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Today’s Forecast

57º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. | Sunset: 5:06 p.m.
 

Culture

Meet the South Bay mom changing the recycling game
Presented by an SJtoday Partner
a woman holds up a bag with a dog sits next to her
Join Karen on her mission to help make the Bay greener. | Photo provided by Ridwell
About a year ago, Karen Noryko thought she was recycling things but was shocked to learn how little actually was accepted. Even in an area like the Bay, her garbage hauler couldn’t take plastic clamshells, plastic bags, batteries, and other common household items that often have recycling symbols.

Karen reached out to a friend in Seattle who told her about a business that was filling many of the recycling gaps that she was so frustrated to learn about. Seattle-based recycling start-up Ridwell started as a father-son project when CEO, Ryan Metzger, and his son, Owen, tried to find a way to recycle their batteries in Seattle.

One way Ridwell is keeping things out of landfills is with their partnership with Trex. Rather than throw plastic bags and plastic film in the garbage, Ridwell collects it for Trex to make composite decking. Feeling inspired, Karen, along with her two kids, collected 500 lbs. of plastic from their neighborhood in a community drive and sent it to Trex.

2 boys stand next to a recycling box

Recycling is a family activity in the Noryko household.

|

Photo provided by Ridwell


Her big dreams didn’t end there. Karen reached out to Ridwell to see if the service would expand to the Bay Area. Seeing Karen’s passion for wasting less, Ridwell hired her to bring the service to the area. Thanks to her, families now pay as little as $14 a month in East Bay and the Peninsula, cutting their household waste nearly in half.

Now, Karen is working hard so that the South Bay can recycle more things, too. The goal? If 3,000 people join the waiting list, Ridwell will launch its service here and we can all start saving those plastic bags, Styrofoam, old clothes, and more from ending up in landfills and the ocean.

If you’re ready to pitch in and make our community greener with more recycling and reuse in the South Bay, simply sign up.*
Get recycling
This content was created in partnership with Ridwell.*
Asked

Fact or Fiction: Thin plastics like bags, plastic wrap, mailers, or bubble wrap can go in the recycling bin.
A. Fact
B. Fiction
Take a guess
 
Events

Monday, March 27
  • Trivia Night | Monday, Mar. 27 | 6:30 p.m. | Park Station Hashery, 1701 Park Ave., San Jose | Free | Grab a team of up to six at this weekly event hosted by local comedians.
  • Intro to Digital Art with Procreate | Monday, Mar. 27 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Jiaren Cafe, 1171 Homestead Rd., Ste. 140B, San Jose | $30 | This beginner-friendly class will teach you basic color theory, palette design, and more.
  • Off Nite | Monday, Mar. 27 | 8-9:30 p.m. | Tabard Theatre, 29 N. San Pedro St., Ste. 200, San Jose | Free | Every Monday, Mighty Mike McGee and Ato Walker host a variety talk show and draw on participation from audience members.
Tuesday, March 28
  • Easter Bunny Succulent Garden Workshop | Tuesday, Mar. 28 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Tessora’s Barra di Vino, 234 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell | $75 | Create your own grapevine wreath with bunnies, moss, and spring decor while sipping on a glass of wine or beer.
  • Truesdays Storytelling Open Mic | Tuesday, Mar. 28 | 6:30 p.m. | True Brew Taphouse & Kitchen, 787 The Alameda, Ste. 10, San Jose | Free | Performers, comics, poets, and storytellers of all types are welcome to take the stand.
  • Iron Man Trivia Night | Tuesday, Mar. 28 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Britannia Arms Almaden, 5027 Almaden Expy., San Jose | $8-$24 | Fire up your Mark IV and test your knowledge on Tony Stark’s time in the MCU.
Wednesday, March 29
  • Koffin Kats, Crazy and the Brains | Wednesday, Mar. 29 | 7 p.m. | The Ritz, 400 S. First St., San Jose | $15 | Hailing from the Garden City, this band brings their hard punk and psychobilly hits.
  • K-von | Wednesday, Mar. 29 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $25 | The comic from Dry Bar Comedy and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” stars in a new movie this fall alongside Jon Heder.

Plan ahead with our community events calendar below.
100+ more events
Click here to have your event featured.
News Notes

Weather
  • 64º | Mostly sunny | 2% chance of rain
Announced
  • Viva CalleSJ has announced the route for its event on Sunday, April 23, which hosts hub locations at SJSU, Downtown Willow Glen, and the Municipal Rose Garden. The community is invited to walk, bike, and skate through the open streets of San Jose — get more details on how to participate.
Plan Ahead
  • Get ready for a celebration of our great 408. This year, San Jose Day will be hosted on Saturday, April 8, 12-6 p.m., at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Expect eight live music performances, 50+ local business vendors, food trucks, an art gallery, and a car show. RSVP for the party now.
Fun Fact
  • Did you know that the lock of Beethoven’s hair in the Martin Luther King Jr. Library doesn’t actually belong to the great composer? Former SJSU library docent and current Cambridge Ph.D student Tristan Begg debunked the genealogy of the famous relic acquired by SJSU in the 1990s — learn more about the discovery. (The Mercury News)
Kids
  • Schallenberger Elementary fourth-grader Cruz Skinner claimed first place at the “Future Chefs Challenge” of San Jose Unified School District by recreating a version her great-grandmother’s “ZuccCorn Fritters.” Next month, Cruz will represent SJUSD at a regional contest against 68 young, aspiring chefs. (The Mercury News)
Edu
Jobs
  • SJPD’s School Safety and Education Unit are looking to fill ~80 vacancies for crossing guards to be placed in the city’s school districts. The part-time job calls for up to 10 hours a week at a rate of $26.45 an hour — learn more about the role and its qualifications. (San José Spotlight)
Finance
  • Experts at The Ascent have sorted through hundreds of credit cards so far this year. And their top five bonus cards are (cue drumroll)... these five. 👀*
Seasonal
The Word
Shop
  • The spring season is the perfect time to treat yourself. We’re eyeing this six-piece bonbon gift box by Marble & Steel Craft Chocolates. What’s even sweeter? These chocolates are made fresh without preservatives.
History

What’s so important about today?

This day in history: San Jose, CA’s incorporation
Downtown San Jose during sunrise.
Can you believe we’re already at the end of the year? | Photo via Jed Record
It may be an ordinary Monday, but exactly 170 years ago today — March 27, 1850 — San Jose was incorporated as an official city of California.

Technically, we were founded in November 1777 as the first California civic settlement named Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe. But, after California was established as the 31st state of the US in 1850, San Jose quickly followed to become one of the first incorporated cities.

At the time, our city:
  • Had been serving as the state’s capital since 1849, before it was moved to Vallejo in 1852.
  • Had a population of ~500, which was just as diverse as it is now — hosting residents from Mexico, Peru, Chile, India, and America.
  • Served as a trade depot for the goldfields in Sacramento (hey, SACtoday).
San Jose’s roots are so deeply woven into the state of California’s history — we definitely have first-child bragging rights.
The Wrap
 
Alyson Chuyang headshot

Today’s Edition By:
Alyson
Answered: Fiction. These types of thin plastics can’t be recycled by traditional garbage haulers.

From the Editor
Do you love Japantown as much as I do? This Thursday, March 30, the Japanese American Museum will host an opening night event for the newest exhibition in its rotating gallery, in collaboration with State of Grace tattoo. Expect artist meet-and-greets, a Scratch SJ food truck, and free admission to the museum. See you there?

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