INJURED IRAQ WAR VETERAN COMES HOME TO ALUM ROCK

Words, photo, and video by Len Ramirez

Cpl. Ivan Hernandez needs an hour of physical therapy everyday to help rebuild his strength following injuries suffered during combat in Iraq. CBS 5 Cameraman Joe Rojas gets the shot on video.

Marine Corporal Ivan Hernandez survived two tours of duty in Iraq, three IED explosions and came home to Alum Rock on Friday with two Purple Hearts for injuries suffered in combat.
"I can't even put a sock on because I can't reach down there," Hernandez told me during an interview which aired on CBS 5 tonight, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war.

Hernandez,22, was severely injured in a suicide bomb attack in Barwana, Iraq on February 7th. Two Marines, one Iraqi interpreter and two Iraqi policemen were killed in the attack, which happened at a security checkpoint when an insurgent with explosives under his clothing walked up to the crowded area and blew himself up. "I heard the explosion, and I fell to the ground," Hernandez explained in a quiet voice. "I tried to get up, but I couldn't."

The blast left Hernandez with shrapnel wounds on his left shoulder, hand, knee and ankle. Metal debris tore through nerves making it difficult and painful for him to walk, even with crutches. After treatment in Iraq and Germany, Hernandez was transported to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, where he has been undergoing physical therapy.

"It's hard to see myself, not being able to do things," Hernandez said during one of his workouts.

Hernandez has made progress during the past month, and was discharged from the VA last week. He also passed a special driving test given to injured Iraq veterans by the VA to clear them to get behind the wheel again. Hernandez left the hospital with his wife Desiree and their 3 year old daughter Destiny at his side. The couple met when they were both 16 and working part-time at Great America. He is a graduate of Yerba Buena High School, and Desiree graduated from James Lick. The young family lives near Capitol and Alum Rock. "You hear about soldiers who get injured everyday, but you never hear about all the recovery they have to go through. That was really overwhelming," Mrs. Hernandez said.

Many more months of rehab await Corporal Hernandez, who credited his wife and his mother, Maria. "I don't know what I would have done without them," he said. Maria Hernandez told me in Spanish that she prays for her son's recovery, and for peace.

See Len's TV news report on CBS 5:

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=21733@kpix.dayport.com

Watch raw video behind-the-scenes on CBS 5 shoot:

http://motiono.com/watch.m?o=1824

ALUM ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION:"GET INVOLVED!"

Come on Alum Rock neighbors! Join us, your fellow concerned Alum Rock neighbors, this Thursday evening, March 15, 7:00 p.m. at the Joseph George Community/Recreation Center (277 Mahoney Drive). The building is located right between the band building on the corner and the back of the school cafeteria ... where the small parking lot is for the middle school. Not sure where that is ..... just get yourself near the building, Steve and I will be standing outside to greet you B-).

Participation at the ARNC meetings has been at a critical low lately, Steve's getting tired of hauling that same 'ol box of water in and out of his car and I'm getting tired of seeing the same 'ol faces! sorry guys and gals but I know you feel the same way ........ LOL

We want to brainstorm and discuss, with a larger group, potential neighborhood projects for the year, perhaps we can even come up with a fun neighborhood meet and greet activity. Bring all of your ideas! bring a neighbor! heck, bring your dinner if need be, just get yourself to THIS meeting. Did I mention the fabulous door prize yet? what? you didn't know we had a door prize? see what you're missing!

See you Thursday evening!

David Sanchez
ARNC President

EAST FOOTHILLS FIRE PROTECTION PLAN RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

By Allan Thompson

The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has released the first Public Draft of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the East Foothills area east of San Jose for comments. Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are the new standard for evaluating a community’s risk from wildfires. CWPPs not only set forth a detailed plan for ongoing wildfire prevention maintenance in a specific area, but also provide other important benefits to the community.
These Benefits to the Community include:
Higher priority for Federal grant dollars for fuel reduction projects
Quicker turnaround for environmental permits or navigating compliance issues
Communities can organize projects to reduce fire prone fuels without Federal funding
Identification of appropriate Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) boundaries with community input
The East Foothills CWPP was developed by SCFSC and Dudek, a wildfire prevention planning company, with assistance from the San Jose Fire Department, CDF (now CAL FIRE), and many other stakeholders and residents. It is the first CWPP completed in Santa Clara County. The San Jose Fire Department Wildland Officer, Fire Captain José Guerrero, has been involved in the planning process from the beginning. Captain Guerrero states, “We’re very excited about this project. It’s a great example of how the public and private sectors can take steps to reduce the risk of wildfires in the foothills of San Jose.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Allan Thompson
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
(408) 272-7008

VIDEO ARCHIVE: FLEMING AVE. GRASS FIRE 5/26/2006
How quickly can fire strike? Just watch this video shot by Julie Ramirez!

TV ANCHORWOMAN BRINGS CANCER FIGHT TO JLHS

As a cancer survivor, KRON-4 TV's Ysabel Duron knows the importance of early cancer detection. That's why her latest non-profit venture, Latinas Contra Cancer is launching a Cervical Health Initiative in February 2007. They plan 4 Mother/Daughter rallies in Santa Clara County high schools to educate Latinas about the HPV virus and cervical cancer. James Lick High School will host a rally on March 15th.

The mission of LCC is to save lives through education, access and early detection. 2 times as many Latinas get cervical cancer as the mainstream population.
The campaign is targeting 1000 low-income, Spanish-speaking mothers and their daughters who often lack awareness, and face income, cultural and social barriers to education and health care. LCC trained 16 teen peer educators to help lead their unique bi-lingual educational game, Cervical Health Bingo, at the rallies.
The bingo serves as an icebreaker, works to dispel myth and misinformation, and opens up taboo conversation about this deadly disease. The human papilloma virus is the source of cervical cancer and is a sexually transmitted disease. The teens and their mothers will learn this is not about sex but about health and a life saving vaccine. At the beginning of the campaign, one of the girls took the invitation home to her father; her mother is in Iraq. He listened and learned and took her to get the vaccine. That’s one less LCC has to worry about.
LCC has invited the public health department, and clinics to provide as many low cost screenings, pap smears and the HPV vaccine as possible.
If this unique educational event and the CHB tool works as effectively as expected, LCC plans to make the program available to other Latino health care providers to launch in their communities.
The first rally was held February 8th at Gilroy High School and 102 mothers and daughters attended. 14 girls or 30% of attendees signed up for the new HPV vaccine. The three other schools are Latino College Prep Academy at NHU, James Lick High School and Downtown College Prep.
The Cervical Health Initiative is the primary education campaign leading up to LCC’s
2007 Mother’s Day Walk Against Cancer, May 13th, in downtown San Jose, which will turn the spotlight on cervical and breast cancer.

For more information you can visit her website:

http://www.latinascontracancer.org/

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

CBS 5's Eye on the Bay visits Alum Rock. Correspondent Marla Tellez and crew did a fabulous job profiling our little corner of the world.

You can view the video online by clicking on the link below:

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=21122@kpix.dayport.com

BODY FOUND NEAR ALUM ROCK PARK ENTRANCE

San Jose police are investigating the discovery of a man's body on Penitencia Creek Road near the entrance to Alum Rock Park Wednesday morning.
Passersby called authorities to report seeing a man down at Penitencia and Dorel Drive at about 6:40 a.m., police Sgt. Nick Muyo said.
"We're not quite sure what time it all went down," but the death
is being investigated as suspicious, he said.
Police believe there may have been a fight or some other disturbance in that area in the hours prior to the body's discovery. Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious is asked to call the San Jose Police. This is believed to be San Jose's 5th murder of 2007.

CONTACT: San Jose police (408) 277-5339

EASTSIDE STUDENT MUSICIANS PERFORM HEROICALLY IN FPC SANCTUARY

"You had to be there!"

