The efforts of determined Willow Glen individuals once again proved that persistence at the local level can effect change in higher places.

Palm Haven residents, led by the efforts of Mike Boberly, renovated the neighborhood's seven historic pillars. The four-year effort culminated in December with the lighting of all seven pillars after decades of neglect.

There were others who worked tirelessly this year to improve the quality of life in Willow Glen, including Harvey Darnell, whose hard work extended outward into the greater San Jose area. The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association president's continued volunteering caught the eye of city officials this year. Darnell was the only resident asked to become a member of a new city task force, Counter to Council, a mix of city officials, businesses and developers reviewing the permit process.

Dan Erceg, another North Willow Glen resident, has worked steadily and quietly to preserve his neighborhood and restore the northern section of Willow Glen to its former splendor. His efforts often amounted to a one-man rally. He removed graffiti and trash and replaced it with fresh paint, fences and a park. The city honored Erceg this year for his outstanding dedication and contributions to North Willow Glen and the Greater Gardner area.

There were parents as well whose energy toward improving the schools made a mark. Determined to bring Willow Glen families back into the neighborhood school system, parents such as Teri Kane helped develop a high school orientation program and spearheaded the open house event. Brooksin mothers Samantha Mier, Cheryl Heiman, Vicky Malvini and Natalie Snyder started Parents for a Great Willow Glen Education. The group's focus was to improve the middle school's academic as well as campus environment so families select it as a first choice when reviewing middle school options.

The community at large deserves equal credit. Residents stepped up when the Christmas lights on the Willow Glen Elementary School tree where vandalized. Local service groups in Willow Glen, such as the Kiwanis Club of San Jose and Rotary Club of San Jose, continued to assist in feeding the hungry, administering health care to the uninsured and providing some fun, such as the Willow Glen Summer Concert series.

The downtown business association played a part in strengthening civic pride this year as well. It succeeded in resurrecting Founder's Day for next year and it brought the Farmers Market to a more central location.

All these efforts exemplify what the power of the people can do. Nowhere is it more evident than in Willow Glen where the community's strong voice can be found in its schools, neighborhoods and businesses. And it looks like residents have no intention of slowing down in 2006.

January

Elva Acevado opened Elva's Coffee Stop on Lincoln Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Frumas Consignment Furniture. Acevado, who lives in Willow Glen, wanted to operate a quality cafe with hometown ambiance.

Before opening Elva's, Acevado flexed her managing and coffee expertise at Starbucks for six years. Once she put out the welcome mat, neighborhood residents walked in and showed their support for a local Willow Glen business.

Alano Club West failed to apply for the necessary permits on Jan. 14, even after the city sent notices in August, October and December of 2004. San Jose's code enforcement department ordered the club to cease any and all operations until it filed a permit application.

Last year, the city discovered the club operated for decades without the required conditional use permit, stumbling on its existence after neighbors reported excessive noise and parking problems to the city's code enforcement division.

Because of the club's willingness to cooperate, even after co-owner Stringfellow Properties refused to cooperate, San Jose Code Enforcement Deputy Director Mike Hannon discussed the matter with his boss, Stephen Haase. The city granted the Alano Club a last-minute reprieve.

San Jose police Capt. Richard Fairhurst became San Jose western division captain, overseeing Willow Glen, on Jan. 30.

He replaced Capt. Manny Martinez, who also monitored the WGNA elist and attended Willow Glen Neighborhood Association meetings. Fairhurst, a 28-year veteran of the force, worked in numerous units prior to his appointment.

Fairhurst had worked with the city's S.W.A.T. team and crime scene, sexual assault, traffic and the narcotics covert investigations units. He also spent time in Willow Glen where he collaborated with the San Jose Department of Transportation on the Lincoln Avenue crosswalk program.

February

Willow Glen resident and minor league player in the San Francisco Giants farm system Kevin Frandsen was selected as an Outstanding Amateur Player at the 21st annual Santa Clara County Baseball Fundraisers Hot Stove Banquet.

