The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by George Sakkestad Rewind 1998 was a year of strange weather and disgruntled cops The year started out with weird weather, and it just got stranger. February hosted a series of floods, and a mini-tornado touched down at Moffett Field. The tiny twister paved the way for the real thing in May, when a full-fledged tornado ripped through the Cherry Chase neighborhood, damaging 50 homes and causing more than $1 million in damages. The weather wasn't the only thing strange about 1998. Our generally peaceful city witnessed a series of voilent crimes: a kidnapping, a string of arson/burglaries and a double-slaying suicide. It was also a busy year for the City Council: the team laid the groundwork for revitalizing downtown in a series of land-use and contract decisions. It also engaged in a contentious battle with its police force--one that even a general election couldn't resolve. Issues like these make our community unique; as 1999 unfolds, The Sun promises to continue to keep an eye on them. January Local bars struggle with smoking law On Jan. 1, 1998, AB 3037 went into effect, supposedly marking the beginning of smoke-free workplaces throughout the state, including bars and restaurants. But smokers and bar owners had a tough time accepting the new law. In Sunnyvale, smokers sought refuge in at least one local bar, Beefy's Cabin, where patrons could light up due to a loophole in the law. Although many local bars still allowed discreet smoking, Beefy's Cabin sought exemption because the four people who work there are also its owners. One of four exemptions to the law, according to the bill, allows for owner-operated businesses to continue to allow smoking. Other exemptions to the law are provided for smoke shops and employee break rooms. Kawczynski cleared The Fair Political Practices Commission cleared former mayor Stan Kawczynski on complaints filed that he violated gift limits set by the Political Reform Act. The complaint alleged that Kawczynski rented a house in Sunnyvale at an undermarket rate from Yvonne Olson Jacobson, a relative of large landowners who often have projects reviewed by the City Council. The complaint said that was a conflict of interest for Kawczynski, but the FPPC said there was "insufficient evidence" to further investigate the charge. O'Connor continues term despite troubles Sunnyvale Planning Commission chairman Mark O'Connor announced he'd continue to serve his term on the board despite being convicted of six misdemeanors. O'Connor pled no contest to charges that he broke into the home of a former Stanford oncologist, stole papers and vandalized the doctor's car and the door of his house. The city stood behind O'Connor's decision to retain his position, citing the city's code of ethics. In the code, an appointed official could keep a position if his actions had no adverse impact on the "integrity of local government." Armory complaints Chilly weather in early January brought more of the area's homeless to Sunnyvale's U.S. National Guard Armory Shelter, as well as an onslaught of complaints from neighbors who live nearby. Residents living across from the Maude Avenue shelter said they were tired of putting up with transients rummaging through their trash, urinating on lawns and openly using drugs. Armory officials said it's up to Sunnyvale police to patrol the surrounding area, even though a security guard on site is suppose to take care of any problems at the shelter. Sunnyvale Police say they do routinely patrol the area, and the Emergency Housing Consortium, who runs the shelter, has never received a complaint from the city. February City enters into deal with Mozart Group Sunnyvale city officials entered into an agreement with developers to build on the city-owned parcels of land adjacent to the Town and Country Village shopping center. The Mozart Group said it would look at ways to build a hotel, a public plaza and a retail center, as well as providing more parking spaces to serve the shopping center and nearby train station. Tornado touches down at Moffett Field Sunnyvale felt the wrath of El Niño when a rare tornado touched down at Moffett Field, and heavy rain caused flooding, power outages, road closures and roof damage to at least one high-tech business. There were no injuries in any of the storm-related incidents, and more bad weather would follow through the spring. City loses to 'Merc' Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Richard C. Turrone ruled in favor of the San Jose Mercury News, ending a long legal battle between the city and the daily paper. City officials were forced to turn over documents previously withheld regarding actions by then-mayor Frances Rowe. The judge also ruled the city violated the Brown Act by holding closed meetings. The documents, including three personal memos by city attorney Valerie J. Armento, were allowed to be redacted in certain areas. Later in the year, Turrone would rule the city had to pay all lawyer and court fees. "The public interests of the citizens of Sunnyvale in knowing that there were serious allegations being made about an incumbent legislator far outweigh any interest the city had in attempting to resolve or mediate the 'personnel' dispute between Rowe and Armento," Turrone wrote in his judgment. Kawczynski runs against Alquist Sunnyvale City Council member Stan Kawczynski announced he would compete with Elaine Alquist for her seat in the 22nd