Words and photo by Judy Thompson

It wasn’t hosannas rising in the sanctuary of Foothill Presbyterian Church last Friday afternoon, but the atmosphere rang with music and youthful exuberance as the student musicians of four local schools strutted their stuff for the community.

With the cooperation of the church and its music director, Jay Jordana, the music department of James Lick High School hosted the second annual Alum Rock Music Festival to showcase the accomplishments and musicality of our own youngsters. Last year’s event was held in the Rotunda of the new City Hall downtown. The rotunda was a novel performance venue for the young Eastsiders, but the reverberating acoustics (and lack of seating) left much to be desired. Foothill Presbyterian, on the other hand, seems a natural - considering its proximity, warm ambiance, comfortable seating and pleasant openness for musical “sharing.”

Lick’s vibrant young music director, Tomoko Nakajima, invited the advanced bands of Joseph George, Ocala and Pala Middle Schools to perform on a program which included the JLHS wind ensemble and choir. Pala Middle School presented a bonus performance from their fledgling vocal ensemble – an earnest group of a dozen or so young singers which meets with director Ted Henderson three days per week simply for the joy of singing – no credits earned. Mr. Henderson said that last year’s performance by the Lick choir inspired his students to raise their voices in song, as well.

It was not exactly a competition, but the students representing the four schools enthusiastically and loyally rallied at each mention of their school. Lick principal Bill Rice, District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos, and Lick alumna Darcie Green (who now works in the office of California Assembly member, Joe Coto) all addressed the assembled students and community members. There were two clear messages: the first one thanked parents and the community for supporting music programs and young musicians in our area and urged them to please continue the interest. The other message beamed passionately at the middle schoolers especially by Ms. Nakajima was to set their sights on James Lick High School to continue with their music education when they matriculate to high school. The Lick band and choir program could easily accommodate many more students in Ms. Nakajima’s capable and loving musical embrace.

The music performed ranged from classic arrangements for band to exotic imaginary trips to other cultures and earlier eras. At one point, Ms. Nakajima even had the whole room singing along about “Livin’ and Lovin’”!
The finale was a performance of the Lick High School Fight Song played and sung by the formally dressed JLHS band and choir with community members joining in.

When the performances and applause were just echoes in the sunny sanctuary, the students and community members regrouped in Foothill’s community room for refreshments. Cakes of many flavors and descriptions disappeared quickly as the teenagers (and not-so-teenagers) dug in. Newly minted ARUESD board trustee, Patricia Potter, could be seen deftly wielding a spatula serving up carrot cake squares.

Next year – surely there will be many more such annual celebrations – plan to join in this musical love feast. What more could our community desire than a great afternoon of free performances, plentiful cake and a huge dose of youthful energy? The latter rubs off on us older folks, you know.

VALLEY VIEW CELL TOWER: A MAJOR MISCUE

Video by Gustavo Gonzalez

Watch and listen to a San Jose Planning department official explain to Valley View area neighbors how a proposal to build a 60 foot cell tower went from being disguised as a pine tree (which neighbors approved) to a barren "slimline" tower without any neighborhood notification.

NEW BUSINESSES OPEN IN ALUM ROCK VILLAGE

You've passed the village a million times on the way home, but now there are two new reasons to stop! Reis Gifts & Home Decor and Vintage Rose Consignment Boutique bring a little bit of a shoppers' paradise to our neighborhood.

If you're looking for unique gifts, Owner Paula Reis hopes you'll stop in at her new gift shop, Reis Gifts & Home Decor, located at 3144 Alum Rock Avenue. "We have a variety of gifts from garden supplies to furniture, candles and scented oils." In addition, local vendors bring their own hand-made crafts to sell. The Grand Opening was on February 10th and Reis says her shop is open seven days a week. "It's been a little slow, but we're hoping to get the word out," she adds.

Just a few steps away, you'll find Andrea Hapin and the Vintage Rose Consignment Boutique. She's converted a dark and dated tatoo parlor into a bright and busy boutique. Once a month you can shop at an outdoor flea market with local vendors showcasing one of a kind jewels and artwork. Inside you'll find antique collectables, designer purses and clothing. "I'm doing all I can to support local artisans," she explains. A jewelry designer herself, she notes how difficult it was as an artist to sell her designs without getting up before 6am and trekking across the valley. Her goal, she says, is to provide a venue for local artisans to showcase their talents, and photographer Leah Rondeau is glad she's doing it. "These are photos from my travels," she says as she shows me prints from Paris to Chicago. "Andrea has an ecclectic mix...modern looks with a vintage flair," she adds.

BLOODY NIGHT ON ALUM ROCK ROADS

Alum Rock Avenue was closed for two hours on Saturday night following a fatal head-on accident.
The crash happened at about five o'clock on Alum Rock near Mtn. View and involved a Volkswagen Beetle and a Chevrolet Blazer. Police say the driver of the Beetle was killed, apparently on impact. Officers cloaked the VW in a plastic tarp while waiting for the Coroner to arrive at the scene. Traffic was blocked off by the California Highway Patrol at Kirk and McKee while officers investigated the scene and interviewed witnesses. It appeared as though the Blazer was traveling east on Alum Rock and the Beetle was headed west when the two cars collided, but it is unclear which car crossed the center line. Both vehicles were badly mangled, and there was no word on other injuries.
Later in the evening, there was another serious accident less than a mile away. A big Chevy pickup ended up on its side on the campus of James Lick High School after crashing through the brick wall along N. White Road at Highland. From the looks of it, it appeared as though the pickup was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed due to the damage suffered by the rebar-enforced wall. The impact sent bricks flying into a row of parked cars in the new circular driveway at Lick. It is unclear if there were other cars involved. Traffic continued to flow on White Road during the investigation and cleanup. Unfortunately, the crash damaged the newly remodeled front section of the school and landscaping that was looking so nice.

MARDI GRAS VANDALS HIT E. SANTA CLARA STREET

Ever wonder what happens in downtown San Jose on Mardi Gras night? Take a look!

AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA TAKES ON EAST FOOTHILLS

photos by Len Ramirez

The Amgen Tour of California roared past me somewhere on Sierra Road. After struggling up half the mountain to find a good spot to photograph the riders, I was once again amazed at the speed these riders take on 10 to 15 percent grades. Thousands of people lined Piedmont and Sierra Roads to get a glimpse of the riders as they sped past. Kids off from school, bike nuts like me, tourists and Sierra Road residents waited for hours for the racers to take on the climb. After starting in Stockton, the riders came through the Central Valley, Livermore and Calaveras Road before heading into the steepest hills of the race. Today's stage finished in downtown San Jose at City Hall, and was won by Jens Voigt of team CSC. Santa Rosa's Levi Leipheimer took second and retained his overall lead, heading into the Big Sur stage tomorrow. The race will end Sunday in Long Beach.

TOUR OF CALIFORNIA CYCLISTS TO TAKE ON EAST FOOTHILLS CLIMB

Bobby Julich of Team CSC, finished 3rd in last year's Amgen Tour of California and will be back as one of the top American Favorites. To get ready for the race, Julich and his team have been training on Mt. Hamilton road. Julich is seen here at the 2004 Tour de France. Photo by Len Ramirez

We all know how beautiful and our East Foothills are...now the rest of the world will get to see. The Amgen Tour of California cycling race is back and will be rolling into the East Foothills and downtown San Jose this Wednesday, February 21st. The most elite professional cyclists in the world will get to see what local cyclists already know: the hills and roads around here are world-class tough. Last year's toughest stage will be making a comeback: a 3-mile climb up Sierra Road. The first rider to the top will get the coveted "King of the Mountains" jersey. The stage will start in Stockton and go through farmlands, over Patterson Pass, and then through Livermore and onto Calaveras Road. Then it's onto Piedmont Road and up the torturous Sierra Road climb. Riders will loop around through Ed Levin Park, back onto Piedmont, White Road and Maybury into downtown for a finish at City Hall. Lots of local cyclists will be riding up Sierra in advance of the race to get a great viewing spot on the top of the hill. Last year's inaugural race drew a world-wide television audience and this year it should get even more coverage. Look for an up-coming feature on the race next week.

