FORUM for SANTA CLARA COUNTY re. SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 4 CANDIDATES WGNA will be hosting on Thursday 10 May 2018 at the Starlite Banquet Facility, Willow Glen/San Jose, 680 Minnesota Ave, 95125. All candidates are participating, including Mike Alvarado, Jason Baker, Dominic Caserta, Susan Ellenberg, Maria Hernandez, Pierluigi Oliverio, and Don Rocha. The moderator will be Teresa Alvarado.

WGNA's next Board & Membership meeting on Thursday 12 April 2018 will include CORE Builders as the guest speakers on the topic of Affordable Housing projects in our area.  This is part two of our "Urban Living" presentations.  Paul Ring, V.P. of Development at Core Companies, will be the presenter. Our meeting will be hosted at 7:00 PM in the community room of the Willow Glen Public Library, located on Minnesota Avenue. It's an open house meeting, and everyone is invited to join. One of the major projects to be discussed by the guest speaker will be the Laurel Grove Family Apartments, located adjacent to the San Jose Diridon Transit Center, a major transit hub with access to both regional and local transportation, as well as free shuttles to the downtown core.  Laurel Grove is the first project in Santa Clara County to be awarded funding from the state's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) loan and grant program, which is administered by the Strategic Growth Council and implemented by the California State Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD).  Laurel Grove also received a loan from HCD's Transit Oriented Development program.  This is the first housing project in San Jose to be Bay-Friendly Landscaping rated by ReScape California, a nonprofit organization that recognizes excellence in sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance practices. CORE Builders will also present the nearby Race Street and Tamien Station Housing projects.   Race Street includes 206 units of 100% Affordable Housing in Midtown San Jose.  Tamien Station Housing is a mixed Transit Oriented Development (TOD) with affordable units for seniors and veterans.  The guest may also talk about other area projects, such as the Delmas Park Apartments, Agrihood, Sparq, etc.   Established in 1989, The Core Companies is a major builder in the San Francisco Bay area.  Since its inception Core has developed more than 400 single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums, as well as 2,300 apartment units all within the South Bay region. In the last decade, Core has developed 17 properties with a total development cost of approximately $500 million. SaveSave

Next Open House Board & Membership Meeting  March 8,2018 Thursday; Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Subject: Urban Living — Market Rate Housing; Midtown & Willow Glen; comprising aprox. 1,540 units totalPresenter: Konstantin Voronin, Republic Urban Properties, Inc.Developing projects around the Willow Glen Planning Area: Meridian at Midtown, condominiums, approx. 220 units Ohlone Towers (3), condominiums, approx. 880 units Del Monte Park, soccer field, and dog park Tamien Station Towers (2), approx. 440 Units A Transit Village, with daycare center Tamien Neighborhood Park  Presentation begins at 7:40 PM to 8:10 PM  

Open House Monthly Board & Membership Meeting With the February Guest Speaker THE EARLY PIONEERS THAT MAPPED WILLOW GLEN & SAN JOSE HISTORY — WED 07 FEBRUARY 2018 Local historian April Hope Halberstadt will be the guest speaker at the next Board and Membership Meeting of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association - WGNA [also see us on Facebook]Join us for this "Open House" meeting on the second Wednesday 07 February 2018 at 7:00 - 9:00 PM in the community room of the Willow Glen Public Library [also see the location on Facebook].Note: Our meetings are usually on the second Thursday of the month, but the schedule has been changed for this particular event. Halberstadt will talk all about Willow Glen History, as well as the surrounding areas, with a few other new stories that are not included in her original book, "The Willow Glen Neighborhood, Then and Now". She will particularly focus on the early pioneers, including some of those who are often overlooked. This should be an interesting follow up to Halberstadt's previous work. You can also add the Facebook Event to your calendar: Facebook.

