Tag: <span>Play</span>

Guides to Silicon Valley Civic Networks

Before Google Local, small cities relied on such guides to Silicon Valley and else where. The project was called civic networking, and GoMilpitas was one of these very early civic network sites. Many civic networks still exist, each giving a unique view of their local scene in a way Google cannot.

Civic Networking
Civic Networks: Building Community on the Net
By Scott London

About Civic Networking

Zeise’s site is a one-woman operation that’s truly a grass-roots effort. Zeise, who believes a community guide can’t be done properly unless its creator lives in the town it covers, attends Chamber of Commerce meetings and watches city council meetings on television. by Deborah Kong, Mercury News. Read whole article.

The primary aim of this site, GoMilpitas.com, is not to make a significant profit, just enough to pay its bills. The ads pay the bills…just. The whole point of this site is to encourage all of us to work with each other, to connect to make purchases or exchange ideas with each other, and to make Milpitas a truly great small city. No local concern is ever charged for a link on this site, but some businesses may wish to appear on multiple pages, and we are set up to place their ads at a reasonable price.

GoMilpitas.com is under extreme competition from search engines like Google Local and review sites like Yelp, both of which have done their best to kill community networks where locals can determine what the most useful resources are in their towns. This is why I encourage you all to use the links you find on this site to explore resources that interest you in Milpitas. Use this page to look for things in other nearby cities. Support community networks everywhere rather than Google or Yelp. Tell the businesses you connect to that you found their resource on GoMilpitas.com, and drop a plug to advertise on the site so it can stay vibrant.

The Community Network Movement
Realizing that communication and information are increasingly dependent on networked digital information, community activists all over the world ­ often in collaboration with government agencies, non-profits, or businesses ­ are developing community computer network systems.

Central Silicon Valley Civic Networks

Campbell
City site has many features of a good community website.

Cupertino
Mayor Sandra James says the entire community works together to provide the kind of community everyone desires. “Partnerships are what we [in Cupertino] are all about.”

Discover Milpitas
An attempt to rebuild GoMilpitas.com from scratch. Has a lot of things labeled as being in Brea. Looks pretty, but lacks content.

East Palo Alto
For most of its history, East Palo Alto was part of unincorporated San Mateo County. As such, it did not have an official boundary until it incorporated in 1983.

Los Gatos, California, USA
Helpful information for travelers and visitors is available, including maps of the area, pictures of the town, and lists of businesses with contact information. Interesting facts have been collected to provide you with “inside information.” You can even check the weather!

Palo Alto Online
Things to do and places to go in lovely Palo Alto.

San José
City government’s website.

San Jose Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber is the largest business organization serving the Silicon Valley.

San Jose.com
San Jose retains the small town heart of its orchard days when, it has been said, the only chips contemplated were left behind by wandering cattle. Metro’s website.

San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau
Complete information on attractions, visitor travel and upcoming events in San Jose, California.

San Jose Downtown Association
The heart of Silicon Valley is experiencing a renaissance of culture and commerce. The 11th largest city in the United States has a world-class downtown. Come see for yourself.

Saratoga
A compendium of resources, – including wineries – news, events and weather presented by Dave Delgado.

Santa Clara
Whether you are new to Santa Clara, or a long time resident or business, our Web site is designed to help you learn about services provided by the City, and where you can obtain additional details.

Sunnyvale
Known as the “Heart of Silicon Valley,” Sunnyvale combines the advantages of an attractive suburban setting, a diverse population, metropolitan cultural opportunities, and a dynamic high-technology industrial foundation.

The Penninsula (San Mateo County)

Coastside 365
Half Moon Bay Coastside’s directory including El Granada, Moss Beach, Montara, San Gregorio, La Honda & Pescadero.

Los Altos
Tree lined streets and a small village atmosphere characterize Los Altos which is located in the heart of world famous Silicon Valley. Just 40 miles south of San Francisco, Los Altos is a residential community served by seven small retail areas. The seven square mile city is developed with small businesses, schools, libraries and churches.