More on the race:

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages/stage3.html

HUGE CELL TOWER RAISES CONCERNS

By Gustavo Gonzalez

Hello Fellow Residents. We have a 60' cellular phone tower going up and it will be the tallest man made structure in the East Foothills. The cellular phone tower is going up on McKee in the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church. The city/county informed us that they would camouflage the cell tower making it look like a tree, but for some reason this has changed and it will now look like a huge silver pole sticking out 6 stories high so everyone will be able to see this it where ever you are. Help us hold our elected officials accountable and make them follow through with the original plan of camouflaging this cellular phone tower. Neighbors on Valley View Avenue will be holding a meeting on Thursday Feb. 15th at 7 pm. The location is 326 Valley View Ave. Please come, join us and sign your name to the petition that will be sent to our elected leaders.

CBS-5 PUTS EYE ON ALUM ROCK part 3

Get your Tivos and VCRs ready...and call your neighbors.
CBS-5's Eye on the Bay will air its feature on Alum Rock on Thursday, February 22 at 7:00pm on Channel 5. I spoke to Executive Producer James Reid and Producer/Show Host Marla Tellez about the project this week. They tell me the segment is edited and ready for air and that we got an extra minute of airtime for a total run-time of 6 minutes! I can't tell you how big that is in the TV biz, where we often claw and scratch to be given ten extra seconds. As mentioned in previous posts, we hit about ten locations the day we shot. Unfortunately, even with 6 minutes, not everything will make it in the segment. Apologies in advance for those who didn't "make the cut." The Alum Rock segment will be part of a larger program focusing on some of the Bay Area's most diverse neighborhoods.

CBS-5 PUTS EYE ON ALUM ROCK part 2

CBS-5's Marla Tellez and her cameraman interview Mario the Barber at his shop in Alum Rock Village for an upcoming segment on Eye on the Bay. Lucas Ramirez, 4, enjoys the trim.

The date was set, the calls were made and the camera crew from CBS 5's Eye on the Bay rolled into Alum Rock Village to focus on the characters and places that make our neighborhood unique.

As tour guide for this trip around the East Foothills, I wanted to expose Bay Area television viewers to as much as possible. So we started early, at James Lick High School. Principal Bill Rice showed us around the recently renovated campus including the new athletic fields. But the highlight of the trip to the home of the Comets was a sneak peek at the new Media Magnet facilities, which are absolutely top-notch. We saw the state-of-the-art television studio, control room and a non-linear edit suite. We also saw the plans for the media lab which will include approximately 30 more edit suites for film and vido production.

Next it was off to another Village landmark, Peters Bakery. Nancy Peters graciously showed us around the shop offering tastes of their classic items like burnt almond cake, plus their newest specialty, pineapple upsidedown cake (do try it). Then we hit Mario's Barber Shop for a chat with Mario while he cut my son Lucas's hair. As expected, Mario had great stories to tell about the neighborhood and the people who make it special. While in the Village, we also hit YSI Thrift and Gift, Treasure Chest Aquarium and Pets to see the 1,000 gallong shark tank (we were "treated" to a viewing of a shark feeding frenzy!), and the Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Library. Then it was off to Reynaud Drive for a sequence on what it was like growing up in the area. There, we interviewed my friend and neighbor Dan Gentile, Sr. who showed off his classic Ferarri and Alfa Romeo cars. Dan is also a living piece of Silicon Valley history. He holds 3 patents for chip design during his time at Fairchild Semiconductor, the company that "started it all" in Silicon Valley.

Our next stop was the National Hispanic University where we spoke to Roberto Cruz II about his family's educational contributions to the Alum Rock area. His father, Dr. Roberto Cruz started the NHU 25 years ago and his mother Lupe, teaches at Linda Vista Elementary. We also learned that San Jose and Santa Clara County have special citations in store for the school's award-winning debate team.

Then, it was off to the crown jewel of the neighborhood, Alum Rock park. Suffice it to say,this sequence will be one of the highlights of the show, so you'll just have to watch. Even I was surprised and amazed by what I saw.

With our earlier slices of cake starting to wear off, it was time for lunch at Mark's Hot Dogs. After a quick bite, we trekked off to see an another Alum Rock landmark: Cesar Chavez' home on Scharff Avenue.

We ended the day with a few more shots of neighborhoods and views from Miradero at the top of the East Highlands. Although a bit hazy, we could see Alum Rock and San Jose spread out beneath us, and glistening in the afternoon sunlight.

Overall, we shot over an hour's worth of footage for what will be a 5 minute segment. We don't have an air date yet, but keep watching this space for an update when a date has been set. I would like to thank Marla, her cameraman Scott and her Producer James Reid for coming to Alum Rock and giving our area some positive attention. And finally, thanks to all the readers of The Neighborhood View who wrote and emailed me suggestions on what to see and do. As you will see, we packed a lot of your suggestions in.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP PRESERVE ALUM ROCK RAILROAD HISTORY

photos courtesy Silicon Valley History Online

By Park Ranger Roger Abe, Alum Rock Park

From Downtown San Jose it came up Alum Rock Avenue, along Kirk, to Penitencia Creek Road. It carried families to picnics in "Little Yosemite". It ran through fragrant fruit orchards and olive groves, and to climb on, it only cost a quarter—what is it? If you ask local historians or train buffs, you might get a knowledgeable answer, but most people wouldn’t have a clue. This, of course, excludes those of you who have seen Judy Thompson’s Alum Rock Park History--still available online in the New Neighborhood Voice Archives. Don’t you think there should be something right here to tell the story?
There is no visible explanation for the old elevated roadbed abutments decorating the creek and the hillsides as you meander up Penitencia Creek Road into Alum Rock Park. Currently there is nothing on site to explain that railroads existed here from 1896 through the 1930’s and impacted local culture, politics and economics with all the related drama surrounding railroads. 25 cent fares, train crashes, saloons, dance halls, hotels, restaurants, bathhouses, zoos, the Natatorium, business scandals, a world-wide popular spa destination, crowded park use, bankruptcies--those abutments may no longer carry "The Big Red Cars" but they and their cohort, the Alum Rock Trestle, (all about 96 years old) represent an era during which railed mass transit served both the park and the neighborhoods on this side of town.

There are few now who remember those times. If you would like to help commemorate the Alum Rock Railroads, please contact the Park Rangers at Alum Rock Park at 259-5477 or e-mail roger.abe@sanjoseca.gov or rob.reynolds@sanjoseca.gov. The park is seeking help in the form of funding, partners or sponsors, historical photos or information or volunteers to create historical markers to tell some of the stories of the Alum Rock Railroads—a grand, but nearly forgotten part of our community heritage.

NHU takes on USC and wins!

East San Jose's National Hispanic University took on the best...and won!
NHU's Ethics/Debate team defeated the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business to become California Regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Champions.
The NHU Debate team went undefeated in the 8-team competition hosted by Chico State on December 2nd, beating the host, CSU San Bernardino, Cal Poly Pomona, UC Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California in route to the title.

Clockwise from left: Prof. Michael Jordan, Juan Ruiz, Ana Castro and Team Captain Xavier Flores.

