Blog

Social Wave 2.0 Launches on June 1st

Posted on May 20th, 2014 by sheldon

It's finally going to happen. I talked a little bit about our plans to release an entirely re-imagined Social Wave in a previous announcement, but wasn't yet at a point in which I could nail down a date for the new release.

The new Social Wave system is nearly ready to unveil. We'll be doing that on June 1st, 2014 sometime during the day. Please expect the system to be unavailable for most of the day. Satellite sites like our Downtown sites will remain up, but you will not be able to add or edit events and announcements.

Undoubtedly there will be some bumps and bruises that will come along with a change of the magnitude that we have in store so we want to make sure that all of our regular users remember that they can email us at support@socialwave.net in case they have any issues after the relaunch.

Old Posts Will Be Left Behind
Every account that has been used at least once in the past three years will be ported over to the new system along with everything posted in the past five years under that account. Inactive accounts and content posted more than five years ago will be moved on a case by case basis. If you think you'll be affected by our decision to drop anything older than five years old, let us know and we'll include your stuff as part of our exceptions.

If you have a merchant profile and there's a photo attached to it that's older than five years, don't worry. It'll be included. Also, if anything gets missed, this old system is going to be available as a data source to grab stuff from for a good long while before we completely shut it down.

Everyone will need new passwords
One big thing that will affect everyone is that all accounts will need to reset their passwords upon logging into the new system.

No More Forums or Reviews
Discussion forums and reviews will be discontinued in the new release. At some point we plan to introduce a comments system, but that likely won't happen in the initial release.

New Features to be Rolled Out Regularly
It's going to take some time to get all of the new features that we'd like to implement completely built out. We plan to be adding to the new version on a monthly basis so we'll be actively soliciting feedback on what you like, don't like, and what you want to see.

Film Commission Awards 2014 Scholarship to Jessica Moss

Posted on May 12th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

The Monterey County Film Commission, located in the Lighthouse District, is pleased to announce that Jessica Moss, a student at CSUMB, was the winner of the 2014 Monterey County Film Commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award.

Moss, who hails from Marina, is a senior in the Cinematic Arts & Technology Department at CSUMB. She'll use the $2,000 award to help cover costs for her final thesis project, The Maw, an animated film short. Her film will use traditional animation, created frame by frame, in addition to digital animation. It requires specialized equipment as well as an extended time commitment.

For more information on the scholarship fund and Jessica Moss, please click here or phone MCFC at 831-646-0910.

Yoga Classes 4 Days a Week at Snap Fitness

Posted on May 9th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Beginning May 12, 2014, the schedule for free group classes at Snap Fitness in the Lighthouse District will be changing to accommodate more members. The ever popular TRX Yoga Fusion Class will still be available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7pm-8pm, but on Wednesdays at 7pm, by popular demand, there will now be a Regular Yoga Class! This will give more Snap Fitness members the opportunity to get a workout with yoga instructor Cindy Singh.

What is TRX Yoga Fusion? It features the strength and training of TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise) combined with the flexibility and relaxation components of yoga. Break down tension while building upper and lower body strength and mobility. Designed for all ability levels, this workout will leave you feeling stronger while giving you the peace of mind and flexibility of yoga practice.

Please contact Snap Fitness Monterey for more information on classes or memberships, 831-373-3990. Download our June class schedule here.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Online Auction

Posted on May 9th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to announce our Cooking for Solutions Online Auction! May 8-27, 2014, place a bid online and help support the Seafood Watch program.

Looking to plan a trip with your significant other or family? How about a culinary adventure or unique, behind-the-scenes Aquarium experience? We've got it all in our online auction, including wines from participating sustainable wineries, overflowing gift baskets from our sponsors, special vacations, and more! You'll find over 90 items to choose from! Search through the items and place your bid here.

Prime Fitness: Educational Supermarket Tour

Posted on May 6th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Feeling lost or overwhelmed at the supermarket? Prime Monterey is pleased to announce that we're now offering a Whole Foods Store Tour to help you take the confusion out of your shopping cart!

You'll spend 1.5 hours at Whole Foods grocery store with Jen DeVilliers of Prime, learning how fun and easy it can be to shop for you and your family. You'll learn how to save time, money, energy, as well as how to read and compare food labels and accurately interpret product health claims so you can feel confident that you're choosing the healthiest foods.

You can join Prime's once-a-month tour, or you can book a private tour for you, your friends, and/or family. Please contact Jen via e-mail or phone her at 831-224-7119.

