News Briefs

Eshoo lets Cupertinians in on House relations

Members of Cupertino's Rotary were given a peek into the inner workings of the House of Representatives Feb. 17 by Anna Eshoo, California's District 14 representative.

Eshoo spoke about how the Clinton impeachment trial has affected the relationships among members of the House, and reiterated that the government must turn its focus on running the country.

Relations in the House have been frigid throughout the trial.

Tension between Republicans and Democrats is so high that representatives won't use the same elevators and if they do, they won't talk with each other, Eshoo said.

With the trial completed, Eshoo is focusing her efforts on re-establishing relationships with members in the house. The Congress must put aside its partisanship to work together, Eshoo said.

The 106th Congress still has a year of legislation to review. Two of the Congress's focuses this year are Medicare and education.

Each year, the House of Representatives is presented with 1,000 bills, of which 200 are passed, Eshoo said.

Last year, six of her bills--some relating to women's issues, including breast reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy--were passed.

Trial on cyclist's death begins

The trial of the San Jose man who the district attorney claims was the driver of a truck that killed a Cupertino bicyclist two years ago began on Monday.

Jon Nisby, 39, faces a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter for the death of Jeffrey Steinwedel. If convicted, he could spend up to a year in jail and be fined up to $5,000.

Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerny anticipates the trial will run four to five days. Jury selection was completed Feb. 16.

The district attorney's office will present a circumstantial case based on testimony from the eyewitnesses, McInerny said.

"There's no one that can actually testify to the truck hitting the bicycle," McInerny said. "There is a witness who essentially saw portions of the accident from the rear."

Steinwedel, 46, was killed on Dec. 2, 1996, when he was run over by a vehicle on Stevens Canyon Road, just outside the Stevens Creek Quarry.

Steinwedel, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was struck by the second trailer of a double-trailer gravel truck.

Nisby told deputies at the time that he did not remember having problems passing the cyclist, but sheriff's investigators found scratches on the truck's fender that they said were most likely made by contact with a bicycle.

According to an investigation conducted by sheriff's deputies in 1997, the front bumper of the second trailer on the truck hit Steinwedel's handlebars as he was riding on the far right-hand side of the bicycle lane. They said they believe Steinwedel then flipped and turned, striking the sidewall of the outer tire and was then thrown to the side of the road.

In April 1997 the district attorney's office said it would not prosecute because the witnesses' differing descriptions of the accident weakened the case.

However, investigators continued looking into the incident and conducted additional interviews with witnesses. By December 1997, enough information had been gathered to proceed with the case, McInerny said.

Sheriff's Report

Sports Briefs

CCS wrestling championships

YMCA programs