Willow Glen
Neighborhood
Association

February, 2005 editor: Larry Ames

Call for WGNA Candidates;

General Neighborhood Happenings

Letter from the President

Helen Solinski, WGNA President

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

Welcome to 2005, a year of hope, promise and a baseball stadium? Ok, so it’s far from a reality but it’s something the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is closely monitoring. This is one of many projects that could impact our community, i.e. traffic, noise, etc. We are a city of constant growth and change, making life exciting and challenging for all who want to preserve some of the small town charm of yester year.

I often wonder how my Greek immigrant Grandparents, who settled in Willow Glen to raise a family and open a business on Lincoln Ave, would have welcomed such change?

What would they think about a starter home price of 500,000? A babysitter rate of $15.00 per hour? Bergman’s Dept store closing? Beacons needed to slow traffic on Lincoln Ave? WG Elementary putting up portables for classrooms? The new improved City Hall? The Del Monte Cannery, home of a professional baseball team?

Papou & Yaya (Greek for grandfather and grandmother) would undoubtedly get a good laugh from it all, but one thing’s for sure, they would be truly thankful for the simple life they lived.

WGNA is about your interests.

Matt Hall

The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA) is not a list of names that make up the board that generally meets the second Wednesday of each month. WGNA is about you and your interests in the Willow Glen area. There are always opportunities that come up that could make Willow Glen a better place to live, and hopefully you can help in this process.

Every year with your renewal is a little section where you check the box to indicate what your interests are in the Willow Glen area. WGNA is looking for people that are interested in organizing events in Willow Glen and instead of just checking the box, please contact us at one of the following:

• email: President@wgna.net
• phone: (408) 294-WGNA [(408) 294-9462]
• mail: Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA)

P.O. Box 7706, San Jose, CA 95150-7706

the eList

Larry Ames

The WGNA eList continues to host lively discussions covering a wide range of Willow Glen interests. (If you’re not one of the 600 to have discovered the eList, why not give it a try? It’s free and easy: just drop an email note to admin@wgna.net with the words “join eList” in the subject line, and Ellen will gladly subscribe you and send you instructions and usage guidelines.)

One topic of interest on the eList has been crime: an apparent string of small burglaries. Carrying on the tradition established when the past deputy director Thomas Wheatley of the SJ Police Dept. (and a Willow Glen resident) would respond to some inquiries, we have arranged for a beat-officer serving Willow Glen, first Manny Martinez and now Capt. Richard Fairhurst, to be subscribed to the eList. They have been responding, individually and off-line, to some of the messages for awhile now, and we are arranging for some of the replies to be posted to the general eList audience for everyone to read. The Police Department lead for Willow Glen, Sgt. Unger, has also been giving us a status summary at the monthly WGNA Board Meetings (generally the 2nd Wednesday of each month, open to the public, see www.wgna.net for the location/time/agenda). By the way: No, there has not been an up-tick in crime in the area: Willow Glen continues to be the safest district of the safest city in the country. However, this does not mean there is no crime, so exercise some caution. (Contact the SJPD for information on setting up a “neighborhood watch” program. WGNA can help: we can set up a block-wide email: email us at BlockMail@wgna.net for details.)

Several other eList topics have been related to the local schools. Again, we luck out in that the newly elected San Jose Unified (SJUSD) Trustee for the area, Pam Foley, as well as the past Trustee, Carol Myers, both join in and contribute to the eList conversations. One thread has been about potential retail development at Willow Glen Elementary (see below), while another has been about public access to the running track at Willow Glen High. Like many things, this is not a simple issue.

The San Jose Parks Strategic Plan (“the Greenprint”) counts a set fraction of each school ground towards the fulfillment of the parkland acreage. Also, as the public’s taxes and bond moneys go to pay for the maintenance of schools and their grounds, there is the public expectation that the public can use the grounds after school-hours. On the other hand, the schools go to great efforts (and expense) to maintain the facilities for their students, and do not appreciate it to discover golf divots or dog droppings on the track or football fields. Working with SJUSD staff and Trustees is part of the resolution; educating the public is another part.

