December 16, 2004

ValleyViewpoints

Thank you Pat Dando, Dan Smyth and Dan Kennedy for efforts on the sports complex

Editor,
I’d like to thank Pat Dando, city staff and the AYA volunteers for bringing home an overwhelming win on the McKean Road youth sports facility at the City Council. The City Council saw through all the nonsense of the NIMBY opposition and did what was right for the city of San Jose and the Almaden Valley.

Three years ago this project was considered by many to be an impossible undertaking, but the need of the community was so strong that it had to be pursued. This achievement is a testament to capabilities of Almaden as a community. But, I want to single out Dan Smyth and Dan Kennedy for their efforts. They stayed at the forefront throughout the process. It is not possible to adequately describe the effort they (and their families) contributed and the sacrifices they made. It was amazing, and Almaden owes them a tremendous debt of gratitude. To them, and every one else who has contributed to this effort, THANK YOU!

Bradley D. Bosomworth
Shadowbrook Drive

Times’ responsible reporting is a benefit to the community

Editor,
I recently opened up the Resident, which I swore I would never do again, because I was curious how they would report the AYA win for approval of the McKean site.

They reported that AYA was avoiding the issue of the Coyote Valley Soccer Complex at the city council meeting purporting that 17 new soccer fields were going in just three miles away from the McKean site. What they failed to report, either through poor investigative methods or lack of desire to learn the truth, is that these fields are merely replacement fields for the Morgan Hill Complex that is shutting its gates December of 2005.

Originally the gates were slated to close December 2004, but CYSA District 2 gained permission to lease it for one more year. So although there is a proposed soccer complex five miles down the road, they are merely replacing fields that are already spoken for. Morgan Hill Complex was never available for our weekly league games. It is a very busy complex scheduled months in advance and caters to numerous tournaments, Olympic Development Program, Premiere League and games for the Select division for the 16 and above. This place is booked solid every weekend. As far as using it during the week I believe it is the home practice fields for the Orchard Valley league, which is the home of Morgan Hill and Gilroy teams.

Again, let me express my gratitude for your professional newspaper that reports the facts and does not lend itself to sensationalism. Had the Resident behaved responsibly, I truly think there wouldn’t be such a divided faction between the residents in Almaden and those that live in the SAVRA region.

Terry Thompson
Almaden Valley Youth
Soccer president

Reader says sports complex decisions made behind closed doors

Editor,
The San Jose City Council meeting held on Dec. 7 displayed a total disregard for the political system we are supposed to have. The decisions were already made behind closed doors and the meeting continued on as if we were in a Banana Republic. The council members heralded this as democracy at its best, when actually it was a subverted and deceptive process operating under the guise of democracy. Pat Dando was applauded by her supporters, when in actuality she should be ashamed of the political trickery and deception that she perpetrated regarding this project.

The mayor did not allow all speakers to speak and the Council had no discussion on these items. They did not discuss their planning commission’s decision to REJECT the proposed General Plan amendment. The already spent or allocated taxpayers’ contribution by the city for this private group has reached approximately $2 million. The Council had no discussion on the spent funds, the General Plan amendment, the MOU, the two new appropriations, or the certification of the EIR. This was a done deal and they should not have conducted a so-called public hearing under the auspicious of the democratic system.

Pat Dando’s last-minute changes to reduce the size of the project appeared to be a good-faith measure, but it was only offered to get a first phase of the project started. Asking for additional funds and the project size change was sent out by memo to the Council only one business day prior to the meeting. Did they change the General Plan text amendment to now reflect 20 acres rather than 35.4 acres in the amendment? I think not!

Pat Dando and the AYA have continuously subverted the process to accomplish their goal. This was never a public project and I hope someone realizes this very soon. This is a locked facility that will be controlled and operated by the AYA for their almost exclusive use.

The SJUSD should sell this $20+ million piece of land and keep open the schools they are closing. If they are going to close more schools they sure don’t have to keep this land for a future school site, unless they are really in the real estate business. If they are, they shouldn’t lease land for $1 per year. With their $9 million budget gap, I’m sure the money would come in handy. The students and parents of Steinbeck and the two elementary schools scheduled to close would love to hear the good news.

Doug Turk
Hunters Hill Road

Reader will do her own nails now

Editor,
I read the articles about the nail salons with great interest. I walked out of Lovely Nails two years ago. I went in there twice. The first time I had to insist that they disinfect the whirlpool area. They expected me to just hop right up there, after another lady had left. It was a struggle to get the concept of “disinfectant” across. Finally, they put a soap detergent in. All the time, I was conscious that I was holding up progress. It is always busy in there. The next time I went in, they just expected me to hop right up, with the dirty water still in there. I left and have never been back.

