San Jose District 3 Council Member Cindy Chavez invites the public to a meeting at the PTRAC facilities located at 1197 Lick Ave. near the day care center on June 24 at 6:30, p.m. with representatives from Barry Swenson Builder about the Tamien Station housing project.

The developer's project involves rezoning and converting the former Alma Bowl site and the Elks Club buildings to high-density housing. Chavez's community meeting will focus on the Alma Bowl/Sprig Electric portion of the development site.

The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association will postpone its monthly meeting, normally scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of month, to attend the Tamien Station community meeting.

For more information, call Jonathan noble, chief of staff for council member Chavez, at 408.277.5231

—William Jeske


Willow Glen pool open for lessons and swim

The Willow Glen Middle School swimming pool, 2105 Cottle Ave., will open this summer even though it was originally scheduled to be closed. It was going close because of summer school at both the middle and high school campuses, but scheduling changed and it will be open for swim lessons and recreational swimming.

The two-week sessions—which includes nine swim lessons—are held June 30 to July 11, July 15 to July 25, July 28 to Aug. 8 and Aug. 12 to Aug. 22.

Recreational swim will be Monday through Friday 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. with 30-minute swim lessons for all abilities starting at 3 p.m. and ending at 5:50 p.m..

For more information or registration, call the aquatics office 408.377.2888. Registration for lessons will be continual while the pool is open. The price for lessons starts at $33 and decreases in price for additional children. The recreational swim costs $1.25 per day, or $18 for a 20-visit summer pass.

—Amy Jenkins


Music in the Glen back with Thursday concerts

The free Music in the Glen summer concert series returns to the Willow Glen Elementary School beginning July 10 at 6:30 p.m. with the country and rock band, The Blowkings.

The free concerts, which will be held Thursday evenings at the school between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., will run through August 7.

Concert-goers are invited to bring lawn or picnic furniture. Hot dogs, chips and soft drinks will be sold at the concerts, with proceeds going toward the elementary school and community activities of the Kiwanis Clubs of Willow Glen.

The other bands scheduled in the series are Sidesaddle & Co., a country, western and bluegrass band on July 17. The Hitmen, a classic rhythm and blues, Motown, funk and disco, on July 24. The Mark Russo Big Band a big band and jazz group on July 31; and Flashback, a fifties and sixties oldies band on August 7.

Organizations and individuals sponsoring the concert series include Edward Jones Investments, Aqui Cal/Mex Grill, Peak Travel, Realtor Michael Ortegon, the Willow Glen branch of USBank and Creative Security Concepts Inc.

For more information about the concerts call the Willow Glen Sunrisers at 408.998.3045 or 408.639.9633.

—William Jeske


Matt Parker and horse, Smokey, reach Nevada

Former short-term Willow Glen resident Matt Parker, who with his Tennessee Riding Horse, Smokey, is making his way haphazardly through Nevada, according to the Nevada Appeal newspaper.

The Willow Glen Resident profiled Parker in its May 14 issue. Parker a 23-year-old Michigan native, whose goal is to traverse the northern route—4,883 miles—of American Discovery Trail on horseback, started his trek from Sacramento on May 29.

As of June 16, Parker was in Carson City, as reported by the Nevada Appeal, preparing to take on a "remote and waterless" stretch of the trail. A few days earlier, the newspaper reported that Parker and Smokey encountered a bear and also a mountain lion.

The encounter with the mountain lion spooked Smokey, and Parker said, "I had to chase him down in boxers and boots," the newspaper reported.

A Willow Glen friend of Parker's assured readers that Smokey is fine and that the scratches Smokey acquired from the encounter were not from claws or fangs but from Smokey snapping his harness lead.

Parker and Smokey will take a month to traverse the Nevada portion of the discovery trail, "the most difficult area in terms of water and forage" for Smokey, according to the local Nevada paper.

The newspaper also reports that Parker hopes to arrive in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich., by Christmas.

—William Jeske