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The Candidate: The Gasparovic family--Cindy, Frank and kids Kylie and Frankie--had their picture taken with Vice President Al Gore during his campaign stop on Lincoln Avenue.
Willow Glen family meets a presidential candidate
Crowd of 2,000 vies for peek at Al Gore on Lincoln Avenue
By Michele Leung
After receiving the endorsement of Mayor Ron Gonzales, presidential candidate Al Gore made a brief touch-down in Willow Glen Feb. 26, stumping for votes along Lincoln Avenue.
The vice president stopped by Willow Glen Coffee Roasting, giving owner Chris Carris only 24 hours' notice that he was going to pay a visit. Gore's advance crews were in the coffee shop until midnight the night before, examining the shop from top to bottom, to make sure there were no surprises. All together, they went over the store six times. In honor of the occasion, Carris plans on renaming his French Roast to Al Gore's Blend.
Willow Glen resident Cindy Gasparovic was taking an early morning walk down Lincoln Avenue when she mistook a Secret Service agent for a potential mugger. When she learned who was coming to town, she phoned home to get her husband and kids to come down.
The Gasparovics estimate that the morning crowd grew to 2,000 curious fans. Lincoln Avenue was six people deep at some points. Bomb-sniffing dogs, helicopters, police on roof tops and a Gore body double added to the carnival atmosphere.
"It was so crowded. But, I tried to squish in there," said son Frankie.
Cindy's persistence won her family a chance to pose with the presidential hopeful. Willow Glen Coffee Roasting also serves as a gallery for art contest winners at Booksin Elementary, and the Gasparovic children, Frankie, 5, and Kylie, 8, were two of the winners in the Valentine's Day-theme contest and just happened to have their artwork up on the walls.
"[My kids' art] was my platform for lobbying Al Gore," Cindy said. She said that staffers from Gore's and Gonzales' offices insisted repeatedly that the men were on a tight schedule. However, an aide whispered in Gore's ear that Gasparovic's children's art was featured at Willow Glen Coffee Roasting, and a window of opportunity was opened for the family.
The Gasparovics were brought to a staging area, where they were able to stand with the vice president. Gore crouched down to Frankie and told him he'd seen his picture. Frankie then introduced him to his family.
"I was going to step out and take the picture," said Cindy. But it was Gonzales who performed his mayoral duties and took the snapshot. "[Gore] just put his arm around me. He was very gregarious," Cindy says.
The family picture has made its rounds at Booksin. "I brought it for sharing at school," said Frankie, who's been practicing his autograph for his friends.
"My teacher was amazed when I showed her the picture," said Kylie. "I wrote my name on the back."
While Cindy said she found herself star-struck, her husband, Frank, was more in awe of the event. "The press corps. I really got to witness the entourage. It was so orchestrated," he marveled, "the expense of running the vice president around."
This was Frank's second time hobnobbing with a political dignitary. As a college student in 1979, he had the chance to meet Ronald Reagan just before he announced his run for the presidency.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