While writing this, I am reminded of an incident when I was in the second grade. Every few weeks the seating chart would be shuffled, and this day I would finally get to set behind this cute girl I had my eye on. Coming back in from recess, we sat down, and I remember she turned around to me, crinkled her cute little nose, and said “Ewww, what’s that smell!” Oh Nina, I never got a second chance to make a first impression! So, folks, please be careful with your dogs (and clean up after them!): you don’t want to traumatize some other poor kid for decades to come!

Dog Parks

Judy Chirco, SJ Councilmember, Dist. 9

The City of San Jose has Dog Parks located at Ryland Park, Miyuki Park, and Watson Park. Future Dog Parks are proposed for eight other sites in the city. San Jose Dog Parks are approximately 1 or 2 acres of fenced area where dogs can run free off leash and socialize with other dogs. Dogs must be on a leash unless they are in the Dog Park area and owner must properly dispose of waste. Check the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/prns for updated information on Dog Park openings and locations.

There is a community meeting on Wednesday, March 2nd from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to discuss a proposed dog park at Butcher Park. The meeting will be held at Sartorette Elementary School, 3850 Woodford Drive in San Jose.

[The County Park system also has some dog-run facilities: Hellyer Park (southern San Jose off of US-101), and Ed Levin (Milpitas). --ed.]

Zoning issues

Larry Ames / Hugh Graham / Ed Rast

When you renew your WGNA membership annually, one of the entries is for you to let us know which topics you are most interested in or concerned about. The top issue is “Zoning and Land Use,” with nearly one in two checking this box, followed close behind by “Traffic and Parking,” and “Parks and Recreation.” These three issues are quite intertwined as well, and also are the primary issues addressed by the WGNA Board. (Indeed, these are the very issues that drove concerned citizens to found WGNA in the first place thirty-some years ago.)

The WGNA Board is especially strong this year on zoning/land-use matters. Ed Rast has been instrumental in getting the Tamien Place developers (the 11 story high-rises planned for the old Alma Bowl site) to work with the community to come up with designs that somewhat better fit into the neighborhood. Sharon Fiero is a planner for the City of Campbell, and played a key role in getting the Longs Drug building on Lincoln changed from a suburban big-box design to something that fits on the Avenue. Hugh Graham, WGNA Board Member and retired Santa Clara Co. Planner, maintains a database of zoning and land-use issues affecting Willow Glen. (This database can be viewed at www.wgna.net, then clicking on the zoning/land-use tab at the left side of the screen.) Ellen Santomauro has learned quickly how to deal with zoning, planning, and code-enforcement in dealing with C’est Bon, and is also working on the La Concha spa project. And Larry Ames has been on one creek trail planning group or another, a zoning task force, or something for over two decades.

Several of the current hot topics are worth reporting on:

The “Level of Service” (LOS) Policy. The City’s current Transportation Impact Policy requires that any proposed development that severely impact traffic conditions at nearby intersections must mitigate the increased automobile traffic, often by widening the street or adding turn lanes. The proposed change is to “exempt” a number of intersections, including Willow/Lincoln, from this policy. This could be a two-edged sword: it is one thing if done to protect the intersection from having sidewalks and bike-lanes ripped up and restriped to order add car lanes, but it could be disastrous if instead it is used to allow developers to build whatever they want without regard to the traffic impacts. The process by which intersections are exempted is also an issue: if any intersection can be added to the list at anytime, it would gut the few protections now in place to protect us against total gridlock. WGNA is working with City Staff, suggesting compromise wording that supports appropriate development without degrading the region’s “quality of life”.

