Diridon Station planning - public meeting Monday

From the California High-Speed Rail Authority:

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is partnering with Caltrain, City of San José, and VTA to work on a plan to expand and transform Diridon Station. Join us to learn more about the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan process and share your feedback on the initial vision and objectives for the station! See attached for flyers in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. 

Date: Monday, December 10, 2018
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1100 Shasta Ave., San José
Event Page: https://disc-kickoff.eventbrite.com

Thanks for another fun holiday gathering

North Willow Glen gathered for another fun holiday party tonight -- many thanks to everyone who gathered for this annual event! Many, many thanks to Lila and Joel for their hospitality.

As always, a fun party

Dan Erceg and Harvey Darnell 

Pies, scones, cookies, and other sweets

Barbara Keegan, Dev Davis, and Bill Rankin

The savories

Lina says,"Hmmmmm...."

Many thanks, as always, to our hosts Lila and Joel

An amazing array of sweets

North Willow Glen is sparkling, thanks to the Shukaits!

Every holiday season, the Shukait family leads the efforts to provide yard trees to North Willow Glen. They find a vendor, negotiate the prices, collect orders, arrange to receive the trees, and (new this year) delivered the trees to each home that purchased a tree.

Tree loading was done in a downpour and delivery was mostly sunny except for a short burst of rain. They delivered a record 122 trees that will sparkle in North Willow Glen!

What an effort, especially with today's weather! We thank all of the family for helping to continue this wonderful holiday tradition.

Many, many thanks to the Shukait family for their efforts!

Load 'em up, move 'em out.

Rolling through the 'hood

Tomorrow: NWGNA Holiday Party

Reminder for tomorrow night: NWGNA Holiday Party and Lila Joel's house, 562 Fisk Avenue. Come join in the fun! There will be holiday refreshments and cheer to share. Snacks and desserts are welcome, but not necessary.

Diridon Station planning community meeting

From the City of San José:

The City of San José, VTA, Caltrain, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority have launched a collaborative effort to develop a Concept Plan for Diridon Station. On December 10th, the partners are hosting a Community Kick-off Meeting for this planning process. 

Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan Community Kick-off MeetingMonday, December 10, 6:00-8:00 PM
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1100 Shasta Ave, San José

Four partner agencies are working together on a plan to expand and redesign Diridon Station. Electried Caltrain, BART, and High-Speed Rail service will add to the trains, buses, and light rail that currently use the station. The goal is to develop a world-class center of transit and public life that provides smooth connections between modes and integration with the surrounding neighborhood.

Come learn more about the Diridon Integrated Station Concept
Plan process and share your feedback on the initial vision and objectives for the station!

At this meeting, we will oer light refreshments, supervised activities for children, and Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation. After the meeting, your feedback will be shared with the four partner agencies, who will consider it as part of the Concept Plan process.

Save the date: holiday party Dec 2

Celebrate the holidays with your neighbors! You and your family are invited to an open house with holiday refreshments and cheer at Lila and Joel's house at 562 Fisk Ave. on Sunday, December 2 from 5:30-8:00pm. Snacks and desserts are welcome, but not necessary.

During the party, we will take a brief moment to elect new board members. Let us know if you are interested in a role.

Many thanks to our neighborhood elves!

An amazing group of volunteers helped to install holiday decorations around North Willow Glen this morning. Many thanks to the group for brightening our neighborhood!

Dan prepares the wreaths for installation

Getting the wreaths ready for installation

Bill adds a bow for some flair

 

Adding bows to the wreaths

First step, unwrap the wreaths

Thanks to our amazing volunteers of all ages!

Dan's decorating rig

Volunteers were fed!

Dan and Chris work as a team to install the decorations

Holiday decorating, 9:00 am tomorrow!

We are meeting at 9:00 am Saturday in Fuller Park, corner of Delmas and Fuller, to start decorating our neighborhood for the holidays with garlands and wreaths. We will have bagels and coffee, come on down!

Neighborhood holiday party, Dec 2

Celebrate the holidays with your neighbors! You and your family are invited to an open house with holiday refreshments and cheer at Lila and Joel's house at 562 Fisk Ave. on Sunday, December 11th from 5:30-8:00pm. Snacks and desserts are welcome, but not necessary.

Holiday neighborhood decorating: 9:00 am Saturday

We will be decorating the neighborhood again this Saturday 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 9:00 am on Nov. 24 in Fuller Park at the corner of Delmas and Fuller! 

We will provide bagels and coffee!

"Trash Talk" with Dev Davis cancelled

From Councilmember Dev Davis:

Due to the unhealthy air quality in San Jose, I am cancelling the “Trash Talk” event scheduled for tomorrow, November 16th at Zanotto’s. Our next “Trash Talk” will be December 7th at the same location.

For information about health and smoke from wildfires, please visit the following sites: https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_events
http://www.baaqmd.gov/

Payment for holiday yard trees is due Monday

Payment for holiday yard trees is due *Monday* by midnight.

