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Around The Glen
Seniors are warned to stay clear of the 'Winner's Circle'
Elderly Glenites are warned that telemarketing sweepstakes that sound too good to be true probably are. Police recently arrested three suspects, all members of a telemarketing fraud scheme called the Winner's Circle. Police say the alleged criminal organization has stolen millions of dollars from senior citizens around the country in recent years.
The arrest comes after a San Jose man, 61-year-old James Fitzgerald, received a strange phone call earlier this month saying he was the lucky winner of a $450,000 sweepstakes and a photo shoot in Time magazine. Recognizing the phone call as a scam, he immediately called the police.
One June 12, police arrested Reginald Lowe, 31, Cloyd Marshall, 28, and Teresa Marshall, 37. All three are charged with grand theft, financial elder abuse and fraud. At press time, a fourth suspect remains at large.
Victims of the Winner's Circle are asked to call Detective Mark Hawke at 277-4521.
--Jessica Lyons
Buffy's final episode to return from the dead
After slashing the season finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in May, the WB has reconsidered. The final episode will air on Tuesday, July 13, at 8 p.m.
The network killed the season closer, "Graduation Day, Part Two," originally scheduled to air on May 25, citing "sympathy and compassion for the families and communities that have been devastated by the recent senseless acts of violence on high school campuses."
At the fateful graduation ceremony, Buffy and friends save the world from the evil mayor, who morphs into a giant demon while delivering the commencement address. It couldn't be done without the help of a few spikes and flame throwers, however, which is where the negative PR came into play.
On June 17, WB President Jamie Kellner issued a press release announcing that the season finale would air.
"To all of the loyal fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, please accept my sincere apology for the delay," Kellner says in the press release. "If we erred, it was on the side of caution. We strongly believe, as do you, that Buffy the Vampire Slayer should win Emmys for its consistent quality, which may be unsurpassed anywhere on television."
--Jessica Lyons
No holiday for critters on the Fourth of July
Fourth of July fireworks make great human fun, but for cats, dogs, squirrels and other furry friends, it's a different story. Bright flashing lights and loud noises can scare or injure pets, causing them to run away.
According to the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley, the number of strays on the streets increases dramatically during Independence Day weekend.
"You need to keep your animals safe and inside over the Independence Day holiday," says Maureen Strenfel, Humane Society animal behaviorist.
Strenfel offers these suggestions to make the Fourth a safe and happy holiday for everyone involved:
* Keeps pets inside.
* If loud firecrackers scares them, try turning on a TV or radio to mask the noise.
* If the TV trick hasn't worked in previous years, ask a vet for tranquilizers.
* Make sure pets are wearing proper ID tags in case they get lost.
* Do not take pets to watch firework shows.
* Don't be alarmed if pets hide under a bed or in a closet. That's perfectly normal coping mechanism for animals.
--Jessica Lyons
Bellarmine students dominate national debate tourney
Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, a consistent winner at annual speech and debate tournaments for high school students, did it again this year--and this time with the help of three Willow Glen residents. Bellarmine students won trophies at the National Forensic League's Desert Sun Nationals in Arizona with the help of speech and debate coaches Kim Jones, Bill Healy and head coach Jim Harville, all from Willow Glen. Coaches worked one-on-one with the winning students.
About 2,000 students from across the country competed in the tournament, which took place June 14-18. Dave Mount, Bellarmine's 1999 valedictorian, won third place in humorous interpretation. Partners Brad Simmons and Tejinder Singh took sixth place in policy debate, and second and fourth respectively in speaker awards. Johnny Yeh and Arun Ramachandra each won eighth place--Yeh in foreign extemporaneous and Ramachandra in dramatic interpretation.
Bellarmine won fifth place for the Bruno E. Jacob award, the only California school among the top 10. Also, Bellarmine won a Schools of Excellence award at the tournament, bestowed on about 10 schools in the nation.
--Kara Chalmers
Chef to help neighbors beat the BBQ blues
Fourth of July barbecues aren't confined to hot dogs and hamburgers anymore. Not if local chef Diane Rose has anything to say about it. Rose, an executive chef at Mio Vicino restaurant, will be at the Willow Glen Farmers Market on Saturday, July 3, throwing just about everything she can find onto the grill.
"It will be a mystery basket," she says. "I'll walk around the market, collect herbs, vegetables, fish, maybe apricots, maybe I'll make a tomato salad. I want to show people they can go to the market, and buy what's good that day. They don't have to be constrained to chicken or hamburgers."
Rose will be at the Farmer's Market on Saturday, giving away free samples and instructing barbecue enthusiasts in different grilling techniques.
"I'm looking at this as a promotion for the restaurant, and a way to teach people not to be intimidated by food," she says. Just about anything can become a grilled masterpiece, she adds.
"Even an artichoke--I can cut it in half, throw it on the grill and cook it in half the amount of time it would normally take."
The Farmer's Market takes place every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at Willow Glen Elementary, on the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues.
--Jessica Lyons
Paving paradise for parking no longer legal
Paving front yards and putting in parking lots is ugly, say several Glenites. As of July 1, it will also be illegal. Homeowners caught paving their lawns will be required to remove the pavement.
In 1995, the San Jose City Council passed an ordinance forbidding people to park on their own lawns, and fining lawbreakers up to $50. To circumvent the law, some San Joseans paved their yards and parked on the pavement.
The new ordinance doesn't require existing paved lawns to be torn up, however. It is simply intended to prevent future impromptu parking lots from sprouting up on paved-over lawns.
--Jessica Lyons
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
