Willow Glen Resident
News
News Briefs
Santa Clara Valley Water District will tap into desalination study
If Santa Clara County were faced with an emergency, such as an earthquake, would the water taps keep flowing?
The Santa Clara Valley Water District will participate in a regional study to determine if the construction of a desalination plant in the Bay Area would keep the taps flowing during an emergency.
The California Department of Water Resources has awarded a $250,000 grant to a regional consortium comprised of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, East Bay Municipal Utility District and Contra Costa Water District to evaluate the feasibility of a desalination facility in the Bay Area. The grant will fund 50 percent of the study.
The department will also grant the four-agency partnership $1 million toward building a $1.9 million small-scale desalination pilot plant.
The pilot plant will evaluate desalination as an additional source of water during emergencies, as a supplemental source of water during extended droughts and for its ability to increase water supply reliability.
The regional desalination facility could supplement the water needs of more than 5 million households and businesses served by the consortium.
Runners Supply has
new name, location
Willow Glen Runners Supply has relocated and changed its name. The running supply store moved Oct.1 from 1140 Lincoln Ave. to 1115 Lincoln Ave., across the street.
The store lost 200-square-feet in the move but gained storefront windows for displays.
"It's a more useable space for us," said shop owner Lance Maurer.
The new location is 1,800 square feet located between Fitness Group of Willow Glen and Fine Consign.
"It was a completely lucky break that the Twins Boutique closed just as we were looking for a new location," Maurer said. "This new shop will allow us to broaden and grow in every direction."
Along with the move, Maurer chose to change the name of the store to its corporate name, Urban Sports.
Maurer said customers would look at the prior name and receive a false impression that the store only carried running supplies.
"We carry swim wear, yoga wear and triathlete wear," Maurer said.
The shop will increase the types of shoes it carries by adding other brands, such as Adidas.
Biebrach Park turf
is being resodded
Biebrach Park in Greater Gardner is closed for renovations.
According to San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services spokesperson Ed Bautista, the park was going to be reseeded and undergo turf renovation in April, but the work was postponed because of the rain.
"We try to do a number of parks every year as part of a planned reseeding," Bautista said.
The park will renovate turf areas where there are sinkholes due to sprinklers and dead grass.
The fencing around the perimeter of the park went up at the end of September, Bautista said, to keep residents off the turf.
"This gives the turf a chance to germinate and get to a good state," he said. The park will reopen in February or March 2007.
Downtown parking
topic of discussion
Willow Glen Business and Professional Association has planned a third meeting at Washington Mutual, 1402 Lincoln Ave., on Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss proposed changes to the parking ordinance in downtown Willow Glen.
Parking requirements in San Jose have been in place since the early 1960s, but Willow Glen's older buildings were not built with sufficient parking. The situation is an ongoing headache for retailers or restaurant owners who want to locate to Lincoln Avenue. They frequently find themselves unable to meet city parking requirements.
For more information, contact Norma Ruiz at 408.298.2100 or email norma@downtownwillowglen.org
Our City Forest has
visit from Shriver
Getting dirty got glamorous for Our City Forest tree amigo Carol Arnoldy, when she helped Maria Shriver plant, stake and inspect a tree.
Shriver, the wife of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was in town promoting CaliforniaVolunteers.org, a new statewide volunteer website. On Oct. 3, California's first lady joined Our City Forest volunteers at Lee Mathson Middle School to plant a tree. Willow Glen resident Arnoldy was one of several volunteers who assisted Shriver as she learned the latest techniques in tree-staking.
Our City Forest, run by Willow Glen resident Rhonda Berry plans to provide trees to more than 1,000 sites in San Jose this year.
Instead of candy,
how about books?
Books For Treats is looking for volunteers to help with its two-day events for Halloween.
Volunteers are needed to sort books by reading levels on Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and stuff bookmarks in each book at the Diabetes Society on Lincoln Avenue.
Volunteers are also needed to set up tables, banners and books from 9:30 to10 a.m., staff the Books For Treats table on Halloween during Lincoln Avenue trick-or-treating, and clean and pack up at the end of the day.
Books will be given to preschool children from 10 a.m. to noon and to children in grades K-6 from 3 to 5 p.m. until supplies are depleted.
For those interested in volunteering, visit www.BooksForTreats.org.
Signs and bookmarks are supplied by Books For Treats to print out.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Rebecca Morgan at 408.998.7977 or visit www. www.BooksForTreats.org.
Health fair educates
women and families
The 10th annual Women's Health Forum will take place on Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at National Hispanic University in San Jose.
The forum will offer workshops and a health fair for women and families.
Workshops will be conducted in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Participants will learn about diabetes, breast cancer, autism and obesity.
A cooking demonstration is also scheduled with the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, highlighting healthy food choices and cooking styles.
The health fair will have a variety of booths offering free health services. People may receive flu shots, cholesterol screenings, glucose testing, blood pressure testing, and a body-mass index assessment.
National Hispanic University, 14271 Story Road, is at the intersection of Story and White roads in San Jose. For more information, contact Sen. Elaine Alquist's office at 408.286.8318.
Wine tasting will
benefit foundation
The Willow Glen Middle and High School Foundation is revving up for its fifth annual wine-tasting benefit.
This year's event will take place Nov. 10 from 3 to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the newly renovated Garden Theater, 1165 Lincoln Ave.
Residents will be able to meet faculty members as well as taste and purchase wine, cheese and chocolates for holiday gift-giving. Hors d'oeuvres can be enjoyed while viewing the student art show and participating in the silent and live auctions.
Tickets cost $50 per person and are tax-deductible. The proceeds will benefit the Willow Glen Middle and High School Foundation.
For more information about the foundation, visit www.willowglenfoundation.org.
Schallenberger keeps
adding green programs
Schallenberger School recently had its second ewaste event, and the school estimates it raised between $1,000 and $2,000, said school recycling coordinator Pam Oliverio. In April the school earned $4,400 through an ewaste fundraiser.
Now Schallenberger is participating in the Wal-Mart plastic bag recycling program. For every 60-gallon bag of plastic bags brought to Wal-Mart, the school receives $5.
Last year Schallenberger raised $200 in 3 months, which went toward fourth-grade field trip scholarships. The fourth-graders have also stepped up their efforts to better the environment through their involvement in a composting program.
In addition to plastic and ewaste, the school recycle cans and bottles to help support its Adopt-A-Family program. This is a year-round program with collection boxes in the school's faculty room and office.
The school recently began a cell phone recycling program, and the money will be used for kindergarten supplies.
All these programs are part of the school's overall philosophy. For 15 years the school has been recycling paper with the help of fourth- and fifth-graders, who empty the bins in all the classrooms, office and media center twice a week.
