Morning News Round-Up -- 11.30.09: Tryptophan Hang-Over Edition...

Grab a chair, this Round-Up is long and include some things that the powers-that-be probably wanted you to miss last week...

Over the long weekend we learned that San Jose Police have a written policy requiring a specially trained officer to be on the scene for “known or suspected” calls involving the mentally ill. Assistant Police Chief Daniel Katz dismissed the policy saying “a (trained) officer wouldn’t have made a difference" in the police shooting of Daniel Pham. Last week Police trainer Teresa Jeglum told reporters a “staffing shortage” kept specially trained officers away and no automatic trigger existed to send such officers. This was a good story to get out over the long weekend...

And here is a story that the newspaper buried over the weekend: San Jose Police Officer Steven Payne Tasered not only San Jose State student Phuong Ho but (apparently) Officer Payne’s Taser was busy zapping 3 others over a 10 week period. Use of force expert Mark Harrison says Payne’s zap-happiness “boils down to poor leadership.” Which brings us to this piece from Malcolm Gladwell about how a very few bad apples can affect a Police Department's stature in the community and account for a big number of use of force incidents. His example is LA and worth a read...

The Merc’s Editorial Board says police and community groups could be missing an opportunity to talk about how to do things differently the next time a mentally ill person stands in front of a loaded gun.

Also on the minds of the Merc’s Editorial Board -- sending kudos to San Jose Police for capturing the gang members shooting children on Halloween. The Editorial Board remembers gang violence runs in cycles and the meetings between Police and community groups is a good first step.

The Chronicle's Matier and Ross love writing stories about the 49ers and the A's moving to the South Bay... and the past few days have been no different. They got this piece about how there is "No O in A's"... And then this in today's paper: Senator Boxer and her (politically ambitious) son Doug are lobbying Major League Baseball to keep the A's in Oakland. Perhaps this would be a good time for Senate Candidate Fiorina to chime in on San Jose's behalf?...

Another story you may have missed over the long week: San Jose City Councilmember Pete Constant misses many, many, many meetings. More than Councilmember Nora Campos (who had a baby) and Vice Mayor Judy Chirco (who had cancer treatment)... For you Councilmember Constant:























View larger map


Owners of million (plus) dollar homes in San Jose’s Evergreen are pissed about plans for more neighbors. Count on Sateesh Lele to show up at San Jose’s City Council meeting this week to argue more neighbors will “degrade” the “investment (they) made in (their) quality of life.” Right, because there is currently no traffic in Evergreen that could possibly degrade anyone's quality of life...

It was 1998 when Congress approved millions to buy land for a new Federal courthouse in San Jose. The Feds will reportedly make a decision from the short list next year. San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo suggests the empty/new Sobrato building would keep the Feds happy by keeping the courthouse downtown. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel was (apparently) feeling snippy when he said “we want a courthouse and want to get this done.” The problem there is after selection, they need another $100 million from the Feds. Perhaps Mayor Reed's plea for stimulus money could include another $100 million?

The Merc’s Scott Herhold was amused to find San Jose Councilmember/ outsourcing champion/ tech geek Pierluigi Oliverio voting against a tech tool San Jose Libraries have been using (courtesy of a State grant). Head Librarian Jane Light offers “we know we have a need (for tutoring), and the use is quite high.” Herhold completes the thought with “…teaching kids might come to the top of the (spending) list.”

Thanksgiving weekends are all about the sports… Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese is spending time on the road convincing local City Councils to support the San Jose A’s. Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Lisa Gillmor hired political heavyweights Ed McGovern and Jude Barry to win voters over to the 49ers team...

Perhaps the 49ers political folks would like to know this: Willie Brown was lunching at a very fancy San Francisco establishment with Jed York, the 49ers President... hmmm...

GOP gubernatorial wannabe’s Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman are trading a lot more than barbs. Seems Poizner’s (former) consultant joined the Whitman team. Pissed off Poizner-ites leaked memos are hoping to discredit the consultant by showing off his calls for Poizner to learn Spanish, win over the right and bring on the policy wonks.

Keeping an eye on local government meetings will be easy this week, thanks to the Merc...

• The Campbell Union School District Measure H Oversight Committee will double check expenditures and construction.


• The Los Gatos Union School District gets an update on property tax revenues.


• Sunnyvale’s City Council hears about the possibility of using City funds to help combat graffiti on private property.


• In Monte Sereno, the City Council will consider joining the CaliforniaFIRST “clean energy” financing effort.
  

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.01.09: Don't all plug your Teslas in at once... please

It is football season in Sacramento, sort of. State Senator Elaine Alquist lends her support to the 49ers request for picking their stadium builder. Alquist penned a piece for the Merc. complimenting Santa Clara’s City Council and touting the benefits of SB43 as it winds its way through Sacramento.

San Jose Councilmember/San Jose Insider Pierluigi Oliverio provides a blow by blow of last week’s retirement board governance meetings, for the 99.95% of San Jose who didn’t go. Peace Officers Research Association Director/ Protect San Jose’s Pete Pomerleau joined Oliverio and dished his own opinion noting “…Councilmembers Ash Kalra and Rose Herrera sat through both community meetings…” Must not have notice Oliverio taking prodigious notes.

