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Willow Glen Neighborhood

Date: (Sun.) Dec. 20, 2009
Location: San Jose, CA
Event Directors: - 510.681.6181, - 408.524.2723
Course Setter: Brad Wetmore
Type: C; Light-O on a new map by Brad Wetmore - Walk/Run through Willow Glen while enjoying the festive decorations!

Willow Glen Social Event

Date: (Sun.) Dec. 20, 2009
Location: San Jose, CA
Event Director: - 510.681.6181
Type: Our annual holiday social event

Please note that fees and time limits apply, unless otherwise mentioned below. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Happy holidays! Get your shopping done early, and let's celebrate our last events of the 2009 season and another great year of orienteering with BAOC.

The day starts with a combined BAOC COOL event and "public" event at Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos. Then, in the evening, there will be a Light-O in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, followed by a potluck social event.


It's our Willow Glen Holiday Lights event! Enjoy an orienteering journey around the fancifully festooned neighborhood, then come back and socialize with your fellow BAOC'ers and friends. It's a potluck — so bring something to share! There will be a prolonged drumroll as we await the announcement of this year's recipient of the BAOC Club Service Award (http://www.baoc.org/wiki/Club/Annual_Service_Award). We'll also present certificates to the top performers in different age groups in the club's 2009 Sprint Series.

The event will be staged from the cafeteria at Willow Glen Elementary School on the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Minnesota Ave. (See the directions below.)

Event schedule

   5:00 – Building opens:  Registration and individual starts begin
   5:30 – Fun mass start
   6:30 – Registration and individual starts close
   7:15 – Potluck begins
   7:30 – Courses close
   8:00 – Service award presentation, followed by Sprint Series certificates
   9:00 – Building is closed

Potluck Social

Our traditional Stanford Fall social event did not work out this year, so instead, for your running, viewing, and eating pleasure, we bring you an exciting alternative.

So we don't end up with 40 salads and 0 entrees, we've set up a survey/signup sheet below. Please read the results so far, and then take the survey. Hopefully everything will balance out nicely. BAOC will be providing the utensils, plates, cups, napkins, and drinks, or bring your own. (Please note, alcohol is not allowed at the school, so please leave your spiked eggnog or hot toddy fixings at home.)

  • If you have a GMail account, you can use the Form menu to ("Show summary of responses" (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AlmcICcB02j7dGNhVGUzMUhiVmlYSjVtMFFFdXl6bFE&hl=en)).

Map and Course

Brad Wetmore has produced a wonderful map of the neighborhood at a 1:15000 scale with 5-foot contours. There are some interesting street patterns and opportunities for off-street navigation in quite a few of the blocks — some parkland, schools, and passageways are sprinkled about the map. Willow Glen's quaint houses date to the late 1800's when townsfolk would take the streetcar to downtown San Jose along Willow Glen Road (originally "El Abra," now called Lincoln Ave.)

Brad has also set the course. The course will be Score-O format with 60- and 90-minute options. Controls will be environmental, such as:

   At house #456, how many reindeer are on the roof?
         A-3        B-8        C-9        D-42

There will be beginner clinics if requested, but if you can find your way around with a street map, you should be able to navigate around Willow Glen.

See the Course Setter's Notes for more information.

Gear

Running shoes and shorts would be fine, but you may want more clothing coverage depending on the weather. The event center has bathrooms where you can change clothes.

Please bring a pen or pencil to mark your answers, and bring a flashlight — although Willow Glen is brightly lit in spots, you will need a flashlight!

Driving Directions

Take Interstate 280 towards downtown San Jose from Interstate 880. Exit on Meridian Ave. South. Proceed 0.9 miles to Minnesota and turn left (east). The school is on the right, 0.9 miles down Minnesota, at the corner of Lincoln. Street parking should be available nearby.