Los Altos Hills
The Town of Los Altos Hills is located in the Northern portion of California’s Santa Clara County, situated between San Francisco and San Jose, just Southwest of Stanford University (Palo Alto, California).

Millbrae
The City of Millbrae is located on the Peninsula, 15 miles south of San Francisco. Chamber Site.

Montara
Surfers’ paradise located just north of Half Moon Bay on the coast just south of San Francisco.

Portola Valley
Home to 4400 people living in 1500 households, Portola Valley, California sits in a green and golden valley, astride one of the most dangerous earthquake faults in the world.

San Mateo
City services and events. Official city site.

San Mateo County
Our purpose in County government is to protect and enhance the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community.

San Mateo County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Gorgeous natural scenery, attractions, showplace homes and colorful fields and gardens offer a feast for the eyes. All this, plus fine dining, entertainment, shopping and accommodations to fit every budget, make San Mateo County the place for a memorable California meeting or vacation.

South Skyline Association
The purpose of the South Skyline Association is to foster a sense of community spirit, to keep residents and property owners informed of public agency actions or other items of concern in the South Skyline sphere of influence.

South End

Gilroy Visitors Site
Gilroy, California is famous as the Garlic Capital of the World, hosting the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. Gilroy gives visitors a friendly, small town character with affordable places to stay, great restaurants, wineries, breweries, world-class shopping at Gilroy Premium Outlets factory stores, attractions and recreational opportunities for the whole family.

Hollister
Somethings almost always shaking in Hollister, but this lively community site makes you want to move in anyways. San Benito County.

Morgan Hill
With a population of 33,000, Morgan Hill is located just south of Silicon Valley. Combining great country living with well-known manufacturing and research firms, Morgan Hill prides itself as the “Small town that’s big on business”. Here is the Chamber Site.

South Alameda County

Livermore / Pleasanton & Tri-Valley
eLivermore.com / ePleasanton.org is a community service of Holy Cross Lutheran Church providing information and links to the Livermore and Tri-Valley areas.

Newark
Newark is located in Silicon Valley on the east side of San Francisco Bay. Part of one of the most dynamic urban areas in the world, Newark has maintained a strong and proud spirit rooted in community values.

Sunol.net
Disclamer: This web site is non-commercial and the sole property of Derek Johnson. Nobody pays me to put anything in it. I’ll add what I want, whenever I feel like it (or get around to it, whichever comes last). I disclaim any knowlege of what I am talking about.

Monterey Bay Area

Monterey – Explore
Once a hub of industry, the centerpiece of Monterey–Cannery Row–has been famously revitalized into a complex of world-class restaurants, hip boutiques, and trendy bars.

Pelican Civic Network
A civic network of community groups and people who care about natural and cultural history. Covers from Davenport to Morro Bay.

Santa Cruz City
Located on the sunny side of the beautiful Monterey Bay, 74 miles south of San Francisco. On this site, you will find information about City government, City departments, services, and programs.

Santa Cruz County
Many members of the Santa Cruz area have their own websites as part of “cruzio.com.”

Santa Cruz County
Official county website. Explore our majestic redwood forests and vibrant cityscapes. Taste our fresh cuisine and fine wines. Experience our rich history, acclaimed arts, and year-round events for everyone. In Santa Cruz County, our beaches are just the beginning!

California Community Websites

Berkeley Parents Civic Network
This web site contains thousands of pages of recommendations and advice from the Berkeley Parents Network, a parent-to-parent advice newsletter for the community of parents in the Berkeley, California area. Not limited to just Berkeley.

Davis Community Civic Network
Community resources for this college town in the Sacramento Valley.

East County Live
Civic network that serves Antioch, Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood, Byron and Discovery Bay.

Los Banos
Now a Facebook group with regular postings.