The Del Monte Site (the old cannery on Auzerais, just north of I‑280, near Lincoln). The KB Home Co. has proposed building about 400 residences on the site. WGNA has raised a number of issues at public meetings and in written correspondence. We want the development to be part of the surrounding neighborhood rather than an enclosed enclave; we want the riparian habitat along the Los Gatos Creek preserved and enhanced; we want the Los Gatos Creek Trail constructed along the project site, including a grade-separated crossing under Auzerais; we want the developer to preserve and adapt a number of historic structures; and we want the nearby Vasona Light Rail to have a stop nearby to serve the transit needs of the new residents. After months of hearings and design improvements, we now find that instead this may become a baseball stadium (!) -- see below.

Hervey Lane (near Alma and Minnesota). This is the portion of the Willow Glen Spur rail corridor that was purchased by developers before the City could acquire the entire length for the recreational trail. This section is actually quite wide, and can readily accommodate maybe 17 townhomes while preserving trail continuity and a riparian setback for the nearby Guadalupe River. However, the developer is now proposing 22 units. Again, public meetings and written comments to the Environmental Impact Reports.

D’s Restaurant (formerly “The Glen”, and “Billiards and Brew” before that). The new owners addressed the WGNA Board and promised to run an establishment that would fit into the community, and then immediately began flouting the rules set forth in their Conditional Use Permit (CUP) on hours of operation, noise, etc. After a number of complaints, they now realize that they can not run a noisy nightclub that is open until 2 AM at that location, and so they have quit. WGNA hopes to work with the owners of the property to help them find tenants better suited for that location.

C’est Bon. This is a restaurant that was to open in the site of The Hair Quarters on Lincoln at Garfield. The owners remodeled the building and prepared to open the restaurant without acquiring any of the required permits, or apparently without going through any of the required design reviews or health inspections. They had made no arrangements for customer parking. City Planning gave the owners the choice of getting the appropriate permits and bringing the site up to code, or of removing the restaurant setup and returning the building to the last approved use. The owners have chosen the latter.

There are a number of other projects that we are following as well, and the list is added to regularly. There is a common thread to our comments, one that we are considering formulating into a standard response: fit in with the surroundings (e.g., height, size, setbacks, style), be part of the community (e.g., with sidewalks and bike lanes to connect into a walkable neighborhood, rather than with walls to close it out), respect and enhance the environment (e.g., landscaping, riparian setbacks, historic preservation), address the impacts (traffic, parking, schools, parks, etc.), and generally respect the neighborhood.

Baseball Next to Willow Glen?

Larry Ames / Sharon Fierro

A hot topic as we go to press is the Mayor’s announcement that the City intends to pursue a baseball franchise for San Jose. At the February WGNA Board Meeting, Harry Mavrogenes, the Director of the SJ Redevelopment Agency, and Paul Krutko from the Dept. of Economic Development, presented details. They are looking for about 12 - 15 acres in an urban setting where they can construct a 42,000 seat stadium. They evaluated over a half-dozen sites, including sites by the airport (too noisy) and in downtown (relocate the Children’s Discovery Museum?!). They ended up with three alternatives (see map):

(1) “Diridon”: south of the Diridon Train Station, on the former KNTV site and at the sausage factory on Autumn that is looking to relocate;

(2) “Del Monte”: the site where KB Homes has been planning on building the 400 condos and townhomes (see above); and

(3) “Reed & Graham”: the gravel and concrete company at the end of Sunol, just north of I-280.

While none of these sites are strictly-speaking within Willow Glen, any of these would have a profound impact on the area, potentially both for the better and for the worse: traffic and noise, of course, but also economic development, and customers for Willow Glen businesses. The Diridon site seems the preferable choice to us, given its proximity to various public transportation nodes and available parking, but the City seems to be preferring the Del Monte site (it involves fewer property owners to deal with). The advantages of the Reed & Graham site elude us: it is not near public transit, and it certainly doesn’t have convenient freeway access.

