One could say Cupertino is already shook up with all the changes that are going on.

With its population becoming more diverse by the day, this once Euro-centric population has changed dramatically. This year saw celebrations for Diwali, Ramadan, Rooz-E Pedar (Persian Father's Day), the Moon Festival, the birthday of Sri Guru Bobind Singh Ji (a Sikh guru) and more. De Anza College hosted the Muslim Film Festival, and organizations were born such as the Chinese Performing Artists of America and a youth cricket league.

And the city has also been transforming from an agricultural region to an urban one, and this change is perhaps reaching deeper into the city's psyche, so much so that a grassroots organization, the Concerned Citizens of Cupertino, formed to slow the development—sparking some of the city's toughest debates about its future development.

The city's task force to update the General Plan even came up with a majority and minority report that reflects two very different points of view.

This fight is between those long-timers who want to preserve something of the rural atmosphere of the area, and those who think the city won't survive unless it allows denser development.

The CCC was organized enough to stop Oaks Shopping Center from becoming mixed use and actually created three initiatives to restrict size and density of city growth. The initiatives could take the control for development out of the hands of the city council and put it in the hands of residents by forcing an election for any amendments to the General Plan. The CCC has gone as far as to file a lawsuit against the city asking for a special election on its initiatives.

Cupertino has also suffered through the tough budget cuts that all cities are dealing with these days and has struggled to grow retail businesses. Some retail icons left this year: Anderson Chevrolet, Minton's Lumber and others. Schools have also been hit hard with loss of funding and with Cupertino Union's parcel tax not passing.

And to top the year off, it seems the world descended in the form of Fox News and thousands of hate emails and telephone messages to Cupertino over the Stevens Creek Elementary School teacher's lawsuit about God's place in the history curriculum.

But even with all this shakeup going on in Cupertino, there is something in the spirit of the city that is bedrock solid. That's its ability to rock and roll with the flow—something that allows for healthy, heated debate about just about anything, anywhere. Even the dispute about who would run the Moon Festival was out in the open.

That bedrock is built into the fabric of the city with its forums and its block leader program that keeps residents in the know and in the discussion. This openness must have started long ago and simply be continuing to evolve with the changing circumstances.

January

The Cupertino Sports Facility held its grand opening Jan. 10. The center also includes a child-watch program for children ages 6 months to 10 years old, the city's first-ever teen center and is accessible to disabled people.

San Jose police asked for help in identifying a man who robbed eight banks throughout the South Bay since May. The man, described as Asian or Hispanic in his 30s, robbed the General Bank branch on N. De Anza Boulevard in Cupertino on July 28, 2003.

The Cupertino Baha'i community sponsored its eighth annual celebration of World Religion Day on Jan. 18 at Quinlan Community Center. World Religion Day is intended to help foster interfaith understanding and harmony by emphasizing the common spiritual values underlying all religions.

Resident Lauren Ward helped get a law passed requiring California antifreeze manufacturers to add a bitter taste to the lethal substance to protect dogs and children. The law took effect Jan. 1.

The Concerned Citizens of Cupertino, a grassroots citizens group, unveiled three initiatives to reduce the height and density of future development in Cupertino. The three initiatives are more restrictive than the current General Plan and call for limiting building heights to a maximum of 35 feet and the density of any development to 15 units per acre (with the exception of Vallco Fashion Park, with a limitation of 30 units per acre) and requiring buildings to be setback from the street by 35 feet.

At a goal-setting session at the Blackberry Farm retreat center, city officials projected a $3.2 million budget shortfall this fiscal year. The city will not be mowing grass in the parks as often and will give only minimum sidewalk repair. And it will take the public works department longer to replace streetlights.

Despite a budget shortfall, the city council decided to bring back Cupertino's annual Fourth of July fireworks.

Cupertino's Office of Emergency Services received a $150,000 grant from the Office of the Surgeon General to establish a local Medical Reserve Corps, a troupe of volunteers trained to respond to large-scale emergencies and supplement contingency plans already in place.

The Cupertino Union School Board approved the Cupertino Language Immersion Program's move to Meyerholz Elementary School from Collins Elementary. The program offers immersion in English and Mandarin for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Mayor Sandy James delivered an upbeat State of the City address. Despite the economic downturn and decreasing sales revenues, James said new businesses continued to move into Cupertino, a senior center and sports center had recently been completed and a new library was set to open on schedule.

February

The Asian American Business Council, along with the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the Chinese New Year with an annual Lunar New Year Luncheon. The council also presented Bridge Awards to the Chinese newspaper World Journal and the co-chairs of the Lunar New Year Unity Parade, Michelle Hu and Richard Lowenthal.

