Suppose residents in each of San Jose’s 10 City Council Districts had $100,000 to spend on whatever they believed would make their neighborhoods better?

This democratic approach to allocating tax dollars was proposed by San Jose City Councilman Sam Liccardo. It’s one of 80 recommendations that council members sent to Mayor Chuck Reed to consider including in his final budget message, which is the framework for the city’s 2013-2014 budget. Reed will let them – and the public — know what proposals will move forward on Friday, May 31.

With the series of community budget meetings winding up this week, it was council members’ turn to weigh in on how the city should spend some of its $934 million General Fund. They had until May 22 to submit their budget documents.

But there was a catch – each request for new funding had to be submitted with a suggested cut that would pay for the council member’s proposal, and from a “legitimate source,” according to Mayor Chuck Reed’s instructions.

For example, Councilman Xavier Campos, who represents East San Jose, wants hours at branch libraries increased from four days a week to . . . → Read More: San Jose Council Members Send Their 2013-2014 Budget Wish Lists to the Mayor]]> View the Proposed 2013-2014 Budget in Brief

Suppose residents in each of San Jose’s 10 City Council Districts had $100,000 to spend on whatever they believed would make their neighborhoods better?

This democratic approach to allocating tax dollars was proposed by San Jose City Councilman Sam Liccardo. It’s one of 80 recommendations that council members sent to Mayor Chuck Reed to consider including in his final budget message, which is the framework for the city’s 2013-2014 budget. Reed will let them – and the public — know what proposals will move forward on Friday, May 31.

With the series of community budget meetings winding up this week, it was council
members’ turn to weigh in on how the city should spend some of its $934 million General Fund. They had until May 22 to submit their budget documents.

But there was a catch – each request for new funding had to be submitted with a suggested cut that would pay for the council member’s proposal, and from a “legitimate source,” according to Mayor Chuck Reed’s instructions.

For example, Councilman Xavier Campos, who represents East San Jose, wants hours at branch libraries increased from four days a week to 5.5 days, including Saturdays. To pay for the $2.6 million it would cost to staff the libraries,he suggests dipping into the deficit reserve fund of $13.7 million, a pot of money put in reserve to cover an expected shortfall in the 2014-2015 budget.

One of Councilwoman Rose Herrera’s proposals is to add a gang intervention team that would target girls in middle schools and high schools who are involved in gangs or may be joining them. The cost would be $264,180 in one time spending and $287,060 ongoing and would be pulled from the Essential Services Reserve of $2 million.

Also pulling from the Essential Services Reserve would be Councilman Don Rocha’s proposal to re-assign city staff to run one of the community centers in high-need areas that are now operated by nonprofits. They include Alum Rock, Alviso, Alma, Gardner, Starbird and Washington centers. None of them are in Rocha’s District 9, but he believes the negative impacts of crime, violence, foreclosures and cuts to education in these neighborhoods could be eased by providing more services at the centers. His idea would cost more than $500,000 over two years.

Councilman Liccardo’s proposed pilot project called Participatory Budgeting would cost $1.5 million and would also come from the Essential Services Reserve. Reminiscent of the city’s Strong Neighborhoods Initiative that funded neighborhood priority projects, this approach would also engage residents in the decision-making of spending tax dollars. But it would be citywide and without the legal restrictions of the SNI’s redevelopment project areas.

“More community engagement, but also something else,” Liccardo said. “Resourceful and creative ways of stretching public dollars. “

Each council district would be allocated $100,000, with $50,000 set aside for administrative costs. The money could be used for a one-time costs or to supplement a service in that district. Councilmembers who did not want to join the program, could allocate the funding as he or she sees best or partner with other councilmembers in a large project.

Liccardo said the Knight Foundation has expressed an interest in sharing expertise garnered from other cities using the method, and perhaps funding parts of the initiative. Other organizations that could also be involved include United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County and CommUniverCity.

“I’m not proposing a specific method or mode,” Liccardo said. “I simply want to launch the initiative and allow more sophisticated folks like the Knight Foundation to convene our residents to make these decisions.”

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A community campaign to save a 91-year-old train trestle from demolition is picking up steam, even though the San Jose City Council has voted twice to replace it with a modern steel bridge for pedestrians and cyclists along Three Creeks Trail.

The train trestle was used by the Union Pacific Railroad until 2000.

Willow Glen trails advocate Larry Ames and a growing group of trestle supporters want the council to reconsider their unanimous votes to demolish the trestle and vote instead to restore it. Or, at the very least, give the issue a broader public hearing.

Restoring the trestle was in the original plan when the city, county and water district pitched in money to buy the former railroad corridor to ensure that it would be used for a critical segment of the Three Creeks Trail to connect to the Los Gatos Creek Trail. The trestle is the only way to connect the two trails. Eventually, it will also link to the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek regional trails.

“I’m encouraged,” Ames said. “I’m really appreciative of community support and enthusiasm. “

Support . . . → Read More: Supporters Asking San Jose City Council to Save Historic Willow Glen Train Trestle]]> Learn about the Three Creeks Trail train trestle on a video

A community campaign to save a 91-year-old train trestle from demolition is picking up steam, even though the San Jose City Council has voted twice to replace it with a modern steel bridge for pedestrians and cyclists along Three Creeks Trail.

