Morning News Round-Up -- 5.7.10: Giving up a touchdown to the Red Wings...

Well, the Sharks run of great games ended last night as they gave up a touch down to the Red Wings. They are still up 3-1 in the series..

Watch Dog predicted it... the Morgan Hill American flag t-shirt story has gone viral and national. Here's what we wrote yesterday:

This will be a controversial issue that will likely make Fox News, the Rush Limbaugh Show, and probably spark a Tea Party rally as well.

Speaking of Tea Party-lover (Pegram)...

San Jose's District 9 gets the write up today after Districts 1/3, 5, and 7 got some ink earlier in the week. Don Rocha - the handsome one, Jim Cogan - the Constant one, Larry Pegram - the right wing whacko one, Robert Cortese - the karaoki one, and Cueva, Greer, and Trout - the ones also running... Perhaps with all the City Council races going in, Terry Christensen gets his City Council Districts mixed up with this quote: "This is a lower-key and less-engaged district than some..." Of course, based on the amount of research Watch Dog does, which is very little, it seems more people vote in District 9 than in almost any other City Council District, but why let facts get in the way of a good quote Mr. Christensen...

Speaking of City Council races, the San Jose District 7 race gets a big write up in the Metro/San Jose Inside with Minh Duong as the central antagonist... Madison better watch out, Duong has a District map with push-pins in it...

Speaking of local races with a write up in the Metro, we also learn that Jeff Rosen and Dolores Carr can't even look at each other in the eye... and no, that isn't a short joke Mr. Rosen...

The Governor was in town yesterday for a Laurie Smith fundraiser... remember when it was a big deal with the Governor came to town?

We all know that the Governor's boyfriend Abel Maldonado is now the Lt. Governor... and that the Governor wants Maldo's seat filled with two special elections, one in June and one in August, but a new lawsuit may hold up those elections...

If Carly Fiorina hadn't already alienated every single in the Bay Area, she appears to be appealing to the most far-right of right... because Sarah Palin endorsed her. Well, from one unqualified candidate to another... It's like getting the old McCain band back together again... (There are many, many jokes to tell...)

Santa Clara's power plant on Robert Avenue is up and running again after being under Cal-OSHA's watchful eye for the past couple of months. Here is the exact right thing to say after you've been under investigation and closed down for several months by Cal-OSHA, "Our interactions with OSHA were positive and constructive." That's from Larry Owens from Silicon Valley Power. As if someone would say that their interactions with OSHA were negative and unconstructive...

While we're on utilities, the Merc's Editorial Board thought the Water District was righting its governance ship... but then the redistricting came out and now the Ed Board says that they "must reject gerrymandering"... the City of Gilroy agrees...

The City of Campbell has a plan to right its financial ship... and it includes cuts and "revenue enhancements" which are not nearly as robust as other kinds of enhancements...

Anti-High-Speed Rail folks have a new picture for the center of their dart board as a new CEO was named... Roelof van Ark... who will make $375,000, which seems low considering all the NIMBY meetings this guy is going to have to sit through up and down the Peninsula...

Mr. van Ark is coming on just in time for a new lawsuit from the duel NIMBY capitals of the Bay Area, Atherton and Menlo Park...

From fast trains to very, very slow trains... VTA is looking to make some lightrail trains express to drive ridership. Sounds like a pretty good idea to us, since we once beat a VTA train in a race and we were on foot.

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.7.10: San Jose A's won in extra innings...

Big news on the San Jose baseball front... Bob DuPuy, a senior executive of Major League Baseball had lunch with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed on Monday. That has to be a good sign. No word on what they ate... but the fact that Mr. DuPuy had lunch in San Jose rather than Oakland on Opening Day is probably more important...

