Nov. 2001 editor: Larry Ames

As the President of the Neighborhood Association, I thought I would update you on what WGNA has been doing over the last few months.

When the Willow Glen Business & Professional Association announced that they were canceling Founder's Day, WGNA and Councilmember Yeager's Office worked quickly to plan a small event to acknowledge Founder's Day. The September 8th event was sponsored by WGNA, Councilmember Yeager's Office, the staff and Friends of the WG Branch Library, and the Board and staff of Live Oak Adult Day Services. The event had informational booths from a number of local organizations, activities for kids, refreshments, live music, historical information and tours. The most notable aspect of the event was a booth to recruit volunteers for Founder's Day 2002. Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of Willow Glen and WGNA is determined to make Founder's Day 2002 an event to remember. If you are interested in helping plan Founder's Day, please contact WGNA or Councilmember's Yeager's office at 408/277-2206.

WGNA has also been working to protect the interests of our residents and maintaining the quality of life in our neighborhood by being active on committees and attending community meetings. Boardmember Cathy Marshall has been appointed to the Airport Monitoring Committee, and WGNA has been promised representation on the City's Lincoln Ave. Study. WGNA Boardmembers also have attended meetings regarding developments on Minnesota Ave. & Alma, a flag-lot on Broadway Ave., the Elks site on Alma, the proposed Long's on Lincoln Ave., the Yellow Cab site on Bird Ave., and a re-zoning of the Lincoln Ave. Business District. On each issue, WGNA has attempted to work with the most-impacted neighbors and advocate on their behalf. I encourage members to visit our web site at www.wgna.net to view positions we have taken, letters we have written, and to learn about developments in our neighborhood.

WGNA continues to push the City of San Jose on traffic issues in our neighborhood. Our Spring General Meeting was devoted to traffic solutions, and on November 14, 2001, at 7 p.m., our Fall General Membership meeting will feature Gary Richards, "Mr. Road Show," from the San Jose Mercury News. We will also have representatives and information from traffic and transportation departments of the City, County, and the Valley Transportation Authority. Mr. Richards is an entertaining speaker and will make for an informative and fun evening. I encourage residents to come ask Mr. Road Show their questions about transportation in our valley.

As your President, I am striving to make our Association a strong and positive voice for Willow Glen residents. I encourage you to attend our regular meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church at the corner of Newport and Minnesota Avenues. I can be reached by email at president@wgna.net.

As is our custom, we have invited our local elected officials to write short articles for this newsletter.

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• Does an announcement by your frail and ailing father that he and a new friend are planning a trip to Europe leave you feeling uneasy?
• Has your unemployed cousin moved in with your mom and suddenly has shown up in a brand new automobile?
• Are family members having difficulty contacting an aunt because her caretaker insists that she is napping and cannot come to the phone?

Far fetched?  Not at all - the sad news is that these are real life examples of financial abuse by loved ones and caretakers.  The good news is that the County of Santa Clara is ready to help should you experience a similar situation.

Elder Financial Abuse is rampant in Santa Clara County.  This form of abuse is defined as the illegal or unethical exploitation of the funds, property, or other assets of an elderly person. Americans over age 50 control 70% of the assets in the United States and, sadly, in 90% of financial abuse cases, relatives and paid caretakers are the transgressors.

Understanding these facts, the County of Santa Clara's Department of Aging and Adult Services and County Counsel created FAST (Financial Abuse Specialist Team) to respond rapidly in assessing and intervening in the suspected financial abuse of elderly and/or dependent adults.  In 2001, the County of Santa Clara is proud to have prevented the loss of over $60 million in total assets of our elderly residents.

If you suspect that someone is financially exploiting you, a friend, or a relative, call:

• The County Department of Aging and Adult Services at (408) 928-3860
• The 24-hour Abuse Hotline at (800) 414-2002

You can call anonymously, but it is important to have as many facts as possible so that DAAS can determine what problem exists and how County departments can help.  If information suggests financial exploitation, a Financial Abuse Specialist Team will be called into action and will assess the situation and intervene within 48-hours.

Thinking FAST can save your or your loved one's assets!

