From community advocates like Larry Ames, who for decades, has been working to improve our trails, traffic and the community's quality of life; to Red Cross volunteers like Harry Hall who flew to Florida to help hurricane victims. Willow Glen is a neighborhood where many give from the heart without thinking twice.

There are women like Mimi Hernandez, Linda Mancuso, Nicole Van Vleck and Lori Sexaur who organized the Angel Race to help fight AIDS/HIV. And there are other angels, like Shirley Jorgensen and her Shirley's Angels team who continuously lend a hand to short-staffed nonprofits.

Then there they are others who share what they know with their family and community. We have residents who sew—Monica DePalmo and her children—and citizens who soar, Armand Gutierrez. For Gutierrez it's the thrill of hand gliding through the sky. For DePalmo it's the sky's the limit when it comes to creative sewing projects.

Our community also welcomed new faces into the neighborhood. The San Jose Unified School District got a new superintendent, Don Inglesias, who took over in August and a new trustee Pam Foley, who came on board, in December.

But we also said our goodbyes to those who have left strong memories among family and friends—Sarah Curci, Wayne Champion and Frank Badaglicca.

Willow Glen is also a community rich with people who are avid stamp collectors, book club members and knitters. We have neighborhoods like Willow Ranch, Laurelwood and Mulberry Lane where families have lived for decades, even generations. And Eichlers that define a generation.

Then there are those who have served like veterans Garry McLeod, Randy Richmond and John Carlson—members of the American Legion and Willow Glen Post 318—and those who are learning to give like the members of Boy Scout Troop Pack 207 and Willow Glen teenagers Kevin Becker, John Shaffer, Jennifer Kaye and Angelica Montelongo.

And what would Willow Glen be without its history and the residents who relish it. This year was the realization of a long-time dream for Palm Haven residents, who completed the renovation of the dormant lights on the entrance pillars. It was five-decades in the making and an historical occasion when the lights were once again turned on.

In 2004 the Willow Glen Resident had an opportunity to put many of these interesting people in our paper. We gave the community a chance to learn about their accomplishments and their dreams, and we plan on providing the same coverage in 2005.

Willow Glen has proved itself to be a great place to live, with a strong and caring community that extends itself beyond its San Jose boundaries.

January

On Jan. 13, the San Jose City Council approved a $39,920 grant used by the San Jose Police Department for its sobriety checkpoint program. The goal of the program was to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol-related crashes. Four separate DUI checkpoints were set up between Dec. 1, 2003, and Sept. 30, 2004.

During a January San Jose City Council meeting, Mayor Ron Gonzalez said the current fiscal crisis was the worst recession the city had seen. Areas to cut included a 10 percent cut in public safety, police and fire services. It also required a 20.4 percent cut in areas such as neighborhood development, environmental and utility services, recreation, transportation and council appointees. The proposed 10 percent cut would reduce the police and fire department budgets by $35 million for the 2004-05 year.

On. Jan. 27 a 15-year-old Willow Glen High School sophomore Samuel Peña Jr. was fatally stabbed while en route to school. An argument broke out between Peña Jr. and a fellow passenger, 20-year-old Benny Espinoza on the VTA No. 82 bus. After arriving at a bus stop near the corner of Pine and Cottle avenues, the two got off the bus but continued to argue. The argument grew heated, and Peña was allegedly stabbed multiple times in the upper body by Espinoza, who fled the scene before police arrived. About three minutes after the stabbing, a passerby saw Peña lying on the road and stopped to call police. Less than an hour after Peña was stabbed, he was pronounced dead at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Seven hours after the stabbing, the suspect was arrested in downtown San Jose.

Gardner Elementary School parent-teacher group Hablemos was nominated by Councilwoman Cindy Chavez and given a Good Neighbor Award by the city of San Jose. The group received the award in front of the captive audience at the State of the City address, before Mayor Ron Gonzales had a mild stroke.

At the annual Willow Glen Business and Professional Association meeting, Executive Director Norma Ruiz introduced new board president and Willow Glen Books owner Cathy Adkins, who had served on the board for two years. Adkins said her main goals as president were to create a Willow Glen "product and image" and to utilize the association's "momentum and continuity" of leadership. Siena Bistro owner Don Skipwith was inducted as vice president. He joined the organization in 2003 and worked on the Light Up Willow Glen project and the holiday horse-and-carriage rides.