Like they say, almost only counts in horseshoes and… Monte Sereno recall backers failed in their attempts to gather the necessary 602 signatures to take out Mayor Curtis Wright, Vice Mayor Don Perry, and Councilmember Lana Malloy for voting themselves a $300 monthly salary. Recall-meister Lon Allen promises/ threatens this isn’t his last foray into politics. Perhaps it should be...

The economic disaster has hit home for Silicon Valley’s small banks. Focus Bank (celebrating one year in the trenches) looks at a $1.5 million loss. The good news is local banks point out they are “well capitalized” and should “weather the storm.”

Put on your hiking shoes… Fans of the great outdoors will be happy to hear the Stevens Creek Trail is gaining momentum. Mountain View accepted funds to complete a section. Sunnyvale had a “breakthrough” when fears of crime proved unfounded according to Mayor Christopher Moylan. Los Altos Councilmember Val Carpenter is hopeful Sunnyvale’s breakthrough gets more options on the table.

Palo Alto’s greenies are abuzz over Tesla’s impending arrival. Palo Alto Utilities Electrical Engineering Manager Patrick Valath want you to know if everybody plugs in their car at the same time “it could have an impact.” A vision of all of Palo Alto plugging in simultaneously has the words “hot app” for smart meters falling like water.

Being a parent is tough. The Merc’s Scott Herhold provides some insight into the nostalgia and sadness that comes with watching the youngest walk out the door and into adulthood. Or, whatever adulthood means for a college freshman.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro dishes the news that Wyatt Earp, ok, it’s really Hugh O’Brian, is riding into town.

The Los Gatos Union School District was still doing the math when they learned their numbers were down. “Math is more developmentally challenging” as you grow up, explained curriculum director Dr. Bitsey Stark when looking at Los Gatos sinking STAR numbers.

Mission City Lantern sings a love song for Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan...

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.24.09: San Jose's lost lover is back...

Tesla Chronicles Continue... Tesla nailed a loan from the Feds to the tune of $465 million and has plans to announce where in the Bay Area a battery production plant will land. San Jose’s Nanci Klein is thrilled and confident San Jose will land the electric fish gushing “Tesla’s success is our success.” Really? Even though they left San Jose at the alter previously? Let's hope that the on-again/off-again San Jose/Tesla romance continues for a while. Or at least until they burn through taxpayers' $465 mill...

San Jose’s City Council moves closer to reforms for the beleaguered Employee Pension Funds. Consultant Cortex Applied Research said the existing Boards lack expertise and have little incentive to save taxpayer money. Perhaps that, coupled with the economic melt-down, explains the billion (plus) dollar losses...

San Jose’s Planning Commission landed in hot water last month with accusations of a Brown Act open government violation. City Attorney Rick Doyle lowered the temperature and is requiring a re-vote in the election of a new Commission Chair. Watch Dog prediction: one of the four alleged co-conspirators Xavier Campos, Chris Platten, Hope Cahan, or Thang Do lands in the center chair.

Santa Clara County Open Space Authority mails notices to hundreds of thousands of property owners fessing up to an illegal tax and offering a refund. Sierra Club’s Melissa Hippard suggests refusing, others suggest taking the $130 and donating it back (read tax deduction). The Open Space Authority loses $51 million for their screw-up. The winner is Tony Tanke, a Davis attorney, who walks away with $7.4 million in legal fees.

Former Los Altos Police Chief Bob Lacey may be “crude” and “inappropriate” but the Judge says porn on a flash drive, fat jokes for a pregnant lady, discussions of testicles, and photos of a naked transgender person did not make for a hostile workplace.

The Merc’s Scott Herhold likens the ongoing squabble between NASA and the Navy over who is responsible for Moffett’s Hangar One to an officious clerk making your life miserable. Herhold says it’s time to cut through the nonsense and call in White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Congressmember Anna Eshoo agreed it was “absolutely absurd” for the Navy to move forward without an end game but wasn’t so sure about calling Emanuel. (Watch Dog doesn't blame Eshoo... here's why.)

While the rest of the Valley is grilling and hanging out for the fireworks, three Monte Sereno Councilmembers have local fireworks to deal with. The recall effort over the (very badly timed) Council salary decision heads into high gear on the 4th of July. Recall proponent Fred Hawkes doesn’t want his Councilmembers wasting their time or money on Countywide groups like the Association of Bay Area Governments or the Santa Clara Cities Association.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is all over the news. He’ll get his dream mansion, Woodside keeps parts of an historic home, and Jobs ill health was confirmed when a Tennessee hospital confirmed Jobs’ liver transplant. We guess is that he'd rather be in the news discussing the latest and greatest iPod...

Saratoga Planning Commissioners approved plans to relocate a San Jose business (Demetri's the Hair People) onto Saratoga’s main drag. Commissioner David Reis was impressed with plans to update the exterior. Also approved, enlarging outdoor seating for Cinnabar Winery. Expensive hair cuts and expensive wine... perfect for Saratoga.

Sunnyvale’s newest City Manager, Gary Luebbers, says patience is his biggest challenge. Mayor Anthony Spitaleri likes that Luebbers isn’t “analyzing to death” and is hopeful this bodes well for Sunnyvale’s (Albatross) Town Center project.

What do Halle Berry, Paris, New York, Monte Carlo, and Palo Alto have in common? Doris Payne and It Takes a Thief, of course.

