LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Word of Mouth I want to express my support for Joel Cruz’s efforts to create Downtown magazine. Many of our local businesses will appreciate the opportunity to reach out to their existing and potential customer base in an affordable and targeted way. Joel’s experience and enthusiasm for this project will ensure its success. I am committed to supporting Downtown magazine by placing advertisements and announcements, and providing content for stories. Please join me in supporting Downtown magazine’s premiere issue.
Cindy Chavez Councilmember District 3 City of San Jose
“Communication is vital to the success of our downtown community, so we are pleased to learn about Joel Cruz’s efforts to create Downtown magazine. Joel makes a strong impression with his enthusiasm and commitment to the project, and we know he’ll work to deliver a quality publication.
“Information is not power. Information shared is power. One of its goals is to help support the business community and especially our small-businesses. Your urban-based, regional Chamber strongly supports this exciting venture for our community and encourages your support of this endeavor as well.” Jim Cunneen, President and CEO San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
“The publisher, Joel Cruz, is a small-business owner himself and now aims to connect all the downtown stakeholders in mutually beneficial ways. Promotion of downtown San Jose will obviously benefit those who live and work here. But, a healthy and thriving downtown will also benefit all surrounding areas as well. Downtown Magazine will be a useful tool in assisting San Jose in becoming a large metropolitan city with a downtown district that not only attracts business, but also increase the character of an already extraordinary city.” Wayne Doiguchi, Chairman Japanese American Chamber of Commerce
We share his excitement about downtown’s potential, and see Downtown magazine as a fresh vehicle to celebrate the diversity and unique character of the downtown scene. The Association will support Downtown magazine by contributing news and announcements, and by participating in future co-op advertisements. We encourage you to support the premiere issue.”
Scott Knies Executive Director
Joel Cruz has been a good friend to downtown residents and has found yet another way to demonstrate his dedication to and appreciation of San Jose. As proprietor of the now defunct RushCyber Café, he consistently made his establishment available to the San Jose Downtown Residents Association where we hosted several quarterly meetings. He also hosted many other gatherings for local non-profit organizations and senior groups. Now he and another friend to the San Jose community, Jose Posadas, have undertaken the task of creating another avenue to celebrate and promote our downtown. The San Jose Downtown Residents Association will be pleased to contribute news concerning the diverse, talented and creative people who make up the residents of downtown San Jose, their accomplishments, concerns, hopes and dreams. Elizabeth Mattson President - San Jose Downtown Residents Association
“The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau wholeheartedly believes in your vision for the paper, promoting and celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of our downtown and providing exposure for the broad range of downtown businesses, activities and stakeholders. Not only will residents benefit from your publication, but San Jose visitors will have another source of information about downtown’s many assets, big and small alike.” Dan Fenton, President & CEO San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau
“San José State University welcomes Downtown Magazine to the San José metropolitan area. This creative enterprise, focusing on local activities, landmarks, sports, dining establishments, businesses, and education, is a welcome addition to the fabric of our community. Downtown Magazine promises to be a focal point for commerce and the exchange of ideas in the diverse and stimulating communities that make up metropolitan San José. On behalf of San José State University, I applaud this exciting venture and extend my best wishes for its success.” Robert L. Caret, President San José State University
San José State U N I V E R S I T Y
We support the mission of Downtown Magazine, which is a new publication that seeks to promote and celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of our downtown business community. “The Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Santa Clara Valley is pleased to welcome a new publication focused mainly in Downtown San Jose. Free Downtown Magazine will help create awareness of Downtown San Jose's activities, businesses, events and give us insight to Downtown San Jose. Our congratulations to Jose Posadas, a long time Downtown resident who has worked with many Downtown businesses and Neighborhood Associations for years, and also to his business partner, Joel Cruz, a veteran small business owner in Downtown San Jose. Together, Jose and Joel will make this publication a way to promote Downtown small businesses and act as advocates for all of us who live, work and play in Downtown San Jose. The Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Santa Clara Valley is proud to present you this new publication, which no one should miss.” H.G. Nguyen, Founder Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Santa Clara
The Hispanic Chamber supports this exciting venture for our community and encourages the support from the Hispanic business community in this endeavor as well. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley
\ “As we all know, the more we pull together the faster and farther we get to where we want to go! And we know that this is not the easiest thing to do. “Downtown” magazine is working at this very thing. Joel Cruz wants to deliver a quality publication, free to visitors and residents alike, highlighting downtown life and downtown neighbors such as ourselves. We look forward to contributing news and announcements from Japantown as well as the possibility of future co-op advertising. We encourage you to take advantage of the enthusiasm and commitment that Joel has for this project and join in the celebration of their Premiere Issue.” Kathy Sakamoto Executive Director
Giving Back
$15,000
$,8000
The Beginning. - joelle cruz
“This is a dream! Rush Cafe is a positive & safe venue for young people of Silicon Valley to meet & to learn. We want to be more than a cafe, we want to give back and be an integral part of our Community.� - joelle cruz
My Lost.
