The Palm Haven Restoration Committee has completed its Pillar Restoration Project, bringing the historic neighborhood's seven pillars back to life. The committee raised $137,000 for the project over three years.

The neighborhood will have a Pillar/Holiday celebration at 600 Palm Haven Ave. on Dec. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. The family event will include photographs with Santa Claus, food and drink.

The event will also be a fundraiser for the committee, which is still short $6,000. The event will include a silent auction with items such as a weekend in Tahoe, personal massage, computer software and gift certificates. For more information, visit www.palmhaven.info.

Lincoln Avenue lot
closer to rezoning

A Lincoln Avenue duplex near the Pine Avenue intersection is one step closer to becoming a four-home development.

The San Jose Planning Commission on Nov. 16 voted unanimously to recommend the land at 1669 Lincoln Ave. be rezoned to a planned development. The San Jose City Council will make a final decision on the rezoning during its Dec. 13 session.

Ted and Nancy Biagini, former owners of Lincoln Avenue's Casa Casa, co-own the property with their son-in-law Marc Palacio, a Palm Haven resident and developer.

Palacio hopes to build four custom-built two-story homes on the 0.6-acre lot. The homes will range in size from 2,600 to 2,800 square feet. Each will be unique in appearance-- farmhouse, shingle, Prairie and Spanish-style architecture. The homes will be situated on a private street to the north and will border Gerry Furman's property to the south.

At the meeting, Furman said the development would affect his privacy, as the two-story homes will peer into his backyard. The architects said that moving the private street would require them to almost completely redevelop the project.

As planning commissioner James Zito voted to approve the rezoning, he asked the developer to work with Furman on his privacy concerns.

Wreath workshop
at Guadalupe Park

A workshop on making holiday wreaths will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Guadalupe River Park & Gardens Visitor & Education Center, 438 Coleman Ave.

Milli Wright, a master gardener, will provide grapevine, greenery and other garden materials, as well as all tools needed to put a wreath together. Participants are invited to bring items they want to include in their wreath.

The class fee is $15. To reserve a place, email education@grpg.org or call 408.298.7657.

San Jose once again
named safest city

San Jose has made it to another top 10 list, to the delight of city leaders. Earlier this year, it was named as the 10th largest city in the nation. Now, for the fifth year in a row, San Jose has been named the safest big city in America.

A report released by Morgan Quitno Press, a research company based in Kansas, ranked San Jose as the safest city among cities with a population greater than 500,000. The rankings are based on 2004 FBI crime statistics.

"Keeping our residents and neighborhoods safe is one of our highest priorities," San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales said in a statement. "I'm very proud that San Jose remains the nation's safest big city, year after year."

San Jose can boast that it has the edge over San Francisco, as the latter fell off the list.

The other cities that received recognition as safe cities, in the order of their ranking from second to 10th place, are El Paso, Texas; Honolulu; New York; Austin, Texas; San Diego; Louisville, Ken.; San Antonio, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Jacksonville, Fla.

This is the 12th year the research company analyzed statistics from FBI records to compile its list. It looked at six crime categories, including murder, rape and robbery.

Airport offers tips
to fly stress-free

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is still prepared to handle the holiday traffic.

To ease the stress of traveling during the winter holidays, officials at the airport recommend that passengers check security checkpoint wait times online at http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov. Travelers can access the airport from Highway 87 at Skyport Drive or Coleman Avenue, which will remain open during construction.

For travel this month, the Transportation Security Administration advises passengers to arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight and two hours before an international flight. Carry a boarding pass and a photo ID. Carry-on limits are one standard-size carry-on bag and one personal item, such as a purse or briefcase.

TSA officials also remind travelers to empty pockets of all metal objects and not to bring wrapped gifts, as they will be unwrapped and inspected.

Passengers can check out www.sjc.org for more information, and drivers can tune their radios in to 530 AM near airport for up-to-date information on traffic, parking and security.

Topiaries stolen
from outside Fusion

A scrooge continues to roam around downtown Willow Glen.

Sherry Hammons, the owner of Fusion Hair Studio, 1112 Brace Ave., had two large topiary plants stolen on Nov. 21.

Hammons said the 4-foot-high plants that sat outside her salon, had graced the entrance for two years. Each plant was worth more than $125.

Hammons said the plants were there when the salon closed at 3 p.m. on Nov. 21. When the landlord arrived at the salon the next day between 8 and 9 a.m., the topiaries were gone.

"These pots were really heavy," Hammons said. "I want to warn the other business in downtown that this happened to us."

Free homework help
available at library

The San Jose Public Library once again is expanding its resources to help students. The library recently introduced its new online tutoring service for grades 4 through 12, and it's free.

LiveHomework Help lets students connect with tutors for one-on-one homework assistance for up to 20 minutes.

The organization tutor.com screens tutors to ensure their subject expertise and suitability for working with minors. The tutoring is available in math, science, social studies and English from 1 to 10 p.m. daily.

The service also provides Spanish-speaking tutors for math and science who are available Sunday through Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m.

Students can access the service at the San Jose Public Library or any computer that connects to the Internet. The homework help service is available at www.SJ
Library.org. For more information, contact the Willow Glen branch of the San Jose Library or call 408.808.2183.