  Letter to the City & Decision at City Hall — WGNA Request to SJ City Council Districts 3 & 6 re. Safe Crossings on Bird Avenue TO: Councilmember Raul Peralez (D3) & Dev Heinert Davis (D6) SUBJECT: Improve Public Safety for primary school children attending Gardner Academy School on Illinois Avenue at Auzerais Avenue. Two major intersections along a California State Roadway — Bird Avenue — are unsafe crossings. First, there is Auzerais at Bird Avenue; and secondly, Virginia Street at Bird Avenue. ACTION REQUESTED: California State Senator Jim Beall, Jr. is requesting that the City of San Jose, Department of Transportation (DOT), conduct a traffic study of these two intersections. Once the studies are completed, the state of California will take on the necessary improvements to make these intersections safe for primary school children to cross. The timing of these two studies is very important. Please get back to me within the next twelve working days with a resolution. That is, confirm a date and time when these two studies will be scheduled and expected to be completed. We would appreciate a copy of any correspondence sent to the San Jose DOT team, and their responses. The Bird Avenue roadway has become increasingly busy, and with all the recent developments beginning at the north of the intersections, West San Carlos Street at Bird Avenue/ Montgomery Streets traffic will increase dramatically. The intersection of Auzerais Street, Bird Avenue and Interstate 280 (i.e., the on and off ramps) is already very dangerous.   See a JPEG version of WGNA's letter to the city here.   NOTICE: This item will be decided at the Rules and Open Government Committee in San Jose City Hall, on the Agenda for 2/14/2018.  See the particulars in the below table: File #: ROGC 18-094    Version: 1  Type:  Rules Committee Reviews, Recommendations, and Approvals  Status: Agenda Ready File created: 2/8/2018 On agenda:  2/14/2018  In control: Joint Meeting for the Rules and Open Government Committee and Committee of the Whole Title:  Autumn, Montgomery and Bird Corridor Study. (Peralez/Davis) Attachments: 1. Memorandum, 2. Letter from the Public  

Speak Out on California High Speed Rail —Rail Transport Right-of-Way into San Jose Join us at the next Board and Membership Meeting of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association.  This will be an "Open House" meeting on the second Thursday 11 January 2018 at 7:00 PM in the community room of the Willow Glen Public Library [also see the location on Facebook]. The guest speaker will be none other than the California High-Speed Rail Authority [Facebook]. Raise your questions and issues — sit in, listen in, and speak out on the rail transport right-of-ways into San Jose and how it will impact your neighborhood. What are your concerns? What do you want to say? This is your time to give feedback to the rail authority without the fuss of big city hall proceedings. You have your opportunity right here in your neighborhood to discuss with your neighbors and the authority that oversees rail development. [Also see the Facebook event]See the meeting Agenda here. Suggested video for viewing, "Opt 1 Lick Quarry to Pacheco Pass" (offsite on YouTube).

    Willow Glen Neighborhood Association hosted a special Town Hall Meeting in the Gardner Neighborhood on the second Thursday, 14 December 2017 at 7:00 pm.   The Town Hall Meeting Agenda can be found here. The Town Hall Meeting Notes can be found here.           NOTE: this was not our usual meeting location.  Instead, this particular meeting occurred at the Gardner Academy school at 502 Illinois Avenue, San Jose 95125. Continue reading

Willow Glen Neighborhood Association & Archie’s Army invite you to join fellow neighborhood seniors on an escorted bus tour and walkthrough of Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose; and a bus tour through the Fantasy of Lights at Vasona Park.  🍕PIZZA PARTY & beverage social before at 3:30 PM🍕 Participating residents of ❄️ THE VILLAGE of WILLOW GLEN ❄️ SUMMERCREST ❄️ SIENNA senior living facilities.  Escorted by docents. Charter buses depart at 4:30 pm from the Village of Willow Glen, 465 Willow Glen Way, San Jose, CA 95125.  Activities should finish by 8:00 pm. Continue reading