Napa Valley
Visit wine country. Covers Calistoga, St.Helena, Oakville/Rutherford, Yountville, Napa and Outlying Areas.

Petaluma Visitors
Locate things to do, and particpate in their many discussion boards. Vote on hot topics!

Point Richmond Online
Neighborhood site to bring a community together.

California Community Networks

There are a good number of free and low cost community networks in California.

KCBXnet formerly SLO Net
SLONET Regional Information Network – San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties in California. Site has excellent internet use training course materials available.

Mendocino Community Network
A civic network owned and operated by the Mendocino Unified School District for the purpose of supporting our District’s Internet Node and to benefit our local and global communities. MCN price for residential basic DSL service is now just $14.99 for the first six months. Service now available in the Sacramento, Monterey, Salinas, Chico, Chowchilla, Stockton and LA areas! In the fall DSL is coming to the Kelseyville/Upperlake area.

Napa Net
Offers internet services to residents of Napa, California, including DSL services and virus-free email.

Silicon Valley Public Access Link
A non-profit computer network which makes on-line information accessible to people living in the Silicon Valley regardless of financial status and educational level.

Silicon Valley Unwired
Ten years ago, Milpitas’ free municipal wireless Internet system was a novel idea involving state-of-the-art technology that sought to provide greater web access to the community. A decade later, Milpitas’ citywide Wi-Fi system and its attendant equipment is still in place but now sits mostly unused.

SonicNet
A low-cost ISP as well as a comunity information website for those in Sonoma, California.

Sister Cities of Milpitas, CA

Information, links and videos about our past three sister cities: Dugupan City in the Philippines, Huizhou in China, and Kukizaki, Japan.

Commission

Sister Cities Commission
Founded May 21, 1996. Disbanded in 2018. The Milpitas Sister Cities Commission (SCC) served as an advisory body to the City Council on matters affecting sister cities relationships, programs, and activities.

Former Sister Cities. This page will not be updated any longer.

Dagupan City, Philippines


City Dagupan City Official Site
Dagupan has been and will continue to be an attraction to people from all over the region. This is where education, banking, commerce, healthcare and technology coverage to create the region’s foremost urban economy.

City of Milpitas and Dagupan City MOU
Milpitas Mayor Esteves and Dagupan Vice Mayor Fernandez signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the April 15, 2002 Milpitas City Council session. Debra Garcia, Chair, represented the commission’s review and recommendation.

Dagupan Latest News &amp; Events
The rapid antibody test kits (RATK) that Mayor Brian Lim had donated to the city government have been a big help in containing the spread of Covid-19 virus in this city, according to Dr. Ophelia Rivera, the city’s Covid-19 focal person.

Contact the Mayor of Dagupan
HON. BELEN T. FERNANDEZ
Dagupan City Hall Complex
A.B. Fernandez Ave.
Dagupan City
Philippines 2400
Contact #: +63 75 5297493

The Sunday Punch
Provincial weekly newspaper for Pangasinan. “Mass testing shows COVID-19 contagion stopped” May 25, 2020.

Huizhou, China

Huizhou
A prefecture-level city in Guangdong province, People’s Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen and Dongguan to the southwest, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south.

Huizhou Info
Huizhou is one of the major cities to the east of Guangzhou with a long history. It has been called Huizhou since the Ming Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and recognized as a city in 1958.

The Homes of Huizhou: Preserving Chinese Culture
HuizhouÕs ornate and extravagant traditional dwellings-with their southern Chinese architectural stylings such as upturned eaves, elaborate woodcarvings and pillars-were built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1644Ð1911).

Manufacturers in Huizhou
From air purifies to epoxy resin, many goods are produced at factories in Huizhou.

News from Huizhou, China
Latest news from our sister city.

Tsukuba, Japan


Tsukuba M.O.U.
Memorandum of understanding between our two cities, forming the sister cities relationship.