The train trestle was used by the Union Pacific Railroad until 2000.

Willow Glen trails advocate Larry Ames and a growing group of trestle supporters want the council to reconsider their unanimous votes to demolish the trestle and vote instead to restore it. Or, at the very least, give the issue a broader public hearing.

Restoring the trestle was in the original plan when the city, county and water district pitched in money to buy the former railroad corridor to ensure that it would be used for a critical segment of the Three Creeks Trail to connect to the Los Gatos Creek Trail. The trestle is the only way to connect the two trails. Eventually, it will also link to the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek regional trails.

“I’m encouraged,” Ames said. “I’m really appreciative of community support and enthusiasm. “

Support could be growing among elected officials, too.

On Tuesday, May 14, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously approved a memo by Supervisor Dave Cortese asking the county parks staff to work with the city to exploring ways to save the trestle.

“The County, as a partner in this trail, may have resources available that could supplement the City’s evaluation of this potential historic landmark,” he stated in the memo. “As we move forward, it makes sense to evaluate this opportunity and assess the impact of losing these structures.

But it’s uncertain if the city council will take any action to re-consider the votes. On May 15, the council’s agenda-setting committee rejected Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio’s suggestion to schedule a study session to determine if more analysis is needed on the trestle’s condition by another engineering firm. Oliverio was a strong proponent of replacing the trestle during discussion before the votes on March 26 and April 9, 2013.

But since then, trestle supporters have pointed out what they believe to be flaws in the engineering study that recommended a steel bridge but also stated that restoring the trestle was possible. The supporters question the study’s estimated cost of demolishing the bridge as too low and restoring it as too high.

“We are pleased the city is moving forward on the Los Gatos and Three Creeks Trails,” wrote Larry Ames and Helen Chapman in a San Jose Mercury News op-ed piece. “But before committing to spend millions of dollars needlessly, the city needs to put demolition on hold, collect all the facts and thoroughly evaluate options.”

Click to make map larger.

The questions caught Oliverio’s attention.

“The council should consider a second opinion if a validated scenario exists to preserve the existing structure at a lower cost than previously detailed,” he wrote in a memo to the Rules Committee. “The outcome would be a seismically safe structure with no potential liability for the city.”

A Mercury News editorial has also urged the council to give the trestle restoration option another look.

When the city council voted on March 26 to recommend replacing the trestle, there were only a few public speakers on the item, all from Save Our Trails, a countywide organization that promotes trail building, SOT’s board had voted to support the recommendation to replace the trestle.

“It was only after lengthy deliberation, and careful consideration of the arguments for preserving the structure, that the Board determined that the best course of action would be to replace it,” SOT secretary Martin Delson wrote in a letter to the mayor and council. “One important consideration for us was the anticipated high cost of maintenance of a restored wooden structure; maintenance costs that we recognize would come from a budget that has to be shared among the 100 miles of the city’s planned network of trails.”

There was also concern expressed over losing a restored trestle to fire. The bridge has been damaged by fires set by people camped by the creek. But it Ames’ words, the wooden trestle is no more or a risk to fire than a telephone pole and more use of the trail will discourage vandalism.

Whatever the final decision, supporters think there should be more public input.

“We’re just asking don’t come to the first meeting and say it’s a done deal,” Ames said.

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FARO Technologies’ Matt Daly sets up the Focus 3D Camera at the Peralta Adobe in Downtown San Jose.

The eventual goal is to create living models of the 32 building in the 14-acre History Park and the 500,000 artifacts in the city’s collection.

“There is so much rich history that it’s difficult for a museum to share,” said History San Jose’s Director Alida Bray. “Once it is in the computer there are a myriad of things you can do.”

Last month, the FARO Focus 3D was set up for a demonstration at the adobe, which is now at the center of . . . → Read More: History San Jose Bringing the Past Into the Future With Tech Tools at the Adobe]]> Suppose the 216-year-old Peralta Adobe, San Jose’s oldest structure, was damaged in an earthquake. Could History San Jose, its caretaker, reconstruct it?

FARO Technologies’ Matt Daly sets up the Focus 3D Camera at the Peralta Adobe in Downtown San Jose.

The eventual goal is to create living models of the 32 building in the 14-acre History Park and the 500,000 artifacts in the city’s collection.

“There is so much rich history that it’s difficult for a museum to share,” said History San Jose’s Director Alida Bray. “Once it is in the computer there are a myriad of things you can do.”

Last month, the FARO Focus 3D was set up for a demonstration at the adobe, which is now at the center of the vibrant San Pedro Square Market. By creating a model of the adobe – History San Jose’s oldest and smallest structure — Bray hopes to draw interest to fundraise for the project. NVentum, FARO and Trimble Navigation are providing services and tech support pro bono. Help is also coming from CyArk, a nonprofit with a mission to preserve cultural heritage sites.