WGNA's next Monthly Board & Membership Meeting is scheduled for the second Thursday, 09 November 2017 at the Willow Glen Public Library branch at 7:00 pm.Our guest speaker will be talking about all the ways that we connect people and provide solutions to travel and a better quality of life. Brandi Childress is the current Media and Public Affairs Manager at the Valley Transportation Authority of Santa Clara County.  How do you make your daily transportation connections? That's whether it's by a car on the streets and highways, VTA light rail, or by regional transportation systems like BART, ACE and Cal Train?  What about the future California High-Speed Rail?More of us are traveling to the area using the local bikeways, if not walking and jogging on the public trails.If you're like many people in the San Francisco Bay Area, you probably make use of several modes of travel.  We will discuss how to make those transportation connections in what's become a modern-day multi-modal environment.  That's whether it's in the traditional neighborhoods, or in the newer transit-oriented developments (TODs) and urban villages.  We'll talk about your own community ties-in with the various neighborhoods in the city, county, and greater region.  Learn how your neighborhood works within the greater context of the regional urban ecology, and how our local hub connects within the greater transportation system. Santa Clara County and the greater Bay Area has a developing transportation hierarchy of which there are many options and layers.  Do you mostly choose a single occupancy vehicle and commute daily on the congested highways?  Do you carpool with family members, co-workers, or fellow students?  We'll consider what determines our individual choices and options. We will discuss the current availability and growing demand for multi-modal travel, including everything from bicycle routes to the public transit options.  Wherever we currently live or desire to move, can we all work-in with the "complete streets" and "livable communities" initiative?  More people want to live and work in complete neighborhoods that include all the amenities of quality of life, reduced commuter distances, etc. Young or old, healthy and green ways of life are in demand as more people find ways to fit in hiking, jogging, bicycling, and Safe Routes to School.  It's part of the daily routines of modern-day work, family, and social life. The proximity to transportation lines and public trails — plus safe and efficient routes — is affecting residential and commercial land values because more people are seeking their accessibility.  It's part of the greater question concerning livability as we all realize the great squeeze in the Bay Area's jobs-housing balance. Even when we're on our day off from work — or taking an extended holiday or business trip — the San Francisco Bay Area has a significant and growing interest in travel and tourism.  That's especially as it relates to our national heritage region; business and conventions; trade and distribution; etc.  Transporation from the airport, to train stations, and into the neighborhoods is a significant part of our travel plans, which is either for business or leisure. All of these areas of interest and more will things to think about at our next meeting.  We encourage your participation, including questions, concerns, and feedback. 

