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Council Watch
Six hopefuls vie for seat in District 6
By Jessica Lyons
As the Dec. 10 deadline rapidly approaches, more District 6 locals are jumping into the race for Frank Fiscalini's City Council seat.
Here's a rundown of all six candidates, their cash, their canvassers and their No. 1 community concern.
Mike Borquez, arts commissioner and mortgage banker:
* District 6 resident since 1993;
* Monetary donations: $2,145;
* Volunteers include members of the real estate, mortgage banking, veteran and Hispanic communities, and high school volleyball and football players. (Borquez has a son at Leigh and a daughter at Presentation high schools.);
* "We have to establish parking and a speed control solution for downtown Willow Glen. ... There's not a business you can walk into between Willow and Coe where [parking and speeding] would not be the No. 1 concern. Perhaps we need a larger police presence, police on motorcycles, signs telling people that this is a business district and speeds are going to be strictly observed. ... I want to sit down with the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association and listen to all the groups, and find out what is the proper solution."
Bill Chew, producer of local TV show, Neighbornet:
* District 6 resident since 1992;
* Chew will not be fundraising for the council race;
* Volunteers are Chew's friends;
* "The duties of a politician are threefold: to be a good custodian, to take care of things when they go wrong, to be a good guardian, to watch out for public safety, and to be a champion of the people. I have been living the lifestyle of a champion, I train like a world-class athlete, I roller skate to City Hall. Meetings are my rest. Just running [for city council] is winning."
Kris Cunningham, early childhood education teacher and former WGNA president:
* District 6 resident since 1962;
* Monetary donations: $15,365;
* Volunteers include District 6 neighborhoods, school and church groups;
* "The number one issue for the whole Willow Glen area is to preserve the great quality of life that we have as we continue to grow. We have prosperity, and with that prosperity comes good things, but also challenges. With growth and prosperity one challenge is infill [housing]; we have to make sure when there are new developments or plans that they are planned well and will integrate into the neighborhood--improve the quality of life as opposed to diminishing it."
Brad Imamura, San Jose code enforcement inspector:
* District 6 resident since 1985;
* At press time, Imamura had not reported any monetary contributions;
* Imamura says his candidacy is still tentative. "It's very preliminary, I'm researching if the necessary resources are going to be available to run a meaningful campaign."
* "By far, neighborhoods come first. Neighborhoods are the foundation of any city. When people go home, they drive into their neighborhoods, and it's been my career to ensure these neighborhoods are safe, that they meet proper building code, that they are free of blight. The foundation of the city is the neighborhoods; that why it's important to have neighborhood associations, clean neighborhoods, livable neighborhoods. ... I've been to these people's homes, I've been to their neighborhoods, and I know what's going on."
Jim Spence, Willow Glen police sergeant:
* District 6 resident since 1980;
* At press time, Spence had not reported any monetary contributions;
* Volunteers include members of the San Jose Police Benevolent Association, San Jose police officers, members of the Police Officer Research Association of California;
* "The number one concern is the development of Lincoln Avenue and the maintenance of the uniqueness of Willow Glen--that's really the challenge that everyone has been talking about. We need to maintain the uniqueness of Willow Glen. We need to find ways to make it attractive for merchants and people to use the services that are available on Lincoln Avenue."
Ken Yeager, SJSU political science professor, and Rose Garden Neighborhood Preservation Association president:
* District 6 resident since 1992;
* Monetary donations: $30, 024;
* Volunteers include former students, past volunteers from his community college campaign (Yeager is a San Jose Community College Board trustee) and members of the Rose Garden Neighborhood Association;
* "When I walk Willow Glen, I hear traffic as the biggest issue, not only in Willow Glen, but city-wide. I think when it comes to traffic in the neighborhoods, we have to better monitor the traffic flow: more stop signs, more stop lights and more pedestrian walkways. To solve the problem city-wide, we need more mass transportation, we need to finish the extension of the light rail and the completion of Highway 87 to six lanes."
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