Fremont Union High School Superintendent Steve Rowley discussed the impact of city development on local high schools at the Feb. 2 Cupertino City Council meeting. Rowley noted a 400-student growth spurt coming through in a time when the district isn't bringing in new revenue.

The Fremont Union High School District board approved the re-opening of intradistrict transfers. The only schools open to accept such transfers were Homestead and Lynbrook high schools.

With a rifle, gasoline and two-way radios, 12 boys planned to set Cupertino Middle School on fire on Feb. 15. The scheme was stopped when two of the middle school boys revealed the plan to the principal, and the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety responded immediately. All 12 students were interviewed and taken into custody. A letter from the principal stated that the boys said they only wanted to do damage to the school and had no intention of harming any of their fellow students.

Cupertino's city council approved annexation of Monta Vista. Stevens Creek Boulevard, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, McClellan Road and Blackberry Farm bound the Monta Vista neighborhood. The Monta Vista neighborhood had been maintained by Santa Clara County, which wanted to lose that responsibility.

Waiters at a Cupertino restaurant participated in a fraud ring. Ringleaders recruited waiters at seven Bay Area restaurants and paid them to steal customers' credit card information. The police arrested 14 people for the series of crimes and uncovered losses up to $400,000, involving victims in California, Nevada, Utah and Washington.

After days of downpour and cloudy skies, the sun came out Feb. 28 for Cupertino's second Lunar New Year Unity Parade & International Fair. Diversity was the highlight of the fair, which included Chinese lion dancers, American folk songs, Norwegian dancers and Latin hip-hop artists.

March

Three films produced by De Anza students made the cut prime festival showings at the 2004 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, the only community college films appearing in the competition.

The task force for the General Plan update drafted its recommendations for the city council. The task force wanted Cupertino to be a thriving community, but was divided on how to achieve that goal. The majority believed the city should not create a downtown, should reduce residential growth, eliminate most below-market-rate housing objectives, preserve Cupertino's suburban character by limiting height and density and abolish mixed-use developments in areas such as the Crossroads. Those in the minority advocated for creation of a dynamic downtown, not excessively restricting height, form and density, increasing residential growth and providing more affordable housing and encouraging mixed-use development.

After the Cupertino National Little League's snack shack had already been burglarized, a second snack shack break-in occurred March 9, resulting in a financial loss of more than $1,100 and the theft of the league's public-address system.

Regis Homes, a San Mateo-based developer, withdrew its plans to turn the Oaks Shopping Center into a mixed-use community of residences and businesses. Regis had worked on the project for eight months but ultimately dropped out due, in part, to divisions between nearby residents and city staff.

After a 15-year battle, Cupertino Union School District began construction of its fifth middle school. Obstacles included concern over school boundaries from residents and an attempted school board recall. The new school is scheduled to be completed in July 2005.

The Monta Vista High School Dance Team placed first in the overall team competition at the California State Dance championships for the fourth year in a row.

The release of the 2003 Academic Performance Index base reports showed Cupertino schools outpaced most of their peers in Santa Clara County. The Cupertino Union School District was the third best-performing district in the county, just behind Los Altos Elementary and Saratoga Union Elementary. Five Cupertino Union schools placed in the state's top 25 list, including Faria and Portal elementary schools, which were among the top five schools in the state.

The Indian grocery store, Neelkamal Spice House, opened in Monta Vista on March 20.

At the eighth annual Cupertino Community Congress on March 27, Cupertino residents had the chance to find out what it's like to pare down the Cupertino city budget through the Balance or Bust board game, crafted by Parks and Recreation Director Therese Smith. The game took participants through a full fiscal year with the goal of cutting $2 million from the budget.

April

The Fremont Union High School District held a community forum on the first draft of its Long-Range Plan April 1 at Fremont High School.

The Game Keeper store at Vallco Fashion Park, one of the few game shops left in the South Bay Area, closed its doors in April. Its parent company closed its retail operations to focus on game design.

To help spare the air, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District offered Santa Clara County homeowners up to $500 to switch from wood-burning stoves or fireplaces to one that uses gas.

Fremont High School, constructed in 1926, proudly showed off its renovated campus to the public at its reopening on April 8.

The San Jose City Council approved a $1 million contract to provide animal care services for Cupertino, Los Gatos, and Saratoga. The three cities had previously partnered with the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority but decided to leave due to financial issues.

Cupertino's parks and recreation department agreed to help organize the city's first cricket youth league and built a practice pitch in response to Cupertino's burgeoning Indian community. Roughly 10 percent of Cupertino residents are of Indian descent.