WGNA's next Monthly Board & Membership Meeting is scheduled for the second Thursday, 12 October 2017 at the Willow Glen Public Library branch at 7:00 pm. A guest presentation will feature Devin Gianchandani and Heba El-Guendy, program managers of the City of San Jose's Department of Transportation (DOT). Together, they will provide us information on the Vision Zero and Street Smarts programs, and how the city is creating transportation improvements in the neighborhood, as well as safe, livable streets. Devin Gianchandani will answer questions pertaining to the City of San Jose's bicycle/pedestrian program and adult encouragement programs, which is in addition to providing an overview and schedule of the Department of Transportation's paving and complete street project on Willow Glen's Minnesota Avenue. He will lead a discussion of safety concerns at Minnesota/Hicks and Minnesota/Lincoln Avenues. Devin Gianchandani has dedicated his professional career toward efforts that promote environmental and transportation sustainability. He has an educational background in Environmental Science and a Masters of Science in Transportation Management.  Gianchandani currently leads the City of San Jose's "Transportation Options Program" which includes an "Encouragement and Education" team that encourages the use of alternatives to driving alone, such as transit, carpooling, walking and bicycling; and a "Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities" team that is focused on planing and implementation of high quality pedestrian and bicycle facilities to support the City's ambitious mode shift and safety goals.  Prior to working for the City, he worked as an Associate Planner and then as the Regional Rideshare Manager with RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, and prior to that, he worked as a Transportation Planner with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency. Heba El-Guendy will describe the San Jose Vision Zero Program including its core principles.  She will also present information on collisions data and trends, along with the City’s efforts to address safety issues in terms of engineering, education, evaluation and enforcement efforts.   Heba El-Guendy is San Jose's Vision Zero Program Manager and has over 25 years of transportation experience in both the public and private sectors.  Her experience is in the areas of transportation planning, traffic engineering and roadway design including:  complete streets, bicycle/pedestrian improvement projects, safe routes to school programs, traffic calming, ITS, traffic impact analyses, and grant application/administration.  She is also experienced in community outreach, and educational and engagement programs.  El-Guendy has a Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Transportation Planning, and she is a licensed Traffic Engineer in California.  SAN JOSE VISION ZERO "A traffic safety initiative to eliminate deaths and severe injuries on our roadways as soon as possible!  One traffic death is one too many.  Vision Zero is our City's commitment to prioritize street safety.  Achieving the Vision Zero goal will Take All Of Us!" Go to the City of San Jose's official Vision Zero web page: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/VisionZero Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety initiative aiming to achieve a road and highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries.  The movement began in the 1990s in Sweden, was approved by their parliament in 1997 and has since been implemented across Europe, as well as many major cities in the United States and other nations of the world. "A core principle of the vision is that 'Life and health can never be exchanged for other benefits within the society' rather than the more conventional comparison between costs and benefits, where a monetary value is placed on life and health, and then that value is used to decide how much money to spend on a road network towards the benefit of decreasing how much risk." Go to the official Vision Zero Network web page: http://visionzeronetwork.org (also on Facebook) STREET SMARTS "The City of San José started the STREET SMARTS program for schools and neighborhoods. This traffic safety education program is designed to get people thinking to help make our streets safer.  "Whether you’re a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a driver, your behavior plays a huge role in keeping our streets safe. The STREET SMARTS program brings education into the equation by building awareness, offering safety tips, and reminding all of us to take responsibility for our actions on the road. "Street Smarts is focused on: Speeding Red light running Stop sign running School zone safety Crosswalk safety and compliance "The first three behaviors are the leading causes of accidents in San José, and the last two address our most vulnerable populations — school kids and pedestrians. Our goal is to encourage people to adopt new attitudes and behaviors that will make our streets, roads, and highways safer and friendlier for everyone who uses them. It’s just another way we can respect the community in which we live!" Go to the City's official Street Smarts web page: http://www.getstreetsmarts.org/street_smarts/   We invite you to attend with all your questions and comments... and to participate.   

Seasonally, every year, Walk to School returns in autumn, and  Bike to School in the spring.  This national event is organized locally by Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village (Facebook) in partnership with the National Center for Safe Routes to School (Facebook), and Willow Glen Neighborhood Association – WGNA (Facebook) is a regular co-sponsor.      WHO: PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS for the Willow Glen event include: Willow Glen Elementary; River Glen School K-8; Ernesto Galarza Elementary; and Hammer Montessori Elementary.  (Note: in the below, also see a separate event and venue for nearby Washington Elementary School). WHEN & WHERE: At 7:00 AM on Thursday 11 October 2017, students, parents, and teachers will meet with others in the community at the Bank of America Parking Lot on Lincoln Avenue. We will all “Walk to School” from that location after a morning reception.Join children & adults around the world to celebrate the benefits of walking: ● Encouraging a child’s next stage of independence● Physical activity● Teaching safe pedestrian & bicycling skills to children● Awareness of how walkable & bikable community improvements can be made● Concern for the environment Reducing traffic congestion, pollution & speed near schools● Sharing time with community leaders, parents & children● Creating joy and fun!● Promoting psychological well-being and alertness● Fostering maturation and responsibility● Creating habits of activity, empowerment and thinking differently  

