October 7, 2005

Help commemorate John J. Montgomery

By Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

Montgomery Hill, tucked away behind Evergreen Valley College near the heart of the Evergreen Specific Plan, is a wonderful and serene setting for dog-walking—on-leash, please—strolling and enjoying the view of the pristine east foothills.

You’d never think that it actually commemorates a historical feat—the testing of an early glider plane by John J. Montgomery in 1911. Montgomery was an early aviation innovator whose tests of twin winger gliders were occurring at the same time as the Wright Brothers’ experiments.

In fact, Montgomery was actually competing with the Wright Brothers to see who could develop the airplane first. The plane he piloted, which crashed after takeoff, was comprised of a homemade airframe and an engine provided by Victor Loughead—later to become Lockheed. A few weeks after Montgomery’s crash, the Wright Brothers’ took to the air and the rest, as they say, is history.

Although the story of John J. Montgomery is just another patch in the rich cultural and historical quilt we call Evergreen, I share this story with you because of a vision I have to highlight his work.

Most District 8 residents are familiar with the southeast corner of San Felipe and Yerba Buena Roads. Against the beautiful backdrop of the green hills, this corner stands dirt-bare except for a utility box. Approximately 150 feet behind it begins the riparian setback along Evergreen Park.

It occurred to me that we could utilize this corner in a way that commemorates Montgomery’s flight while also improving the aesthetics of the area itself, all in a way that blends with the existing naturally vegetated and landscaped grasslands.

My office is working with San Jose Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services and the Office of Cultural Affairs to landscape this corner and install an attractive low-level stonewall.

Set against this wall I see an art component to commemorate John J. Montgomery. It could be anything—high, low, abstract, concrete—it is for the community to share their thoughts. I would like to invite District 8 residents to play a role in defining this art piece. Because it would serve so many purposes—educational, recreational, historical, geographical—it deserves to have the attention of the entire council district.

The San Felipe and Yerba Buena roads intersection is highly traveled and is a gateway to our district, so whatever is placed here would ideally announce, “Welcome to Evergreen!” in a tasteful fashion.

This project has wonderful potential. Walkers of the future Thompson Creek Trail could stop here for a break on their way to any of the several key destinations along the trail corridor.

The Evergreen Community Center, where additional classrooms opened last February, could be one of those destinations, and the new and improved, 21,000-square-foot Evergreen Library, tentatively scheduled to open in May 2006 could be another stop, along with a host of dining options. Teachers could bring their students hear to learn about history, science, etc.

So become involved in offering tribute to a brilliant aviator while also helping to add yet another wonderful feature to the Evergreen we all enjoy. For more information, please contact Graham Grossman in my office at (408) 535-4908.