March 23, 2006


Parade, 4-mile run earn Montevideo neighborhood a fun reputation

Association represents about 400 homes near Los Gatos border

By Sheila Sanchez
Special to the Times

The Montevideo Improvement Association is known in Almaden Valley for its patriotic spirit and its love for running.

Don Whiting, right, and Dan Migliori, left, are president and vice president of the Montevideo Improvement Association. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

It also distinguishes itself by giving its residents an opportunity to socialize around its popular Montevideo Clubhouse and pool, located at the corner of Camden Avenue and Coleman Road.

The 250-person-capacity clubhouse is available to association members all year, but the pool opens on Memorial Day weekend, which officially kicks off the neighborhood’s swim season.

The Fourth of July parade is considered by many as one of the largest private celebrations in Northern California with about 10 floats created by neighbors who live on different streets who compete for prizes against each other. Dignitaries who have participated in past parades have included Father Brendan McGuire, pastor of Holy Spirit Church and Councilwoman Nancy Pyle and San Jose Police and Fire department officials.

“It’s our claim to fame. Many people wish they lived in Montevideo,” said Don Whiting, president of the Montevideo Improvement Association. “They always hear about us and the great neighbors we have. It’s a very desirable area to live in.”

The parade is preceded by the neighborhood’s “4 on the Fourth” early morning run, which begins at the clubhouse and weaves in and out of neighborhood streets attracting nearly 100 runners.

The Independence Day events culminate at the pool with a festive party and barbecue.

The association represents more than 1,200 people who live in about 400 homes built between 1966 and 1971 by Blackwell Homes. The homes’ median price is in the high $800,000s. They average between 1,800 and 2,200 square feet on large lots.

Its boundaries are Coleman Road to the north, Monteverde Drive to the South, Redmond Avenue to the east and Puerto Vallarta Drive to the west.

As soon as residents move into the neighborhood they receive a newsletter, which educates them about issues in the community and upcoming events. They are also told right away of their $242 annual association dues.

Payment of the association fees gives residents access to the clubhouse and pool. The neighborhood’s Piranha swim team has 150 children ages 5 to 18.

Whiting, 47, moved from Santa Teresa to the Montevideo neighborhood in October of 1996.

“We just love it,” Whiting said. “I’ve never been so involved with a community before.”

In 2001 he started volunteering his time to the association to be “neighborly.” He said his involvement in the association was an extension of his other community service activities. He’s a coach for the Almaden Police Athletic League softball Panther team and teaches catechism at Holy Spirit Church to middle school students.

Dan Migliori, vice president of the Montevideo Improvement Association, moved to the neighborhood in October of 2002.

He became active in the association in 2003 after he saw an announcement in the organization’s newsletter asking residents to help.

“I really wanted to help my community,” Migliori said, adding that one of his favorite things about the neighborhood is its small-town feel and nice neighbors.

Migliori, 35, said one of his goals was to make the clubhouse more of a community center where people could come together and have a good time. Prior to the association’s new leadership, the cabana club was rented to outsiders to raise money, a practice that is slowly being discontinued.

“We wanted to bring it back to the community,” Whiting said.

The neighborhood’s feeder schools are Guadalupe Elementary School, Dartmouth Middle School and Leigh and Branham high schools in the Union School District.

Speeding is a major concern in the neighborhood. Montevideo is surrounded by Coleman Road, Camden Avenue and Redmond Avenue, which are higher-speed limit streets, but sometimes residents cut through the low-speed limit residential side roads. With the help of Councilwoman Nancy Pyle’s office, the neighborhood is beginning to tackle the problem.

Another issue facing the association includes vandalism such as graffiti and car break-ins.

The association meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the clubhouse, 1585 Monteval Lane, San Jose, Calif., 95120.