New audio system
aids hard of hearing

The Willow Senior Center has a new audio loop system, thanks to the efforts of District 6 Councilmen Ken Yeager.

Yeager was able to secure $1,000 in grant funding for the system. The system will serve seniors who wear hearing aids and help those who don't wear a hearing aid but are hard of hearing.

Yeager also worked with SeniorNet, which offers computer classes at the senior center, to donate $1,300 toward the audio loop system and help install the system. Preliminary hearing tests are showing that the system is working well.

Bruce McClelland, president of Self Help Hard Hearing (SHHH) group in San Jose, said, "We are just delighted as many hard-of-hearing people will now be able to take computer classes and be able to hear the instructor through their hearing aids equipped with a T-coil."

For more information about these improvements, contact Carolyn Mosby, Willows Senior Center director, at Carolyn.Mosby@sanjoseca.gov or 408. 277.5536 or Tony Filice, council aide to Yeager, at Tony.Filice@sanjoseca.gov or at 408.535.4957.

Holiday fun shines
in the downtown

Holiday spirit is in the air on Lincoln Avenue, and that means Santa Claus and carriage rides.

From Dec. 2 through Dec. 23, Santa will be hanging out in downtown Willow Glen. The Kiwanis Club of Willow Glen has a Santa House in the Prudential Realty offices 1213 Lincoln Ave. Santa will be home on Thursdays and Fridays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Families can also trot around time thanks to the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association's third annual horse and carriage rides. The carriage rides are 20 minutes long and traverse Minnesota, Cherry, Meredith, Coolidge, Brace and Lincoln avenues. Each carriage accommodates four adults and up to two children sitting on laps. Rides are available beginning Dec. 9 until Dec. 24, and cost between $68.75 and $131.25. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.downtownwillowglen.org, or call 408.298.2100.

Two Willow Glen businesses are also looking to make the holidays better for families in need. Starbucks Coffee on the corner of Minnesota and Lincoln avenues and near the intersection of Willow Street and Meridian Avenue have their holiday angels toy drive for the Starlight/Starbright Foundation trees on display.

Sienna Bistro, 1359 Lincoln Ave., is raising funds for Families 4 Families, a Willow Glen-based nonprofit that adopts families in need over the holidays.

Holiday dinner last one served at Lou's Village

The West San Carlos Street Neighborhood Business Association is hosting its final holiday dinner at Lou's Village on Dec. 14 from 6 to 10 p.m.

"Good Bye to Lou's Village" will include hors d'oeuvres and music, followed by a dinner and a "Share a Memory of Lou's" program. Diners are invited to share their personal memories as well.

Cost is $30 and reservations must be made by Dec. 6 to info@sancarlosstreet.com or by calling 408.947.8711.

Lou's Village, 1465 W. San Carlos St., is closing its doors in early January.

Two celebrities cook dishes at Sur La Table

Sur La Table at Santana Row is hosting two celebrity cooking demonstrations and book signings.

Ted Allen of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy will be there Dec. 3 from noon to 2 p.m. After a brief cooking demonstration, he will autograph copies of his new book, The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes.

Rachel Ray who stars in Food Network's 30 Minute Meals, will be there Dec. 5 from noon to 2 p.m. Ray will give a short cooking demonstration and then autograph copies of her new book, 365 30 Minute Meals, No Repeats.

Seating for the food demonstrations are on a first come basis.

For more information, call 408.244.4749.

Downtown offers
holiday festivities

Holiday festivities are in full swing in downtown San Jose. The day after Thanksgiving brought the opening of the ice rink in the Circle of Palms between the San Jose Museum of Art and the Fairmont Hotel near Market Street, as well as the tree-lighting ceremony that kicked off Christmas in the Park.

Christmas in the Park and the Winter Wonderland attractions will be operating until Jan. 1. The Downtown Ice will be open until Jan. 16.

Countywide turkey
drive a big success

Kiwanis Club members and their younger counterparts, the Key Club, along with Circle K members helped make this year's countywide turkey drive on Nov. 19 a huge success.

The community donated 6,100 turkeys, 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food and $10,500 to the John Farley Turkey and Holiday Food Drive.

Members of the Kiwanis and Key Clubs stood outside Alberston's supermarkets throughout the area, including the Alberston's at Foxworthy and Meridian avenues. At that store, where Kiwanis Club of Willow Glen president Michael Rubino was volunteering, members collected 87 turkeys and 1,100 pounds of food. At the Alberston's Bird Avenue store in Willow Glen, volunteers collected 85 turkeys and 219 pounds of food.

Guadalupe friends
to host bird events

Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens are hosting two bird events.

There will be an after-school workshop Dec. 9 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for children ages 5 to 10 on "Gifts for the Birds."

Children will learn to make different types of bird feeders. Participants will also learn about local birds.

There will be a Beginning Bird Walk on Dec. 10 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. along the River Park. Possible birds to be seen include hawks, kestrels, egrets and woodpeckers.

There is a $5 fee per event. The workshop and walk will meet at the Visitor & Education Center, 438 Coleman Ave., San Jose. Reservations can be made by calling 408.298.7657.