A few weeks ago, Ray Watts heard that San Jose’s Veterans Day parade — the largest such celebration in Northern California and a 106-year tradition — would probably be canceled this year. And that just didn’t sit right with Watts, a retired U.S. Army colonel and president of the Silicon Valley chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.
The United Veterans Council of Santa Clara County, which produced the parade for the past several years, had told city leaders they had not raised enough money to put on this year’s event, and didn’t think they could get it done in time.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan waves to spectators during the Veterans Day Parade in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group)
So Watts huddled with former San Jose City Councilmember Raul Peralez to plot a strategy for raising the estimated $80,000 funding need, and make sure that veterans groups, marching bands, scouting units and elected officials all knew the parade would roll through downtown San Jose as usual on Nov. 11. The ad hoc group quickly widened beyond the two of them, as did the pledges for dollars.
“We have a team, and we have a plan. This has been a true community effort,” Watts said. “A good 90% of the deliverables for the parade are in place. We’re ‘danger-close’ — in a good way — to use a military term.”
Grand Marshal Doug Beck rides the parade route with his family during the Veterans Day Parade in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group)
By Thursday night, the group — including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Cole Cameron, chair of the Santa Clara County Veterans Commission — had whittled the gap to about $30,000, which included a cushion for unexpected costs. That number came down significantly Friday when developer and philanthropist Chuck Toeniskoetter pledged $10,000 to the effort.
Putting on a parade the size of San Jose’s is no easy feat, even with a lot of work done by volunteers. The parade itself lasts for more than two hours and requires hours of street closures beforehand through the busy downtown core. Reviewing stands, a stage and sound systems need to be set up, port-a-potties need to be brought in, banners need to be produced, and both permits and insurance needs to be procured. And then someone has to clean up everything afterward.
If you’re interested in contributing, the San Jose Parks Foundation is collecting donations at www.sanjoseparks.org. And make a plan to show up on Monday, Nov. 11, to support veterans in the Bay Area and beyond. An opening ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m., with the parade leaving SAP Center afterward and traveling east along Santa Clara Street and south on Market Street to the reviewing stands at Park Avenue, between the Tech Interactive and Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
VETS RESOURCE EVENT RETURNS: While we’re talking about supporting veterans, let’s not forget that the Santa Clara County Veterans Stand Down returns this coming week at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. This is the second time the county’s Veterans Service Office has held the three-day event, where veterans and their families can get access to resources including help with claims forms or meetings with the public defenders office.
It runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 2-4, and you can get more information at vets.santaclaracounty.gov or by calling 408-918-4980.
PAINTING THE TOWN: Artist Lila Gemellos is at it again, this time painting a mural on a huge wall on Notre Dame Avenue in San Jose between St. John and St. James streets. Fortunately, she has a lot of help on the project, including Mayor Mahan who dropped by to grab a brush with other volunteers the morning of Saturday, Sept. 21.
When completed, the mural will depict an agricultural scene right out of the old Valley of Heart’s Delight, with cows, fruit trees and a red pickup truck. Quite a contrast to the cars zooming by on nearby Highway 87.
CATCH A RISING STAR: For the past 12 years, I’ve been very proud to be part of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artists Awards, a program of the Rotary Club of San Jose that supports Santa Clara County artists with unrestricted $5,000 grants. It’s a fitting tribute to Weimers, my predecessor at the Mercury News, who regularly championed the valley’s arts and culture scene.
If you’re asking, “what arts and culture scene?” you might need to get out more — and here’s a good place to start. This year’s recipients have been selected, and the four artists will perform or present at the entertaining Weimers Awards show at noon on Oct. 16 at the Hammer Theatre Center. The honorees are painter Yen Yi Chung, actor Alicia M.P. Nelson, pianist Petra Persolja and composer and jazz pianist Bennett Roth-Newell.
It’s free to attend — just register for a seat at weimersawards.com — and if you want to make an afternoon of it, grab lunch before or after the 75-minute program at nearby Whispers, Campus Burgers, Scott’s Seafood, Spoonfish Poke or FAB.
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: It was a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it moment at this past Tuesday’s San Jose City Council meeting, but Grace Baptist Church was officially made a city historic landmark.
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The downtown church, which spans San Fernando Street between 10th and 11th streets, is a Gothic Revival building with Art Deco influences that was designed by architects Binder & Curtis and built in 1941. Home to a Robert Morgan pipe organ originally at the Liberty Theater in San Jose, the church was the nexus for the peace and social justice movements started by the Rev. George “Shorty” Collins in San Jose during the late 1950s and 1960s.
ROOKIES TAKE A CHOMP: San Jose Sharks rookies — or should we say superstars-in-training — Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith took part in a San Jose sports tradition Thursday that may be second only to the power-play chomp at SAP Center: Getting a Chris Combo sandwich at Bertucelli’s La Villa delicatessen in Willow Glen. The towering teens snapped a pic with La Villa owner Chris Bertucelli after ordering the meaty off-menu sandwich that is a favorite not only with the Sharks but the 49ers as well.
By the way, we were having a family dinner at Original Joe’s in downtown San Jose at the start of training camp a couple of weeks back and spotted a trio of Sharks prospects having dinner at the table behind us. Good to know they’re at least getting good tips on where to eat.