January 6, 2005


2004—The Almaden Times Weekly Year in Review

January
The Blossom Hill Kmart, located across from the newly remodeled Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge, announces it will close its doors forever Feb. 13 along with three other Bay Area locations after the Michigan-based company filed for bankruptcy in January 2002. More than 100 local employees receive pink slips as they return to work to help with post holiday returns and exchanges.

Posing with his family, Major Dwight Near, who recently passed away, took a commendation from the city of San Jose to Washington for his efforts in WWII and his work with the Digital Clubhouse Network in May.

Respected San Jose journalist Karl Laucher, a former San Jose Mercury News sports writer, former Times Community Newspapers executive editor and former sports editor of the Almaden Times Weekly, announces his retirement after becoming a grandfather for the second time and working for 45 years as a writer for various other publications.

Santa Clara County public health officials investigate three cases of bacterial meningitis involving a 5-year old child who died of the disease and a 32-year old mother and her 10-year old child. Her child fully recovers and his mother is hospitalized and in good condition. In addition to the three cases the county previously reports two cases of bacterial meningitis in 2003. In 2002, nine cases of bacterial meningitis were reported to the state. No deaths were attributed to the disease.

Blossom Hill Farmers’ Market winter season opening attracts eager crowds to the intersections of Meridian and Kooser after a brief winter hiatus. Vendors from all over the state brave cold weather to deliver a fresh seasonal harvest of fruits and vegetables, as well as breads and pastries, dipping vinegars, cut flowers, honey and even popcorn for the kids.

Almaden’s Rob Davis takes the helm as San Jose’s new police chief. The 47-year-old Davis succeeded former San Jose Police Chief William M. Lansdowne who left to become San Diego’s next chief. He succeeded Assistant Police Chief Tom Whitley who served as acting police chief until he retired due to an illness. Davis is a seasoned veteran of the department who worked his way up the ranks from patrol officer to captain, before becoming deputy chief of police.

Gearing up for the March 2 election, District 10 candidates Nancy Pyle, Rich De La Rosa and Ronald Siporen come together for the first candidates’ forum on Jan. 8 sponsored by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group. It was the their first meeting since entering the political arena as contenders for the District 10 City Council seat up for grabs as Pat Dando steps down due to term limits. The Almaden Valley Community Association board members also begin putting plans into place for the District 10 candidates’ forum.

Kaitlyn Langstaff, the 9-year-old girl stricken by a severe allergic reaction to a common children’s over-the-counter medication 20 months ago, died a week before Christmas telling her mom that she “wanted to go to Heaven.” The spunky little girl’s struggle inspired a large outpouring of support from the community. She was in and out of the hospital because her lungs were damaged by toxic epidermal necrolysis, a severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The disease attacks the skin and mucous membranes and causes lesions that resemble second-degree burns.

The San Jose Unified School District announces Jan. 21 plans to close Hester, Hammer and Erickson elementary schools. The announcement followed several months of rumors and speculation about which schools would be closed. A task force of 21 people, including teachers, parents and administrators, looked at demographics, declining enrollments, transportation and other issues as determinants. The district also faced a $10 million general operating fund budget shortfall for the 2004-05 school year.

The Vineland Branch Library opened for business Jan. 17 under blue skies, mild temperatures and hundreds of eager patrons anxiously waiting its long anticipated grand opening. The new 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility serves as a model for other San Jose libraries to be built in the future. It featured a collection of approximately 140,000 titles, 37 computers, 130 upholstered seats to relax and read in, a quiet study room, Internet café, family-oriented facilities, storytelling area, community room and children’s area, the library promises to provide hours of relaxation, research, play, and good old fashioned reading opportunities in a light, airy, open setting.

Almaden’s Iranian-Americans seek funds to help rebuild Bam, Iran after a devastating quake on Dec. 26, 2003, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, leaves more than 40,000 dead and many more homeless. A group of 15 different local nonprofit groups hold a fundraiser to help rebuild the devastated city.

Led by John Engell, founder of Save Our Middle Schools (SOMS), parents express appreciation to SJUSD school
board for saving middle school electives and sixth period and preserving class-size reductions in grades K-2.
Holy Spirit parish welcomes Father Brendan McGuire as its new pastor. Parishioners describe him as energetic, innovative, experienced and positive.