(During the times I was in there, I noticed that they would call in other ladies to help do the nails. These were older ladies, and a lot of directions were given to these ladies, on how to buff nails etc.) No way do they follow established health procedures.

Doing my own nails now.

Eve Heston
Almaden Valley

Community involvement is a cornerstone of the public art process

Editor,
I read with great interest the two articles concerning the Mineta San Jose Airport Public Art Master Plan published on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, 2004. I am currently chair of the San Jose Arts Commission and I was the chair of the Mineta San Jose Airport Public Art Master Plan Steering Committee. I would like to address several key points made in the articles as well as invite all who are interested in the public art at the airport to get involved, notices of meeting times and locations will be widely announced to insure full community involvement.

The Mineta San Jose Public Art Master Plan Steering Committee had 28 members, compromised of community representatives (most city council districts were represented), city officials/staff, local arts administrators and artists, San Jose State staff/faculty, business owners as well as representatives from the arts and airport commissions. Although unwieldy at times, the committee did a fantastic job on the master plan and several points have to be stressed:

The Steering Committee approved the Mineta San Jose Public Art Master Plan by an overwhelming majority, 23 to 1.

Kymberli Brady, the author of the above-mentioned articles was an addition to the Mineta San Jose Airport Public Art Steering Committee when it expanded. Ms. Brady voted YES for the Master Plan.

The San Jose City Council on Nov. 16, 2004 voted unanimously to approve the Mineta San Jose Airport Public Art Master Plan.

One of the first steps to implement the Airport Public Art Master Plan is to form the Airport Art Program Oversight Committee (AAPOC). The AAPOC will beestablished as an advisory committee to the Public Art Committee (PAC) of the Arts Commission and will be charged with developing and recommending an Annual Airport Public Art Work Plan. The Annual Airport Public Art Work Plan will include:

• A site inventory,
• Projected annual budget,
• Public art project options,
• Appropriate partnerships,
• Thematic content and/or conceptual focus, and
• Methods of artist selection for each project.

The AAPOC is also an aesthetic review board and responsible for reviewing artists’ projects and giving critical feedback to the PAC for their consideration throughout design and development. Recommendations of the AAPOC will be forwarded to the PAC for recommendation to the Arts Commission and ultimately the City Council for approval. Members of the AAPOC will be selected from nominations from San Jose City Council members as well as city staff, Airport Public Art Steering Committee members and past and present members of the Arts and Airport Commissions.

Community involvement is a cornerstone of the public art process and community involvement is encouraged and welcome. All meetings of the AAPOC as well as the Public Art Committee and Arts Commission are public meetings and will be publicly announced to insure your involvement. Please visit the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs website at sanjoseculture.org for information about San Jose’s public art program, review the Airport Public Art Master Plan and get a schedule of meetings.

Ben Y. Miyaji
Chair, City of San Jose Arts
Commission

Editor’s response: Kymberli Brady’s involvement with the Mineta San Jose Airport Public Art Steering Committee has never been a secret. During her very brief (two meetings) time on the committee, she removed herself from taking any public art-related writing assignments in an effort to avoid potential conflict issues.

Previous issues of the Times Newspapers covering the public art meetings even went so far as to quote Brady, including the following from the Aug. 19 story: Airport public art meeting rife with concerns, By Julie Davis Berry and Lorraine Gabbert.

“I want to make sure that the canvass doesn’t become a box that we can’t think outside of,” reiterated steering committee member Kymberli Brady (an Almaden Times Weekly staff writer). “We need this art to represent the diversity of our artists as much as the diversity of this community.”

Brady’s response to your letter: “I did vote for the Master Plan. However, it was a conditional vote, as there were quite a few changes made to it during the final meeting. I went on record to express my concerns with regard to signing off on a document with “chicken scratch in the margin.” Much as I would have preferred to come back one more time and approve a clean plan, it was not to be. I never found the problem to be with the plan itself, rather the process—the need to put the public back in public art.”

Let the Almaden Times hear from you. In order to be considered, letters must be signed by the author or come with the full name, address, and a phone number (which will not be printed).

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The Almaden Times Weekly,
1310 Tully Road, Ste. 107,
San Jose, CA 95122