Assembly District in November. Kawczynski said he wanted to run an issue-oriented campaign, and announced his candidacy just two weeks after Alquist said she would run for re-election. Local businesses join recycle effort Santa Clara County began pushing area businesses to increase recycling efforts by showing off some of the methods used by some Sunnyvale companies. By the year 2000, if California cities haven't reduced landfill waste by 50 percent, they could be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day. Companies including Advanced Micro Devices helped Sunnyvale reach that goal in 1996, by developing ways to recycle office waste, especially paper. March City settles in class-action towing lawsuit The city was slapped by a class action lawsuit that suggested the city held onto towed cars longer than was legally called for. The suit stemmed from a traffic stop one year earlier when two plaintiffs said the city towed their car, then illegally sold the automobile after failing to properly notify the owners. Later in the year, city officials admitted that failure to comply with a change in law caused the oversight, and reached a settlement. Officer's union reveals plans for measure The Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association announced its intentions to put binding arbitration on the November ballot by gaining 9,000 signatures from residents. The officer's union said the current form of negotiating was unfair, claiming the City Council ultimately had the final say in arbitration issues. The officers complained they had been working without a contract since June 1997, and hoped a measure on the ballot can settle the issue. "The city can do what it wants," union president Kelly Fitzgerald said. "The arbitration is supposed to be official. Binding arbitration is just a more fair system." Mayor Jim Roberts, who took the lead in opposing the officer's fight for binding arbitration, called the idea "irresponsible," because elected officials would lose the power to make budgetary decisions. Council slaps lien on homeowner For the first time in Sunnyvale's history, City Council members imposed a lien on a residential home after the run-down residence raised the ire of neighbors and city permit inspectors. The city placed a $78,000 lien on a home in the 500 block of Balsam and told owner Patrick McGrath to bring the dwelling up to code or risk having it sold for the profit by the city. A raucous McGrath appeared at a city council meeting to fight the sanctions and accused the city and neighborhood of "trump[ing] up this big bureaucratic fiasco." Dubrovnik buys Town and Country Dubrovnik Associates Inc., longtime developers in the city, purchased the slumping Town and Country Shopping Village for $10 million. The move was applauded by city officials who hoped the new owners would work together to revitalize the center in collaboration with the proposed new downtown. April Yeagers: Citizens of Year Don and Jeanne Yeager received Sunnyvale's Citizens of the Year award. After 46 years of marriage, the Yeagers said the award was yet one more thing they could share. "We became persons who, again and again, whenever we saw a problem--particularly in schools--we would learn to fix it," Don Yeager said. Council hires B-1, legal troubles feared In a 5-2 decision, the City Council agreed to hire B-1 Enterprises for the city's annual reconstruction of curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Local union leaders appeared at the meeting to argue against hiring B-1, noting the company's nagging legal troubles for alleged labor and bookkeeping violations. But the council feared it would set a bad precedent by denying the lowest responsible bidder to a public works project if it were to "make decisions based on allegations," mayor Jim Roberts said at the time. Later in the year, local labor officials would chide the City Council for its decision after the company is cited by a state labor agency for violating child labor laws while on the Sunnyvale project. May Tornado rips Cherry Chase neighborhood As soon as I got inside, it was a hell of a roar; sounded like a low-flying airplane.--Bob Van Hoy, 72, standing in his front yard 30 minutes after a tornado ripped the roof off his Plymouth Avenue home. A freak tornado that touched down at 4:40 p.m. on May 4, damaged 50 homes and caused more than $1 million in financial losses. At the Congregational Community Church, bits of multicolored glass filled the aisles and pews after a tree came crashing through the stained-glass windows. The church also suffered severe roof damage. At Cherry Chase Elementary School, officials reported the swirling cloud lifted cars from the parking lot and spun them in different directions. On Remington Drive, cleanup crews found a toolshed in the middle of the street. The tornado was the first to sweep through the city since 1951, when the old downtown area suffered damage from the powerful winds. Van Hoy's wife, Beverly, said at the time, "I can take earthquakes, but this? I don't know about this." Police shoot, kill man on Murphy Avenue When Murphy's Law bartender Chad Beaulieu dialed 911 on May 9, he didn't know his words would, minutes later, prove to be prophetic. "[The gun] may or may not be real," Beaulieu told the dispatcher shortly after 9 p.m., "but he's going to get hurt or killed waving that thing around." The gun belonged to 29-year-old Sunnyvale resident Eligio Dator. Dator was