Neighborhood holiday party on Sunday

Join us Sunday night starting at 5:30 pm for our annual holiday gathering. It's the start of voting for the holiday lighting contest, too. Come by and share time with neighbors before heading out to check out the lights.

Holiday Party
Lila Kakuk's house
562 Fisk Ave.
Sunday, December 7
5:30-8:00 p.m.

VTA's BART/SV Meeting 12/2/2014

A representative from NWGNA attended last night's BART/SV Phase II public outreach meeting held at the VTA offices in downtown San Jose. The slides shown at the meeting are available here.

Of particular note, Measure A tax revenues would  be used to fund Phase I (Milpitas and Berryessa) and other VTA projects. Phase II would require additional funding to be procured both locally and federally. The local projected shortfall is $2.43B. There was some non-specific mention of public/private partnerships to generate additional funds.

The environmental review process will continue to include all four planned stations in San Jose: 28th St/Alum Rock, Downtown San Jose, Diridon, and Santa Clara. The process of the Environmental Impact Statement/Report will continue in draft form through the first quarter of 2016. At this time the federal New Starts funding application is scheduled and the finalization of the EIS/R occurs.

Further meetings are planned for the spring of 2015 which include more specific topics including: Economic and Community Benefits, Funding, Station Planning, Transportation Connectivity, and Construction Methods.

Attendees were permitted to ask questions and make comments such as:
- ensuring the Alum Rock at 28th Street station was included moving forward
- solicit greater community involvement and buy in to help ensure additional tax measures would pass
- ideas to save money by eliminating the Santa Clara station and any tunnels or facilities beyond Diridon Station
- idea to use BART service but non-BART equipment (BART-branded cars running on ACE lines) to service SJC and Great America at an estimated 10% of the cost of running BART-specific equipment
- distrust based on VTA's failure to bring BART to San Jose after multiple tax measures levied to do just that

After the meeting, we spoke with VTA employees one-on-one particularly regarding the coordination - if any - of VTA/BART and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) about construction north and west of the proposed Diridon Station stop. The short answer is that there is no communication happening between these agencies. It should be noted that in CHSRA meetings last year, the underground options for an underground HSR station at Diridon was not plausible due to plans for the underground BART tunnel in that area. At this time it is not known if BART will continue underground beyond its station near Diridon. If it does continue, either for service to Santa Clara or the proposed maintenance yard at Newhall, it is highly likely that the only economically viable HSR option would be elevated tracks. The VTA official we spoke with specifically noted that the VTA's work on BART had begun long before the HSR project.

County inspection reports available online

Santa Clara County has Food Facility Inspection Reports online for local restaurants, coffee spots, and bakeries, and more. Also, the county is putting in place a placarding system for food service, so that can be helpful to understand. Not all businesses have been given a colored placard or numeric score in the inspection reports, but you can always read back to prior inspection reports.

Rainy Saturday, be prepared

To report street flooding in our area, call 408-794-1900.

For sandbag locations and to find out how to use them, visit http://valleywater.org/services/sandbagsites.aspx or call 408-265-2600

NWGNA holiday decorating contest

To participate in this year's holiday decorating contest, decorate your house by Sunday, December 7. Voting begins that day and ends 8:00 pm, Sunday, December 21.

Holiday neighborhood decorating: 2 pm Sunday

We will be decorating the neighborhood again this Sunday and we would love to have your help. It doesn't take very long and it's a fun way to kick off the holiday season by brightening the neighborhood for everyone. Join us at 2:00 pm on Nov. 30 at the corner of Delmas and Fuller!

SJWC Gingerbread House Decorating Party

From the San Jose Woman's Club:

Gingerbread House Decorating Party
Sunday, Nov 30 - 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Kick off the holiday at SJWC's Gingerbread House Decorating Party. This event is a fundraiser for the SJWC Charitable Giving Program and features a fun afternoon of gingerbread house decorating for children and adults, including children who would not be able to attend without a financial sponsor.

