Feb 26, 2004

Street Talk by Shari Kaplan

On March 2, voters will choose among four candidates to fill the District 10 City Council seat being vacated by Pat Dando. What skills or traits do you think are important in a councilmember, and what Almaden-related priorities do you hope the new member will have? (Asked at Almaden Center)

"I feel it's important to have the interests of the District residents in mind and keep up on that. How a councilmember does that, I don't know! Almaden Valley has really filled up the last few decades, so I think preventing urban sprawl is a priority. When we moved here in 1979 it was very different; it was like being out in the country."

Heather Kerr , 38
Almaden Valley
Biologist

"I think just the fact that a councilmember will look out for everyone else's well-being is important. And they shouldn't follow their own personal agenda. Almaden Valley is kind of like its own city. The quality of life is great here, with low crime and good parks and trails; I'd like to see it stay that way."

Chris Rulfs , 21
Almaden Valley
College student

"I would think representing the constituency but also being able to build consensus among other members of the council. Fiscal responsibility is important too. One of our biggest issues in Almaden is that of the sports field. Personally, I'd rather see the money put into our existing school sports fields, which are used daily by thousands of kids."

Margie Freedman , 48
Almaden Valley
Health educator

"A good councilmember is someone who cares about their own district, but is also concerned about the big picture that includes all of San Jose. I think Pat Dando was a good example of that. The kinds of things I hope the new councilmember does are the things Pat worked for, like parks, traffic issues and street lights."

Roxy Sax , 71
Almaden Valley
Bookseller/retired

"Involvement in the community is important. I'd prefer if the councilmember is a parent, because they'll know more about issues affecting kids in the area. Also, when something happens in the community, good or bad, they should do what needs to be done, whether it's cheering people or comforting people."

Laura Moore , 46
Almaden Valley
Psychologist

"I'm looking for a candidate who's more in tune with the people. Candidates shouldn't be into catering to big business. They should take care of the true people of San Jose. There's a lot of wealth here in Almaden, so I think maybe some of the money generated here should be given to the East Side. We're building golf courses up in the hills, while things like streets in other parts of San Jose need improvement."

John Constantino , 45
Almaden Valley
Retired