Cornucopia of fun Cornucopia of fun - Almaden Times
Cornucopia of fun Cornucopia of fun - Almaden Times
Cornucopia of fun Cornucopia of fun - Almaden Times
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Page 4 � Nov. 2–Nov. 8, 2007 � <strong>Almaden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Weekly<br />
<strong>Times</strong> Local News<br />
Above left: District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle enjoys the festivities at the first annual Harvest Festival<br />
along with <strong>Almaden</strong> Senior Program chair Diane Perovich, left, and Roger Pyle. Above right: <strong>Almaden</strong><br />
residents Nellie Rouhani and Avideh Yaghmai-Samardar showcase ceramics and abstract paintings at<br />
the arts and crafts display at the <strong>Almaden</strong> Community Center’s first annual Harvest Festival. Photos by<br />
Jeanne C. Carbone<br />
Grandpa plays a spooky piano at the haunted house.<br />
Harvest Festival<br />
Continued from page 1<br />
ceramic artist and teacher Avideh<br />
Yaghmai-Samardar, who showcased her<br />
brightly glazed pottery and Nellie<br />
Rouhani, who came with her abstract<br />
paintings. But there was more, with plenty<br />
<strong>of</strong> handcrafted jewelry, photography,<br />
leather and knitted goods and paintings<br />
presented for early Christmas shopping.<br />
“We heard about this at the library,” said<br />
<strong>Almaden</strong> resident Dawn Coleman, who<br />
brought her 18-month-old daughter Casey<br />
dressed as a fairy. “We had to come.”<br />
Her friend and neighbor Gretchen<br />
Cefalu brought her 20-month-old daughter<br />
to the to choose a pumpkin, listen to story<br />
time and make some Halloween crafts.<br />
“Carina wanted to be a fairy, too,” said<br />
Cefalu. “This is a lot <strong>of</strong> <strong>fun</strong>. I hope they<br />
have it next year.”<br />
Above left: A ghoul and her alien surprises visitors at the Harvest Festival’s haunted house. Above right:<br />
Pals Casey Coleman and Carina Cefalu are excited to choose the perfect gourd at the pumpkin patch.<br />
City Council<br />
Continued from page 1<br />
� Diverting 100 percent <strong>of</strong> landfill<br />
waste and converting it to energy<br />
� Recycling or beneficially reusing<br />
100 percent <strong>of</strong> wastewater (currently<br />
this equals 200 million gallons per day)<br />
� Adopting a general plan with<br />
measurable standards for sustainable<br />
development<br />
� Ensuring 100 percent <strong>of</strong> public<br />
fleet vehicles run on alternative fuels<br />
� Planting 100,000 new trees and<br />
replacing 100 percent <strong>of</strong> streetlights<br />
with smart, zero-emission lighting<br />
� Creating 100 miles <strong>of</strong> interconnected<br />
trails.<br />
In addition, the measure calls for the<br />
city staff to work with council committees<br />
to implement the strategies for<br />
clean tech, sustainability and green<br />
mobility.<br />
Following the groundbreaking vote,<br />
council members went on to unanimously<br />
adopt three related issues to<br />
start the ball rolling. The first expands<br />
the city’s clean air vehicle program to<br />
allow all autos with zero emissions<br />
that are registered in the city to obtain<br />
permits allowing free parking at city<br />
facilities and parking meters.<br />
The second adopts an interim zero<br />
waste goal <strong>of</strong> 75 percent waste diversion<br />
by 2013, which is in addition to<br />
the goal <strong>of</strong> zero waste by 2022.<br />
The third contains two points. It first<br />
adopts a goal to achieve global sustainable<br />
city status by putting into practice<br />
the actions making up the urban environmental<br />
accords covering energy/climate<br />
change, waste reduction, urban<br />
design, urban nature, transportation,<br />
environmental health and water. It also<br />
adopts a five-year implementation<br />
work plan with specific tasks and<br />
activities including the zero waste goal,<br />
a water conservation plan, greenhouse<br />
gas emission reduction goals and the<br />
Las Plumas Master Plan.<br />
“As we have in the past, San Jose can<br />
do the research and development necessary<br />
to show the cities <strong>of</strong> the world<br />
how to become clean and green,” Reed<br />
said. “Over the next 15 years, we can<br />
cut our per capita electricity usage in<br />
half and get 100 percent <strong>of</strong> our electrical<br />
power from clean renewable<br />
