In District 6, incumbent Ken Yeager is being challenged by newcomer Daniel Beasworrick. This challenge asks voters to decide whether they want to return a now-experienced councilman to office or take their chances on a candidate whose history, frankly, offers little to suggest he would be an effective district representative.

The Willow Glen Resident believes the choice is obvious. We recommend Ken Yeager.

During his first term in office, Yeager has built a solid reputation of neighborhood service. He helped revitalize Willow Glen's downtown business district by convincing the city to fund a $200,000 Lincoln Avenue business district study. That study resulted in downtown traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, cleaner streets and a beautification plan.

He also helped put the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association back on its feet through resources and support from the city. He has been a key figure in pushing forward the completion of an urban trails project and hiring a full-time trails coordinator to see the master plan through. And he has been at the forefront in airport issues pertaining to noise and flight patterns.

Although he was the lone vote against the Tamien Place Area project, a project we believed was good for the greater community, his rationale was based on concern for his district and how traffic and housing density might adversely affect the neighborhoods he represents. Although we strongly support neighborhood advocacy, we hope that in the future he will try to balance the great good of the entire community against the interests of small neighborhoods.

Beasworrick has no experience in city government. His primary community experience has been with the South San Jose Kiwanis Club. And although Beasworrick is focused on economic growth, helping the unemployed find work and making government more accessible, he has never been a board member on a city commission or agency, an experience that would better assist him in understanding the city's inner network and the district he wants to represent.

Yeager has been a committed and conscientious councilman who has served his district well and deserves to be returned to office. It makes no sense to replace him with someone who has just begun to dip his toe in the political waters. The Willow Glen Resident recommends Ken Yeager for District 6.