San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales is hospitalized after suffering a ‘mild’ stroke Jan. 28 while giving his sixth State of the City Address at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts.

February
As the March 2 election drew near, candidates running for state senate districts 11 and 15 and assembly districts 21 and 24 submit brief statements to better acquaint readers with their positions on the issues, as well as themselves. Senate District 11 candidates included Ted Lempert (D), Allen Rice (L), Joe Simitian (D), and Jon Zellhoefer (R). Candidates for California Senate, District 15, included Brook Madsen (G), Abel Maldonado (R), and Peg Pinard (D). Candidates for California Assembly District 21 included John Barton (D), John Carcione (D), Barbara Nesbet (D), Steve Poizner (R), and Ira Ruskin (D). Candidates for California Assembly District 24 included Rebecca Cohn (D), Zander Collier (L), Fred Jankowiak (R), Ernest Konnyu (R), and David Redick (R).

Shawn Flanagan, of Almaden Films, lands a film in the highly regarded Cinequest Film Festival. He makes his fourth consecutive appearance. The March 3-14 event presented some 68 films in four downtown theaters and rejected hundreds more submitted to Cinequest directors. Flanagan, who is an apartment manager, spends nothing to make his film relying on friends who give him food and work for nothing.

The San Jose Police Department Southern Division re-opened its substation at Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge Feb. 27. The station is located near the intersection of Blossom Hill Road and Winfield Boulevard and is located on the ground level of parking garage ‘A’ near Linens ‘n Things. City officials, Westfield executives and the public celebrated the dedication with various performances.

March
The District 10 primary election on Tuesday March 2 results in a runoff between Almaden insurance agent Rich De La Rosa and longtime educator Nancy Pyle in November to replace termed-out Pat Dando. While De La Rosa was the top vote getter among the candidates, with 48 percent of the total, Nancy Pyle landed 36 percent—forcing a second round of campaigning. Newcomer Ron Siporen captured 10 percent and William Garbett pulled in 5 percent.

Incumbents Forrest Williams, Chuck Reed and Ken Yeager all breezed to victory, while Dave Corteze ran unopposed.

An increase in coyote sightings at the Villas of Almaden caused fear and controversy.

Ira Ruskin and Steve Poizner head for the November election in a contentious battle for state assembly district 21.

March 2 also marked the inaugural use of a new touch-screen voting system, much to the delight of Santa Clara County voters.

The San Jose Unified School District Board of Education votes March 4 to close Erikson, Hammer and Hester elementary school after June 2004.

The San Jose City Council votes March 9 to recognize same-sex marriages. Hundreds of residents crowd council chambers and overflow areas to oppose move.

City becomes the first city in California to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere for municipal workers. The council also votes to pass a motion drafted by Mayor Ron Gonzales and Councilman Ken Yeager that provides more comprehensive health and retirement benefits to partners, including family members of gay city employees. However, it is unclear whether health care providers will also agree to the plan. The ruling will only affect approximately 48 gay city workers.

High-risk sex offender Cary Verse secretly moves to San Jose after being released from Atascadero State Hospital alarming San Jose officials and creating outrage and public scrutiny about placement procedures by the State Department of Mental Health, which moved Verse to the Mission Motel on Monterey Road in south San Jose. On March 17 city officials held a press conference outside City Hall to express their outrage in finding out Verse had been relocated to San Jose without their knowledge.

Almaden Valley Athletic Club hosts 17th annual Super Sprint Triathlon Classic drawing an estimated 118 triathletes ages 6 to 60 to participate in the daylong event which featured 14 divisions, including 11 age groups, a 200-pound-plus “Clydesdale” relay, the much-anticipated “Open/Elite” group of men versus women.

Celebrated columnist Murry Frymer, one of the Bay Area’s most celebrated newspaper columnists, joins the Almaden Times Weekly. Frymer’s impressive, award-winning career spans decades, including stints as editor, editorial writer and critic for Newsday in New York as well as senior editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Boston Herald-American, the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, the Levittown Weekly and the Westport Town Crier before moving to the Almaden Valley and joining the San Jose Mercury News in 1979 as a movie critic and humor columnist.

New San Jose Fire Chief Jeffrey L. Clett is sworn in March 30, filling a position his father, Vince Clet assumed on the same day exactly 26 years ago. In a heartwarming presentation, retired Chief Clet pinned the same badge on his son that he wore during his reign as chief, signifying a second generation of Clet leaders for the San Jose Fire Department.