Big news on the 49ers in Santa Clara front too... Cedar Fair will not be sold to a private equity firm after all, which means Great America will still be owned by Cedar Fair, and Cedar Fair doesn't like the 49ers one bit. Perhaps the EJR (Enemies of James Rowen) will get some political cash behind their cause... Less newsworthy on the 49ers front is that Councilmembers Will Kennedy and Jamie McLeod are opposing it... and wrote about their opposition in a Merc Op-Ed today. It isn't easy being on the wrong side of history... This hints to Watch Dog that a glowing, pro-49ers Editorial is in the works, perhaps for Sunday's paper.

Big (and head-scratching) news on the political front having to do with Mayor Chuck Reed. He is endorsing Richard Calderon for Sheriff over incumbent Laurie Smith. This just proves that the Mayor will listen to any advice Vic Ajlouny gives him, even if it makes absolutely no sense. Watch Dog predicts Reed will soon endorse Vic's other client, San Jose City Council District 9 candidate Larry Pegram... (Even though Pegram raised virtually no money up to now.) More on Richard Calderon is forthcoming on this blog... stay tuned.

In other endorsement/announcement news, the South Bay Labor Council's Committee on Political Education (COPE) made their endorsements for the June ballot. They endorsed Forrest Williams, Madison Nguyen, Xavier Campos -- also known as the "brain trust"... They made an "open endorsement" of Don Rocha and Jim Cogan in District 9, which means individual unions can choose who they like as long as they stay are far away from Larry Pegram as everyone else is, except the Mayor. They made no endorsement in the re-election campaigns of Pete Constant, Sam Liccardo, or Mayor Reed... Here's the full list, not a lot of surprises.

Attention San Jose: Los Angeles could go broke by June 30. That should send fiscal shock waves through the state...

In an effort to not go broke by June 30, the San Jose City Council will make kids and families suffer this summer without (most) City-run pools...

Gilroy is also trying not to go broke, and how they are doing it is going to make public safety officials throughout the County nervous... Gilroy is putting a ballot measure to voters that would repeal binding arbitration for their firefighters...

More strict rules on alcohol in restaurants in downtown Morgan Hill are on the horizon. As if you needed another reason not to go to downtown Morgan Hill. (Just kidding Councilmember Carr...)

Until tomorrow loyal readers...

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.9.10: More bad news for SJC...

It has been a month of stories about SJC. We learned that they don't really fly to the East Coast except once a day. We learned that Frontier Airlines is pulling out. We learned they are asking (begging?) companies to pick up the tab for their grand opening. And then yesterday's Study Session at the San Jose City Council. Bill Sherry, the Airport Director, told the City Council that SJC might fail unless some things change... like living wage, or privatizing custodial services, or lifting the curfew. Why? Well, there is $32 million of debt service due soon and the airport can't pay it. Um, this isn't getting any better, just more and more pathetic.

On San Jose Inside, San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio let's us know that absolutely does NOT want to lift SJC's curfew... neither do any of his neighbors.

From one very expensive project that is failing, to another that will (hopefully) succeed. The mitigations fo the environmental impacts of the 49ers stadium will be dealt with and voted on today. If you love nitty gritty of land-use, head to the Santa Clara City Council meeting tonight. If you're normal, American Idol is on tonight...

A list came out of the lowest performing (failing) schools came out yesterday. It is a list that nobody wanted to be on... but here is who is on the list:

• Hoover Middle and Burnett Middle (San Jose Unified)
• Cesar Chavez Elementary, Ocala Middle, Joseph George Middle (Alum Rock) Escuela Popular Charter (East Side Union High School District)
• August Boeger Middle School (Mount Pleasant Elementary School District)

Libraries are under the knife (potentially) in San Jose. An OpEd in today's Merc makes the case why they shouldn't be cut... like the obvious, it is where many people look for jobs and many people don't have jobs right now.

