Morning News Round-Up – 10.14.09: Dirty magazines in a fire station? Watch Dog is shocked...

San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle told the City Council they should settle (outside a courtroom) the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by fire engineer Julie LeBlanc. Doyle said the $200,000 settlement was “…a good settlement...” and sent props to LeBlanc for her courage in ferreting out the hard-core porn, including the “illest men’s magazine ever.”

San Jose walked off with California’s “highest and most prestigious environmental award” when they took the GEELA home from Los Angeles. Mayor Chuck Reed was “delighted” San Jose received recognition for keeping (recyclable) garbage out of the landfill.

Between depressed home values and fewer kids in school the Alum Rock School District talks school closure. Superintendent Jose Manzo looks at the shutdown of 2 elementary schools and a middle school due to the “financial dilemma.” Perhaps this is a fall-out from their previous "Superintendent dilemma..."

Mountain View’s City Attorney gig will soon be open as 16 year veteran Michael Martello heads into the sunset (possibly) to write a tome on conflict-of-interest. A subject Martello is familiar with having faced the music for possible conflicts during his affair with Foothill Disposal General Manager/Chamber of Commerce Board President Pamela Read.

A 2 year Mayor? Mountain View is thinking up ways to make the ceremonial rotation seat more inviting. Last years (1 year) Mayor Tom Means said the influential position means “you do get invited to things… oversee functions… set the agenda on a lot of things.”

Assemblymember Joe Coto did a happy dance Sunday night when the Governator put Santa Clara Valley Water District board reforms into state law. Reforms endorsed by the board allowed Coto to (seemingly) join forces with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed as a Sunshine distributor.

Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees President Don Moody feels “pretty darn good” about their choice for a replacement Superintendent but isn’t dishing on the name.

Medical marijuana for Gilroy and Los Gatos has to wait until lawsuits meander through the courts or another 90 days. Deputy District Attorney Steve Lowney told the Gilroy City Council to avoid the same over-the-counter problems seen in Los Angeles. Los Gatos Councilmembers are waiting for the League of California cities to provide direction. Dude...

Gilroy survived the first storm of the season with fewer power outages and lots of flooding. Morgan Hill residents headed to church to avoid flooded roads. The biggest storm in nearly 50 years took its toll dumping over 2 inches of rain in San Jose while water district Chairman Sig Sanchez said “this is a great start!”

According to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro there’s a lotta life in the annual Day of the Dead celebrations. “Five Minutes of Heaven” is on tap with San Jose’s Irish Sister city and kids get good dish with Seedfolks.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo sends props to this years (first female) winner of the Nobel prize in Economics Elinor Olstrom before moving on to talk about last years winner, the joys of small schools and Rigor, Relevance and Relationships at San Jose's Downtown College Prep.

Morning News Round-Up – 7.6.09:

District Attorney Dolores Carr was not happy to hear Superior Court commissioner Gregory Saldivar would not take the stand in the mysterious case of the (fraudulent) tow operator. The DA’s office is pinning hopes on seeing Saldivar on the stand if/when the tow operating family finds itself in court.

San Francisco blogger Joe Eskenazi, aka “The Snitch,” follows up on the growing interest in San Jose Assemblymember Joe Coto’s bill for Da Mayor. Eskenazi wonders if media attention gave legislators the chutzpah to challenge Coto in the Senate.

The Merc’s Editorial Board takes a jab at San Jose’s planning department for proposing hotels in North San Jose while celebrating a proposed influx of big box retail – think Target on steroids.

Willow Glenites are forming their own latte toting vigilante group in response to a rash of (wannabe) ganglike graffiti on cars.

Clocking in as the Nation’s oldest 4th of July parade the Morgan Hill stream of red, white and blue saw more than 45,000 bystanders. The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation center shared the road with the National Rifle Association while Water District Director/Supervisorial wannabe Rosemary Kamei became Rosie the Riveter.

Mercury News columnists were on a roll…

• Curmudgeonly Scott Herhold uses his column to lay claim to a marshmallow interior when it comes to San Jose.
  


• The Merc’s Sal Pizarro was all about the fundraisers. Leah Toeniskoetter, of construction fame, heads out on a “Death Ride,” a happy Bob Hammer, oat eating Gwen Peters and San Jose chroreographer Tawnya Kuzia who needs your help to head to New York.
  


• Internal Affairs, the Merc’s political snoop column, chastised Saratoga/Santa Maria/San Luis Obispo Senator Abel Maldonado for sitting firmly on his hands. Maldonado, who previously accused State Insurance Commissioner/fellow Republican Steve Poizner of grandstanding, refused to take a stand on education dollars.
  


• The job switch of sheriff’s Lt. Jose Salcido caught the eye of the Merc’s Internal Affairs crew. Winner Salcido, becoming a double dipper with a healthy pension and 6 figure salary as Mayor Chuck Reed’s police right hand. IA noticed San Jose Revealed’s MIA status, calls Watch Dog a widow in mourning (seriously?), and wonders if labor doyenne Cindy Chavez is involved.
  


• Geeky workers heading to Palo Alto along Page Mill may want to trade in that car for a bicycle. Gary “Mr. Roadshow” Richards shares the news that the County budget disaster has road crews working during rush hour.
  

Mission City Lantern sends props Watch Dog’s way, figures the Mercury News staff must be depressed (bored), and offers a prize for sniffing out San Jose Revealed now in the 4th week of a grueling bout of "pneumonia."

And, finally, in the post celebratory round-up… San Jose Inside’s Rants & Raves began on a high note “Happy Birthday, USA!” before quickly deteriorating into accusations of Grinchy fireworks thievery before concluding Silicon Valley lawmakers must not be working because SteveO didn’t see them.

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.