The San Jose City Council appointed Almaden’s Lee Price, 49, the former city clerk of San Luis Obispo, as its new city clerk. Price replaces Pat O’Hearn, who retired in 2003 after serving 18 years with San Jose. Deanna J. Santana had served as interim city clerk. Price began her official duties as city clerk May 3 after the city council unanimously voted March 23 to appoint her. Price’s salary is set at $125,000.

On March 20 at around 2:20 a.m., Almaden’s Troy Pollett, 18, dies of stab wounds on quiet Kiser Drive. Paramedics take Kris Johnson, 19, to Valley Medical Center for treatment of a stab wound to his upper body. Police authorities said preliminary investigation showed Pollett,

Johnson and Amir Mahboobi, 18, were driving in the area of McKean Road south of Harry Road when Anthony John Sanchez pulled up behind their vehicle and stabbed Johnson first and Pollett later during a confrontation. Police arrest Sanchez that evening at his residence. He’s taken to the San Jose Police Department and interviewed by homicide detectives. Detectives book him for into Santa Clara County Jail for Pollett’s murder and Johnson’s stabbing. Nearly 1,000 mourners packed the Almaden Valley Mormon Church on Camden Avenue March 26 to pay their last respects to Troy Pollett who died March 20 of stab wounds. Friends and family remembered the Leland High School senior as a loving young man born on Valentine’s Day who attended Bret Harte Middle School after moving in with his father in Almaden Valley in 1998 and was looking forward to graduation this summer. The trial has been postponed twice but is expected to begin in February.

April
Graystone Principal Jerri Kazmierczak announces plans to retire at end of school year. She serves as principal for 11 years. Kazmierczak’s illustrious teaching career spans 37 years and three states. She taught at Allen, Almaden, Williams, Los Alamitos, Olinder, and Graystone elementary schools.

A proposed ordinance that would allow the construction of so-called “granny units” or “mother-in-law quarters” in 6,000-square-foot single-family lots worries many Almaden Valley residents concerned that the character of their neighborhoods will be destroyed. The San Jose City Council votes unanimously to overturn the 1984 ban on such units at its April 6 meeting. It also requests that city planners hold community meetings before the city attorney’s office writes a draft ordinance. The council also requests that city planners find a way to make existing secondary units legal.

Almaden’s Nancy and Rick McEachern, their 14-year-old daughter Leah and 12-year-old son Michael are cast as extras in “Night Without Justice,” a film reenacting the events that led to the city’s last recorded lynching on Nov. 26, 1933. The movie chronicles the vigilante killings of Harold Thurmond and Jack Holmes, who were arrested after the murdered body of 22-year-old Brooke Hart, son of a wealthy department store owner was found in the San Francisco Bay. The two later admitted to killing Hart after kidnapping him for $40,000 in ransom.

After months of silence, the Almaden Youth Association [AYA] resurfaces with a revised timeline for the much anticipated and hotly debated sports field complex on McKean Road. “The AYA is alive and well,” says Treasurer Dan Kennedy. “It’s time for everyone to start getting excited.”

Almaden senior Sara Whitlock, 66, sues San Jose Shark’s defensive star Mike Rathje, and his wife, Shayna Rathje, for the death of her dog and other personal injuries she allegedly suffered in the fall of 2003 in a violent attack she claims was caused by the Rathjes’ purebred American bulldog, Max. Whitlock files the civil lawsuit April 7 in Santa Clara County Superior Court accusing the Rathjes of being negligent, strictly liable and responsible for the dog’s attack and demanding more than $25,000 in damages she suffered such as wage losses, loss of use of property, hospital and medical expenses, general damages and loss of earning capacity.

Almaden’s Pat Tillman is killed in Afghanistan April 22. He becomes a national hero. Reports originally say he’s killed during an ambush in Afghanistan. It’s later revealed he’s killed by friendly fire. Tillman’s death sends shockwaves throughout the Almaden community as reports hit the newswires. According to the Pentagon, the 27-year-old Leland High School graduate and former NFL football star was the only U.S. soldier killed when his unit came under mortar and small arms fire during a battle with anti-coalition militia forces. The pro football player traded his uniform for combat fatigues. Hundreds of friends and family members attend his memorial service at San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden.

