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Fancy Dancers of Milpitas perform in Oahu, Hawaii
By Rhoda Shapiro & Eric Shapiro, The Milpitas Post, July 19, 2023 Earlier this summer, local dance group Fancy Dancers (of Fancy Dancers, Inc., at 1491 N. Milpitas Blvd.) took a trip to Oahu, Hawaii, for an educational performance tour. During the overseas adventure, the dancers took hula lessons, learned how to snorkel, went hiking at Diamond Head State Monument, attended a real-live luau, and took a tour of Pearl Harbor, where some of them earned Junior Ranger badges. The Fancy Dancers got started in 1984, and are coming up on their 40th anniversary show in Spring, 2024. The dancers there range in age from 10 to 22. A fresh…
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New Milpitas High School principal Greg Wohlman brings experience & grit
By Rhoda Shapiro, July 31, 2023, Milpitas Beat When Greg Wohlman was 18 years old, he left his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota – and never looked back. “I had a driver’s license, a can of Mountain Dew, a Snickers bar, and a high school diploma,” said Wohlman in an interview with The Beat. “And I drove as fast as I could.” He drove out to Texas, where he attended East Texas State University, studying advertising and art, with a focus on copywriting. However, several years later, after graduating from school, he had the realization that the advertising industry just wasn’t for him, that there was a deeper calling… That…
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The latest updates on Project Homekey’s Hillview Court Apartments
By Maria Denise Cuenca, July 31, 2023, Milpitas Beat Residents had brought up various safety concerns to the public related to violence, drug-related activity, and mental health. As recently as last week, the Milpitas Police Department informed the public of a domestic disturbance at the property. On May 22, a tenant of Hillview named Lisa Reeve emailed the City Council as well as many other groups regarding a variety of issues related to the property. Many of the issues at Hillview have led to increased calls to emergency services. The City Council wrote a letter to Supervisor Otto Lee asking for his assistance on the issue. Then, on May 31,…
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A nostalgic look back at Cal Skate of Milpitas
By Eric Shapiro, The Milpitas Beat, July 25, 2023 With Retro Milpitas right around the corner, The Milpitas Beat got on the phone with Chris St. Germain – the longtime co-owner of Cal Skate and the daughter of its original founders Ernie and Evelyn St. Germain – for an exclusive interview. Chris, who now lives in Henderson, Nevada, ran the business with her brother Trace and their dad till it closed in 2011. Cal Skate burns bright in Milpitas’s collective memory. Even years after they shut their doors, they still maintain a robust Facebook page. To many, the business represents a lost time, one of joy, innocence, and simple togetherness.…
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Estranged Individuals win Battle of the Bands at Milpitas Library
Moon Dough takes first place in the adult category Estranged Individuals celebrate their victory in the teen category at the Battle of the Bands, held July 22 at the Milpitas Library. Members of the Milpitas-based band are Lucas Guzicki, left, on vocals and guitar, Mohamed Ibrahim on bass and Aiden Kawamoto on drums. (Photo by Mylene Stolpe/Charismatic Photography) Teen and adult bands faced off live on July 22 at Milpitas Library at the Battle of the Bands produced by the Santa Clara County Library District. With this second annual event, the district hoped to give a chance for these half a dozen bands to make an impression and maybe make…
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LGBTQ Milpitas
While Milpitas is far from being a city known for its LGBTQ community, as we really have no night life here for anyone, we do have activities and services to serve this part of our community, and most businesses are open and friendly to people of all sorts. Milpitas is proud to be the hometown of Broadway’s Drag Darling Cacophony Daniels. Milpitas Pride Part 1 Broadway’s Drag Darling Cacophony Daniels welcomes you to Milpitas Pride with the song “Perfect Day” from Legally Blonde. Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 Milpitas Pride Flag Raising 2020 Avenidas Rainbow Collective Monthly LGBTQ+ social group. We are collaborating with…
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Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Milpitas
As Teslas are made a few exits up the 880 freeway north of Milpitas, electric vehicles have become very popular in the area. Travelers often want to know where they can charge up their electric car, and may have preferences as to the type of charger. You can also view the full map on Google. I have arranged each type of electric vehicle charging station by its location, north to south. (Fremont border to San Jose border.) As you can see, most are along McCarthy Blvd., which runs parallel to I-880 to its west. From I-880, take the Dixon Landing exit and head west (right), and then immediately left on…
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The Addition Game – Will Muppet Win Trip to Milpitas?
If Muppet Harry Monster correctly guesses what 3+1 is, he will win a trip to Milpitas, California. In another episode, one of the Muppets correctly guesses 3+2, and wins a three-day, two-night, all expense paid trip to Milpitas, California. Still looking for that one.
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Harry Wu: His Legacy
Releasing Wu was a major embarrassment to the PRC government. And, where in the world did Wu live? You guessed it: Milpitas. In fact, a very big deal was made to welcome Harry Wu home to Milpitas when he returned to the United States. Dateline: 3/19/98, Updated 6/18/2023/ From his inauspicious Milpitas tract home, Harry Wu has been operating a center for international intrigue. Once again, the controversial Chinese human rights crusader has made his blow for the fate of imprisoned dissidents in China, and put Milpitas on the front page of papers around the world. Harry’s target this time: China’s practice of reselling the organs of executed prisoners for…
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Historical trivia: Milpitas’ history as the constant butt of nationwide jokes
By Eric Shapiro, June 17, 2023, in The Milpitas Beat The Milpitas Beat last Saturday caught up with Milpitas Historical Society President Bill Hare for a fun, quick chat about our city’s long yet forgotten history as the butt of endless jokes around the nation… According to Hare, for about a century, a comparable cultural sentiment was in circulation about a “man from Milpitas…” No man in particular, just a general, fictional Milpitas resident… The Milpitas Historical Society can trace the whole thing back to news articles from the 1860s. According to Hare, “In 1863, there was talk of California maybe leaving the union and becoming a slave state…There was…