February

The San Jose Planning Commission agreed unanimously on Feb. 11 to let Presentation High School build a new sports complex. The project will upgrade the school's facilities with a softball field that doubles for field hockey, a new soccer field and a swimming pool.

San Jose Unified School District bus driver Brian Jerome Armstrong, 48, an employee in the district since 1994, was arrested on charges of purchasing and possessing child pornography, a felony. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Feb. 12, with bail set at $5,000. Armstrong was picked up by sheriff's detectives at his home in Willow Glen on WillowTree Court in between bus shifts on Feb. 12. A search warrant was issued after federal investigators contacted the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department because the federal investigators located Armstrong on the customer list of a Florida man who was arrested for distributing child pornography, according to Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force Sgt. Ted Marfia. Marfia said that when the task force arrived at Armstrong's home, he was watching child pornography videos. Authorities also discovered other child porn in his residence.

March

Jimmy DeGrasso and Paul Batres opened their business, San Jose Pro Drum, in the space previously occupied by Lemmon Percussion on the corner of Bird Avenue and Willow Street. In just six weeks Jimmy DeGrasso and Paul Batres went from being traveling musicians to retail storeowners. DeGrasso and Batres, both professional drummers, have know each other for 10 years.

After battling since January to save their schools from closure, parents at Hester, Erikson and Hammer schools pleaded with San Jose Unified School District board members to look elsewhere to solve the district's $10 million budget deficit. But their efforts were in vain, as the school board voted 3-2 to close the schools starting September 2004. When the final votes were cast, many parents were in a state of shock, sitting in their chairs hugging each other for support as tears rolled down their cheeks. For those who had faithfully attended all the meetings and spoken before the board and district, their disappointment and frustration were clearly evident over the district's decision to no longer delay the vote on the school-closure issue.

Gussied Up Dog Boutique had its grand opening on Lincoln Avenue. Owner Kimberly Lipsett established the store after she was unable to find a collar she liked for her 1¹/2-year-old miniature Doberman pinscher, Gus. The store sells ribbon and fur collars, leads, pet beauty products and doggie treats.

Lincoln Glen Little League began its 51st season by honoring one of its founding fathers, longtime Willow Glen resident and Little League coach Joe Walter. During his 33 years in the league, Mr. Walter was as a sponsor, coach and board member. Walter is considered responsible for starting up Lincoln Glen's farm league, a separate division for 8- and 9-year-olds. Upon Joe's urging, a division was formed, emphasizing learning and sportsmanship, teamwork and fun, principles that still guide the coaches and players today in what is known as the "A" division.

At a meeting organized by District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager, 55 residents came out to listen to San Jose's new police chief, Rob Davis, talk about safety. It was an opportunity for residents to meet their top cop in their own neighborhood and discuss gang prevention. The good news was that gang crimes had gone down 12 percent compared to last year, but the bad news was that the level of violence was up, Davis said.

In an effort to finally ease the parking problem, Bank of America signed a parking license agreement with the city to share 75 of its 115 spaces to relieve some of the parking shortage on Lincoln Avenue. San Jose negotiated with Bank of America to pay for the maintenance and landscaping the parking spaces for three years. After that, the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association will take over the costs.

Suspected of burglarizing four San Jose schools, including Saint Christopher's and Presentation High School in Willow Glen, Christopher Pavelek, 20, was taken into custody at his home in on Fairglen Avenue in Willow Glen. The thieves slipped in through roofs and doors and walked away with thousands of dollars of audio and office equipment.

On the morning of March 19 six to eight San Jose Police Department patrol cars, one detective car and one sergeant car surrounded the US Bank on Lincoln Avenue near Willow Street. To those driving by during their morning commute it looked like a major bank robbery in progress. But instead of the police apprehending a robber, it turned out that a US Bank employee had locked her keys inside the bank when she was closing up. The employee climbed through the ventilation system to avoid setting off the alarm as she attempted to retrieve her keys. When the other employees entered the bank the following day, the scene appeared to be the work of burglars, so they contacted the police.