A 14-year-old Leland High School student dies April 23 further shocking the community. The school declines to reveal details about her death as she’s a minor. Suicide is suspected.

Almaden Marine Julio “Alex” Guzman becomes a media celebrity. His sister, Gabriela Guzman, 22, finds her brother after an Internet search revealed his picture in at least two media outlets. In one, which appeared in the San Diego County-based North County Times daily newspaper, he’s fully dressed in his Marine combat uniform posting guard at a roadblock at the northwest side of the city of Al-Fallujah, Iraq, during “Operation Vigilant Response.” In the other, seen in an online edition of Time Magazine, he’s in a photo essay titled, “Streets of Fire.”

San Jose officials sing praises after receiving positive ratings from a community survey and when an independent report and a nonprofit organization recognize it as being one of the country’s most livable cities. The report by the prestigious consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton names San Jose the most livable city.

The new Century 20 Movie Theaters at Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge begin its new CineMamas event offering parents with infants three movies to enjoy every Tuesday at 10 a.m., without the fear of bothering other theatergoers with fussy babies. Parents are told that when their children cry, there’s no need to rush them out of the theater in fear of angering other movie watchers. The move is applauded and supported by Las Madres.

Approximately 35 Almaden residents gather at the Santa Clara Valley Water District to discuss an increase in wildlife interactions with people and pets along parks and restored creeks in Almaden. Four days later, three coyotes surround a woman walking her dog on Vargas Drive near Guadalupe Oak Grove Park. Fortunately, she was able to make it home with her pet unharmed. Santa Clara County Vector Control Specialist Mike Phillips admits that coyote sightings during daylight hours pose a threat to neighborhood safety.

May
Under the guidance of Vice Mayor Pat Dando the city, members of the Santa Clara County-based Next Door Solutions to Violence and the San Jose State University Social Work Program implement a program called Cut it Out to reach out to domestic violence victims. The program proposes an alliance, teaming hair salons with groups like Next Door Solutions to further reach out to battered women. Many hope the program will help identify victims, assisting them in identifying the circumstances of their own situation and, eventually, either solving those problems via police intervention or, ultimately, removal from the situation.

Pat Dando ends her tenure as Vice Mayor after representing District 10 for 10 years.

A neighborhood playgroup begins working with Vice Mayor Pat Dando to finish converting the former Almaden Winery office building into a community center and recreation area for children. The project’s price tag exceeds $2.1 million and includes converting the first floor office space into two large multi-purpose rooms, two activity rooms and a preschool room.

Almaden’s Joan Balog, 66, begins walking across the country at Peach Arch in Blaine, Wash., near the Canadian border, the precise point where her lifelong friend, Lyn Hanush’s previous walk from Mexico to Canada had left off.

Sporting patriotic hats and T-shirts emblazoned with American flags, the team sets off May 12, 2003, along with Hanush’s 16-year-old granddaughter Samantha the yearlong journey that would encompass more than 4,200 miles and take them through 15 states before ending in Key West, Fla. around May 26, 2004. They call it “The Great American Journey,” a walk of remembrance, hope, unity and prayer for a nation.

More than 100 students, parents, teachers and community activists gather May 17 at Cesar Chavez Plaza on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling ending racial segregation in schools to put the state “on trial” for unequal schools.

The Almaden community breaks ground May 22 for a new combined Almaden Community Center and Branch Library. San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Vice Mayor Pat Dando and library officials attend the event. Taxpayers vote in 2000 to pass bond measure ‘O,’ a library bond that provides $212 million for the construction of six new and 14 expanded branch libraries, and ‘P,’ the park and recreation bond measure that provides $228 million for new construction and renovation of neighborhood, regional and sports parks, community centers, and trails.

June
Leland High School Principal Susan Votaw retires after 35 years teaching in San Jose schools.

The San Jose Public Library Commission vetoes June 9 renaming the Almaden Branch Library after Almaden’s beloved educator and librarian Doris Dillon. In a 4-0 vote, with two abstaining, the commission voted against the name change, feeling that renaming the branch after an individual, rather than a location, would open the door for other branches to do the same.

