Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Sign of the times Originally uploaded by Tom Clifton. Wow! Measure A failed 58% No, 42% Yes. This when the proponents out spent the opponents 100 to 1. While I would like to think that it was my lawn sign that made the difference, I know that it was "You want to raise our sales tax to the highest in the state? I think not!" sentiment that did this measure in. Measure A 2006 was an attempt to rebuild the BART to San Jose egg. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group over sold BART to San Jose in 2000. When the valley's economy crashed in 2001 it became clear that there was no way to complete BART (let alone opperate it) and all of the other promised transit improvements with the funds from the 2000 sales tax increase, more money was needed. Learning that a special quarter cent transit tax would not get the needed 2/3's majority, the BART proponents made a deal with the County. Put a general half cent tax on the ballot, let us take half of it for BART, and we will make sure that it gets passed by the needed 50%+1 majority. Until I saw the election results last night, I assumed that the approach was going to work. Just about everyone endorsed the measure. I figured that it was a done deal. It must have been a kick to the gut for them when Measure A 2006 failed big time. It will be interesting to see how they try to revive BART to San Jose now. 12:35:33 PM

Thursday, January 13, 2005

A few days ago San Jose Inside made its debut. It is a new weblog providing a voice for former Mayor Tom McEnery and Mayor Gonzales' former Chief of Staff Jude Barry. After four days, McEnery has trashed the city government and enlisted the Jim Cunneen, from Chamber of Commerce to call for the ouster of one council member. Unfortunately, there is nothing new here. This blog mimics the San Jose Mercury News as the voice of big business in the silicon valley. Gosh, haven't we heard this? We need blogs from the neighborhoods. We need blogging about the increase in petty crime, about the potholes that don't get fixed, about the cars that race through our neighborhoods. Blogging the news that isn't reported. The men of wealth in the city have found a new outlet to spout their views. Unfortunately it is just more noise. So, the signal from the neighborhoods is lost again. 4:08:05 PM

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Beyond Rakes - A Garden Tool Workshop Saturday, January 29 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM $12.00 members/$15.00 non-members Instructor: Master Gardeners Maybe you have too many tools, or not enough, OR maybe you never seem to have the right tool - whatever the case, the Master Gardeners will provide you with all the information you need to have the right tools for the type of gardening you are involved in. Join us to see what tools are in their sheds and how to keep your tools in great shape. A River Connects it All - the Guadalupe River Park Trails Wednesday, February 2 6:00 - 7:30 PM Free! Instructor: Dennis Korabiak, Program Manager, San Jose Redevelopment Agency The Guadalupe River Park Trails will be completed and open for use this summer, spanning from near 280 by the Children's Discovery Museum to 800 near the airport. Along the trails are nooks and crannies to discover that range from public art to a children's carousel. Dennis will describe the park amenities, the signage plan and have you eager and ready to traverse this great park! The Native Americans of the Guadalupe River Wednesday, February 9 6:30 - 8:30 PM Free! Instructor: Mark Hylkema, Santa Cruz District Archaeologist, California Department of Park and Recreation The coastal Native Americans from Soledad and Monterey to Livermore and San Francisco are collectively called the Ohlone, but are a diverse group of people that encompassed more than 50 triblets, each with their own language variations and traditions. Join Mark to find out more about the local Native Americans and their customs, as well as how they used the abundant resources that surrounded them.. All events will be held at the Guadalupe Garden Center, located at 715 Spring Street. Space is limited, so reserve your spot early by sending a check to: Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, 50 West San Fernando Street, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95113. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted via phone or mail. Refunds for the events will only be made if the event is cancelled or if there is a waiting list. For more information please visit http://www.grpg.org/ or contact Kary Wilson, the Education Coordinator, at education@grpg.org or 408-298-7657. 9:49:33 AM

Monday, January 10, 2005

New Voices Wanted in Citizen Journalism. New Voices, a "pioneering program to seed innovative citizen media ventures around the country," has some money available for promising new ventures. Details here. [Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism] This would be a good opportunity to build on the neighborhood news sites that are slowly cropping up. So far the biggest hurdle seems to be time and volunteer interest. Perhaps a little money could help in the process. Can you imagine San Jose neighborhoods sharing their concerns, notes, and calendars with each other in real time. You wouldn't have to wait for the next UNSCC or DNLF meeting, you could get the information on your neighborhood's website now. If someone wants to jump on this, I can help with technical details. 3:25:20 PM

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Volunteer Coffees Are you looking for new activities, or the opportunity to give something back to your community in 2005? The new year is going to be an exciting one for the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, and we invite you to become involved! Come learn about the variety of volunteer opportunities we have available at one of two one-hour Volunteer Coffees to be held on Tuesday, January 25. One presentation will begin at 11:00 am and the other at 7:00 pm. Both will take place at the Garden Center, 715 Spring Street. These Coffees will be informal gatherings where prospective volunteers will be given an overview of the park's history, design, and development, and specific information on volunteer opportunities. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Lucy Perez, at lperez@grpg.org or 408-298-7657 with questions or to let us know you plan to attend. 1:03:17 PM

Healthy Streets for Healthy People Best Practices in Retrofitting Our Best and Worst Streets Dan Burden Wednesday, January 5, 2005 6:00pm The Little Fox Theatre , Downtown Redwood City $10.00 fee payable at door NO RSVP REQUIRED Bicycle and pedestrian expert DAN BURDEN will be speaking at "The Forum at Redwood City: A Continuing Conversation on City Design" on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2005, from 6:00 - 7:45pm! Don't miss this exciting discussion on Healthy Streets for Healthy People - Best Practices in Retrofitting Our Best and Worst Streets. Please join us for a provocative presentation on how to bring back full and vital health to our neighborhood and town center streets. 12:59:54 PM

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Join the UNC and SUN to help paint a house on Margaret between 7th and 8th St. The woman who owns and lives in this house is 95 and the house is badly in needs of paint and repairs. Members of the Los Gatos Rotary Club have spent a day doing carpentry repairs. The prep work will be done and we will finish up and paint the trim. We are working with Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley on this event. There will be a barbecue for all volunteers sponsored by State Farm Insurance. Volunteer registration is from 8:00 to 10:00 am at Lowell Elementary School at 6th and Reed St. 11:13:36 AM

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

On Wednesday, September 29, 2004 the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens will kick off a year of grand opening celebrations for the long-awaited Guadalupe River Park & Gardens. It's Time to Blow our Horn!, a reception at the Versailles Courtyard, Le Petit Trianon, 72 N. Fifth Street, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, will honor Chris Panopulos, the first President of the Friends of Guadalupe River Park back in 1987, and acknowledge his recent grant of $73,500 to support park programs. The public is invited to join in the celebration. The Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens are also using this event as an opportunity to locate all of those people who have volunteered or worked on the park project over the last three decades, and invite them to participate in opening celebrations throughout 2005. If you have a friend or family member who contributed in some way, even years ago, please call the Friends with his or her current contact information. Tickets for It's Time to Blow our Horn are $25 each, payable to Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens. For information on how to purchase a ticket, or to provide the names of past project supporters, visit www.grpg.org or call 408-277-5998. 12:05:13 PM