This was truly a story of David versus Goliath as the team from the 25 year old, little known university serving 600+ nontraditional college-going undergraduates in the East Foothills defeated the team from a 126 year old, premier institution with 16,500 undergraduates for the title. The NHU Debate team was founded in 2003 by a group of 5 students that were interested in philosophy. The team has faced obstacles including inexperience, and a lack of confidence.

But the biggest challenge may have been the fact that more than half of the team had to debate in their second language- English.
""It was difficult at the beginning. I was the one with the heaviest accent and the least amount of confidence", said senior, team captain Xavier Flores.

The Ethics Bowl competition is inspired by TV’s College Bowl, but modified rules adapt the game to the subject of ethics. In Ethics Bowl a moderator poses questions to teams of three to five students. Questions may address ethical problems on classroom topics (e.g. cheating or plagiarism), personal relationships (e.g. dating or friendship), professional ethics (e.g. engineering, law, medicine), or social and political ethics (e.g. free speech, gun control, etc.). Each team receives a set of ethical issues in advance of the competition, and questions posed to the teams at competition are taken from that set. A panel of judges evaluates answers; rating criteria are clarity and intelligibility, focus on ethically relevant factors, avoidance of ethical irrelevance, and deliberative thoughtfulness.

NHU's first place finish qualifies them for the 32-team national competition which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio this February. The team is now preparing to take on schools such as Indiana University, University of Washington, Clemson University, Depaul University, Tuskegee University and the U.S. Military and Naval Academies in the nationals. We wish them well!

WATCH THE VIDEO FROM CBS-5! http://cbs5.com/video/?id=20073@kpix.dayport.com

The National Hispanic University is a private, accredited, 4-year university authorized to grant degrees since 1981. For more information on NHU, please log onto:www.nhu.edu

CBS-5 TO PUT EYE ON ALUM ROCK

CBS-5's hit TV show Eye on the Bay will be focusing an upcoming segment on our dear old Alum Rock neighborhood. I got a call this morning from show host/producer Marla Tellez asking me if I could play tour guide for the show which will be taped on January 30th. Of course I exitedly accepted this great offer to show off our little corner of the world to the TV viewers of the Bay Area. But where to start? We plan to meet at the Dr. Roberto Cruz library and fan out from there, our stops will include Peters Bakery, James Lick High, Marks Hot Dogs, and of course Alum Rock Park. Here's where you, the readers of The Neighborhood View come in. We need a few more location suggestions...the often overlooked, the off-beat, the interesting and of course anything picturesque. Please put suggestions in the comments section below and we will see you on TV!
Eye on the Bay used to be known as Evening Magazine. It is a daily, half-hour TV program that airs at 7pm on CBS 5. The show is known for its high quality, often witty and always interesting profiles of people and places around the Bay Area. You can check out some recent segments here: http://cbs5.com/eyeonthebay
As a lifelong resident of the Alum Rock area and a CBS-5 TV News Reporter, I want to put our best foot forward on this important project.

LAST STAND FOR LORD'S BAPTIST CHURCH

The giant jaws of an excavator chomped down on the wood frame of The Lord's Baptist Church on Fleming Avenue this morning, reducing it to rubble in a matter of minutes. Work to clear the site will continue for the next few weeks as developer Braddock and Logan begins the long awaited and hard-fought construction project. A new 14 home neighborhood will be built on the site. But thanks to neighborhood involvement, a deal was struck with the developer and the city to also build a half-acre park on the land along the Fleming frontage. More on this to come...

LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION!... James Lick Shoots for New Image

Videographer Tom Castellano moves in for a shot during the production of a video that will be shown to San Jose high schools to attract more students to James Lick's new media magnet program.

James Lick High School is undergoing some exciting and dramatic changes that are designed to inspire its current student body and attract new students into a top-notch learning environment.
The newly renovated exterior of the school invites students and visitors to this "charming" school, according to Principal Bill Rice. "With a population of about 1,100 students, James Lick is easily the smallest and most comfortable school in the district," said Rice in a recent video documentary about the school that is being produced to promote its new media magnet program. "This is a school where the administration, counselors and teachers know the students well, so no students feel lost."
James Lick offers the comprehensive academic, athletic and extra-curricular programs found at all district schools, but because of its status as a magnet school, it also offers a unique cutting-edge program in "New Media."
The program features an academic and career program that introduces students to the latest digital media: television and radio broadcasting, graphic arts, digital photography, music, multi-media, and journalism. These are the building blocks of our new digital society as outlined recently in Time Magazine's Person of the Year issue.
The school is installing a new state of the art television broadcast studio. Students will produce a weekly community show broadcast through Comcast Cable as well as live broadcasts to James Lick High School.
There are also new state of the art computer labs utilizing the latest software, including Adobe Creative Suite and Video Suite. The program is designed to be cross-curricular in that it integrates language arts, computer technology, visual arts, and media production (radio, television, web page, desktop publishing, music, video, print journalism, and digital photography).
Business Partnerships with Comcast and CBS-5 Eyewitness News and education partnerships with local colleges and universities will further enhance the student experience.
"As students prepare for college, they will be exposed to potential four-year majors in the areas of communication and modern media," according to Rice.
Students will develop skills in modern media that will allow them to enter the media professions such as broadcasting, multimedia, and graphic arts.
"When students graduate from the Modern Media Magnet, they will have produced a digital portfolio featuring quality works from each of the areas of modern media," Rice stated. The portfolios will be presented as part of their senior project, he said.
Access to this kind of technology will be available at Lick and be invaluable to students wishing to pursue exciting multi-media careers. But it will be just one of many reasons students and families should choose James Lick. Lick also offers several honors or advanced placement (AP) classes in english, english literature, spanish, spanish literature, US history, biology and calculus. These rigorous courses allow students the opportunity to get college credit in these courses, so they won't have to take them at the University level, saving time (and their parent's money!).

JAMES LICK HIGHLIGHTED IN MERCURY NEWS

In case you missed it, the James Lick Comets football team was featured in the San Jose Mercury News recently. It's a nice article that focuses on the courage and determination of the student athletes and the school in general. As you know, James Lick is making a major turnaround. Like the football team, the school has a long way to go, but I believe it has turned the corner and is on the comeback! Look for great things in the future from the Mighty Comets!

You can check it out here:

www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16355323.htm

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Casa Ramirez

It's time to make The Neighborhood View more interactive...so let's start by inviting our neighbors into our homes. Take a picture of your favorite holiday decorations...your tree, your lights, your house decorations, your store or shop, your street lit up at night or your family Christmas picture and send it in. Write up a short note, talking about your family traditions and we'll post them online. This will be a great way for us to share the holidays and get to know eachother a little better.


Send words and photos to:
lenramirez@aol.com

Share, don't be shy

POSADAS TRADITION KEPT ALIVE IN EAST FOOTHILLS

National Hispanic University students Carla Estrada and Juan Villalobos play the part of Mary and Joseph during Las Posadas at NHU.

By Len Ramirez

Families, the faithful and students gathered at the National Hispanic University on Sunday afternoon (12/10) to take part in the Mexican holiday tradition of Las Posadas.
"We have to keep the tradition alive" said Maria F. Hernandez-Schabbing, one of the organizers who helped make this a festive, colorful display of Christmas culture.
Las Posadas is the re-enactment of the holy family's epic search for lodging in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ. 18-year-old Carla Estrada and 18-year-old Juan Villalobos, both NHU Freshmen, superbly played the part of Mary and Joseph, leading a procession of angels, musicians and Aztec dancers through the NHU quad. Tradition dictates that the procession makes stops along the way at several doorsteps where Mary and Joseph ask for shelter in song, the reply is also sung, but there is "no room at the inn", so the procession moves on. Finally, shelter is found and a song of thanksgiving is sung. In this case, the procession ended with a rendition of the Jose Feliciano Christmas classic "Feliz Navidad."
The event also included a street faire with games and prizes, and a spanish mass that featured a beautiful Ave Maria, sung by San Jose teenage recording artist Manuel Romero.