Busy times in South County: Gilroy had more gang problems, an “elaborate” car theft, and big robbery last week. Trustees for Gilroy Unified hired a new principal for Gilroy High and three new administrators to see them through tough times ahead.

Upscale Los Gatos hopes you’ll join them for Jazz on the Plazz but doesn’t want your crummy turf damaging blanket and has a slew of rules for those lawn chairs. Welcome to Los Gatos, don't leave a mark...

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo weighs in on class size reduction standing firmly on the fence. DiSalvo also continues his push for increased teacher salaries. Thank you (?) Joe.

Bucking the trend towards cheap, Cisco Systems handed out $1.26 million in grants including to 53 local non-profits.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.4.09: Close the Fence Gate...

49ers spokesperson Lisa Lang said there’s a long road ahead before Silicon Valley will be tail-gating. Environmental reports, voter approval, two cranky Santa Clara Councilmembers, and chatter of a Great America parking lot lawsuit lay ahead. Stepping up in support of tail-gating, Santa Clara County Tax Assessor Larry Stone with friends State Senator Elaine Alquist, Assemblymember Joe Coto, and San Jose Councilmembers Sam Liccardo and Pete Constant.

Here is your crime news for the week...

San Jose Police won’t be asked to release the 911 tape from the deadly shooting of Daniel Pham, yet. The Rules and Open Government Committee heard a plea from District Attorney Dolores Carr for secrecy. After a Grand Jury investigation they’ll reconsider unless Police Chief Rob Davis or District Attorney Dolores Carr object, again.

Fry’s former exec/Baccarat-loving/embezzler Ausaf “Omar” Siddiqui is generating a lot of business for local lawyers. No less than 5 lawsuits are filling the courthouse. Fry’s is suing Siddiqui, vendors are suing Fry’s, and casinos around the country are after Siddiqui for millions in unpaid gambling debt. Nonetheless, your best buys are always...

A would-be bank robber hit up a grocery bound Mountain View B of A. The robber left without the cash, or groceries, when he figured out the silent alarm was ringing. Begging the question, if a robber doesn't leave with any merchandise or money...?

It was not a good day for Ernest Latta. Dude busted the window of an auto body shop in Mountain View, cut himself, tried to hot wire a Volvo, and was hauled off to jail. Police Officer Liz Wylie said Latta , “...wasn’t in the right frame of mind...” She's probably right...

Early this year 5 twenty-something cretins from San Jose tried to kill a man taking an evening stroll. They are all behind bars and looking at possible charges from other crimes. SJPD Jermaine Thomas hopes you’ll share what you know and call 408-277-4166.

San Jose’s Officer Jermaine Thomas is a busy guy. Thomas reports a possible gang-related shooting ended with a man in the hospital.

This doesn't fit in "crime news" but... San Jose Inside’s Fly "stumbled across" the San Jose Police Officers Association/Bobby Lopez’ clumsy video making fun of De-Bug’s Raj Jayadev. Fly asks if Jayadev’s bald head was scary and suggests Councilmember Pete Constant has trouble with numbers.

For your trash protection needs… San Jose residents are offering the Merc’s Mr. Roadshow tips on keeping wild boars out of the garbage. Suggestions include the miraculous duct tape, mountain lion pee, and eating the boars…

Business owners are threatening to leave Palo Alto if a tax on gross-receipts becomes reality. Terry Conner with Thoits, Love, Hershberger and McLean wants the City to tax business by employee, not income. So do a group of business owners along with Councilmembers Larry Klein and Pat Burt. On the other side, Councilmembers Jack Morton and Greg Schmid say it’s just as easy to report receipts as employees. Not to mention a few lawyers generate more money than the local bookstore…

Former Mayor/lobbyist Tom McEnery teamed up with Mexican Heritage Plaza CEO Marcela Aviles to ask that money for the arts not suffer during the Great Recession. As an example of benefit they point to “40 million media impressions” coming from the Mariachi Festival. (We expect San Jose Revealed to go on an anti-McEnery tirade on this... just because.)

The Monte Sereno decades-old fence fiasco (Fence Gate?) made the list for the Merc’s Scott Herhold. Pointing out the big winner are the lawyers, Herhold suggests a loss for the City could result in covering $1 million in legal fees for the “litigious couple.” Would it be appropriate to call for the closing of the Fence Gate?

The battle for Los Gatos term limits and capital expenditure limits is heating up. Lunardi’s had Tim Smith with San Francisco’s Pacific Petition competing with volunteers from Friends of the Library over shopper signatures. Lunardi’s Manager Steve Pinney was pissed at the controversy and suggested Smith “go to Nob Hill.”

Developers David Rossi and Gary Naillon are pitching designs for the Village Shopping Center that some say fits in San Jose’s Santana Row – not Saratoga. Councilmember Jill Hunter wants a “new and improved design” before she supports the project. Oh yeah, and Not In My BackYard...

Saratoga Planning Commissioners were giddy at the prospect of a microbrewery in the Village and unanimously approved plans for St. Stan’s Brewing Company. Commissioner Manny Cappello said “it fills a need” for the Village and suggested the microbrewery would soon need a much larger location. Watch Dog likes that a brewery would fill a need in Saratoga. We guess beer has been hard to find over there...