Frandsen, the former Bellarmine and San José State University star, won his award after hitting .296 with three home runs and 14 runs-batted-in in just 25 games with the Volcanoes.

Frandsen got his baseball start playing locally in the Lincoln Glen Little League in District 12. Interestingly, the Lincoln Glen circuit was also honored at the Hot Stove event as one of the local Outstanding Amateur Organization winners.

On Feb. 12, D's Bar and Restaurant closed. The establishment on Lincoln Avenue opened in October 2004, but was not able to generate enough revenue to break even.

Co-owner Florence O'Sullivan cited neighborhood complaints to the San Jose Police Department, District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager's office and the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association as contributing factors.

Eugene Martinez of the Willow Glen High School's wrestling team went home a champion at the Blossom Valley Athletic League wrestling finals.

Martinez was one of only two Rams to place in the top eight in their weight class at the finals held at Lincoln High School, and the only Ram to participate in the Central Coast Section tournament.

Willow Glen resident Vincent Sanfilippo, owner of Sanfilippo Realty for nearly three decades, died on Feb. 12 at the age of 65.

In April 2004, Sanfilippo's doctors discovered a 6-centimeter-wide primary brain tumor. His illness was terminal but he underwent brain surgery that month to extend his life. Even after his initial diagnosis, Sanfilippo went to work every day.

Sanfilippo was married to his Campbell High School sweetheart, Donna. The couple had two children, Todd and Stacey, and three granddaughters. In the community, he coached the Lincoln Glen Little League.

After detecting an increase in airplanes flying over his Willow Glen home, Rick Giardino decided to take action.

At a February San Jose City Council Rules Committee meeting, the council members appointed Giardino to serve on the San Jose City Council Airport Noise Advisory Committee, a resident's group that oversees issues of noise and curfew violations.

March

Casa Casa owners Ted and Nancy Biagini sold the store to Margie and Ernie Pyre.

Although the Biaginis will now spend their time traveling, working family vineyard in Aptos and enjoying their 11 grandchildren, daughter Meg Yeargain will continue to do the purchasing for the store. Nancy Biagini and her daughters opened the store in 1992.

Willow Glen resident and 49-year San Jose Mercury News columnist Richard Barrett died on Feb. 20. He was 94.

Barrett began working part time for the San Jose News in 1928, which later became the San Jose Mercury News. Eventually, he was promoted to city reporter, a job that paid him $12.50 a week. He spent nine years as city reporter, 16 years as city editor and 24 years as a columnist writing about politics, local history, people and events.

In 1951, Barrett moved to the Willow Glen home with Gertrude, his wife of 63 years.

Barrett is survived by his wife, Gertrude, and his two daughters, Kathleen Barrett of Santa Fe, N.M., and Eileen Mitchell of Cupertino.

Willow Glen resident Alexander "Sandy" Ellenberg, an active member of the Rotary Club of San Jose, died on Feb. 27 at age 71 from acute leukemia.

A plastic surgeon for 35 years, Ellenberg volunteered his time with Rotaplast International, where he performed free surgeries on people with cleft lips and palates in South America. He was also a former president of the San Jose Museum of Art and a member of Willow Glen-based Congregation Sinai.

In addition to his wife, Maureen, and two sons, Steven and Gary, Ellenberg is survived by his brother, Marvin Ellenberg, and five grandchildren.

On March 7, 23-year-old Cesar Sanchez Ivan was fatally shot in front of a home on Willow Street near Spencer Avenue in North Willow Glen. As Ivan sat on the porch, a group of males walked by and words were exchanged, according to San Jose Police Department Sgt. Steve Dixon.

Police arrested a 16-year-old juvenile male in connection with the shooting. The juvenile was arraigned on March 10 on one count of murder with personal use of a firearm and gang enhancement.

Dixon also said that Ivan had previously belonged to a gang in East San Jose but had moved to Willow Glen to escape organized crime.

The Glen Willow apartment complex at 877 Willow St. caught on fire. The fire began on the third floor of the 84-unit building in the east wing. Within a few hours, the fire had escalated to six alarms, which was fought by 75 firefighters from the San Jose Fire Department and 15 firefighters from Santa Clara County Fire Department. Willow Glen's Station No. 6 was one of the first to respond.

