Street Scene: Calle Almaden

Located just off the Almaden Expressway, tucked behind high concrete walls in the heart of the Almaden Valley, is a leafy cul-de-sac appropriately called “Calle Almaden.” It’s a lovely residential stretch where each bigger-than-average home snugs up against its neighbor while lushly landscaped yards meld together so it’s hard to tell where one property line ends and another begins.

But that’s the way neighbors say they like it on their street. Nice and cozy.
Residents Alice Wong and her husband Art have lived on Calle Almaden since 1988. The couple moved over from Blossom Valley after living there for 11 years. Alice grew up in San Francisco and attended schools there before getting married and moving to South San Jose. There are three Wong children who grew up on Calle Almaden and now attend college. The Wong’s two sons are 22 and 24 years old and the Wong’s only daughter is 20. Alice says her kids enjoyed growing up on Calle Almaden and used to play hockey on the cul-de-sac. The family likes to ski at Lake Tahoe in the winter and camp in the summer.

Alice has spent her career working for the federal government and her husband is an engineer with Hewlett-Packard. She says they love living in the neighborhood. “This really is a nice court, very nice, very friendly. We have barbecues out on the cul-de-sac a couple of times a year whenever the weather is hot. Everyone brings food and shares it and it’s always fun to get together.”

“Our kids used to play hockey on the street, but now that they’re grown, the younger kids have taken their place. It seems like there’s always a game of some kind being played, sometimes until late at night.”
But the Wong’s happy neighborhood has also been the scene of one of the most shocking murders in the history of San Jose. On Oct. 28, 2001, San Jose Police Officer Jeffrey Fontana was gunned down near the Wong’s driveway while making a routine traffic stop.

Alice remembers the incident very well. “It was a very tragic situation. I think (this) Oct. 28 was the second anniversary (of the murder)—Officer Fontana’s mother came by here to leave flowers and to light a candle (in her son’s memory) and brought some friends.”

A small bronze plaque is embedded into the cement at the end of the Wong’s driveway. It’s currently surrounded by flowers and melted candles, in memory of the brave officer who gave his life in protection of others, including the residents of Calle Almaden.

Alice says she doesn’t mind its location near her home.
At one time, city leaders were thinking of changing the name Calle Almaden to “Fontana Way.”
Neighbors collaborated to change their minds. Alice says, “In a way, I’m glad we didn’t do that (change the name)—we’d have to bring it up (the incident) every single time we said the name of the street. It would make it very difficult to get over.”

She says she’s pleased with the city’s ultimate decision to name the adjacent park after the fallen officer instead. “It’s a more centralized location, we can (all) sit at the bench over there—sometimes we go and walk that way (through the park).”
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On a brighter note, Alice says every time she needs to know what’s happening on the block, she calls her friend and neighbor, Peggy Pezzoni.

Peg Pezzoni and her family have lived on Calle Almaden for 13 years now. Her children were raised on the cul-de-sac and Peg says she’s glad her kids were able to grow up there. “It’s been such a great experience. Our kids lived outside—they went from house to house and were welcomed at every home. I could call someone at 11 o’clock at night and there would be someone there (to help).”

A few months ago, the neighborhood lost “the anchor of the street,” Renee Ducheitel, who moved with her family to the Southland. Both Peg and Alice say their former neighbor would plan the block parties and get everyone together on a regular basis. Renee continues to stay in touch and will probably return for a progressive dinner planned for the Christmas holidays.

Just as Renee Ducheitel was leaving the neighborhood, Almaden Valley native Diana Herald was moving in. The single mom has lived on Calle Almaden for two months now with her parents and young son. She says the welcome to the street was unusually warm and much appreciated.

“We’re loving the area. When we were moving in (another mom) came over and introduced herself and her son, who is the same age as my son. They’ve been friends since then. We were immediately invited to a going away party for someone who had lived in the area for some time and was leaving (Renee). Everyone at the party was very nice. They all said ‘hello and welcome to the neighborhood.’ So it was great.”

Diana has been a member of the Almaden Valley Athletic Club and her son is also active in sports and has recently joined community center classes. She is a graduate of Branham High School and works in the general area.

For fun, the family likes to ride their bikes in Jeffrey Fontana Park and take scenic walks along the reserve trail. “There’s a pretty view of the area from up there,” Diana says.

As far as future plans go, Diana is sure she and her family will stay put for many years to come. “We have no plans to move (again). We’re enjoying the area.”

Homes don’t come up for sale very often on Calle Almaden. Just as Diana Herald bought her home and Renee Ducheitel moved away, one other family managed to snag a house at the same time, but before that, nothing much was for sale for a few years, at least.

Peg Pezzoni sums it up best. “Although (the street) has gotten a lot of attention recently and people still really feel a lot about it (Officer Fontana), most people would dream of living on a street like this.”

By Barbara Luis