For San Jose, it’s all the time good to get compliments from a neighbor. And it’s even nicer when that neighbor occurs to be state Assemblyman Matt Haney from San Jose’s fog-laden neighbor to the north.
“As a San Franciscan who represents downtown San Francisco and lives in downtown San Francisco, I’m each jealous and humbled by all you might be doing right here,” Haney mentioned Friday morning on the San Jose Downtown Affiliation’s annual assembly on the Signia by Hilton resort.
He had simply heard statistics about downtown San Jose’s post-COVID restoration and efforts by the affiliation, its companion organizations and town to convey extra individuals downtown, introduce new lighting parts to spruce issues up and enhance security and convey providers to the homeless.
“You’re bringing again downtown San Jose with creativity, teamwork, collaboration, pleasure, enjoyable and humanities,” mentioned Haney, who chairs the Meeting committee on downtown restoration. “The entire issues we’re attempting to do in San Francisco and throughout the state. I believe San Jose has lots to share with the state.”
After the assembly, Haney took a strolling tour of downtown with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Downtown Affiliation CEO Alex Stettinski. They peeked in on the new San Jose State scholar housing within the former Signia annex and received a preview of Eos & Nyx, the spectacular new restaurant that’s anticipated to open subsequent month within the former Digital camera 12 house on the Paseo de San Antonio.
The group handed by some vacant storefronts as they made their approach to Publish Avenue and the Qmunity district, catering to town’s LGBTQ+ crowd.
Curtis Manzano, normal supervisor of the 55 South cocktail lounge, and Blair Carson, proprietor of Pageboy salon, talked about efforts to revitalize the road with occasions (and, many hope, with a everlasting closure between First Avenue and Lightston Alley).
“I really like being a part of this road. It’s one among my favourite streets downtown,” mentioned Carson, whose salon had a grand re-opening this week to have a good time the addition of a retail part. “It’s the ‘queer district,’ however I consider it as a very good illustration of all of San Jose.”
Haney mentioned the state wants to guide collectively and share options so cities aren’t left to determine their restoration on their very own.
“It’s not only a San Jose problem. It’s a California problem,” he mentioned. “If our downtowns are usually not doing effectively in our state, our state will not be doing effectively.”
For his half, Mahan thanked Haney for visiting San Jose and protecting downtowns on the agenda in Sacramento. “San Jose is the smallest massive metropolis within the nation,” he mentioned, “however once we come collectively as a group and set targets, we are able to do nice issues.”
MAKING AN IMPACT: Greater than 400 individuals attended Notre Dame Excessive College’s sixteenth annual Girls of Influence luncheon on Friday, which honored Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of the Oakland-based nonprofit Outside Afro, and “Star Trek: Enterprise” actor Linda Park, a 1996 alumna from the women Catholic college in downtown San Jose.
The fundraiser for tuition help, which roughly 25 % of Notre Dame’s college students obtain, was coincidentally held on the Worldwide Day of the Woman. The 2 honorees attended a college meeting earlier than the luncheon on the Signia by Hilton resort.
Upon seeing early images of the varsity, which was based in 1851, Park mentioned she thought of what these Notre Dame college students would consider the occasion she was being honored at. “I believe they’d be amazed at how far girls have come,” she mentioned.
YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW: Marv and Bonnie Bamburg have been honored with the Valley Legend award Thursday night time on the Valley of Coronary heart’s Delight dinner at Historical past Park, and whereas they’ve each carried out lots to protect San Jose historical past, they aren’t precisely caught previously. The couple and their relations confirmed as much as the Historical past San Jose fundraiser in Marv’s Tesla Cybertruck, which was a head-turning juxtaposition subsequent to the park’s historic buildings and vintage autos on show.
Soccer legend Brandi Chastain, who additionally was honored on the occasion with the Historical past Maker award, additionally had her on the long run. Figuring her younger grandkids won’t be as wowed by Handheld Catering’s buffet dinner as everybody else was, she confirmed up with a pie from Pizza My Coronary heart for them. She positively scored a aim with them.
HONOR ROLL: Siobhan Kenney, Utilized Supplies’ former senior director of world philanthropy, might be honored with the Glenn George Coronary heart of Philanthropy on the Silicon Valley Philanthropy Day luncheon on Nov. 1 at Villa Ragusa in downtown Campbell.
The Silicon Valley chapter of the Affiliation of Fundraising Professionals additionally will honor Sheri Sobrato (Excellent Philanthropist), Susie Richardson (Excellent Volunteer Fundraiser), Lillian Lincoln Basis (Excellent Basis Grantmaker), Gilead Basis (Excellent Company Grantmaker), Summit League (Excellent Philanthropic Group), Carols for a Trigger (Excellent Philanthropic Youth Group) and Beth Williams (Excellent Skilled Fundraiser).
Tickets can be found at svpd2024-11-01.eventbrite.com for $100 till Oct. 20 when the worth goes up.