P.E.O. HOME TO CLOSE; LAND UP FOR GRABS

A tagger has already marked the wall in front of the California P.E.O home, aka Maguerite Terrace .

By Len Ramirez

The end is near for the California P.E.O. Home on Kirk Avenue.
"All residents will have been moved to a new home by this Saturday" said Randy Eilts, spokesman for the home, by telephone. "It had been a trickle of people moving out since word of the closure was announced back on April 12th."
Eilts said closing the home, which housed 37 women and is also known as Marguerite Terrace, was a difficult decision for the P.E.O's Board of Directors to make. But he said the board concluded that it was no longer financially feasible for the home to remain open.
Although the front building was remodeled a few years ago, most of the rest of the facility was in need of upgrades such as heating, cooling and roofing. Eilts says remodeling all eight buildings in the entire 40-plus year-old facility was not "financially viable."
Eilts also said the property has been put up for sale, although he would not divulge the asking price on the property. He did say "We're still taking offers" on the land.
It is doubtful that any new owners would continue using the property as a nursing home, given the condition of the facilities.
The property sits on 4 1/2 acres in San Jose city limits and is zoned for the current use, but some neighbors have already expressed fears that the property could turn into another large and dense housing development, such as the ones recently built on Alum Rock and Story Roads.

KIDS, PARENTS AND STAFF PITCH IN TO BEAUTIFY LINDA VISTA

Some of the many volunteers who helped make Linda Vista a better place to be.

Linda Vista is already a California Distinguished School, Saturday was a good example of why.

About 100 people from the school community showed up on a gorgeous Saturday during the holidays to pick up shovels, rakes and brooms and spend the day beautifying the already scenic campus.
Together with several members of the Linda Vista teaching staff, Principal Paddy Douglas rolled up her sleeves to help create retaining walls and gardens clustered in three areas around campus. One of the areas will be a vegetable garden the students will tend to learn more about science and nutrition. "We're also going to make a mural" Douglas said. It will be on a wall backing up the garden and it will have a "farmworker or agricultural" theme.
It was a total team effort as several Linda Vista families showed up to help out. Several students spent the day, side by side with their parents and teachers to make their school a better place to be. Helping to make it all possible are the kind folks at the Alum Rock Orchard Store, Payless Rockery and Mission Concrete who donated materials and the expertise to pull off a beautiful job.

ALUM ROCK VILLAGE CEREMONY LIGHTS UP THE HOLIDAYS

Councilmember Nora Campos and James Lick Principal Bill
Rice are joined by young people for the ceremonial lighting
of the village.

Wow...this was a fun night!

For the first time ever, Alum Rock neighbors gathered to celebrate the lighting up of the village for the holidays. About 150 people surrounded the stage in front of the former Brasil Auto Repair shop as the sun was setting on Alum Rock Avenue. The James Lick High School choir and band, under the direction of Music Director Tomoko Nakajima, provided carols and music to set the perfect mood. The students were all dressed in festive gowns and tuxes for the occassion and they looked and sounded sharp.
Yours truly was honored to be the Emcee for the night's festivities (thank you CBS 5, which let me off early to participate!). Neighbors sipped Starbucks coffee and mingled with Village shopkeepers who donated several great prizes for a raffle. Santa took Christmas wishes from kids in the old Karate studio. The U.S. Marines stood guard over a Toys for Tots bin that was quickly filled with gifts for needy children. And the crowd listened to James Lick Principal Bill Rice describe how his school (and my alma mater) is on the upswing.
And speaking of upswings, San Jose City Councilmember Nora Campos, whose office organized the event, spoke of how this is a milestone in an ongoing effort to restore pride and prestige in Alum Rock. She also mentioned that some deals are in the works to bring even more businesses to the Village in the next year or two, adding to the Village's ambiance, and making it more of a destination for the community. Those will certainly be big announcements in the future, but for now, let's enjoy what we have in the Alum Rock area and support the businesses that support our community. Bravo to all involved, and for those of you who missed it, mark it down for next year because this will be an annual event that is not to be missed!

ALUM ROCK NAMED ONE OF TOP PARKS

By Andrea Flores-Shelton

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
My husband and I took our son to Alum Rock Park early Wednesday morning and we saw a certificate had been given to the park by Sunset Magazine for being in the Top 10 Thanksgiving Hikes of 2006. Yesterday, at my parents’ house I picked up their Sunset and found that Alum Rock Park had been ranked #5. We are so blessed to have this place - #5 or not, in our backyard. It was a gorgeous morning and we had the place almost to ourselves.

Here is the write up:Fall days linger, especially golden, in the east-west-running canyon of Alum Rock Park. The east San Jose sanctuary offers both mellow strolls and muscle-taxing climbs through its 720 acres. Opt for the flat 2.5 mile Creek Trail, which follows Penitencia Creed, from the park’s entrance to the handsome stone bridges at Sycamore Groves’ mineral springs. Or for a more challenging 3-mile trek with vertigo-inducing views-and the chance to see deer, rabbits, and quail- Take South Rim Trail from Inspiration Point, where natural beauty and quire inspire genuine thanks-giving.

If you are curious, the Top 10 Thanksgiving Hikes are:
#10 -Salk Lake City – Bonneville Shoreline Trail
#9 – Denver, Deer Creek Canyon Park
#8 – Sante Fe, Borrego-Bear Wallow Loop
#7 – Scottsdale, AZ, Pinnacle Peak Park
#6 – Malibu, Point Mugu State Park
#5 – San Jose, Alum Rock Park
#4 – Orinda, CA, Briones Regional Park
#3 – Sacramento – C.M. Goethe Park
#2 – Portland, Wildwood Trail
#1 – Seattle, Seward Park

-- Andrea

CRAB SEASON COMES TO ALUM ROCK FARMERS MARKET

From the Alum Rock Village Farmers Market

Crab Season has begun at the Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market.

Along with the chill that fall brings, comes the long awaited Dungeness crab season in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Right now, you can find fresh, local crab than at the Alum Rock Village Certified Farmers' Market.

In December and January, crab supplies are plentiful and the meat is sweetest. Local fishermen including Pham's Fresh Fish, Salter Crab Co., and Stu Fish are now bringing us this season's bounty of seafood, including shrimp, and a variety of fish and crab! The Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market is also brimming with fall and winter vegetables and fruits. From butternut squash to broccoli, from persimmons to pears – year-round, there is no better place to buy fresh, local fruits and vegetables than at the farmers' market. Looking to make an impression during the holidays? Fresh brussel sprouts sautéed in olive oil with fresh garlic and slivered almonds, candied yams, freshly baked herb-potatoes, or orange-glazed carrots should do the trick. Try your hand at making a fresh apple strudel or freshly baked persimmon bread. Decorate the table with a beautiful bouquet of freshly-cut flowers. Or, if you are after artisan breads, savory pies, eggs, kettle korn, orchids, honey, or other locally grown or locally produced goods – come join us!

The Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market operates year-round, rain or shine, on Sundays, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at James Lick High School, 57 N. White Road, San Jose.For more information on the Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market, or to find another farmers' market in your area, please contact the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association at (800) 949-FARM or go to:

www.pcfma.com

HOLIDAY FAIRE COMING TO JAMES LICK HIGH SCHOOL

James Lick Booster Club Is holding its annual Holiday Faire on Saturday December 2nd, 9:30 - 5:00 and Sunday December 3rd, 9:00 - 4:00 at 57 North White Road @ Alum Rock Ave.
Handmade gifts and crafts, home decor, fresh hot food, hourly raffle drawings, silent auction, gift wrapping, crafts and activities for kids, pictures with Santa and more.
Booths and tables are still available: 10X10 space for two days $80.00, 1 day $45.006X6 space for two days $60.00, 1 day $35.00. Prices includes assistance in bringing stuff in the gym. Please contact Lynnette for table reservations at lynnetterodriguez@sbcglobal.net or phone her at 408-258-6697For donations for silent auction please contact Monique Frizzell at 408-838-1358 or moniquefrizzell@yahoo.com

100% of profits go to supporting all sports teams at James Lick High School!

