The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Sitting Pretty: After leading the fight against the extension of Billiards and Brew's hours, Peggy Rossignol has been named to the board of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association.

Newest WGNA board member once eschewed life in the Glen

Peggy Rossignol came to the area by way of the Netherlands

By Michelle Ku

As different as the board members of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association are, they all have two things in common: a love for the area and a desire to improve Willow Glen.

Yet Peggy Rossignol, 48, the newest WGNA board member, is the first to admit that she didn't always love the area. "I was a bit of a snob. I didn't want to live south of Wolfe or on the other side of 280," said Rossignol, who previously lived in San Francisco and the Los Gatos Hills.

When she was searching for a house 14 years ago, Rossignol looked at more than 200 homes in the Bay Area. One of her friends suggested looking at homes in the Willow Glen area, but she wasn't interested. "I was dragged down here to look at homes. As we walked, I saw that it was like Palo Alto. There just happened to be an open house, and I fell in love with everything about this house," Rossignol said.

After she moved into her home on Meredith Avenue, it didn't take long for Rossignol to become a supporter of the area. In fact, Rossignol admits she's recruited friends to move to Willow Glen.

Despite her initial disinterest in the area, Rossignol now loves living in Willow Glen. "I think it's a great area, and I love living here. The neighborhood is friendly, and there are people looking out for you," Rossignol said.

Rossignol's love for Willow Glen and her active participation in Meredith Avenue issues are two of the reasons she was asked to become a WGNA board member. Having a Meredith Avenue resident on the board will make it easier for WGNA to be aware of the issues affecting the street, said WGNA president Kris Cunningham.

Rossignol got to know Cunningham and the other WGNA board members last summer during Billiards and Brew's attempt to get its hours of operation extended from midnight to 2 a.m.

Rossignol and her husband, Phil, coordinated the residents of Meredith Avenue in voicing their concerns about the issue. Since Meredith feeds directly into Lincoln Avenue, the Rossignols and their neighbors were concerned about noise and people leaving Lincoln by way of their street.

"We had nothing against Billiards and Brew. We wish them well," she said. "We just didn't want Lincoln to turn into a 24-hour street like Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos. Neighborhoods are for neighborhoods. If you want entertainment businesses with long hours, put it in downtown."

While working with the WGNA to get the concerns of Meredith Avenue residents heard, Rossignol saw how influential neighbors can be in such discussions. "You can make an impact; people will listen to you. Take the extra step to find out what's going on. Get involved and practice democracy," Rossignol said.

Having lived in three different cultures--European, Southeast Asian and American--Rossignol knows the importance of freedom and democracy. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Rossignol has seen how European democracy works. She's also seen the ramifications of dictatorships. In 1957, Rossignol was living in Indonesia when Sukarno came to power. She and her family were forced to flee the country for their safety. "We have an incredible gift of freedom and democracy here. I really want to do something to give back to the community," Rossignol said.

From her experience working with WGNA for Meredith Avenue, Rossignol was impressed by the knowledge the group had about the government process and was honored when asked if she was interested in becoming a board member. Rossignol is particularly impressed with the section of the WGNA charter that charges the organization "to preserve and enhance the Willow Glen neighborhood."

Rossignol raised her daughter, Johanna Tuite, in Willow Glen as a single mother and would like to work to provide others with the same opportunity. "It's a safe and pleasant place to be. I'd like to see that for other young families," she said.

As a member of the board, Rossignol wants to maintain her passion and desire to keep Willow Glen going and to support the efforts of Lincoln Avenue businesses.

Although Rossignol is new to the board, she anticipates that the fairgrounds expansion plan will become an important issue for WGNA. "It's the age-old problem of noise," she said.

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