Here’s how VNentum describes the technology:

Using a low power laser beam, the surface of any object can be precisely measured and recorded in three dimensions, without contact with its surface. A laser scanner projects a thin strip of low power laser light onto the surface of the object. A digital camera records the light as it is reflected on the surface. The relative positions of the light source and camera allow the surface of an object to be mapped as a series of 3D data points, called a point cloud.

The 1842 Lefebvre Bicycle is in History San Jose’s collection.

But will a virtual tour discourage viewers from visiting the genuine History Park in Kelley Park on Senter Road? NVentum’s VP Brian Miller believes the opposite.

“We can put everything in a virtual environment. There are 500,000 items you can see in greater detail than you could see in a normal photograph,” he said. “If you can get people to understand what the museum holds, you can get them to come to the park.”

History San Jose’s Collections Manager Ken Middlebrook sees the tools as providing access while preserving artifacts.

“My concern is protecting the artifact,” she said. “The less you can handle the object the better.”

Focus 3D scans the adobe’s interior.

The bicycle could be scanned from various angles so the world could dissect its measurements, design and construction with such detail that researchers could reconstructs its unusual pedal design, Middlebrook said.

As funding is found, Capture History San Jose would be phased in over two years, with the next step to buy a couple cameras, which cost $50,000 each, to scan History Park’s buildings, followed by scanning the nearly half a million artifacts in the collection center. Phase 3 would be developing and implementing a Building Information Model, a data base for operating History Park that includes controlling climate, humidity levels and energy audits.

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Read an earlier NeighborWebSJ report on this topic

Beginning in March, many San Jose streets will look a little brighter as the city reconnects 900 streetlights that were shut off intentionally in 2008-2009 to save money, causing safety concerns in some neighborhoods.

The “X” on this streetlight pole indicates it was shut off to save money.

Council members appeared eager to approve the proposal to relight the 900 lights, which will cost $44,000 for equipment, materials and overtime pay to replace the lamps and fuses and an ongoing cost of $92,000 to pay for the electricity. The shut-off program saved the city about $77,000 a year in energy costs.

“This is something we’ve been receiving so many complaints about in the past few months” said Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, who represents District 7 in which 76 streetlights were turned off.

Davide Vieira, a resident of . . . → Read More: 900 Streetlights Shut Off to Save Energy Costs Will Shine Again Starting in March]]> View map of 908 streetlights targeted in 2008-2009 shutoff program

Read an earlier NeighborWebSJ report on this topic

Beginning in March, many San Jose streets will look a little brighter as the city reconnects 900 streetlights that were shut off intentionally in 2008-2009 to save money, causing safety concerns in some neighborhoods.

The “X” on this streetlight pole indicates it was shut off to save money.

Council members appeared eager to approve the proposal to relight the 900 lights, which will cost $44,000 for equipment, materials and overtime pay to replace the lamps and fuses and an ongoing cost of $92,000 to pay for the electricity. The shut-off program saved the city about $77,000 a year in energy costs.

“This is something we’ve been receiving so many complaints about in the past few months” said Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, who represents District 7 in which 76 streetlights were turned off.

Davide Vieira, a resident of Little Portugal in East San Jose, was among residents who had complained about darkened areas of Alum Rock Avenue. He learned about the shutoff program when he reported unlit streetlight in his neighborhood.

“It’s wonderful that the city has decided to reconnect the 900 street lights,” he wrote in an email. “The impacted streets will soon be illuminated better, and that bodes well for public safety.”

The lights will be turned back on at the rate of 225 a month, starting with White Road, Tully Road, Alum Rock Avenue and Camden Avenue, Transportation Director Hans Larsen told the council.

The designated lights, culled from 62,000 across the city, are along arterial streets, including Santa Teresa Boulevard, Willow Street, King and Aborn roads and Bird, Camden, and Blossom Hill Avenues. By City Council district, the number of shut-off lights ranged from 13 in District 1 to 179 in District 8.

Along with relighting 900 streetlights, the city has been scrambling to replace lights that went dark from copper wire thieves, a growing problem during the past few years. There is a backlog of 85 lights to repair and a wait of about four to five months before crews can get to them, according to a November 2012 memo. A simple burned out bulb is usually replaced in a week or two.

The backlog is a concern of District 3 Councilmember Sam Liccardo. Copper wire thefts can affect multiple lights, creating sizeable dark spots in some areas of the city.

Repairing those lights is “most urgent for safety reasons,” Liccardo said. “There are man of those areas now that lack lights because of the challenges of getting copper wire repairs up and running. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on areas that are most crucial before turning lights on elsewhere?”

In the past year, thieves have pulled copper wire from streetlights at a rate of 14 a month, according to a city memo, to sell on the black market. Besides working with the San Jose Police Department to catch the thieves, city workers have been sealing lids to the service boxes to deter thefts.

A more significant deterrent is alerting the public to watch out for suspicious activity near streetlights and call 911, Diane Milowicki, DOT Division Manager, said in an interview.