PLANE CRASHES IN EAST FOOTHILLS

From the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office

On November 20, 2006 at approximately 1:06 P.M., Santa Clara County Deputies responded to the area of Metcalf Road and San Felipe Road in unincorporated San Jose on a report of a possible plane crash.
The pilot, a 46-year-old man from San Jose, was on a leisure flight in his private plane when he began to experience mechanical problems. He notified the control tower of his situation and began to prepare for an emergency landing. He began to circle over the area in an attempt to locate a safe place to land. While circling he heard a loud noise and the engine failed. The pilot acted quickly and located a small pasture to land his plane. During the landing, the small plane’s landing gear struck a rock and flipped onto its top.
The pilot was able to exit the plane under his own power safely. He contacted a near-by plane via a two-way radio and informed a fellow pilot of his situation. He began to walk northbound towards San Felipe Road while his fellow pilot contacted 911. The San Jose Fire Department located the pilot walking in the area and evaluated his medical condition. San Jose Fire Department Personnel medically cleared the pilot at the scene.
The National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) was contacted and will complete an independent investigation of the incident.

"LONG HAIR" EXPERIENCE FOR LICK MUSICIANS

By Judy Thompson

Last week about fifty James Lick High School music students hopped aboard a city bus for an unusual destination in downtown San Jose. Along with their teacher, Tomoko Nakajima, and volunteer chaperones, they set out for the famous, much ballyhooed, extravagantly renovated California Theatre on First Street. What was the big draw? A rock concert perhaps? An educational film?
How about a special full length midday matinee production of the opera, The Barber of Seville, presented by Opera San Jose for a theater full of middle and high schoolers? Kids descended on the ornate theater from every direction. Some arrived in school buses. The Lick students good-naturedly hoofed the several blocks from the First and Santa Clara Street bus stop arriving just in time to be seated as the pit orchestra struck up the overture.
Does this sound like a dynamite combination – a theater full of teenagers expected to sit still for a looooong musical story with a decidedly goofy plot? Well, you would have been wonderfully surprised at the polite demeanor and mature audience manners of the Lick students – and the rest of the young theater-goers!
The Barber of Seville (written by Rossini in 1816) is sung in Italian although the setting is Seville, Spain. Mercifully, there were English supertitles. After the performance, I heard some Lick students mentioning the similarities between the Italian they heard and the Spanish they know. Good listening!
The English translations threw some arcane vocabulary words at these youngsters. Who knew that Figaro the Barber was a factotum? This Latin version of Jack-of-all-trades didn’t faze this young audience. They were rapt as they experienced the drawn-out comedy even through some of its repetitive passages.
After the performance, Ms. Nakajima counted noses outside the theater and off we paraded to the eastbound bus stop on Santa Clara Street. I heard no carping about the highbrow musical experience. I think James Lick music students are mature enough that they thought the opera was pretty darned cool!

LIFE AFTER NNV

By Elizabeth Driedger

This is just a reminder to folks interested in continuing the AlumRock Neighborhood Coalition that we will be meeting up at the "NextSteps after NNV" meeting called by Gustavo Gonzalez this Monday night, (11/20) at the Roberto Cruz library from 6 to 7 pm.
A couple of weeks ago some members of the ARNNE e-list responded to the post about keeping the Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition (ARNC) alive as it was recently announced in the last issue of the NNV that its members were putting away their paint brushes and hedge clippers for the last time. The consensus on the e-list was to meet up at the NextSteps meeting. A former lead member of the ARNC has indicated that he will be attending and can give us background on the structure and history of the organization. We will also discuss any new ideas for the organization's future.
Here are few of the quality of life issues for Alum Rock (from specific to general) that come to my mind:
-Litter along Alum Rock Ave and McKee Road
-Savemart shopping carts strewn along McKee Road
-Food/Garbage amassing in the Savemart parking lot
-Infrequent street sweeping on even just the major streets (e.g. AlumRock, McKee Rd, Capitol Ave, White Rd, Story Rd, Jackson, etc.)
-Grafitti/Vandalism (e.g. the abandoned La Bodega)
-Unchecked Development/High Density Development/Lack of neighborhood parks
-Protection/Preservation of Historical Landmarks/Buildings
- or maybe even something like an AR Historical Walk with signs for the landmarks/buildings/historical sites that once were
-City of San Jose Annexation of Unincorporated Pockets/SJRDA Plans
-Having a forum that connects with the already great programs that have recently come into place in the AR area as well as with City of San Jose, local business owners and residents.

Do you have similar concerns and/or wishes? Would you like to have more of a voice about what's impacting your neighborhood? Do you have a few hours of time you are willing to volunteer for your community?Are you interested in rolling up your sleeves and seeing how things can improve when like minded individuals work together? Or how about meeting other people in your community and making friends with people you might never have had the chance to get to know in your corner ofAlum Rock? If you have concerns about the quality of life in Alum Rock and are willing to get involved, I strongly encourage you to come. Please feel free to send me an email to babette1057@yahoo.com if you'd like to express your ideas about ARNC between now and tomorrow evening. I'll print them out and bring them to the meeting. I'll have a sign with ARNC on it to help with any one wanting to gather to talk specifically about the ARNC tonight. Also please feel free to send me an email if you are interested but are not able to come to tonight's meeting. Look forward to seeing you there.

Elizabeth Driedger
Alum Rock and Capitol Ave neighborhood resident

MORE EAST FOOTHILLS OPEN SPACE PROTECTED

The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) added a key link to its chain of protected lands in the East Foothills of San Jose with the purchase of 233 acres on November 16, 2006. The cost was $2,050,000.
The acquisition, along upper Penitencia Creek east of Alum Rock Park, features steep, oak-covered hillsides and is home to many plants and animals common to the east foothills. Sparing the land from development will help OSA achieve its open space goals of protecting hillsides and watersheds, preserving important habitat for protected species, and providing outdoor recreation.
“Acquiring this property will ensure that the scenic views enjoyed for years by visitors to Alum Rock Park remain intact. It will also expand on City of San Jose’s efforts to protect critical waterways for steelhead trout in the east foothills,” said OSA general manager Patrick Congdon.
OSA currently owns 1,389 acres in the east foothills. Since the opening in 2002 of OSA’s Boccardo Trail adjoining the northern edge of Alum Rock Park, the Authority has been working to expand public access to its holdings in the region. Studies are currently underway, with the help of a $50,000 grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to site a staging area on Sierra Road. This would enable visitors to reach OSA trails as well as a proposed alignment for the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a 500-mile-long regional trail envisioned to circle the entire Bay Area when completed.

FIND OUT MORE:
www.OpenSpaceAuthority.org

ALUM ROCK YOUTH CENTER ROCKIN'

Ed. note: The following correspondence was provided by Alum Rock Youth Center Advisory Team Member Tanya Freudenberger. Thanks Tanya!

Dear Team Members:

At our advisory committee meeting of the Alum Rock Youth Center last night, we received some information that might be of interest to you and you might want to share with others:

The Giving Tree activity at the Alum Rock Youth Center will probably be held on Friday, December 15. If you know any family that has children who need gifts from the Giving Tree, please send the (a) name (b) age (c) gender of each child to Danny Perez at the Youth Center by e-mail (Danny.Perez@sanjoseca.gov or call him at 251-5757) no later than Friday, December 8. If you want to confirm the date of the activity, please follow up with Danny

The Viejitos Car Club is sponsoring its 4th Annual Toy Drive on Saturday, November 25 at the Alum Rock Youth Center from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, please contact the group at: https://webmail.cbs.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.viejitoscarclub.com.