This is an important issue with potentially major impacts on Willow Glen. As with the Arena years ago, WGNA intends to work with the City and the developers to improve the designs so as to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives. We are tentatively planning on a presentation and discussion on the issue at our May General Meeting. Stay tuned!

Retail at Willow Glen Elementary?

Larry Ames

Another hot topic as we go to press: the San Jose Unified School District is considering adding commercial space on the WG Elementary School site when they do the planned building replacements and upgrades. From initial posts on the eList, it sounds like they are planning a two-story building along Minnesota that would have classrooms on the south side and on the second floor, but would have retail on the ground-floor north side, facing Minnesota. This raises any number of questions, such as what businesses would be allowed there, would they be compatible near an elementary school, how would the tenant selection be controlled, what about the lost parking for the school, what about parking for the proposed retail, where are they finding money for this since they can’t use the school bond money for commercial construction, and are these plans even financially sound. There has been one presentation to date on the topic at the School Board, and a number of school parents and local residents are actively involved. WGNA is concerned as well, both because of our members’ interests, and also for the impact on traffic and parking: more in future newsletters as the topic evolves. To follow the discussion on the eList, send an email to admin@wgna.net with the subject-line “join eList”, and you will be subscribed and sent instructions on appropriate eList use and “netiquette”.

Airport Expansion

Larry Ames

As you may have noticed, the San Jose International Airport (SJC) is expanding. Airport now has 450 ksf (thousand square feet) area and 30 gates. In March 1998, airport proposed to expand to 40 gates and 775 ksf as three terminals (A,B,C), for which they did an EIR. In late 2001, they decided to make a single larger terminal instead, still with 40 gates, but now 1,075 ksf: they decided that they did not need a new EIR as the number of gates and passengers did not change. Some of the construction (e.g., the new international travel gates) is already completed.

Because of the 9/11 tragedy, they now need an additional 400 ksf for security (mainly for “checked baggage” inspection equipment), which can be located in a basement. They also want to enlarge the restroom stalls (people like to keep their bags inside the stalls with them so that they’re not stolen). And they want to add concession stands and waiting areas outside the security gate for those awaiting arriving passengers.

The total size of airport they are now proposing is 1,700 ksf, nearly four times the present size and over twice the size studied for the EIR. It will still have just 40 gates, so they say there should be no change in number of passengers or flights, and thus they claim they don’t have to do a revision to the initial EIR (!).

The airport is to be expanded in phases: do a complete design now, but construct it in pieces as the demand warrants. First will be the “North Concourse”, which will connect to the south side of the existing Terminal A. The North Concourse is scheduled to be finished in 2007.

The plan is to eventually build one long terminal, with one central entrance / drop-off area / ticket terminal area. It is to be a multi-level structure with multi-level roadways: departures and arrivals on different levels. The road will loop all the way around the short-term parking lots, just as it does now. When asked about the hassles of driving around the loop while waiting to pick up arriving passengers, the airport staff say their plan is to provide a short-term queuing area where drivers can wait until the arriving passenger calls up on their cell-phones.

When asked about flight paths, curfew, and noise abatement, we were told at the recent meeting that they are not affected by the discussion about expansion. The curfew is from 11:30 PM to 6:30 AM, with exemptions for “unavoidable delays” (e.g., weather, equipment failure, …).

The airport expansion is to be paid for from user-fees: it will not affect taxes. It will be financed on an as-needed basis from bonds. These bonds do not need voter approval since they are to be repaid from fees rather than taxes.

As with all of the other zoning and planning issues impacting Willow Glen, the WGNA Board is actively following the matter. Your WGNA membership enables us to speak out at the public meetings on behalf of the entire community, expressing the concerns of the community and working to improve the plans.

Local Associations

Carol Rossebo

Did you know that there are three Associations supporting Willow Glen? Of course you are familiar with the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA), you’re a member. But did you know that there are 2 more? They are the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (NWGNA) and the Willow Glen Business & Professional Association (WGBPA).

