Today's Note

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🎶 Don’t You (Forget About the 1980s)

An aerial view of Downtown San Jose in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, downtown San Jose began to transform into the one we know now. | Photo via History San José

Ahh, the 80s. “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John was at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks, and the Teddy Ruxpin toy was a hot commodity — but what was going on in the great 408 at the time?

We’re back with another decade of San Jose’s history, and this time, we’re traveling back to the 1980s.

📈 Population: 629,442
🗳️ Mayors: Janet Gray Hayes (1975-1983), Tom McEnery (1983-1991)

1980 — San Jose’s first professional theater company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, was founded and run out of the Montgomery Theatre before moving into what is now the Susan and Phil Hammer Theatre Center.

1981 — The San Jose Holiday Parade tradition kicked off its first year, before being named the “Christmas in the Park Parade” the next year.

1982 — SJ-based tech giant Adobe was founded in Mountain View by two former Xerox employees, named after Adobe Creek in Los Altos.

A man does inspections of new Ford cars at the Ford Motor Plant. — The Ford Motor plant.
|
Photo via History San José

1983 — The Ford Motor plant, located where Great Mall now sits, closed after 28 years of operation.

1984 — The Mayfield Mall, NorCal’s first air-conditioned, enclosed mall, closed after 18 years in business.

1985 — The Sikh Gurdwara was founded and still remains the largest Sikh center of worship outside of India’s Golden Temple. San Jose-based Fry’s Electronics was created.

1986 — The San Jose Cleveland Ballet, now called Ballet San Jose, was founded. The IBM Almaden Research Center opened for nanotechnology and human-computer interaction.

The construction site of the Fairmont Hotel with the San Jose Museum of Art and St. Joseph's Cathedral in the background. — The construction of the Fairmont Hotel.
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Photo via History San José

1987 — The Fairmont Hotel, now the Signia by Hilton, opened in October of this year. The Japanese American Museum opened and the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project was founded.

1988 — The 17-story Fairmont Plaza opened and became the tallest building in San Jose at the time; it is now the sixth tallest.

1989 — The magnitude-6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Bay Area, shaking all of San Jose and collapsing buildings in Santa Cruz.

Asked

What was the worst thing you ever bought? Why was it so bad?

Congratulations to Sarah M. for winning a $50 gift card to our online shop, Six & Main. Did you know you could be our next winner? Answer this week’s survey questions for a chance to score a gift card!

LET US KNOW HERE

Events

Wednesday, March 15

San Jose Barracuda vs. Henderson Silver Knights | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 10:30 a.m. | Tech CU Arena, 1500 S. 10th St., San Jose | $13-$50 | Cheer on your local AHL team.
St. Patty’s Gnome Paint Party | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Wheelhouse of Willow Glen, 1173 Lincoln Ave., San Jose | $35 | Follow along to an instructor as you paint Saint Patrick’s Day-inspired art.
Rogelio Ramos | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $40 | This comedian from Torreón Coahuila, México has accumulated more than three decades of experience on stage.

Thursday, March 16

Antiques and Collectibles Sale | Thursday, Mar. 16-Saturday, Mar. 18 | Times vary | 1218 Willow St., San Jose | Prices vary | Shop from a collection of mid-century toys, small furniture, vintage trunks, old bottles, George Washington collectibles, and more.
Drink and Draw at Art Boutiki | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 7-11 p.m. | The Art Boutiki, 44 Race St., San Jose | Free | Bring your friends to enjoy a corned beef dinner special, local vendors, all-vinyl tunes, coloring books, and board games.

Friday, March 17

‘90s Rock at The Ritz | Friday, Mar. 17 | 8 p.m. | The Ritz, 400 S. First St., San Jose | $18 | Enjoy tributes to Pearl Jam, STP, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

Click here to have your event featured.

