Jewelry found on Fuller Avenue

Debbie on Fuller found a piece of jewelry in the street in front of their house this morning. If you lost a piece of jewelry and can email her with an accurate description, she can return it to its rightful owner.

Holiday decorating winners!

Announcing the winners of the NWGNA holiday decorating contest. Thanks to all who participated and brightened our neighborhood this holiday season.

1st place 546 Atlanta
2nd place 477 Atlanta
3rd place 562 Fuller
Honorable mention: 391 Hull

Prizes will be announced and awarded soon, as well as the full list of generous sponsers of the prizes.

Thanks and congratulations to the whole neighborhood.

Happy New Year

Bill Rankin
Chair, NWGNA

Lunar eclise on Tuesday

If the skies are clear on Tuesday night, you will be able to see a lunar eclipse. If the skies are not clear, you will be able to use the Astronomers Without Borders web site to watch webcasts streaming from several locations.

They web site also has information the solar eclipse in January.

More information about the lunar eclipse can be reviewed on Wikipedia.

Congratulations to all homes who received votes!

The final winners will be announced shortly but we would like to recognize all the homes throughout the neighborhood that received votes. For everyone who participated in any way at all thank you for a terrific event.

423 Atlanta 440 Atlanta 456 Atlanta 470 Atlanta 471 Atlanta 477 Atlanta 488 Atlanta 495 Atlanta 507 Atlanta 520 Atlanta 545 Atlanta

546 Atlanta 549 Atlanta 570 Atlanta 514 Brooks 461 Coe 939 Delmas 982 Delmas 482 Fuller 502 Fuller 562 Fuller 568 Fuller

383 Hull 385 Hull 391 Hull 477 Marshall 480 Marshall 547 Snyder 549 Snyder 982 Spencer 997 Spencer 1006 Spencer 1015 Willis

Holiday lights photos

New photos of the neighborhood holiday lights are posted online on the NWGNA Facebook page.

Feel free to add your own photos!

Supervisor Yeager's end-of-year report

Supervisor Ken Yeager's end-of-year report updating constituents on his twelve 2010 initiatives is available online. A message from Ken:

As I end my year as Board President, I want to take a moment to reflect on the goals I set for the year. In my State of the County address in January, I proposed 12 initiatives to promote a healthy economy, a healthy environment, and healthy bodies. As we wrap up 2010, progress has been made on each of these goals. Most have been accomplished while some will be achieved in the early part of 2011. Overall, each are part of building a better future for Santa Clara County.

As always, I encourage you to contact my office if you have any concerns or are interested in additional information. You can reach me at 299-5040 or via e-mail at Supervisor.Yeager@bos.sccgov.org.

Deadline tonight for holiday lights voting

Tonight is the deadline for voting in the holiday decorating contest. Get your ballots to 476 Atlanta by 8:00 p.m. There will be a ballot box on the porch at Kim and Sandy's house.

Perhaps the warm lights will balance out the rain we are expecting today!

Photos from tonight's holiday event

To see photos from tonight's decorating event, check out Facebook. You do not need to be a Facebook user to view the photos. It was a fun event and we send many thanks to Kim and Sandy for hosting!

Join us 476 Atlanta for holiday fun!

Holiday contest voting and treats, Sunday evening

We are looking forward to seeing as many neighbors as possible on Sunday for a little cocoa and other treats as the voting begins for the holiday decorating contest. Join us on Sunday between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. at 476 Atlanta.

If you'd like, please go green and bring your favorite mug. Kim and Sandy will fill it right up with the beverage of your choice!

Big thanks to the Shukait Family!

Again this year, the Shukait family on Bird Avenue, especially Pam, helped organize the purchase of holiday yard trees. The trees arrived on Sunday and are looking great all over North Willow Glen. Pam and her family help out in this way every year, so we send out another big thanks to the Shukaits for helping make the neighborhood look especially festive.

More photos are available on Facebook. You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view the photos.

North Willow Glen Holiday Decorating Contest is on!

The North Willow Glen Holiday Decorating Contest is on! Last year's winner was 426 Coe, pictured here. If you think you can beat this, go for it!

Here’s how to participate:

1. Have your house decorated by Sunday, December 12.

2. Bring your ballot (dropped at your house in the last few days) to Kim and Sandy’s house at 476 Atlanta on Dec. 12 between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. to start your voting with hot chocolate and cookies in hand.

3. Fill out your ballot and drop it off back at 476 Atlanta by 8:00 p.m. Friday Dec. 17.

Flier Delivery: Help Needed

We are looking for help to distribute fliers for the annual holiday decorating contest. Fliers need to be distributed by the end of the weekend.

