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Around The Glen
Consignment shops grow to make room for more treasures
Two consignment shops in Willow Glen, which opened at their present locations on Jan. 1, have both grown too big for their respective four walls.
Frumas Consignment Furniture at 2202 Lincoln Ave. has expanded, and so has Village Consignment across the street at 2053.
Both shops carry furniture, paintings, sculpture, antiques and other accessories. The items the stores sell come from individual homeowners, model homes, artists and, in the case of Village Consignment, art shows funded by the Smithsonian Institute.
While Village Consignment recently opened a second new location on the Cupertino/Saratoga border, Frumas Consignment has taken over the space next door that used to be Rebecca's Chocolates and Tea House.
"There's never enough space in this business," says Frumas owner Theresa Higgs.
It took Village owners Dorothy Tongtuntai and her husband only a couple of months to outgrow their Willow Glen spot and open the new store.
Among the items the Village boasts are a gazelle-tail broom and a Samurai tea bowl. A wooden table inlaid with a design of colorful fish was featured in one of the Smithsonian Institute's traveling shows.
But both owners say enough is enough. Village has its hands full with two locations. And according to Frumas owner Higgs, who plans to unveil the store's new addition this week, "I'd like a little respite."
--Kara Chalmers
Adult day care center moves into historic Willow Glen home
The largest adult day care provider in the county has opened a new center in Willow Glen. While the staff moved into Live Oak Adult Day Care Services' new location at 1147 Minnesota Avenue on August 1, the day care program, designed for frail and dependent seniors, won't begin for a month. The opening is delayed owing to the center's waiting for a license from the state.
Willow Glen's first mayor, Paul Clark, owned the house that Live Oak has bought and restored for the new center, says Leta Friedlander, executive director of Live Oak. She also notes that Clark's wife killed herself in the house. Since then, the house has been a rooming house, the Learning Tree nursery school and most recently, home to a lot of weeds. Friedlander says the house became decayed, and transients began sleeping in the backyard.
Live Oak restored the house to its 1900s appearance and added a new building in the back. There is even historical furniture from the Clark period in the house.
At the new center, clients will be able to participate in such activities as adaptive exercise, music and art. There are also fashion shows, Hug-A-Pet days, karate demonstrations and magic shows.
"We bring as many community resources in as we can to enrich the clients' experience," Friedlander says. "We bring all the fun and activities to them."
She also mentioned that nursery school children often come to spend time with the seniors at the center.
To celebrate the opening, Live Oak will have an open house September 26 at the new location. They are accepting enrollment applications now.
"We're thrilled to be finally getting this together," says Friedlander.
For enrollment information, call 354-4782.
--Kara Chalmers
Indian Health Center hosts third annual back-to-school fair
The Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley will host its third annual Back to School Health and Safety Fair August 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"It's a community health event focusing on getting ready to go back to school," says Andrea Zubiate, outreach coordinator at the center. She expects 75 to 100 4- to 14-year-olds, along with their families, to participate in the event.
Besides health education booths, free dental screenings and all childhood medical immunizations, there will be an astrojump, games and prizes, such as bikes and school supplies, to make the event fun for children.
"The goal is to promote incorporating fitness and health into children's daily lives, positive school attitudes and family involvement," Zubiate says. "I expect it to be a lot of fun."
At the fair there will be an hour-long workshop on bike safety. After the workshop, children will be sized and fitted for free bike helmets, courtesy of the Indian Health Center and Santa Clara Family Health Plan, a managed care company.
"It's a good time of the year to remind people of bike safety and a lot of people don't have helmets," Zubiate adds.
Also at the event, police officers will speak to children about how to walk home alone safely; a crafts table will be set up for decorating school folders; and representatives from the Youth Employment Program will be present to talk about job opportunities for children.
The Indian Health Center is located at 1333 Meridian Avenue in San Jose. If your child needs immunizations, please bring their immunization records.
--Kara Chalmers
The neighborhood association e-list gets a nip and tuck
The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's (WGNA) e-list, an email discussion, has become a forum for tirades, and has strayed too far from its original objective. At least that's what a majority of WGNA board members think.
The board voted August 11 to make sure no messages are posted that contain opinions--even if the opinion is WGNA's own.
The e-list's initial purpose was as an online "bulletin board"--used to let WGNA members find lost dogs and reasonably priced mechanics (or in the case of last week's list, a duck hunting partner or good roofer).
"Recently, it's been a discussion of what some people may call controversial local subjects," says WGNA president J. Michael Gonzales. "When it's dominated by that, it's a problem."
Although there are numerous messages on the e-list in support of the latest format ("what a good way to get a discussion going and give people a chance to voice their opinion," says one message), WGNA, which pays for the private list, has the final say.
Gonzales points out that while the dialogue on the e-list is not a problem in itself, the WGNA e-list is an inappropriate forum for that dialogue.
--Kara Chalmers
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