told to leave the tavern for flaunting the gun--which later turned out to be a pellet gun--and was later shot dead on Murphy Avenue by police officers. Police said Dator first shot twice at a police officer behind Fibbar Magee's and ran through the packed bar, trying to avoid capture. As he made his way onto crowded Murphy Avenue on Friday night, he pointed his gun at police. More than 100 people witnessed the event, police said. Grand Hotel approved, Pee Wee's pushed out In a 4-3 vote, councilmembers approved construction of what will be the city's most extravagant high-class hotel on El Camino Real. While developers cheered the action, the vote paved the way for demolition of Pee Wee's Pizza, a Sunnyvale fixture since 1955. Regulars of the tiny pizzeria had put up a fight throughout the proceedings, but eventually grew tired. "I can't complain at all," said longtime Pee Wee's owner Chuck Egli. "He's been a fair landlord. Hasn't raised the rent once since 1981." The planned 104-room luxury hotel is tentatively named "The Grand Hotel of Sunnyvale." Designers plan to mount a 24-foot-tall glass dome on top of the structure to give it a signature look. Ground-breaking is set for summer 1999. PSOA gets signatures Sunnyvale's Public Safety Officers Association turned in a hefty stack of signatures to the city clerk May 21, giving residents the power to settle a rift between the union and city hall. "This is a huge step for us," association president Kelly Fitzgerald said. "We went door to door and had a chance to talk to the people and explain ourselves." Mayor Jim Roberts said, "I don't think it has a chance of passing." He added, "It saddens me that we have to go to a public arena to settle this matter." June First forum on downtown held More than 70 residents attended the very first community forum to give their input on what Sunnyvale's future downtown should look like. Residents told city officials and downtown architects they want a city center that has plenty of parking, is unique and quaint, and keeps the downhome-style feel of Sunnyvale. "I don't want high-tech," said resident Jean McLaughlin, voicing the opinion of other residents. "We have high-tech in the airports, in the schools, in the shopping centers. Let's have something like a village." Arsonist/burglar sought: Sunnyvale No. 1 target Police announced for the first time publicly that they believed a string of arson/burglaries was the work of one person. A consortium of local agencies is assembled to track down leads. Sunnyvale was listed as the arsonist's favorite target, officers revealed, accounting for four of the 14 break-in fires. Sunnyvale Fire Marshall Byron Pipkin said the unknown arsonist could be responsible for as many as 14 blazes and burglaries in six different cities and up to $250,000 worth of damage and stolen property. "It's a big effort we're making," Pipkin said. "We want the word to get out because someone could get seriously injured." Olson's project gets approval A 5-2 vote by city council members ended the 13-year quest by Charlie Olson and his family to develop their cherry orchard at Mathilda Avenue and El Camino Real. At a June 9 meeting, council approved Olson's plans to turn one of Sunnyvale's last family-owned orchards into luxury apartments and retail shopping space. Developers said they will keep some cherry trees along the perimeter of the planned 283-unit apartment complex for aesthetic purposes. The C.J. Olson fruit stand will remain on site, Olson said. "I've got mixed emotions right now," Olson said minutes after the vote. "I would have liked to have kept it a ranch, but it just wasn't in the cards." Bar owners ask for more cops Murphy Avenue bar owners asked public safety officers to step up their numbers on the street during crowded, sometimes raucous weekend nights. At a June 17 meeting, the bar owners said they need at least two foot patrol officers to deter would-be troublemakers and respond quickly to disturbances. But police officials maintained that the area is not in need of additional officers. Downtown approved Despite fears from merchants that months of construction and lack of parking would kill business in the downtown area, the Sunnyvale Redevelopment Agency agreed to the financial terms and concept of a new downtown at the June 16 meeting. The $10 million dollar project at the corner of Mathilda and Evelyn Avenues will consist of three office buildings with retail shops, an upscale hotel, an underground parking garage and a public plaza. "How will I get business with construction trucks parked in front of my shop?" a merchant at the Town and Country Shopping Village asked the council. Upon the vote to move forward with the downtown, councilmember Fred Fowler said, "This will set the destiny for many years to come." Baby kidnapped, later found unharmed The Sunnyvale Public Safety Department and the FBI launched a manhunt after a 9-month-old baby was stolen from the arms of her babysitter is held at gunpoint. The baby, Yecenia Solorzano, is found 11 hours later by a teenager who is entering a Taco Bell in Palo Alto. Three men, all described by witnesses as Hispanic, knocked on the door of the Solorzano residence at 10:50 a.m. June 11 and entered without force. One of the suspects pointed a gun at Yecenia's babysitter and removed the baby from the apartment. The suspects remain at large. July Residents block SCS Washington Park neighbors organized quickly to successfully block a