Six months after the controversial Tamien Place development was overwhelmingly approved by the San Jose City Council, residents affected by the project met with the project's architect to discuss the building's design. The meeting was the first of several planned between the community and the developer, Barry Swenson Builder, and drew more than 40 people. Those at the meeting accepted the fact that the project was going forward and moved on to wanting the development to be the best fit for the community and the nearby Willow Glen neighborhood.

April

Mann's Jewelers owner Merel Heggelund held a Diamonds for Diabetes benefit that included a silent auction and refreshments. Heggelund donated the proceeds from the sale of a pair of black and white diamond earrings by designer Lorenzo, a diamond heart pendant and seven other items to the Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley in Willow Glen.

The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a proposal to draft guidelines for a secondary-unit ordinance, lifting a 20-year ban on "granny units." Under the approved draft, owners with 6,000-square-foot lots could build a 650-square-foot, 16-foot-tall unit with electrical, water and sewer by receiving permits that do not require a public hearing.

La Concha Spa massage therapist Ana Doriza Navia held a marathon massage session to benefit the non profit Cry for the Poor Foundation, and performed 15 massages in a row. She raised $2,000. Some of her long-time clients even stopped by the spa during the day, without a massage appointment, just to donate money. All the money and tips collected went directly toward building family dwellings for the homeless in Navia's birthplace, the Philippines.

Third-graders at Canoas Elementary School got a lesson in how to use their words, when the California Dictionary Project gave each one of the students their own Webster's. The dictionary distribution was augmented by classroom visits from San Jose Unified School District administrators, who showed students how to use their new resource tool to their best advantage.

May

After more than four years of planning and fundraising, the Stone Church's final renovation road block was lifted when the San Jose Planning Commission approved the church's plans to revitalize Willow Glen's historic house of worship. The congregation raised $1.3 million for remodeling that included reconfiguring the church's interior and the adjacent Lincoln House, where the church's Sunday school was located. The design also relocated the church's offices from the main building to the Lincoln House. The empty office space in the church was replaced with space for classes. The church library was also moved into Lincoln House, and that space was turned into a nursery.

Sisters of the Holy Family sold its convent located at 1050 Saint Elizabeth Drive to Self Help for the Elderly, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides services for the elderly. At a San Jose Planning Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously approved the nonprofit's permit request to remodel the 28,223-square-foot building into a multi-use facility that also includes 40 beds for those who require around-the-clock care. Self Help for the Elderly planned to reconfigure the facility into a senior center that would provide meals, English as a second language and citizenship classes, recreational activities and wellness programs and services for as many as 60 senior citizens.

Under the theme "circle of unity," Willow Street's Sacred Heart Church drew close to 100 people from the Gardner, Alma and Washington neighborhoods to a family summit. The purpose of the summit was to educate citizens of all ages about gang prevention through family intervention. Gardner Community Center director Tony Torres said thee three neighborhoods were targeted because they form a "triangle of violence." He hoped the summit would provide an opportunity for the start of a dialog between residents that would aid in breaking down gang barriers and begin building community. He invited former gang members to the summit to help.

Willow Glen residents reported numerous garden-related incidents that ranged from strangers clipping roses from their rosebushes to potted plants missing from porches. One resident, David Sarasua, said his clivia plants, valued at $100 each, were taken from his yard. Some local residents advised their neighbors to install motion-detector sprinkler systems, which could deter the weak-hearted thief.

Teenagers wiggling handmade signs gathered to protest the latest round of proposed budget cuts that targeted nonprofit agencies throughout the county. Some of the nonprofits affected included Live Oak Adult Day Services, Estrella Family Services, InnVision and Loaves & Fishes all in Willow Glen. A crowd made up of those most affected by the cuts—elderly, low-income families, youth and the numerous employees who work for nonprofit agencies—formed outside the Santa Clara County building on W. Hedding Street to demonstrate their displeasure. Through a show of numbers, protesters wanted county supervisors Don Gage and Jim Beall Jr. to know how badly trimming $10 million countywide from nonprofit services and $1 million from social services in Santa Clara County would hurt.

