Cornucopia of fun Cornucopia of fun - Almaden Times

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