Lighthouse District in the News, 05/05/14

Posted on May 5th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Welcome to Lighthouse District in the News, an occasional post featuring recent news articles on Monterey's Lighthouse District. Please click the links below to read the full articles.

A Look at the Trendiest and Tastiest Items in the Area, Including Several Nobody Saw Coming [Bright Coffee, Mrs. Delish's, Segovia's]
by Mark Anderson
Monterey County Weekly, 05/01/14

Alton Brown and Cooking for Solutions Come to Town with a Surprising Side Project
by Mark Anderson
Monterey County Weekly, 05/01/14

All New Social Wave Coming April-May 2014

Posted on April 14th, 2014 by sheldon

You might be thinking, "What's with this site? It looks so Y2K!"

Please don't exaggerate. It only looks 2004-ish. That was when the last major upgrade of Social Wave was done.

In 2004, Friendster was the hot thing everyone was doing, MySpace wasn't a niche music network, and Facebook was still known as "thefacebook.com” and had yet to expand beyond the college campus scene. It goes without saying that a lot has changed since that time.

Social Wave has evolved a lot since then too even if you can't really tell from its surface. I launched it in 2003 and by 2004 I could already tell that it wasn't going to go far as a location based community network that toned down social networking aspects and we started experimenting behind the scenes to use the system to help promote "Downtown type” business districts that featured community activities and a core of locally owned Mom and Pop businesses.

That ended up showing a lot of potential, but by the time we had a workable formula to work on, I was too involved in other work (the kind that actually pays the rent) to run with our new model. I always intended to get back to it soon. Rebuilding Social Wave has been a desire of mine for many years, but something was always in the way until a few months ago.

I've been quietly rebuilding the entire Social Wave system from the ground up for the past several months and it's only in the past week that I feel confident enough in the progress to say that a relaunch of an entirely new Social Wave is coming soon. If everything goes well, there should be a new system by early May. I'm hoping for late April, but that might be hoping for too much.

Those of you who still use Social Wave, the changes should all benefit you. Most of the "social” parts of the site are going away in favor of tighter integration with third party social media and networking services that weren't options for us ten years ago. Our goal is going to be to provide integrated tools that will help small businesses, community groups, non-profits, and event organizers promote themselves online more effectively and more easily. It'll take some time before all of our planned upgrades are fully rolled out, but as of our first release of Social Wave 2.0, you'll see a clear shift in direction.

Most of the content on the website will be ported over to the new system. We also plan on porting over all of the accounts too, but we don't know for sure yet.

Believe it or not, socialwave.net was once a pretty slick site. That it's survived long past its expiration date is a testament to its potential and here's to hopes that the second time's a charm.

No Sundown Cinema in 2014 / Remembering Ken Morgan

Posted on March 31st, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

Hi Everyone,

I owe you all a long belated update on Sundown Cinema. As many of you know, last summer we lost our permission to use the parking lot that had been the home of Sundown Cinema for nine years running and we put together a plan to move the movie series to a nearby location. The spot that was highest on our list was the Orchard City Green, which is the courtyard area between Campbell's City Hall and the Campbell Library.

Over the course of the past year, we've been in a back and forth discussion with the City of Campbell over the use of this space for Sundown Cinema. The conversation has been productive and we were making progress toward getting an agreement in place, but the process was taking longer than we expected and time was running out. It was getting to the point that by the time that we expected to have a proposal approved by the City Council, our lead time for making preparations would have been shorter than we were comfortable with considering the magnitude of the changes that we're dealing with.

This means that we'll again be without movies in Downtown Campbell this summer, but we haven't given up. Our new plan is to have the terms that we were seeking for this year applied to next summer and get the proposal approved by the City Council by the end of summer to give us plenty of time to make preparations for 2015.

Unfortunately, our road back was made harder recently when we learned of the death of our AV technician and most dedicated volunteer, Ken Morgan. To remember him, we'd like to share a few thoughts with the people he spent his Friday evenings with for 5 summers (2 as a fan and 3 as our AV Technician).

Ken Morgan had an interesting way of signing his emails. Like a lot of people, his email signature listed credentials and titles that he held, but then it was followed by this: "Certified Crazy Person. I started life with nothing, I still have most of it left."

That was indeed a fitting summary of him. Ken Morgan didn't seem like he had much money, but he also never seemed to be in want of it. He was a shaken up bag of odds and ends and always had some unusual story or thought to share. He had a thing for classic cars, but not the kind of classic cars you're thinking of. He was an affictionado of the Ford Pinto. Yes, as in Ford "KA-BOOM" Pinto and he owned several (most of them didn't work anymore).

