Willow Glen Resident
News
Associations in District 6 are invited to restart former organization
By Mary Gottschalk
The San Jose District 6 Neighborhood Leaders Group has planned a public meeting at Temple Emanu-el, 1010 University Ave., on April 30 at 7 p.m.
The group includes representatives from more than 15 neighborhood associations throughout Willow Glen, Rose Garden and other areas of city council District 6, as well as some homeowner associations.
It also includes representatives from The Alameda Business Association, West San Carlos Street Business Association and the Willow Glen Business Association.
Michael LaRocca, president of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Association, organized the meeting at the suggestion of Ed Rast and Harvey Darnell, two Willow Glen neighborhood leaders.
"The group was organized several years ago as a way of bringing all the community leaders within District 6 together to work on community and common issues," LaRocca says.
Rast and Darnell were the original organizers.
The group has been dormant for some time, but LaRocca says Rast and Darnell asked him to help revive it last fall.
"The primary reason we met in November was because we knew [former District 6] councilman [Ken] Yeager was going to be moving on to county supervisor, and we were going to have a vacancy," LaRocca says. "We wanted to talk about common issues and help with the transition to the new council member."
Pierluigi Oliverio, the new councilman for District 6, has promised to attend the meeting, LaRocca says.
The agenda includes choosing the top three priorities for the group to focus on over the next year.
Attendees will also elect a chair and a vice chair for the group.
LaRocca says public input will be welcome.
"One of our primary things is to help all of the associations and community leaders work together on common issues and support them if they align with our goals," LaRocca says.
"The independent groups will still make decisions, but the District 6 leadership group can support their decisions."
