The Willow Glen Resident

WGNA hosts mayoral forum on May 13

That night, WGNA members will also elect new officers

By Cecily Barnes

The four candidates looking to succeed Susan Hammer as San Jose's next mayor will pull up chairs at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church May 13 to solicit support and votes from the Willow Glen community.

Residents will have an hour to question mayoral candidates Ron Gonzales, Pat Dando, Kathy Chavez Napoli and Bill Chew. Members of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association say the mayoral forum is one of the most important services the neighborhood group provides.

"It's probably the most accessible these candidates will be because the truth is, once they're elected, it's really difficult to have this type of conversation with them," said WGNA board member Ralph Serpe. "I'm hoping members will ask these candidates questions that are specific to the neighborhood where they live, whether that's issues around traffic, zoning and the airport or property taxes, schools and safety."

The neighborhood association has hosted candidate forums for local politicians since its inception nearly 25 years ago. This activity allows people in the community to hear about the issues that affect their city and neighborhood and make an informed vote.

Willow Glen resident Patsy Neher is the type of person that will benefit from the forum. She says that at this point, she doesn't know much about the mayoral race and would like to. She's been waiting for more information about the candidates before deciding how to vote.

"I would be interested in hearing what the [candidate's] plans are and listening to the conversation as far as what the board members are interested in," Neher says. "Obviously Willow Glen is an important part of San Jose, so we want to make sure that we are represented."

Each candidate will have three minutes to give an opening statement, and the remainder of the hour will be for questions. People will pass questions on index cards to the moderator, and each candidate will be given one minute to answer, explained WGNA president Kris Cunningham.

Ron Gonzales, whose campaign office is on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, served two terms as a Santa Clara County supervisor and worked 10 years at Hewlett-Packard. His campaign promises include extending BART to downtown San Jose, encouraging affordable housing along transportation lines and expanding parks and open space, including the successful completion of the Los Gatos Creek Trail through Willow Glen.

Gonzales has secured the endorsements of Mayor Susan Hammer, District 6 Councilmember Frank Fiscalini and five other returning councilmembers.

Pat Dando, finishing her term on the San Jose City Council, emphasizes her 24 years in San Jose and the lack of special interests swaying her campaign. As mayor she plans, among other things, to repair potholes, expand the light rail, establish homework centers in every school and install better streetlights. Former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery has endorsed her candidacy.

Lesser-known candidates Kathy Chavez Napoli and Bill Chew, who have run quiet-er campaigns, will also be at the forum.

According to Cunningham, other ballot information will be available at the meeting, including pamphlets on the Unz initiative and the Airport Traffic Relief Initiative. After the forum, attendees will have a chance to mingle with the candidates over refreshments.

On the same night, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association will also vote in new officers. Board members Joan Doss, Pat Whiteside, Paulette Ornellas and Dick Schwartz will be stepping down. Patsy Neher, Margaret Harding and independent June Cooley are vying for their seats on the board. Of those three, only Neher and Harding have been endorsed by the nominating committee.

"If people submit their names and aren't chosen by the nominating committee, they can run as an independent person," Cunningham said. "This is what June's doing."

Members of the 600-person neighborhood group can either send in their ballots or drop them off the night of the mayoral forum.

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