Watch Dog Silicon Valley is mentioned/criticized in the Mercury News by columnist Scott Herhold today. The way the Merc. is going however, more people may read this recap of Herhold's piece than the actual paper version...we will have more (much more) to say about this soon. (San Jose Revealed, also criticized, responded this morning...)
And while we are in a self-praise mode, the COWs (Citizens Of Woodside) love Watch Dog too...
An Atherton resident threw her hat in the ring for Governor...in case you missed it yesterday, Watch Dog wrote about it here and here.
San Jose’s airport will see Mayor Chuck Reed racing through tonight as he catches a red-eye to D.C. in order to meet up with Mayors Antonio Villaragosa (LA) and Jerry Sanders (San Diego). The three will lobby Congress for sending some of those stimulus dollars California's way. Reed hates to travel and says, "…this is my nightmare version of it," but "it's an important trip, or else I wouldn't be doing it." Pressing his Green Vision, Reed will ask for money for clean tech and green jobs, perhaps still hoping/praying to get Tesla into San Jose. As a reminder, you should probably check out this piece that ran in the Metro about the Mayor's D.C. plans. Judging from the timing, it looks like Reed is being dragged to D.C. as opposed to pulling others with him...Reed's original plans were to trek to D.C. in late February/early March...
In the final dramatic change to the County’s dependency courts, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s will no longer represent children. That job now belongs to LACY – Legal Advocates for Children and Youth. The Merc. published a series “Broken Families, Broken Courts” which put the juvenile court system under the spotlight. Judge Katherine Lucero said, “We were very, very impressed with LACY, and it was a unanimous decision. We felt that LACY had a very whole-child approach." That quote would suggest that the DA's office did not...
The Saratoga City Council talked for 30 minutes before approving a fence ordinance that their Planning Commission spent 16 months to hammer out during numerous community meetings. While Councilmember Kathleen King expressed frustration at the time involved she said, “…I can see how much time they put into this ordinance.” Councilmember Jill Hunter said she was nervous about approving the ordinance because fences are so contentious in her neighborhood and expressed surprise that only two community members appeared at the Council meeting to discuss the proposal. Perhaps community members were adding in a few last minute inches and feet on their fences...
What does former Los Gatos Councilmember Steve Glickman have against libraries? While on Council he repeatedly attempted to prevent the Council from moving forward according to Mayor Mike Wasserman who says, "I'm really disappointed. We've had so many public meetings — probably a dozen — and we've had surveys done, and in every case support for the library was high." Now Glickman is hoping to put a ballot measure that would limit Los Gatos’ ability to spend money on capital projects. Weird, since he supported this capital project...
Gilroy held the first public meeting on a Sunshine Ordinace and no one showed up, or almost no one. Councilmember Perry Woodward, who won his seat campaigning against secrecy was there along with Mayor Al Pinheiro. Their colleague, Councilmember Peter Arellano, was stuck in New Mexico. City Administrator Tom Haglund said, "We're working through implementing the ordinance consistent with all of its provisions and we'll continue to do that..." No one from the public was in attendance and the meeting ended 15 minutes after it began. Perhaps the sunshine was keeping people from Sunshine...
The entertaining line of the year may go to Morgan Hill Times reporter Natalie Everett who wrote, “Asking the city's Business Assistance and Housing Services Department how successful they are at attracting and retaining businesses in the current economy is like asking a tugboat captain how he fares in the high seas during a storm.” Department Director Garrett Toy laid out what they don’t control – demographics, population, developers, and property owners before saying the department is only a small factor. Toy accounts for their success in bringing (and keeping) business with an aggressive marketing and retention program combined with tweaking things in their control.
Sally Lieber gets good press in the Mountain View Voice with a very friendly story about the former Councilmember/former Assemblymember/former Speaker Pro Tem’s improbable rise to power. Councilmember Mike Kasperzak said, "Sally and I disagree politically on some things, But I would never accuse Sally of taking the safe way out." Hey Mike, Lieber not running for Supervisor seemed like the 'safe way out.'
Google is making good on its goal to push the green agenda. The Google PowerMeter will help residents watch their household energy usage. The goal is to create the “Prius effect” with homeowners striving to push consumption down once they see it in realtime. The software works with the smart meters being rolled out by PG&E. Googler Michael Terrell, an energy program manager has it at his house, he says, "I'm driving my friends crazy. I'm really into the data,” as he yanks incandescent bulbs that prove to be energy hogs.
Trying to buck the trend of the anonymous, chain coffeehouse, and the dreary economy, Frank and Carole Rast reconfigured her parents aging and unused gas station into a hopping Japantown meeting spot, Roy’s Station Coffee & Teas. Roy Murotsone’s family bought the gas station after being released from WWII internment camps in Arizona. The family ran the gas station and attached diner. Opened yesterday, the updated neighborhood roost saw San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo and attorney Daniel Mayfield enjoying coffee while 5 year-old Madeline Gorman celebrated her birthday.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
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