You can place your tree order online at willowglentrees.com or get a check made to Willow Glen Tree Account to Pam at 1023 Bird Avenue. If you are dropping off a check, give Pam a heads up ASAP. 

Trees are $21 each if you order online but $20 if you order by check. All trees will be delivered this year, not picked up.

Weigh in on Biebrach Park Improvements

Many of you in North Willow Glen may use Biebrach Park, particularly if you or your children are over six years of age. Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) will be addressing the playground at Biebrach Park soon. They are asking for preferences among two options they have created as well as what changes the community would like going forward. For details on the options, they have provided a link to a slide deck. Follow this link for the PRNS presentation and survey.

Crime prevention meeting tonight

Join the San Jose Police Department Crime Prevention Unit tonight for a community meeting and learn how to recognize and report suspicious activity.

Date: Thursday, November 8, 2018
Time: 7:00 to 8:45 pm
Location: Gardner Academy Cafeteria, 502 Illinois Avenue

Co-hosted by the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and Greater Gardner Committee, North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association, and Gardner Neighborhood Association.

From SJPD: Due to the nature of this meeting, only adult members of your households should attend.

Deadline to order holiday trees: One week from Monday

The Shukait family is being awesome yet again by organizing the ordering of holiday yard trees for our area. Many thanks to them!

PLEASE NOTE how this year’s process has changed:

Ordering

• Trees will be smaller than in the past, which neighbors have requested.
• Informational fliers are being distributed to the neighborhood in the next few days. 
• Even without the flier, you can place your tree order online at willowglentrees.com 
• An alternative to ordering online is to get a check made to Willow Glen Tree Account to Pam at 1023 Bird Avenue. Trees are $21 each if you order online but $20 if you order by check.
• Payment is due *early* - Monday, November 12 at 11:59 pm.
• Only trees will be available through this process. Wreaths and rebar will not be sold this year.

Delivery

• Your tree will be delivered to your front yard on Saturday, Dec 1. There will be no opportunity to pick up trees, delivery only. 

Read more about this tradition at http://willowglencharm.com/news/history/willow-glen-yard-trees-2/
Read information about mounting your tree: https://www.willowglentrees.com/faq.html

An update about holiday trees

An update from Pam and Keith Shukait about the holiday yard tree orders:

"Wanted to give everyone an update on the holiday yard trees. I have found a source that has agreed to supply us trees! The process will be a little different this year, with the ability to order and pay for your tree online. For those not online there will be the option to get me payment. There will be no wreaths or rebar sold. As soon as I receive the flyers, I will be posting here, along with asking volunteers to deliver for me. The trees will be smaller than we have had in the past (which many of you have asked for). They will be 4-5 feet tall. At the time of delivery (Dec. 1st), I will need volunteers to help pick up and deliver the trees to my house (about 100 trees). There is a central distribution site and they don't deliver. Any help will be appreciated and I am more than happy to give students volunteer hours! " 

MANY THANKS to the Shukait family who have organized these tree orders for quite a few years. :-)

Robbery Prevention Workshop

Marta Dominguez, Crime Prevention Specialist, San Jose Police Department, is inviting all neighbors to attend a Robbery Prevention Workshop at the Willow Glen Community Center on September 19, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Topics include:

• How to discourage, deter and prevent crimes such as robberies and carjackings 
• Robbery trends in San José 
• Judicial process 
• Information on how to host a Neighborhood Watch Meeting 

A flyer is available in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish.

BART community working groups & workshop

From Erica Roecks at VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Program:

VTA is currently in the process of preparing a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Strategy and Access Planning Study (TOD/Access Study). The Study will identify strategies to develop housing and commercial space near three future BART stations (Alum Rock/28th Street, Downtown San Jose, and Santa Clara). This study is being conducted as part of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project.

As [Community Working Group] members for VTA’s BART Phase II Project, we need your help in notifying your various networks about the TOD/Access Study and encourage them to participate in the scheduled workshops. Dates and times for these workshops are listed in: Upcoming Meetings and the next set of workshops are scheduled for September 11th through September 13th from 5:30-6:30 PM, immediately following the CWG meetings.

The September workshops will focus on TOD Opportunities and Constraints and the November workshops focusing on TOD Strategies and Guidelines.

Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested in transit-oriented development in your station area and encourage them to attend the workshop. More information on the TOD/Access Study can be found on the Study’s webpage: http://www.vta.org/bart/tod-access-study.

In addition, the Background Conditions Report has been posted to the TOD/Access Study webpage under "Quick Links" on the right side.

Saturday: South Bay creeks clean-ups

South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition has some great volunteer opportunities this Saturday:

...it’s time to prepare for the winter rains that will sweep trash into the Bay and beyond with a cleanup on September 8th. The need has never been greater as we battle to keep our creeks free of trash.

Please join us for our next cleanup on September 8th from 9 -11 am. You’ll be surprised how much we can accomplish in just two hours with your help. As Margaret Mead once said “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment”.

