December 29, 2006

2006: the year in review

Politics, politicians dominate headlines

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

New Year’s Day 2006 came in with a roar as heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees throughout the city. It was much the same throughout the year in politics, ups and downs and jumbled expectations—problems for the old mayor and a big change of scenery with a new one. Elections brought changes within Evergreen too, with bond measures and new school board trustees.

There was a long, blistering heat wave along with some bitter cold weather—for Californians—in the late fall and a dusting of snow on the east hills in February, but other things didn’t change. Questions about the Evergreen East Hills Visioning Project extended a city council decision as community members and developers remain on opposite sides of the fence.

Aside from politics and weather, there were grand openings for the remodeled Evergreen Branch Library and a new Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Eastridge, while Rhea Perlman visited Holly Oak Elementary and Day in the Park brought out a crowd of 9,000.

Beleaguered mayor
It was politics that claimed the major headlines, especially politics surrounding termed-out Mayor Ron Gonzales. It was a tough year for the lame duck mayor, as a December 2005 censure over the Norcal garbage scandal and his attendance at a meeting when the city council had taken away his committees led to his January resignation from four powerful municipal committees.

In June, things took an even gloomier turn for Gonzales when the District Attorney indicted him on multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy. The city council tried to force him to resign, but he steadfastly refused.

While the council did approve an ordinance allowing it to remove the mayor or council members who have committed egregious misconduct in the fall, it wasn’t in time to use with the mayor.

While that was going on, there was a mayoral race with five candidates vying for the job; among them was District 8 Councilman Dave Cortese, who was endorsed by the Times. The June primary, however, led to a big surprise. Chuck Reed finished a strong first, followed by Cindy Chavez, who was considered by some the front-runner and a shoe-in for the job.

By the time the November election rolled around, it appeared that voters were in the mood for a change, decisively electing Reed. Pundits claimed that Chavez’ ties to the mayor were too close, despite her asking the mayor to resign after his indictment.

Following his election, Mayor-elect Reed tapped Cortese for his transition team and later to serve as his vice mayor, saying that Cortese “shares my commitment to open government and reforming city hall. His broad experience working in collaboration with other cities will be an invaluable asset as we deal with regional issues that affect the quality of life in San Jose."

Task force
The Evergreen East Hills Visioning Task Force completed its mission in October, without coming to a consensus on the number of homes, acreage for schools, amenities and traffic improvements. The distance between the developers and the community remained significant, although the planning staff came up with a compromise.

The council vote on the project was rescheduled twice before being put off until March of 2007. A vote on the project’s environmental impact report was held during the council’s last session on Dec. 12. Besides certifying the EIR, a memo directed staff to develop the funding agreement for council action in early February with assumptions on amenities, schools, updated area development policy, planning and implementation for use as negotiating points.

The new year started off with a bang, when a rain storm with wind gust of up to 70 miles per hour found its’ way to San Jose, causing some property damage and uprooting trees. Photo by Diego Abeloos

It also requested the staff to schedule a study session in late January with a complete set of draft documents including a draft funding agreement, as well as answering approximately 50 questions, including a number of general questions and those dealing with amenities, industrial conversion, transportation, open space, sunshine, schools, pool units and specific sites.

In addition, staff was asked to develop a timeline that includes community meetings with a target date for reporting back to council by the first week in March.

That timeline, which the planning department offered in its presentation, provides two more community meetings in January and February as well as a council study session and reviews of draft financial and fiscal studies before returning to the council for consideration in March.

January
San Jose residents woke up Jan. 1 to uprooted trees, fallen fences and downed power lines. Evergreen neighbors were out helping each other clear away debris and assist with toppled trees that left roads impassible and homeowners stuck.

In other news, a New York Judge ordered a Calpine Corporation motion be moved from Bankruptcy court to the US District court. The motion was to reject eight energy contracts after the energy company had filed for bankruptcy.

The Times appointed Diego Abeloos editor of the Evergreen Times.

Chau Nguyen was found dead from a gunshot wound sustained in front of his home on Jan. 14. He was the city’s first homicide victim of the year and police found no motive in the shooting.

The Evergreen School District board realized increased funding for the 2006-07 school year but because the state is using reserves to increase funding to districts, 2007-08 could be a tight year.

Ten fourth through eighth grade students received awards from the 25th annual Bank of America/Evergreen School District Speech Contest.

February
Gonzales held his annual State of the City address for the first time in the new city hall rotunda. The mayor looked back over his seven years citing his accomplishments and describing what he hoped to complete in his last year in office. This included extending the Strong Neighborhood Initiative citywide, cutting the high school dropout rate over the next five years, creating a plan to provide preschool to 4,000 children, reduce domestic violence and prepare for disaster emergencies.

The Dove Hill Neighborhood Association formed. LeyVa Middle School teacher Annabelle Warner donated a kidney to her mother and the Villages Amateur Theater presented “The Kingdom of Spam.”

