Japantown Business Association Newsletter, February 2011
JBA Board meeting ~ Feb 24, 2011
@
Roy’s Station Coffee & Tea
Time: 6:30pm
Please email
sanjosejtown@sbcglobal.net
or call (408) 298-4303
for updated information.
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'Japantown Business
Association' on FACEBOOK!
JBA IS RECYCLING USED INKJET CARTRIDGES!
Bring your used cartridges to the Farmers Market on Sunday OR
Email for Friday pick-up:
sanjosejtown@sbcglobal.net
BUY RECYCLED AND DONATE TO JBA!
Save as much as 20%
off your purchases buying cartridges from Planet Green
Recycle
and donate to JBA at the same time! All orders are delivered USPS Priority
mail.
www.planetgreenrecycle.com/japantownsanjose
NEWS
update:
Tamiko Rast named Art Coordinator for the Japantown Mural Project
(Office of Cultural Affairs, Public Art Project)
Congratulations to Tamiko (Japantown BID member ‘Rasteroids Design’ on Jackson St) who won in the interview process, the job of coordinating the Japantown Mural Project. This is a series of panels that will wrap around a portion of the Corporation Yard fence along Jackson and Sixth Streets. She and Dr. Jerrold Hiura (Japantown BID member on 90 E. Taylor St) have attended the February 2011 Japantown Neighborhood Association to gather responses or concerns and field questions. They found support in the organization for the project and will be meeting as a JCCsj function every two weeks.
The mural will include works of art from other artists and organizations also totaling about fifty 6’ x 9’ panels. The material for the panels will be a new net-like, see-through webbing which will allow for both good representation of the artwork and visibility in order to create a safe, permanent and portable, public art project.
It is slated for completion in July, 2011.
PG&E
undergrounding project:
Paul Espinoza, PG&E
representative has recently told the JBA office that they will be back
March 21st to finish what is outstanding. There will be no more
trenching of streets or sidewalks. What’s left to do is to install and
active all the underground equipment and the electrical conductors. The
crews were called away to ‘higher priority work.’ (We’ve all heard about
the gas line pipes, haven’t we?)
PG&E plans to have the undergrounding finished this year.
New businesses: Soon to Open is Randy Le (Owner/Operator) of Sole on Ice, a consignment shoe shop. “What is that?” you ask. It’s a niche market of new shoes, never worn that people collect and re-sell, piece by piece. Randy has stories of kids who invest in these types of shoes (Air Jordans, special limited edition shoes, etc) who have re-sold for 3 or 4 times their original value to other collectors and financed their educations with the money.
The interior of the shop is paneled with reclaimed wood and Randy is doing the work himself with a little help from friends. It looks great inside, it will be open and friendly as Randy is an old hand at Japantown San Jose events and activities. He’s an Independence High School graduate and local boy!
His website is being revamped and will be available soon. Please stop by, introduce yourself and say ‘hello!’
JBA paying for:
the banner poles on Jackson Street have needed repair for about half a year. With the last round of layoffs, the welder for the City of San Jose was let go. JBA will be hiring to do the job before the end of February when Nikkei Matsuri banners have to go up. Thank you to George Hanada for his help in finding reliable people to help!
Advertising: in the past ten years, JBA has put out various types and formats of advertising with financial support from the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. This has included full page ads with IMAGE Magaine (Silicon Valley Community Newspapers), coverage in Milpitas, Berryessa and Fremont with the SCENE Magazine, light boxes in the baggage claim area of the Mineta Internal Airport and much more. With the advent of the possible disappearance of the agency, advertising will be more difficult and we will be coming to you with different opportunities for your decisions. Some will be listed later in this newsletter so you can plan your year’s expenditures.
2011 celebrates the 21st year of the operation of the Japantown Certified Farmers Market: It’s a small, neighborly market with just one block of vendors. However, it remains one of the very few year round markets and still contributes to the overall good providing needed income for services, a place for local residents, Sunday church goers and the occasional visitor to find friendly conversation, good groceries (some of our local restaurants shop the market), the Sunday paper and connection with the community at large. The market operates in the black thanks to JBA volunteers.
all along the district with the exception of Jackson Street between 4th & 6th Streets, sweeping and trash pick-up by Social Vocational Services, one of Santa Clara County’s programs for the disabled. This service began with JBA picking up the tab in 2010. After a little adjustment, services seem to be appreciated.
