The Willow Glen ResidentLettersFor the past two issues, we've asked you, our readers, to tell us what you think about the Willow Glen Resident. We wanted to know from the best authorities on the topic what the purpose of a community paper is. Some responded by saying they like the coupons; others said they liked the way the paper brings the community together. The responses were as varied as our readership is. But one theme ran through all the letters: our No. 1 job is to inform. We hope we've done that over the past 10 years, and we plan on doing it for many more. Following is a sampling of what you think about your community paper. Out-of-towners read before they make a move to the Glen Monica and I have been involved with the Willow Glen Resident in many ways. We have been constant advertisers for the past 10 years. We have also been interviewed regarding real estate matters several times over the years. The paper also paid a wonderful tribute to my father-in-law, Angelo Butera, upon his passing last year. He was a 40-year resident and business owner in Willow Glen. In addition, we read the paper faithfully and enjoy its many articles centering on the Willow Glen community. The paper really zeros in on our neighbors and businesses in the area. It keeps the residents linked together. This paper is so popular, many people outside the Willow Glen area read it. It has been our experience that most of these readers hope to make the move to Willow Glen someday! Monica has lived in Willow Glen for 42 years. I grew up in the Rose Garden area, but Monica showed me the light, and I moved here in 1976. While selling real estate in the area over the last decade, we have watched the prices climb dramatically. Buyers are demanding the small-town atmosphere offered by the Willow Glen community. Willow Glen has always been a great place to live. I have never experienced the sense of community and pride of ownership that exists in Willow Glen anywhere else in San Jose. Each home is a mini-estate where owners constantly strive to make improvements. People get involved here. The Willow Glen Resident is the best source of information to keep us connected.
Patrick and Monica Farnsworth Neighborhood news keeps community in the light Thomas Jefferson once wrote to John Adams, "The light which has been shed on mankind by the art of printing has eminently changed the condition of the world." In our little corner of the world, The Willow Glen Resident has helped to shape and define, to change our community. It is inherent in Americans to understand the importance of the press. We may complain about the bent of a newspaper, we may debate the right to privacy that sometimes is invaded, but let that newspaper fail to appear on our doorsteps and we feel like someone has turned off the lights. And in a way they have. I cannot count the times neighbors and friends have commented on a Resident article, stated that they follow the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association in The Resident, referred to an incident or happening as related in The Resident. The light that is shed by local publications is indeed worthwhile. Over the past 10 years, the Resident has grown from a monthly newspaper to weekly coverage. I believe it has also grown in the quality of writing as well as its professionalism. We have always enjoyed the folksy articles which have kept us up to date on neighbors and town happenings, but in recent years, the in-depth coverage of schools and the follow-up on planning/development issues have indicated a trend toward serious journalism. As The Resident has progressed in the past decade, so has Willow Glen. We have been blessed with a business district which improves with each year and acts as the core of our community. Likewise, our neighborhoods sparkle, and the proud established residents welcome the equally proud new members of our community. This is where The Resident comes into the picture--actually, clarifies the picture. When we read of the inspirational faith and courage of Bill and Geri Jeffrey confronting the murder of their son, when we are made aware of Darin Sikk's gift to his child in the form of a living-donor transplant, when we enjoy the pictures of Founders Day or our infamous Christmas tree lights or read the pros and cons of a proposed development, we are reminded of the real people that surround us. We feel drawn into community. And perhaps we feel we can be a viable contributing member of this big wide world. Happy anniversary and congratulations to owner David Cohen, editor Maggie Benson, writer Cecily Barnes and all those at our community newspaper. Keep up the good work and keep our community light, the Willow Glen Resident shining!
Kris Cunningham Paper informs, defines area as its own entity What is the purpose of a community paper? A community paper keeps its readers abreast of what is happening in the area. When new stores or restaurants open in the Willow Glen area, we read about this in our weekly Willow Glen Resident. Before the paper came along, I don't believe we were aware of things that were happening in our neighborhoods. The Farmers' Market, for one thing, is well advertised in your newspaper. Recently there was a fatality near Bramhall Park that I was not aware of. Didn't see a thing about it in the San Jose Mercury News. We all are better informed as a result of the Willow Glen Resident. Some six months ago, there was an article about shoplifting on Lincoln Avenue and what merchants were doing to protect their merchandise. This is newsworthy and definitely not something we would read in the San Jose Mercury. Loved the story about the person who lost his wallet and had it returned to him at his home, intact. In the past 10 years, Lincoln Avenue has become a small metropolis. Many upscale stores have moved onto Lincoln Avenue. I still miss Bergmann's Department Store, but it's a sign of the times (just like Emporium at Almaden). Many more restaurants have moved into the Willow Glen area, and each one is rather unique. I believe that more young people are moving into the neighborhood with their young children. It appears that children who were raised in the Willow Glen area are moving back to this area to raise their children and send their children to the same schools they attended. The Resident keeps us abreast of these changes. For example, when a new store or restaurant has purchased or leased a site in the area, The Resident lets its readers know how many parking spaces will be available, what the store is that will open and a little bit of history regarding the owners. We as residents of Willow Glen area must patronize "our own" to keep these businesses going. Our "small-town paper" characterizes Willow Glen as an entity, not just an area within San Jose. I look forward to receiving the Willow Glen Resident every week. Keep up the good work!
