Around The Glen

5th annual pumpkins in the Park is Oct. 14

Guadalupe River Park and Gardens hosts the 5th Annual Pumpkins in the Park festival Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arena Green, across the street from the San Jose Arena.

This free event is intended for young families to enjoy good food, live music, and public education on environmental issues that affect the park, said park representative Phil Cornish.

Highlights include a giant pumpkin patch with pumpkins for sale and a scarecrow contest that visitors are invited to judge. Participants can also learn how to make corn husk dolls, jack o' lanterns and scarecrows, plus sample more than 20 different apple varieties and the ever-popular kettle corn.

Cornish encourages visitors to take Caltrain or light rail to nearby stations.

For more information, call 408.277.8845.

--Kate Carter

Tree Planting on Jansen Avenue

Our City Forest, a San Jose-based nonprofit that gives away free trees to local neighborhoods, is looking for volunteers to help residents on Jansen Avenue plant their 10 new trees.

Two Jansen Avenue residents are coordinating the tree planting on Oct. 7. Volunteers are invited to meet in front of Tom and Patty Merrill's home at 834 Jansen Ave. at 9:00 a.m. for donuts and coffee.

Tom Merrill will give a brief training on tree planting and staking and safety precautions at 9:15 a.m., and work will begin at 9:45 a.m. With enough volunteers, planting should be completed by noon, and Merrill will teach the group about pruning, watering and fertilizing the trees. A barbecue lunch will follow.

Our City Forest will provide the trees, tools and supplies. Volunteers should bring sunscreen and cool clothes if it's hot, and an optional $3 contribution for food and drinks.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Merrill at 408.295.2215, or merrill@thetech.org; or Thad White at 408.275.6655, or thad@yahoo.com.

--Kate Carter

Exchange group needs representatives

World Heritage is seeking local representatives to help support their exchange program for high school students from several countries including Germany, France, Spain, Japan and former Soviet republics.

Community representatives plan an annual orientation, meet with local high schools, provide support counseling for participants, screen potential host families, and visit with exchange students on a monthly basis.

Representatives spend an average of one to two hours a week with the exchange students.

For more information about World Heritage, call Barbara at 888.386.7260, or go to www.world-heritage.org.

--Kate Carter

Willows Senior Center Boutique Holiday Sale

The Willows Senior Center Boutique is having a special pre-holiday sale on Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring special items for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Items for sale are handcrafted by members of the Willows Boutique Club, and profits return to the artisans and to the club. The club uses their funds to pay for a December potluck dinner and to donate to the senior center and other charities.

"We've got so many things in there, I can't remember them all," said club president Laurie Matthews.

The boutique club was started in 1979 for seniors to supplement their incomes by selling handmade crafts. Today, the club has approximately 50 members.

The boutique is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, in the senior center, 2175 Lincoln Avenue.

--Kate Carter

Voter registration due by midnight on Oct. 10

Oct. 10 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election. Registration forms are available at libraries, post offices, fire stations, government offices and other locations. Completed forms are due by midnight on Oct. 10, at the Office of the Registrar of Voters, 1555 Berger Dr., Building 2, in San Jose. For more information about voter registration, call 408.299.VOTE.

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