  WGNA's 14th of SEP BOARD MEETING & PRESENTATION: THE JOBS-HOUSING BALANCE; & PARTICIPATORY PLANNING WGNA's next Monthly Board & Membership Meeting is scheduled for the second Thursday, 14 September 2017 at the Willow Glen Public Library branch at 7:00 pm. A guest presentation will feature Rosalynn Hughey, Interim Director of the City of San Jose's Department Planning, Building & Code Enforcement. She will provide us with information on the topic of Participatory Planning, and the Jobs-Housing Balance.  SAN JOSE LEADS THE JOBS-HOUSING IMBALANCE "By far, the most egregiously imbalanced cities in the Bay Area are San Jose, which has 203,576 more jobs than housing units, and San Francisco, which has 154,595 more jobs than housing units. By comparison, the imbalance for the entire rest of the Bay Area is 692,864 more jobs than housing units. So, those two cities alone account for 34% of the Bay Area’s jobs to housing imbalance." Quoted from Curbed SF (also on Facebook).  See the below-related article from their website and blog: We Found which Bay Area cities aren't pulling their weight on housing: An exclusive analysis of regional jobs and housing with surprising conclusions by Scott Lucas, October 12, 2016. PARTICIPATORY PLANNING is "an urban planning paradigm that emphasizes involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development. Participatory planning aims to harmonize views among all of its participants as well as prevent conflict between opposing parties. In addition, marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in the planning process." See here from Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_planning We invite you to attend with all your questions and comments... and to participate.   

EYES ON THE STREET: WGNA's 10th of AUGUST BOARD MEETING ON PUBLIC SAFETY WGNA's next Monthly Board & Membership Meeting is scheduled for the second Thursday, 10 August 2017 at the Willow Glen Public Library branch at 7:00 pm.  A guest presentation will feature Mini Le from the San Jose Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit. She will provide us with information on the topic of "Community Safety".  This is a participatory meeting and presentation with the related theme of "Eyes on the Street", a popular phrase coined by Jane Jacobs, who is the well-known author and activist in urban studies and sociology. Jacob's reference takes community safety and neighborhood watch programs to the next level, adding that sense of personal care and attention, or what we often call "natural surveillance".  The idea is that, in a well designed urban ecology, people can participate and"keep eyes on the street" so as to be caring and mindful of each other, and thus keeping each other out of harm's way. It's about creating a caring environment. We invite you to attend with all your questions and comments... and to participate. We'll keep an eye out for you! See you there! #WillowGlen #SanJoseCA #SanJose #WGNA #WGNAsj #SJPD #WillowGlenCares #PublicSafety #EyesOnTheStreet #JaneJacobs #NeighborhoodWatch  #UrbanEcologyWGNA#UrbanEcology #Police #UrbanDesign #WGNAUrbanDesignVision#UrbanSociology #CrimePrevention  