June

A 16-year-old girl was struck by a small car on her way to school with a couple of female friends. The teenager stepped off the curb into the bike lane and started dancing in the roadway at Curtner and Cottle avenues. She then moved farther out on the road into the slow lane, where traffic was heading eastbound on Curtner Avenue. A small vehicle going 25 to 30 mph in a 35-mph zone struck the teenager and sent her airborne across the intersection onto the east curb. She sustained serious injuries, including a broken hip and leg, and was transported to Valley Medical Center. To ameliorate the busy intersection, the San Jose Department of Transportation installed a left-turn-only light from Curtner Avenue onto Cottle Avenue. Department of Transportation Division Manager of Neighborhood Services Laura Wells said the impetus for the change was the volume of traffic, crash history and pedestrian activity at the intersection.

The San Jose Planning Commission voted 4-3 to overturn the planning director's decision to deny a single-family-house permit to property owner Joseph Quink. Quink will remodel his existing one-story, a 1,008-square-foot residence, into a two-story, 4,550-square-foot house. Citing the project's incompatibility with the surrounding houses and its nonconforming design, the city had initially denied the application because the proposed second story was equal to 77 percent of the first story, which did not comply with the city's single-family design guidelines established in 1999. But planning commissioners John Zamora and Jay James said the support of Quink's neighbor David Freeman, who had previously opposed the project, and the number of large second-story residences on streets surrounding Glenwood Avenue were the reason they voted to overturn the planning director's decision.

The San Jose City Council approved the allocation of $70,000 to the department of public works for streetscape design improvements on West Virginia Street, from Delmas to Illinois avenues and Delmas Avenue from West Virginia to Jerome streets. But the redevelopment agency's recommendation that $565,000 come out of its 2004-05 budget for the construction caused the project to be delayed. The $585,000 would be used to bring new, "Victorian-style" streetlights, street trees and crosswalks into North Willow Glen.

With budget cuts looming, Willow Glen residents wondered how public safety, parks and library services would be affected. San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales alleviated some of those fears when he indicated that funding would still be available to keep city-park restrooms open seven days a week and to save Willow Glen's San Jose Fire Station 6 hose truck and three firefighter positions at the station. Although the mayor earlier recommended closing the restrooms and reducing the Station 6 staffing and equipment in his budget message he stated that the city wanted to "keep our commitments to maintain and improve the quality of life for our residents."

July

A four-alarm fire at an 8,000-square-foot Willow Glen commercial building on Meridian Avenue caused approximately $1.5 million in structural damage. Fifty firefighters fought the blaze, putting out the fire after three hours, San Jose Fire Capt. Phil Manley said.

The building was home to tenants Tri County Apartment Owners Association and Labor Connection, a temporary-job placement agency. Two firefighters were treated for first-degree facial burns, and a third firefighter received a second-degree burn on his hands. Cause of the fire was unknown.

Willow Glen High School graduate Tomy Giang was one of 1,000 high school students across the country to receive a $1,000 "Leaders and Achievers" scholarship from the Comcast Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to high school seniors for exemplary community service, leadership skills, positive attitude and academic achievement.

A three-alarm fire took the life of Delilah Rose Dominguez and destroyed eight units in the Almaden Terrace Apartments at 2118 Canoas Garden Ave. Approximately 60 firefighters brought the fire under control after it damaged eight apartments in the 262-unit complex. Four upstairs apartments were burned and four downstairs units had severe water damage, displacing all of the tenants in those units. The eight families affected by the fire received temporary housing, food and clothing vouchers, while Dominguez died from smoke inhalation and burns, according to the Santa Clara County coroner's office.

She was identified through dental records. Although fireworks were linked to the fire, the fire department could not verify how the fire began.

August

The city's crosswalk sign pilot program began with the installation of a flashing crosswalk sign on Lincoln Avenue, between Willow Street and Meredith Avenue.

The new crosswalk signs are identical to the previous crosswalk signs except that they flash. When pedestrians want to enter the crosswalk, they push a button and the crosswalk on the sign lights up alerting motorists from a distance that a pedestrian is entering the intersection on busy Lincoln Avenue. The main purpose of the sign is to warn drivers, San Jose Department of Transportation Deputy Director Amit Kothari said.

