President Barack Obama’s historic visit to a mosque on Wednesday had a San Jose connection, as Silicon Valley Education Foundation CEO Muhammed Chaudhry was one of the people accompanying the president at the Islamic Society of Baltimore.
“The president’s speech helped realize what he can do to educate Americans about the contributions of Muslims,” said Chaudhry, who was invited just Monday. “I was there because of my day job, but it was really about what Muslim leaders can do.”
To that end, Chaudhry, who is also national spokesman for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, said he also helped launch a campaign to alleviate fears about Muslims in the United States at http://trueIslam.com.
PANTHER PATROL: With the Carolina Panthers staying at the San Jose Marriott, it wasn’t a big surprise to hear that Carolina quarterback Cam Newton stopped by the La Victoria Taqueria on East Santa Clara Street on Monday night. The guy’s gotta eat, right? Given the associations with the Denver Broncos, I wonder if he passed on La Vic’s famous orange sauce.
Two other Panthers — Devin Funchese and Corey Brown — were spotted at the downtown San Jose Pizza My Heart on East San Carlos Street. And a few Carolina players were seen joining the festivities at the Opening Night After Party on Monday at the Glass House downtown and mingling with leather-clad models outfitted by West Coast Leather CEO Skip Pas.
SUPER WAGER: Dressed in a striped ref’s shirt, U.S. Rep. Mike Honda officiated a Super Bowl bet Wednesday in Washington, D.C., between two members of Congress: Colorado’s Diana DeGette and Alma Adams of North Carolina. The winner’s bounty is wine from Honda’s Silicon Valley district, while the loser gets craft beer. Given how many craft brewers we have in the valley making excellent beer, it sounds like a no-lose proposition.
SEASON OF CELEBRATION: San Jose’s Mission Chamber Orchestra continues its 20th anniversary season this weekend with “Classical vs. Contemporary,” featuring pianist Sara Davis Buechner and a program that includes the world premiere of Nancy Bloomer Deussen’s “Journey of the Heart.”
The performance is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. — there are some people not interested in Super Bowl 50 — at the Trianon Theatre in downtown San Jose (Get tickets at www.missionchamber.org).
Buechner also will provide a pre-concert lecture demonstration, “Mozart Revealed,” on Friday for the Noon Arts & Lectures series. The free event takes place at 12:10 p.m. in the Beethoven Center on the fifth floor of San Jose’s Martin Luther King. Jr. Main Library.
PRE-GAME NOTES: Before you get settled in to watch Super Bowl 50, you can work off some calories at the Super Guadalupe River Run on Sunday morning, which includes 10K and 5K run/walks and a 1K run for kids. The 9 a.m. trek through San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park has the best tagline: “Earn your guacamole on the Guadalupe.” Register or get details at www.grpg.org.
Speaking of good humor in marketing, Mineta San Jose International Airport is often overlooked among Bay Area airports, but it’s turning that rep — and its status as the closest to Levi’s Stadium — into a cute tag: “SJC, The Unofficial Airport.”
