A local Willow Glen business owner for 4 ¹/2 years, the 49-year-old says he's "embarking on a great adventure" by running in the March 2004 election—an adventure, which is not unlike his varied career that has led him from aviation to photography in the Navy to his current job as owner of Noah's Ark Pet Styling.

He says, "Mr. Yeager has done a fine job, but I think a long-time resident can do a better job of representing Willow Glen and the rest of the district."

Beasworrick lives in Willow Glen and says he "feels more in touch with the people of this district." Yeager lives in the Rose Garden neighborhood.

Beasworrick is running on a platform that emphasizes residents' accessibility to city government, promoting job creation and maintaining Willow Glen's "real family emphasis."

He said he disagreed with Yeager's vote at the Sept. 16 city council meeting to delay the mayor's proposal on Getting Families Back to Work, a proposal that focuses on promoting jobs and business growth. District council members Yeager, David Cortese, Terry Gregory and Cindy Chavez recommended deferring the proposal to a later date because of several issues. These issues included a moratorium on all new business regulations as well as finding ways to provide additional job training, tax relief for construction and exemptions for home improvements.

"As much as we want people to have a living wage, people are so hungry, they'll take any wage," Beasworrick says. "They can negotiate once they have a job. Any sacrifice to other programs that we can make to get jobs back in this valley needs to be made."

Although Beasworrick has no previous political experience, he's in the process of soliciting supporters through word of mouth, creating a website and meeting merchants. He says he plans to attend various local neighborhood and business association meetings in the upcoming months. Willow Glen Neighborhood Association President Helen Solinski says Beasworrick has contacted her by email, but has not attended a meeting to date.

"Local organizations are the way to maintain contact with the district," Beasworrick says. For controversial issues, he favors a town hall-style meeting forum, and he is not afraid to knock on people's doors to learn their views.

While he is supportive of community outreach, his stance on growth is cautious. "It isn't possible to take a stand against growth in this valley," he says. But he has "mixed feelings" on the Tamien Place 11-story twin-tower project.

"We need high-density housing because we're running out of space," Beasworrick said. "But I'm not at peace that they went so tall."

He is also looking at the district's traffic and safety issues. He wants the streets to be safer for pedestrians and says traffic enforcement is a key factor in achieving positive results. Yet he recognizes it's a difficult issue, and he proposes increasing radar patrols and having citizens form volunteer traffic-watch groups.

"I always like to encourage and organize volunteerism," he says.

Beasworrick wants to maintain Willow Glen's reputation as a nice place to live and raise a family. He lived in the community until he was five years old. He then moved to another section of San Jose, but attended Willow Glen Elementary for two years.

Now he's returned to the community—in April 2003—so he and his wife, Salie, could be closer to their store.

Beasworrick and his wife have been married for 16 years. The couple raised Salie's two children and now enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren. They are also considering becoming foster parents. Should he be elected, he would turn the pet-grooming business over to his wife and take on the council position full time.

But even before deciding to run for public office, Beasworrick was involved with the San Jose Chapter of the Kiwanis Club, Family Community Church and the Boy Scouts.

Beasworrick serves as a unit commissioner for four Boy Scout troops and traces his love of the outdoors and working with kids to his years as a Boy Scout. He joined the organization at age 10.

"He's the kind of person who is more concerned with helping others than himself," says Ed Sheldon, his former scoutmaster. Sheldon appointed Beasworrick senior patrol leader of his troop as a youth and said he gained respect for Beasworrick watching how he led others in the troop. Sheldon and Beasworrick still spend time together as members of the Kiwanis Club.

"He has no political ambition, he's just a good guy and a hard worker," Sheldon says.

In addition to his volunteering, he enjoys flying private aircraft, photography, ballroom dancing with his wife and reading science fiction. He's currently re-reading Isaac Asimov's The Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr, Space Ranger.

"Science fiction out of the '50s is really fun," he says.

And Beasworrick's family is no stranger to San Jose. His family's relationship with the city goes back four generations. His ancestors came from Cornwall, England, to work in the Almaden mines in the 1880s.

"I have a vested interest in San Jose," he says.

If Beasworrick gathers the necessary 50 signatures to run by Dec. 5, he will face incumbent Ken Yeager.

"I'm not a political science major, I'm a local business owner," Beasworrick says. "I'm familiar with business aspects intimately," which he believes are a plus for any council member, especially in today's difficult economic climate.