History San Jose announces honorees for Valley of Heart’s Delight event

What do you get when you mix a veteran broadcaster turned school administrator with a creative entrepreneur? History San Jose hopes it results in a fun evening that celebrates decades of San Jose involvement at its Valley of Heart’s Delight event this fall.

The Valley Legend award is going to none other than Brian Adams, vice president for advancement at Bellarmine College Prep. While Adams has been at the Jesuit boys high school in San Jose since 2007, many residents probably remember him best for his 22-year career at KICU-TV, where he was an entertainment reporter and hosted the station’s revival of “Dialing for Dollars” in the 1990s, or his radio “entertainment minutes” on KLIV-AM and KRTY-FM.

It’ll actually be a busy couple of months for Adams, 68. He’s retiring from Bellarmine in September, and he’s scheduled to receive a commendation from the San Jose City Council for his long career in both broadcasting and education on Aug. 25. (In the interest of full disclosure, Adams has been a close friend of mine for the past 20 years, after we met at Leigh Weimers’ retirement dinner in 2005. We share the same sense of humor, mostly involving bad puns and worse dad jokes.)

Local Color founder and Executive Director Erin Salazar will be honored alongside Adams with the History Maker award, which is given to an individual who is actively involved in charting San Jose’s present and future. Salazar, who moved to San Jose from Southern California as a teenager, has certainly been doing that as an artist and a leading creative entrepreneur in the city.

Local Color, which has grown dramatically in its 11-year history, connects artists with creative opportunities (like many of the murals beautifying San Jose), as well as running workshops, providing studio space and exhibition galleries. The organization Salazar founded has put $2.1 million in the hands of artists, which should certainly be considered “history making.”

They’ll receive their awards at the Valley of Heart’s Delight fundraiser on Oct. 8 at History Park in San Jose. Tickets to the al fresco dinner are available at historysanjose.org.

BIRTHDAY BASH: If anyone could pull the Joe Sharino Band out of retirement, it’s Los Gatos resident Helen Marchese Owen. A year ago, the longtime businesswoman and community philanthropist contacted Sharino, who retired from public shows a few years ago, to play her 80th birthday party, which was held last Saturday night at La Rinconada in Los Gatos. How could he possibly say no?

Joined by Joe’s daughter, Alison Sharino, the band put on a great performance for the crowd of about 300 people, including a special song written about Owen’s life and good works that had the audience singing along. Speaking of her good works, Owen has supported many causes over the years — Santa Clara University, Hope Services, and Valle Monte League among them — but JW House in Santa Clara holds a special place in her heart. One of the many reasons, she told me, is that JW Knapen — the teenager who was the inspiration for the home-away-from-home for families during medical crises — died on her birthday, Aug. 3, in 2005.

PRESEASON PREP: As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, San Jose American Little League hosted a event last Friday to revitalize its home base, Woodland Field. Volunteers painted and repaired bleachers, replaced the chain-link fence in the outfield with a wooden one and painted the dugouts. There’s still more to do, including the replacement of the infield grass and the installation of a LED scoreboard before next season.

SJALL President Gabe Scarpelli said a lot of sponsors pitched in on the project, including HGA Architects, Novo Construction, Dunn Edwards Paint, Strongman Real Estate Support and Dollymoon Sign Printing. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmember Michael Mulcahy stopped by to help out Friday afternoon, too.

EATING GENEROUSLY: There’s still room available at the Ladies of Charity’s annual fundraising barbecue this Sunday evening at the Redwood Grove area of Saratoga Springs in Saratoga. The dinner — which includes homemade appetizers, a barbecue buffet, dessert and hosted beverages — benefits Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose. It is being dedicated this year to the late Rev. Peter Pabst, who was the founding president from 2001-2013. Tickets are available for $130 per person at ladiesofcharitysanjose.org/events.