Hundreds witness the dedication of a bronze statue honoring fallen San Jose Police Officer Jeffrey Fontana at Jeffrey Fontana Park June 5. Mayor Ron Gonzales and Vice Mayor Pat Dando remembered the 24-year-old officer whose shooting death after a traffic stop shocked residents of the quiet middle-class neighborhood where he died.

In May the park’s name was changed from Golden Oaks Park to Jeffrey Fontana Park bringing happiness to those who grieved Fontana’s tragic death, including his parents, Tony and Sandy Fontana.

S.J. International Triathlon returns to Almaden June 12-13 and is viewed as one of the top triathlons in the world. Event draws a total of 1,650 triathletes and about 5,000 spectators to Almaden Lake Park. Spicing up the event was Australian triathlon legend Marc Lees, 32, who flew to San Jose from San Diego—his training ground—to dominate the event.

Former President Bill Clinton signs copies of his memoir, “My Life,” in San Jose June 29 attracting nearly 3,000 fans who had hoped to meet him. Only one-third is rewarded with a signature and a brief but satisfying brush with Clinton who turned the local Barnes & Noble on Stevens Creek Boulevard into a madhouse.

July
Leland High School names Bob Setterlund as its new principal, who had worked at the school since the summer of 1972 as band director. He replaced former principal Susan Votaw, who retired after a 35-year teaching career.

Noah Steffler, Trenton Jiang and Catriana Jiang take a break from the heat on the bumper of a fire engine at an Almaden Independence Day party.

Reports attacking the lucidity of the Almaden Youth Association’s [AYA] books—and thereby questioning its motives—has city officials as well as AYA board members crying “foul” and raising questions whether the fortuitous timing is merely a disingenuous effort by the opposition to dishearten the community and halt the project days before an environmental impact report is scheduled to be released for public review.

The San Jose Unified School District names Don Iglesias as its new superintendent to replace Dr. Linda Murray on Aug. 31. He describes himself as a surfer from Santa Cruz who likes driving his classic Woodie. Iglesias was deputy superintendent and worked closely with Murray.

August
Gary Dillon, the widower of revered teacher and librarian Doris Dillon, in whose name city officials were considering renaming the Almaden Branch Library, halts divisiveness in the community by withdrawing the name change before the San Jose City Council on Aug. 10. He says his late wife would not have wanted the facility, scheduled to reopen in 2006, to begin operations under a “cloud of bitterness and hurt feelings.” It’s agreed that the library’s children’s room would bear Dillon’s name.

A dangerous increase in coyote interactions with Almaden residents and their pets prompts action by community members to circulate a petition to amend the city’s no-trapping ordinance, which prohibits the use of leghold traps. Retired San Jose State University Professor Pat Pizzo contends increasingly aggressive coyotes are stalking residents walking their dogs in their neighborhoods.

Opposition continues to secondary units. Most Almaden homeowners want 1984 ban on units reinstated by city officials. Housing experts argue the units could help alleviate the affordable housing crunch in the Bay Area while at the same time give property owners extra cash to pay for expensive mortgages or the flexibility to care for a frail senior in the comfort of the proximity of their home.

A pitched battle over public art took flight Aug. 4 at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Public Art Steering Committee meeting. The public and committee members raise concerns about the artists, content and process of the $10 million project.

The Mineta San Jose International Airport breaks ground Aug. 18 for a $355 million North Concourse, the first major component of the Mineta San Jose International Airport’s Terminal Zone Development Program. Funded by airport revenue bonds and various federal grants—not taxpayer dollars—it will be located between Terminals A and C and completed by late 2007.

Mary Elizabeth Manning, a 29-year resident of Almaden valley, died Aug. 22 after a courageous battle with emphysema. She was also a breast cancer survivor. Born in St. Joseph, Miss., in 1930, she was one of 11 children.

She met her husband John in New York City, where they married. They moved to San Jose in 1975, and said that Almaden was the perfect place to raise her four daughters. Manning owned and ran View Easy Video from 1995 to 1999.

September
New Quiznos Sub owner Vijay Patel, 35, claims the city’s building division is anti-small business by imposing difficult regulations that delay the opening of small enterprises such as his sandwich shop costing him thousands of dollars and discouraging him from opening another store in the city. Patel’s opening is delayed by more than six months at the Almaden Plaza Shopping Center, 5353 Almaden Expressway. The interruptions cost him more than $26,000 in rent.