Cupertino’s Bill Moody said the relationship between real estate prices and good schools is enough for him to contribute as much as $50,000 from his real estate sales to the Cupertino School District. Moody promises to track donations on his website.

The Sunnyvale City Council is looking at a proposal to upgrade their 50 year old water pollution control plant. At issue is finding the $380 million to do it and whether the plant is new or updated. No word if Sunnyvale hopes to turn their sewage facility into a tourist attraction like San Jose...

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.26.09: A Supreme Tuesday Edition...

As we come back from a long weekend, the news today will be dominated by Supreme legal stuff... California Supreme Court's decision on Proposition 8 and Obama's pick for the US Supreme Court.

But Watch Dog must ask that you don't forget the local stuff... luckily, the Merc’s Internal Affairs never forgets the local stuff…

• Supervisor/President Liz Kniss is fighting with Supervisor Dave Cortese over foster kids. (No, this isn't a custody battle...)
• San Jose Councilmember Nora Campos has a friend in the White House, Adolfo Carrion. Unfortunately, Carrion is accused of taking bribes while a New York Bronx borough president and might not be there long enough to help. (Which is ironic, since Campos' mentor was also written about in the Merc this weekend... we'll get to this later.)
• San Jose’s normally genteel Councilmember Nancy Pyle got testy over accusations she met more than once with bail bonds lobbyists Tom Saggau and Dustin DeRollo and snapped at members of the public. Saggau said if he’s riding the elevator “with someone who's reportable, and I just mention Bad Boys Bail Bonds” he reports the contact.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is facing off (again) with labor leader/former Mayoral opponent Cindy Chavez. This time it’s a 34 page set of recommendations on how to handle the City's budget crisis. Reed did not say this, however.

San Jose Police are refusing to release 911 tapes from the fatal Mother’s Day shooting of mentally ill Daniel Pham. Santa Clara Police Lt. Phil Cooke crossed the Blue Line and sounded less convinced about the need for San Jose Police Department's secrecy saying, “Police departments live on public trust. You take that away and you have nothing.” Unfortunately, Watch Dog thinks the public trust in the San Jose Police Department may have been bruised well before this incident... (See: Drunk Task Force and IPA selection.)

The Merc Editorial Board sends kudos to the City of San Jose for helping to add Rancho San Vicente to Silicon Valley’s open spaces. The Merc credits San Jose Planners with resisting pressure from developers and lobbyists wanting to build luxury estates. (A much more contentious issue dealing with developers, open space, and lobbyists is brewing in Redwood City, for those of you interested in things north of the Santa Clara/San Mateo County line...)

It was a violent weekend in San Jose…

• A “melee” left 4 men with stab wounds at a South San Jose party. If you have info dish to the San Jose Police Department's assaults unit at 408-277-4161. (Watch Dog doubts many of our readers attend such parties, but you never know...)
• Paul Leyva was beaten and left brain-dead outside a San Jose pizzeria. Call Sgt. Merlin Newton or Detective Bill Hoyt of the San Jose Police Department's homicide unit at 408-277-5283.
• A 25 year old man was shot near McKee and Capitol. Anonymous callers can call Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867).

On a less violent crime note... Lincoln High School’s Jeremy Talamantes saw himself as an artist with all the walls of San Jose as his canvas. San Jose Police, and residents, didn’t agree. Talamantes was yanked out of art class when busted as a member of the Toon Goons.

Morgan Hill’s sparkling new courthouse is headed for its own courtroom battle. In a finger pointing drama, County Supervisor Don Gage says the builder blew it while Paul Thompson with West Bay Builders points at County staff for errors. At issue is $20 million which the County says it doesn't owe the builder -- and the builder kindly disagrees.

An (apparent) joyrider stole a Mountain View Police car during a Shoreline concert. Police later found the car ditched in an apartment complex parking garage. (The Officer left the keys in the car... oops!)

A Monte Sereno “good neighbor” fence was anything but neighborly for Darla Padget who says City Manager Brian Loventhal sent threatening letters. The 10 year old “fence” trial heads to the jury this week.

Here for your Watch Doggers pleasure… the week around Silicon Valley government, with mad props to the Merc's Government Watch (on-again/off-again) crew...

• The City of San Jose Rules Committee talks pay cuts for Councilmembers and management as well as the growing maintenance backlog.
• The Cupertino Union School District studies the Governor’s revised/slashed education budget.
• Franklin-McKinley School District reviews (horrible) financial projections.
• Palo Alto Unified has a full plate with talks of enrollment, boundary changes, Mandarin immersion, and a delayed reopening Garland Elementary. Oh, and the (crappy) budget.

San Jose’s Oak Grove students who come from 13 countries, speak 9 languages, and have to work while in high school, need your help. Dig deep people, send the Valley’s smart kids to D.C. to compete. Donations for the "Eaglebots" can be sent to Oak Grove High School, Attn: Jeanie Romanoff, 285 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123.

If you were anywhere near San Jose’s downtown you couldn’t miss Fanime’s costumed conventioneers. If you missed it, you really missed it...

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 -- 5.6.09: Shading sunshine in San Jose...