“If someone appears to be working near a streetlight pole and there’s not a city truck around or the person is not in a field uniform with an orange vest and shirt with a city logo, we’re asking people to report that, “ she said. “No one else is authorized to work on a streetlight.”

City officials say the long-term solution to streetlight outages is the conversion of the yellow sodium vapor lights with energy-efficient, white-light emiting LED lights, a process that began last year with a $2.9 million federal grant to convert 2,100 lights.

To report a streetlight malfunction, email street.lights@sanjoseca.gov or call (408) 794-1903 during business hours. Include the streetlight number on the pole, the location of the light and the nearest cross street and a name and daytime telephone number.

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Photo by Kymberli Weed BradyTransportation Director Hans Larsen explains the city’s need for road repair at the priority-setting event.

Public safety and how to pay for it was also a strong theme in Mayor Chuck Reed’s State of the City speech on Thursday, February 7, as Reed vowed to hire 200 police officers in the next two years. And at a study session on budget planning on Monday, February 11, council members indicated they heard the message.

“It’s clear public safety is a priority,” Reed said.

It was no surprise to council members or staff that the public is concerned about rising crime rates. Last year, the city suffered 46 homicides, the largest number in 20 years. And burglary rates have increased . . . → Read More: Residents Urge San Jose City Council to Spend More Money on Public Safety]]> San Jose residents are sending a clear message to city officials as the 2013-2014 budget season moves into full swing: We want you to spend more on public safety and we’re prepared to pay more taxes to help you do it.

Photo by Kymberli Weed Brady
Transportation Director Hans Larsen explains the city’s need for road repair at the priority-setting event.

Public safety and how to pay for it was also a strong theme in Mayor Chuck Reed’s State of the City speech on Thursday, February 7, as Reed vowed to hire 200 police officers in the next two years. And at a study session on budget planning on Monday, February 11, council members indicated they heard the message.

“It’s clear public safety is a priority,” Reed said.

It was no surprise to council members or staff that the public is concerned about rising crime rates. Last year, the city suffered 46 homicides, the largest number in 20 years. And burglary rates have increased by 23 percent. Council members are hearing from their constituents at community meetings and through email and phone calls.

Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Rose Herrera
Nineteen tables of participants set spending priorities.

In response to how the city should spend any extra money it might have for the next budget, 69 percent selected hiring more police officers as a the first or second choice. Increasing the fire department received 40 percent, followed by restoring city employee pay cuts at 30 percent, increasing library hours at 22 percent and increasing community center hours at 16 percent.

On the revenue side, the polling showed that 65 percent favored or were leaning toward a quart-cent sales tax dedicated to police services; and 64 percent favored or were leaning toward a quarter-cent tax for public safety services. There was also strong support for raising taxes that businesses pay to the city.

Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Rose Herrera

But at the study session, West San Jose Councilman Pete Constant cautioned his colleagues not to count too heavily on survey results in making budget decisions.

“When you look at those numbers, leans to doesn’t mean going to,” he said. “We need to be cautious and restrained and don’t spend expect revenue sources until they’re secured.”

Evergreen Councilwoman Rose Herrera suggested council members look at public safety in the “holistic way” that residents do. “They realize that having a community center open of a library open counts, too,” she said, because children have a safe place to engage in positive activities.

Support for public safety and raising taxes also emerged from the January 26 priority-setting session, where 114 neighborhood and youth leaders gathered around 19 tables in the City Hall Rotunda to play Innovation Games’ Budget Game, the exercise that puts them in the hot seat on increasing revenue and funding services. They were guided by Innovation Games’ staff members.

In 2.5 hours, they needed to determine spending priorities and increase revenue to pay for the services. As a table, they had to agree unanimously if they wanted to raise revenue through a sales tax, business tax or parcel tax or by such cost-savings measures as reducing staffing on fire engines from five to four firefighters.

Photo by Kymberli Weed Brady

At Table 8, participants didn’t waste any time zeroing in on the proposal to cut overtime for management employees, including police captains, at a savings of $1.2 million.

“In the private industry management doesn’t get OT,” said Tom Paramo, who represented Herrera’s District 8 at the table. “If you’re management, why are you getting OT?”

The short answer came from Assistant Police Chief Eddie Garcia, who was one of a dozen city officials on call to provide information beyond what was given the participants: “We expect more from our police captains than any other city. It would have an effect of possibly losing captains in light of the pay cuts they’ve taken.”

Said Table 8 participant Marilyn Rodgers of District 10 in South San Jose, “We could hire a lot of officers with what we pay in OT.”

The vote was unanimous in favor of that proposal. Similar to the decisions made at other tables, the group also voted for a ¼-cent sales tax to generate $34 million and a business tax increase to add another $10 million to their spending pot. Later, they added a $100 a year parcel tax for property owners that would generate $295 million for road repairs.

When it was time to start spending the money Table 8 had collected, Daisy Trullio, a member of a Youth Advisory Council, rounded up support for two proposals that would increase hours at hub community centers from 50 to 63 a week and add 20 to 45 hours a week to smaller centers in neighborhoods.