Below is a list of the streets that will need flier distribution. If you can help in the distribution please email bill@networds.com or call 408-893-6684.

1) Fuller Avenue – Between Gregory and Bird (~26 lots)
2) Fuller Avenue – Between Bird and Delmas (~34 lots)
3) Fuller Avenue – Between Delmas and Prevost (~18 lots)
4) Bird Avenue – Between the bridge and Coe (~30 lots)
5) Bird Avenue – Between Coe and Willow (~20 lots)
6) Atlanta Avenue – Between Delmas and Prevost (~11 lots)
7) Hull Avenue – Between Bird and Delmas (~47 lots)
8) Atlanta Avenue – Between Bird and Delmas (~56 lots)
9) Hull Avenue – Between Delmas and Prevost (~25 lots)
10) Coe Avenue (~50 lots)
11) Fisk & Willis Avenues (~18 lots)
12) Marshall Avenue (~26 lots)
13) Brooks Avenue (~26 lots)
14) Willow Avenue (~18 lots)
15) Prevost Avenue (~26 lots)
16) Spencer Avenue (~42 lots)
17) Delmas Avenue – Between Atlanta and Fuller (~22 lots)
18) Delmas Avenue – Between Willow and Atlanta (~49 lots)
19) Gregory Plaza area from Bird between West Virginia and Fuller and back to 280

Sunday: Holiday Yard Trees/Wreaths

The Holiday Yard Trees and wreaths will be here on SUNDAY, Dec. 5th starting at 9:00 am! Please come by and pick yours up at 1023 Bird Ave.

Ho, Ho, Ho!
Pam and Keith Shukait

Walgreen's/alcohol: Meeting Summary

There was a good turnout at the planning commission meeting tonight about Walgreen's proposal to sell beer and wine at their Bird and Willow location. Seven community members spoke against the proposal and only Walgreen's outside counsel spoke in favor. Neighbors brought up issues of public safety, nearby trails, and existing crime in the surrounding area. The planning commission voted 7-0 to continue denying Walgreen's conditional use permit.

It is very likely that Walgreen's will appeal to the full San Jose City Council. If/when that happens, community input will again be needed to give input to the full council. Stay tuned.

Walgreen's/alcohol: Meeting agenda

Here is the link to the Planning Commission agenda for tonight with links to the staff reports for CP10-022 and PD10-016. The Planning Commission hearing will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall.

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/hearings/PC/2010/Agenda/1201.pdf

Walgreen's/alcohol: Planning meeting TONIGHT

Information from Harvey Darnell, Chair, Greater Gardner SNI NAC, about an important meeting tonight:

Walgreen's did not listen to the unanimous community disapproval at the October Community Meeting of their plan to sell alcohol at the Bird and Willow Walgreens and decided to move it forward to a vote of the Planning Commission this Wednesday. Walgreens lawyers did this in spite of a report from the Planning Director recommending they deny the permit. I talked to the Community Coordinator for Walgreens and he indicated that even if they loose the Planning Commission vote they may appeal the decision to the full City Council. I reiterated the position of the Greater Gardner SNI NAC that there were already too many alcohol outlets in the neighborhood and that when Walgreens sold it in the past they had theft and gang problems related to the alcohol which improved when they stopped selling alcohol. I also stressed that they had problems with people using the Railroad tracks to have "Parties" which diminished once they stopped selling Alcohol and that given this is to become the Three Creeks Trail adding alcohol back would be detrimental to the trail atmosphere.

I am calling for a large number of community members to come to the Planning Commission Meeting to both remind the Planning Commission that the North Willow Glen Area Community does not need another alcohol outlet and to impress on the Walgreens Lawyers that they should not appeal the Decision to the City Council in the face of the Community Opposition. Even if you don't wish to speak to the Planning Commssion in Opposition We will have some way to let them see how many folks in the audience are opposed to granting the permit.

The Planning Commission Meeting is this Wednesday December 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, First Floor, City Hall Wing, 200 East Santa Clara Street (4th and Santa Clara).

The following is a link to the Planning Commission Agenda:

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/hearings/PC/2010/Agenda/1201.pdf

The following is a link to the Staff report recommending denial of the permit:

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/hearings/PC/2010/Reports/1201/PD10-016_ABC10-012.pdf

I hope to see many of you at the Planning Commission on Wednesday to let Walgreens know they should listen to the Community's concerns about alcohol sales at this Walgreensand keep alcohol sales off the Three Creeks Trail.