Yawn, Watch Dog hopes this is the end of the Swine Flu updates. Yesterday was the last day of the Swine Flu vacation, today schools are open and expecting your kids at their desks. Santa Clara County Health Officer Marty Fenstersheib made the bold decision shortly after the Centers for Disease Control backed off rigid closing requirements. “This novel virus looks exactly like the seasonal flu...” except for the school closures and mass-hysteria... (or Mask Hysteria.)

On to the fun stuff -- yesterday's San Jose City Council meeting...

There’s a new gig up for grabs, again. The San Jose City Council agreed to reopen the hiring process for the Independent Police Auditor and keep the original applicants in the mix. Yep, that’s right, Chris Constantin has a second shot at being the guy to review his brother's (and his brother's brothers-in-blue) work. But this isn't the most interesting part of the City Council meeting yesterday... this is:

Mayor Chuck Reed was a little testy, trying hard to get colleagues to tell all of the closed door session discussion when the chose Constantin, who apparently wasn't Mayor Reed's first choice. Remember, Councilmember Nora Campos was spinning the tale that she didn't know about Constantin's police-relations when she voted to make him the new IPA. The Mayor (apparently) knows that Campos is not telling the truth -- and so do some Councilmembers. The Mayor tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Council to release the notes from the Closed Session meeting where Constantin was approved. But the majority on the City Council said, unbelievably, that they would like to decide in private whether to keep the private conversation private. (That sentence makes sense, read it again...) So much for sunshine...

San Jose Revealed weighs in on the new/old IPA hunt (Reed screwed up) and the Earthquakes land deal (the City lost money). Revealed also shares opinions on the Mayor’s biennial Ethics Review Memo.

San Jose Inside’s Fly dishes the news that members of the Elections Commission are hinting that Councilmember Nora Campos was the source of the anonymous complaint against Tom McEnery. Campos’ Chief of Staff Ryan Ford heard the hints and suggested the Elections Commission go ahead, try to find out saying, “we had nothing to do with that.” City Clerk Lee Price says the Commission doesn’t have the authority to investigate. Perhaps evidence would point to the (blo)sphere of influence between Campos and San Jose Revealed and the complaint...

GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL! Is expected to be heard in San Jose. Tuesday the City Council unanimously approved sale of land to Earthquakes/A’s owner Lew Wolff to build a soccer stadium, a hotel, and some retail shops. Soccer Silicon Valley president Don Gagliardi expressed his inner soccer joy saying “...this is the culmination of five years of effort...”

Home value tracking site Zillow.com provided the news that the plunging housing market has slowed, a little. Wet blanket Santa Clara Assessor Larry Stone offered his thoughts that the home value losses were greater than the $57 billion estimated by Zillow.com. “I was surprised it was so low, there has been a serious erosion of equity,” said party pooper Stone.

Vahid Hosseini was a respected shopkeeper in a tough neighborhood with occasional gang violence. The Willow Market was the place where neighbors could cash their paychecks and get groceries. Police Chief Rob Davis announced Tuesday Alejandro Mendoza has been arrested for last years murder of Hosseini. Chief Davis said “the investigation is still ongoing – literally – as we speak,” and asked anyone with information call 408-277-5283.

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Liz Kniss is expecting unprecedented federal support and says without it “our financial boat would barely be afloat.” The President (Kniss) is referring to federal stimulus dollars coming from D.C. to provide support for some of the County’s mental health, alcohol/drug abuse programs, and those gentle Nightingales who poked a needle in your Swine Fluish arm. Not helped by the federal bucks will be seniors, the disabled, and unemployed families – all of whom can expect continued budget cuts. (While Kniss is making her case in the newspaper, Supervisors in San Mateo County were actually testifying on Capitol Hill...)

Lest we forget, yesterday was an Election Day in some parts of the County. Voters in the Moreland and Cupertino Union School Districts agreed to help schools and passed their parcel tax measures, in spite of the gloomy economy.

It was a geeks paradise where San Jose’s Harker Academy eighth-grader Sierra Lincoln proved herself the geekiest of all. Lincoln took three awards in all and won top awards for programming and robot skills at the international VEX Robotics championship competition in Omaha, Nebraska. Geek on, sister.

Saratoga wants more of those fed dollars and is fighting for more than the $851,580 street paving dollars guaranteed. Saratoga is hoping to move City offices completely off the electric grid and is banking on federal green bucks to help make that happen.

Monte Sereno’s City Council had the unenviable chore of voting itself a salary during the worst economic disaster in decades. Councilmember Marshall Anstandig vows to return the salary or donate it to charity. Monte Serenan Lon Allen wants the Council to delay the vote a month in order to mail a postcard to everyone in town letting them know about the $300/month proposal. Estimated cost of mailing postcards: $3,600.

Morgan Hill’s Chamber of Commerce decided to move the popular Friday Night Music Series out of the street and into the amphitheatre – against the wishes of downtown merchants who see revenue disappearing into the amphitheatre along with the music. As of press time it was not known how many Chamber members voted for the move.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District meets to vote on a proposal to raise South County water rates. Great Oaks attorney Tim Guster called the rate raising process “flawed” and plans to attend the Wednesday night meeting to say so.

Morning News Round-Up – 1.5.09: Famous last words "...we don't forecast anything that dramatic..."