Joelle Cruz, who opened Rush Cybercafe on San Jose’s Downtown South First Street 18 months ago, takes down lights as he closes the failed business.
Our Gain.
Our Gain. joelle cruz
All that good press . . . Free Downtown is a magazine that may truly lay claim to the virtue of “influencing the influencers”, drawing publicity and other kinds of secondary attention from all over the bay area. In 2001 and the beginning of 2002 alone, Downtown
Magazine has been covered and quoted in media such as the Mercury News, Silicon Valley Business Ink, San Jose Business Journal, Metro Newspaper – to name but a few.
If the strategizers are smart, they’ll try to nurture the retailers downtown already has — and had. Joel Cruz falls into the latter category. His Rush Cyber Cafe had a much-publicized closing earlier this year, but Cruz remains amazingly upbeat. He’s working to launch a print/online magazine promoting DOWNTOWN, and says he’d like to reopen the cafe someday, if possible. article from the Business Journal for the week of May 24, 2002
Downtown coming up Timothy Roberts
Joel Cruz isn't giving up on downtown. He's launching a magazine titled "Downtown" the first week of June and he's scouting around for another site for his much-missed Internet café. It was with the Rush Cyber Café, the first downtown café to offer Internet service, that Mr. Cruz, a self-taught graphic designer, made his imprint downtown. The café on South First Street lasted slightly less than two years, closing in February. It came to a sad, slow end, preceded with e-mails to café habitués warning of impending doom. Mr. Cruz has saved his e-mail address list. When he reopens he'll inform his former customers. He says he's looking most closely at Post Street and San Pedro Square, locations that his old customers could easily trek to. "We want to develop a connection between people to develop a community downtown," he says. "We want to be that tool that develops that connection." And as proof he's serious, Mr. Cruz has printed up a T-shirt. It's emblazoned with one word: "Downtown." So what’s Joel Cruz up to now that his Rush Cyber Cafe in downtown San Jose is shutting its doors? Cruz, who opened the cafe in 2000 and closed it last week, says he’s taking the bold step of launching a magazine — which he’s calling “Free.” The monthly mag will address local business issues, and Cruz says it will give small businesses an “affordable” place to advertise. “Advertising the cafe in local publications got too expensive,” says Cruz. “I want to help other businesses succeed.”\ For the Week of February 21-27, 2002
Without sounding bitter, Cruz says he’s also frustrated that the city won't support local businesses willing to take a risk downtown. “Redevelopment should focus more on us. The little businesses are not being supported.” Now, Cruz, who used to work as a graphic designer at Metro several years ago, says he’s planning to start publishing a magazine focusing on downtown. Ironically, it was a project he originally started to help save Rush.
All that good press . . .
Posted on Sun, Jun. 30, 2002 Section: the Valley: Local Edition: Morning Final Written by: Rod Foo
For the Week of May 9-15, 2002
Promoting Downtown There’s a new masthead in town:-- Downtown, a free, monthly magazine geared toward promoting -what else? -- San Jose’s downtown as a destination. The men behind the magazine are publisher Joel Cruz, who ran the now-defunct Rush Cybercafe, and editor Jose Posadas, a former aide to Councilwoman Cindy Chavez. The inaugural edition -- a run of 10,000 issues that hit the streets a few weeks ago -- is sprinkled with letters of support, from various business leaders to City Hall-types, including Chavez and Mayor Ron Gonzales. Posadas, who lost a bid to unseat Gonzales in March, doesn’t envision the magazine as a political platform. “I don’t see this magazine getting too political on issues,” he said. “We’re really trying to market and promote the whole downtown and the downtown experience.” The magazine is being distributed to downtown businesses, the convention center and other public buildings. The magazine has a bankroll that’ll fund it for four to six issues, perhaps enough time to build up a steady ad revenue, Posadas said. And it has been approved for a $20,000 loan from the city’s Economic Development Department. ----------------------------------------------------------------------Mercury News Staff Writer Sean Webby contributed to this report. Internal Affairs is compiled by Mercury News staff writers Mike Zapler, Kate Folmar and Rod Foo. Send tips to internalaffairs@sjmercury.com or call Zapler at (408) 275-0140, Folmar at (408) 286-0264 or Foo at (408) 975-9346.