The Merc's Scott Herhold looks at what government officials drive and on whose dime... Here's what we learn about government-funded rides: Supervisor Don Gage drives a very expensive, environment-be-damned GMC Yukon because he's a "big guy"... DA Dolores Carr goes for a foreign, luxury car -- an Acura TL... Sheriff Laurie Smith, a hybrid Camry. But the best part of the column is this tease by Scott Herhold: "...District Attorney Dolores Carr, who drives a $36,900 Acura TL (2007) with a power moon roof, a navigation system and heated front seats. That purchase required approval by the county executive's office — which I'll explain in an upcoming column..." Yay! More Carr columns coming...

Big props to Morgan Hill Police for arresting two of their "Most Wanted"...

Hangar One clean up and revamp will fall on NASA, not the Navy. That's not great news...

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.8.10: When the Saints...

If you didn't check Watch Dog after you read the Morning News Round-Up on Friday, you missed late-breaking stuff about Mayor Ron Dellums being "in the know" about when Major League Baseball would hear back from the Task Force looking into the Oakland A's Bay Area stadium options... We posted it after we read the East Bay Express, then San Jose Inside did.

This is interesting, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and City Manager Deb Figone are on a different page when it comes to changing the make up of the pension boards in the City of San Jose. It is interesting because Reed and Figone are often on the same page when it comes to such things... Figone wants all the folks on the board to be independent, financial experts appointed by the City Council -- Reed has cut a deal that isn't as strong, but will still get more experts, but fewer Council appointments, on the pension boards. Pension board/ taxpayer watch dogs seem displeased...

Perhaps a winning lotto ticket could help make up some of San Jose's pension losses... a $20 million ticket was sold at 7-11 on Bascom Avenue. Check your numbers: 19, 29, 36, 41, 20...

Dolores Carr in the news... again. This time, the judge that she has instructed her prosecutors to boycott has a key case in front of her right now and isn't letting the case go. Sorry District Attorney Carr...

Also in the news is the SJPD, well, one detective in particular. This will affect Dolores Carr's office too. A detective in the Sexual Assaults Investigations Unit may face charges for allegedly filing false police reports that led to some cases being dismissed, although is seems that no one was falsely charged because the shoddy police work. Of course, after the fact of this coming to light, Police Chief Rob Davis is looking into auditing detectives more closely... sound familiar?

Speaking of internal government controversies, here's another one: Silicon Valley Power, the utility that provides electricity to Santa Clara, was forced by Cal-OSHA to shut down one of the City's three power plants. The story also highlights some other internal issues going on at Silicon Valley Power... No word yet if Mission City Lantern can trace this closure back to the anti-49ers crowd, but we'll wait and see.

In an unrelated story, 5 folks died at a Connecticut power plant after a big explosion.

When we think about the 49ers stadium plans in Santa Clara, we've generally only been talking about Santa Clara. But the Sunnyvale City Council wanted some 49er love as well -- and Lisa Lang of the 49ers gave them some. Perhaps San Jose is interested in the economic/ traffic impact of the 49er's stadium?

Scott Herhold at the Merc is doing some reporting this week, apparently. He fills us in on a story developing in the County Building where Assessor Larry Stone is actively trying to stop former Sunnyvale Councilmember John Howe's appointment to an Assessment Appeals Board at the County. Supervisor George Shirakawa has nominated John Howe and Larry Stone thinks that Howe is not only unqualified, but wrote a nasty letter to tell everyone about it. Herhold got wind of the story and wrote about is as a reporter, not a columnist, this weekend...

Herhold also wrote a column this weekend, continuing a push for openness from the San Jose Police Department, specifically about 911 tapes. Herhold notes that the entire Toyota accelerator recall stems, in large part, from a released 911 tape. Oh, and the Police Chief Rob Davis was out of town when Herhold called for a quote. Perhaps he is looking for a place to retire too, because Herhold also noted that Davis "...is widely believed to be a short-timer..."

Internal Affairs in the Merc let Sheriff Laurie Smith know why she should be careful whom she writes letters of recommendation for... her opponent in her re-election bid is using a Smith-written recommendation as a campaign promotional piece. Oops.

Morning News Round-Up – 7.1.09: Post Dominatrix hangovers....