We will have two sites open for this event:

Los Gatos Creek - Willow Glen Trestle
Coyote Creek - Notting Hill Drive

We supply the tools, gloves, and drinking water (please bring your own bottle). Bring a hat, wear sturdy shoes, and wear clothing that can (and probably will) get dirty.

And, don't forget we are subject to Park Department rule regarding participating minors which means: Persons under the age of 18 must obtain written consent (which you can download here) from parent or legal guardian to volunteer. The minimum age of a PRNS volunteer shall be 13; volunteers between the ages of 13 and 15 must have a parent, legal guardian, or other parent-authorized program or school representative present during their service. A volunteer over the age of 15 may provide service without the presence of a parent, legal guardian, or program supervisor.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.

Carol Szymkiewicz
Operations Manager
South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition
408 835 0156

Thanks to all for another great party!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our seventh annual Party In The Park! It was another great event in a great neighborhood.

We were a bit too busy during the ice cream scooping to get shots of that, but kids of all ages enjoyed wonderful ice cream courtesy of Willow Glen Creamery.

Oh, the anticipation!

Kenneth did an excellent job with barbecuing! 

Neighbors brought an amazing selection of side dishes

Our produce share was fun with kale, plums, and lemons

Pretty pretty plums

Ready to eat!

Lemons were shared around with neighbors

Party in the Park, Sunday!

Come join us for our seventh annual Party in the Park -- this Sunday!

We'll have live entertainment from Duke Mantee and the Gold Money Band from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. We'll have a barbeque fired up with hot dogs of all kinds on the grill, including veggie. We'll have snacks and provide beverages, but most importantly Treat Ice Cream. And because we all love variety, please bring a snack or side dish to share.

We'll be hosting an impromptu Produce Share at the same time. Bring any extra veggies, fruits, or other garden goodies to share. See you at Hummingbird Park, on the corner of Bird and Fisk!

Volunteer this Saturday at Fuller Park!

If you like detail work and enjoy painting, especially in the fresh air and sunshine, please join us this Saturday for a community painting day at Fuller Park! We'll be adding a new coat of white paint to the long white picket fence. We'll clean and prep the surface with care, then we will paint it all!

Date: Saturday, July 28, 2018
Time: 8:45 AM to 12:00 noon
Place: Fuller Avenue at Delmas Avenue, San Jose, 95125

Please note:

• No pre-registration: simply show-up and help-out!
• All tools and training will be provided.
• Please wear clothing that can get a bit dirty.
• Closed-toe shoes are required.
• A hat and sunscreen are recommended.
• Please bring your own FILLED water bottle!

Questions? Please call (408) 595-3483 or email ParkVolunteer@sanjoseca.gov

SAAG meeting tomorrow

The Station Advisory Group (SAAG) was formed to gather input on future development around Diridon Station, including the Google development. This group meets monthly at 6:00 pm and they meet next tomorrow, July 9 at City Hall, Rooms 118-120.

Now is the time to be heard as these developments take shape! 

You can read more at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=6000

Party in the Park: Save the Date!

Our annual Party In The Park will be August 12, 4:30 pm. Mark it down, save the date!

Creek cleanups coming up

The South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition is hosting some creek cleanups soon around San Jose. Pick your favorite area and see how you can lend a hand.

Guadalupe River
Willow Street at 87 Freeway

Los Gatos Creek
Auzerais Avenue

Coyote Creek
Notting Hill Drive

Tuesday night: Friends & Neighbors meeting

Join us on Tuesday night for our next Friends & Neighbors meeting on May 22. Our main topic will be a crime prevention presentation by Marta Dominguez from the Crime Prevention Unit of SJPD.

She will cover:

• Reporting: 911 vs 311
• Residential burglaries 
• Vehicles thefts and break-ins
• Neighbors working together

Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Place: Word of Faith Church, 873 Delmas

See you there!

Friends & Neighbors meeting: May 22

Save the date for our next Friends & Neighbors meeting on May 22. Our main topic will be a crime prevention presentation by Marta Dominguez from the Crime Prevention Unit of SJPD.

She will cover:

• Reporting: 911 vs 311
• Residential burglaries 
• Vehicles thefts and break-ins
• Neighbors working together

Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Place: Word of Faith Church, 873 Delmas

See you there!

High-speed rail meeting tonight

The Community Working Group for high-speed rail is meeting tonight, and are expected to talk about their business plan and may discuss plans for their preferred HSR route. Options for the route are at-grade through the neighborhood, an aerial route over Highways 87 and 280, or a tunnel.

From the CWG's email:

We are excited to invite you to the first CWG meeting of 2018. It’s been a few months since our last session and we’re looking forward to updating you on the work that has taken place during that time. The following presentations will be given at the meeting along with Q&A:

• City of San Jose will share information on the City’s Generated Option

• Caltrains will provide an update on their Business Plan

• High Speed Rail will give an update on its recently-released Business Plan

Meeting details:Date: May 2, 2018 (Wednesday)

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm (The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00p)

Location: Willow Glen Community Center, 2175 Lincoln Ave.