Tsukuba: City of Science and Nature
Seen from one angle, Tsukuba city, with its streets of traditional stores and houses, has the look of a rural refuge of abundant greenery. Seen from another angle, it is Tsukuba Science City, a superb modern urban landscape seldom seen in Japanese cities.

News from Tsukuba, Japan
News ranges from race cars to super colliders.

Milpitas Moms’ Organizations with Their Kids

Because so many moms work and put their kids in daycare or school, those who chose to stay home with their children can feel isolated. Here are groups for those homeschooling older children, as well as those breastfeeding, or wanting to get out with other moms with toddlers in or near Milpitas, CA.

Milpitas-specific Moms and Kids Playgroups

Milpitas Homeschool Support
We’re a relaxed group, with no bylaws or dues: everything is free or pay as you go. We support all local homeschool families no matter how they choose to homeschool or why. Most families come from Milpitas, or close by in Berryessa (San Jose) or Warm Springs (Fremont) neighborhoods. Meets Wednesday afternoons (Noon to 2pm) in cold weather, and mornings (10am to noon) in hot weather, at Ben Roger’s Park playground.

Milpitas Moms and Kids
Hi Welcome to MILPITAS MOMS And KIDS Playgroup! I’m excited you are here! We were originally on meetup.com, and now we’re on Facebook!

Milpitas Moms Buy/Sell/Trade groups
Created this group mainly for Milpitas Moms but if you are not in Milpitas and willing to meet up around here you are welcome in this group. This group created to buy,sell and trade of your baby and kids items that no longer needed.

Silicon Valley-wide Moms and Kids Playgroups

Canadian Moms in Silicon Valley
Connecting Canadian Moms in Silicon Valley with one another.

Las Madres
Networking groups for moms with children about the same ages. Good parenting site.

Main Street Mamas: Peninsula & Silicon Valley
Main Street Mamas is the social and community arm of Sensible Sitters. We have no rules and all are welcome. However, for the safety of our group – we do need you to verify that you are in fact a parent (or parent to be) and live in San Mateo or Santa Clara County.

Silicon Mom
Alison van Diggelen is the founder and editor of siliconmom.com, a non-commercial website for mothers who are looking for thought-provoking content, the odd belly laugh, and trusted resources on subjects ranging from school test scores to kid’s health and safety issues.

Silicon Valley moms with special needs kids
The name says it all.

Silicon Valley Toddler – and Beyond
SV Toddler (and Beyond!) is a Facebook page for active kids in Silicon Valley and the adults who do their best to entertain, enlighten and (let’s be honest) exhaust them. Enjoy!

WANDA Silicon Valley
The mission of the Women’s Achievement Network and Development Alliance (WANDA) is to assist low income single mothers to gain economic self-sufficiency and life skills training, matched savings, and networking, all with the goal of building assets and establishing successful livelihoods. WANDA, based San Mateo County, has been dedicated to empowering and supporting low-income single mothers toward enduring financial stability and asset advancement since 2007.

Recreational Flying

Due to the impact of COVID-19 many of these flying sites have additional restrictions.

Learn to fly up and over our mountain ranges on sail planes, hang gliders, paragliding, and even real small planes. We’re a great area for recreational flying.

Wings of Rogallo

Bay Area Soaring Associates
BASA is an organization of Pilots who love to fly in high performance sailplanes. Meetings are held at the Omega Restaurant. Hollister California is our primary location. Our gliders and equipment reside here throughout the winter to take advantage of pre-frontal and post-frontal wave across the various mountain ranges nearby.

Mission Soaring Center
We think hang gliding is the flyingest flying ever invented, and we are ready to share the fun! As you become a pilot, we can outfit you with everything you need in our complete Sales & Service Facility in Milpitas, CA.
1116 Wrigley Way
408-262-1055

Squadron Two
Have you ever had the dream of taking off into the wild, blue yonder and soaring with the birds? Introductory flying lesson $35. At San Jose Airport.
2655 Robert Fowler Way, San Jose, CA 95148
408-648-2008

Wings Of Rogallo
Hang gliding club was founded in the mid-1970’s to serve the interests of hang gliding pilots in the San Francisco Bay area. Maintains the hang gliding resources at Ed Levin Park, Mission Peak, and Mt Diablo.

