Morning News Round-Up -- 5.14.09: Sweaty Co-Worker Day...

It's Bike to Work Day... expect CalTrain to be busier than usual... Also, expect your cubicle neighbor to be sweatier than normal...

It is also all about the 408… (at least for the Merc's Mark Purdy...)

While Purdy was declaring his love for the 408, Abdirahman Ismail Abdi was getting the hell out... the Feds are hot on the trail of Abdi because he is being accused of embezzling $9 million before he quit California Water Service Company a.k.a. San Jose Water Company. Abdi’s wire transfers were found out and the money returned, but not before Abdi sent his family out of the country and disappeared.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro tells the sloth among us Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes will be in town to encourage couch potatoes to take part in a little downtown San Jose running (or walking). Pizarro also sends props to San Jose music festival Left Coast Live where Councilmember Sam Liccardo said, in spite of hours of kazoo prep, you won’t see him rocking on stage.

Silicon Valley remains the trendsetter. Nationally, the growth of Asian and Latino populations has slowed while here in Silicon Valley growth remains strong. Berkeley professor Ling-Chi Wang said most Americans look for a view and a pool in their homes, Asians look for great schools.

The Merc’s Karen D’Souza loves books… One of the few San Jose independent bookstores was making it’s final loop around the drain when savior Roland Vierra stepped in to buy Willow Glen Books. Santa Clara County’s poet laureate Nils Peterson is celebrating the rescue calling Willow Glen Books a hub of San Jose’s cultural and intellectual life.

The Henry W. Coe State Park is hot, seriously. A fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in what is being called the Mustang Incident. (No, Councilmember Constant, not these Mustangs.) By nightfall the fire was over 600 acres.

Santa Clara County prosecutors Victoria Brown and James Gibbons-Shapiro deny knowing about videos of sexual assault exams until recently. Public Defender Al Lopez is trying to prove otherwise by digging up an old email...

They had to see it coming, Monte Sereno’s City Council voted themselves $300 a month salary (during the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression) and now chatter about a recall is growing. Former Mayor Mike Brodsky isn’t helping colleagues saying, "I thought you were supposed to lose money… There will be a recall. This will not stand." Of course, one could assume Brodsky is pissed he didn’t think of it first…

Los Gatans get an in depth look at the economic disaster hitting home. Town Manager Greg Larson said there’s a $2.5 million “gap,” revenues are lower, and Larson is looking at possible cuts. Also in Los Gatos news, the City Council agreed with the Planning Commission and said no to the monster house proposal on Santa Rosa Drive.

Tossing garbage in Silicon Valley’s Westside towns will soon cost you more. The West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority Board raised rates blaming vehicle impact (and other) fees. Local jurisdictions say they have no choice, garbage trucks trash streets at a good clip. (Oh, and cities can raise garbage rates to pay for roads without calling it a tax increase...)

Los Altos pedestrians on San Antonio Road will be cheering. The City is planning $1.5 million in sidewalk upgrades making it easier, and prettier, to go for a romantic walk. Other revitalization is moving more slowly, developer Randy Lamb says he’s eager to break ground on a downtown project. Assistant City Manager James Walgren blames Safeway for holdup saying, “the recession doesn’t help.” (Some of you may already know this, but Lamb is Watch Dog San Mateo crossover…)

Mountain View-Los Altos High School District Trustees slashed $1.3 million from the Adult School with administrators saying it is only the beginning. Trustees are anxiously holding their breath until the May 19 special election. Good luck... Superintendent Barry Groves says if Propositions 1A and 1B don’t pass another $2 million could get cut.

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…

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.25.09: The Mardi Gras Hang-Over Edition...

San Jose survived the annual Mardi Gras madness. San Jose Police Officer Jermaine Thomas reported this year's celebration netted fewer than half the arrests of 2008 – most of those for weapons and probation violations. Sounds like a good time was had by all...

Bye, bye, Birdie! Lew Wolff has officially called off the wedding with Fremont. Wolff’s Dear John letter is a study in restraint, sending love even to those who disagreed and acted “…in a reasoned manner.” The Merc’s Marc Purdy chimes in on the Fremont loss saying it’s a no-brainer, bring the A’s to San Jose.

There’s a fire sale in the City of San Jose. With roughly 40 properties on the initial "For Sale," the City of San Jose hopes to raise as much as $137 million. Deputy Public Works Director Phil Prince said "It is urgent that we see what we can get out of here because of our budget situation." Nothing like selling land at the bottom of a market...

San Jose’s City Council was super busy Tuesday as 9 of them gave their blessing to $6 million in grants and loans to the much ballyhooed San Pedro Market (a.k.a. The McEnery Market). The lone dissenter (unsurprisingly) was Councilmember Nora Campos, who attempted one final shot at colleague Sam Liccardo over the proposal. Campos hoped City Attorney Rick Doyle would slap Liccardo for a legal violation - but the City Attorney said no ma'am. San Jose Revealed isn’t any happier than Campos and snarls through today’s column. Mayor Reed should find Campos' frequent frequent and lonely opposition flattering -- after all, imitation (of Reed's days on the Council) is the sincerest form of flattery...

San Jose Councilmembers asked nightclub owners to help cover costs of policing. Amazingly, not only did business owners agree but are delighted with the changes. Dan Doherty (Mission Ale & Smoke Tiki Lounge) said, "When elected officials trust small businesses, good things will happen." Councilmember Sam Liccardo gave credit to Police, City staff, and local businesses for working the deal out over the past 2 years.

The Santa Clara County Supervisors are giving $100,000 to the Public Defenders Office to re-examine 1,500 sexual assault cases whose (previously denied) videotapes have suddenly appeared. Public Defender Mary Greenwood called the move “extraordinary” and said, "The importance of the tapes is that with this new evidence, we need to see if there are people who were wrongfully convicted who are incarcerated." The DA Saga continues...

Sometimes, reform happens…and sometimes it doesn’t. The drama-shrouded Santa Clara Valley Water District voted to support a bill by Assemblymember Joe Coto which allows all 7 members of the Water District to retain their seats (in spite of a recently enacted law) but pushes reforms on the Water District Board. "I think these are fair," Coto said. "The public deserves these type of laws to make sure we rebuild the confidence in one of our important public institutions." Director Sig Sanchez (who has been on the Board for 29 years) disagreed with allowing the State legislature to define Board policy saying, "It would demean this district to where we were relegated to the role of some small district in the Central Valley." Ouch. Nobody replied, "Sig, get a new job..."

San Jose's Thomas Green, Jr. was the Finance Director for a local hospital, now he’ll be another perv behind bars. Green pleaded guilty to trading kiddie porn in chat-rooms according to U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello.

San Jose Revealed reports San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio is growing forgetful, or perhaps he’s in denial. Oliverio blogged for San Jose Inside details of a meeting then feigned surprise when people showed up. Revealed includes a video clip from the meeting with Oliverio and cohort Councilmember Pete Constant denying complicity in getting (partially informed) community members in the room. C’mon boys, you should take pride in getting the troops to turn out. You might, however, make sure they’re fully informed first.

San Jose Inside blogger/Santa Clara County School Board Trustee Joseph DiSalvo advocates the introduction of democracy, or at least a cessation of violations of the California Voting Rights Act. Local legislators received a call to action following a court decision last year – allow school district candidates to be elected by those they represent. DiSalvo points out at-large elections hurt minority (and women) candidates.