The San Jose Unified School District Board of Trustees delayed putting a parcel tax on the November ballot. Two independent consulting firms hired by the district said that the district would have strong opposition—about 40 percent—which would make passage of a parcel tax difficult. The consultants also said the district had a good chance of getting a parcel tax approved if it waited until March 2006.

The San Jose Planning Commission unanimously approved a permit for Albertsons to replace the existing 23,237-square-foot building on Minnesota and Bird avenues and rebuild a 32,196-square-foot store. After three community meetings to address the neighborhood's concerns about noise, lighting and security, the commission sided with the community and denied Albertsons requested for 24-hour operating permit.

A dead Cooper's hawk found in Willow Glen tested positive for West Nile virus. The infected hawk turned up near Pine and Lincoln avenues, and was the first confirmation of the presence of the virus in Willow Glen, Campbell and Sunnyvale.

Two anti-gay hate crimes rocked the Willow Glen community. On the 1800 block of Kirkwood, unknown individuals vandalized a victim's home by placing dog feces on their welcome mat and strewing their trees and house with toilet paper. The individuals also wrote expletive-ridden, homophobic slurs on the victims' cars. Eight days later on the 1100 block of Malone Road, a gay man reported that his pride flag, which may have been the same one stolen from his home a year ago, showed up marked with homophobic slurs. The victim's house was also egged.

After an extensive renovation effort by the Palm Haven Restoration Committee, three of seven historic Mission-Revival-style pillars were lit for the first time in more than five decades. Over 2 1/2 years hundreds of volunteers and residents organized home tours, yard and plant sales and gave private donations to fund the pillars restoration. The Palm Haven Restoration Committee also received grants—Community Action and Pride grants from the city and a $10,000 grant from District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager's office—which helped raise the $117,000 to fund the project.

Less than one year after their openings, two Lincoln Avenue business—On the Avenue and Time 2 Celebrate—decided to close their doors. On the Avenue, a women's apparel store, closed on Aug. 21. Time 2 Celebrate closed in September.

The new Gardner Community Center reopened. The state-of-the-art $2.9 million facility was funded by the 2000 Parks Bond. The renovation revitalized the heart of the community, said Gardner Advisory Council and Greater Gardner Coalition member Norma Mendez. The new center doubled in size to 12,400-square-feet and contains a teen game room, fitness room, restaurant-style kitchen, computer lab, library/reading room, and craft and multipurpose room where Mexican folkloric dancers performed for the festivities. The city provided $900,000 in grants for the artwork and furnishings, but the bulk of the $2.9 million expense was paid by voter-approved bond Measure P.

The San Jose City Council waved the green flag for the rezoning of 4.6 acres—part of the Scottish Rite Foundation property—that was sold to Vitoil Inc. to develop a 172-unit condominium project. The residences will be built on what was an empty field at 2455 Masonic Drive near Curtner Avenue.

Center Stage Productions, a Willow Glen-based theater troupe that formed in 2001, debuted at the Center for Spiritual Living at 1195 Clark St. The troupe performed its first Rumors by Neil Simon in August.

Don Iglesias became the new superintendent for the San Jose Unified School District on the last day of August. He replaced former Superintendent Linda Murray who sat at the helm for more than 10 years. Iglesias comes in at a tough time, with the district $40 million in the red over the next five years, and concerned Willow Glen parents looking for ways to boost local enrollment.

September

The pipeline revamping that began in September caused traffic delays for commuters on Bird Avenue, traveling between Willow Street and Coe Avenue. The pipeline project replaced 100-year-old 4-inch and 6-inch wide pipes with 16-inch wide pipes, and laid 1,400 feet of new pipeline on Bird Avenue.

Joe Walter, an 89-year-old Willow Glen resident, was honored by the San Jose City Council for his years of service and dedication. Walter helped found the Lincoln Glen Little League farm division for 7- to 8-year-olds approximately 50 years ago.

Metro PCS received approval from the San Jose Planning Commission to install three wireless antennas inside the steeple of Willow Vale Community Church at the corner of Curtner and Meridian avenues. The church steeple also houses three Spring PCS wireless antennas.

The San Jose Unified School District approved a 10-year joint-use lease agreement with Presentation High School and Bellarmine College Preparatory for the shared use of four tennis courts at Willow Glen Middle School. Under the agreement, Presentation and Bellarmine will fund the renovation of the tennis courts, which are currently in such a state of disrepair that they are unusable.