The traditional Almaden Day parade, a 1.6-mile procession, in New Almaden continues Sept. 11 as it has for more than a century. New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association President Kitty Monahan spearheaded the parade while Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Mounted Patrol Ranger Julie Gaffney led the procession. New Almaden residents Mike and Doreen Boulland were declared grand marshals and rode in a vintage Cadillac.

Tempers flare as battle lines are drawn over traffic, trash and noise at TJ Martin Park nestled in a quiet residential area along Oakglen Way. Nearby residents complain about the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League program and threaten legal action to prevent further disturbances in their neighborhoods.

Residents and animal activists argue over mounting coyote threats. A new generation of coyote pups begins to venture out on its own, threatening residents in the Villas of Almaden who say the animals have crossed the territorial line. Almaden is one of three coyote “hot spots” in Santa Clara County, where mounting reports of pet casualties and human/coyote interactions in the past three years, spurs a community’s cry for help. A meeting on Sept. 15 attempted to answer that cry, as Vice Mayor Pat Dando assembled a panel of experts to address community concerns, including Wildlife Biologist Mike Phillips and Dr. Noor Tietze with Santa Clara County Vector
District 10 City Council candidates Rich De La Rosa and Nancy Pyle snarl over negative campaigning. De La Rosa says Pyle is misleading voters and deplores a Sept. 22 fundraiser hosted by seven of 10 San Jose council members for Pyle at attorney Chris Schumb’s downtown office. The fundraiser is the subject of a San Jose Mercury News editorial headlined, “There’s always a party going on—for developers who donate. In San Jose, you pay to play; that culture needs to be restricted.” De La Rosa applauds the editorial and expresses concern about an invitational letter sent to 40 developers, builders and business owners to participate in the $250 a head political junket making it clear they could benefit from attending and discussing important land issues such as the development of the Coyote Valley, the Almaden Reserve, downtown and the Evergreen Visioning Project.

Democrat Ira Ruskin and Republican Steve Poizner fight for Assembly District 21, made up of 14 cities along a 40-mile stretch from San Carlos on the north end to Almaden Valley on the south. The seat is vacated by Democratic Assemblyman Joe Simitian who runs for Senate District 11.

The Almaden Times Weekly celebrates its first year of publishing weekly after serving the Almaden Valley as a monthly publication since February of 1986. Readers welcome the additional news coverage of the Almaden community.

October
The San Jose City Council once again rejects an emergency measure Oct. 26 to allow the trapping of coyotes that have invaded the Villas of Almaden gated community killing pets and stalking children. For the second time in three weeks, a proposed urgency amendment to temporarily lift a city ban on trapping fails to gather the necessary eight votes needed for passage. Councilwoman Pat Dando supported the measure.

A neighborhood ethics committee accuses Rich De La Rosa’s campaign of unethical behavior after Sacramento political consultant Tab Berg issues an infamous “Tab Fax” calling District 10 San Jose City Council candidate Nancy Pyle a liar after she said she was the only one who had pledged never to allow her political consultant to lobby her. The committee, made up of Almaden Valley Community Association (AVCA) President Bob Boydston, AVCA Vice President Lee Dimmitt and Bob Aquino, the newsletter editor of the Vista Park Encore Parkview Community Association (VEP), found that De La Rosa’s campaign had violated terms of an ethics agreement requiring him to abide by principles of decency, honesty and fair play during the campaign.

Castillero Middle School, a popular performing arts magnet, is considered for closure. New San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Don Iglesias becomes an unpopular target as he attempts to emphasize the dire financial conditions facing the district, which tries to justify the criteria used to target specific schools for closure, including Castillero Middle School.

Negative campaigning hits boiling point as District 10 City Council candidate Rich De La Rosa delivers broom to sweep what his calls his opponent’s ‘dirt.’ Nancy Pyle tries to tie De La Rosa to Tropicana lobbyists and lawsuits. De La Rosa accuses Pyle of dispersing a false and inflammatory last-minute hit piece two weeks before the election linking him to two well-known San Jose lobbyists who were under investigation by the San Jose Elections Commission.

