of Pure Matter and Boyd Tveit of Liquid Agency selected the following images to represent the talent of San Jose and their view of “Neighborhood.”
FIRST PLACE Alicia Aldama
SECOND PLACE Bruno Medeiros
THIRD PLACE Jai Tanju
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goodjoe.com
Contributors From left to right: 1. Shayne Herrea: Photographer Shayne Herrera was born in the rural town of Klamath Falls, Oregon. After spending numerous years traveling the west coast with a band of artists, he settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Herrera has been able capture the true essence of his subjects with an unflinching and honest point of view. He recently compiled a representative collection of his photographic art and published his innovative debut photography book, i don’t see it that way. You can contact Shayne at shayne@shayneherrera.com 2. Melisa Masuda: Melisa’s interest in journalism began in high school, becoming involved with the school newspaper as a staff writer and later as an editor. While attending the University of California Berkeley, she was a contributing writer for The Daily Californian newspaper, covering campus and community news. Currently, she is finishing her graduate degree at the University of California Santa Cruz in Environmental Toxicology and continues to contribute to several different writing outlets. You can contact Melisa at melisa.masuda@gmail.com. 3. Diane Solomon: Diane produces and hosts a weekly public affairs program on Radio KKUP, 91.5 fm, and writes freelance for Content and Metro, Silicon Valley’s weekly newspaper. She’s also a big time San Jose Bike Partier, Willow Glen neighborhoodie and Silicon Valley wage slave. 4. Mark Haney: Mark was born and raised in neighboring Santa Clara. During his time at SJSU, he became enamored with San Jose and its urban potential. He moved into the downtown area with his wife after he finished school, and has started a blog focusing on improving architecture, supporting local business and art, remembering local history, and cheering for the San Jose Sharks. He is convinced that downtown is changing for the better and is intent on changing people’s perspectives of the area. www.thinkbiggersanjose.blog.com/ 5. Daniel Millan: A native to the San Joaquin Valley, Daniel moved to San Jose in order to pursue a degree in design studies. As an aspiring designer, he is experienced with web design, digital illustration, and photography. Whether scavenging for goodies in Ashbury flea market, enjoying the food of Mission Street, or cycling a late night bike party in San Jose, Daniel is enjoying the infinite possibilities of the Bay.
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Contributor’s Notes NEIGHBORHOOD 3.4 Even though San Jose is a large city it is broken down into small districts that are diverse and unique. Somehow that collection of various communities join together to give us an identity as San Joseans. Most people I talk to about San Jose, seem to think we don’t have an identity. I disagree. It is this collection of urban, rural and suburban areas that gives us our identity: one that has become known as a place of innovation and diversity. So, in this Issue we take a quick look at our neighborhoods. The people we pass by every day and don’t have the time to get to know--the unassuming talent, ingenuity and creativity that is being birthed from our garages, homes and offices. The more we asked about our neighborhoods, the more we discovered. There are too many stories to tell, this issue is only a glimpse. We hope you are inspired to discover your neighborhood. Find a new place to eat, get to know the people that started a local business. Stop to talk to the people that live on your street. Listen to their stories. See how you can help. Be a neighbor. CULTIVATOR Daniel Garcia daniel@content-magazine.com Cover Photo: Photography by Daniel Garcia Assistant: Mackenzie Look Models: Tate & Tori Shirts: Wear Yeti
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