In early February, San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services held its second community meeting to discuss the Lake Cunningham Master Plan and a proposed skate park, which were later approved in December.

Trustees at East Side Union High School District considered extending interim superintendent Bob Nunez’s contract. Cortese presented Evergreen Visioning Project Task Force members with the annual Good Neighbor award.

Barnes & Noble at Eastridge opened its doors to an anticipative crowd on March 14 to celebrate the book retailer’s arrival in the Evergreen area. District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese (right) cut the ribbon with Barnes & Noble Eastridge store manager Lisa Stephens (center) and the store’s community relations manager, Mike Koller. Photo by Jeff Frazee

The City Council awarded a contract for Fowler Creek Park Development Phase I project. Increased sightings of mountain lions at Evergreen Valley College prompted campus police to post signs. The Coyote Valley Task Force considered traffic policies and transportation impacts.

March
Evergreen native and executive director of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Eric Vettel lectured on the former president at the Villages. Barnes and Noble opened at Eastridge to a large crowd, including Cortese, who helped to ceremoniously cut the ribbon.

Evergreen resident Eldon Regua received an Army Reserve promotion to Brigadier General, while five local women combine stories in a book called “Companion Pieces.”

The city council passed a motion for Sunshine proposal reforms and set up a task force to make council business more transparent and open. The council also amended its lobbying ordinance to include disclosure of lobbyist contribution amounts of sources regarding fundraising activities.

April
Locals and dignitaries met in April to break ground for Fowler Creek Park. Evergreen school districts show notable API growth at all levels with impressive point gains at Evergreen Elementary and ESUHSD campuses. Homeowners near San Felipe Road express their unhappiness about the proposed Pan Clair development.

The city council votes to increase salaries to five city appointees. Members of the Evergreen Valley United Methodist Church raise nearly $5,000 to help fund a new youth director for the church.

Local residents, including District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese (right), celebrated an event nearly two decades in the making with the official groundbreaking ceremony for Fowler Creek Park on April 1. Photo by Diego Abeloos

Silver Creek High School broke ground for a new $14 million building and facility renovations for the 37-year old campus. Volunteers join Cortese and his staff to clean up Evergreen on the Great American Cleanup day. In sports, LeyVa Middle School boys capture the Santa Clara County Section volleyball championship from 16 competing middle schools.

Evergreen Valley College turns 30 with a two-week celebration honoring the past, celebrating the present and welcoming the future. An estimated 25,000 people marched to city hall protesting a national immigration bill. A number of members of East Valley Church spend Easter week on the Gulf Coast helping repair and rebuild homes in Pascagoula, Miss.

May
A crowd of 3,000 runners ran in San Jose’s first Pat’s Run, named for San Jose native Pat Tillman, who gave up a lucrative football career in the NFL to serve his country in Afghanistan. Four homeowners in Evergreen receive help improving their homes as part of Rebuilding Together. County Judge LaDoris Cordell honors Coretta Scott King during the Carry the Vision Conference at Evergreen Valley College.

In local school news, Dove Hill Elementary students, teachers, parents and school officials were on board for a premier of the students’ movie entitled “The Three Little Girls and the Evil Mean Tree.” At the same time, Montgomery Elementary students lend their hands to cleaning up weeds, excess dirt and unwanted garbage at Guadalupe River Park. Four Evergreen elementary schools—Matsumoto, Millbrook, Cedar Grove and Evergreen—are named California Distinguished Schools.

In local politics, Cortese disputes allegations by Nora Campos that he met with developers’ lobbyists in 2005 and lied about it. The City Council’s Rules Committee exonerated him in June, however, after the primary race for mayor.

June
The Times endorses Cortese for mayor. He comes in fourth out of five, beating latecomer Michael Mulcahy. The Times also endorses Measure A, a half-cent sales tax that will generate local funds for health care, transportation and child abuse prevention.

In sports, Evergreen Valley High cross country and track and field coach Frank Slaton retires after a 30-year career, while Eastridge holds a Hometown Hero Breakfast honoring more than 15 San Jose police officers.

Local track stars Jenebah Tarmoh of Mt. Pleasant and Valley Christian's Khrystal Carter, an Evergreen resident, went toe-to-toe down the stretch in the girls' 100-meter dash at the 2006 CCS Track and Field Finals. Tarmoh edged Carter, taking first place with a time of 11.39 seconds to Carter's 11.43 seconds. Tarmoh also placed first in the girls' 200-meter dash with a time of 23.47 seconds, one spot ahead of Carter, who recorded a time of 23.75 seconds. Photo by Jeff Frazee

In other local news, Robert Lance Martin is arrested for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with great bodily injury and criminal thefts. The fifth annual Books On Par fundraiser brings in $68,000 for the James F. Smith Elementary PTA.

Five prominent Chamber of Commerce members resign after a mailer singles out mayoral candidate Chavez’ voting record. The Elections Commission states the Chamber violated the city’s Municipal Code and may end up fining the Chamber. In school news, ESUHSD holds community meetings to discuss high school boundary changes. Evergreen high schools are impacted, while others in the district are not close to full.