Mildred Hubbard Community news renews, nourishes local connections I am writing to commend you and your staff for a job well done. Your paper provides a valuable reflection and affirmation of the community of Willow Glen. Many of us take for granted the value you add to the community by telling our stories and bringing us information. We read the paper every week to find out what's going on in Willow Glen and to find out what our neighbors are thinking. What we gain beyond information is a renewed and reinforced connection to the community. Our lives are easily fragmented, and our community connections are often fragile. Your paper serves to nourish these connections. Thank you for doing this faithfully and well.
Cathy Adkins Despite the malls, the Avenue has continued to survive Willow Glen has always been a wonderful place to live, and when I was growing up in the '50s and early '60s, it also had a pretty thriving downtown business district. I can remember four or five dress shops along the one block between Minnesota and Brace Avenues. During the '60s and '70s, business gradually fell off downtown, as it did in most non-mall shopping areas. Everyone still loved living in Willow Glen, but they didn't do much shopping here, try as they might. The retail action had moved to Valley Fair. The early '80s probably marked the beginning of the downtown's comeback, when a few risk-taking merchants began to join the handful of stalwart retailers who dug in and had somehow remained entrenched during the dark Era of the Shopping Center. It wasn't too long before the community and the business district had a way to keep in touch and be informed. Enter the Willow Glen Resident. We always knew we lived in a special place, and it felt good to have someone from the outside agree and be willing to bet that there might actually be interested readers and advertisers. Of course, they were right. So now we have a new set of problems to deal with. Just what do we think about major chain retailers wanting a place on Lincoln Avenue? Myself, I like the direction of our new concerns. I like the energy, excitement and enthusiasm. I'm proud that Willow Glen has achieved the recognition and acknowledgment that it deserves. It is a lovely place to live and to shop, and the people who have chosen Willow Glen to live and/or shop in are equally lovely. I'm confident that together, we will find a way to work out a good balance.
Sue McCarthy Neighborhood would be better served by more editorials Happy 10th birthday, Willow Glen Resident! I admit that every Wednesday I anxiously await your new edition. After all, I am a Willow Glenite who lives and works in downtown Willow Glen. I live in a unique community that is proud of its surroundings. It is a community of many activists who are quite vocal when it concerns Willow Glen. The Resident provides and has provided a melange of information concerning our business community, neighborhoods, school issues, downtown Willow Glen events and of course, news! It is "our" source of information for just our community--our Willow Glen paper. As the business manager of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, I frequently deal with the staff of The Resident. The paper will cover our upcoming events, board decisions, new business openings and other business issues. Yet as a newspaper, it also will cover issues that sometimes offend some or stir up our membership into a frenzy! Some of the articles that I wish would just go away included security on the Avenue, shoplifting, businesses going under and the ever-so-popular parking problem on the Avenue. OK, I'm being selfish for just wanting positive articles about the WGBPA. I do miss the editorials. An editorial can ignite a community, and it can divide it. I remember when a past editor referred to a past Founders Day as a "swap meet." Boy, did that make a lot of people mad. Some feel that a community paper should not deal with editorials, but I disagree. We should never forget that we are fortunate to live in an open society. We can agree to disagree. I feel that Maggie Benson should, at times, write an editorial concerning a Willow Glen issue. I'm sure there will be times when I will want to burn the issue, but I won't. I have been fortunate to travel the world and appreciate our way of life. The press should always report the news as is and the truth! So happy birthday to our community paper, a paper that is about Willow Glen--a nice place to live, with tree-lined roads, old charming homes and an awesome downtown district that is getting better and better. I hope that the community appreciates our paper and the paper appreciates our community--our Willow Glen.
Demetri Rizos
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This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, October 29, 1997. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||