Roller Coasters

Milpitas is near enough to four theme parks for day trips to the best roller coasters in the country! All 4 parks are 20 minutes to an hour away during commute hours, faster on weekends and holidays.

Roller Coasters Nearby

From nearest to furthest…

Great America
Information about the nine roller coasters at Great America in Santa Clara: Demon, Flight Deck, Gold Striker, Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbies, Patriot, Psycho Mouse, Railblazer, The Grizzly, and Woodstock Express. Includes how tall you have to be to ride each.
Driving time from Milpitas town center: about 20 minutes. 6 miles away.
4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054

Gilroy Gardens Quicksilver Express Mine Coaster
This thrilling mine coaster speeds you through dips and turns surrounded by nearly 600 trees! The fact that it is one of the first of its kind made by the manufacturer makes it unique.
Driving time from Milpitas town center: about 45 minutes. 40 miles away.
3050 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, CA 95020


Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Your grandparents can probably remember riding the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster when they were kids. More than 60 million visitors have experienced the Giant Dipper since it first opened in 1924. The classic wooden coaster can be seen in several movies including “Sudden Impact,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Dangerous Minds.” More history. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is located at 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. For general information, call (831) 423-5590, email guest.services@beachboardwalk.com or visit www.beachboardwalk.com
Driving time from Milpitas town center: about 58 minutes over mountain. 38 miles away.
400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Looking for thrills? Well, you’ve found them. In fact, you’ve found some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country-including a few record-breakers. Coaster rides include Boomerang Coast to Coaster – not only forwards, but also backwards; Cobra – it hisses; and Dare Devil Coaster – soaring and inverting coaster. Find out about more thrill rides here.
Driving time from Milpitas town center: about 1 hour 4 minutes. 62 miles away.
1001 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo, CA 94589

About Roller Coasters

Amusement Park Physics — Roller Coaster
The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what drives the roller coaster, and all of the kinetic energy you need for the ride is present once the coaster descends the first hill.

History of Roller Coasters
From its beginnings as a modified ice slide with wheels, to the looping wonders powered by high voltage electro magnets, roller coasters have had a very colorful history.

Roller Coaster and Amusement Park History
Welcome to the Ultimate Rollercoaster, an extensive web site covering the topics of roller coasters, theme parks and thrill rides.

Golf Courses & Mini Golf in Milpitas

Milpitas has two top-notch golf courses up in the hills. Both have restaurants and facilities for large gatherings. For the kids, there’s Golfland for miniature golfing fans.

Courses | Learn Golf | Mini Golf

Courses


Ryan Korn and Erick Schlimmer trading shots in a early March round, 2012.
Bay View Golf Club
This scenic 18-hole par 72 championship layout will challenge golfers of every level.
The Junior Golf Academy Three tiers for all levels.
Bay View Academy Invitation program.
1500 Country Club Drive
408-262-8813


Spring Valley Golf Course
A top-notch and highly popular public golf facility and restaurant and wedding services.
3441 Calaveras Rd.
Book A Tee Time: 408-262-1722

Learn Golf

golf

Complete Golf School at Spring Valley Golf Course
Those who know Mark Dorcak appropriately describe him as an energetic, humorous, talkative and educated golf professional. To schedule a lesson with one of our Instructors please call Mark’s office @ 408-956-8381 or call/text his cell @ 408-429-0521

Mini Golf


Golfland
The largest of the South Bay Golflands, the Milpitas Golfland offers three courses of varying difficulty: easy, medium and hard. New: Laser tag teams. Located at the northeast corner of Jacklin Rd. and I-680.
1199 Jacklin Rd
408-263-6855

Calaveras – Sierra Rd Loop

We had some snow over the night of January 27-28, 2002, so on the 29th, after the roads were sanded and clear, my son, Scott and I drove up in to the hills above Milpitas and San Jose to get a closer look. We took Piedmont Rd. to Calaveras. Turned right on Felter and went on up into the hills, and then back down again on Sierra Rd. to Piedmont in San Jose once again. It was about an 18 mile drive.