Facing its fourth year of budget cuts, Cupertino announced new fee charges, cut backs in services and the suspension of certain programs. The city expects a $2 million shortfall the next fiscal year. As a result, popular programs such as Leadership Cupertino and Shakespeare in the Park were suspended. The city decided to also stop sponsoring festivals and ethnic celebrations and take longer to replace broken streetlights and repair roads.

At the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, staff members of De Anza College's La Voz student newspaper brought home 11 awards. Competing against 52 other community colleges, staff members also won honorable mentions in seven additional areas.

Between Jan. 1 and April 12, the city residents experienced 74 auto burglaries, a pace likely to lead to the highest number of auto thefts in five years.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department enrolled its first two clients in the Project Lifesaver program. The innovative project supplies transmitter bracelets to people with wandering tendencies, such as those with Alzheimer's Disease, autism or any number of forms of dementia.

May

Prometheus Real Estate Group, owners of the Verona Apartments, decided to convert the apartments into condominiums for market-driven reasons. The decision affected participants in Cupertino's Below Market Rate program—which allows low-income families to rent or buy housing at a preferential rate.

The Committee for Green Hills, a nonprofit group devoted to preserving the foothills, said a mile-long scar in Cupertino's foothills had expanded. The organization said local manufacturer, Hanson Permanente Cement, is responsible. The cement company said it had taken corrective action, such as planting new vegetation from the seeds of local plants.

Residents of Cupertino's foothills spotted numerous coyotes roaming the foothills above the city, coinciding with the animals' spring birthing season.

The city council gave eight more streets semi-rural designation. The designations follow a city council approved petition in March, when Corte Madera Lane became the city's first street designated as a semi-rural area. Such a designation spares residents from making street improvements like building sidewalks, curbs, gutters and streetlights when they apply for a building permit.

An inaugural Muslim film festival was held at De Anza College at the end of May. Founded by in March by UC-Berkeley student Juveria Aleem, the festival featured 10 short and feature-length pieces on Muslim culture.

June

On June 4, the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation celebrated its 20-year anniversary with a banquet. The foundation provides funding for new educational programs and for training teachers in their use.

The Santa Clara Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a trail maintenance project on National Trails Day, June 5 at Stevens Creek County Park in Cupertino.

Dozens of Iranian families filled the banquet room at the Cupertino Senior Center on June 8 for Rooz-E Pedar (Persian for "Father's Day"), a time when the Iranian community recognizes fathers who have contributed to society.

Cupertino dentist Kenneth Frangadakis won the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations awards to those who promote and honor their ethnic heritage through service to their country and community.

Brian Murphy became the new president of De Anza College. Previously, Murphy founded and served as executive director of the San Francisco Urban Institute, a program at San Francisco State University that linked campus activities with the community.

Dennis Wan, chairman of the Moon Festival Committee, resigned due to controversy surrounding the festival. The controversy centered on a proposal by Cupertino City Councilwoman Kris Wang that the Hsinchu Sister City Committee take over the Moon Festival. Wan had been involved with the event since it began in 1998.

Tough financial times caused the city to slash its budget. Fees went up for residents in a variety of ways including use of the sports center, senior center, teen center, nature museum, after-school programs and the city's golf course. In addition, city festivals and city departments also suffered cuts. Collectively, festivals lost $35,700 in funding. At city hall, the public works budget lost $100,000 and the Mary Avenue crosswalk project lost $91,000. In the schools, the city council cut one of two school resource officer positions contracted through the Sheriff's Department, and eliminated the D.A.R.E. drug resistance education program.

The Santa Clara Superior Court re-sentenced Al DeGuzman, 22, to 80 years in a state prison. DeGuzman was arrested and convicted in April 2001 of planning a killing spree at De Anza College.

On June 20, the Chinese Performing Artists of America art center opened at Vallco Fashion Park. The center is a joint effort between the Chinese, Iranian and Indian communities in Cupertino.

Popular Hyde Middle School educator Chuck Heinrich, retired after 33 years at the school. In that time, Heinrich headed the physical education department and coached the wrestling, track, cross country and football teams.

The 29th annual Art, Wine & Cultural Festival took place the weekend of June 27, with wine tasting and international cuisine.

July

The Concerned Citizens of Cupertino succeeded in getting enough signatures to place their three initiatives on a ballot. The CCC battled with city council to limit growth in Cupertino. Members of the grassroots organization said their goal was to preserve the current quality of life in Cupertino. The CCC gathered more than 4,000 signatures supporting each initiative.

