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J. Michael Gonzales leads field in record WGNA turnout
Bylaws revised to prevent future ballot-stuffing by outsiders
By Mary Spicuzza
It seems like everybody and their neighbor had something to say about the 1999-2000 Willow Glen Neighborhood Association Board Ballot. Twice as many people cast ballots as in any other election in the history of the Glen-based grassroots group, which celebrated it's 25th anniversary last June.
Voters chose J. Michael Gonzales to serve as the new president. He replaces Kris Cunningham, who is stepping down from her position to prepare for a city council campaign.
Gonzales, who has served on the board for two years, played a key role in neighborhood beautification as manager of the Meridian Avenue tree-planting project.
John Gibbs, the new first vice president, has had four years of experience as a board member. Gibbs helped with the planting and planned WGNA's silver anniversary festivities. He also helped with this year's Spring Cleaning, co-sponsored by Councilmember Frank Fiscalini.
Neighborhood safety activist Patsy Neher, leader of a local move to erect a stop sign on Willow Street, steps into a new role as second vice president.
Newly nominated member Cathy Marshall, an active participant in the Meridian Planting and Spring Cleanup, will take on a new role as secretary, while veteran Margaret Hardy continues her stint as treasurer.
WGNA websmaster, newsletter editor and rocket scientist Larry Ames, the group's king of alternative transportation--and County Park Commissioner--takes another spin as a boardmember. Returning members Peggy Rossignol and queen of neighborhood clean-ups, Helen Solinski continue their roles. Rossignol has worked with Meridian Avenue neighbors about noise and parking, while Solinski helped organize the Spring Cleanup and Meridian Planting.
Another new member of this year's board is Lupe O'Malley. O'Malley, an active participant in helping local children with relief programs in Latin America through Los Amigos program, has worked with WGNA for more than two years.
As volunteers from the League of Women Voters counted the ballots this weekend, confusion over the flood of mystery applications submitted to the association continued.
Just before the election, nearly 80 applications, all of which were collected by Karen Naegli at Able Printing on Meridian Avenue, were submitted to WGNA. Many included cash payments for membership. Board members sent letters to all of the applicants in an attempt to clarify who had paid for individual and household memberships.
One of the applicants contacted by the Resident said he had no idea he'd applied to WGNA. The San Jose man, who asked that his name be withheld, said that he's a customer at Able Printing, but didn't know that he'd applied to WGNA. He says he originally contacted WGNA because he had no idea why he'd received a clarification form.
"A woman working at the print shop just said she was running for an office and asked me to sign something in her support. She's always is real nice, so I wanted to help," he said. "I don't even live in Willow Glen."
Several other applicants have withdrawn their applications after receiving WGNA clarification forms.
WGNA's proposed bylaw-revisions, designed to prevent a take-over of the organization by outsiders, were adopted after voters approved the changes. Voting members will now be limited to residents of San Jose living within the boundaries of Willow Glen. Anyone can become an associate member of the organization.
Also, in order to vote, a person must have been a member for at least six months. "We found that we had no protection against, say, an out-of-state financier putting up a couple thousand dollars, submitting a slate for the board and officers, and electing them with the memberships they had bought," Ames says.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