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Actions taken by the San Jose Traffic Calming Committee, established by Mayor Gonzales and which I served as vice-chair, will make it much easier for residents to manage traffic in their neighborhoods. Traffic relief measures range from basic to more complex. The easiest and fastest measures include deterrents such as safety education programs, warning or stop signs, high-visibility crosswalks, curb markings and NASCOP (Neighborhood Automated Speed Compliance Program, or "photo radar").

More complex measures include such devices as traffic circles, medians, and chokers, corner bulb-outs (devices that narrow car lanes at intersections), and devices that narrow car lanes at intersections.

Additional measures, which require City Council approval and more formal community input, include full or partial street closings, traffic diversion islands and changing the direction of traffic.

For residents who have worked to get traffic calming measures installed, these changes are a welcome relief. Prior to the new policy, it took too much time and energy for action to be taken. Although some problems still remain, the process is now faster and easier.

Residents or groups who want a study done on their street should contact my office at 277-5166 or ken.yeager@ ci.sj.ca.us. I will be happy to request that traffic engineers analyze the problem on your street. In addition, please call my office for more information on how to bring resolution to the speeding problems in your neighborhood. Each neighborhood is unique and has its own special needs. One traffic calming solution may be suitable for one neighborhood, while another neighborhood may have a different concern.

I believe the best approach to relieve our traffic problem is to be proactive. I want to hear residents' concerns firsthand and be available with solutions. I look forward to talking with people throughout District 6 in our effort to take back our streets.

In closing, always remember to drive the speed limit on city streets. Be as courteous on other people's streets as you want drivers to be on yours.

In the early hours of September 11, 2001, my pager, and then home phone blending into a chorus of vibrations and rings awakened me. I remember thinking to myself that could only mean one thing, something was happening.

I walked into my kitchen and pushed the replay button on my message machine, the caller only had to say one thing, "Turn on your television"! So I did, and unlike millions of others who watched, I knew one thing, I would be going there!

Days later I scrambled over to the edge of what we called the "Valley of Death", an area in the center of the Trade Center Complex between Towers One and Two that allowed you to look out into the Valley which was at least three or four stories deep and be completely surrounded by the 16 acres of devastation of what was once the World Trade Center Complex. Everywhere you looked was devastation, it was unbelievable, and it was hell on earth. Standing on the skin and columns of what had been the towers you could look up at the remains of the towers which were at least ten stories of compacted debris and smoking from fires deep below in sub-level areas of the complex. I will never forget the smell of both decomposing and burning human beings.

Of the 28 National Response Teams in the Country, 20 would respond to New York and 6 would respond to the Pentagon. As the Team Leader for California Task Force 3 based out of Silicon Valley, we would take our 80,000 pounds of equipment and 62 personnel who comprise Firefighters from South San Francisco to San Jose and Civilian Professionals such as Physicians, Structural Engineers, Heavy Equipment Operators and other Technical Specialties into New York almost a week after the event to replace the first wave of teams.

Since the 11th, my life had become a blur of 18-hour days in which I lost track of what day it was. Willow Glen was often shrouded in darkness when I left home early each morning and arrived home late at night each day. I was able to return home early one evening with the knowledge that our equipment had been moved into Travis Air Force Base in preparation for our departure.

As I arrived home, my family and neighbors all had congregated in the front yard. I couldn't help but notice the flags flying throughout Willow Glen on my way home. That night as I went out to pickup dinner downtown I saw people with candles all over and returned to a neighborhood of candles lit to show our solidarity as a Nation.

The flags and candle ceremony made me proud to live in such a great country and especially here in Willow Glen, but it concerned me that the emotional roller coaster of this event would play a significant role in how it impacted our team's long-term feelings about this event based upon what we would be facing.

After the Oklahoma City Bombing we had struggled with what it meant to be a Rescue Team that had rescued no one. Eventually we had come to the realization that by giving those families back their loved ones we had given them closure and that in essence we had helped to rescue the spirits of all those involved and impacted by showing that despite how unbelievably terrible these events could be, the tremendous amount of goodwill and human sensitivity that they produced re-affirmed all of our belief in humanity.