Almaden brothers Andrew and John Mark Teel lose their lives in a freak accident the evening of Oct. 25 while driving south on Almaden Road past Rome Drive, a street they had traveled many times before growing up in New Almaden. John Mark, 21, is believed to have lost control of his 1989 Ford Ranger when the vehicle traveled off the right shoulder of the roadway striking the edge of a concrete driveway, colliding with a mailbox and a telephone pole causing the truck to overturn completely, then crashing with another mailbox and a wood fence where a tree ended the propulsion. Both were wearing seatbelts. John Mark was pronounced dead at the scene. Andrew, 19, was removed from the right front seat and transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. A Santa Clara County coroner investigator notified parents Ron and Claire Teel of their sons’ deaths at their home in New Almaden. Siblings Matthew, 27, and Paul, 15, a student at Leland High School, survive the brothers. John Mark and Andrew graduated from Leland.

November
San Jose City Council candidate Nancy Pyle, 66, a Democrat, has the surprising lead in the district 10 race after the Nov. 2 runoff election. Republican San Jose businessman Rich De La Rosa, 52, will not concede election until every vote is counted. In the end, Pyle comes from behind fighting hard to lead and win the election by 414 votes out of nearly 30,000 cast. Political observers call Pyle’s win the biggest election upset in recent Silicon Valley memory. De La Rosa, who during the March primary election won by a 12 percentage-point lead over Pyle finishing with nearly 49 percent of the vote—narrowly missing the majority needed for a win—is not ready to concede until Nov. 15 when vote tallies continue to show Pyle ahead by a narrow margin of votes. De La Rosa had been endorsed by most media outlets and had the blessing of termed-out Vice Mayor Pat Dando. Pyle is propelled to victory by the support of seven city council members and the South Bay Labor Council whose volunteers swarmed over Almaden Valley to convince voters to elect Pyle to office. The “losing, perennial” candidate is finally taken seriously. She names her campaign manager, Ana Maria Rosato, chief of staff and Lee Wilcox as policy aide.

District 10 candidates duke it out—Rich De La Rosa delivers a broom to clean opponent’s ‘dirt,’ while Nancy Pyle tries to tie De La Rosa to Tropicana lobbyists and lawsuits. Illustration by Jim Hummel

Almaden’s John McGowen, a respected community member and international rocket scientist, dies Nov. 4 at 68 from a brain tumor. Many described McGowen as an unassuming leader, pillar of the community and a respected scientist. His widow, Betty, a former schoolteacher, survives him. During a memorial service at Almaden Hills United Methodist Church—the McGowen’s spiritual hub since 1976—a standing-room-only crowd filled the pews to celebrate McGowen’s hefty contributions as a friend, father, and world-renowned satellite engineer.

Castillero Middle School is saved from closing when the San Jose Unified School District’s School Consolidation Advisory Task Force decided that based on school neighborhood capacity, transportation, traffic flow, potential facility use, and population trends, recommended instead closing Steinbeck Middle School in June of 2005. John Muir Middle School will inherit Steinbeck’s laptop program and its sixth and seventh grade students. Those who live in the new Castillero attendance boundary area will choose either middle school.

Nearly 700 friends, family and colleagues gathered Nov. 14 to say goodbye and honor termed-out Vice Mayor Pat Dando after a 10-year career of public service to the city during a reception at the Marriott Hotel.

The Almaden Times Weekly breaks a story about an 11-year-old girl who is the first victim of an outbreak of mycobacterial furunculosis caused after getting a pedicure with her mother and sister in an allegedly improperly disinfected whirlpool Pedispa. The girls’ legs are invaded by more than 100 open sores [furuncles], which spread rapidly over her legs. The skin and soft-tissue infections [boils] could last nearly a year, while ongoing antibiotic therapy costs will only be surpassed by reconstructive surgery to fill in the gaps and remove the scar tissue left in the infection’s wake. A report filed by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department on Nov. 5 issued an alert to physicians, dermatologists, internists, pediatricians and infection control practitioners—warning of the outbreak of mycobacterial furunculosis among women who received pedicures at three south San Jose nail salons. During November and December, 11 reports are filed by girls and women ages 11 to 49, all exhibiting open sores on their legs that failed to respond to routine antibiotics. Silver Nails, [near Toys-R-Us] and Kathy Nails, [near Costco] are two of the three salons named. The third has not been made public. The culprit is alleged to be a notuberculous mycobacterium called fortuitum that causes severe skin and soft-tissue infections [boils] that can take up to 23 days to surface and linger for an agonizing 41 to 336 days, depending on the severity of the outbreak and subsequent antibiotic therapy. Treatment can last up to six months and cost an estimated co-pay of $50 for each 30-day supply.

