It’s been quiet around here. Too quiet, even by summer vacation standards. The Mayor is apparently vacationing and too busy to attend the inauguration of the first Latino mayor in 130 years. The City Council seems busy moving into their new offices.
Despite the rumors, no sign yet of a Cindy Chavez Mayoral announcement.
Here’s what is going on.
As the state turns toward solar homes, some Willow Glen residents have already plugged into nature for power… By Irene Kew.
The aging Hacienda Gardens Shopping Center may finally be rehabilitated by luxury home builder Toll Brothers… By Alicia Upano.
San Jose cracks the Top 10 for U.S. cities… By Michele Leung
There is still time to enroll children in area summer camps, programs… By Sarah Holcomb
Neighbors are fighting to keep homeowner from felling huge walnut tree… By Mary Gottschalk
Historic Hoover Theatre inks deal with Renegade Theatre Experiment… By Mary Gottschalk
Update: Cindy did announce her candidacy yesterday, as some of the comments have pointed out. Rodney Foo and Aaron Davis have the details in the Mercury News.
Cindy announced yesterday.
However, I’m not sure her website says, “I’m ready to be Mayor”…
Check it out: http://cindychavez.com/
As we all know by now, Darth Labor did announce her candidacy yesterday. Glad to see she has the retired football players vote locked up. Maybe she’ll also get the support of someone who actually lives in San Jose.
Billy,
She’ll go great with the R2-D2 rotunda at the sh@ty hall!
BART, airports boost vigilance in wake of London bombs
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/12077302.htm
Notice that no mention was made of beefing up security on San Jose lightrail. That alone would’ve increased Lightrail ridership 300%
You gotta love VTA.
Re: the walnut tree in the Rose Garden neighborhood, I have mixed feelings. I have never seen a developer that wanted to get rid of a tree ever provide a report that it’s a healthy tree, so they and their paid-off arborists can’t be believed. I too noticed the cedar tree gone a while back. This town needs better tree protection on private property. A home in the 1200 block of Hedding used to have a huge eucalyptus tree in back that could easily be spotted in the skyline. It provided a home for hawks that helped keep the rodent population in check. One day it was gone and it left a great void that has yet to be filled with any sort of replacement at all.
But what makes me realize that these neighbors trying to save the walnut tree are more about the value of their view than the value or importance of the tree is that when a new home was constructed at 1230 University, the new owner filed to have the last remaining poplar tree from the original 19th century “Poplar City” development removed from the parking strip. There was a notice posted on the tree. It was perfectly healthy and was trimmed regularly by PG&E to keep it out of the wires, which I think contributed to its longevity. There was only one complaint received by the city—mine. Arrogant former city arborist Mark Boudin approved of this tree’s removal in spite of its historic significance and good health. It has been replaced by two motley flowering pears.
We need better tree protection in this town. Look at the effort that was made to save the big sycamore on N. 21st street a while back. That same thing needs to happen for a lot of significant trees that currently can become victims to chain saws just based on the whim of the property owner. That needs to change.
Maybe when we get a Mayor that has respect for the environment, trees will get the protection they should. Who knows, maybe we might even get a mayor who would not refuse to sign the U.N. accords.
or a president that would sign UN accords!