possible city plan to relocate Sunnyvale Community Services to the park. The organization is losing its home in the Senior Center, because the Sunnyvale Elementary School District is raising the rent. The city continues its search for a new Senior Center location, but has no immediate plans for SCS. Art and Wine Festival part deux announced The turnout for the 24th annual Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival was so poor in June due to rain, that the event's organizers announced they would stage part two of the festival Aug. 1 and 2. "We're calling it the sequel," Chamber of Commerce Director Suzi Blackman said. The chamber fell shy of its $100,000 fundraising goal by about $20,000. Organizers said they hope to pull in approximately $60,000 at the August event. Sale of mall complete; owners make promises The Sunnyvale Town Center sold for $26 million to American Mall Properties. A spokesman for the company promised that it would immediately begin work on overhauling the troubled image of the mall. He said plans included luring a major entertainment venue to the center, although he declined to be specific, citing on-going negotiations. Serial arsonist hits city for fifth time A serial arsonist hit for the fifth time in Sunnyvale, part of a string of 14 local robberies and arson fires police say are the responsibility of a single suspect. Eight cities banded together to form a task force to try and catch the suspect. According to officials, the burglar-arsonist is believed to have caused close to $300,000 worth of fire damage and stolen property. A $10,000 reward is offered for the capture of the suspect. Historic vote means two ballot measures In a historic vote, the Sunnyvale City Council voted 5-2 in favor of putting a measure on November's ballot that would give residents the final say in labor disputes between the City Council and the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association. The vote was historic, because for the first time a vote was cast via conference call from Vice Mayor Manuel Valerio, on vacation in Portugal. But the surprise vote came from Councilwoman Julia Miller, who switched her support from the position of the association for an independent arbiter, to the city's proposal to allow voters to choose. Seniors pack City Hall; win larger center plan Seniors packed City Council chambers and got everything they ask the city for. The result was approval of a new 23,000 square-foot Senior Center, to be built next to the existing Sunnyvale Community Center on Remington Drive. August City, cops to square off in fall election Despite attempts by the city and the Public Safety Association to come to a contract agreement before the November election, officials learned it's too late to take competing measures off the ballot. Both sides dug in to fight for their respective measures, the city's which would require the voters to approve contracts, and the associations, which would allow an independent arbitrator to decide. Council approves contract for downtown The City Council approved a contract with a developer to create a new downtown by the year 2002. Acting as the Redevelopment Agency, the council voted 4 to 1, with one abstention, to approve the contract with the Mozart Development Group. Mayor Jim Roberts removed himself from City Hall chambers, citing potential conflict of interest. Lack of parking was a concern of residents who attended the meeting, but most said they were in favor of the project. Police arrest suspect in burglaries/arsons Police arrested a Sunnyvale resident who they believe is responsible for burglarizing and torching 14 apartments throughout Santa Clara County over the past 11 months. Patrick Alan Salinas, a 31-year-old unemployed computer technician, was charged with 14 counts of burglary and 12 counts of arson after police seized a stockpile of computer and electronic goods from his mobile-home unit in northeast Sunnyvale. Despite the arrest, a fire Marshall said the investigation is continuing to find out if there are other possible suspects. Sun overpowers festival Organizers of the Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival were chanting "rain, rain, go away" in June, but round two of the festival wound up having too much sun. This time sweltering heat, nearly 100 degrees, kept people indoors seeking air conditioning, and away from the outdoor festival. More charges possible for arson suspect Police officials announced that Salinas could be charged with 12 additional burglaries. In the meantime, a judge ruled in favor of the suspect's request that the trial be moved from Sunnyvale Municipal Court to a larger venue in San Jose. Police and fire officials said they are keeping the case open to pursue other possible suspects. September FUHSD posts top SAT scores Fremont Union High School District's 1998 graduates narrowly posted the highest SAT scores in the last 10 years, scoring well above the national and statewide means, according to results released in the first week of September. The district cumulative mean score was 1157, up one point from last year. Verbal scores in the district remained the same at 547, and math improved one point to 610. The district's scores blasted past the statewide mean by a margin of 144 points and exceeded the national mean by 141 points. "It really does show we have a lot of students serious about getting enough out of their high school education to go on to college," said