After three-and-a-half hours and more than 90 community speakers, the San Jose Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Nov. 29 in favor of certifying the McKean Road Sports Complex Environmental Impact Report. With one round to go, the controversial sports complex heads to the San Jose City Council. Almaden Youth Association Treasurer Dan Kennedy remained confident that the fields would eventually be built.

December
The San Jose City Council gives thumbs-up to McKean Road Sports Complex in 8-1 vote Dec. 7. After 12 years fraught with environmental impact reports, public meetings, political hurdles, and accusations, the Almaden Youth Association members are free to enter the fundraising phase for the McKean Road Sports Fields project, after the city council approved the EIR and General Plan amendment. AYA President Dan Smyth, Vice Mayor Pat Dando, and AYA Treasurer Dan Kennedy express relief with the city’s green light to build the fields.

Two weeks after the Almaden Times Weekly uncovers an outbreak of mycobacterial infection among 11 women who received pedicures at three South San Jose nail salons, the number of cases rises to 57, with 13 salons implicated. Kathy Nails, a once-bustling salon where even customers with appointments had grown accustomed to waiting, struggles to stay in business while being investigated. Kathy Nails is one of many salons under investigation for improper disinfection of whirlpool Pedispas, which were popular indulgences until fears of the painful, disfiguring infection frightened many women away from salons countywide. Infectious disease specialists believe the boils and skin ulcers [furunculosis] that have erupted on women’s legs occur when mycobacterium fortuitum is allowed to thrive in the swirling waters of popular whirlpool pedispas.

Incoming San Jose City Councilwoman Nancy Pyle, San Jose Vice Mayor Pat Dando and Fontana Dog Park Committee Member Cathy Randazzo break new ground on the park on Dec. 11. Dog owners and their furry friends take part in the ceremony.

The San Jose City Council nixes Winfield Boulevard Bridge Dec. 14 and citizens who live near Almaden Lake Park express relief. Termed-out Vice Mayor Pat Dando brings an end to the ever-elusive Winfield bridge saga almost 10 years to the date of when she takes office and begins fighting against its construction. The nonexistent Winfield Boulevard Bridge pitted those who live around Almaden Lake Park against those who live in the more affluent part of the community and who see transportation as a major issue facing the valley.

Animal rights activists hold vigil outside the Villas of Almaden on Dec. 17, with masks, signs, and candles in tow—all in an 11th-hour attempt to save a family of coyotes from certain death. Upon hearing of the Villa’s decision to hire a private trapper, a steady flurry of e-mails keeps Villas President Bud Spadafore busier than usual with what he describes as harassing phone calls from animal rights groups.

The San Jose City Council censures District 7 Councilman Terry Gregory on Dec. 17 for allegedly accepting gifts and improper campaign contributions that violated the city’s municipal code. John DiNapoli, a local businessman with property in District 7, was pressured to acquire baseball tickets for Gregory, who’s been suspected of corruption ever since reports of wrongdoing began to surface in March, just 12 days after he failed a field sobriety test and was booked in the Santa Clara County Jail on a misdemeanor DUI charge. As the story starts to unfold, additional witness come forward, including Wal-Mart and Costco executives—who accuse Gregory of strong-arming them into making sizeable contributions or face a long road ahead running interference with their business plans.

Not since 1994 had a city council member been censured and Gregory, if recalled, will be the second elected official in San Jose history to be ousted from office, after District 8 Councilmember Kathy Cole was removed for racial mimicking following a videotaped speech.

Former Almaden scoutmaster and soccer coach Bill Miller dies Dec. 21after suffering for three years from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although he never smoked, he had asthma. After contracting a case of pneumonia and then bronchitis, he never recovered and eventually contracted the disease. He’s described as the kind of neighbor you could depend on. While he and his wife Virginia live on Holly Place in Almaden for 15 years raising their three boys, Bill was known as an avid gardener and a fix-it man extraordinaire. He was well known around Almaden as a scoutmaster of troops 221 and 294 and as a coach for the Almaden PAL soccer team during the late 70s and early 80s. He and Virginia moved to Murietta in southern California in 1989.

—Compiled by Sheila Sanchez