After a one-year hiatus, Cupertino held its popular fireworks show at Cupertino High School on the Fourth of July. The city cancelled the 2003 show because of construction at De Anza, the usual venue for setting off the pyrotechnics, and because of budget constraints.

Popular Cupertino High School soccer coach Wesley Marks died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Marks, 35, also operated Bruschettas Pizza in Monta Vista.

The Rasmussens, long-time owners and operators of landmark Cupertino restaurant Blue Pheasant, decided to sell the property after 30 years. In recent months, the restaurant had been the site of controversy, with some in the city asking it to close by 11 p.m. But many residents were also unhappy when the city enforced the zoning law making the restaurant close at 11 p.m.

The activist group Asian Americans for Community Involvement held seminars in Cupertino to reach out to Asian American victims of domestic violence. Of 21 domestic-violence related deaths in Santa Clara County in 2003, Asian Americans had the second highest number of all ethnicities, with six deaths.

Cupertino dedicated Cali Mill Plaza. The location at the southeast corner of De Anza and Stevens Creek boulevards had long been considered a community gathering spot, having once been home to a general store with a tiny library and also the former site of one of the city's most powerful and successful family enterprises, the Cali Mill.

After a combined 50 years of service to the Cupertino community, librarians Gail Hugger and Bonnie Wang retired.

At a special meeting of the Cupertino Union School board on July 30, all five members unanimously voted to order a special election on November 2 to place a parcel tax on the ballot. The $98 tax per parcel would be used for teacher salaries and to bankroll programs that embrace the arts and music and assist with student achievement.

August

Cupertino parks and recreation officials opted not to renew the De Anza Youth Soccer League's field-use permit after finding that the league was not in compliance with the city's residency requirement. About 32 percent of players in the DYSL were Cupertino residents at the time, far below the 51 percent mandated by the city.

Enforcement officer Jeff Trybus added neighborhood-watch duties and the electronic crime newsletter e-Cap to his already busy job since budget cuts eliminated the liaison between the Sheriff's Department and the city of Cupertino.

Anderson Chevrolet-Chrysler quietly closed on Aug. 20. The closing of the long-time car dealership on Stevens Creek Boulevard hurt the city, since it would lose a significant amount of sales tax revenue. One-third of the city's revenue comes from sales tax.

In its first summer of operation, the Cupertino teen center was a huge success with Cupertino youth. Typical afternoons included crowds of 30 to 70 teens taking place in activities ranging from video games to sports.

September

Steve Barnett, a water polo coach at Lynbrook High School for more than thirty years, retired. The school renamed its swimming pool complex the Steve Barnett Aquatic Center in his honor.

The Blue Star Moms, a national service organization for families with children in the military, formed a South Bay chapter.

Facing a $2 million budget shortfall from the state, De Anza College raised fees for the 2004-2005 academic year and cut services. Students faced longer lines for service, fewer books in the library and fewer classes at a time when enrollment is expected to grow.

The city council announced it would be changing its regular meeting day to Tuesdays, beginning in November. The council made the change because of problems caused by three-day holidays and employee furloughs.

The Cupertino Historical Society completed an oral history project centering on interviews with nine residents. The goal of the project was to record the changing face of Cupertino and Silicon Valley. Participants included Ron Cali, of the Cali Mill family, James Jackson, who was the mayor of Cupertino during the 1970s and long-time florist, Itsuo Uenaka.

Due to dire financial straits, the Fremont Union School District turned to creative methods to cut costs. The methods included closer scrutiny of residency affidavits and employee paycuts. The financial problems surfaced from dwindling state support and declining local property taxes.

Following testimony from residents of Cupertino's Jollyman Park neighborhood, the city council unanimously denied an appeal from the Sprint PCS wireless company to build a wireless antenna in the community. Residents objected to its appearance and the proposed placement on a church tower.

De Anza College's new three-building science complex featuring high-tech, environmentally friendly classrooms opened.

Minton's Lumber and Supply, a popular Cupertino hardware store since 1965, closed its doors Sept. 25. The Mountain View-based, family business decided to close the Cupertino branch due to four years of declining sales.

The city of Cupertino filed suit against the Blue Pheasant for violating its lease by staying open past 11 p.m. In the meantime, the city—which owns the property—closed the building until early October for renovations.

The city of Cupertino won an award at the annual conference of the League of California Cities. The Parks and Recreation Department created a board game that won the prize for the internal administration category. The city also won an Award of Excellence in Planning and Environmental Quality for the visioning exercise it held for residents interested in the fate of the Stevens Creek Corridor.

Cupertino's City Council approved adding a second school law enforcement officer for the 2004-2005 school year. A state grant helped fund the position, which had been cut earlier due to budget constraints.