Maribeth Smith, associate superintendent at the district. Pee Wee's dishes out its last slice After 43 years in business, Pee Wee's Pizza shut down Sept. 26 to make way for a hotel. "It's been a good run," Egli said of his four decades in business. Egli first came to Pee Wee's as a customer when he was a student at Mountain View High School in the '50s. He started working at the pizzeria in the '60s, and he bought the place in the '80s. "This is very unique place," Egli said. Dubrovnik passes on council's offer At the Sept. 15 Redevelopment Agency meeting, city officials threatened to take legal action against Dubrovnik Associates, owners of a vacant half-acre lot next to the Town and Country Shopping Village. The city offered the company $1 million in cash for the lot--land the city needs for downtown redevelopment--but the company rebuffed the offer, saying the value of the land is still undetermined. After stalled negotiations produced "a great deal of frustration," city manager Robert LaSala asked councilmembers to pass a resolution that would start eminent domain proceedings. LaSala asked the council to take the first step and adopt the resolution, but refrain from filing with the courts until all negotiation efforts had failed. Council passed on the resolution, and voted 6-0 to give Dubrovnik Associates until Sept. 22 to prove good faith in the negotiations. At a Redevelopment Agency meeting the following week, the two parties failed to reach an agreement despite intense negotiation during two closed-door sessions. The council again agreed to grant Dubrovnik another week before taking legal action. On Sept. 29 the two parties fell short of hammering out a deal, forcing a reluctant city council to start legal proceedings to acquire the lot. "I tried like hell to avoid getting to this point," councilmember Jack Walker said. Dubrovnik said the land is worth at least $1,077,000--the maximum price at which the city agreed to sell the lot to future downtown developers, the Mozart Development Group. Another sticking point was parking. Both sides agreed the Hill building could be demolished to make way for a parking lot, but Dubrovnik wanted the city to guarantee it would remain a parking lot for two years after construction was completed--a guarantee the city manager said the council couldn't make. Cops nab classy duo on illegal shopping spree A mother-and-daughter team went on a spending spree through downtown Sunnyvale one mid-September evening and literally shopped until they dropped--into a jail cell, that is. The daughter, one victim recalled, was "like a supermodel" and the mother was "very high-class." The well-heeled combo used fake identification and bogus checks to rack up a bill of more than $1,000 in six different retail shops in less than two hours. The victims included stores on El Camino Real and in the Town Center mall. The spree came to an abrupt halt when a Town Center retailer called security after declining the suspects' check. City contractor cited for violating child-labor A contractor on a public works project for the city of Sunnyvale was cited by a state labor agency for violating child labor laws--a violation labor watchdogs say the city should have seen coming. William Nack, deputy executive officer with the local Building & Construction Trades Council, appeared at the Sept. 22 council meeting to reprimand the council for hiring B-1 after his group warned the city of the company's track record at the beginning of the year. "The city of Sunnyvale may be on the cutting edge of technology," Nack said, "unfortunately, when it comes to workers' protection, it is our opinion that you are still in the 19th century." The legal age for working on a construction site is 18; a state deputy labor commissioner had witnessed a 14-year-old boy--the president's son--working at the B-1 site in Sunnyvale in August. B-1 appealed the resulting citation. City officials said they would not consider taking action against the company until the hearings are completed and the violations were upheld, said city attorney Valerie Armento. City hires new lobbyists for Moffett Council decided at the Sept. 22 meeting that a new team of lobbyists in Washington D.C. will represent the city on issues relating to the Moffett Federal Complex. Council voted 5-2 to pay MARC Associates $96,000 plus expenses for the next year to push for legislation on two projects at the federally owned complex: funding and construction of a new hangar for the 129th Air Guard and the creation of the Western Disaster Center. Councilmember Pat Vorreiter, who moved that the council take the action, said the hiring would help Sunnyvale, "continue its objective to maintain the facility as a federal facility." Councilmember Stan Kawczynski, who has adamantly opposed paying for lobbyists in the past, called the hiring a "tragedy." Sunnyvale launches noise-pollution study The hottest political issue sweeping through local governments blew into Sunnyvale Sept. 29, after councilmembers voted to launch a broad study to measure noise pollution in the city, including the noise created by leaf blowers. The study is covering all elements of noise pollution in Sunnyvale, from thumping stereo-equipment stores to rumbling delivery trucks in downtown. Though findings from the study won't be brought before the council until February, some councilmembers already hinted that there was little chance a total ban on leaf blowers would be