Recently, with Covid-19, one of the few things we can do for fun is to take a ride into the country. Here’s one of our favorite.

By Ann Zeise,
Date: January 30, 2002

Apricot orchard and mustard
The apricot and walnut grove on Piedmont Rd. near Calaveras is covered with mustard.
Palms and Snow
Palm trees glare at the audacity of snow in their ranch entrance off of Calaveras Rd.
White fence and snow
Looked like a perfect sledding hill to Scott. Too bad it’s private property.
Snowy Peaks
What could we say, but, “Oh, Wow!”
Cold cow and calf. Snowy peaks in background
OK. What’s all this talk about Zen Diva California cows who’ve never seen snow? So, now we’ve seen snow. Enough already!
Mt. Hamilton
Mt. Hamilton and its observatories in the snow, from Sierra Rd.
Mt. Hamilton
Another view of Mt. Hamilton.
View of San Jose from Sierra Rd.
View of San Jose from Sierra Rd. I-680 loops on the right into downtown San Jose. It is probably Penitenia Creek canyon on the left. Rain falls in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the distance.
Monument Peak
Monument Peak up close with Mt. Diablo far in the background. We could see for miles!
Ranch, Sierra Road.
Ranch in the foothills along Sierra Rd., Santa Clara County.
Mule Deer
Mule Deer enjoying the new, fresh, green grass on the hillsides.

From Calaveras and Peidmont Road, take Calaveras east, up into the hills.
At the “Y” Stay right onto Felter Road.
At the “Y” with Sierra Road, take Sierra Road back down into the Valley.
At the bottom, take Piedmont Road back to Milpitas.

City Guides Hope Net Users Will See the Sites

In its early days, the Web provided a guide to the far-flung corners of the world — giving avid hikers a glimpse of what it might be like to go bushwalking in Australia, for instance.

Then, a new crop of city guides appeared, with information about hiking trails right around the corner and much more, from local news to the latest entertainment listings.

The only problem: Few people visited the sites, and merchants were reluctant to advertise there.

BY DEBORAH KONG
Mercury News Staff Writer
Posted at 11:21 a.m. PST Sunday, November 7, 1999
Posted on GoMilpitas.com with permission of the Mercury News.

Now, pioneers such as America Online’s Digital City and Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch are redoubling their efforts — expanding into new cities, beefing up content and offering the ability to reserve a spot in local hotel rooms, restaurants and, eventually, even golf tee times.

Other players such as Ezyfind.com are also entering the market, focusing on helping merchants in suburban communities get online.

One factor that’s fueling the change is the growing number of homes with Internet access. They’re a potentially huge audience for small and medium-size businesses that are rushing to set up virtual storefronts before competitors do.

“Local commerce is certainly a burgeoning market. . . . Whoever can get the local commerce market onto the Internet is someone who’s going to make a lot of money in the long run,” said Yankee Group analyst Emily Meehan.

But consumers are picky. City guides that don’t offer a wide range of well-informed content that is continuously updated won’t make the cut, she said.

That’s where a split is emerging between these city guides. While some focus primarily on providing information about a city — event listings and local news, for example — others say the real attraction is providing services to help merchants set up shop online.

Whatever the winning formula turns out to be — if there is one — San Jose State University anthropology Professor Jan English-Lueck said people do turn to the Net to learn about their communities.

