Residents in the Saratoga Sister City organization have until October to renew their membership. Fees range from $25 for basic individual membership to $40 for a family package and $50 for organizations. Members in the club meet on a quarterly basis and take part in a number of Japanese-related events, including meetings with special guest speakers and yearly trips. The club will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with its sister city in Muko, Japan, in the coming year. Currently the club has 210 members. Those interested in joining can contact the committee's chairwoman, Aki Okuno, at 408.867.4297.


Intersection to be partially closed

Traffic-calming devices will be placed on the intersection of Aloha Avenue and Saratoga­Los Gatos Road to address the problem of road congestion and unsafe driving habits. Public safety commissioners and residents voted 15-to-3 to partially close the intersection due to relatively high numbers of accidents in the previous year. Proper signage will be installed, preventing drivers from making left turns onto Highway 9. Traffic will be redirected to adjacent streets on Oak Avenue and Vickery Place.

The next public safety commission meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11.


El Quito Park will open Aug. 4

The opening of El Quito Park, Cox Avenue and Paseo Presada, has been postponed until Aug. 4 from its original July 14 date due to construction delays and the extended rainy season. The administrative analyst for the parks and recreation department said that the new grass on the playing field needed more time to strengthen up. The park has been closed since early May due to necessary upgrades to the irrigation and drainage system. The playground equipment at the park will be replaced in the fall.


Santa Clara County Fair starts Aug. 1

The annual Santa Clara County Fair will run Aug. 1­3. The fairground is located at 344 Tully Road in San Jose. For more information, visit http://www.thefair.org.