Currently much of WGNA’s time has been spent on Planning and development projects that include residential, commercial and traffic level of service (LOS). We are also working with the Airport on noise and future expansion as well as continuing involvement with parks, recreation, trails and flood control projects.

To the north-east is the NWGNA, established as part of the City’s “Strong Neighborhood Initiative” to serve the SNI District near the future Fuller Park. Like us, they focus their efforts on matters such as land use, planning, traffic, safety, open space, parks and recreation. Although the boundaries are different, and there is some overlap, WGNA and NWGNA both represent citizens on issues of neighborhood enhancement and preservation. Like us, the NWGNA focuses much of their time working on residential and commercial development with Planning and other government agencies. To see what NWGNA has been up to, check out their web site at www.writerguy.com/nwgna/. Both Neighborhood Associations are pleased to work with adjacent neighborhood associations and also with the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association.

While the WGBPA is made up primarily of Businesses on Lincoln Avenue, there are a number of other businesses that participate from the surrounding area. The WGBPA is focused on promoting a friendly and prosperous Downtown Willow Glen. They want to create a downtown that attracts not just the residents of Willow Glen, but entices visitors from the surrounding areas to shop and eat on “The Avenue”. The WGBPA hosts events like Dancing on The Avenue and the Holiday activities that include the Tree Lighting, Carriage Rides and Pictures with Santa. The money they raise is used for the promotion and improved atmosphere of downtown which includes improved parking, power washing of the sidewalks and the WGBPA directory on their website. www.downtownwillowglen.org.

WGNA is really fortunate to be able to partner with organizations like WGBPA and NWGNA. The joint benefits of a good business district that improves home values; make for happy Willow Glen residents and good customers to the Willow Glen Business District!

[WGNA also works with the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Association on occasion on projects in northwestern Willow Glen. --ed.]

Blanca’s New Year Message

Blanca Alvarado, Santa Clara Co. Supervisor, Dist. 2

The close of 2004 weighed heavily on us all. The catastrophic news of the tsunami and the continued war in Iraq left an enormous scale of disaster, human loss, suffering, and void in the lives of many. The result of the presidential election was a setback for many social issues and values that we in Santa Clara County believe in and support. During hard times such as these, remembering that we have had successes is helpful.

In review, our 2004 local accomplishments were significant and I was pleased to see the Silicon Valley/San José Business Journal capture many of them in its December 31 article, “It Was a Very Good Year for Some.”

• We put Measure A on the March ballot as part of our commitment to at risk youth and Juvenile Detention Reform and won with solid voter support.

• We challenged the City of San José’s lawsuit to prevent a Fairground’s concert hall and the court ruling came back in our favor.

• We opposed Measure C that would have allowed binding arbitration for some government attorneys and, on November 2, the voters agreed.

• We lobbied and advocated at Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for a countywide transportation plan that underscored social and geographic equity as well as fiscal accountability and others joined us.

Still there is much to be done. I will continue to focus services for an approach to our youth that emphasizes prevention and rehabilitation. As a First 5 Commissioner, I will join others in highlighting the importance of early childhood development, especially for children and families in need. In addition, our county will have the opportunity to choose new VTA leadership and I support the formation of a selection committee that includes community representation. It is crucial that we choose a VTA General Manager who works to maintain affordable bus and light rail fares, while championing transit expansion that is carefully planned and within our means.

As I enter my 25th year of elected service, I wish each of you a happy and peace-filled New Year and thank you for working with me to make a difference. You are truly the “Winners of 2004!”

Council District 6: the Year 2004 in Review

Ken Yeager, SJ Councilmember, Dist. 6

Four years have passed since I took office as District 6 Councilmember. It has been a great honor to serve on the City Council and to represent Willow Glen and all of the District to the best of my abilities.