The fire displaced all 243 residents. The resident in unit No. 325, where the fire is believed to have started, suffered third-degree burns to his face, chest and arms.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the San Jose Fire Department and Santa Clara County Arson Task Force.

After seeing the incident on the news, Willow Glen resident Jim Jam offered temporary shelter from the rain in the Bahá'i Center, neighbor to the burning building. For the next week, the Santa Clara Valley American Red Cross used the Willow Glen Middle School gymnasium as a shelter.

Sixteen students attending Willow Glen Elementary School were displaced by the Glen Willow Apartment fire. The disaster drew an immediate response from the Willow Glen Elementary School PTA. The group immediately began collecting donations and set up a drop-off area at the school office.

District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager and San Jose Fire Chief Jeff Clet organized a donation drop-off station at San Jose Fire Station No. 6 on Cherry Ave. Residents brought bags full of shoes and underwear, bottles of water and clothing for the people affected by the fire. Local businesses also donated a portion of profits for the victims.

April

Patients with the San Jose Medical Group, including many Willow Glen residents, took steps to protect their identities after their personal data was stolen during an office break-in at the group's Race Street administrative offices in March. The medical group alerted patients to the burglary and stolen data in a letter dated April 4.

The medical group maintains a Willow Glen branch on Lincoln Avenue. That office treats nearly 350 patients daily, said San Jose Medical Group CEO Ernie Wallerstein.

Iris Court resident Holly Kollenborn returned home to find a can of dog food carelessly strewn in her backyard and Jackson, her 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, ill.

By the next morning, Jackson was acting "drunk" and could barely move. Kollenborn rushed him to the United Emergency Animal Clinic on Bascom Avenue, but it was too late. Jackson's blood tested positive for high levels of antifreeze. On April 17, Kollenborn made the decision to euthanize Jackson.

After the incident, neighbors discovered that other residents on Iris Court have received anonymous notes over the past year.

On April 16, the Stone Church community celebrated the 61-year-old church's long-awaited renovation.

The new interior color scheme now matches the warm browns and tans of the exterior stone. A stained glass window is the visual centerpiece of the social hall.

Besides adding space, the architect rearranged existing facilities into a more user-friendly configuration. The nursery was relocated from the Lincoln House next door into the sanctuary building so parents are closer to their children during services.

Despite efforts by residents and preservationists to save the old Del Monte Cannery buildings on Auzerais Avenue, the San Jose City Council voted to tear down the aging structures.

The vote will enable developer KB Homes to demolish the 82-year-old buildings on the site and develop the property, which will be called Monte Vista, with 390 single-family homes and a 2-acre park.

The property was once the site of the longest-running cannery in San Jose. The cannery operated for 75 years before closing in 2000. Many workers came from the Gardner neighborhood in North Willow Glen.

Representatives from Willow Glen urged the council to construct apartments or lofts within the existing buildings.

Willow Glen resident David Keller set up a web log or "blog" at willowglenextra.com so fellow residents can swap news, views and stories. Keller said the community blog allowed him to give his spin on the latest neighborhood buzz, from dishing out advice on door-to-door scams to hot-button issues such as airport noise

May

The San Jose City Council approved a secondary-unit pilot program.

By approving the program, the council reversed a 1984 ban on secondary units, also called granny or in-law units. San Jose is the last city in Santa Clara County to approve granny units.

Several Willow Glen residents spoke out against the program citing privacy, traffic and noise as major concerns.

In early May, several Willow Glen residents reported teenagers pretending to be neighbors approached their homes and tried to sell them books and magazine subscriptions. Many were told the proceeds would benefit local teenage sports teams.

Residents on Plaza Drive, Prevost Street, Raleigh Road, and Glenn and Fairview avenues reported similar experiences.

The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association elected a new board.