“We don’t have enough community centers and a lot of kids use them,” she said. “It’s an outlet for not going out on the streets.”

No argument from her Table 8 colleagues. In fact, 16 of the tables voted to increase hours at the larger community centers, and 17 tables eagerly spent money on increasing hours at neighborhood community centers.

Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Rose Herrera
Tony Wolf and Pat Waite make a deal.

Table 8 also voted to fund senior services, including transportation, at 14 centers; increasing hours at branch libraries and restore education and information services at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library; add 60 officers to field patrol and investigation units; eliminate fire engine company brown-outs, in which some companies are temporarily closed to avoid calling back firefighters on overtime; and pay for pavement maintenance for neighborhood streets.

Only one other table voted to spend $18 million on sealing neighborhoods streets.

“They’ll hang me in effigy if I don’t fund this,” said Rodgers of her District 10 neighbors.

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Photo by Juan EstradaSenator Jim Beall listens to community input.

In January 2012, the San Jose Water Company filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission to charge customers 21.5 percent more this year, 4.87 percent more in 2014 and 12.59 percent more in 2015. Over three years, the increased rates would generate $95,154,000. The CPUC has not yet made a decision.

In response, District 5 United, a coalition of East San Jose neighborhood associations, launched an online petition signed so far by 700, produced a video and invited Beall, San Jose District 5 Councilman Xavier Campos and Richard Rauschmeier, who represents the CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates, to the community meeting. Juan Estrada, president of District 5 United, also distributed flyers at the mayor’s budget priority setting session at City . . . → Read More: East San Jose Coalition Fighting Proposed Water Rate Increases of 44% Over 3 Years]]> A public protest against a proposed 44 percent water rate hike is catching steam in East San Jose and getting the attention of a powerful state senator.

Photo by Juan Estrada
Senator Jim Beall listens to community input.

In January 2012, the San Jose Water Company filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission to charge customers 21.5 percent more this year, 4.87 percent more in 2014 and 12.59 percent more in 2015. Over three years, the increased rates would generate $95,154,000. The CPUC has not yet made a decision.

In response, District 5 United, a coalition of East San Jose neighborhood associations, launched an online petition signed so far by 700, produced a video and invited Beall, San Jose District 5 Councilman Xavier Campos and Richard Rauschmeier, who represents the CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates, to the community meeting. Juan Estrada, president of District 5 United, also distributed flyers at the mayor’s budget priority setting session at City Hall on Saturday, January 26.

“We could help shape the outcome,” Estrada said at the Wednesday, January 23 meeting. “The issue has been under the radar for a year. Now it’s surfaced.”

Beall drove from Sacramento to attend the meeting even though he had to turn around and drive back to Sacramento for the governor’s January 24 State of the State speech.

“I was surprised at the 44 percent, to be honest about it,” Beall told the group of about 35. “If you look at the San Jose Water Company and you check their stock records, they’re making a profit. They pay dividends to their shareholders. It’s a good company. They’re making money.”

In a Q&A on its website, the San Jose Water Company says the proposed rates reflect “escalating operating costs and significant water system replacement costs for mains, tanks, and wells that allow the company to continue providing safe and reliable water service. “.

The Division of Ratepayers Advocates is proposing a 0.50 percent increase this year, 3.73 percent increase in 2014 and a 5.65 percent increase in 2015, or 10 percent over thee years. Rauschmeier also said that the San Jose Water Company wanted to increase its staff by 23 employees, and the DRA sees the need for just three more employees.

The mission of the DRA, a group within the CPUC, is to keep utility customers’ rates as low as possible for reliable and safe services. The DRA team of engineers, accountants and economists review applications, conduct audits and makes recommendations to the CPUC.

“There is a lot that is good with the company,” Rauschmeier said of the San Jose Water Company. “We just want to makes sure that continues and that what is done is reasonable.”
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Asked resident Gustavo Gonzales, who appeared in the protest video,” Are You Smarter Than a 3rd-Grader?,” “What else can we do besides wait for the outcome?”

Although the public hearings have been held, Rauschmeier said the commission was still accepting comments and that it meets every other Thursday in San Francisco, taking comments from the public at the beginning of each meeting.

“Stay involved and keep trying to fight for what’s reasonable,” he said.

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Park rangers Angie Martinez, left, and Penny Lee save mole who has been flooded out of its home.

As Lee nudged the shivering mole into a box, she and Martinez hiked it up a muddy hill and released it onto dry land under a bushy canopy, reaffirming their dedication to protect not only humans, but also wildlife, no matter how small.

Last month, city park rangers celebrated their 40th anniversary, with a city council commendation for service in seven regional parks, neighborhood parks and trails throughout San Jose. The park ranger program began in 1972 with one ranger overseeing Alum Rock Park. At its peak the ranger program had more than 15 staff rangers. Over the years, budget cuts have reduced the force to only six rangers who patrol four regional parks and 50 miles of trails. . . . → Read More: San Jose Rangers Celebrate 40 Years of Protecting, Preserving Parks and Trails]]> When heavy rains flooded Lake Cunningham Park, creating a series of mini lakes and flooded parking lots, San Jose park rangers Angie Martinez and Penny Lee didn’t hesitate to leave the comfort of their warm four-wheel drive vehicle.

