Willow Glen Resident
News
News Briefs
Man attacks woman
along creek trail
An unidentified man attempted to sexually assault a woman on the Los Gatos Creek Trail on Nov. 20.
According to San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia, the woman was walking alone at 7 a.m. on the trail, west of Leigh Avenue, when the man surprised her and knocked her to the ground.
"He took advantage of the terrain on that portion of the trail," Garcia said.
The woman broke away and ran, while the attacker took off on foot in the opposite direction. Garcia said, "He probably wasn't anticipating her to fight back."
The police describe the attacker as a Hispanic male in his 30s, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds. He has short hair, is clean-shaven and was wearing dark clothes.
"We're glad she survived the attack, and it's important for people to know not to give up and let the attacker take you to another location," Garcia said.
Some of the terrain on the trail is open to general view, but other sections are isolated with bushes nearby. The potential for these kinds of attacks is there, Garcia said, and the police department wants to create awareness.
Runners and walkers should always go with someone else, and the more people in the group, the better, he said.
Although there have not been additional incidents reported prior or since the attack, Garcia said that over the years there have been other reports of similar attacks.
Elva's donates 115
turkeys to nonprofit
Elva's Coffee Stop donated 115 turkeys and 200 pounds of potatoes to Martha's Kitchen, an organization started by late Willow Glen resident Louise Benson to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need.
Elva's owners Elva and Frank Acevedo are grateful to customer Angel Reyes, who donated two courtside tickets to the Golden State Warriors' Feb. 25 game against the L.A. Lakers, and other customers who purchased $850 in raffle tickets toward the fundraiser.
Benefits for former
council members?
A proposal by District 1 Councilwoman Linda LeZotte to offer lifetime benefits for council members and mayors who have served two terms will be heard at the council's Dec. 5 meeting. LeZotte represents the West San Jose area. The proposal asks city staff to look at the cost implications of providing lifetime benefits through CalPERS, the third largest purchaser of health care in the country. It provides benefits to more than 1.2 million public employees, retirees and their families.
If her proposal passes, LeZotte, who is in the final months of her second term, could qualify, depending on the cost implications to the city and when the council votes on the final proposal and whether the proposal is retroactive.
Ebenezer descends
on Willow Glen High
If the upcoming holidays have Willow Glen residents saying, "Bah! Humbug!" then the upcoming production of Ebenezer at Willow Glen High School will be just the ticket to lighten things up.
Written by David LeMaster and directed by Laura Longshore, the play is a contemporary American version of the classic Dickens' tale. Residents can enjoy this twist on a classic with added twists and turns.
Performances are Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. in the Willow Glen Middle and High School Little Theater, 2105 Cottle Ave. Tickets are $10 for VIP reserved seats, $8 general admission and $5 for seniors and students.
For more information or to buy tickets, contact Celeste McClendon at 408.978.5446 or cjmcclendon@msn.com.
Foundation beats last
year's goal by $7,500
The Willow Glen Foundation's Wine Tasting and Auction on Nov. 10 exceeded the foundation's expectations and raised $25,000.
The figure is more than double the amount raised in 2005 and nearly $7,500 more than the foundation's projected goal.
As part of the tasting and auction event, the "Fund a Need" activity, in which residents pledged various amounts of money to support the HOSTS Mentoring/Tutoring program, was also a success.
And for the first time, residents were also able to bid on artwork done by Willow Glen Middle School students during the silent auction.
Ninety percent of the proceeds go back to the schools, while 10 percent goes toward the cost of the event, said Willow Glen resident and middle school parent Kim Guptill.
The event took place in the renovated Garden Theater lobby, where participants met with school faculty members while tasting and purchasing wine, cheese and chocolates for holiday gift-giving.
Willow Glen Middle
benefits from grant
The Cleo Eulau Center received a $165,000 grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health on Nov. 9, which will benefit Willow Glen Middle School.
The middle school has been part of the Cleo Eulau Center's Resiliency Consultation Program for the last five years, said program executive director Lyra Ghose.
The school is one of two that are part of the pilot program, which is based on the theory that children can succeed in learning and in life when they have the experience of a caring relationship with an adult.
Willow Glen middle was chosen because of its mix of socioeconomic backgrounds and its large student population where students can often fall through the cracks, Ghose said.
The program has a licensed clinical social worker, who comes in once a week to watch the teachers and students.
"We want to look at how schools deal with social and emotional issues, as well as how it deals with students and parents," Ghose said.
Correction
The story in the Nov. 22 issue of the Willow Glen Resident on the life of Joseph Castello should have read, "At age 6, young Joseph lost his father to the Spanish flu, a plague that killed 21 million victims between 1918 and 1919."