Former vice president Ed Rast moved into the president's seat and the rest of the board was a mixture of old and new faces, including first vice president Ellen Santomauro, second vice president Jim Spence, secretary Carol Rossebo and treasurer Joan Bohnett. Elected board members included Larry Ames, Hugh Graham, Charley Luckhardt and a new face, Harvey Darnell.

Presentation High School student Jackie Cimino won the top award presented at the REACH Youth Scholarship breakfast at the San Jose Marriott. In all, $10,000 in scholarships was awarded to six Santa Clara County high school seniors, and Cimino claimed the top award of $2,500.

Cimino suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a rodeo mishap the day before her 16th birthday. She was paralyzed from the chest down.

After rigorous rehabilitation, she made her athletic comeback--as a wheelchair tennis player. But Jackie didn't just take on other wheelchair players--she won a place on the Presentation High School girls tennis team.

June

The graduating class at Willow Glen High School had reason to be proud: 104 of 232 students were honored with more than 400 academic awards and scholarships, a much higher number than the previous year.

The high number of awards and scholarships is part of a school trend. The high school also saw a 39-point increase in its Academic Performance Index scores this year.

Schallenberger Elementary School librarian Jill Miller retired after 36 years.

Miller, with the help of the school community, created a literary collection that now spills from shelves and spreads out over adjoining classrooms in Schallenberger's media center.

Blackford Elementary School's 35-year veteran Rita Bell retired in June. The first-grade teacher helped organize the district's first book fair 27 years ago and offered books to her students as rewards for good behavior. The school named a section of the school building in her honor.

San Jose Fire Station No. 6 in Willow Glen had been the focus of debate because Mayor Ron Gonzales recommended the elimination of a hose wagon and three firefighters at the station as part of the city's effort to bridge a $58 million deficit.

But on June 14, the hose wagon was saved after a hard-fought battle by District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager, who sent a memorandum to the mayor arguing the importance of retaining the station's current staffing levels and equipment. Willow Glen residents and firefighters also came out in force at to oppose the move.

Willow Glen residents were upset with builders who illegally removed a redwood tree on Broadway Avenue to make way for three new homes.

At a San Jose Planning Director's hearing, city planners suggested that the builders pay a $500 fine and plant 24-inch box trees. Six of the trees would be planted, on the development site, and four would be donated to Our City Forest at $300 per tree. However, residents at the meeting argued that the penalty was not stiff enough.

July

The San Jose City Council approved the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association's business improvement district fee hike, which doubled the group's fee revenue for the upcoming fiscal year.

The council unanimously backed the 2005-06 budget and fee increase at its June 28 meeting. This was the first time in 15 years that the association had raised the mandatory fees used to maintain the business district.

The budget outlined a fee increase from $55,000 to $110,000 that included $11,500 for association member service programs such as membership mixers, website maintenance and a new business directory.

What used to be D's Bar and Restaurant became home to B Civilized. The furniture and home design store, which moved into Willow Glen last year, moved two doors down to its new and bigger location on Lincoln Avenue.

The move was a welcome change for Willow Glen residents. It meant the building no longer housed any restaurants or bars, which had accounted for the site's long and sometimes controversial history.

Alano Club West submitted its conditional use permit application nearly five months after San Jose's code enforcement division threatened to shut it down for noncompliance.

The club must receive a conditional use permit to operate legally.

The Minnesota Avenue facility serves as a sanctuary for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, but operated for 29 years without a permit. That fact eluded the city until 2003, when neighbors filed complaints about excessive noise and parking problems.

The purpose of the permit was to impose conditions relating to the club's operation, such as noise, parking and hours.

Mann's Jewelers celebrated its 75th year in business by giving away the store, or at least some of the merchandise.

Mann's Jewelers' staff planned prize drawings throughout the day. The grand prize was a half-carat diamond. The store, located in downtown Willow Glen, was decorated for the anniversary luau. La Villa Delicatessen catered the event.

A destructive fire in June 2003 left the popular Emperor's Garden Chinese restaurant along Lincoln Avenue charred. After a two-year hiatus, the restaurant reopened for business on May 29 with a makeover and a new owner, Joe Yan.