When his mom passed away recently at an advanced age, it freed him from his duties as a caregiver and he shared some of his retirement plans with us in an email. He wanted to go to The Capri Swarm (he made the effort to italicize that), an annual event for owners of Mercury Capri's. Then he'd help plan a high school reunion before moving to Hawaii to live out the rest of his days on a sailboat and teach Ai Chi in a tide pool.

Ai Chi is aquatic Tai Chi. I'm still not sure what that is,...Read More

2014 Monterey Bay Skate Jam Series

Posted on March 29th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

On the Beach Surf Shop is proud to sponsor the 2014 Monterey Bay Skate Jam Series! The one and only monthly skateboarding event on the Monterey Peninsula, our skate jams are designed to be a fun and interactive competitive event for riders, friends, and family alike. With a live DJ, product tosses, food, and drinks (and, on occasion, demos, games of skate, and other fun events), we invite skaters, friends, and family to come out and enjoy the day with us.

There are 4 age divisions: 8 and under, 9-12, 13-15, and 16 and up. Riders will be judged based on (in order of importance): creativity, style, consistency, variety (in tricks and use of obstacles), and difficulty.

Sign-ups start at 10am, contests start at 11am. Normally, the event runs until 3pm. Dates and locations are as follows:

April 19 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

May 17 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

June 14 - Monterey Skate Park
El Estero Park, Pearl St. & Camino Aguajito

July 19 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

August 16 - Monterey Skate Park
El Estero Park, Pearl St. & Camino Aguajito

September 13 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

October 18 Championship - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

Bamboo Reef Trip to Indonesia, July 23 - August 2

Posted on March 29th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Join the Lighthouse District's Bamboo Reef and Keith and Carol McNutt on this spectacular dive vacation at Kunkungan Bay Resort at Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, July 23 - August 2, 2014.

Kungkungan Bay Resort (KBR) is proud to be the resort that introduced the world to the now famous "Lembeh Strait," acknowledged as the #1 destination in the world for critter and muck diving as well as for macro photography. Lembeh plays host to a cornucopia of weird and wonderful creatures to be found only there. The exceptional year-round weather conditions provide a variety of diving experiences, from "muck dives" on pure black volcanic sand to colourful coral reefs and enticing historic wrecks.

Cost of a twin share is $3,650, and cost of a single is $4050. The fee includes: roundtrip airfare; 7 nights accommodations; 3 meals per day; 6 days of diving, 3 boat dives per day; free beach diving, 8am-5pm; free wi-fi; roundtrip resort/airport transfer; tax and service; and 1 night hotel in Singapore. Cost for a non-diver is $2,850. Fee for Nitrox is $100.

A $500 non-refundable deposit secures your spot on this trip. Price is subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit our website or phone us at 831-372-1685. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure.

Downtown Campbell Businesses Win Best of 2014

Posted on March 29th, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

The Downtown Campbell Business Association is proud to announce that many Downtown Campbell businesses have landed in the top-three lists of finalists for The Metro's Best of 2014 categories! And their names (in alphabetical order) are....

23 Skidoo
Best Vintage Clothing

A Bellagio
Best Italian Fine Dining

Aqui Cal-Mex
Best Dining Value
Best Family Restaurant
Best Margarita
Best Mexican Restaurant - West Valley
Best Burrito - West Valley

Blue Line Pizza
Best Pizza
Best Happy Hour - West Valley

Bombshell Boutique
Best Clothing Boutique

Brown Chicken Brown Cow
Best Use of Goat Cheese

Campbell Chamber of Commerce's Boogie on the Bayou
Best Local Festival - West Valley

Campbell Chamber of Commerce's Oktoberfest
Best Holiday Celebration
Best Local Festival - West Valley

Campbell Furniture Gallery
Best Furniture Store

Campbell Historical Museum
Best Small/Quirky Museum

Cardiff Lounge
Best Dance Club
Best Dive Bar - West Valley

Ciano's Modern Latin Flavors
Best New Restaurant

Frost Cupcake Factory
Best Cupcakes
Best Bakery - West Valley

Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier
Best Bridal Shop - West Valley

Heroes Comics Cards & Toys
Best Comics Store

The Jewel Box Jewelers
Best Jewelry Store

Katie Blooms
Best Irish Pub
Best Karaoke

Khartoum Lounge
Best Karaoke - West Valley

Liquid Bread Gastropub
Best American Restaurant - West Valley

...Read More

DCBA Volunteer of the Year 2013: Deb Rohzen

Posted on March 29th, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

The Downtown Campbell Business Association (DCBA) is pleased to award the honor of 2013 Volunteer of the Year to Deb Rohzen, owner of Simply Smashing Boutique.