When Larry asked me to write this article I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. He of course wanted to know what it was like, but he also wanted me to pass on what we could do here in Willow Glen.

I lost a very good friend in the collapse of the towers and this country lost a great man, one of many lost that day. Chief Ray Downey was in charge of Special Operations for the FDNY. He was my counterpart in the system as a Task Force Leader of one of the 28 National Teams. Eleven years ago he and I had first met as we had served on the Federal Development Committee for the now National Program. He was a mentor and friend; at 63 he had just announced his retirement.

We can learn a lot from the actions of people like Ray that day. He didn't run away from the towers, he ran to them. He commanded the Special Operations Rescue Companies and Squads that were some of the first into the towers from FDNY. His actions along with the sacrifice of 342 other firefighters and over 100 Police Officers and EMS Professionals should remind us all to have courage in these very difficult times.

It's another beautiful day in Willow Glen, I'm pushing my daughter in her little convertible car down Lincoln Avenue with my neighbor and his girls after picking up some coffee. I wonder what life will hold for them and our families, but if there is one lesson I do know it is I won't live in fear and that each day is a gift!

Harold Schapelhouman, Captain

Menlo Park Fire District

Task Force Leader, California Task Force 3

ime to take down your make-shift carports or be prepared to get a citation from the city of San Jose. Neighbors have been complaining for months about the white canopies that have been popping up all over. People with too much stuff in their garages who want to protect their cars from exposure to the elements found an inexpensive way to protect them is with these white canvas covers. The new ordinance forbids people to have them on the front/side of their properties. Code enforcement will be issuing 30 day warning notices, after the 30 days you will be cited if the tent is not removed. City council has not set a fine amount but will do so by the end of the month.

Welcome Bruce Kalin our new code enforcement officer for District 6. He has taken over for Mike Soda who has moved on to a position in District 3. Bruce Kalin has years of experience with the city, starting as a park ranger and then moving into code enforcement in 1989. He is looking forward to working with the neighbors and WGNA. If you have any questions or need to contact code enforcement for District 6 call 277-4528.

• Longs Update

It's been almost 2 years since WGNA started working with Longs and neighbors to develop a plan that worked for the community. Thanks to J. Michael (past WGNA president) and other WGNA members Longs has made many changes to suit the architectural consistency of the Avenue. After the design was approved we were on to other issues, such as business hours, lighting, landscaping, deliveries, etc. Working entirely with neighbors and Longs officials the plans were agreed upon and we now welcome our new neighbor. A fence has surrounded the construction site with demo starting the end of October. Longs project manager Brad Haskins will be in close contact with key neighbors and our board members during the building process. Their goal to open the new store will be late spring or early summer.

Construction is beginning on the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose. While the flood-control work is designed to minimize the impact to the natural stream environment (the "riparian habitat"), nonetheless there will be some disturbance to the creek, and that will happen soon.

As mentioned in previous newsletters, much of the flood protection for downtown will be provided by diverting floodwaters through large underground culverts. Woz Way, by the Children's Discovery Museum, is built atop one such culvert, carrying floodwaters along side the left bank of the river from near I-280 to Park Ave. Another set of culverts will be constructed along the right bank from Santa Clara Ave. to Coleman. There is a two-block section in between that will soon be disturbed, where the river will be widened and lined with concrete to handle the full flood. The engineers and designers worked long and hard to find designs that both provided flood protection and preserved as much as possible of the riparian habitat, and they came up with a pretty good design, but it's not perfect. You will see those imperfections before you see the good parts. Don't worry - the rest of the project will be better.

We continue to participate in the project design to assure environmental protection and that the project provides for adequate trail continuity and connectivity. The Los Gatos Creek Trail is to be extended (one of these days!) from Lincoln, under I-280, and to the Guadalupe at the confluence by the Arena. Parks, playgrounds, and open spaces are planned along the park chain (some are already built and open), and an "old town" historic district is being restored at River Street (near Julian) that soon will provide trailside amenities.

It's interesting to take a look at ourselves from time to time, and one way to do that is by the numbers.