sources. We will demonstrate that<br />
energy efficiency saves money and is<br />
worth the upfront investment,” he<br />
added.<br />
“With a focus on creating clean tech<br />
jobs, we will help solve the climate crisis<br />
while creating a new economic base<br />
for our region,” Reed said. “San Jose<br />
will show the world that environmental<br />
responsibility makes financial sense.<br />
Not only will we help our innovators<br />
create new businesses and new jobs, we<br />
will use these technologies to reduce<br />
the city’s own operating and maintenance<br />
costs.”<br />
California politicians from both sides<br />
<strong>of</strong> the aisle applauded the measures.<br />
For example, earlier this month, when<br />
Reed unveiled the plan, Republican<br />
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called<br />
Reed “California’s green mayor.”<br />
“I am very pleased that the city <strong>of</strong> San<br />
Jose is leading the way toward a clean-<br />
er, greener future…I congratulate you<br />
on your clean energy goals,” said<br />
California Democratic Sen. Barbara<br />
Boxer, who chairs the Senate<br />
Environment and Public Works<br />
Committee.<br />
Business and environmental leaders<br />
lauded the Green Vision for its scope<br />
and ambition when it was first<br />
announced and again at Tuesday’s<br />
meeting. Without exception, about 25<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the public stood up to congratulate<br />
the mayor and council on the<br />
groundbreaking measures including<br />
representatives from the Silicon Valley<br />
Leadership Group, SunPower,<br />
Nanosolar, SoloPower, Pacific Gas &<br />
Electric, ASL recycling, the Sierra Club,<br />
The Tech Museum <strong>of</strong> Innovation and<br />
others.<br />
The Green Vision incorporates and<br />
builds on previous council action.<br />
Earlier this year, the council adopted<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the nation’s most aggressive<br />
greenhouse gas emissions reduction<br />
goals for municipal operations. Some <strong>of</strong><br />
those earlier measures were recommended<br />
by Councilmembers Judy<br />
Chirco and Nancy Pyle.<br />
Senate visit by Alquist<br />
Later in the session, State Sen. Elaine<br />
Alquist spoke to the council, bringing<br />
them up to date on legislative priorities<br />
and asking them to “let me know early<br />
and let me know <strong>of</strong>ten” about any assistance<br />
she can provide to the council<br />
members for the city.<br />
“Let me know if you need legislation<br />
NOW,” she told the council, because by<br />
December she will know what she will<br />
be seeking in 2008. “Once in awhile, a<br />
bill comes up that the city council doesn’t<br />
like,” she said. When that is the case,<br />
she asked to be called as early as possible.<br />
“Once I got a call two hours before<br />
the vote. That gives me no time to<br />
change a bill. Let me know early and<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten, it’s much easier to change at the<br />
front end.”<br />
Alquist also asked council members<br />
for support in budget reform at the state<br />
level. Only three states, Rhode Island,<br />
Arkansas and California require a twothirds<br />
vote to change legislation,” she<br />
said, requesting their help to change<br />
that to a simple majority.<br />
She also cautioned that state <strong>fun</strong>ding<br />
doesn’t appear to be real strong for<br />
cities. “If you thought this year was<br />
tough [getting state <strong>fun</strong>ding], next year<br />
will be worse, and I don’t see a turnaround<br />
until 2010 or 2012,” Alquist<br />
said.<br />
Other items<br />
There were few other items on the<br />
agenda. One, which was also unanimously<br />
approved concerns adoption <strong>of</strong><br />
a new council policy on grants to outside<br />
entities. It also will adopt a new<br />
policy for emergency financial assistance<br />
to nonpr<strong>of</strong>its and direct the city<br />
manager’s staff to post standard terms<br />
and conditions for grants and operating<br />
subsidy agreements.<br />
The resolutions, which nonpr<strong>of</strong>its<br />
helped city staff to develop, include criteria<br />
that limit nonpr<strong>of</strong>its from applying<br />
for grants to once every three years.<br />
In addition, those seeking $200,000 or<br />
more must post their most recent yearly<br />
audited financial statement on their<br />
Web site within 30 days.