Deb, one of the founding members of the DCBA, serves on the DCBA's Board of Directors, organizes and promotes the 2nd Saturday and Sidewalk Sale events, is part of the group that coordinates the annual Color Me Spring Fashion Show, and is a good friend to her neighbors.

We'd like to share with you Deb's heartfelt acceptance letter to the DCBA, so you can learn more about the kind of volunteers that power our district.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When it comes to Downtown Campbell, I am in for a penny-in for a pound. I have been a patron of Downtown Campbell businesses and services since the 1980s and when I was compelled to open a boutique of my own, Downtown Campbell, with its unpretentious, small business, small town community vibe, was my first choice for location. So, in November of 2000, I jumped in with two feet, opened my first boutique location at The Courtyard, and never looked back.

Right away, I joined the Downtown Campbell Business Association and, working with other merchants, set out to revitalize our little Downtown, put it on the map and keep it there. We would close our business doors and walk the avenue, armed with our ideas and raising funds to afford our downtown events, which eventually evolved into what we now know as First Fridays. Yes, in those days, it was just a handful of merchants who pulled money ($20 here, $50 there) out of our pockets to make things happen - that's what I am talking about!

As my own business evolved, so did Downtown Campbell and the DCBA - adding such events as Art Walk, which has evolved into our 2nd Saturday Sidewalk Stroll event, Sidewalk Sale, Color Me Spring-A Fashion Event and, of course, our twice-yearly Downtown Campbell Wine Walk events. Downtown Campbell has grown up into a hip, artsy place-to-be and I am grateful to be in the mix at all, let alone part of the grass roots organization who makes it happen.

After thirteen years and three different boutique locations along E. Campbell Avenue, I believe I am one of the longest standing merchants in Downtown Campbell (still far behind our DCBA matriarch, Ms. Sally Howe) and, yes, I am proud. Whatever I do as a Downtown Campbell merchant and DCBA/Board member, is a labor of love and wouldn't matter a bit if not for the collective efforts involved.

I love what I do and I love where I do it. I have resided in Campbell, off and on over the past 30 years and, in fact, have just recently come back to live in Downtown Campbell - just blocks from my business. It is safe to say I consider Downtown Campbell my home...nothing makes me happier than to live, work, dine, shop and be an integral part of this "Little...Read More

Lighthouse District in the News, 03/21/13

Posted on March 21st, 2014 by Lighthouse District

Welcome to Lighthouse District in the News, an occasional post featuring recent news articles on Monterey's Lighthouse District. Please click the links below to read the full articles.

The Best of Monterey County 2014 Results
Monterey County Weekly, 03/20/14

Monterey Council to Hear Debate on Project for Lighthouse Avenue
by Larry Parsons
Monterey Herald, 03/17/14

Lighthouse Avenue Project Gets Go-Ahead but with Conditions
by Larry Parsons
Monterey Herald, 03/19/14

Octopus Sneaks into Aquarium, Then Makes a Run for It; Tentacles Exhibit Promises to Excite
by David Schmalz
Monterey County Weekly, 03/20/14

Lighthouse District Businesses Win Best of 2014

Posted on March 21st, 2014 by Lighthouse District

New Monterey's Lighthouse District is proud to announce that many of our local businesses have been included in Monterey County Weekly's Best of 2014! And the winners (in alphabetical order) are....

Amir's Grill & Bar
Best Middle Eastern
794 Lighthouse Ave
831-642-0231

BookBuyers Monterey
Best Bookstore - Used
600 Lighthouse Ave
831-375-4208

Bulldog British Pub
Best Pub
Best Bar for Darts
611 Lighthouse Ave
831-658-0686

Cat's Meow
Best Place to Embrace Your Inner Diva
601 Lighthouse Ave
831-393-2287

ComFOOT Massage Spa
Best Foot Spa
379 Lighthouse Ave
831-375-7879

Creative Vision Tattoo & Body Piercing Studio
Best Tattoo Parlor
856 Lighthouse Ave
831-649-1882

Crystal Fish Sushi
Best Japanese/Sushi Restaurant
514 Lighthouse Ave
831-649-3474

El Cantaro Vegan Mexican Restaurant
Best Place to Reconsider the Meaning of Mexican Food
791 Foam St
831-646-5465