Twitter it ain’t… Palo Alto’s policy committee spoke to a nearly empty room on the fate of Peak Democracy’s online Palo Alto forum. Councilmember Sid Espinosa said the forum was of “no value” while colleagues disagreed keeping the site running.

Silicon Valley De-Bug director Raj Jayadev called on San Jose’s Police Officers Association to end the “name-calling” at a rally Tuesday night. Tossing a little humor in the mix, Jaydev had a new t-shirt on declaring “Thug.” POA leader Bobby Lopez thought better of his “ticked off” response to the Merc and allowed as how he would meet with Jayadev. Psst, the video link on Protect San Jose goes straight to YouTube. Way to make promises…

Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith apologized with tears in her eyes following the deaths of cyclists Matt Peterson and Kristy Gough last year. Yesterday Peterson’s family got the news the County is coughing up $2.3 million.

Joining San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio for the San Jose Stage political fundraiser were the Merc’s own Man About Town, Sal Pizarro, San Jose Inside’s Fly and Mission City Lantern. Show stealer, Councilmember Judy Chirco, kept her dignity and her seat. Fly reports more sex humor, less political satire while Mission City wants to know more about Councilmember Pete Constants fascination with the dominatrix.

The assemblymember formerly known as “Mr. Insurance” is currying favor with the Da Mayor. Joe “Gotcha Covered” Coto carried a controversial (San Francisco) state law change for former San Francisco Mayor/former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown – much to the surprise of San Francisco leaders. SF Supe’s weren’t pleased and killed the end run around State law.

Los Altos declared its NIMBY heart over Mountain View’s housing proposal with worries Mountain View residents would clog Los Altos streets. Mountain View Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga pointed out neighbors share…

Good fences make good neighbors, does good policy do the same? San Jose Councilmembers Pierluigi Oliverio and Sam Liccardo are voicing support for the Distinctive Neighborhoods program which might give residents more say in who their neighbors are…

Drama runs high in the preliminary hearing for gang members sharing the defense table in Gilroy. Norteno’s defense attorney, Edward Sousa, wants his clients out since one of their gang was killed.

Santa Clara County’s new courthouse in Morgan Hill hasn’t translated to more downtown dollars – yet. Could it be the economic downturn affects even judges?

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo read the recently released Civil Grand Jury report hinting it ain’t the kids benefitting from education dollars. DiSalvo muses the 31 different school districts in Santa Clara County might not serve the children…

In Los Gatos the Parks Commission issued a concern that sometimes local regulations get ignored as trees are mowed down. Really? Naked hills are a problem for Councilmember Steve Rice.

Morning News Round-Up --- 6.22.09: Something sporting this way comes....

The Gilroy father-son towing team facing 169 charges of fraud, perjury, attempted grand theft and other charges got some good news from the Judge. Santa Clara County Commissioner Gregory Saldivar, who ruled in Vincent Cardinalli’s favor on numerous small claims cases and was their Commissioner of choice, won’t be on the witness stand.

San Jose firefighters are fighting back after a burning grand jury report. Union President Randy Sekany shot back at the grand jury saying the report didn’t consider all the facts.

The Merc’s Scott Herhold offers his column to a “lout” who “was no rapist.” Former DeAnza baseball player Chris Skinner’s dad asked Herhold to hear his son’s side of the story. Although the source of vomit found on the rape survivor, Skinner was passed out on the bed while the rest of the team gang-raped the underage/overly drunk girl.

The thought of a naked Hangar One pissed off the Restoration Advisory Board (and local elected officials) and they weren’t afraid of letting the Navy know. NASA and the Navy continue to point fingers and squabble amongst themselves.