CHEERLEADER MAG San Jose mayoral aspirant JOSE POSADAS, who last fall ditched his job as an aide to Councilwoman CINDY CHAVEZ to challenge RON GONZALES, probably won't be back on the city payroll anytime soon. So what to do? Start a magazine, says the eternally optimistic Posadas. Posadas tells Eye he's teaming up with JOEL CRUZ, owner of the now-shuttered Rush Cybercafe, to create Downtown Magazine, a free monthly that should hit the streets by the end of the month (Posadas says he's also planning to go back to school and get an MBA at San Jose State University). Posadas will act as editor and Cruz as publisher, but don't look for a big staff pumping out exposés on Redevelopment Agency boondoggles. Instead, Posadas says, look for a mag that promotes small businesses in the downtown area. And although Posadas took shots at the mayor whenever he got the chance during his campaign, big bad Gonzilla apparently didn't take it personally: Gonzales and Chavez both gave the publishing duo letters of support for their venture. ... Cruz had been thinking about starting a publication to promote downtown businesses, as Eye reported in February, but Rush closed before he could get the project started. "When I had my business, it was hard for me to reach out to the community. As a businessperson selling coffee, I couldn't advertise, because I couldn't afford it. So that's why I wanted this magazine to be a voice to promote downtown--and not just the businesses but also the neighborhoods and artists." Cruz adds that he's not discouraged about doing business downtown: "I'm still hoping to reopen the cafe."
Dear Joelle, Congratulations to you and your team on the launch of Made in Palo Alto! This pocket-sized magazine featuring local, avante garde retailers, restaurants and other businesses as well as people and events expresses the innovation that Palo Alto is known for. Made in Palo Alto’s unique design captures the excitement of Palo Alto and puts an up-to-theminute spotlight on our community. As one of our newest Chamber of Commerce members, we welcome you to Palo Alto and look forward to working with you in promoting Palo Alto businesses. Wishing you great success, Paula Sandas CEO/President Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
Accomplishments Best of Design: New York, New York 20th Admissions Advertising Awards Merit: Queen’s College Merit: Manhattan College 17th Admissions Advertising Awards Gold: Queen's College Silver: University of South Carolina Spartanburg 16th Admissions Advertising Awards Gold: Baptist College of Health Sciences Gold: Ramapo College of New Jersey Silver: Audrey Cohen College Silver: Vincennes University 2003 Human Relations Award for Community Vision and Leadership California State Senate Byron D. Sher, State Senator, 11th District 2004 Excellence Award Voted Silicon Valley’s Most excellent city information guide by Silicon Valley Concierge Association Resolution of Commendation Outstanding work in the area of human rights and human relations in the County of Santa Clara Blanca Alvarado, Chairperson, Board of Supervisors Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition Recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community Michael Honda, member of Congress United States of America
dedication
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Chambers of Commerce Morgan Hill Chambers of Commerce Silicon Valley Chambers of Commerce Palo Alto Chambers of Commerce Cupertino Chambers of Commerce San Benito Chambers of Commerce Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Vietnamese Chambers of Commerce Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Portuguese Chambers of Commerce Greater Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Italian American Chambers of Commerce Filipino American Chambers of Commerce Japanese American Chambers of Commerce Business Association San Jose Downtown Association Japantown Business Association East Santa Clara Business Association The Alameda Business Association Garlic Festival Association Organizations NARI National Remodeling Association (San Jose/San Francisco Chapters) SCCAOR Santa Clara County Association of Realtors San Jose State University Palo Alto Lyon’s Club Cupertino Lyon’s Club San Jose Police Department Sobrato High School Latinas Contra Cancer Ad Council Association County of Santa Clara Emergency Housing Consurtium American Lung Association