Each week, hundreds of families from across the state flocked to San Jose’s Lowrider Culture Exhibition. A significant portion of these pilgrims are former San Jose residents. Surprisingly, many are visiting the California Room and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for the first time! Those returning to San Jose from across the state seem naturally drawn to our High School Yearbook collection. In these volumes, they can glimpse photos of family and friends from long (or not so long) ago.

The Park Martial Cottle Park Entrance ©Brandy Maldonado With 287 acres, this south San Jose park offers various activities for you and the family to enjoy. The Martial Cottle park has paved walkways that allow runners, walkers, bikers, and skaters to enjoy the great outdoors safely. The interactive play area introduces children to life size farm animals and farming methods. This urban park celebrates sustainable farming processes and highlights innovations in organic farming.

Back in 1990, I took a Japanese kite-making class as part of the San Jose Japantown Centennial.  The image on my kite was the Japanese folk hero Momotaro, often referred to as Peach Boy in the United States.  The modern version of the story begins with an old, childless couple finding a giant peach floating in the river. Opening the peach to eat it, they discover a child inside. The couple name the child Momotaro (momo meaning peach, and Taro for the eldest son), and raise the boy as their own.

From December through March, people flocked to the library to visit our first ever Lowrider Exhibit, “Story and King: San José’s Lowrider Culture”! Now that the exhibit has come to a close, it’s time to thank all those who’ve made it a success! It all began with a customer request for lowrider research materials; without his inquiry, the exhibit would never have happened! Thank you!

Old menus are so cool! Have you ever found an old menu stashed away in a drawer or a glove compartment? I’ve been collecting local menus for some years now, and I really enjoy the graphics, the selections, and of course the prices. It's even better if it's a restaurant that you have some connection to.The oldest menu I have is from the Ken Ying Low Chinese restaurant.