Morning News Round-Up -- 2.24.10: Bear Arms...

Because we love this visual we thought we'd start with this today... Some probation officers will be able to bear arms. (Think about it... bear arms.)

It's a good thing District Attorney Dolores Carr already received the endorsement of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, because she decided not to bring charges against Phuong Ho. (Ho was the San Jose State student that was beaten and Tasered by SJPD while being secretly taped last year.) The charges that the DA was considering included resisting arrest and brandishing a deadly weapon. Of course, the issue that is still burning is this: will the videotaped San Jose Police Officers face charges from the District Attorney. Based on how the SJPOA endorsement went, Watch Dog really, really, really doubts it... Oh, and this must be really, really big news, because the Chronicle picked it up too...

In other DA news...

State Senator Elaine Alquist announced her endorsement of Carr's challenger Jeff Rosen yesterday. Actually, Jeff Rosen announced the endorsement, but if you have an email address, you already knew that...

Hey recent (or soon-to-be) college grads, here's some good news. Some tech giants might be hiring locally. That's great news if you've studied the past four years instead of taking bong hits...

But one "company" that isn't going to be hiring is the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. Their budget passed yesterday amidst a long-ass discussion which ended with the five-year budget passing, with which no one seems really happy: the Convention Center people aren't really happy because they need to find some more money down the line, the County is certainly not happy because they are owed 52 million bucks, and basically everyone just held their noses. (San Jose Inside's favorite tid bit is in this story too: "...Pete Constant was absent because of a medical appointment..."

We love The Garage in Naglee Park, and so does everyone on the Food Network. Eat up folks, but expect it to be busy for the next little bit...

STOP. THE. PRESSES... Noreen Likens is going to retire. Noreen Likens is going to retire. If you know Noreen Likens name, then you are probably freaked out. (If you don't know her name, she is the Principal at Gunn High School in Palo Alto.) This "news" warranted a special email "breaking news" alert from the Palo Alto Weekly. This means that both high schools in Palo Alto need Principals, which means every high school Principal in the world is polishing his/her resume and trying to find Kevin Skelly's email address... look no further Principals, here is his email...

Development and growth issues in Morgan Hill are always fun to follow... The City Council there will be considering how the City's "southeast quadrant" will develop in the coming decade. Expect some vocal proponents and opponents...

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.22.10: What if you built an airport, and no airlines showed up?

You remember the controversy whereby the folks that run the Convention Center in San Jose -- Team San Jose -- signed an exclusive contract with Teamsters that made convention promoters head for the hills? Well, Team San Jose rescinded the deal with the Teamsters and perhaps some folks will think about coming back to the Convention Center. Perhaps...

Of course, if conventioners do come back, they won't be coming here on Frontier Airlines... that's because Frontier Airlines is leaving SJC. Last week we wrote about how sad it was that a storm blanketed most of the country, crippling air traffic everywhere... except SJC. Perhaps a new road and new parking coming online at SJC will convince other airlines not to jump ship...

Just when you thought you would never see the word "Little" and "Saigon" right next to each other in the Mercury News, a story came out late on Friday that noted that the group that sued the City of San Jose about Little Saigon and open government violations lost in court... good thing, because Madison Nguyen is up for re-election...

Another "little" story from this weekend: San Jose is getting closer to having a Little Italy... of course, Little Italy hasn't yet started a recall effort, so it isn't nearly as interesting. But in San Jose, anything new and cool might run into some bureaucracy at City Hall, and the banners for Little Italy are no different, we learned in Internal Affairs on Sunday...

San Jose Inside is the only publication covering the continuing story over in the East Side Union High School District. Inside was there when fired Superintendent scolded the Board after the County Office of Education audit cleared his name... and Inside was there last Thursday night when County Superintendent said this, “The district now has two studies and one extraordinary audit, over a nearly 10 year period, and all three have reveled a weakness in your internal control structure. I just want to pause on that. Same problem, for over a decade.” Thank youInside for covering this issue... and let us now forget that the President of the Board at East Side Union High School District has never, ever been elected to the Board, but appointed twice. Maybe voters have a pretty good intuition on these things...

While covering a story that no one else is covering is great, San Jose Inside is still apparently in love with really dry content (Oliverio, DiSilva...) because they reprinted Mayor Reed's State of the City speech. As we noted last week, a quick span of the speech will not turn up the famous words, "The State of the City is..." But we remember when that sentence garnered great attention and a blog post on San Jose Inside...

Another thing not mentioned in the speech...

Expect some disappointed San Jose kids and parents this summer because San Jose Family Camp will not open this year. They need to repair a roof and figure out what to do about getting clean water to the Yosemite resort. The State of San Jose Family Camp is sad...

Also sad...

