Morning News Round-Up -- 8.19.09: "I coulda been a contenda..."

San Jose Inside’s Fly and Watch Dog both received email from San Jose Council contender Pam Foley saying that she’s no longer a contender. Foley say that when a “thoughtful, ethical, and committed” leader does jump into the race she might endorse. Ouch… Fly anticipates Redevelopment staffer/ Cambrian School Board member/ Rose Herrera (interim) Chief of Staff and (very handsome man) Donald Rocha could leap in to fill the gap. Foley could have been the chief contender...



Earthquakes/A’s owner Lew Wolff wants those soccer fans to show their colors but doesn’t “...give a damn...” what the fans say about the Quakes losing streak. Wolff’s soccer fans (apparently) aren’t ready to cough up the $5 million in annual sponsorship (yet).

Watch Dog loves garbage, it’s nice to see the Merc’s Patty Fisher joining us in the garbage buzz. Fisher is desperately trying to recycle Styrofoam – seems no one wants the flammable, carcinogen containing petroleum product. Perhaps Manny Diaz (a.k.a. Mr. Chemistry Council) has a place for it...

An interesting note about San Jose construction projects, the (over) $9 million cost overrun on San Jose’s police substation is one of hundreds of projects exceeding cost projections. Hundreds?
That sounds like great planning. Bobby Lopez is going to be really pissed now...

San Jose “made a lot of progress,” according to Sunshine Task Force Chair Ed Rast, letting the sun shine on communications but in critical areas calls for “…maintenance of the status quo…” Translation, most of the stuff City Council will make public through City law, is already public. Next up for discussion, ths psky txt msgs. San Jose Inside follows the texting drama and fills us in that the library now takes text queries. That will be good news for lobbyists who want to use the library...

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is looking forward to her Town Hall – sans healthcare. Eshoo has picked another thorny subject to keep constituents hopping – High Speed Rail. On the Peninsula, she may want to have a healthcare Town Hall...

The report card is in on California schools with the annual (dreaded) STAR report. Silicon Valley schools did slightly better than average. Morgan Hill and Gilroy are celebrating their “slight improvement.”

The least the nasty quagga and zebra mussels could do is make good eats. Instead, they’re a nasty pest keeping pissed off boaters cleaning, scrapping and out of Vasona Lake and Lexington Reservoir.

One step closer to a shared stadium? The 49ers and Oakland Raiders shared the scrimmage field for a work out for the second year.

San Jose (perv) dentist Benva Oshana Lazar keeps his dental practice going while Santa Clara County prosecutors look for more victims of Lazar’s special teeth cleaning/breast exams. If your teeth weren’t the only ones touched give San Jose Police Detective Dawn Marchetti a call at 408-277-4102.

The heat is on in San Jose this weekend. No, no one is calling out the City Council’s (mock) Sunshine. According to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro, it’s the time of year for Salsa to reign. Pizarro also dishes San Jose’s City Hall introduction to Bollywood has hit the big screen in Santa Clara.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo “reluctantly” celebrates infusion of $2 million Federal stimulus bucks into the district.

Protect San Jose Tuesday blogger/ Sunshine Chair Ed Rast takes a stab at promoting performance service objectives for San Jose, pointing to Sunnyvale as a leader.