Buy a ticket that includes a Gingerbread House Kit for $20, or bring your own house to decorate for $10. We provide decorations, light refreshments, music, and a fun way to create a holiday centerpiece without messing up your own kitchen! You can also sponsor a child that wouldn't be able to attend for $20.  

Decorating stations will be set up in the SJWC Landmark Ballroom. We provide decorations, light refreshments, live music and sing alongs by the Sail Away Ladies, and a fun way to create a holiday centerpiece without messing up your own kitchen! If you'd like, participate in our Gingerbread House Decorating Contest at 4:30 p.m. Prizes for the best house.

We hope to sponsor 25 children and raise $2,000 for local charities including the Next Door Solutions, Opera San Jose, San Jose Day Nursery and Women's Gathering Place. Sponsorships are still available. Download the sponsor form.

$20 Gingerbread House Kit and Party or
$10 Bring Your Own House to decorate

Tickets and details

Questions? 

Supervisor Ken Yeager's Nov. 20 newsletter

Topics for this newsletter include:

• Winter a challenge for some residents
• Holiday train brings joys and toys
• County receives grant to prevent chronic disease
• County adopts new graffiti guidelines
• Expressway plan needs input from residents
• Calendar of events

If you would like to receive this newsletter by email, send an e-mail to supervisor.yeager@bos.sccgov.org with the subject: “Add.”

Holidays in Willow Glen

Downtown Willow Glen has quite a few holiday events planned, including Small Business Saturday, Ladies' Night Out, the tree lighting ceremony, story time with Santa, caroling, outdoor movie nights, cable car rides, and of course, photos with Santa. For more information, check out their web site.

Alum Rock BART Station in jeopardy

From StreetsBlogSF:

"Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials announced on October 6 that they would not seek federal funds in 2015 to construct Alum Rock and Santa Clara BART stations planned as part of the transit system’s extension through downtown San Jose. The move sparked an outcry from neighborhood leaders and elected officials, who have worked in community planning efforts for over a decade to anchor new compact, walkable urban centers with the transit stations."

If you would like your voice heard on this matter, Friends of the Five Wounds Trail has prepared an online petition to save the Alum Rock BART station.

Tamien Station Area Plan Public Meeting Tuesday Night

Learn about the big plans VTA has for a parking structure between CA-87 and Lelong. There is a public outreach meeting to inform those living nearby what impacts they can expect. Comments will also be taken during this meeting. The complete text for the "Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration" draft can be found on our file share site here.

VTA Public Meeting
Tuesday 18 November 2014
5:30pm to 7:30pm
San Jose Elks Lodge, No. 522
444 West Alma Avenue, San Jose, 95110

OFFICIAL SUMMARY FROM THE CITY OF SAN JOSE:

"The Project would consist of a four- or five-level parking structure with all levels above-grade. The parking structure would provide up to 900 parking spaces. Electric vehicle charging stations would be provided. The location of the parking structure would require the existing bus transit loop to be relocated to the south side of the proposed structure. A passenger drop off/pick up location would be located either in the bus transit loop area or in a turnout along Lelong Street. Bioinfiltration facilities to capture storm water runoff would be located on the west side of the parking structure along Lelong Street and in the middle of the bus transit loop. Replacement landscaping would include California native and/or drought-tolerant plants. The Project also proposes a traffic signal at Lelong Street and the State Route 87 on/off ramps. Figure 2 in the IS/MND provides a conceptual site plan for the Project and an illustration of the internal parking structure circulation."

TOMORROW: Holiday tree orders due

Did you get your order in? If not, download the form and get it over to Pam Shukait at 1023 Bird by tomorrow (or send via PayPal to pshukait@me.com).

Find your polling place for Tuesday's election

Look up your polling place for Tuesday's election at http://eservices.sccgov.org/rov/.

Daylight savings ends Sunday 2:00 am

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 2 at 2 a.m.

It's a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors, too. Fire Departments encourage it since the end of Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder, especially with the busy holiday season coming up.

Holiday tree orders due in two days

Did you get your order in? If not, download the form and get it over to Pam Shukait at 1023 Bird by Monday, November 3 (or send via PayPal to pshukait@me.com). Call 408-297-4388 with any questions.