Library Showcases Diversity

“Multicultural Mondays” is a family concert series sponsored by the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends. It is part of the programming offered in the 2009 Summer Reading Club “BE CREATIVE @ YOUR LIBRARY!”

Concerts will be held on Monday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Central Park Pavilion. All ages are welcome. Enjoy a handful of the many cultures represented in the Santa Clara community.

Central Park is located at 909 Kiely Boulevard (between Homestead Road and Benton Street). A map of the park is located at: http://santaclaraca.gov/pdf/collateral/CentralParkMap.pdf.

Monday, June 29
OKASAN & ME, INC. presents Japanese music, song, and movements. Central Park Pavilion. All ages. 7 p.m.

Monday, July 6
FUEGO NUEVO BALLET presents Aztec and traditional Mexican dancing. Central Park Pavilion. All ages. 7 p.m.

Monday, July 13
SWIFT CLOUD DRUM presents Native American drumming and traditional dances. Central Park Pavilion. All ages. 7 p.m.

Monday, July 20
FIREBIRD YOUTH CHINESE ORCHESTRA presents traditional Chinese music played on traditional instruments. Central Park Pavilion. All ages. 7 p.m.

Monday, July 27
JANETTA COLEMAN presents songs, rhythms, poetry, and dancing in the African tradition. Central Park Pavilion. All ages. 7 p.m.

FAITH Fundraiser

By Larry Sacks

The fourth annual fundraising dinner dance and auction for FAITH, Friedreich's Ataxia In The Heart, was held on Saturday, June 20 in the main hall at St. Justin’s Church in Santa Clara. The theme, as in the past, was “Hawaiian Evening” with guests adorned in Aloha shirts, grass skirts, flower leis and other festive clothing. As with previous years’ fundraisers, Outback Steakhouse continued their tradition by graciously donating a delicious and appetizing dinner as a way to show their support.

Friedreich's ataxia is a very rare (affecting about 1 in 50,000 people), life-threatening disease causing progressive damage to the nerves and muscles. That means it takes great kids and, for lack of a better term, hurts them. They’re still the same great kids; however, the disease causes slurred speech, muscle and energy loss, vision and hearing problems, the inability to walk a straight line, severe curvature of the spine and heart problems that can eventually kill them at a young age. But before that happens, those afflicted with FA will wind up in a wheelchair. But even as all this happens, people with FA are still just as smart as they always have been.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute of Health, the disease is named after the physician Nicholaus Friedreich, who first described the condition in the 1860s. ‘Ataxia’ refers to “…coordination problems such as clumsy or awkward movements and unsteadiness. The ataxia of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) results from the degeneration of nerve tissue in the spinal cord and of nerves that control muscle movement in the arms and legs. The spinal cord becomes thinner and nerve cells lose some of their myelin sheath — the insular covering on all nerve cells that helps conduct nerve impulses.”

There is currently no treatment or cure for Friedreich's ataxia. That is one reason for this annual fund-raiser. Last year’s event raised almost $80,000 and over $150,000 has been raised in three years. According to Bart Rupel, “There is a direct correlation between the dollars raised by fundraisers like this and the pace of research towards a treatment and eventually a cure. The amount of research going on today is much greater than just four years ago when the first FAITH event was organized. The hard work is worth it. The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) says we are entering the ‘Treatment Era’ for FA. Recently, FARA announced a feasibility study for implementing newborn screening for FA. This is a strong indication that we are getting very close to a treatment. Five years ago, when Matt was first diagnosed, his doctor asked why his parents wanted to have him tested to verify the diagnosis since at the time, the doctor indicated there wasn’t ‘anything that could be done.’” But in 2009 there are five clinical trials in the research pipeline now. That is up from the three trials from last year. “That is why we’re doing this” explains Bart, “because we don’t want to stop fighting.”

The reason they’re fighting is for their son, Matt. A recent graduate of Santa Clara High School, who will be attending Santa Clara University in the fall, Matt was first diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia five and one half years ago. At last year’s fundraiser, Matt joked about having to sit down (in his wheelchair) as his father, Bart, had spoken for so long. This year, when called to speak, Matt was quieter than normal and eschewed the spotlight. This past year has had its share of ups and downs. Among the ups were being elected Homecoming King and graduating high school. Among the downs are fighting the idea of having to use a wheelchair more often than not.

The fight against the disease goes on and much more needs to be done. The costs of finding a cure and bringing it to the marketplace are enormous. It is through events such as FAITH that, hopefully, a cure will be found and kids and young adults afflicted with Friedreich’s ataxia can go back to doing what they do best – being themselves, growing up, growing old and older, maturing and dealing with the things those not afflicted have to worry about instead.

For more information on Friedreich's ataxia contact he Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) at (484) 875-3015, via email at info@cureFA.org or on the web at www.curefa.org.