Park rangers Angie Martinez, left, and Penny Lee save mole who has been flooded out of its home.

As Lee nudged the shivering mole into a box, she and Martinez hiked it up a muddy hill and released it onto dry land under a bushy canopy, reaffirming their dedication to protect not only humans, but also wildlife, no matter how small.

Last month, city park rangers celebrated their 40th anniversary, with a city council commendation for service in seven regional parks, neighborhood parks and trails throughout San Jose. The park ranger program began in 1972 with one ranger overseeing Alum Rock Park. At its peak the ranger program had more than 15 staff rangers. Over the years, budget cuts have reduced the force to only six rangers who patrol four regional parks and 50 miles of trails.

“We are endangered but we’re not extinct,” Martinez said.

The closeness among rangers was exhibited when the budget forced layoffs. One ranger retired a year early so another could keep his job, said Martinez.

“We have six full-time rangers with more facilities than ever before,” said Parks Manager Cindy Rebhan. “They are not in all seven (regional) parks. Some do split duty. It’s hard but we give it the best effort we can.”

Park rangers gather at City Hall to celebrate 40 years of service.

“They don’t want to do anything wrong while they’re in the park because they want to be able to come back,” said Martinez. “They come in the day and leave in the night.”

Rangers are now working with emergency housing programs for those taking shelter along the creeks, which raise concerns about safety and creek pollution. But only removing encampments just shifts the problem to another area.

“Now we’re focusing on homeless encampments in creeks to keep the creeks clean,” said park ranger Jane Lawson. “Finally we’re going about it the right way.”

Because they are in fewer numbers, the rangers aren’t as visible to the public as they used to be.

“People aren’t use to seeing rangers anymore, so if they arrive, people think it’s because something is wrong,” Martinez said.
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Said park volunteer Sylvia Lowe, “I think people do not know what a significant contribution they give to the underside of what we do. They weave a fabric −they weave relationships.”

As the budget cuts have sliced through the amount of things rangers can do, park volunteers stepped-up to the challenge. Volunteers, non-profits and local businesses donate time and money to keep the parks and the ranger program alive. The city’s Adopt-a-Park Program provides volunteers an opportunity to manage gardens and pick up trash, Rebhan said.

“We go to school and we learn how to read and write, but it’s in the parks that we learn how to be a human being and a citizen,” Lowe said. “I see the effect rangers have been in the web of our community.”

As the rangers accepted their commendation from the city council and gathered to honor each other, they took pride in their 40 years of service. Rangers look forward to continuing their dedication of preserving city parks and culture for future generations.

“We were a national leader as a park ranger agency,” Rebhan said. “To get back to that is where we all want to be. We just need the opportunity to let that grow again.”

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Frances Herbert, at right, remembers her brother at memorial.

“This is an opportunity to honor people’s lives and remember our commitment to end homelessness,” Jenny Niklaus, EHC LifeBuilders CEO said to the dozens of friends, relatives, elected officials and non-profit representatives gathered at the shelter on Thursday, December 13.

The number of people being honored this year marked a significant drop from last year’s 61, a sign that the efforts to focus on the vulnerable chronically homeless are working, Niklaus said. But even one death is too many, she added.

Some died of exposure, others from untreated illnesses, . . . → Read More: Memorial Honors Homeless Men and Women Who Died Last Year in Santa Clara County]]> Frances Herbert knew that her brother’s name would be among those read to remember the 39 homeless men and women who died last year in Santa Clara County. But when she heard it, it was still a shock.

Frances Herbert, at right, remembers her brother at memorial.

“This is an opportunity to honor people’s lives and remember our commitment to end homelessness,” Jenny Niklaus, EHC LifeBuilders CEO said to the dozens of friends, relatives, elected officials and non-profit representatives gathered at the shelter on Thursday, December 13.

The number of people being honored this year marked a significant drop from last year’s 61, a sign that the efforts to focus on the vulnerable chronically homeless are working, Niklaus said. But even one death is too many, she added.

Some died of exposure, others from untreated illnesses, several drowned or were hit by cars and two were victims of violent attacks. Their names will be added to 600 plus names engraved on a large stone memorial in the shelter’s courtyard.

Andrew Todd Moe, Hebert’s brother, suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, was in and out of jail and treatment centers and shelters. He was unable to work, and at times, lived by a creek. And then thing began to turn around during the past two, Hebert said.

Thirty-nine candles burn for homeless men and women who died last year.

While remembering those who died last year, Mayor Chuck Reed also said the community can be proud of the progress made so far to find housing for those on the streets.

“We still have people dying on our streets,” Reed said, “But let’s take this moment to be grateful that we have been able to house the chronically homeless who would have died on the streets if we didn’t get them into housing.”

That progress is the result of Housing 1000’s Care Coordination Project, which is led by EHC LifeBuilders and joined by partner organizations that include Downtown Streets Team, InnVisiion The Way Home and New Direction. The goal is to house 1,000 chronically homeless by the end of 2013. It is part of the nationwide Housing 100,000 campaign.