     A HEARING FOR "SUPPORT TEACHER HOUSING" OCCURS on AUGUST 8th at CITY HALL: This cause for affordable teacher housing is asking for your support, as well as for you to show up in good numbers at city hall.  Join teachers, educators, neighborhood parents, and students! HERE ARE THE EVENT DETAILS:San Jose City Council Decision (Council Agenda item)Tuesday, August 8th @ 6:00 PM City of San Jose Council Chambers200 E. Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113 CURRENT STATUS, PROGRESS & TIMELINE"Support Teacher Housing" won the first round, but now the real fight begins. On Tuesday, August 8, the San Jose City Council will hear the case and deliver a final vote on whether the project can continue. If the mayor and council members vote against Support Teacher Housing, the project will be terminated.  It's the only project of its kind known in San Jose at this time, while other cities in the region, the state, and the nation are making similar plans.  If SJ City Hall votes in support, then the city joins a statewide and national movement to improve teacher recruitment and retention, our city's and county's teacher diversity, and the overall quality classroom experience. The cause is not yet over and "SUPPORT TEACHER HOUSING" asks you to sign-on, sit-in, speak-out, and spread the word. For additional information email: [email protected].   Sign on at the SupportTeacherHousing.org website, and see the Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates. On Wednesday 24 May, a community of teachers, parents, and local families took on the Planning Department and won.  In addition to the first 300 people who signed up as supporters online, and the 80 who came to the hearing to show their support, and the 50 who spoke at the hearing, Support Teacher Housing is still campaigning its cause, and they're campaigning for real crowd numbers in the showing at city hall, or letters to the council members and mayor. FYI: comprehensive review of Support Teacher Housing can be found at the website of Stakeholder's for a Safe Green Village, here. #SupportTeacherHousing #WillowGlen #SanJose #SantaClaraCounty #SJUSD #SanJoseCA#LincolnAvenueSJ  #SJCityHall #SJCityCouncil#StakeholdersSGV#WGNAsj #WGNA APOYA VIVIENDAS DE MAESTROShttp://supportteacherhousing.org Apúntense — Acompañanos — Haga Oír Su Voz AYUNTAMIENTO de SAN JOSÉ — Cámaras del ConsejoRESERVA LA FECHA — 08 de AGOSTO  #SupportTeacherHousing #ViviendasDeMaestros #ApoyaViviendasDeMaestros#WillowGlen #SanJose    

National Night Out returns to Willow Glen on Tuesday 01 August 2017.   The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association will be organizing the event with this year's host, the Willow Glen Creamery, at the Willow Glen Town Square on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street.   Thanks to this year's host, free ice cream will be offered to every guest that participates, 6:30 to 8:00 PM..National Night Out is a national program (trademarked) by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW).  It occurs annually on the first Tuesday of August.  NATW describes the event as "an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live."   Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwideCoordinated by local police departments and grassroots organizers in every city across the United States, this is a community-based event with the purpose of awareness-raising, partnership, and neighborhood development. In agreement with National Night out themes, WGNA will also host its next Board Meeting and guest speaker presentation on Thursday 10 August with the San Jose Police Department on the topic of neighborhood watch, and other anti-crime efforts. "National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances." 

WGNA's next Monthly Board & Membership Meeting is scheduled for the second Thursday, 08 June 2017 at the Willow Glen Public Library branch at 7:00 pm. A guest presentation will feature the city of San Jose's Trail Manager, Yves Zsutty, of the department of Parks, Recreation, & Neighborhood Services (PRNS).   He will provide us with a Trails Update for the Willow Glen Planning Area and its connecting areas.   This is a participatory meeting and presentation, and we invite you to attend with all your questions and comments.#WillowGlen #SanJoseCA #SanJose #WGNA #WGNAsj #PRNS#SanJosePRNS #Trails #Parks  #UrbanEcologyWGNA#UrbanEcology #ThreeCreeksTrail #LosGatosCreekTrail#GuadalpeTrail

The Annual General Meeting and Board Election for the 2017-2018 term was rescheduled for Thursday 25 May 2017 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, but a Nominating Committee Report was made by Ed Rast, Chairperson on the 11 May 2017 monthly meeting.  Below, see an image of the information poster used for public notice of the Annual Board Meeting & Election for the 2017-2018 term; or, click here to view it as a downloadable PDF formatted document. Click here to view the Agenda for the Annual Board Meeting & Election for the 2017-2018 term, which has been expanded from what's seen on the poster. Click here to view to Minutes for the Annual Board Meeting & Election for the 2017-2018 term.  [Note: minutes will be posted when approved by the board and nominating committee].    [EDITOR'S NOTE to the original article: The Annual General Meeting and Board Election for the 2017-2018 term were rescheduled for Thursday 25 May 2017, but a Nominating Committee Report was made by Ed Rast, Chairperson at the 11 May 2017 monthly meeting.  May 11th was the originally scheduled date for the Annual General Meeting, but it was moved to May 25th because a number of board members were away from town, or on sick leave; therefore, the board could not meet a necessary quorum.]