“The people who are moving here use that as a major avenue for finding out what’s happening in the community, what’s around them,” said English-Lueck, who is studying how people use technology as part of her research on the relationship between people’s work and lives. “Even if they’ve lived in Los Gatos for 20 years, if they have to find out something about Menlo Park because they’re visiting friends there, then they might use it for local content.”

More than that, people want to “argue about their sports teams with people in their cities,” said Paul DeBenedictis, president of AOL’s Digital City.

The problem for local sites has been not just what kind of content they carry, but also the cost of producing it. Some, like Digital City, have partnered with existing media companies for everything from news stories to restaurant reviews. Others, like Microsoft’s Sidewalk, recently acquired by Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, hired staff, only to cut back to make the company more efficient.

But now Digital City says it is turning a profit. CitySearch says it is making money on some pieces of its site — online personal ads, for example.

AOL recently announced plans to expand from 60 cities to more than 200, extending its reach beyond major metro centers to areas such as Knoxville, Tenn., Tucson, Ariz., and Savannah, Ga. Its Digital City sites, first launched four years ago, offer entertainment, dining and local planning guides, directory services and local information on health and other topics.

But DeBenedictis said the strength of Digital City lies in content created by its users. That includes, for example, a heated exchange between 49ers fans on a bulletin board in its sports section, or comments about Berkeley culinary temple Chez Panisse, in the Digital City dining section.

“They want to be proud of their city or their town and they want to contribute,” DeBenedictis said. “It’s creating the old town square. You’re allowing them to communicate again.”

Knight Ridder New Media, a business unit of Knight Ridder, parent company of the Mercury News and 30 other daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, also hopes to appeal to consumers by emphasizing its community ties and local brands.

“There’s a window for us used to be the Welcome Wagon directory for people on the Web (who are) looking for local information for the first time,” Finnigan said. “Four years from now, when you look at your family budget, a lot of what you spend will be spent locally within 10 to 20 miles of your household.”

Knight Ridder CEO Tony Ridder told financial analysts in June that the company is considering spinning off its Internet investments in the future to capitalize on the soaring stock performance of pure Internet companies.

Zip2.com, which was acquired by AltaVista, is taking an approach similar to Real Cities, partnering with local media companies such as the Houston Chronicle to offer city guides.

For Ami Hodge of San Francisco, the ability to electronically check in on community happenings is an appealing idea.

“It helps people keep abreast of what’s going on,” said Hodge, who has used AOL’s Digital City San Francisco site. “(The guides) allow people to interact with other people within those communities to talk about what’s going on and what might be troubling them, or what they’re excited about.”

She’s been busy with a 1-year-old son lately, but in the past she used the Digital City site to check out neighborhood news and shop for a new car.

Hodge said she hasn’t made any purchases through the city guide, but sites like Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch hope to change that.

CitySearch recently acquired Microsoft’s Sidewalk city guides, adding 44 new cities to the 33 it already covered. Consumers can buy tickets to concerts and sporting events, check online personals and make hotel or restaurant reservations at the CitySearch sites. In the future, they’ll be able to book golf tee times or reserve a tennis court, said CEO Charles Conn.

“The future of local portal or city guides will be more than just helping people decide what they want to do. It will be helping them get access to it,” Conn said. “The people who are online are more likely to look like your neighbor or your mother. Those people are . . . more interested in what’s happening around them.”

Conn said city guides are one of the few businesses on the Web where there’s a barrier to entry, “a game where you have to make an enormous commitment on the ground to be credible to real people who live in their towns.”

That emphasis on content isn’t the first thing competitor Ezyfind.com is focusing on, however. Ezyfind, which launched sites in 455 suburban cities last week, instead is touting the ability of local businesses to set up their own online storefronts. It offers self-publishing tools businesses can use to set up free Web pages, and plans down the road to offer those firms credit card transaction and other e-commerce capabilities.

Other content supplied by local media company partners and user-created Web sites will be added by the beginning of next year, the company said.

Major portals, such as Yahoo.com, also offer their own versions of local city guides. Ann Zeise’s Milpitas site isn’t exactly on that scale.