In a dizzying discussion of political wonkiness, the Merc outlines Baseball San Jose’s ballot timeline options. The best news for San Jose, hints the A’s will foot the election bill… (of course, it was the Mayor doing the hinting…)

On tap around the Valley for Government watchers…

• San Jose councilmembers consider coughing up nearly $30,000 to find a new Independent Police Auditor. There is no truth to the rumor the job description says “must be willing to succumb to pressure.” Finding a practice field for the San Jose/Lew Wolff Earthquakes is also up.
• Big time sporting is also on the table for Santa Clara councilmembers as they review a slew of 49’ers related items, including ballot measure timetables…
• Fremont Unified School District Trustees learn more on a one-year teacher agreement and hear the public voice on budget woes.
  
• Budget hearings and decisions are also up for the Campbell Union High School District along with district energy ideas.

Does (soon-to-be-termed-out) Assemblymember Joe “Mr. Insurance” Coto want to trade his San Jose – Sacramento commute for an Eastside-Downtown one? The Merc’s Internal Affairs thinks a showdown with Mayor Chuck Reed is shaping up… The cynical among us (IA included) would say Coto hopes to keep his name in the news while waiting....

The Merc’s Internal Affairs was surprised to learn San Jose Councilmember Pete Constant spends his council meetings updating Facebook, emailing the media and texting. While colleagues quizzed city staff, Constant let the Merc know keeping up with the internet during meetings tired him out but his training as a cop “eating donuts and drinking coffee” while on the job helped. Also in IA’s sights, poking fun at supervisorial wannabe Teresa Alvarado for campaigning during the 10th anniversary celebration of the non-profit Latina Coalition.

Parents in Los Gatos Union School District want to ditch unhealthy school food and are raising the specter of Ketchupgate to make their point.

Cupertino will be the site of a summit on elder abuse this week. Organized by the Santa Clara Department of Aging and Adult Services organizer Margriet DeLange hopes to educate clergy and caregivers on signals and support services.

San Jose Inside has a new insider, Laura Fishman who updates on the (un) exciting Sheriff’s race next year. Two (former) Deputy Sheriff’s Association leaders launched campaigns to take Sheriff Laurie Smith out of office. Promising to put the fun back in dysfunctional, Joe Charvez attacks Jose Salcido while Inside readers attack Fishman, candidates and each other.

Mission City Lantern is on a roll reposting James Rowen’s Mercury News stadium comments (San Jose as a “ghetto town”) and accusing the Merc of stealing James’ “Reed ‘Montgomery Burns’” gag.

San Jose Revealed never made it back to the keyboard, can texting super-hero Pete Constant can save the day…

While waiting for Revealed to return Watch Dog checked out Police Officers Association Bobby Lopez’ promise to end video-gate… For our breathless readers, video-gate remains up on YouTube and ProtectSanJose.

Silicon Valley Geekster Steve “Twinkle Toes” Wozniak played second fiddle to hundreds of sunglass wearing duckies off for a swim at Los Gatos’ Vasona Lake.

Morning News Round-Up – 6.5.09: Children in jail, again...

Severely mentally ill, a child was booked into Juvenile Hall days after his 11th birthday, nearly a year ago. Not the first time a young child was tossed in the Santa Clara pokey, this child’s case is now being heard by Judge Paul Bernal. The child’s court appointed attorney David Avila said there’s no easy answer for questions of youth competency but didn't say he'd get the child better accomodations.

A short, scathing editorial in the Merc calls on Mayor Chuck Reed to stick to his “principles... his inclination toward sunshine in government” and allow the release of the Daniel Pham 911 tapes.

Sheriff Laurie Smith demoted Deputy James Council who killed two cyclists after falling asleep at the wheel. Karen Clarkson, Mother of Olympic hopeful Kristy Gough, was happy Council would no longer be behind the wheel. Council lost his 10 year old sister in a car accident and is said to be deeply remorseful, in spite of two previous drunk driving counts and a conviction for racing in Los Angeles.

Fence-gate is over. Monte Sereno has been ordered to pay $1 in compensatory damages – and could be liable for Joe Padgett’s legal fees, (now) estimated at over $2 million. Yikes.

