Morning News Round-Up -- 1.25.10: Santa Clara First Monday...

We'll do Santa Clara first today...

The Chronicle, one of the Bay Area's newspapers not in bankruptcy proceedings (yet), loves to chime in on South Bay sports stuff. Above all, the paper is uber-protective of the 49ers. So it is no suprise that the Chroncle's spin on a letter sent from the National Football League to the City of San Francisco about the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is a positive one. The NFL told San Francisco that four really major things need to be done in order for the NFL to even consider allowing the 49ers to be in Hunters Point (assuming the Santa Clara thing falls through): a bridge over Yosemite Slough (which environmentalist are going to sue over), a new interchange off of 101 (which likely has a massive pricetag), adequate parking near the stadium (which the Board of Supervisors will never allow), and public transit infrastructure improvements (there is no public transit anywhere near this part of Hunters Point). A less "hometown" paper could write that the letter from the NFL to San Francisco could be construed as a letter siding with the 49ers and their quest to be Santa Clara-bound...

The City of Santa Clara is about to be served with a federal lawsuit by union carpenters saying that the City violated the union's free speech when it made them take down their banner outside a Citation Homes office. The sign wasn't so nice, but that isn't the point -- the City is claiming that the union violated the sign ordinance. This could get even more interesting... stay tuned.

It is good that the Merc is dedicating dozens of column inches (and a reporter) to what the rides will be named next season at Great America. For your information, Nickelodeonrides are out, Peanuts rides are in... with that information in your brain, go have a productive day.

Here's another San Francisco-related story that will have people in Silicon Valley scratching their heads... SFO is going to offer free Wi-Fi. Et tu SJC?

Could the DA Dolores Carr please go one week without doing something that lands her in the news? Well, obviously not. This time, she is instructing the prosecutors in her office to boycott a sitting judge and to not bring cases before him. Ironic, since Dolores Carr was once a judge. This item has yet to appear on Jeff Rosen's "The Case Against Dolores Carr..."

The Merc's Internal Affairs puts their hands on a letter that Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilmember/ Assembly Candidate Nora Campos sent to the good folks trying to figure out what to do with the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Essentially, the letter says that the City wants to stop subsidizing the place -- or at least subsidize it less -- or at the very least have a game plan to get the Mexican Heritage Plaza towards self-sustainability. (IA can't resist reminding everyone that Reed and Campos "...rarely agree on anything...")

Watch Dog apparently missed this Dolores Carr story a few weeks back -- but lucky for us, Watch Dog readers on on the case. (Thanks for the email...) You remember that Dolores Carr's office is looking into potentially illegal financial practices and misappropriation of funds by MACSA in running a Gilroy-based Charter School... well, the DA's office is conveniently waiting until June to decide about whether or not to bring charges. It isn't just Watch Dog wondering if this is politically motivated procrastination on the part of Dolores Carr... the Gilroy Dispatch does too. Here is why it might be political: Carr would like to get a certain group's endorsement for her re-election campaign in June... this certain group has a favorite candidate running for City Council in June who used to be in charge of operations at MACSA... if she buries the charges until then, perhaps this favorite City Council candidate rides into office, Carr gets the endorsement, and everyone wins, except voters, of course.

Pat Dando at the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce penned an opinion piece for the Merc talking about reforming the City's pension boards... an idea that Watch Dog can't remember her ever talking about during her decade or so on the City Council when she could have actually done something about it...

Speaking of Pat Dando... sort of:

Last week's Supreme Court ruling about campaign finance got the Merc Editors writing. They would like to see a disclaimer on corporate ads similar to the Presidential disclaimers, saying something like: "I'm John Smith, CEO of Big Oil, and I approved this message." Can you imagine that on the local level? A piece of mail from the Chamber's Political Action Committee calling Cindy Chavez the devil-incarnate with a little photo of Pat Dando on the back saying, "I'm Pat Dando, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, and I approved this message..." that would be interesting.

San Jose Inside continues in its quest to be the only local publication (print or online) to be covering the bankruptcy of the Merc's parent company. Late last week the rolled out Lou Alexander, the Advertising Manager for the Merc for 20 years to comment...

Remember the grand plans for North San Jose -- sort of another tax-generating downtown with high density housing close to jobs and transit options... well, things are moving at a different pace than anticipated, but Target is coming.

The economy has been tough for most, but good for Safeway. In addition to their new downtown San Jose addresss, they are eyeing the old (bankrupt) Mervyn's on W. Hamilton in Campbell.