MORE THIS WEEK

News Notes

Weather

60º | Partly cloudy | 11% chance of rain ⛅

Civic

Mayor Matt Mahan issued his budget proposal this week, which detailed ways to tackle homelessness, improve public safety, and stimulate economic growth. Along with upping staff to develop interim housing, he also wants to increase funding to improve the 311 app. City Council will discuss the proposal next Tuesday, March 21. 📑 (San José Spotlight)

Development

Yesterday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to develop 5 acres on North Wolfe Road in Cupertino into affordable housing for teachers. In exchange for this land, county officials will give the owner (Apple) a 1.5-acre, county-owned site on North De Anza Boulevard. A construction timeline is TBA. 🏘️ (San José Spotlight)

Featured

California.com recently explored the city of San Jose and cited the top reasons to live in the great 408. Along with a thriving tech scene, the article commended our natural reserves and parks, diversity in dining, cultural attractions, and convenient location. We’re just that great. ✨ (California.com)

Award

San Jose State evolutionary biology masters student Gregory Smith was recently named a 2023 African American Scholar by the Aquarium of the Pacific. Gregory was selected for his studies of the bird, Cassin’s Auklet, at the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. He and nine other recipients will receive a $10,000 award. 👏
More Spartans for the win — SJSU librarian Kathryn Blackmer Reyes was among 10 recipients who received the national I Love My Librarian Award. Kathryn’s dedication to surfacing untold stories of communities of color in the Santa Clara Valley helped her win the award of $5,000. 💰

Plan Ahead

Make Music San José, a free community celebration of music, will return on Wednesday, June 21 — and you can be one of the featured performers. All are welcome to sign up to perform — students, professionals, amateurs — and must do so by Sunday, May 21. 🎶

Wellness

AG1 by Athletic Greens is so much more than “greens.” With one scoop, AG1 empowers the gut for whole-body health. (And, ICYMI, we can’t achieve a healthier everything else without a healthy gut.) Try it and receive a free one year supply of vitamin D and 5 free travel packs.*

DYK

Did you know our online store Six & Main features Sourhouse, a company that creates simple tools for sourdough bakers to care for their starters? The Goldie by Sourhouse + Cooling Puck is one of the most popular items. Let’s start baking. 🍞

Seasonal

To welcome the new season, our online store (Six & Main) is running a Spring Forward Contest. The winner + two friends will receive a prize from one of our coffee or tea brand partners. The contest is running now through Friday, March 24. Learn more on Instagram. 🌸

Watch

It’s time for biscuits with the boss. Season three of “Ted Lasso” premieres today only on Apple TV+, which means AFC Richmond is hitting the pitch and Jason Sudekis will surely have some feel-good life advice for us. Bonus: Get your first week free when you sign up to stream.

Finance

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — and its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards a more comfortable retirement. Try it out for yourself. *

TRAVEL

Stress less with TSA PreCheck ✅

Cut down your travel time with TSA PreCheck. | Photo via Pexels

Planning a spring getaway? Don’t forget to add TSA PreCheck enrollment to your pre-vacay to-do list.

The government program provides an expedited security lane at 200+ airports for travelers who pass a security screening — which includes a short application and a 10-minute in-person enrollment appointment — and are given a Known Traveler Number. Bonus: The screening is good for five years and costs $78.

The main benefit of enrolling? Save time when traveling. Recent data found that 96% of TSA PreCheck passengers spent less than five minutes at airport security checkpoints.

To apply, find out if you are eligible, then fill out an application and schedule an appointment at a nearby enrollment center. Most people will know if their application has been approved within three to five days.

Psst — grab these airport essentials before your trip: a memory foam travel pillow, this smart luggage carry-on set, and an AirFly wireless headphones transmitter.

The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
Alyson Chuyang

From the Editor

Yesterday, I braved the rain for my one true love — House of Bagels. The shop on East San Carlos Street gets me nostalgic because it was always my go-to during my time at SJSU. What’s your order? I’ve always been a pesto cheese bagel with tomato + cream cheese-type of girl, but I’d love suggestions to try something new.

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