The 7 p.m. meeting at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church opened with a moment of silence in honor of the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Next, Larry and Judy Kruppenbacher addressed the association to complain that transients were becoming a nuisance in the parking lot of Safeway and Bally Total Fitness at Hamilton and Meridian avenues.

Larry said that there are motor homes that have been in the parking lot for several weeks and that there is even a camper on blocks.

The Kruppenbachers do not live near the parking lot but frequently patronize Bally. Judy said that nearby neighbors have complained about loud music coming from the campers at night. The Kruppenbachers also said they spoke with a police officer one day who happened to be in the parking lot and that the officer said the motor home owners were harmless and don't pose a threat.

The Kruppenbachers said they brought the issue to the attention of Bally's and Safeway's management.

Judy said that Safeway has notified the campers of the complaints but she hasn't noticed any changes.

"What we've observed happening," Judy said, "is that once one or two campers come in there, then of course that means that more people will come in there."

"We just wanted to let you know that people are definitely living on that property," Judy said.

The Kruppenbachers said that they called San Jose District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager's office and were told to bring the issue to the attention of the vehicle abatement office. Association members discussed briefly that if the parking lot is private property then the landowner should be addressing the issue.

Association members said they would help the Kruppenbachers work with Safeway and Bally management as well as with police to resolve the situation.

Next, WGNA board member Cathy Marshall gave a brief report from the Airport Monitoring Committee. The airport is planning to construct a people mover shuttling system. The system will be on an elevated rail that will take up six-tenths of a mile. Marshall said that the airport is working on an environmental impact report. A completion date has yet to be scheduled.

WGNA first vice president Helen Solinski read a brief update on the Longs Drugs being constructed on Lincoln Avenue.

Solinski said that the fixtures were installed Sept. 9 but that the city won't have running water going to the building until between middle and late October. The city will not allow the store to be open to the public until the water ceiling sprinklers inside are functional.

Solinski said that the city is taking extra precautions in light of the recent fire at Santana Row on Stevens Creek Boulevard.

"Longs is still shooting for opening around Thanksgiving," Solinski closed.

The association gave itself a short round of applause when it came time to discuss how Founders' Day went.

Secretary Margaret Hardy said the 75th Founders' Day was "a complete success. It exceeded all our expectations."

President John Gibbs added, "I have heard nothing but compliments about the event."

Willow Glen business owner Chris Carris addressed the board to discuss his duty as this year's organizer of the event's parade down Lincoln Avenue.

"The speed of the parade was approximately 1.6 miles per hour and wound up one hour sooner than I had predicted for the parade to end," Carris said.

He said the parade consisted of 776 people, 52 cars, 34 scooters, one bicycle, eight trucks, and one stagecoach with six mounted horses.

Carris received several favorable comments on the parade, but a couple requests were for music segments of the parade to be moved closer to the front.

Carris added that some of the riding horses were feeling skittish because they perceived the stagecoach as a threat to the horses pulling it but otherwise were behaving well.

Carras also said that he had had a convertible Lincoln Continental ready for San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales to ride in but that Gonzalez chose to walk instead.

The next meeting for the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church.