There have been significant challenges throughout my first term, but there is always a feeling of immense satisfaction at the end of the day. Everyone on my staff—John, Megan, Tony, and Tina—feels the same way. All of us spend time on policy issues, but we never forget that a primary mission is constituent services. So if there is anything we can do to help you with a City matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Keeping Lincoln Avenue a vibrant and safe business district continues to be one of my top Willow Glen priorities. Drivers on Lincoln Avenue may be aware that the City installed trial crosswalk signage at the Peet’s sidewalk in June and enhanced crosswalk signage at Le Boulanger in November. The new signs feature a flashing beacon that pedestrians can activate when they wish to cross the street.

2004 saw a new park approved in Willow Glen—Fuller Park. Fuller Park will be located along Fuller Avenue between Bird and Prevost on City-owned property along the Caltrain railroad tracks. Construction is expected to begin in August 2005, with Fuller Park slated to open in December 2005.

One of the projects about which I care deeply is the completion of our trail system. Willow Glen and the entire City will benefit from having a comprehensive trail system that provides enjoyable recreational use as well as environmental protection. Miles of permanent and interim trails have been opened, and a strategy to preserve the abandoned Willow Glen spur rail line has been developed. In addition, the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens will be finished soon. You can review the complete City trail system at the District 6 website.

As the councilmember whose residents are impacted by the airport, I continue to advocate for ways to strengthen San José’s nighttime curfew that limits aircraft operations. The City restructured its curfew program and has begun fining airlines that violate it, resulting in significantly fewer non-compliant aircraft operations.

In 2005, I will continue to serve on the Joint Powers Board that oversees Caltrain. As a director for the past four years, I had the opportunity to approve the new Baby Bullet, allowing passengers to ride from San José to San Francisco in under an hour. Caltrain’s new schedule offers the highest level of service in the railroad’s 141-year history.

These are just some of the issues on which I’ve been working. I would be pleased to provide more detail about these initiatives or more information about other District-related projects. You may wish to visit my web page at www.sanjoseca.gov/district6/, send an email to ken.yeager@sanjoseca.gov, or call any of us in the office at 277‑5166. We would be happy to hear from you.

Guadalupe River Update

Larry Ames

The Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) hosted the dedication of the Guadalupe River Flood-control Project in downtown San Jose on January 14th. The area between I-280 and the Bay is now protected against even the “once-in-a-century” class flood by a system of bypass tunnels, channels, embankments, and flood-plains. (While the flood-control work itself is completed, it will be a number of months before amenities like landscaping and the recreational trails are finished.) The downtown area will now be remapped as to flood zones, which may improve their insurance rates. Willow Glen will not be remapped yet, as the improvements downstream don’t affect our local flooding problems.

The next section to be fixed is between I-280 south to Willow Glen Way. Here things get a little complicated: the US Corps of Engineers is to pay for half of the project -- the actual flood-channel work -- while the SCVWD is to provide the matching funds that pays for bridges and land-acquisition. The SCVWD has its money, thanks to the passage of Measure B a few years back, but the Federal budget included only $100 thousand last year of the planned $100 Million total, and this year President Bush is budgeting even less, only $75k, towards the project. If the SCVWD were to use the Measure B money it has in hand for the entire project, it would not be reimbursed by the government as the money would not have been used for the purpose for which it was collected. The SCVWD Board of Directors is heading off to Washington next month to lobby for the promised money: you could write to your Congressperson or Senator if you’d like to help.

Relatedly, but separate from that, the SCVWD is replacing the Willow Glen Way Bridge over the Guadalupe, funded in large part by a Caltrans seismic safety grant. The SCVWD has been meeting with neighbors for several years now, and together they have worked out an elegant design that will nicely fit into the neighborhood. If CalTrans approves its portion of the funding on time, the project is set to begin May 15th and to be finished by March ’06. The bridge will be long enough to cross over a bypass channel for flood control, even though the channel itself won’t be built for 2-3 years (see above!). The bridge will be wide enough to accommodate bicycle traffic, and will be high enough for the planned Guadalupe River Trail to cross underneath it. The SCVWD is planning a public meeting on the bridge for mid-April: check the WGNA.net website for updates.