Zeise’s site (gomilpitas.com) is a one-woman operation that’s truly a grass-roots effort. Zeise, who believes a community guide can’t be done properly unless its creator lives in the town it covers, attends Chamber of Commerce meetings and watches city council meetings on television.

After a recent flap about raising the flag of China over Milpitas city hall, Zeise posted government codes on flag displays on her site.

To find the names of local businesses for her site directory, “I’ll literally drive around a neighborhood of businesses and stop and write their names down,” she said.

“Content’s very important,” she said. For example, a local Milpitas resident would want to know where local Halloween parties are. “You don’t care about the one in San Francisco, or New York for that matter,” she said.

Contact Deborah Kong at dkong@sjmercury.com or (408) 920-5922. Reprinted with permission. (Note: this contact information is very old. Deborah Kong no longer works for the Mercury News.)

San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley Adventure Clubs

Do you believe that outdoor adventure is of huge benefit to our community and society in general? It is our aim to promote community well-being and social cohesion while encouraging healthy lifestyles and environmental awareness.

Absolute Adventures
GPS Scavenger Hunts, Sailing Regattas, Wine Tasting, Culinary Team Building, Mind-Bending Treasure Hunts and so much more!

Bay Area Outdoor Adventure Club
The bay area’s only activity club where you can do something different every weekend! Try new sports and get to know other bay area adventurers in a fun Club environment.

Outback Adventures
A comprehensive outdoor guide service, rental shop, kayak and nordic ski specialty retailer located in Saratoga and Larkspur.

Outdoor Adventure Club
Adventure trips in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, led by professional guides. The Outdoor Adventure Club helps you make every weekend count!

Outdoors and Adventure Meetups
Within 25 miles of Milpitas.

Urban Diversion
We offer 25-35 professionally hosted, unique and exciting events every month, and offer a stylish member clubhouse in downtown San Francisco . Our members are active professionals who want to meet new people, like you.

Samuel Goldwyn’s Silly Quotations

Philosopical Jokes

Samuel Goldwyn: Legendary movie producer: (1882-1974)

Samuel Goldwyn was known for his misuse of the English language. Here are some of my favorite Goldwynisms:

“An oral contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

“Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined.”

“I had a great idea this morning, but I didn’t like it.”

“Gentlemen, include me out.”

“A hospital is no place to be sick.”

“If I could drop dead right now, I’d be the happiest man alive.”

“I read part of it all the way through.”

“If I look confused it’s because I’m thinking.”

“That’s the trouble with directors. Always biting the hand that lays the golden egg.”

“Never make forecasts, especially about the future.”

And perhaps the best of them all:

“I don’t want yes men around me. I want everyone to tell the truth, even if it costs them their jobs.”

“In two words, impossible.”

“Include me out”

“You fail to overlook the crucial point.”

“For your information, just answer me one question!’

“Tell them (the actors) to stand closer apart.”

“Its absolutely impossible, but it has possibilities.”

“Can she sing? She’s practically a Florence Nightingale.”

“Give me a couple of years and I’ll make that actress an overnight success.”

“Go see that turkey for yourself, and see for yourself why you shouldn’t see it.”

“If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn’t be in this business.”

“I’m willing to admit that I may not always be right, but I am never wrong.”

“I don’t care if it (his new picture) doesn’t make a nickel. I just want every man woman and child in America to see it.”

When Goldwyn’s secretary asked him if she should destroy files that were more than ten years old, he answered, “Yes, but keep copies.”

When told he couldn’t film Radclyffe Hall’s “The Well of Loneliness” because it dealed with lesbians, he replies, “All right, where they got lesbians, we’ll use Austrians.”

“True, I’ve been a long time making up my mind, but now I’m giving you a definite answer. I won’t say yes and I won’t say no–but I’m giving you a definite maybe.”

A Milpitas Mom’s Favorite Joke.

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