We cannot leave this topic without mentioning the great services rendered daily by Carole and Frank Rast of Roy’s Coffee & Tea. They keep the two blocks of Jackson St between 4th-6th immaculate and everyone without exception wants to thank them for their work.
The banners (kimono design and Jackson St designs) can no longer be funded by the SJ Redevelopment Agency. Nor can they be hung with city or agency funding. So, JBA is working with individual organizations and the City of San Jose to continue to be able to change banners for the festivals in Japantown. Pole repairs may also be next on the list!
Those Jackson Street hackberry trees are still a problem. Dripping sap from the white fly infestation that seems to affect only these hackberry trees in the City of San Jose, JBA is now trying to either 1) have them trimmed in hopes this will help or 2) have them removed and new trees planted by the community in existing tree wells with help from Our City Forest and permitting from the City of San Jose Arborist. Budget is the main aid or deterrent here. JBA is not eligible for loans. Grantwriting is being done where possible! More updates to come. IF you need help with your trees, please call or email the JBA office!
Greening is coming!
To this end the JBA office will be working with you to help you with transitions that are being reviewed and discussed for mandate by the City of San Jose. We all know that this is necessary for the environment, future and existing populations of the world but it is sometimes very difficult and possibly expensive. Look for help from Melissa Baxter and Alan Ha of ‘Nothing Wasted’ and the JBA office in the near future.
Community
EVENTS
JBA Recycling
with Planet Green Recycling! See below!
-
• Contemporary Asian Theater Scene: look for movies in Japantown this year!
-
• Nikkei Matsuri: Sunday, May 1, 2011
-
• Sake San Jose (Yu-Ai Kai): Thursday evening, May 26, 2011
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• Obon Festival: July 9-10, 2011
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• Biscuits & Cukui 1st Anniversary: Saturday, August 6, 2011
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• Aki Matsuri: Saturday, September 17, 2011
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• Yosakoi Tour: hosted by sponsored by the 3-Japantowns, Sept 17, 2011 with workshops to be announced.
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• Spirit of Japantown Festival 2011: Saturday, Oct 1, 2011
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• Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon through Japantown: Sunday, Oct 2, 2011 (Farmers Market moves to 6th Street this day only)
COMMUNITY CALENDAR: find out what other Japantown organizations are doing!
The
Japantown Business Association
Hall of Fame
Project and the new Yosakoi Tour 2011
Thanks
to supportive funding from the Tanimura Family Foundation
Japantown
CERTIFIED FARMERS
MARKET
Open for 2011 every Sunday Rain or
Shine
8:30am-Noon on Jackson between
6th & 7th
Grown
in California year round
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WHAT TO DO about GRAFFITI
-
Call it in, report online.
-
Having your photos, videos, descriptions and report is important in providing evidence when the suspect is apprehended and goes to trial. Each count, each report makes a difference.
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The suspect can be charged for each individual instance of damage IF you report it.
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Call: 911 for any crime in progress
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Free graffiti removal solvent and paint is available at the San Jose Anti-Graffiti Program at 501 Vine St. To report graffiti for removal on city property call the Anti-Graffiti Hotline at (408) 277-2758.
Business Services:
|
Loans |
Loans |
|
Opportunity Fund “Working Capital for Working People” (formerly Lenders for Community Development) |
JBA Micro-Loan program Call Dale Sasaki (408) 993-8777 This is for Japantown Business Association BID members in good standing only. Maximum loan is $1000 @ 3% interest rate |
|
$1000-$10,000 |
$1000 |
MBEC (Minority Business Enterprise Center)
operated by Asian, Inc (a non-profit)
They are here to do the legwork for you.
AND
ALL SERVICES ARE FREE of charge.
Funded by the US Department of Commerce.
Raymond Au Yeong, MBA, BSC, 111 North Market St, Suite 920, San Jose, CA
95113
Phone (408) 998-8058
Website:
www.norcalmbec.com
Email:
ryeong@norcalmbec.com,
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information on the new Federal Health Reform Bill?
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