accepted. Councilmember Julia Miller, who has taken the lead on the noise study, said she opposed an outright ban, instead calling for restrictions on the hours of operation. "I just want to see noise reduced and pollution reduced," Miller said. October Sunnyvale parents push to start charter school A group of Sunnyvale parents filed a petition to start a charter school at the Oct. 1 Sunnyvale School District board meeting, in hopes of becoming the first charter school in the city. A charter school allows parents to create their own curriculum and choose their own teachers, while still remaining a publicly funded school. One of the early sticking points on the proposal was allocation for the school. Proponents wanted to use Hollenbeck Elementary School, but the site is leased by a private school, earning the district $460,000 per year in rent. Parents for the charter school said they would barter volunteer services, including their expertise in computers in exchange for the Hollenbeck site. Heritage neighbors win fight to block street Neighbors living in Sunnyvale's Heritage District persuaded councilmembers Oct. 6 to approve keeping a barrier that restricts traffic flow through the area. Since the barriers were installed in January, traffic had dropped in the neighborhood by 25 to 35 percent, according to a city-conducted survey. Some residents who spoke at the meeting said they would pay for the cost to permanently install and maintain the barrier, which could range from $28,000 to $40,000. The city installed the barrier at the south end of Taaffe and Frances after neighbors complained commuters used the narrow, 32-foot-wide street as a quick route to El Camino Real. Some residents and storeowners complained about the barrier, saying other residents will now expect the same privilege. "You're setting a very dangerous precedent here," one shopowner warned. De Anza makes pages of 'Rolling Stone' De Anza College was recognized in the Oct. 15 issue of Rolling Stone as fourth of the 10 "most respected schools of their kind in the country." De Anza was the only college in Northern California on the list, and was one of two in the state to be honored. The article chose the schools by the following criteria: A high percentage of full-time faculty, a low student-to-teacher ratio and small class sizes. Also, it listed schools that send a high number of students into universities or directly into jobs. Lamson enters no contest plea Surprising prosecutors who spent more than a year working on the case, former Homestead High School football coach Jeff Lamson on Oct. 19 pleaded "no contest" to molestation charges in a San Jose courtroom. Lamson was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 16, but the judge postponed the matter until the end of January. Lamson could face a maximum of six years in prison. Lamson pleaded no contest to 12 felony counts, including 10 counts of penetration with a foreign object and two counts of oral copulation with a 16-year-old female student during the 1990-91 school year. He also entered no-contest pleas to two misdemeanor charges stemming from "annoying and molesting" a 14-year-old female during the 1997 school year. By pleading no contest, Lamson avoided a court trial, but still faces the maximum prison sentence. "I was totally surprised," prosecuting attorney Deborah Baldocchi said of Lamson's decision. Man, 79, slays wife and son, kills self The bodies of three Sunnyvale residents were pulled from a home in the 800 block of Maria Lane in the early morning hours of Oct. 27, following a bitter domestic dispute that ended in the city's first double-slaying suicide, police officials said. Police said Manuel Perez, 79, shot and killed his son, Ben, 55, and his wife Vera, 78, then turned the gun on himself. Genevieve Bettencourt, the neighbor who called police after noticing the garage door on the modest single-story home was left open the entire weekend, said the younger Perez had moved back into the home recently, causing tension in the household. Bettencourt called the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department on Monday; two patrol officers made the grisly discovery at 7:08 p.m. Oct. 26. In the course of their interviews with family and friends, investigators learned the Perezes were preparing to divorce, Pigott said, which led to a heated argument prior to the shootings. Task force forms in response to burglaries Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department formed a task force at the end of October with San Jose and Sunnyvale police investigators to nab the suspects in a string of burglaries that has plagued the West Valley area since March. At least 40 homes in Cupertino and another 30 in Sunnyvale have been broken into since investigators first began studying the case. Investigators suspect several burglaries in San Jose and Saratoga are linked to the spree. Knife-wielding man captured by SWAT A man wielding a knife in an apartment on the 200 block of W. California Avenue was captured unharmed in the early hours of Oct. 27, after a SWAT team ambushed the residence. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety received a call from the brother of Kenneth Bruce Rock at 9 p.m., claiming Rock threatened to kill him with the knife. According to a police report, by the time officers arrived on the scene, the 37-year-old Rock had barricaded the front door with furniture. Rock began breaking the windows in the residence, shouting that he would kill any officer who approached him. SWAT team members crawled beneath the window and popped up to spray Rock with OC pepper spray, as other team members used a battering ram to gain entrance through the front door. Rock was arrested and transported to Santa Clara County Jail. November Measures S and T fail; strained relations persist in both camps Measures S and T both failed to gain public approval on Nov. 3, ending both sides' push for victory--but not the unprecedented ill will generated during the campaign. Voters narrowly defeated Measure T by 278 votes; Measure S was defeated more soundly, with 60 percent of voters opposed. In the final week of campaigning, Kelly Fitzgerald, president of the officer's union, characterized the relationship between City Hall and the officers' union as "hostile, very hostile." Fitzgerald's description prompted Mayor Jim Roberts to respond, "It's very disheartening to hear a person who wears a gun say that they are hostile. If they are mad at us, they are going to take it out on someone else." Roberts' comment caused outrage in the community in the following weeks, prompting several angry letters to City Hall and local newspapers. After the election, the city manager's office hired psychologist William Mathis and former Fremont police chief Robert Wasserman to help settle the contentious situation. Officers put Measure T on the ballot to let voters determine whether an outside arbitrator--rather than council--could have the final say on contract disputes. Measure S was council's attempt at a safeguard if Measure T passed: It would have required voters to either ratify or overturn decisions made by the outside arbitrator. Valerio prepares to assume mayoral role Manuel Valerio became the 31st mayor of Sunnyvale at the beginning of November replacing Jim Roberts in the city's top spot. Councilmember Pat Vorreiter became vice mayor. Valerio, a graduate of Sunnyvale High School and lifetime resident of the city, said the new downtown project and mending wounds with the public safety officers' union would be his primary concerns during his one-year tenure. "I look at myself as a consensus builder," Valerio said. "I would like to help create common solutions, to minimize the acrimony." Katz, Ho, Okamura win spots on board Avie Katz, Kathryn Ho and incumbent Randy Okamura were the top three vote-getters in Fremont Union High School District's board race in November's general election. Ho is a parent of two former Lynbrook High students and served on the PTA and as a volunteer at the school. Katz has two daughters at Monta Vista High School and teaches social studies at the Camden Community School in San Jose. Okamura had sat on the school board for four years and opted to run again because, he said, "I think there's more work to be done." Foothill/De Anza District elects new board member Geology instructor Edward "Sandy" Hay became the newest member of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District board of trustees Nov. 3, beating three other candidates with 40.3 percent of the vote. Pat Millar was Hay's only competitor in vote count, but fell behind with 37.3 percent. Two others, Elaine Lubich and Joseph Krackeler each received less than 12 percent. Hay's term began on Dec. 1, when he took over the remaining two years of Jay Jackman's term. Dubrovnik, city reach land deal The owners of a small piece of downtown land finally agreed to sell to the city, avoiding a costly legal battle and allowing the city to move forward with the development of the new downtown. Councilmembers voted 4-1 with two abstentions at the Nov. 17 meeting to purchase the lot for $1,077,000 from Dubrovnik Associates Inc. The city also agreed to provide new parking spaces in the area during the expected four years of downtown construction, and implement a signage program to advertise the Dubrovnik-owned Town and Country Shopping Village. "It was never a monetary issue," Nick Gera, spokesman for Dubrovnik, said. "It was about trying to create excess parking to survive during the construction years." Local charter school proposal dies--for now Parents attempting to create the first charter school in Sunnyvale were stopped dead in their tracks when the district's Board of Education said at a Nov. 19 meeting that their proposal fell short of legal standards necessary to open the school. Superintendent Joseph Rudnicki said the application for the Sunnyvale Intensive Learning Center charter school did not include signatures from at least 10 percent of the district's teachers, or 50 percent at any one school, which are required by law. The proposal submitted did not include one teacher signature, board president Linda Kilian said. Jeff Richey, leader of the SILCN proposal, told the board he would meet with his staff to create a new proposal--one that meets district and legal standards. Residents speak out on noise issues Sunnyvale residents at a Nov. 24 public forum called leaf blowers loud, obnoxious and inefficient. But few said they should be banned altogether. More than 40 residents and city officials--including a few leaf-blower political groupies from neighboring cities--participated in the forum, which was part of the city's review of its current noise ordinance. Councilmember Julia Miller said the forum was necessary in order to gauge public opinion about noise and the quality of life in Sunnyvale. "Hopefully, staff took some good notes and it will help give