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Around The Glen
Letterman looks for pet performers
Glenites and pets with zany talents can enjoy their 15 minutes of fame at the Santa Clara County Fair. A scout from David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Stupid Human Tricks" segments will be at the Santa Clara County Fair auditioning residents and pets performing their stunts. A few lucky winners will be chosen to appear on The Late Show in New York. Squirrels that can whistle "La Vida Loca" are a shoo-in for the show.
Fairgoers can watch the auditions taking place on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside Pet Fair '99 Gateway Hall and on Sunday, Aug. 8, at noon. The Warholian time clock--and all auditions--stops at 2 p.m., Aug. 8.
For more information on entry requirements and auditioning, call 1-888-PET-TRIK, or check out http://marketing.cbs.com/lateshow/pantsnews/faqs.shtml.
--Jessica Lyons
'Pro' to organize Founder's Day parade
The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association has decided that hiring a consultant to organize the Founder's Day Parade in September would be the best move to ensure the success of the parade.
The Willow Glen Business and Professional Association asked WGNA if they would help with the organization of the parade, and at their Wednesday night meeting WGNA board members agreed that the two associations should share equally in the cost of hiring a consultant. They also determined that WGNA would contribute up to $500. This way, the groups could hire a professional or semi-professional event planner who could make sure the parade happens--and make sure it's great.
"We're willing to equitably share the cost with the Business and Professional Association to bring in someone to spearhead [the parade]," J. Michael Gonzales, president of WGNA, said.
The duties of the consultant would include inviting groups that have participated in the parade in the past, and co-ordinating the order and the timing of the procession, according to Gonzales.
"We would like to have their lead in recruiting somebody," Gonzales said of the Business and Professional Association. "The community really enjoys [the parade]," he said. "It is a great event. Our interest is in maintaining that. It just needs a leader."
--Kara Chalmers
Local artist helps kids create unique 'ceramic mural'
The most recent beautification project dreamed up by the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, will be a ceramic mural extension to the patio outside the Willow Glen Library. The designers? Elementary schoolchildren from the library's summer reading program and other children who use the library.
The mural will be a memorial to Helen Owen, past president of WGBPA, and long-time supporter of the library.
"She loved books and loved reading and called children 'little rabbits'," says Kitty Mason, president of the Beautification Project in Willow Glen.
Willow Glen ceramics artist Nina Koepcke, who has created many murals in the area, will help the children come up with ideas and draw pictures of rabbits from children's books the first day of the project. Then together they will translate the drawings to ceramic tile the following week.
The artists will be hard at work July 21 at 3:30 p.m. and the following Wednesday through Friday at the same time.
--Kara Chalmers
Eighth grader takes the gold at karate championship--again
Willow Glen's own Karate Kid, 13-year-old Anthony Howell, recently won a gold medal at the Amateur Athletic Union National Karate Championship in Orlando, Fla.--for the second year in a row.
"This year was a little harder compared to last year," he says. Which is understandable considering Anthony, a brown belt, was competing against other kids who are black belts.
At his dojo, students have to be at least 16 to attain a black belt. But that doesn't keep Anthony from competing like one. Over the course of the two-day tournament, Anthony fought and won five matches.
"In your division, you have to win your first match to advance, and then you have to keep on winning," he explains. To win the gold, Anthony won every match he fought.
Anthony trains four times a week at Kantoniemi Karate Academy in San Jose, and will enter the eighth grade at Willow Glen Middle School in the fall.
--Jessica Lyons
Expanded program helps local businesses reduce trespassing
Willow Glen property owners can now reap the benefits of a program created to reduce trespassing, vandalism and public intoxication on their private and public property. San Jose police, residents and business owners expanded STOP--which stands for Stop Trespassing On Public/Private Property--recently to include the entire city, rather than just downtown.
By becoming a member of STOP, local businesspeople can authorize police to remove anyone from their property whether or not the owners are present or have complained. By filling out a form residents and businesspeople can authorize police to enter their property if they suspect trespassing or other criminal activity.
Generally, first offenders receive a warning, and a pamphlet with phone numbers of community outreach programs, such as homeless shelters and counseling centers.
"The program has two parts," Officer Rubens Dalaison of the San Jose Police Department says. "First, it's a warning. Here are services available, take advantage of them. Then, it enforces laws that have been on the books for quite a while."
--Kara Chalmers
Christmas begins in July at one Glen home
Christmas is still five months off, and yet thousands of bright, tiny presents keep arriving at the house on 1195 Minnesota Ave. They're holiday lights, and come December, they will turn Tony and Paulette Ornellas' historic home into Willow Glen's very own winter wonderland.
So far, they've received 42,000 lights. "And we just got another bag the other day," says Paulette, aka Mrs. Claus.
"We want to say thank you," she says. "We are just overwhelmed by the people of Willow Glen and their generosity. Santa has become very adept at fixing Christmas lights, so what we don't or can't we'll recycle."
Last year 58,000 lights--which take about a month for Santa to set up, says Paulette--adorned the Ornellas' yard. "We'll have a Christmas display for many years to come--as long as Santa holds up."
--Jessica Lyons
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