A man and woman entered the Quick Stop Market at 4607 Cherry Ave. The man brandished a handgun at the clerk and raided the cash register and drop box, stealing an undisclosed amount of money from the store. The individuals then fled on foot.

Willow Glen homeowners had their American flags stolen from their property and reportedly burned. The Napolitano residence on Camino Pablo experienced the theft of two American flags. A neighbor saw several individuals walking down the street with a flag aflame. Unknown individuals also stole a decorative flag from the Faler residence on Carolyn Avenue and proceeded to set the flag on fire and rest it against the next-door neighbor's wooden fence.

The revamped public outreach policy was unanimously approved by San Jose City Council, mandating that representatives from neighborhood and homeowners associations be notified by email within 10 days of the filing of a development-project application. Prior to this approval there was no notification requirement. The Public Outreach Policy Focus Group that was made up of seven members representing neighborhood and homeowners associations, the city and developers worked on the policy for more than a year.

A $13,000 grant from Cisco Systems allowed Cleo Eulau Center consultants to help teachers at Willow Glen Middle School reach out to at-risk students. The Palo Alto-based center matches teachers with therapists who are trained in childhood development.

A Willow Glen Elementary School prize pumpkin was found smashed on the ground on Sept. 27. The giant pumpkin was one of two jumbo green squashes grown for the school's Harvest Festival and was to be auctioned off as a fundraiser item. Countrywide Home Loans delivered a 200-pound pumpkin to the school to replace the destroyed one.

Wayne Champion, 83, died of cancer on Sept. 10. Champion taught industrial design at San José State University for more than 40 years. Champion and his family moved to Lupton Avenue in Willow Glen in 1955. In 1962, Champion established the industrial design program at San José State University, moving it to the art department and merging it with graphics and interior design. He retired in 1990.

East West Music and Dance opened its studio on Willow Street. Run by mother and daughter dance duo Pam and Erin East, the Willow Glen studio is the East's second studio. The 3,000-square-foot space in Willow Glen accommodates two dance studios and four smaller music rooms. Children chose from ballet, hip hop, tap, jazz, modern and acrobatics classes, which are targeted for different ages and levels. The new dance studios were designed with a "floating floor", built on high-density foam pads to absorb shock. The same components that are used in professional studios and theaters.

October

On Oct. 7, the San Jose Unified School District board approved an agreement with the city of San Jose to give Willow Glen High School a $50,000 grant to renovate its track in exchange for use of the track for up to five events a year. However, the track has already been refurbished through Measure F funding, which was approved by voters in 2002. To reconcile the duplication of funding, $50,000 will be put aside from Measure F and earmarked for future projects at the high school.

Willow Glen resident James A. Scharf was elected to a three-year term on the State Bar Board of Governors, which is the governing body of the California State Bar Association. In his new position, Scharf will represent District 3, which includes Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. He was sworn into office by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court at the annual State Bar meeting in Monterey.

The Willow Glen Wells Fargo branch on Lincoln Avenue had an unwelcome customer on Oct. 14. A man handed one of the tellers a threatening note demanding money and claiming he had a gun, according to San Jose Police Department spokesmen Steven Dixon. The teller gave the man an unclosed amount of cash, and the man fled the scene.

The national panic over a shortage in flu shots manifested in Willow Glen, when several hundred seniors braved an early morning chill to stand in line at the Willows Senior Center for flu shots. The hopefuls lined up with their chairs, novels and newspapers as they waited for a dose of flu vaccine. The center had 500 doses available.

The three vacant lots on Fuller Avenue in the Greater Gardner area of Willow Glen will be converted into a park. Local residents, who lobbied for more than a decade for the change and who have kept up with the day-to-day maintenance of the lots, hail the city council's approval of $500,000 needed to transform the area in what will be called Fuller Park.

Sarah Curci died of a stroke on Oct. 13 at age 87, friends and loved ones say the indefatigable Curci will remain a source of inspiration. Chris Francisco, who knew Curci for 35 years, recalls trying—and failing—to keep up with her dear friend. She cooked meals for family and guests at the legendary Pronto Pup Creamery, which she and husband, Rocci, purchased in 1951.

