Sunday, February 26, 2017

#SanJoseFloods News: Clean Up Today & More

    Testing to see if waffles will make up for the three-hour time difference.

Good morning, San Jose.

I am typing this from Hub's Coffee (you remember them from Cranksgiving San Jose) while coping with a three hour time difference on three hours of sleep. Without getting too much into it I was in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Cherry Hill: Because putting pedestrians in front of a firing squad is illegal.

    Cherry Hill, NJ - Feb. 24, 2017

Anyway: remember the clean-ups that took place Friday and Saturday? There's another that is just taking place from 9:30am to 2:00pm. Bring work boots and good gloves if you got 'em. Link is below

http://sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=4789

The San Jose Flood Donation and Relief Center (at The Get Down dance studio) is still on for this afternoon; you can start donating at 4:00pm and if you need items you are encouraged to arrive between 5:15 and 7:00pm. Link is below. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1569348973080124/

Also I am trying to find out how to donate bikes if and how they are needed. I have an unconfirmed report of bikes in the piles of cleanup wreckage accumulating in the city. A question I asked on the San Jose Bike Clinic Facebook page may get a definitive response.

Finally: please follow Cranksgiving San Jose on Facebook. I know the next official Cranksgiving isn't until November but more can and will be posted on that page long beforehand.

That's all for now. Hope to see you today.Thanks for reading and thanks for riding.  




Thursday, February 23, 2017

UPDATED: More Ways to Help Victims of the San Jose Flood

Please excuse this photo. It is inappropriate given the content of this post but for reasons I can't get into at the moment I have no access to other photos at this time. But now that I have your attention please read this and take action.


I swear I will write a long and very detailed sorry-I-haven't-updated-this-blog-in-two-months post another day. 

But not today.

Today's post is a bit of a proof-of-life message for any and all readers/members of my family/friends who are under the impression the entire city is like the set of Waterworld.

It isn't. The flood in San Jose broke 95 year old records and is huge but I do not live in the affected area.

But a lot of people do. Some I know, most I don't, but here's how to help them all:

Tonight: Vinyasa Yoga @ Be The Change to Benefit Flood Victims

I'd be in a Nerf Hilton by now without Be The Change Yoga and tonight at 5:45 they are having a Vinyasa class (for those of you unfamiliar with yoga, "Vinyasa" is another word for "good and not painful to do").

Half of the proceeds go to help flood victims. Check out the class and sign up here. 

Neighborhood Cleanup Along Coyote Creek

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neighborhood-cleanup-along-coyote-creek-registration-32328796300

This is what it sounds like. The dates on the drop down menu (as of now) are Friday, February 24th at 8:00am and Saturday, February 25th at 8:00am. Meeting point and details are in the link. 

Sunday: San Jose Flood Donation & Relief Center

This is Sunday, February 26th at The Get Down, which is on 198 Jackson Street. They are accepting donations for flood victims (of specific and useable items) from 4:00pm to 5:00pm and from 5:15 through 7:00pm it is open to the public. The link to the Facebook event page is here.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Flood Victims Relief Fund

https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/sjflood

This is the one Mayor Sam Liccardo is tweeting about. The American Red Cross, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, Sacred Heart Community Service (I did the bike build there back in December) and The Salvation Army are some of the organizations that the fund goes to. 

Subscribe to San Jose Mercury News


The reporting they have done has been terrific and if not for them we wouldn't have most of the information we have. The value of beat reporters on the political scene has been a huge issue as of late but that sentiment really has to extent to local issues - like the San Jose flood. Click this link, put in your ZIP code, and subscribe.

I'll have more to write soon (I swear I will) but to all who read this I urge you to look around your home. If your possessions are not covered in mud or relocated due to them floating somewhere - you can help. Thanks for reading and thanks for riding.