Gianni's Pizza
Best Pizza
725 Lighthouse Ave
831-649-1500

Goodwill Industries
Best Secondhand Clothing Store
571 Lighthouse Ave
831-649-6056

Henry's BBQ
Best BBQ
401 Lighthouse Ave
831-646-6999

Hula's Island Grill
Best Happy Hour
622 Lighthouse Ave
831-655-4852

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Best Place to Take Visitors
Best Local Website
886 Cannery Row
831-648-4800

Mrs. Delish's Cupcake Boutique
Best Cupcake
800 Lighthouse Ave
831-612-1884

Nor Cal Smoke Shop
Best Headshop
765 Lighthouse Ave
831-645-9021

On the Beach Surf Shop...Read More

Frost Cupcake Factory's Spring 2014 Flavor Calendar

Posted on March 17th, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

Frost Cupcake Factory's Flavor Calendar for Spring 2014 is now available on our website, and do we have some special treats for you! Among our new spring flavors are...

Chocolate Wasted: Chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache, topped with our chocolate mousse buttercream frosting and rolled in chocolate flakes.

Banana Cream: Yummy banana cake filled with vanilla pudding, topped with chantilly frosting, and then rolled in nilla wafers

Matcha Latte: Matcha green tea cake topped with Matcha green tea chantilly frosting.

For more information, please visit our website or phone us at 408-866-YUMM.

Poster Contest for All 5th Grade Campbell Students

Posted on March 17th, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

The City of Campbell's Civic Improvement Commission announces its annual Poster Contest open to all 5th grade students residing in Campbell or attending a public or private school in Campbell.

With the recurring theme of What I Love about Campbell, participants are asked to creatively illustrate people, places, or things within Campbell that they enjoy. (This can include Downtown Campbell!) Submissions will be evaluated and rewarded based on neatness, legibility, and adherence to the contest’s theme through representation of Campbell, as well as on grammar and spelling.

All poster entries must be submitted by Monday, April 1, 2014 to the City Manager’s Office at City Hall, 70 North First Street, Campbell, CA. To see a complete list of poster contest rules, please click here.

Prizes, including the grand prize of a new mountain bike donated by Wheel Away Cycle Center in Campbell, will be awarded for the top posters selected. The poster winners will be invited to the May 8, 2014 Civic Improvement Commission meeting at which time the awards will be presented.

All poster entries will be on display throughout Downtown Campbell as part of 2nd Saturday on May 10.

Oya Salon: March 2014 Product Promotional

Posted on March 17th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

During the month of March, in celebration of Saint Patrick's Day, Oya Salon is pleased to announce we're selling all our products bearing green packaging at 10% off. This includes: Arrojo Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner, Arrojo Texture Paste, and the Kerastase Resistance Line. For more information, please phone Oya Salon at 831-656-0570.

Survey for Campbell Civic Center Master Plan

Posted on March 17th, 2014 by Downtown Campbell

The Campbell Historical Museum & Ainsley House encourages you to participate in the planning process for the new Civic Center Master Plan! The first public meeting was held on March 12, 2014, and there will be more to come, so please keep an eye on downtowncampbell.com.

An online survey is available through March 25, 2014 to gather additional input. You do not have to be Campbell resident to take part. Please click here to participate and let your voice be heard. The Master Plan will include future plans for the Historical Museum and Ainsley House.

Lighthouse Family Dentistry: Dr. Patricia Van Kooten

Posted on March 6th, 2014 by Lighthouse District

The New Monterey Business Association is pleased to welcome Dr. Patricia Van Kooten, the newest owner of Lighthouse Family Dentistry, to the Lighthouse District.

Lighthouse Family Dentistry, located at 251 Lighthouse Avenue, was founded over 40 years ago by Dr. Arancio, the first dentist to open an office on the other side of the Presidio in Monterey. His father, a fisherman, once told him, "You need your own ship in life." In remembrance of this, a large ship's propeller was planted in the front yard of the office, which has retained a nautical theme throughout the years.

In 1991, Dr. Ferlito bought the practice, selling it to Dr. Bryan in 2005. In February 2011, Dr. Patricia Van Kooten stepped aboard to help Dr. Bryan. And in July 2013, Dr. Van Kooten took full ownership of Lighthouse Family Dentistry. She is grateful for all the good work her predecessors have provided to the community.

Lighthouse Family Dentistry now provides general dentistry in a relaxed environment as well as advanced aesthetic dental services. True to its history, Dr. Van Kooten has continued the fun office theme and provides quality dentistry and a happy environment for patients and staff. For more information and to make an appointment, please phone 831-373-0478.

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