When elected officials take off for the holidays, it usually means that they want to hit the ground running in the New Year. Watch Dog suspects it is because they want folks to think that they work hard. The weird part is the City of San Jose doesn't have a Council meeting this week. I guess they work so hard in San Jose that they deserve to take an extra week off ;)...so the New Year begins with lots and lots of meetings (except the San Jose City Council)...here is a snap-shot...

• The Sunnyvale City Council will meet Tuesday to choose an interim Council member as bench warmer for Otto Lee, elect a Vice Mayor, and figure out how to make the budget work.
• In Mountain View, the City Council will elect their new Mayor on Tuesday.
• The Milpitas City Council will talk about land deals with the County for a new park.
• Monte Sereno residents will air their grievances about garbage and weeds in front of the Council on Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, San Jose’s Rules Committee will decide how much sunshine they want on meetings with McEnery et al about the new San Pedro Square Market.
• The Santa Clara Unified School District meets on Thursday to see how their schools did in 2008.

Saratoga’s new Mayor, Chuck Page, meets twice a month with the public, he says he’s often surprised by the scope of the conversations and even more surprised by how much he knows. He credits being second chair to Mayor Ann Waltonsmith for preparing him for the lively meetings. Looking forward Page says, "So if there's a way to create an environment for sustainability, a better world for our kids, that's a better thing. That’s the right thing to do.” Page hopes to build consensus with his colleagues (including incoming Councilmembers Susie Nagpal and Howard Miller) to discourage use of plastic bags.

San Jose’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, which contributes millions to San Jose’s financial health, is projecting little impact due to the economic meltdown. Dan Fenton, the CEO of both the ConVis Bureau and Team San Jose that runs the convention center, says "It's still too early but we don't forecast anything that dramatic at all. I think we're positioned much better than we were to be more resilient." Really Mr. Fenton? San Jose's convention business is immune to the economic downturn?

We love The Town: Los Gatos Observer Editor Alastair Dallas looks forward to the new police headquarters, as well as Smokey Market. Mayor Mike Wasserman has the honor of first shovel at the groundbreaking for a new library and Los Gatos Economic Vitality Manager Danielle Surdin has hightailed it to Santa Rosa, her seat to be replaced with a Community Development Director.

Watch Dog was going to launch into San Jose Revealed today about a weird bias in a post about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Not long after writing this anti-Revealed piece, Revealed disappeared...which caused some consternation on San Jose Inside but nothing compared to Mr. Rowen's consternation at Mission City Lantern. Watch Dog knows that it isn't Blogger's fault that Revealed is down because we run Blogger too...

...

This affects a lot of folks locally, so I'll include it today. If you own Apple stock (and who doesn't) hold on to your hats. Steve Jobs announced that he has a "hormone imbalance" -- and not reoccurring cancer. Perhaps not since Fidel Castro has the world been so eagerly anticipated someone's health news. This will not end speculation about Jobs' health and stock jitters that come with it -- especially after Apple backed out of MacWorld.

Morning News Round-Up – 12.23.08: More Drunk News...

Congratulations, Sergeant Manion and Officer D’Arrigo. You received a get out of jail free card from the secret Grand Jury, just in time for Christmas. These guys were not indicted for their part in the Sandra Woodall drunk driving cover up – they may not be so lucky when Chief Rob Davis begins his own internal investigation...but Watch Dog expects they'll be ok.

The Merc. recommends the drunk Task Force installed by Mayor Reed and Councilmember Campos focus first on the wildly disproportionate arrests of Latinos. What the Editorial doesn't say is that this Task Force won't start until 3 months after the problem was identified by their reporter Sean Webby and that the Task Force won't make any recommendations until April...six months?!

Make note of this name, Ausaf Umar Siddiqui. He managed to scam Fry’s Electronics, and vendors, for $65 million since 2005. This story includes “secret backroom” deals, masquerading as an owner, casino jets, exotic cars, and swarms of FBI agents invading Fry’s to take Siddiqui away in handcuffs. Fry’s spokesman Manuel Valerio says that while Siddiqui made off with millions “neither Fry’s nor Fry’s customers were damaged by this.” Watch Dog wonders if the Fry’s family would agree. (As an aside, does anyone out there remember rising political star Manuel Valerio? Same guy...)

It’s a big week for travelers. The weather around the country is not cooperating. If air travel is on your mind, be patient and bring your sense of humor. David Vossbrink, spokesman at the Mineta International Airport, says that the cancellation of hundred’s of flights across the country due to blizzards raging from Seattle to Chicago to Washington, D.C., were most troublesome for San Jose flights. And take it from Vossbrink -- he knows something about patience and sense of humor from his last job...

Mr. Roadshow received a request to make 2009 the Year of the Pedestrian – making travel safer for those on foot. Pedestrian deaths are on the rise, making streets more pedestrian (and bike) friendly seems a logical solution.

San Jose Revealed does a holiday rundown of the less than cheerful variety. Revealed is surprised that the ball playing skills of the President-elect’s appointees are more newsworthy than torture. Well, perhaps Revealed never saw the Bush Basketball Team -- Cheney sucked! We needed a change...

Morgan Hill looks at budget cuts that include shutting off residential streetlights, letting potholes go unrepaired, shutting down playgrounds, letting park turf die, and decreasing code enforcement. Mayor Steve Tate says, "It's not anything real dramatic that you would notice a whole bunch. Maybe if you're going to a park every day, and see half the grass gone, you'd notice that. It depends. Generally, I don't think you will." Mayor Tate -- voters have a funny way of noticing such things. You know who else notices such things?...the Morgan Hill Police showed up in force with nearly half the department at the Council meeting to protest the loss of three police officers.

