Elizabeth Giarratana, author of Old Willow Glen, and April Halberstadt, author of The Willow Glen Neighborhood: Then and Now, will share with readers the story of how they wrote and conducted research for their books.

"We would like to contribute to the celebration of Founders' Day," said Maurice Stevenson, branch manager of the Willow Glen Library.

The library is located at 1157 Minnesota Ave. For more information, call 408.998.2022.


Power failure shuts streets

Minnesota Avenue was paralyzed on the morning of Aug. 21 due to a power failure.

PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said the outtage started between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. when two wires at the intersection of Minnesota and Settle avenues came down. About 3,900 residents were left without power.

"I heard a loud noise like an explosion," said Minnesota Avenue resident Woods Mattingley. "I ran off to the street, and the electrical wire on Settle Avenue was sparkling."

Mattingley said he stopped the traffic to prevent people from getting hurt. Police and fire department officials also arrived to direct cars off Minnesota Avenue.

PG&E immediately sent 12 maintenance workers to reroute the electricity. Most Willow Glen residents got their power back around 11:30 a.m.

But Smith said PG&E workers had trouble sending electricity to about 50 residents on Minnesota Avenue, and workers had to check pole by pole to find the equipment that had malfunctioned. PG&E workers later discovered that a bird had been caught in a transformer.

The power on Minnesota Avenue resumed around 3 p.m.


Workshops to build strong neighborhoods

United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County (UNSCC) will hold its ninth annual conference on Oct. 12 at San José State University.

This year's theme is "Building our nation with strong neighborhoods."

"America is a nation of communities," said Jacqui Carr Gouveia, executive director of the UNSCC. "The strength of our nation depends on the health of its communities."

Educational workshops will be offered in various topics, such as leadership, community building, youth involvement and cultural diversity.

"We hope the conference will inspire, motivate and meet individual needs for the enhancement of neighborhoods."

For more information, call 408.286.8661 or visit www.unscc.org.


Denelle Fedor runs for education board

Denelle Fedor is running for the board of trustees of San Jose/Evergreen Valley Community College District 6, which covers Willow Glen.

"My heart has always been with education," said Fedor, a spokeswoman for San José State University. "I am the first woman in my family to go to college. I want to make a contribution to the college system."

The San Jose/Evergreen Community College District is governed by a seven-member board of trustees representing a population of more than 918,800 people. Each trustee covers an area of San Jose and is elected every two years.

Fedor will compete against incumbent Richard Hobbs, who has represented Trustee Area 6 since January of 1995.

"It will be a healthy competition," Fedor said. "I have a solid background. I believe people will love to share their ideas with someone who is innovative and has much to offer."

Fedor said fiscal responsibility would be her top priority.

"Community colleges need to be open to everyone," Fedor said. "If people are not allowed to be students because the colleges are closed, we fail as a society."

Her other policies include providing technical advancement, ensuring a healthy and safe educational environment, and creating job opportunities.

The election will be held Nov. 5.


Radio Avenue traffic will improve

Visitors to Lincoln Park had better park their cars in the park's lot.

Neighbors say Lincoln Glen Park, at the intersection of Lincoln and Radio avenues, is both a blessing and a nightmare. The park's popularity has generated many traffic problems on Radio Avenue.

In an Aug. 14 community meeting, residents expressed their concerns to San Jose District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager and representatives from the San Jose Police Department and Department of Transportation (DOT).

The police department promised to heighten enforcement and issue tickets to people who park their cars on Radio Avenue for more than the one-hour limit. The DOT will install signs within a few weeks to direct visitors to park their cars in the lot.

The DOT will paint the curb red along Radio Avenue for residents who have complained they couldn't get out their driveways because some cars were parked too close.

Also, in response to some neighbors' concerns about the high speed and volume of traffic on Radio Avenue, the DOT will conduct a traffic study after school starts.