Beaver's sign was removed, and replaced with a sign bearing a new name, D's. Owner Deirdre Haggerty. Previous owner John Karamanos opened Beavers Bar and Grill in 2003 as his latest incarnation of what was first Willow Glen Billiards and Brew and then The Glen. The new owners are Haggerty, Patrick O'Sullivan and Florence O'Sullivan. The trio applied for an alcohol license and conditional use permit to stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends.

The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association elected neighborhood veterans and a few new people. Last year's co-secretary and treasurer Ken Eklund was elected president and Harvey Darnell continued in his vice president position. Dana Rysavy will serve another year as co-secretary and co-treasurer, sharing the duties with Eklund's wife, Debbie Palmer, who was formerly a director.

November

Newcomer Pam Foley managed to unseat longtime incumbent San Jose Unified School District Board member Carol Myers by a mere 112 votes on Nov. 3. The race was for the school board member position in San Jose Unified School District Trustee Area 3 where Foley received 8,071 votes or 50.26 percent and Myers got 7.959 or 49.56 percent.

Sharky's owners Gloria Stoddard and Mark Mazzola sold the decade-old bar and restaurant to Michael Mulcahy, who owns the building. During his 28 years, Mazzola said dedicated customers made it all. Mulcahy takes over the day-to-day operations until he finds a new tenant.. The property owner plans to run the bar and restaurant "as is" through December, and is currently speaking to business owners interested in the location.

Veteran's Day turned out to be a long day for four downtown Willow Glen businesses, when they discovered they had been burglarized during a late night spree of break-ins. On the morning of Nov. 11, the Fitness Group, Fusion Hair Studio, Villa West Realty and Siam Square discovered their businesses had been burglarized. At all businesses, vandals forced in the back door to steal money and items.

San Jose Unified School District Associate Superintendent Jerry Matranga announced he would leave his post after eight years with the school district. On Jan. 17, 2005, Matranga would become the associate superintendent of Palo Alto Unified School District. San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Don Iglesias said the district is working hard to make the transition as smooth as possible. The district will locate an interim associate superintendent, most likely a retired business officer from outside the district who has experience in urban settings, according to Inglesias. The district will conduct a search for a permanent associate superintendent once approved by the board of trustees.

The San Jose Department of Transportation modified the signage around the crosswalk between Le Boulanger and Willow Glen Books. Four "beacons," or poles bearing a solar-powered light that is activated when a pedestrian activates a press-button, flank the entrance to the crosswalk in both directions. This pedestrian safety sign is in additional to one already located at Lincoln Avenue near Willow Street and Meredith Avenue.

A routine traffic violation turned into a 32-minute, multi-city pursuit. A sheriff's deputy observed a green Ford Expedition run a red light, but the driver refused to stop, leading the police on chase through Hamilton and Norman avenues in Willow Glen. The car matched a vehicle operated by an individual wanted by the San Jose Police Department for a bank robbery. After the car ran out of gas, San Jose Police Department arrested the driver, a 22-year-old woman, Robin Feelie who was not involved in the robbery but had stolen the car she was driving.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors commended Willow Glen resident Larry Ames for his contributions to the city as a neighborhood advocate and county parks and recreation commissioner. Ames completed his final term as a commissioner in November.

December

Even with residents and businesses passionately dissenting, the San Jose Planning Commission gave the Hacienda Gardens project its final approval, ending the three-year battle over the development. The planning commission reviewed five appeals to the shopping center's planned development permit, which was approved in November 2004. The developer Mark Tersini plans to transform the aging shopping center into a renovated commercial and residential center with 299 apartments.

La Concha Spa Owner Gloria Maciel wanted to construct a three-story, 11,963 square-foot building so she could expand and relocate her existing business, currently located at 1042 Lincoln Ave. The structure would include an underground garage and a street-level parking that would provide 37 parking spaces. The new and larger day spa would encompass about a quarter-acre of vacant land at 1030 Lincoln Ave. near Coe Avenue.

The new location would provide several personal care services, including a hair and nail salon, facials, body wraps, whirlpool mineral baths, massage and a steam room.

Residents, however, expressed concerns about the impact the salon would have on the surrounding area and the community at large.