The Los Gatos Observer posts photos of the Monte Sereno and Los Gatos Councils being sworn in. Watch Dog is a little confused as the Observer ran the story of the Los Gatos swearing in on November 18 – complete with photos of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner delivering the oath of office. Is news so slow in Los Gatos that the Observer needs to rerun old news?

Morning News Round-Up --- 12.17.08: Sports teams leaving, coming, and (hopefully) building downtown...

If using the Taser stops being cool, will police departments go back to bullets? This summer, after the dismissal of 70 lawsuits, TASER International was found partly responsible in the death of Robert C. Heston. (Apparently not related to this gun-loving Heston.) Yesterday, the City of San Jose agreed to pay $70,000 to the wife and child Jose Angel Rios – the City’s first Taser-death-related settlement. San Jose officials face the dismal prospect of two more lawsuits for Taser-related deaths.

After nearly three decades as a public servant, Supervisor Blanca Alvarado attended one last heated meeting as the Supervisors decided to renovate, not expand, the William F. James Boys Ranch. Supervisor Don Gage fought to expand the ranch saying, "We need to go for the 108 beds — this society is getting more violent." (Not everywhere Supervisor Gage, mostly just in your neck of the woods...)

At the same County Supervisors' meeting, and in a presumably much less contentious discussion, Supervisors decided to continue inspecting boats for the invasive quagga mussel.

Crackberry users might need a ranch of their own soon. Mr. Roadshow reminds us that texting while driving joins playing an accordion while driving as a jail-ready offense beginning January 1, 2009. Put the Crackberry and accordions down while driving people...

In spite of a request from San Jose’s outgoing Vice Mayor (Supervisor-elect) Dave Cortese and patients, Good Samaritan Hospital is closing a medical rehab program for cardiac patients. San Jose businessman Tim Bumb says it’s a mistake to close, because he has been using the facility since his quadruple bypass last year. Between Bay 101 and the San Jose Flea Market, Bumb can probably afford a treadmill if not an entire spa.

An excited Lana Malloy took office Tuesday as a Monte Sereno’s Councilmember. A fan of protecting hillsides, Malloy said serving on the Towns Site and Architectural Committee was a must before election to council and reported working on pressing issues such as correct story poles. (story poles?) Malloy fears a proposal from Russ Stanely to convert the La Hacienda Inn into a multi-story senior housing complex saying, "My fear is if [Stanley] gets his way with multi-family housing, it puts the city in jeopardy." After all, who wants those pesky seniors living nearby.

While some cities still can’t manage to get their council meetings on television (Attention Watch Dog San Mateo -- your cities of Atherton and East Palo Alto can't seem to get this right...) Morgan Hill has taken the fireside chat to a new level. As if the world was clamoring for it, now you can get your fix of City Manager Ed Tewes via podcast. Most recently Tewes chatted with Councilmember Marby Lee about the economic struggles faced by Morgan Hill.

As Sunnyvale’s Sailor/Councilmember Otto Lee leaves for Iraq the City Council voted to appoint former Councilmember Dean Chu to keep Lee’s seat warm until his return. Chu came closest (but still lost) in the November 2007 election. David Whittum (the highest vote-getter) and Chris Moylan voted against the proposal. (In an unrelated note, for those of you interested in San Mateo politics...check out what happened yesterday in San Mateo County when a seat opened up -- our northern Watch Dog is an angry dog...)

The Merc's Sal Pizzaro reports Santa Clara University’s Father Paul Locatelli accepted a replica of the St. John’s Bible worth nearly $100,000 from university benefactor Tita Crilly Diepenbrock. If you’re able to repeat the name of the Bible’s home three times “Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library” you can visit, and touch the beautiful reproduction.

Opera lovers are a passionate bunch but they don’t normally pay in blood. Opera San Jose’s General Director Irene Dalis is giving opera lovers the opportunity to win tickets to the opening night of Cosi fan Tutti with a donation to the Red Cross. An offer even Dracula would love.

Saratogans will soon be able to get their tea fix locally, Maria Tran’s Teas the Season received approval from the Saratoga Planning Commission – along with a request that the restaurant stay open past 4 p.m. daily and have outdoor seating.

Cupertino is filling a position for Environmental Coordinator in spite of a heated debate on the Council. Councilmember Dolly Sandoval was determined to keep the position funded saying, “I am hoping that we're not going to backtrack on that decision by being penny-wise and pound-foolish. This position is going to pay for itself over and over again." Colleague Gilbert Wong worried the State might (might?) take more money from local jurisdictions – seeking to ease concerns City Manager David Knapp said Cupertino is “…very careful with our pennies. We have an organization that knows how to react in hard times." Famous last words...

The Merc Editorial team cheers the idea of a A’s ballpark in downtown San Jose. Lew Wolff is encouraged to look for private funding ala SBC/Pac Bell/AT&T park. Unfortunately, Major League Baseball hates that idea, but Scott Knies probably loves it...