The Advisory Committee is recruiting new members for 2007. As you well know, Council District 5 has the lowest income population in the City with the largest number of children and largest population of working poor. Out of ten youth centers in the City of San Jose, our Alum Rock Youth Center is third in generating income from fee classes. Why? Because this highly understaffed Center has a great relationship with the community and regularly gets out into the schools and neighborhoods to promote its programs. Why? Because the Alum Rock School District has been highly supportive in communicating activities at the Center to our families. Why? Because the Advisory Committee has continually promoted good will through fund raising efforts which provide money for scholarships, equipment and field trips (for which the City no longer provides financial support). Please encourage community members in your "entourage" to join the Advisory Committee. We meet only once a month for an hour and host three very enjoyable fund raisers a year (remember the comedy show? the pancake breakfast? the Halloween Haunted House?). They can contact me (509-0316) or Ed Solis (Ed.Solis@sanjoseca.gov or 251-2850).

Tanya

EAST FOOTHILLS FAMILY FEATURED ON CBS "EARLY SHOW"

By Darlene Tenes

Okay, so this is the story behind the story... I went on to the CBS News website about a week ago for something completely unrelated and a saw a link asking to share "your kitchen memories." I wrote a quick letter and attached a picture. The story was fresh in my mind after having just shared it with some teenagers I mentor. Within two hours a producer called and asked for pictures of my Aunt's kitchen which I thought was bizarre because at the time I didn't even know it was a contest to win a new kitchen. A CBS crew came by last Wednesday to tape the Sanchez (my mother's maiden name) women making tamales and sharing our memories of our beloved abuelita, Mama Luz. Read the original letter below, then on Friday go online to vote so my Auntie Carol can get a new kitchen!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/series/kitchen/main501123.shtml

Here is Darlene's touching letter about food and family, tradition and tragedy:

Dear Early Show,

The women in our family — aunts, cousins, grandmas — still gather in a warm kitchen at the break of dawn in an assembly line, laughing and gossiping, while busily spreading and filling hojas (corn husks) to make hundreds of our Christmas tamales. And although invited, the men curiously never materialize until later in the day when it's time to try our tasty creations. It is an all-day process with a role for every person, no matter what the age. These special love-laced tamales are served at our annual Sanchez Family Christmas Party. When we were young this event was traditionally held on Christmas Eve but as everyone grew older, got married, had more kids and were split between the in-laws, we decided to change the date to the first weekend in December so our "immediate family" (50-60 family members) could attend. In 1992 when the party started to wind down about midnight, our abuelita and family matriarch, Luz Gonzales (better known as "Mama Luz") and our step-grandfather left for home. Mama Luz & Gus were a very active and dare I say feisty couple in their mid-80's who never sat still — fishing, cooking, gardening, canning, crocheting and dancing. We received a phone call from their neighbor at 6 a.m. informing us their house was on fire. Phone calls were placed in a hurry and we all raced down to the scene. Cars were parked haphazardly all throughout the street with family members from in and out of town. It was unclear for quite some time whether they had gotten out or not, when we were finally told that both had died in the fire. We were devastated. My Auntie Carol, who was in her late 60's at the time, remarked. "I'm not anyone’s daughter anymore." On the other hand we felt very fortunate that we had all been together as a family in a festive environment the night before they passed away. A closed-casket funeral was held with over 1000 people attending. Mama Luz had retired from her cannery job 20 years earlier. Everyone at that funeral was there neither because she was a high-powered or wealthy woman nor because they worked with her but because she affected their lives with her kind ways and love. I looked around at all those people and thought, "This is a successful person." Being together as a family for our tamale-making days and Sanchez Family Christmas parties means more to us now than ever because you never know when it will be the last time you see someone. — Darlene Sanchez-Tenes of San Jose, Calif.

ALUM ROCK VILLAGE LIGHTS UP FOR HOLIDAYS

Imagine driving home on a cold winter's night and being greeted by warmth and a colorful glow coming from our own Alum Rock Village. That's what to expect this holiday season as the village lights up for the holidays! Village merchants will be decked out with lights to brighten up the long winter nights. Please plan to attend a special village lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 30th at 5:00 pm. City Councilmember Nora Campos is organizing the event which will bring together our community for a night of holiday cheer. The James Lick High School choir and band will provide music and carols and yours truly will Emcee a short ceremony marking this significant occasion. The village has had its ups and downs over the decades but this definately marks an upswing. Hopefully, there will be more positive news in the near future about new tenants moving in. And don't forget to patronize the existing village shops and services this holiday season. Tell your neighbors and plan to attend. See you there!

COMMUNITY SAYS "THANK YOU" TO ALLAN AND JUDY THOMPSON

The Community Room at the Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Library was filled with music, food, friends and words of appreciation for Allan and Judy Thompson who are stepping down as publishers of the New Neighborhood Voice.
The potluck gathering was attended by about 50 people from the Alum Rock and East Foothills area. Edie Pricolo and Tanya Freudenberger organized the classy event which featured a song from James Lick Music Director Tomoko Nakajima, official commendations from San Jose City Councilmember Nora Campos and California State Assemblymember Joe Coto, and a mild "roast" of the Thompsons from friends, neighbors and New Neighborhood Voice contributors.

The Thompsons have put the last issue of the New Neighborhood Voice to bed. For the last few years now, they have been overwhelmed by the amount of time and effort required to cover news events and publish the website. "We certainly understand their need to hand the baton over to others. Over the years, this community has been the benefactor of their generosity of time, energy, connections and pure resourcefulness," said Freudenberger and Pricolo in a recent email message about the Thompson's retirement from the web publishing world. The NNV will be missed, but this blog, The Neighborhood View and the Alum Rock Neighborhood Network E-list (ARNNE) are two of the most recent efforts undertaken to provide a community news link. If you would like to subscribe to ARNNE, please send an email to:

alumrockneighborhoodnetwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

ALLAN AND JUDY THOMPSON APPRECIATION POTLUCK

From Tanya Freudenberger & Edie Pricolo
On Sunday, November 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Roberto Cruz/Alum Rock Library Community Room, we are going to show Allan and Judy Thompson just what we think of them!!
In partnership with the Library, a few friends of Judy & Allan and Schuster Es. Thompson invite you to share a joyful farewell potluck and roast to two of the most delightful people on the hill. You are invited to bring yourself, your family, your friends - and of course your food - to the party. It's pretty much a happy family event except the part when Allan puts on the lampshade and dances on the bar (oops, sorry wrong party).
As you have heard (or you could be in denial about this), the Thompsons are putting the New Neighborhood Voice to bed … permanently with this edition. For some time now, they have been overwhelmed by the effort required to cover the increasing need for this community to be heard. We certainly understand their need to hand the baton over to others. Over the years, this community has been the benefactor of their generosity of time, energy, connections and pure resourcefulness. There's not enough money in the world to repay them, so why don't we pay them with love on November 12!
During the "official" ceremony at 3:30 p.m., you are encouraged to share your witty comments about Judy and Allan and NNV -- all of which we know will be offered in the spirit of the appreciation and affection that we have for them. Our community family has relied on their reporting for its one and only source of decent, positive local news for the past four years -- and we will surely miss the special Thompson touch with the retirement of the New Neighborhood Voice.
SUPER IMPORTANT: Please send an e-mail message if you can come. We need to make sure we have enough cold drinks, food and seating for everyone.
Tanya Freudenberger & Edie Pricolooldhippie1747@sbcglobal.net or phone Edie at (408) 258-6753