Case managers visit shelters, parks, creeks and roadways, seeking the most vulnerable homeless men and women, many who have been on the streets for decades. They’ve made more than 2,600 contacts with homeless people, and added their names to a registry.

As case managers are assigned to clients, they become advocates to help them find housing, medical and mental health aid, counseling and other supportive services that will help them stabilize their lives. HousingONE provides a Website for the public to donate money for furniture and other move-in necessities.

Since July 2011, 246 have been housed through the Housing 1000 campaign, and 75 through the Care Coordination Project. Another 119 chronically homeless men and women are on a list waiting to be assigned to a case manager.

“Those are the people nobody thought we could house,” Niklaus said. “We did it and we’ll keep doing it.”

To reach the goal, housing must be found for another 700 plus men and women still on the streets and in shelters, not an easy task. Rent for apartments is at an all-time high in Santa Clara Valley, many of the clients are unemployed, have criminal records and no recent experience with renting homes.

“This population had fallen off people’s radars over many, many years” Jennifer Loving, HousingONE director, said in an interview. “From that grew a mythology that these folks don’t want to be housed or couldn’t be housed.”

The strategy is not only humane, it’s cost-savings, Loving points out. To survive, a chronically homeless individual is often in and our of jails, hospitals, treatment centers and shelters, which costs $60,000 a year. To house that same person costs $16,000 a year.

The housing shortage is also the cause of so many more homeless encampments that the city has been struggling with in the past year, city officials say. Camps, which numbered 60 at one time, are removed, and within days, the tents and tarps are back, creating makeshift villages that pollute the county’s waterways and generate safety concerns in neighborhoods.

“We have to look at how do we develop new models for housing folks.” Jacky Morales-Ferrand said at a recent San Jose City Council study session on homeless camps. “We’re just moving the problem to different sites.”

At the December 13 memorial, Herbert and others shed tears for those who didn’t survive, in particular, her brother, Andrew. His name and the 38 others will be added to more than 600 engraved on a stone memorial in the shelter courtyard.

Those who died while homeless in 2012

Robert Aggler
Ry Anderson
Manuel Andrade
Miguel Aparicio
Eric Ayala
David Dominguez
Rickie Edwards
Deirdre Esquibel
Brett Etherton
Richard Groves
Johnny Harris
Ron Harris
Mark Hernandez
Robert Hormbeak
Joan “Gail” Hughes
Kevin Jan
David Jefferson
John Johnson
Dennis Karnes
Daniel A. Lopez
Robert Lopez
Larry Lovas
Bethany Miller
Andrew Todd Moe
Martin Munoz
Michael Munoz
Alex Omar
Kenneth Pajor
Gilbert Parson
Frank Perrino
Alex Ragasa
Timothy Ree,
Phillip Roberson
Richard Rose
Robert “Terry” Spilker
David Thomas
Carlos Villar
James Wilson
Joel Zebrock

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[/media-credit] Kristi Morrow and Aaron Carrera listen to ideas at CreaTV.

“There is no other program that takes the youth voice to talk to youth,” said Kristi Morrow, a 22-year-old who is part of the Youth Voice Initiative.

The goal of the program is, quite simply, to reduce gang violence by giving youth a place to talk safely about the real issues they face and provide participants with such skills such as interviewing and production.

“This being Silicon Valley, they (the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force), wanted to use multimedia to invest in educating youth,” said Youth Voice Initiative organizer Aaron Carrera. “Our stories can help others feel less alone. We can give them a voice to relate to and safe place to talk.”

The Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task . . . → Read More: Anti-Gang Project Provides ‘Safe Place to Talk’ for Youth in New CreaTV Show]]> A new TV program is coming to the airwaves in January 2013, but it won’t be the creation of industry moguls in Hollywood or New York.

[/media-credit] Kristi Morrow and Aaron Carrera listen to ideas at CreaTV.

“There is no other program that takes the youth voice to talk to youth,” said Kristi Morrow, a 22-year-old who is part of the Youth Voice Initiative.

The goal of the program is, quite simply, to reduce gang violence by giving youth a place to talk safely about the real issues they face and provide participants with such skills such as interviewing and production.

“This being Silicon Valley, they (the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force), wanted to use multimedia to invest in educating youth,” said Youth Voice Initiative organizer Aaron Carrera. “Our stories can help others feel less alone. We can give them a voice to relate to and safe place to talk.”

The Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force created the Youth Voice Initiative after receiving a $10,000 grant from Target, which also gave grants to five other cities that are part of the U.S Justice Department’s National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.

The forum brings the cities together with federal departments to create anti-gang strategies. Joining San Jose are Salinas, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Memphis. In September, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Camden, N.J., were added.

With the grant, CreaTV, a nonprofit serving San Jose, is training the Youth Voice Initiative participants to use the station’s equipment, from shooting to editing.