Portions of Willow Glen remain in the 100-year flood-zone: to see the flood map, go online to www.wgna.net/floodmap.jpg, or click on the “maps” tab at the wgna.net website. At flood time, the water spills out of Ross Creek at Branham Lane in southern Willow Glen, and then flows northward in a broad swath roughly along Lincoln Ave. The obvious question is “why not pile some sand-bags along Ross Creek?”, but this is the classic case of “10 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag”: if the Ross Creek water is shoe-horned into the Guadalupe, it will just jump the banks somewhere else in the vicinity and flood the same and/or other areas. It doesn’t help to grade down the embankment of the Willow Glen Spur (former rail line, future trail corridor) either: it may help a few residents, but it would adversely impact a number of others. (And, as they were not originally in the flood zone, they could sue for compensation or for the improper “taking” of property rights.) So, until the capacity of the Guadalupe is increased all the way to the Bay, it doesn’t help to attempt piecemeal patches. Maybe in ten years, if Congress funds the project (and our Governor doesn’t take any more money from the SCVWD to balance the State budget!)

For more information, contact Ms Meenakshi Ganjoo, Public Information Officer at the SCVWD, at 408/265-2607 x2295. For details on the WG Way Bridge, call Dennis Cheong at 265-2607 x2618.

Did you Know.......

Ellen Santomauro

We, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association Board Members, are hard at work supporting the community in numerous and varied ways.

WGNA was formed in 1973 by residents who wanted to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Willow Glen. The initial issue was traffic: we organized to fight City plans to cut through Willow St, Cherry Avenue, Bird and others as multilane expressways. Willow Glen is meant to be more than just something to get across en route to the south valley. But WGNA is more than a NIMBY (“Not in my back yard”) organization: we have always acted proactively on enhancement projects (e.g., Lincoln Ave. revitalization, habitat restoration along the Los Gatos Creek, public artwork, …), and work with, rather than against, developers to achieve viable “win/win” solutions.

This is a volunteer position: some of the Board Members are new in the last year or two, others have been on the Board off-and-on for up to 20 years.

Every month on the 2nd Wednesday from 7:00pm - 9:00pm, we meet to discuss issues that are brought to the Board from community members and items that board members have become aware of. We are given updates from our local Police representative and political partners. There is a lot of data sharing and discussion. As a group we decide which topics need further review or meetings that need attending. These meeting are held throughout the week which we gladly attend and report back to WGNA.

This is time that we take away from our personal lives and family to dedicate to the community that we value and want to support.

The list on the previous page is a non-inclusive list of issues and meetings that we as the current Board have attended to. We invite you to join us at our next meeting, and/or to volunteer to serve on the Board this upcoming year.

WGNA Seeks Board Members

Jim Gardner

It is time for our association to begin the annual process of identifying volunteers for the next WGNA Board, which will be elected in May. In accordance with our by-laws, a five-member nominating committee solicits members who are interested in serving on the Board of Directors.  The 2005 Nominating Committee was elected in last May’s election and includes Jim Gardner (Chair), Kris Cunningham, Sharon Fierro, Vern Ladd, and Lynn Repetsky.

Our By-laws stipulate that officers of the Association (President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) must be members of WGNA for at least one year prior to the May election date, and can serve for only two consecutive years in any one office.  Besides the officers, four Directors and next year’s Nominating Committee are elected.  The Directors and Nominating Committee do not have term limits, but typically there is a good mix between new and experienced members on the Board.