the council solid recommendations," she said after the meeting. December Legislators ask for rent decrease at local National Guard shelter Officials at the California National Guard were expected in early December to answer a plea from local legislators to lower the rent to organizations that provide shelter at the armories in the winter months. Legislators said the $454-per-night charge is an excessive cost to local governments and nonprofit organizations. "I hope they show some flexibility and a greater understanding of the problem that local communities are facing," said Maury Kendall, spokesperson for the Emergency Housing Consortium, which provides shelter at Sunnyvale's armory. The charge was first mandated in 1997 after Assembly Bill 242 passed. The bill was part of Governor Wilson's push to have local governments fund homeless programs. "What we're asking, if possible, is that the National Guard re-evaluate the fees charged. That's the intent of the letter," said Jon Hellesoe, field representative for state senator Byron Sher, the primary author of the letter. Hellesoe said he hoped the National Guard--should they be kept from adjusting the rent to AB242--would work with local agencies to provide services or funds to bring the rent cost down. Lieutenant Colonel Warren Alberts said that lowering the rent was a near impossibility. "There is no profit in that $454 per night," he said. Though expected to respond to the legislators the first week of December, the National Guard still has not issued a letter. Support for Lamson divides community Hoping to gain a lenient sentence in a San Jose courtroom on Dec. 16, friends, school officials and clergy members close to Jeff Lamson--the ex-Homestead High School football coach who pleaded "no contest" to charges of sexual offenses with two former students--launched a letter-writing campaign on his behalf. Letters in support of Lamson were penned by leaders in the education field, including former Cupertino Union School District Superintendent Yvette del Prado, current assistant superintendent John Erkman and Homestead teacher Dorothy Mansfield. One of the victims in the case still attends the high school. The letters sparked a competing petition, which was circulated by part-time Homestead employee Karin Bortoli and signed by 200 people, including 50 Homestead students. Bortoli said she became outraged when she learned local educators were sending their support for Lamson. "That upsets me," she said. "They're saying it's OK for people to go out and molest people. It's ridiculous, ridiculous. How is that supposed to make the girls feel?" The information was scheduled to be presented to Judge LaDoris Cordell at the sentencing, but, faced with a full docket that day, she postponed the hearing until late January to allow time for character witnesses to testify. City Council agrees to keep Crawford Street barrier For the second time in as many months, the Sunnyvale City Council was persuaded Dec. 8 by the will of a neighborhood to close off its street to car traffic after residents said it was putting their children's safety at risk. Residents living on Crawford Drive will now have a permanent barrier in place, ending years of debate on the topic. Councilmembers voted unanimously to go against a 1997 city policy, which was designed to prohibit the construction of "traffic calming" obstacles unless traffic speeds and volumes met a certain threshold. According to a city survey, the volume and speed of cars on the residential street "fall well short of those thresholds." "Rules aren't made to be broken," Mayor Manuel Valerio said before casting his vote. "But there are exceptions to the rules." Hotel backs out, slowing plans for new downtown The luxury hotel that was to be the cornerstone of the new downtown has pulled out of the deal, temporarily pushing back the project, director of community development David Boesch said in mid-December. Boesch said Woodside Hotels, the primary hotelier sought to build the planned 140-room structure, pulled out of the project due to an overload of several other projects under construction. According to the contract for the downtown with Mozart Development Group, designers were scheduled to bring detailed plans for the area before the city council for review by Feb. 9. Now, the council and residents will most likely have to wait until spring to see the plans, according to Mozart spokesperson Jim Baer. Sunnyvale officers ask for grievance arbitration in negotiations with city City officials met with representatives from the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers' Association for the first time since a heated election in November, but little progress was made in negotiating a new contract at the Dec. 14 closed-door session. City manager Robert LaSala said the city used the meeting to put a proposal on the table to end the dispute, but declined to comment on the details of the plan. LaSala said the proposal did not include binding grievance arbitration, which the officers say they would like. Binding grievance arbitration allows a third party to rule only on disputes that are raised on issues already within the contract--no new issues or items outside the contract can be brought up. City council member Jim Roberts moved to study the issue by putting it on next year's legislative calendar. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 6, 1999. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.