In addition, seven Japanese Americans receive high school diplomas 64 years late. The former students were interred during World War II for their heritage.

The city holds five meetings to determine new director for Planning, Building & Code Enforcement. The homeowners fighting the Pan Clair development appealed a decision from the planning department, and the council agreed, by a six to four vote.

July
The Sikh Gurdwara holds a two-day conference to honor the 400-year anniversary of the martyrdom of Siri Guru Arjan Sahib Jl.

In youth sports, the Creekside Cudas earned the title of the Cabana League Champions for the second year in a row.
Evergreen School District announces it will hold a bond election on the November ballot, while Judge James Emerson sets Gonzales’ trail date as May 14, 2007. The Santa Clara County Fair takes on a new look and turns focus to the valley’s young people.

August
August’s National Night Out brought out Evergreen residents to ice cream socials, barbecues and small and large block parties. Some of the parties were too big and were cancelled.

In sports, Sebastian Bourdais won San Jose’s Grand Prix for the second year in a row. The Canary Foundation raises nearly $1 million at Grand Prix for research into the early detection of cancer.

Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais took the checkered flag for the second straight year at the 2006 San Jose Grand Prix in late July. Photo by Jeff Frazee

In politics, the San Jose City Council held its first meeting after the July break to discuss member misconduct, fiscal actions for the mayor’s office, charter amendments restricting outside employment and salaries for council members. The District 8 Community Roundtable splits off from Cortese’s office designing its own by-laws and scheduling a September election for officers. In addition, the San Jose City Council turned down a staff recommendation to keep Norcal Waste Systems and chooses Garden City Sanitation and California Waste Systems to handle the job.

Evergreen held its second Relay For Life growing to seven teams. Bonfare Market Charitable Foundation raises $102,000 for various charities.

September
Schools reopen in September after a long, warm summer.

The city council approves a new electronic citation system for police, monthly disclosures on outside work and fiscal actions for Coyote Valley. It also discusses a possible loan to the San Jose Repertory Theater, the state of emergency preparedness and the status of the EEHVS, which is starting to wind up its work by summarizing its proposals. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors votes to oppose further development of its Fairgrounds Theater project.

Locally, Kiwanians plan meeting to open club in Evergreen. A huge crowd floods through the doors of the remodeled and long-awaited Evergreen Branch Library on Sept. 16.

In crime news, concerned citizens pack Matsumoto School’s auditorium to discuss a string of residential burglaries with police and community leaders.

Evergreen’s second annual Fine Arts Festival offered artists and music at Evergreen Village Square. Reid-Hillview Airport held its 17th annual Open House offering breakfast and lunch to visitors as well as sows and activities for pilots and the public.

October
The ESUHSD censured board member Patricia Martinez Roach for offending and physically confronting Board Vice President Lan Nguyen at a May meeting. However, she earlier had been cleared of wrong doing by a third party law firm. Carolyn Clark Elementary School introduced a school wide program called Common Language to help students resolve conflicts.

Day in the Park brings out 9,000 people. The multicultural event, sponsored by the District 8 office is to bring residents from neighborhoods and subdivisions into the larger neighborhood of Evergreen.

The city council decides how to spend a $34 million surplus, and does so by bailing out the Rep and approving a contract for design and construction of improvements for Mineta San Jose Airport.

November
In early November, three of the ESUHSD board candidates appeared on a panel to answer audience questions. Board members J. Manuel Herrera and George Shirakawa did not attend. The next week, Frank Biehl was elected, while Herrera and Shirakawa were reelected to the board.

The Times endorsed Reed for mayor. Reed is then elected as San Jose’s next mayor on Nov. 7, defeating Chavez by about 32,000 votes and nearly 20 percentage points.

Friends and relatives mourned the unexpected death of longtime Evergreen resident Ramona Ortiz-Howell, who passed away in a motorcycle crash on Nov. 19 in Los Angeles.

In local school news, Virginia Baker, a former high school math teacher and longtime school board member retired from the Mount Pleasant Elementary School board. Oakland Raiders’ defensive tackle Michael Quarshie took part in Carolyn Clark Elementary’s Red Ribbon Week and talked to students about the dangers of drug use.

Also in November, Rhea Perlman visited Holly Oak Elementary school with her new children’s book. Voters approved Measure I for a $150 million bond proposal to finance various facility projects for Evergreen Elementary Schools. The measure passed with more than 72 percent of voters favoring it.

December
Reed announced his top officials, naming Pete Furman as his chief of staff. ESUHSD appointed Eddie Garcia to replace Craig Mann, who is now a member of the Santa Clara County’s Board of Education.

Evergreen residents complained to the city council about the number of grocery stores in the area, while Evergreen Valley College President David Wain Coon and the college’s District Chancellor, Rosa G. Perez, dedicated the remodeled Student Services Center in honor of the late Dr. Mauro Chavez and his contribution to underrepresented students on campus.