The Nominating Committee is actively soliciting WGNA members who would like to become more involved.  You may have helped organize your street concerning traffic problems or land use considerations.  Or you may have volunteered to work on the local trails and enjoyed working with other neighborhood residents.  Board members attend the monthly WGNA Board meeting and work to preserve and enhance our neighborhood by responding to residents’ concerns, attending appropriate meetings, and participating in neighborhood projects.  Please submit your nominations by March 16th to the Nominating Committee by mail (PO Box 7706, San Jose, CA 95150-7706), by phone (408/294-WGNA), or by email (nominations@wgna.net).  Contact us if you have any questions.

The Nominating Committee will present to our membership a specific slate of recommended officers and directors for possible election.  Any qualified candidate that submits their name to the Nominating Committee by the March 15th deadline can request that their name appear on the ballot.  The ballots will be mailed to all WGNA members in good standing in a newsletter several weeks before the May General Meeting. The membership then votes by mail or in person at the General Meeting. The ballots are tallied within a week and the results announced on the wgna.net website, the media, and in the next newsletter.

Selling your house? Deep-Six a Saint

by Judith Harkham Semas (on Willow Street)

[On occasion, we invite a WGNA member to contribute an article or story to the newsletter. Enjoy! --ed.]

In the roller coaster world of residential sales, Willow Glen homeowners haven’t always enjoyed the sizzling seller’s ride we’re on right now. In fact, in 1992 when I put my Carolyn Avenue home up for sale, it languished for six months in a frustrating buyer’s market that moved at glacial speed.

Short of ready cash, I had hoped for a quick sale and did everything right: I had my home checked from top to bottom and performed any needed maintenance work. I repainted inside and out. I fixed the leaky faucets and made sure the toilets all ran smoothly. I installed a new garage door to replace the broken, bent old-timer I’d lived with for a dozen years. I spiffed up the decor and planted colorful annuals outside. I gave my kitchen, dining, and patio tables the Martha Stewart treatment. I even baked home-made bread so that its comforting aroma would waft through the house and entice prospects to whip out their checkbooks. But sadly, my lovely home lingered month upon month with nary an offer in sight.

When my friend Emmy came visiting, she confirmed that I’d done all I could to make my house appealing to buyers--all, that is, except one final thing: Bury St. Joseph in the yard.

“Say what?”

According to Emmy, when it’s time to sell a house, savvy homeowners rely on St. Joseph, a carpenter, earthly father of Jesus, and...well...earthly realtor. Turns out a tradition dating back centuries asserts that burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard helps a home sell faster.

And it works. So says Stephen J. Binz, author of “St. Joseph, My Real Estate Agent,” who became a convert when his house had been on the market for seven disappointing months. On the advice of his Presbyterian real estate agent, Binz buried a St. Joseph statue in his yard, even though he thought it a ridiculous superstition. A week later, he sold his home.

I, too, thought the idea was crazy, but Emmy insisted “You don’t have to believe in it,” she said, “just bury the statue.”

Hey, who am I to buck tradition–not to mention a benevolently pushy gal-pal? So, I grabbed a shovel and got busy. You guessed it: my home sold less than two weeks later--and for a sum within $5,000 of my optimistically-priced figure.

Binz, a practicing Catholic (which I am not), explains that it’s only a superstition if you treat it like one. “The distinction between superstition and devotion is created by the person doing it,” he says. In other words, if you simply bury St. Joseph and count on that to sell the house, then it’s superstition. But if you do it as an act of faith, then it’s devotion.

Well, superstition or devotion, let’s just say that from then on I decided any time I plan on selling a house I own, I’ll be seeking a little help from St. Joseph.

P.S. Happily for home sellers, kits containing small, easy-to-bury statues instructing exactly how to bury St. Joseph and pray for his assistance are available from Roman Inc., a Rosedale, Ill.-based company (www.roman.com). You probably won’t need them in this market, but when it turns, as markets always do, you could do worse than to solicit the talents of St. Joseph, the heavenly realtor.

[and here I had thought that all one needed to worry about was the appropriate “Feng Shui” and perhaps the use of scented candles! --ed.]

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