HUGE FIRE DESTROYS BERRYESSA HOME

A Berryessa family of 3 lost their home and two cars Thursday morning in a devastating house fire.
San Jose Fire Captain David Huseman was driving to work at 5:30 am, when flames from the fire momentarily took his eyes off the road on Highway 680. Huseman exited the freeway and drove to 2220 Belthorn Court where flames were already taking over the two-story house, and threatening a neighboring home.
Other neighbors had already called 911, but Huseman radioed in a second alarm to keep the fire from spreading to other homes. Huseman also woke up the residents of the neighboring home to evacuate them, according to Fire Captain Jose Guerrero.
The family in the burning house had been awakened by the smoke and flames and managed to escape unharmed. The fire was so intense, it also destroyed two cars in the driveway.
Damage was estimated at 700-thousand dollars. The cause of the fire is under investigation but it is believed to have started in the garage. The Red Cross is temporarily sheltering the family.
You can watch a dramatic clip of the fire here:
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=17796@kpix.dayport.com

MAN FATALLY STABBED NEAR QUICK STOP MARKET

Tragedy has come to our Alum Rock Village.
A 45 year old man is dead, and a 15-year old, believed to be the man's son, is hospitalized with serious injuries after a stabbing near the Alum Rock Quick Stop market late Halloween night.
San Jose Police Sgt. Nick Muyo said officers responded to reports that an injured man was at the Quik Stop on Stewart and Alum Rock avenues around 12:14 a.m. today and found the man and the boy wounded in the parking lot.
Police don't know if the man and his son knew their attackers or some how got into a fight with others.
The store's owner, Bob Tabakon, said there had been some sort of scuffle near the pay phones that face Alum Rock.
That pay phone area has long been a place that seems to attract loitering.
Throughout the day today, regulars who had heard the news stopped by the store.
``You guys are part of the community,'' one man told Tabakon as the pair shook hands according to the San Jose Mercury News. ``I am glad you're OK.''
That Quick Stop is used by many of us to quickly pick up some items on the way home, so it's sad and a bit scary to see violence has struck there. Let's see if we can try to do something about possibly removing those pay phones and maybe seal off that narrow walkway between the Quick Stop building and the other buildings in the village. That spot seems to be a constant blight in an otherwise vibrant commercial area.
Anyone with information about this case should call San Jose Police department's homicide unit at (408) 277-5283.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! kids celebrate at Linda Vista

Hundreds of Linda Vista students dressed up for the school's annual Halloween Parade through the classrooms. There were ghosts, goblins, princesses, witches, supermen and darth vaders. Principal Paddie Douglas joined in the fun as a gypsy...but we hope she doesn't wander too far from Linda Vista!

GANG PREVENTION TRAINING COMES TO ALUM ROCK YOUTH CENTER

Please join the City of San José’s Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force in partnership with California Youth Outreach at a special gang prevention forum at the Alum Rock Youth Center.

Parents will increase their knowledge in the following:
--Have a greater understanding of the nature of the gang lifestyle and the most common reasons why gangs exist.
--Detecting gang presence by learning to identify paraphernalia and behaviors associated with gangs.
--Why youth join gangs, how they are recruited, and the different levels of involvement.
--Where to get information on community resources and get help.

PLACE: Alum Rock Youth Center
137 N. White Rd.
San José, CA 95127
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 2006
TIME: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Children’s activities will be provided for 6-12 years old.
Food & Refreshments Provided

For more information, contact
Esther G. Mota at (408) 277-2741.

HAUNTED HOUSE IN EAST FOOTHILLS!

BOO! Halloween night is coming soon and there's a great and scary haunted house to visit right here in the East Foothills. Once again, St. John Vianney is hosting a haunted house that will give visitors a fright or two and plenty of Halloween fun. It's hard to tell who has more fun at this haunted house: the people putting it on, or the visitors who walk through! The house is open from 5 pm to 10 pm through Halloween night and it's a great, and safe place to spend the evening. Admission is only $2.00 and it benefits the SJV Youth Ministry. Also, be sure to watch out for trick or treaters and slow down when driving through the neighborhoods.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reminds parents and children to walk with awareness and be seen this Halloween. Because the daylight-saving time change occurs two days before Halloween, children will be trick-or-treating in the dark, when it’s harder for drivers to see them.
"A common misconception is that the biggest danger is the candy, when the reality is, the biggest concern is vehicles," said CHP Capt. Lott, commander of the Redwood City Area office.
Statistically, October 31st is the most dangerous day of the year for children to walk. Last Halloween in California, nearly half of all the pedestrians killed and injured in collisions were children.
"Parents should remind children about basic pedestrian safety – walk on sidewalks or paths, cross at the corner or at a crosswalk, obey traffic signals, check for traffic before crossing the street and stay with parents or a group," said Lott. She also advises parents to outfit children with flashlights and in costumes that are bright or with reflective tape, making them more visible.

JAMES LICK HOMECOMING: WELCOME BACK COMETS!

Several hundred James Lick High School students, families and alums gathered at the school's great new football stadium to watch the Comets take on the Overfelt Royals at the 2006 Homecoming game. Unfortunately for the Comets, Overfelt's potent offense dominated the play, scoring 3 touchdowns by halftime to lead 21 to 0. The Royals went on to win the game 43-6.
Under warm and sunny skies, James Lick Principal Bill Rice led the ceremonies at halftime that included the crowing of the 2006 Homecoming King and Queen and the dedication of the stadium in honor of all James Lick graduates. Mr. Rice said the stadium will now be known as "James Lick Memorial Stadium."
With its synthetic turf and rubberized track, the stadium is now a first class athletic facility. The View has also learned that lights will be added to the stadium next year to facilitate night games for the first time in Lick's 55 year history.
The new athletic facilities are just part of what's exciting about James Lick High School. The school is definately on the move again. Major landscaping changes and a facelift of the administration wing have created a more inviting campus. On the inside, a new media magnet program and a new emphasis on academic achievement are pushing Lick upward. Plus, there was a lot of evidence of a surging school spirit at James Lick High School. Full disclosure: I was in the JLHS Class of '79!

GO COMETS!

ALUM ROCK FARMERS MARKET HAPPENINGS

FROM THE PACIFIC COAST FARMERS MARKET ASSOCIATION:
Dear Friends of the Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market,
Your Alum Rock Village Farmers' Market is your best source for farm-fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables and this Sunday - October 29 - the market will feature two cooking demonstrations to show you how to make the most of the season's best produce.At 10:15 welcome special guest chef Nora Campos, Councilmember for District 5, as she prepares a quick and simple recipe using fresh California-grown apples.And at 11:15, firefighters from San Jose Fire Station #2 will demonstrate their 2-alarm Salsa, made from fresh farmers' market ingredients.Councilmember Campos will also help to announce some exciting news about the future of the Alum Rock Farmers' Market. You won't want to miss it!

ALUM ROCK TO LOSE PARK ENTRANCE

A meeting with the City is planned for Thursday to inform neighbors about proposed permanent changes to the entrance to Alum Rock Park.
The purpose of the meeting is to explain to us why the City’s plan to possibly stabilize the Crothers/Alum Rock landslide will be abandoned. The letter we received says that they no longer believe that they can get permits to reroute a portion of the creek to work on the toe of the landslide at Penitencia Creek (which would halt the erosion there). For several years, this has been the plan and it has been the only concession which the City was willing to make. Why would the plan suddenly not be feasible when just a few months ago it was in the works.
The meeting will be at the new Alum Rock Roberto Cruz library at 5:30 this coming Thursday, July 20th. During previous neighborhood meetings, we have become aware just how important restoring the old (upper) entrance into Alum Rock Park is to people in our area. Due to the landslide, Alum Rock Park has effectively become a Berryessa park since one has to access it via Penitencia Creek Road.