The San Jose City Council will discuss the San Jose Redevelopment Agency budget this week. Trimmed-down would be an understatement. Major projects are still on the books, but scaled back a bit... or a lot.

San Jose is getting a Children's Zone modeled after a Harlem Children's Zone around the troubled Santee Elementary School, "from cradle to college to community-building..." Amen.

Everyone is writing about San Jose parks these days...

• Scott Herhold let's us all know that there is really no such thing as a 'closed park'...
• At the same time that Herhold was writing his park piece, Councilmember Sam Liccardo was writing his own park piece, that appeared on San Jose Inside's website on Sunday... (San Jose Inside seems to be publishing all week now... Watch out Merc...)
• And Tracy Seipel at the Merc covered a story in today's paper about San Jose parks, off-leash dogs, and angry neighbors... always a fun combination.

Internal Affairs fills us in on the news that running for office in San Jose is still inexpensive, unless of course you want voters to know what you stand for... and if you want your 200 word ballot statement to appear in the ballot guide voters get in the mail, then that will cost you nearly $10,000 if you are running for Mayor, or $2,000 if you are running for City Council... Bill Chew, the White Skating Knight of San Jose, is not pleased.

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.13.09: Nightmare on Santa Clara Street...

It is Friday the 13th and there is a nightmare (for Rob Davis) on Santa Clara Street... Ethnic leaders in San Jose are calling for Police Chief Rob Davis to head into the sunset. Asian Law Alliance Executive Director Richard Konda doesn’t “ask for [Davis’] resignation lightly,” standing with La Raza Lawyers, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, and the San Jose/Silicon Valley Branch of the NAACP. Konda adds Davis’ resignation is not the “end-all solution” but a good “first step.”

No nightmare for Chuck Reed though: San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed’s high marks during a recent poll caused San Jose State’s Terry Christensen to suggest anyone thinking about challenging Reed would be “extremely” discouraged. San Jose Councilmember/ Assembly candidate Nora Campos dismissed the results saying polls have “varying degrees of accuracy.”

But there is a nightmare for Harry Mavrogenes and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency: The Merc’s Editorial Board (apparently) read San Jose Redevelopment Agency budget and found themselves with more questions than answers. First up: Does Redevelopment head Harry Mavrogenes know how much money he has in the kitty? Next: Can Redevelopment get the County to agree to $2 million (instead of $58 million) during their own cash-strapped challenge? County Executive Jeff Smith thinks Redevelopment is telling tales about the depth of their poverty and isn’t likely to ditch $56 million.

Meeting approval with the Merc’s Editorial Board, a proposal for the County to purchase the (former) San Jose Medical Center site to return medical care to San Jose. Calling the past 5 years a “public relations nightmare” for the Health Corporation of America, the Merc calls this a problem solved.

The 4 teens/(suspected) Sureño gang members who attacked trick-or-treating kids were in court yesterday while the youngest victim remains in “extremely critical” condition.

Calling compliance with Gilroy’s cease and desist order “irresponsible,” MediLeaf’s dispensary ombudsman Eric Madigan said the marijuana dispensary plans to stay open until they “work out the details.” MediLeaf attorney James Anthony is part of a “mercenary band of lawyers” looking forward to seeing the city in court. During a shopping trip to Rock Zone, 16 year old Jeremiah Loyd said “bud’s bud” as Rock Zone manager Cassie Lopez tried to explain the difference between (medical) bud and the other kind.

Life is good if you’re a Planning Commissioner working for the Mexican American Community Services Agency. Gilroy Planning Commissioner Art Barron played the lottery and took home $64,000. Perhaps he could use that money to help MACSA deal with their (alleged) embezzling problems...

Look for sparks to fly as San Jose’s Planning Commission and City Council discuss doubling the height of allowed housing on West San Carlos Street. Consider it a battle between the neighborhood, business, housing advocates, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

San Jose’s Lynbrook High was hearing “Let the Sunshine In” as they powered up their parking lot solar panels. Estimated savings: $12 million from the districts 2nd highest budget item.

In a moment of rare economic good news, Gilroy Unified School District Trustees will save $20,000 million in construction costs during the Christopher School upgrades. Trustee/Christopher School Parent Club Vice President Fred Tovar commented he didn’t want to take away state-of-the-art fittings at the Christopher School theater or aquatic center “because a few individuals” want the same for their kids schools.

“If we wanted to go to Campbell’s stuff – we’d a moved there” Parents pissed at having their kids leave home in Santa Clara to attend Campbell schools didn’t say that but they sure were thinking about it. Hot on the heels of Santa Clara’s defeat at the ballot box another financial hit is in the works if parents determined to leave the Campbell school districts have their way. Santa Clara Superintendent Steve Stavis said his schools are “pretty much at max” with no room for new kids.