“They are not only learning how to put a TV show together, they are learning how to solve problems” by actually creating the show themselves, said Pam Kelly, CreaTV’s marking director. “Most importantly, they are engaging their community.”

In the first show, one of the participants interviewed a youth support group leader about how youth can build self-confidence and find connections outside of gangs.

[/media-credit] Jared Sandoval is a Youth Voice Initiative participant.

“What about education?” 16-year-old Irvin Durant suggested. “Our parents think we are safe at school, but that’s not always the case.”

The group agreed that the idea was good, but eventually settled in on role models. Why are there so few? What does it mean to be a woman or a man and where do young people learn that, they asked.

“This is it,” said Youth Voice participant Miguel Ozuena. “This is what people want to hear. They want to know what is real.”

In the next show, the group will talk to participants of the CYP youth mentoring program that pairs adults and young people. The young people will talk about the benefits of having an adult who cares in their lives. The adults will share what they have learned from the kids.

It’s when these groups get together that something can be done to stop the violence, Carrera said. He hopes it could be a program that other communities could replicate.

“Look,” he told the group, “we are part of something big here.”

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Exhibit designer Tom Trafton in front of new exhibit.

“I always wanted to do the Twelve Days of Christmas,” said Tom Trafton, the man behind the 60-plus displays. “It’s one of those things that sticks in your head.”

Exhibit designer Trafton has been with the 33-year-old Christmas in the Park since its beginning, but he quickly gives credit to board members who give him ideas and the hundreds of volunteers who help him with everything from mixing bubble juice to building displays to sewing new costumes for the characters.

Planning for Christmas in the Park is a year-round task. Building the holiday village began on October 31, with Trafton leading staff members and volunteers, who put in an estimated 260,000 hours of work. Christmas in the . . . → Read More: New Musical Exhibit Welcomes Visitors to San Jose’s 33-Year-Old Holiday Tradition]]> Visitors to San Jose’s Christmas in the Park may walk away singing, “and a partridge in a pear tree,” or at least thinking it.

Exhibit designer Tom Trafton in front of new exhibit.

“I always wanted to do the Twelve Days of Christmas,” said Tom Trafton, the man behind the 60-plus displays. “It’s one of those things that sticks in your head.”

Exhibit designer Trafton has been with the 33-year-old Christmas in the Park since its beginning, but he quickly gives credit to board members who give him ideas and the hundreds of volunteers who help him with everything from mixing bubble juice to building displays to sewing new costumes for the characters.

Planning for Christmas in the Park is a year-round task. Building the holiday village began on October 31, with Trafton leading staff members and volunteers, who put in an estimated 260,000 hours of work. Christmas in the Park will run through January 1.

The 60-foot Community Giving Tree is i the center of the park.

This year, lighting of the 60-foot-high Community Giving Tree was assisted by Olympic skater Kristi Yamaguchi and Santa Claus, who arrived in a giant sleigh on Market Street after opening the nearby downtown ice rink. Yamaguchi and Santa “plugged in” the lights as visitors counted down

Kristi Yamaguchi and Santa “plug in” the lights.

Visitors who stroll around the park also might notice that the choir members in one display have new robes and freshly painted faces, and that Santa is getting measured for a new suit in the Hat and Dress Shop. He’s a new character in that display this year.

But visitors might not know that the 15-year-old Lima Family Train has been completely rebuilt, with parts made in Oakland an a the San Jose Foundry, Trafton said.

“It kind of fell apart all at once,” Trafton said. “Everything went wrong.”

The Parachuting Penguins exhibit was delayed in opening because the penguins were stolen, the first time a major theft has occurred at the park, Trafton said. But new penguins have arrived and will be installed and flying in circles again.

Santa is fitted for his suit.

An online map is new to help visitors find their favorite exhibit, and coming soon is an app to provide information to smart phone users. Click here for the complete entertainment schedule.

Also new this year is Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, at the Fairmont Hotel’s Club Regent Ballroom. Guests will be provided a buffet breakfast, entertainment and a chance to have pictures taken with Santa. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children age 11 and under.

Santa also will be at his usual spot in the park to talk to children and provide a photo opp for those bringing cameras. Click here for a full schedule of entertainment and special events.

The city has officially certified Christmas in the Park as a Zero Waste Event, with its energy-efficient LED lights that replaced power-eating holiday lights. Plates, cups and utensils provided by vendors are also recyclable.

The Swiss Clockmaker’s Shop is a popular exhibit.

Christmas in the Park is a non-profit organization supported through fundraising efforts by a volunteer board of directors. This year marks a transition for the organization as it moves from a city-supported venue to a self-sustaining non-profit. The city is still supporting the event as an in-kind sponsor. Donations and sponsorships from the community made the event possible this year, Trafton said.

“The corporations really stepped up,” he said.

Downtown Ice skating rink and Christmas in the Park will also benefit form this year’s inaugural Santa Run, a 5-K run/walk that begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 16, at San Fernando Street and Almaden Avenue. Participants are encouraged to dress up like their favorite holiday character or symbol.

For more information, call 1(408)297-XMAS (9627) or email: info@christmasinthepark.com

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