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Founders parade may return to the Avenue, after all
McGurk steps in to rally sponsors and volunteers from community
By Kara Chalmers
A Lincoln Avenue parade for Founders Day is "looking doable," according to Michelle McGurk, chief of staff for Vice Mayor Frank Fiscalini. But only with the help of the Willow Glen community.
On September 18 around 10 a.m., the parade is scheduled to run from Glen Eyrie Avenue to Willow Street. Vendor booths will line Lincoln Avenue from Minnesota to Willow, part of the parade's traditional route.
At the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association's (WGBPA) monthly board meeting last Tuesday, McGurk, who has taken on the responsibility of coordinating the parade, promised to investigate the additional costs of closing that portion of the avenue to traffic and hiring more off-duty police officers. She said she was quite confident that it would be easy to find Willow Glen businesses that would help cover the additional costs.
"For sponsorships, many times you just need to ask," she says. "A lot of people really want to give back to the community."
In fact, at the same meeting, John Karamanos, owner of The Glen, offered to contribute up to $2,500, challenging other Willow Glen businesses to match his donation.
But it looks as though donations of that size will not be necessary. Since the meeting last Tuesday, the city's Office of Cultural Affairs (which coordinates festivals) and the San Jose Police Department tentatively estimate that the additional cost would be under $3,000.
Also, since the parade will occur on Founders Day after all, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA) will contribute up to $500, according to WGNA president J. Michael Gonzales, assuming the other major players pitch in greater or matching amounts.
Since last month when WGBPA board members decided to move the Founders Day parade to Halloween, the association has been embroiled in a controversy with those in the community who were against the move. To complicate matters, the association has recently gone through some internal upheavals of its own.
Four board members have left the association, as has the president, David Machado, and three new members have been voted in.
But whether or not any of the resignations can be linked to the community controversy over WGBPA's decision to move the parade remains unclear.
Machado, who is the vice president of Washington Mutual on Lincoln Avenue and an active member in the Willow Glen community, says his schedule was getting too full to continue as WGBPA president.
"I'm still here to help," he says. "Being involved is what really matters, that's more important than any title thrown on it."
Machado was away on vacation when the decision was made to move the Founders Day parade to Halloween. He was not contacted, he says. Although he happens to be against having the parade on Halloween, he says his decision to resign had nothing to do with the parade. "It was time for me to go," he said. "It comes to a point where you just don't see things moving."
Chris Carris, owner of the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company, says that family matters and a busy work schedule motivated his resignation. Kathy McDonald, whose business Servers To Go just relocated to San Jose, says she resigned for personal reasons, as did Randi Fredericks, former WGBPA secretary.
"I plan on coming back," Fredericks says. "I think the world of [WGBPA] and really enjoyed working with them."
Don Araki, owner of the Tea Totaler, says he is too busy with his job to volunteer on WGBPA right now.
"I wasn't dissatisfied with anything the board was doing, I just got too busy," he says. "I am sorry I can't spend more time."
By unanimous vote of the board, Gary Nelson of Brooks, Stednitz and Rhodes, Glen owner John Karamanos and Laura L' Augusta, owner of L' Daisy Patch, are the three newest WGBPA board members.
Parade volunteers are invited to attend a planning session on Monday, August 30 at 7 p.m. at the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company. RSVP to Michelle McGurk at 277-5166. Potential parade participants can call or email McGurk (district6@ci.sj.ca.us) for entry forms.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