There was a small-plane crash somewhere in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Saturday... but a search hadn't turned up survivors, or the plane, as of Sunday morning.

In the circular world of the local blogosphere, Mission City Lantern comments on our comments about a story on the blog over at the Santa Clara Weekly. And for your information James, we do read the Weekly blog, it just isn't always that good... no offense. The last time we wrote something from the Weekly's blog, the publisher was defending the Broom Closet Modelling Agency...

There was another suicide on the train tracks in Palo Alto over the weekend.

The Palo Alto High School Principal Jackie McEvoy will be retiring at the end of the school year. According to the news account in the Palo Alto Weekly, McEvoy is retiring for "personal reasons" which alway sounds fishy (or eggy) to Watch Dog... if you don't get the eggy reference, read the story.

There was an old-fashion liquor store robbery at gun point in north Gilroy on Saturday night... In an unrelated crime story in Gilroy, a dude jumped into a patrol car, started driving in reverse, and hit a police officer. Officers shot the man (after using pepper spray, batons, and a Taser...) Sounds like a busy weekend at the Gilroy PD...

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.18,09: Rapid-Response Rosen...

Teens Jae Williams and Randy Thompson hung with Michael Russell at Santa Teresa High, all dressed in black and sporting bandanas... then the stabbed Russell to death. District Attorney Dolores Carr charged the teens as adults after looking “at everyone’s culpability and social history.” Thompson’s attorney, Richard Pointer, is looking for a psychiatrist because there are “some issues” that could help his client.

While DA Carr deals with this case... she is also dealing with a political race. It seems her poll numbers are dropping fast. Not too many people want to see her get re-elected according to a San Jose State poll. This is news that challenger Jeff Rosen's people have already had some rapid-response fun with...

Speaking of kids being charged as adults... San Jose has the dubious distinction of housing 5 teenagers in jail, all being charged as adults for violent crimes. The Merc’s Editorial Board is following the U.S. Supreme Court as they wade into analogies that teens are like powerful cars missing working brakes. The Merc calls for an end to life sentences for teens.

And speaking of (former) prosecutors in trouble... (Former) prosecutor Ben Field sat at the defendants' table while a State Bar of California appellate panel attacked Field’s request to overturn a 4 year suspension for misconduct. While Field waits to hear if his punishment is decreased – or made worse – he continues as right hand for (former) Vice Mayor/ Labor leader Cindy Chavez.

Terrified tiny-tots attending downtown San Jose’s Lowell Elementary School got their anti-Swine dose the easy way – a nasal spray. Head Nurse Melinda Landau happily said “we’re doing good” before packing up and heading to Washington Elementary. Ixia Rivera a 10 year old now Swine-proofed said “it felt weird… but it didn’t’ hurt.”

Environmentalists for Meg? Conservatives are pissed that Silicon Valley Republican Gubernatorial wannabe Meg Whitman gave nearly $1.4 million to environmental causes.

San Jose Police Captain Manny Martinez is ditching San Jose to become Daly City’s new Chief of Police. When the going gets tough... the tough head north... could the Chief be far behind?

There is a simple solution to missing goals – change them. San Jose Chief Development Officer Paul Krutko thinks lowered expectations for Team San Jose’s management of the Convention Center will still be tough to meet during the current economic disaster, but he’d love to see “measures with higher levels of performance.” Team San Jose President Dan Fenton blames bad data from the City as the Convention Center heads for its biggest financial loss in 5 years. Mayor Chuck Reed scolded Fenton for an unconvincing media band-aid.

San Jose Police are working the press for feel good stories to counter their pesky media nightmares. The Merc’s Patty Fisher shares a heroe's tale after learning rookie Officer Matt Bordoni was a two time lifesaver. A quick thinking, and Morse Code savvy, 10 year old Bordoni rescued a neighbor in trouble.

San Jose Councilmember/VTA Vice Chair Sam Liccardo announced plans to introduce “segregated bike lanes” while doubling the miles of bike lanes in San Jose. Liccardo also let loose plans to solve the “first mile – last mile” dilemma for transit riders with a bike share program.

Mountain View neighbors of Cuesta Park are pissed to hear plans for flood protection and worry it could destroy the “rural feel” of their park. Mountain View Mayor Ronit Bryant says there’s “no way everyone can agree and be happy” but remains confident most people are “ok with the process.”

Mission City Lantern welcomes (not really) the return of anti-Mayor Judy Nadler gadfly Debbie Bress. (And Mr. Rowen, we are sorry about our spell-check oversight... thanks for the correction. We just wanted to make sure you were paying attention...)