Thirty Fremont preschoolers at Glankler School got a head start in global learning skills last Thursday afternoon via a folk tale from Afghanistan and a visit from a member of Fremont’s Police department. By SHILANDA WOOLRIDGE

By Linsay Rousseau Burnett
Take a stroll through the Allegro Music Store and it’s rich history. Hover your mouse over the collage to scroll right and left or grab the scroll bar at the bottom. Pressing the play button in the bottom left hand corner will scroll the collage automatically. Click on the audio icon in the bottom right hand corner and press the play button to listen to the song “Training Day,” by the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, in the background as you explore the collage. Alto saxophonist Gabe Eaton …

By Mateen Kaul –
The Indian community gathered in large numbers at the Milpitas Indian Community Center on Thursday, December 4, to remember the victims of the militant attacks in Mumbai.
CLICK TO LISTEN

Over 500 members of the East Bay Indian community gathered in a show of unity to condemn last week’s Mumbai attacks. Congregating at the India Community Center in Milpitas, the crowd crossed religious lines, including members of the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish communities. They lit candles in a vigil and signed a petition condemning terrorism.

Video by Tyler Sipe
Hundreds attended a candle light vigil at the Milpitas India Community Center to honor the victims of last week’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.

By Linsay Rousseau Burnett
In these grim economic times, chain stores and online retail companies still pose an increasing threat to small businesses. Linsay Rousseau Burnett brings us this report from one small Fremont business that has been a mainstay in the community for the past 47 years and remains full of life. Click to listen.

You can view an interactive multimedia collage of the Allegro Music Store by clicking here.
Check out Allegro’s website: www.allegromusic.net

By Karen Weise  –
In a room twinkling with thousand of small gold pieces, the message behind the Asian Art Museum’s exhibit “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul” was unmistakable.
“A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive,” the final wall of the exhibit read.
For Dr. Mohammad “Mo” Qayoumi, president of California State University East Bay and the first Afghan president of a major U.S. university, that statement could not be more true.
Qayoumi said aside from the beauty and importance of the artifacts themselves, the dramatic story of safekeeping …

By Mateen Kaul  –
Fremont – These are tough times for Rahim Aurang. After working for many years with a staff of helpers to aid thousands of newcomers to the United States settle in the Bay Area, he now sits alone in his office in Fremont.
Lack of funding means Aurang, an Afghan-American, cannot afford to draw a salary for himself, let alone a staff. The services of his non-profit agency, the Bay Area Immigrant and Refugee Services, are also severely curtailed.

By Mateen Kaul  –
Representatives of all of Fremont’s major faiths — with one notable exception — gathered at St Joseph’s Parish on Monday for a Thanksgiving service celebrating the religious diversity in the Tri-City area.

PART I: CLICK TO LISTEN – The Big Day: Black Friday Mania at a Fremont Target
By Tyler Sipe  –  
Lured by retailers, the shopping faithful waited in long lines on Thanksgiving and Black Friday in order to get their hand on heavily discounted hot ticket items.  At the Target in Fremont, consumers were plentiful, but spendthrift, making officials cautiously optimistic about the holiday shopping season.
 
 
PART II: CLICK TO LISTEN – Recapping the Weekend: Hopeful Sales Kick-Off Holiday Shopping Season
By Karen Weise –
With low expectations given the shaky economy, retailers …