WGNA was founded in 1973. The P.O. Box number is 7706, the zip code is 95150, and the phone number is 408/294-WGNA. It has 603 members at the moment (the number fluctuates as people move out and others join in): 398 household memberships and 177 individual memberships, plus ten associates (outside the Willow Glen area) and 18 complimentary (elected officials, churches, etc.).

The Number One "issue of special interest," the concern of over 40% of our members (as indicated by boxes checked on the membership/renewal form), is "zoning and land-use", which is a "fortuitous coincidence" since the WGNA Board spends most of its time working on zoning and land-use issues. The number two issue is "traffic and parking" (surprised?) at 37%, followed in quick succession by "tree plantings" and "parks and recreation" (35% and 34%, respectively). Graffiti abatement (29%) and bike routes (28%) complete the top tier, with the rest of the categories coming in at less than 25%. While we don't ignore any local issues, it is good to get this feedback that we are headed in the right direction.

Roughly a quarter of our members have indicated a willingness to volunteer at something or other, be it fold newsletters, plant trees, or help out at Founder's Day. This is much appreciated, and we do take advantage of your kind offers as the needs arise.

We have the email address of nearly half of our members. Several others provided an address, but due to typos or undecipherable handwriting, they were not valid. We use email, when available, to send renewal reminders (saving your association the cost of printing and postage), and to acknowledge receipt of the dues (so you know it wasn't lost in the mail).

WGNA maintains the "eList", a free community bulletin board list-server email service, presently with 264 subscribers. Note that this is independent of the WGNA membership database: giving us your email address on a membership form will not subscribe you to the eList, and being on the eList does not mean you are a WGNA member (although you are occasionally encouraged to join!) Writing to the eList is like chatting over your back fence: you can talk to your neighbors and tell them about upcoming yard sales and lost dogs, ask for recommendations for plumbers, and talk about zoning issues affecting your area. The guidelines are similar to talking to your neighbor over the fence: be polite and brief, remember that others can overhear you, and be interesting or informative. To join or leave the eList, send an email to "admin@wgna.net" with the words "join eList" or "leave eList" in the subject line. (Or, you can get a compendium of the day's posts by requesting "digest eList").

And WGNA maintains a website, www.wgna.net, that has gotten about 11,000 "hits" over the past three years. It gives the latest information about goings-on in the community (it is often updated several times a month), and it also provides an archive of past "position papers" and links to a variety of other useful sites (bus and train schedules, trail maps, etc.)

Is your lawn turning brown? Can you pull a patch up with little effort? Are you watering and fertilizing without results? If this is the case, you might be suffering from grubs, along with many of your neighbors in Willow Glen and San Jose. Think back a few months, do you remember turning on your porch light on hot summer evenings and being invaded by copper colored beetles? Those were the infamous "June Bugs" emerging from the soil in May and June in very large numbers. They take to the air at dusk, feed and mate on the foliage of trees and shrubs. At daylight they seek out grassy areas and burrow into the soil where the females lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in a few weeks and for the remainder of the summer the young grubs feed on the roots of your lawn. In the fall, when temps drop they go down deep into the soil and remain there during the winter. In the spring, when the soil warms, they return to the surface and feed ravenously on the roots during spring and summer. This is the second year of their three-year life cycle, causing the greatest damage during this period of their life. Needless to say these little guys can do a lot of damage and this valley if full of them. Contact your local pest control for advice. Good luck!

Well, this is the first newsletter since the May election for the WGNA Board. (Summer is just too busy to write newsletters!) The results were given to the press and also posted on our website (www.wgna.net), but they bear repeating here.

• President: John Gibbs
• 1st Vice President: Helen Solinski
• 2nd Vice President: Sharon Fierro
• Secretary: Margaret Hardy
• Treasurer: Jim Gardner
• Elected Board Members: Lawrence Ames,
  Cathy Marshall, Vern Ladd, and Jim Spence
• Appointed Board Members: Patrick Love and Harold Schapelhouman.

Nominating Committee: Larry Ames (Chair), Kris Cunningham, J. Michael Gonzales, Linda Hershbach, and Ann Leever.

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