San Jose Councilmembers/pension fund trustees Sam Liccardo and Rose Herrera called on fellow trustees to ditch “due diligence” trips except under “extraordinary” circumstances. City Finance Director Scott Johnson agreed. The rest of the trustees decided to keep travel alive and a split board will talk again at their next meeting when trustee/police officer Conrad Taylor shows up for the vote.

Campbell’s Brad Imamura was pissed about Psycho Donuts and got in touch with his elected officials to complain. The end result was a donut free mental health workshop. Councilmember Dan Furtado said his hands were tied and he’s unable to force a name change on the Psychos enjoying their 15 minutes.

Olivia Soza-Mendiola, Mexican American Community Services Agency CEO, wrote “it is with a heavy heart… MACSA is electing to relinquish the El Portal Charter Petition.” Superintendent Deborah Flores and the trustees said they welcome future collaboration and input from MACSA – they didn’t say, as long as MACSA didn’t do the banking. No word yet about MACSA’s San Jose embezzlement problems or the District Attorney’s decisions…

Facing a $6 million deficit, Mountain View’s city council cut park/street maintenance, code enforcement, public works staff and library services to the tune of $4 million. Councilmember Laura Macias proposed a $3 charge to non-residents using Shoreline park while Councilmember Mike Kasperzak fretted no one would drive there if the charge were in place.

High Speed Rail Authority boardmember Rod Diridon, Sr. says a reversal by the board could make HSR eligible for federal stimulus dollars. Diridon said the Bay Area would be “giving away billions of dollars,” without the switch.

Just as there’s a tiny bit of economic sunshine, commuters get hit with continuing news about fare hikes and service cuts. VTA Chair Dolly Sandoval is hoping for good economic news quick or “we will be in for more pain.”

NASA and the Navy won’t say they can’t agree, just that discussions over how and who pays for re-skinning the toxic Hangar One are a “struggle” and have “slowed.” Seems no one wants the $15 million plus restoration responsibility.

Google hosted Mountain View’s meeting on the future of the city, NASA and Microsoft were there to pitch ideas for Mountain View’s future. Google construction manager said “there is no land to build on… the only way to go is up.” Oh, and Mayor Reed, Mountain View’s planning director thinks they’re the “Capital of Silicon Valley.”

Assemblymember Anna Caballero is angling for promotion to State Senate. Ready to take her seat are Gilroy Unified School District trustee Francisco Dominguez, political consultant/(Caballero) campaign manager Rick Rivas, Watsonville Councilman Luis Alejo, San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, and Hollister Mayor Eugenia Sanchez from going after Caballero’s seat next year.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro shares the news that San Jose’s own great speller, Ramya Auroprem, hits the stage in the Rep’s Spelling Bee. Pizarro can be found tonight at San Jose’s SubZero festival where the public voted to see San Jose’s Mayor, city council and police chief hit the dunk tank. No word if Pizarro will needing a post-dunk towel.

Sports Fan/Merc columnist Mark Purdy points an accusing finger at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for bickering over the fate of the County Fairgrounds. Purdy asks if an intimate music hall attached to a new off-track betting venue might save the crumbling fairgrounds.

Watch Dog plans to ditch the real world Saturday and hit the 3rd Annual Silicon Valley Soap Box Derby in Mountain View. As many as 40 Silicon Valley kids will compete for a chance to head to Akron, Ohio for nationals. Mountain View Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga and Palo Alto Councilmember Yiaway Yeh will be racing against Mayor’s Cup reigning champion/VTA Chair Dolly Sandoval.

Morgan Hill celebrates the grand opening of the West Little Llagas Creek bike/pedestrian path. Mayor Steve Tate said “it’s a natural coupling of passive recreation” with a needed public facility.

San Jose police have released the image of a man seen just before the city’s 10th murder of the year. Juan Mendoza was shot in early May, if you know the hoody wearing suspect, contact Detective Sergeants Tony Mata or Pete Ramirez of the San Jose Police Department, Homicide Unit, at (408) 277-5283.