Cupertino's lack of a city-funded case manager to serve its senior citizens remained a hot topic at a packed senior citizens commission meeting.

October

On Oct. 3, the Quinlan Community Center hosted a celebration of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. The festival featured authentic Indian food and music, craft and henna booths, and fortunetellers ranging from palm readers to astrologists.

After 20 years in downtown Saratoga, the sheriff's office announced it would be moving its West Valley Substation to Cupertino in the next few months.

Cupertino's library discontinued being open on Mondays, as part of a move by the Santa Clara County libraries to save money.

Cupertino's city council gave ailing Vallco Fashion Park a new lease on life, approving a mixed-use residential and commercial project at the shopping center.

Residents living in the Cupertino hills reported an increase in coyote sightings.

A parent of a former student in the district sued Cupertino Union School District in federal court over alleged abuse by a former district special education teacher and the district's failure to deal with the problem.

Cupertino opened its new library on time and on budget. The state-of-the-art library included a wall-size aquarium and an adjoining coffee shop. The construction included a new civic plaza and community hall.

The Oakville Grocery and Marketplace store closed, only a few months after opening. Storeowners said the response from customers was not as high as expected, and the store's size and location also hurt its success.

Despite seniors' discontent, Cupertino's senior commission selected a plan for raising membership fees and funding case-management services for seniors. The plan would charge a $22 membership fee or $27 fee for nonresidents, offer an optional $5 newsletter mailing fee. The plan will retain a $19,750 Council on Aging grant along with $30,000 in city funding, require members to live in Cupertino or W. San Jose to receive services and not charge parking fees.

November

A three-year study by the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board determined Cupertino's Stevens Creek Reservoir had the highest level of mercury in its fish out of the 10 local reservoirs surveyed.

De Anza College inaugurated its new president, Dr. Brian Murphy, on Nov. 17.

Cupertino High School honored alum Cpl. Jason Poole for his military service in Iraq. Poole was critically injured when a bomb went off.

Cupertino's Maytag Home Appliance Center store, run by De Anza-Almaden Appliances, closed the retail side of its operation Nov 30. due to a decline in business.

The Fremont Union High School District ratified a collective bargaining agreement with both the Fremont Education Association and Chapter 237 of the California School Employees Association. The new agreements for teachers and classified employees clarify the conditions under which pay cuts could be made in the future and include stipulations for a restoration of pay for the 2005-2006 school year. The new teacher contract also adjusts the roles of guidance and resource teachers and benefits for retired teachers. Classified employee contracts reflect changes in medical coverage and other salary rates outside of budget rollbacks.

The passage of Proposition 1A keeps the state from siphoning off local revenues unless first approved by the legislature and means more financial security for the city.

In a 3-2 vote, the city council increased the size of second stories on homes to 45 percent of the area of the first floor. Previously, the city's R-1 ordinance had allowed for additions that were 35 percent of the area of the first floor.

In a move that sparked international headlines, Stevens Creek Elementary School teacher, Stephen Williams, sued the Cupertino Union School District for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights to freedom of expression. This came about after the principal asked to review Williams curriculum for its religious content.

A naming committee chose Sam Lawson as the name of a new Cupertino middle school. Lawson was a long-time educator in the community and the first principal of Cupertino Junior High School.

Cupertino High School staff and student body banded together to stage a benefit dance to help a family displaced by a fire at their home. Within two weeks, the school raised more than $2,000.

December

Cupertino Mayor Sandra James passed the gavel to the new mayor Patrick Kwok Dec. 2. Kwok, a former vice-mayor, councilman and planning commissioner, will serve a one-year term. Richard Lowenthal was selected as vice-mayor.

Reporters and talk show pundits around the nation reported and talked about the Stephen Williams lawsuit. And irate messages from all over the world flooded into school district and Stevens Creek Elementary inboxes and voice mails. The vitriolic messages supported the teacher and condemned the principal.

The Concerned Citizens of Cupertino filed a lawsuit against the city challenging the legality of closed-door meetings the city held on three CCC initiatives and asking for a special election on those initiatives.

The political talk show Hannity & Colmes taped a special episode called "Take Back America" at the Flint Center featuring Stephen Williams's lawsuit against the CUSD.

At two separate meetings, numerous community members pledged to speak out and defend Stevens Creek Elementary School and the school district in place of officials who can't comment because of the impending legal proceedings in the Stephen Williams lawsuit.

The Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the historic Stevens Canyon ranch from long-time owner Beez Jones. The Open Space Trust matched an offer from a developer and plans to turn the land into a public park.