Dennis Wan, owner of DW Investment Realty in San Jose, who manages the property, said the long lapse in reopening was due in part to insurance paperwork delays on both the property and former restaurant owners' parts.

August

Residents were concerned that crime was on the rise in North Willow Glen.

A number of "crimes of opportunity" hit the neighborhood in recent months, as thieves entered people's unlocked homes, garages and cars to steal items mail packages, residents said.

San Jose police Sgt. Bruce Unger told residents at a North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association meeting that these crimes often occurred when residents left their doors and windows open in the summer heat.

Willow Glen's Biebrach swimming pool, built almost 35 years ago, was in disrepair. The city closed the community facility.

The Gardner Advisory Council met on July 27 to discuss the closure. According to San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services superintendent Gary Okazaki, the filtration system, the heater and the decking on the rim of the pool needed to be replaced and the circulation pump was on its last legs.

Jan-Willem Knapen, a 16-year-old Bellarmine student and San Jose resident, lost his battle with cancer on Aug. 3.

Known as JW to family, friends and many he touched but never met, he spent most of the last two years in and out of Kaiser Hospital for operations, radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, JW fought for the extra time and channeled his energies into making his dream of a JW House come true. The facility will be a place where families of young cancer victims such as JW could stay without charge while treatments were going on.

Schallenberger Elementary reached a landmark--its 50th year. Its golden anniversary also marked the christening of a new building that included a state-of-the-art computer lab and library.

The school was a far cry from its roots in 1955, when it was built alongside a small, one-way country road, said Bernard Watson, who was the school's second principal, from1956 through 1961.

Willow Glen Branch Library was scheduled for renovation. The makeover will include a complete remodel from the inside out as well as public art. The aging 41-year-old facility was approximately 5,330 square feet.

The branch will be expanded to 13,000 square feet. The city put aside $6 million for the remodel, which is scheduled for completion by spring 2008. The renovation will also expand the parking lot from 27 to a maximum of 50 spaces. The building will remain one story.

The Fuller Park project, a conversion of three vacant lots, broke ground in North Willow Glen.

Residents, with help from San Jose Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez and Councilmen Ken Yeager and Chuck Reed, turned the soil for the 2-acre park. The newest park in San Jose will be on Fuller Avenue between Bird Avenue and Prevost Street.

This section of North Willow Glen had long been vacant and used as a dumping ground before the neighborhood and city joined forces to clean things up. The community built a fence around the lots to prevent dumping.

Kubo, a boutique featuring orchids and orchid arrangements, Belgian chocolates and candles became the new sweet spot on Lincoln Avenue near the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company.

Willow Glen residents joined the national effort to support Cindy Sheehan on Aug. 17, when more than 200 people gathered at the corners of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues for a candlelight vigil in Sheehan's honor.

Sheehan, a Vacaville resident, had attracted international attention by demanding a meeting with President Bush while camping near his Texas ranch.

Sheehan's son, Casey, died fighting in Iraq in 2004.

Tony Torres, San Jose director of recreation at Gardner Community Center, and volunteer Teddy Day were recognized for their valiant efforts on Aug. 16 by state Sen. Elaine Alquist and by the city of San Jose. Torres and Day administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to an elderly volunteer, Pete Contreras, who had a heart attack at the community center in July. The men rushed to his aid, but were unsuccessful in reviving him.

September

Marie Callender at Meridian and Foxworthy avenues closed after 34 years ago. Ron Garald worked at the restaurant when he was 18 and in 1986, he bought it. The restaurant closed in September to make way for a planned development project. The building will be torn down.

The San Jose City Council approved 11-single family "patio homes" designed in a Victorian style on Almaden Road near Curtner Avenue. The homes will be designed as two- and three-story structures. The completed project contrasts with existing single-story homes in the area. The proposed units will be 43-feet tall.

The project was in the planning stages for five years. The original application was for 19 single-family attached units and two single-family detached homes on a larger lot. The project was scaled back.

A day after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, local volunteers reached out to help.

The Santa Clara Valley Red Cross pitched into the national effort. The storm hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, flooding the city and affecting parts of Mississippi, Florida and Alabama.

