Neighborhood advocates will come together for the United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County's 12th annual conference on Nov. 12. The event is open to the public.

United Neighborhoods chair Ed Rast, a North Willow Glen resident, said this year's conference will be its most comprehensive to date. Participants can select one of four tracks, including public policy, neighborhood activities, neighborhood partnering and planning and land use.

Rast is excited about the neighborhood partnering track, a concept that was recently been implemented with the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association. The idea focuses on entire communities, including its residents, businesses and schools. Currently, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is looking into ways it can team up with Willow Glen schools and the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association.

Another hot topic will be demystifying planning and land use, including historic preservation and the importance of environmental impact reports. Area neighborhood associations have been actively involved in planning issues, and the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association has its own planning and land use committee.

"The neighborhoods have become really involved in land use and planning and to do that adequately they have to understand the policies," Rast said.

The conference will also feature a public policy discussion sponsored by the League of Women Voters, United Neighborhoods, Latina Coalition and other nonprofit organizations. The discussion runs from 9 a.m. to noon in the San Jose City council chambers.

The conference takes place at the new San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St, San Jose, on Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Conference fees range from $25 to $35 and include lunch and a community resource fair. For more information, visit www.unscc.org/ conference.

Replace batteries
in smoke detectors

Daylight Savings Time ended on Oct. 30, and the San Jose Fire Department wants to remind everyone to make another change--replace the batteries in their smoke alarms.

Changing alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce deaths and injuries caused by fires. An average of three children per day die in home fires and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms that rob residents of the protective benefits of home fire safety devices. Working smoke alarms cut nearly in half the risk of dying in a home fire. The San Jose Fire Department recommends replacing your smoke alarm every 10 years.

"The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping," San Jose Fire Chief Jeffrey L. Clet said.

Children and senior citizens are most at risk. A working smoke alarm can provide the extra seconds needed to get out of a home safely.

Students can earn
a stipend at polls

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is looking for high school seniors to volunteer at the polls on Nov. 8 for the consolidated special statewide election.

Volunteering at the polls is a way for students to perform community service and learn more about the election process. Volunteers receive a stipend of $105 or more.

To qualify for the student election officer program, the teenager must be a high school senior, at least 16 years old, with a minimum 2.5 grade point average. The students must get permission from their schools and from a parent or guardian. There are approximately 350 students who have currently volunteered to serve.

Student help set up polling places, process voters and provide assistance as needed. The students will work the polls from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. They must also attend a training class.

Student election officers can also earn an extra stipend for bilingual skills. Bilingual election officers must be fluent in English and one of the following federally mandated languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Tagalog. For more information, call 408.282-3050 ext. 7720 or 408.299-POLL.

Police looking for
stabbing suspect

A 20-year-old Brown Avenue resident was stabbed on the evening of Oct. 24 at the Virginia Street light rail station.

The stabbing victim was waiting on the platform with a friend when he was approached by several men, San Jose police spokeswoman Gina Tepoorten said. One of the men asked the victim, who was wearing a red, San Francisco 49er jersey, if he was a sureño gang member. The victim repeatedly denied he was a gang member but a fight ensued, according to police.

The man stabbed the 20-year-old in his side, resulting in a 1-1/2 inch laceration on the side of his stomach. The assailants then fled the scene. The victim's friend reported the incident to the police at 8:34 p.m. The 20-year-old was treated at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and released.

Tepoorten said police have yet to apprehend the assailant and his two friends. The individual wielding the weapon is described as a Hispanic male 18 to 20, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, about 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. On the day of the assault, the man was wearing a black Raiders sweatshirt and black gloves.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the San Jose Police Department's Gang Investigation Unit at 408.277.3835 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 408.947. STOP.

Girl Scouts troops
collect warm coats

The Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County are hoping to make the winter a lot warmer for local residents served by Sacred Heart Community Service.

For the second year, 24 Girl Scout troops in Willow Glen, Cambrian and Campbell are seeking donations for its "One Warm Coat" drive. The Girl Scouts are collecting gently used coats, jackets and sweaters during November.

Local drop-off locations include Bagby School, 1840 Harris Ave., Galarza School at 1610 Bird Ave., Willow Glen Elementary School, 1425 Lincoln Ave. and Galarza Elementary and Hammer Montessori School, 1325 Bouret Dr. For a complete location list go to www.one warmcoat.org.

Last year, the scouts collected nearly 2,500 coats. The troops hope to exceed that number this year, One Warm Coat coordinator Michelle Alaimo said.

Barbarella moves to
new home on Lincoln

Glittery Barbarella is relocating from 1133 to 1183 Lincoln Ave. The lease was up and owner Rebecca Sell used the opportunity to flex her creative wings.

"We wanted a smaller place, somewhere where we could service our clients in a more intimate setting," she said.

Sell said that this was the perfect start. The new building is located to the right of Casablanca Café.

Barbarella will continue to offer boutique-style clothing, accessories and a beauty salon. The store is also offering up to 50 percent off most items in the store from Oct. 31 through Nov. 5. The new building needs work, Sell said, "But I like the challenge. I get to work from the ground up and create a space I dreamed of."

The new location will open Nov. 7. Sell said the public can get a peek at the shop on Nov. 6.

"We will have an open house with food and wine catered by our new neighbor Casablanca," she said. "People can stop by and see what we did with the place."