Music makes the news in Saratoga – the drum major along with the rest of the marching band of Redwood Middle School head to D.C. for an appearance in the Obama inaugural parade. The kids need your help getting there – sending 115 kids will cost $200,000. The Merc’s Patty Fisher asks you send your check for the Saratoga Music Boosters to Redwood Middle School at 13925 Fruitvale Ave Saratoga, CA 95070.

Vova and Jenny Ekhilevsky lost their 4 year old daughter to a mysterious illness and want to know why. Originally thought to be meningitis, the child’s death had parents in Los Gatos and the Santa Cruz mountains terrified. Now, the Coroner’s office has no idea why this otherwise healthy child died.

Apparently seeking to outdo Supervisor-elect George Shirakawa, Jr. for expensive taste, Morton's Steakhouse in downtown San Jose saw the New England Patriots chow down following their victory of the Oakland Raiders. San Jose Inside’s The Fly says that while the steaks are expensive at Morton’s it was the champagne and cognac that helped the bill tip the scales at $30,000.

Also hanging out in San Jose restaurants, Sal Pizzaro attended a farewell party for San Jose’s (fired) Independent Police Auditor Barbara Attard at Smoke Tiki Lounge. The party included De-Bug’s Raj Jayadev, former IPA now Superior Court Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley along with a host of Councilmembers. Attard promises to continue consulting on police-oversight issues saying, "I'll still be a thorn in the sides of those who need that, and a beacon of light to others.”

San Jose Inside's Tom McEnery chides The Fly for referring to the boys in blue as “rogues” preferring instead to lay that moniker at the feet of federal judges considering the release of 52,000 inmates due to overcrowded prisons. McEnery worries that poor neighborhoods may see an influx of ex-cons.

The death of the SaberCats leads San Jose Revealed to a long diatribe about the various sporting maneuvers underway in San Jose.

Can it really be MacWorld without Apple? Yep, Steve Jobs has yanked Apple and himself from MacWorld after next months event. Rumors abound that Jobs’ health is the real reason for the disappearance from MacWorld...and the tumble in the stock price...

Morning News Round-Up – 12.12.08: Drunk San Jose...continued...with a twist

Although ‘The Lioness’ has left the Chambers on Hedding her presence will still be felt. Supervisor Blanca Alvarado’s career had dramatic ups and downs, she’ll take some time off and return to San Jose to continue her work. Alvarado was San Jose’s first Latina Councilmember and the County’s first Latina Supervisor, appointed when Congresswoman (former Supervisor) Zoe Lofgren left for D.C. (after Lofgren beat-up on this guy.)

Whether the booze is to dull the pain of the economic crisis or to celebrate the holidays – watch out. Without any drunk tanks it could cost you as much as $8,000 in addition to the night in jail if you get pulled over for a DUI. A drunk tank might have prevented the death of a Sunnyvale man this week. A drunk driver driving North in the Southbound lanes of 280 killed one man and injured another.

But not everyone gets arrested for being drunk in San Jose. District Attorney Dolores Carr is expected to ask a secret grand jury to investigate a possible cover-up by two San Jose police officers for driving drunk. (Ironic, given the zero-tolerance policy usually in place.) Earlier this year District Attorney investigator (and former San Jose police officer) Sandra Woodall smashed her Cadillac Escalade into two cars injuring a teenager. Officers then (reportedly) helped her answer questions and delayed a blood alcohol test long enough to render any results inaccurate.

Angry parents, students, and coaches yelled at East Side Union Superintendent Bob Nunez for his threat to take away sports in an attempt to balance the budget. The San Jose Earthquakes (Lew Wolff) and Oakland A’s (Lew Wolff) have stepped up with offers to help the District raise money for sports. Watch Dog gnaws on this bone, come June when the final decision is made how likely is it sports remain while teachers, administrators, and staff disappear? What do you think, should East Side toss sports?

Without athletics to unload, the City of Morgan Hill is laying off as many as 13 employees in an effort to cut $2.1 million from its budget. At a community meeting, attendees offered ideas ranging from a 10% pay cut for management (savings: $40,000) to shutting off street lights (savings: $150,000). Councilmember Greg Sellers expressed concern that the budget cuts made now might be a prelude to a more painful situation if the state again takes/cuts City funds.

The Merc. makes a case to the Alum Rock Board of Trustees to put aside rancor and move forward – put the children, not the personalities, first. That truly would be a first in that school District...

Monte Sereno has selected Curtis Wright as its new (rotating) Mayor and Don Perry as Vice Mayor.

It was a mix of celebration and nostalgia as Campbell said farewell to Mayor Don Burr who has spent 50 years supporting his community in various roles and welcomed new (recycled and rotating) Mayor Jane Kennedy and Vice Mayor Evan Low. While Kennedy celebrated her fourth Mayoral appointment, newcomers Mike Kotowski and Jason Baker were sworn in to their Council seats in front of friends and family.

New VTA Board Chair Dolly Sandoval has asked her colleagues to stop bickering and get behind implementation of BART saying, "If we are going to max federal stimulus dollars or our own local dollars, we've got to make sure we are singing from the same hymn book." Amen sister...Outgoing VTA Chair Liz Kniss reportedly told a packed room of Measure B supporters she didn’t expect to see BART in her lifetime. Looking surprised, Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino voiced an expectation of the first trains rolling through in 2017. Perhaps 2017 if we all sing from Dolly's hymnal...