Gas stations across the nation charged more than $3 per gallon and Willow Glen residents felt the pinch at the pump.

Even independent stations, that are known for lower gas prices, raised prices.

The San Jose Unified School District honored River Glen School teacher, Mary Dorrego, with its Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Teacher of the Year Award.

Dorrego, a middle school teacher at River Glen, is the second recipient of this new award.

Former River Glen Principal Cecilia Barrie nominated Dorrego. She was honored for her achievement at the 13th annual CABE (California Association for Bilingual Education) National Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Summer Conference in Monterey.

South Bay Farmers Market relocated behind Aqui's Cal-Mex Grill and Blockbuster.

The market originally operated at Willow Glen Elementary School, but construction on the campus necessitated a change of venue. The moved was approved by the San Jose City Council

San Jose gave Toll Brothers the go-ahead to build 206 multi-family homes on the north side of the aging Hacienda Gardens Shopping Center.

The national developer received its required planned development permit at a San Jose Planning Director's hearing. Toll Brothers plans to build 165 condominiums and 41 two-to three-story townhomes on the 8.76-acre lot near PW Supermarket.

The development, called Willow Glen Paseo, will feature open spaces such as play areas and a swimming pool.

North Willow Glen resident Dan Erceg received the nickname the "neighborhood guy" for pouring his time and energy into restoring his North Willow Glen neighborhood over the past two decades.

The city of San Jose officially commended Erceg for his "outstanding dedication and contributions" to North Willow Glen and the Greater Gardner area.

Yagoz Fine Gelato and Coffee opened near the corner of Willow Street and Meridian Avenue after Labor Day.

In addition to gelato, Yagoz offers traditional coffee beverages, espressos, frappes and pastries from Icing on the Cake, a Los Gatos-based bakery.

October

The 5.3-mile Vasona Light Rail extension became operational Oct. 1. Hundreds crowded the station to celebrate the occasion.

The Vasona Light Rail extension ends at Winchester Station next to St. Lucy Church. The light rail can be ridden from Campbell all the way to Mountain View or, with transfers, to the Great Mall in Milpitas or out to Alum Rock. A passenger can also connect to Caltrain at San Jose Diridon Station and continue on to San Francisco.

A significant portion of the extension passes through District 6, Councilman Ken Yeager's district.

The San Jose Police Department searched for a man who was seen masturbating near Booksin Elementary School.

San Jose police spokeswoman Gina Teeporten said Booksin Principal Sharon Roddick called the police on Oct. 4 to report the incident.

A similar incident occurred near the school on Oct. 3 around noon, according to a police report.

The San Jose Police Department's Safe Passage Program ended successfully after a weeklong campaign, officer Maria Ramon said. The program ran Sept. 26-30 throughout Santa Clara County.

As a result of a collaborative effort involving dayshift patrol teams and the traffic enforcement unit, 306 officers monitored traffic near 179 schools in the county. Among these schools, four were in Willow Glen.

The stepped-up patrols resulted in 1,032 citations being issued, 308 warnings, 19 vehicles impounded and 13 drivers arrested.

The San Jose City Council approved rezoning a lot on Curtiss Avenue to make way for four single-family homes.

The approval on Oct. 18 included eight amendments recommended by the planning commission, including the relocation of two parking spaces at the back of the property to the front. The developer will be required to plant a significant number of trees on the site, to screen the back of the property for privacy and landscaping. A specific number of trees was not cited in the conditions of approval.

The Hervey Lane development project that included 18 new homes on 3.34 acres was unanimously approved by San Jose City Council.

Pine Brothers Construction will build 2,100-square-foot homes on the vacant railroad embankment behind Hervey Lane.

Although the developers initially wanted to construct 19 to 20 homes, they reduced the number to 18 in order to add a small park on the corner of Hervey Lane and Minnesota Avenue.

November

Karin Butters got the call from Bill Hyland telling her that deputies with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department had arrested a suspect in the theft of a bike from his shop, Hyland Family Bicycle.

The man was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property.

