Willow Glen residents report a recurring disturbance involving nightly fireworks in the weeks following the Fourth of July.

On July 6, fireworks went off at River Glen Park, resident Susan Gutterman said. "They were very loud and shot way up into the sky. I called 911 to report them," she said.

On July 20, around 12:45 a.m., resident Val Isaacson said she was awakened by fireworks.

"When we looked out the window," she said, "it looked like July 4 coming from an area east of Lincoln and north of Minnesota, shooting above the tall redwood trees."

Isaacson did not file a police report, but she did contact Tony Filice, council assistant to District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager.

Filice contacted the police lieutenant on duty that night and was told no information was on file, possibly because no one reported the incident. Police emphasize that it is important to report any incidents, even if they appear minor.

California deems the following types of fireworks illegal: firecrackers, skyrockets, rockets, Roman candles, chasers and sparklers more than 10 inches long or a quarter-inch in diameter.

Fireworks containing the following items are also illegal: arsenic, phosphorus, thiocyanates magnesium, mercury salts, picrates or picric acid, gallates or gallic acid, chlorates, boron, titanium zirconium, gunpowder, and fireworks kits.

Those fireworks allowed by the state--varying from county to county--can be sold only from noon on June 28 through noon July 6.

To report a problem contact 311. To file a report, log on to the San Jose Police website www.sjpd.org. For more information on fireworks and the laws surrounding them, visit http:// osfm.fire.ca.gov/fireworks.html.

Association seeks
new board members

The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association board is looking for neighborhood residents to fill a variety of positions on its board, including president, vice president and secretary-treasurer, as well as six additional board member slots.

Board member nominations will be held in September and elections are scheduled for October.

The association brings city attention to the needs of its community.

In the past, the association has succeeded in having trees planted, fences built on key streets and enhancing traffic-calming measures. Recently, it worked with the city to install vintage streetlights along Delmas Avenue.

The association meets every fourth Tuesday of the month, except in December, in the Word of Faith Church on the corner of Delmas and Fuller from 7 to 8 p.m. Those interested in applying should call 408.537.0393 or email hello@north willowglen.org. For more information, visit www.northwillowglen.org.

Willow Glen family
buys Garden Theatre

Willow Glen-based SDS NexGen Partners plans to purchase the Garden Theatre from EP & G Properties by early September.

SDS NexGen Partners is made up of Shirlee DiNapoli Schiro and her children, Michael, Brian and Tim Mulcahy, Erin Stein and Paula Keane. The family are Willow Glen natives and active members in the local community.

The partnership also plans to buy the retail building on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street that is home to Vic's Coin Shop, Willow Glen Bicycles and Elite Cleaners. That building is also owned by EP & G Properties.

"We intend to acquire the properties and simultaneously look at ways to enliven and bring new energy to the properties," Michael Mulcahy said.

Mulcahy said the group plans to bring new tenants into the ground floor of Garden Theatre. This 4,600-square-foot section of the mall is vacant.

SDS NexGen Partners also owns the Garden Theatre's adjacent building, which houses Blockbuster Video, Aqui Cal-Mex Grill, Subway and Barbarella.

"It's all very personal because we live in the area," Mulcahy said. "It's meaningful real estate."

Jazz Society needs
lots of volunteers

The San Jose Jazz Society is currently looking for 600 volunteers for this year's Jazz Festival, scheduled for Aug. 11-14, in and around Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose.

This event attracts more than 165,000 music lovers to the city and features a diverse lineup, including Latin pianist Eddie Palmieri, percussionist Poncho Sanchez and the Latin Band, The Bad Plus, pianist Jason Moran and vocalist Ernestine Anderson.

This year's lineup also includes two NEA Jazz Masters, pianist Hank Jones and drummer Louie Bellson.

The society needs volunteers to help with beverages, retail, tickets and staging.

Interested volunteers may call Mary Ellen McCammon at 408.288.7557, ext. 2327 or email maryellenm@sanjosejazz.org.

More information about the event is at www.sanjosejazz.org.

Pack-a-Back drive
will help children

Sacred Heart Community Services is playing summer Santa Claus to local low-income youths from kindergarten through 12th grade. The nonprofit agency plans to distribute 1,000 backpacks filled with supplies, such as notebooks and stationery, to these youths on Aug. 19.

"School supplies can be very expensive for families with several children," Marizela Maciel, the organization's interim co-executive director and director of essential services, said.

The organization seeks donations to fill the backpacks, which cost $40 each.

Members of the public can either make a financial contribution or donate filled backpacks. Suggested items include a lunch box, pencils, a pencil sharpener, erasers, a glue stick, a ruler, two packs of crayons and markers, ballpoint pens, a three-ring binder, two packs of wide-ruled paper, two writing tablets, two folders, a box of tissues and a disposable camera or roll of 35mm film. Help from local companies is also appreciated. A thousand dollars can fill enough backpacks for an entire classroom.

While backpacks in all styles for boys and girls of all ages are welcomed, the nonprofit asks the public not to donate red or blue backpacks due to school regulations.

The nonprofit is also looking for volunteers to fill backpacks on Aug. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to distribute the backpacks on Aug. 19 from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about volunteering, call 408.278.2171 or email volunteers@ sacredheartcommunityservice.org.

To donate money, visit www.sacredheartcommunityservice.org or make checks payable to Sacred Heart Community Service and mail to SHCS Pack-A-Back Drive, 1381 S. First St, San Jose CA 95110.

Call to artists for
input about airport

The San Jose Public Art Program is looking for artists to provide input on art for Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport's new north concourse.

Gorbet+Banerjee, a multi-disciplinary artist team, has been chosen as the arts activation team to design platforms that will accommodate art in the new concourse. The initial phase of the design process will reach out to regional artists for their ideas.

The airport's public art master plan will use art and technology, highlighting San Jose's history as well as its place in Silicon Valley.

Artists are welcome to attend one of three focus groups scheduled on Aug. 9, San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., from 6 to 9 p.m.; or Aug. 13, New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom St., San Francisco, from 1 to 4 p.m.; or Aug. 15, Works/San Jose Gallery, 30 N. Third St., San Jose, from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information, contact sanjose publicartprogram@sanjoseca.gov.