San Jose Inside provides more details on San Jose’s consideration of Instant Runoff Voting. An open discussion moderated by San Jose State Professor Terry Christensen follows the Elections Commission discussion next week.

San Jose Revealed makes analogies between the slow demise of Mercury News and the Titanic as well as “the death rattle of the Third Reich,” while congratulating themselves for “scooping” Internal Affairs on the (yawn) news that Councilmember Nora Campos seeks to fill Assemblymember Joe Coto’s shoes.

San Jose Revealed’s review of San Jose’s city council agenda gives us

• The continued ceremonial item race.
• San Jose rents an old police building.
• Pay cuts on tap.
• Giving Tom McEnenry “conniptions”

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.1.09: A Palo Alto Four-Pack...no joke

Here is your daily dose of Lew Wolff-related news...

The Merc’s Mark Purdy provides support to the A’s move to San Jose...so does the Merc’s Editorial Board saying Selig’s panel is the best sign yet that the move is serious. Meanwhile, Lew Wolff is going to meet with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums -- which, like everything Wolff does, will be widely covered (here and) everywhere.

Chalk up one silver lining for the down market: affordable housing could replace the old bordello on Ditto’s Lane in Los Gatos. The Los Gatos City Council hopes to replace it (and other locations) with affordable housing. Deputy Town Manager Bud Lortz said anyone in Los Gatos making less than $120,000 qualifies for the low income housing.

Here is a four-pack of Palo Alto news for all to enjoy:

1. The Palo Alto Unified School Board must have been feeling very optimistic, they’ve approved plans for $300 million in construction for Gunn and Palo Alto High Schools, math texts “from this millennium,” and new classes including computer animation.
2. Palo Alto’s City Council has joined neighbors Menlo Park and Atherton in a lawsuit to stop High Speed Rail before it breaks ground. Councilmember Larry Klein said they plan to send “very clear signal that we intend to be players and think we can make a contribution to making the process better…”
3. Attention Palo Alto residents and businesses: Your electricity rates are going up. Well, they are at least one step closer to that reality because the City Council's Finance Committee said so last night. I guess the legal fees are mounting and need payment..
4. If world domination weren't a big enough goal, Google-geek Larry Page wants to build a massive home in Old Palo Alto...don't worry though, it will be environmentally friendly. As environmentally friendly as a 6,000 square foot home can be, Watch Dog guesses. Probably not as environmentally friendly as a home half that size would be...Watch Dog San Mateo (and others) had this story last week...the Merc. is on it today...

The "Help Wanted" sign is out at the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. (Soon-to-be-former) Executive Director Elizabeth Borbolla could be headed to jail. Borbolla was arrested for forgery and embezzlement – the accusation is that she tried to make off with checks for roughly $4,000. Chamber President Van Nelson said Borbolla had been doing “...a heck of a job promoting the Chamber.” "Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job..."

The Environmental Protection Agency will be testing the air at the Stevens Creek Elementary School in Cupertino. The school is one of 62 selected across the nation for testing – in this case because it’s so close to a cement plant. Sandra James, spokesperson for the Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant said bring it on, “we do not have a chromium problem at all.” We'll see...

Dr. Winnie Lee is Cupertino’s newest Planning Commissioner and plans to put her experience as a business owner to work on the Commission. When asked if her next stop was City Council Lee said she just wanted to get a handle on the Commission. Which reminds Watch Dog of an old joke about 100 Senators in D.C. who look in the mirror and see the next President...

The tragic deaths of 6 in Santa Clara are a mystery, the killer is said to have been a good, quiet, and gentle man who started getting angry over the past weeks. Family members and neighbors remain stunned at the deaths. This story is getting a lot of coverage in the newspaper of record for the Northern Suburb of San Jose...

Sheriff Laurie Smith’s team is trying to figure out who the man is buried under a pile of boulders in a rock quarry and how he died…