As I used to be operating the San Jose Shamrock Run final Saturday morning via downtown San Jose, I discovered myself considering of Frank Taylor, the previous longtime head of the town’s redevelopment company who died this month at age 87.
The 5K run was virtually a Frank Taylor Legacy Tour, with green-shirted runners speeding previous a number of the company’s large successes — the once-Fairmont-now-Signia resort, the Tech Interactive, Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the McEnery Conference Heart and the refurbished Resort De Anza.
And let’s not overlook the palm bushes. At Taylor’s course, the redevelopment company planted tons of of California Fan and Mexican Fan palms all through downtown San Jose. I requested former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery, an in depth pal of Taylor’s, why he was so hooked on the tall bushes.
“He just thought they were a beautiful thing,” McEnery mentioned. “Locations the place folks go on trip have plenty of palm bushes, so he thought why not have that as one of many items that marks San Jose? I like ‘em.”
Whether or not you like the ubiquitous palms or blame redevelopment for wiping out historic neighborhoods, businesses or buildings — the demolition of the Mid-Century Modern Pestana building at First and San Carlos streets in 1999 still stings since the lot it occupied is still vacant — you can’t deny that Taylor’s constructive impacts downtown have stood the take a look at of time and are something however cookie-cutter.
The phrase “visionary” will get thrown round loads. However Taylor had a imaginative and prescient for downtown, and you’ll nonetheless see it.
Locations just like the Tech, the Kids’s Discovery Museum, SAP Heart and the Signia are among the many buildings folks conjure after they image downtown San Jose. The fountains in Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the flowery manhole covers with the town seal and even stone pavers on the First and Second streets transit mall all have held up fairly effectively.
It’s exhausting to say which — if any — of downtown’s newer buildings will stand out in 20 or 30 years.
“He really believed who he was working for was the next generation,” McEnery mentioned. “He just believed people should have a certain pride in their city.”
CINEQUESTING: The Cinequest movie pageant is wrapping up its thirty fifth version this weekend, however there are plenty of large occasions left earlier than the curtain falls on the California Theatre on Sunday evening.
Friday evening’s highlight occasion is the Silent Cinema screening of “Nosferatu,” the 1922 vampire basic from German expressionist F.W. Murnau, which was remade final 12 months. It’s exhausting to say what’ll be extra bone-chilling — the looks of Max Schreck because the titular neck-biter or Dennis James’ reside soundtrack coming from the California Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
“X-Files” star Gillian Anderson shall be in the home Saturday evening to obtain the Maverick Spirit Award following the screening of her new film, “The Salt Path,” which co-stars “White Lotus” actor Jason Isaacs. I’m scheduled to do the on-stage interview with Anderson, assuming I can preserve my fanboy tendencies in examine across the legendary Dana Scully.
And then you definitely’ve acquired Sunday’s closing evening, with a screening of “The Friend” with Invoice Murray and Naomi Watts — neither is predicted to attend — adopted by a closing evening get together at The Farmer’s Union and Olla Cocina in San Pedro Sq..
By the way in which, did you hear the Pedro Pascal made a shock look Wednesday evening on the Oakland screening of “Freaky Tales,” the brand new film he stars in with rapper Too Brief and the late Angus Cloud? What an incredible deal with for that viewers, although he may even have stopped by Cinequest final Thursday evening when the film was proven on the California as a late add to the Cinequest schedule.
Anyway, don’t be like Pedro and miss your Cinequest probability. Take a look at the schedule and ticket data at www.cinequest.org.
HAVING FUN WITH HISTORY: The third annual Ladies’s Heritage Day at Historical past Park in San Jose on Saturday is promising to be fairly a celebration — and also you positively don’t must be a lady to take pleasure in it.
There shall be cultural dance performances, courtesy of Mosaic America; a showcase of native authors, together with Maribel Martinez, VC Tang, Cassie Kiefer and Elizabeth Kile and a woman-owned lowrider present with greater than 60 vehicles on show. It’s additionally an incredible probability to take a look at “¡MONSTRAS! Female Legends of Latin America,” a brand new exhibition on the lately reopened Pasetta Home exploring the myths and origins round 10 Latin American feminine monsters.
The celebration at Kelley Park, 1650 Senter Highway, runs midday to 4 p.m., and you may get extra data at www.historysanjose.org.
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