Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: ‘Connecting’ is the theme of this year’s Silicon Valley Reads program
The medley of books includes two memoirs, two novels and two nonfiction books
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
Silicon Valley Reads has encouraged for 18 years Santa Clara County residents of all ages to read books and join conversations relevant to a theme. This year’s theme is “connecting,” with an array of books chosen to embody the importance of joining with each other and with things that bring comfort.
The event’s virtual kickoff will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28 in partnership with the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley and moderated by Sal Pizarro, columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. Registration for the Zoom event is required and available at siliconvalleyreads.org/events.
“We’ve seen so many examples of this during the past months. Singing from balconies. Baking bread. Adopting a pet. Enjoying the outdoors. Re-reading favorite books. Contacting old friends,” said Jennifer Weeks, Santa Clara County Librarian, who serves as Silicon Valley Reads co-chair along with Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools and Jill Bourne, city of San Jose Library Director.
“We have identified a set of recommended books that describe ways people can feel connected and experience moments of happiness in the most challenging circumstances,” Weeks said.
From late January through March, Silicon Valley Reads will offer more than 100 free virtual events for all ages including author visits, cultural conversations around art and music, children and teen events, weekly UNAFF in Libraries films, a wide range of free classes to virtually connect with others, and conversations about nature, birdwatching and ways in which people can connect with their community.
The medley of books for Silicon Valley Reads 2021 includes two memoirs, two novels and two nonfiction books. Each approaches the concept of “connecting” from a different vantage point such as nature, music, food, animals, books and human contact for mental and physical health.
The complete schedule of events can be found on the SiliconValleyReads.org website.
Speaking of books, Gilroy resident Norm Alexander recently self-published a novel that’s a riveting saga inspired by true events of a family in Guatemala caught between immense tragedy and undying love. Its title is Revenge is the Hunter and can be found on the Amazon Books website.
“I actually experienced much of that depicted in the novel but, of course, in different settings,” he told us.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the novel will be donated to the Edward Boss Prado Foundation, a South Valley-based nonprofit providing food and clothing to needy families.
Those experiences Norm describes were not only from his year in Vietnam but also his two years living and working in Mexico City and Guadalajara as well as his Army assignment in the CIA’s School of the Americas in the Panama Canal Zone. The school, dubbed the School of the Assassins by Latin Americans, is prominently featured with all its evils in the novel.
We’re sorry to hear about the recent death of former Gavilan Community College President John Joseph Holleman from dementia on Dec. 17 in Stockton. John began his career at Merritt College in Oakland teaching sciences. He served at Merritt for 20 years, leaving to become president of Vista College in Berkeley (now called Berkeley City College). Serving Vista for nine years he then became president of Gavilan College in 1985, retiring in 1992.
During his time in the South Valley, Holleman was active in local community service groups including Rotary International and the Gilroy Community Foundation.
Gilroy Life publisher Marty Cheek was a student at Gavilan when Holleman headed the community college. He remembers him fondly.
“He was a humble man who always took time to chat with students and encourage them in pursuing their life dreams,” Cheek said.
The Rotary Club of Gilroy is hosting a coat drive to collect clean, gently worn, or new, warm coats during the month of January.
Coats can be dropped off at either Alpine Landscapes, 8595 Murray Ave. between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-F; the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, 7471 Monterey St., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., M-F, or Fortino Winery, 4525 Hecker Pass Highway, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Gilroy residents are invited to make a difference in our local community by donating to the coat drive and helping the Rotary Club of Gilroy reach their goal of collecting 500 coats and $250 dollars.
“We are so excited about our upcoming One Warm Coat drive and hope the community will support us,” said Rotary Club of Gilroy President Dr. Kathleen Rose. “Nearly 40 million Americans were living in poverty and struggling to pay their bills before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for coats this fall and winter will be greater than ever before. One Warm Coat’s program gets coats to those in need, for free. Everything they collect in the community will be distributed in Gilroy and help local residents stay safe and warm this winter, she added.
It’s cold out there in the South Valley, so please help to keep our fellow human beings warm.
Here’s more Rotary Club of Gilroy news. The service group is now accepting applications for the 2021 scholarship awards. This year, the Rotary Club of Gilroy will be awarding a total of $52,500 in college scholarships for qualified high school seniors graduating in 2021 and beginning college in the fall of 2021 and Gavilan College or other students transferring to a four-year college in the fall of 2021.
The scholarships will be awarded from three different categories: General Scholarship (total of $15,000); Goldsmith/Gilroy Rotary Horticulture/Biological Sciences (total of $7,500) and the Susan J. Seledon Scholarships (total of $30,000).
To determine eligibility and download an application, visit www.gilroyrotary.org. Completed application packet must be received by Feb. 26, 2021.
Robert Airoldi is the editor of Gilroy Life. Contact him at [email protected]