The man was spotted by Hyland's son, BJ, while he was riding his bike to the shop.

Butters was thankful that Hyland recovered his bike. She hoped the arrest will lead to information about her mother's stolen purse.

Butters' mother, Ingela Butters, had her shoulder bag stolen from Ingela's Interiors on Oct. 19.

The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association elected a new board in October.

Board members include Stephanie and Chuck Hudson, Heidi Levell, Clark Williams, Marci Hildt, Tom Smith, Chris Wagner Ken Eklund, new president Harvey Darnell and Annette Boyer.

The former Mr. Chau's on Lincoln Avenue became the Flaming Grill, then was renovated and had its menu revamped.

At the Flaming Grill, everything from pad Thai to red curry chicken is made to order. While the restaurant is technically a fast-food operation, customers who dine in are served their meals on china and given silverware as opposed to plastic plates and forks.

A 2.3-acre lot near Almaden and Malone roads was slated to become a 56-home planned development.

There were four single-family residences on the site that were zoned as a single and multiple-family neighborhood. The San Jose Planning Commission approved the rezoning

The site is surrounded by single-family homes, condominiums, apartment projects and the Guadalupe River. Developer Olson Co. plans to construct seven three-story buildings that will reach 40 feet in height.

After a long battle with the city, Pine Avenue residents finally got their wish--the speed limit between Cottle and Lincoln avenues will be reduced from 30 to 25 mph.

Tony Filice said that the city hopes to initiate a neighborhood speed compliance program (NASCOP) on Pine Avenue as well. The program sets up photo radar to catch speeders.

San Jose Councilman Ken Yeager's efforts to increase illegal tree removal penalties made its way through the city and might come before the city council for approval within the next few months.

Yeager asked the city's rules committee to have city staff work with his office on a proposal to increase fines and mitigation, such as planting replacement trees, for those who remove trees without city permits.

The three artists--Anne Storrs, John Rubin and David Ruth--vied for a public art commission at the Willow Glen Library. The artists got help from the community when creating their conceptual designs for the project.

The library is slated for reconstruction in mid-2006, and 2 percent of the project's $6 million budget is earmarked for public art. Residents told the finalists they want the new library to retain its cozy feel even though the new building will be more than twice the size of the existing one. And everyone agreed that saving the 100-year-old oak tree out front was a must.

The Palm Haven Restoration Committee 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 had a pillar/holiday celebration that included photographs with Santa Claus, food and drink.

Sherry Hammons, the owner of Fusion Hair Studio on Brace Avenue, had two large topiary plants stolen.

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.

December

Willow Glen Elementary Parent Teacher Association President Alexandra Hoppe, along with Meduri Farms general manager Mario Meduri, went out to test the Christmas lights in preparation for the annual ceremony and found all the wires cut by vandals.

The story appeared in the Willow Glen Resident and businesses and residents rallied to make sure the tradition turned on without a hitch. The school received $1,500 toward the replacement of the Christmas lights.

Julia Horrwarth's family fell through the cracks. Decades later her past caught up with the present. The city installed a bronze plaque at River Glen Park commemorating Julia Horrwarth as a Willow Glen pioneer.

Her great-grandchildren, Roger Bibb and Jean Peters, worked on the project.

According to an 1887 Santa Clara Valley map of orchards, the Horrwarth property was adjacent to present-day River Glen Park.

A Willow Glen property owner's request to remove one redwood tree to save four cedars was denied by the San Jose Planning Commission.

Michael Vaggione is building a home on Cottle Avenue.

Vaggione wanted to cut down a redwood that is 131 inches in circumference. Four cedars also sit on the northern edge of the quarter-acre lot, which the owner wanted to retain on the property.

The Cambrian Park Little League tractor was stolen from a locked shed at George Steindorf Jr. School field.

Cambrian Park Little League president Michael Cunniff suspects the theft happened during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The San Jose City Council approved the sale of alcohol and food at gas stations, but with restrictions.

Council members voted to approve stricter guidelines pertaining to alcohol sales at gas stations, which have been prohibited from selling alcohol since a1985 ban was enacted.