Milestones, June 24, 2009

By Miles H Barber
There is only one reason the word “but” exists in the English language.
Simply put, it provides a weasel clause for getting off the hook.
When a person makes a statement, and the statement may be true, the escape hatch “but” is inserted to tell you why it didn’t or isn’t going to happen.
When the statement made is followed by a “but” watch for the excuse or the lie.
“Oh, I wanted to go see Sally in the hospital and I wanted to get over there but I was so busy with the kids I just couldn’t get there.”
Now, watch this verbiage in action at our City Council. “This looks like a great project and has many amenities, ‘but’ the density seems a little high.”
How many times did we hear those kinds of statements last week referring to Fairfield’s Gallery project on Kiely Boulevard?
In an attempt to appease the dissident neighbors who are lobbying for a park or a drastically reduced project some of our Council members are waffling.
After years of rigorous attention to detail, Fairfield has met with every requirement within our City’s Master Plan. In fact they have gone the extra mile in providing “requests” (political blackmail) to make the project more appealing to the dissenters.
Our professional City Staff has recommended this project as a superior plan to anything that has been suggested or even thought about.
We heard statements like these from the dissenters:
“We like the project, “BUT” the traffic congestion would be just too much for the neighborhood.”
Pick out the lie here folks.
The Environmental Impact Report indicates that at rush hour, the traffic from this project would be HALF of what it was during Kaiser Permanente’s 30 year occupancy.
“The project looks good now, “BUT” in 30 years it will be a slum.”
What are these people smoking?
Frankly, we would have complainers if the City offered free Root Beer in our public fountains.
We need Council members who will look at the facts, step back with objectivity and take a hard line with their decision process.
This project has made it through the permit process, the planning process and the EIR process.
If this development meets the standard of our Master Plan approve it!
Asking for more and granting less to the developer is not Santa Clara’s history of operating in good faith.
Of course, any development can be approved in Santa Clara if it has been emasculated to the satisfaction of every complainer.
You have to believe that an armadillo was really a rabbit approved by a city council.
It is a wonder the Ohlone Indians haven’t arrived in force to stake out an ancestral claim.
Santa Clara needs jobs and this project provides thousands. Santa Clara needs housing for now and the future.
The Gallery fulfills our City’s vision of higher planned density. It is good for our city, our economy, our schools, our residents and our general fund. No buts about it.

Miles H. Barber can be reached at SCWeekly2004.com

Warm Water Exercise

By Suzy Paluzzi

Did you know the Santa Clara Senior Center on 1303 Fremont has a warm water pool? It is kept at 92 degrees so that those with back trouble and arthritis can get relief. There are other classes in the warm water pool as well.

The classes are advertised in the Santa Clara Adult Education Class Schedule. “There is a partnership between the City Parks and Recreation Senior Center, and Adult Education,” says Becky Pestarino, the Program Specialist of the Health and Fitness Division of Adult Ed.

It is easy to enroll in the low impact classes that take place in the pool. If you go online to www.scae.org, and click on Health and Fitness, you will be led to each class offered.
Other ways to register include calling (408) 423-3555, by mail with the form that is provided in the Class Schedule, or walking in to the front office at 1840 Benton Street.

In order to use the pool, you must also be over fifty years old, and obtain a Senior Resident I.D. card. The I.D. card can be processed on the spot, as long as you fill out an application at the front desk of the Senior Center. This entitles you to use the pool, and the locker room and showers nearby.

The instructor is well qualified. Barbara Blank has been teaching aquatics for over forty years and was trained in low impact classes at the Veteran’s Hospital in Palo Alto. She is certified as a teacher, as well as through the Arthritis Foundation. The Arthritis Foundation teaches “ a specific curriculum that is research based,” according to Pestarino.

“The Arthritis Aquatics class is joint oriented and keeps students flexible and moving,” explains Blank. “There is also a Beginning Water Conditioning Class for those who haven’t done exercises in a long time,” she continues. “The Low Back Class focuses on balance and core strengthening. We often have students take this class who have problem walking and need to move slowly,” Blank says.

Blank also teaches Ai Chi. “Ai Chi began in Japan in the 90’s. Students use the warm water and breathing to release stress. It is like yoga with the benefits of massaging the body from within,” she describes.

Class size is limited to twelve and both men and women take the classes. “I do this three times a week and have been for two years. It is good for cardio, diabetic control, and losing weight,” remarks Bill Corcoran from Santa Clara. The classes are an hour long.

Becky Pestarino points out, “There is a lift at the pool for anyone in a wheelchair. The student slides onto the lift chair, which swings out and lowers him/her into the pool. There is also a dry ramp to allow the wheelchair ridden to swing onto the ledge and get into the pool that way. The stairs for those who can walk in have railings and there are also grab bars to hold onto around the pool.”

“It is fabulous that we have been so fortunate to have this opportunity. The participants are so appreciative,” states Jessica Carter, Senior Center Coordinator. These classes are nearby and affordable. Similar classes are usually only offered in hospitals that are not in the area.

Roy Cilia – Grooming Santa Clara for 50 Years

By Tricia Chambers

Each year young people enter the workforce hoping that they’ve chosen a good, steady career that will provide them a decent living. But finding a profession that’s also enjoyable is like hitting an enormous jackpot. For barber Roy Cilia of Sam and Roy’s Barber Shop, life unfolded just that way.

Except for the two years in the Navy and later as owner of his first San Jose shop on West San Antonio, the majority of Cilia’s career has played out in Santa Clara.

The spry 76-year-old, is quick to give his father all the credit for a livelihood that allowed him to marry his wife Norma Lee in 1956, buy a home and raise five children.

“Well, I didn’t like school and didn’t want to go to school,” Cilia said. “My Dad made me an offer I couldn’t refuse; learn a trade or go to school.”

Cilia still remembers March 19, 1949, the day he entered barber school at the age of 15. Six months later he had his license. Back then, barbers dressed in white jackets.

“When I started in the business,” he continued, “if you couldn’t get a flat top, forget it. Then the old, old barbers didn’t like to do them and they’d push them off onto us. That was my experience.”

“Now there’s a younger trend called ‘fades’ which is a very tight haircut,” Cilia said. “I’ve never learned to cut one. I’m too old to keep learning something new but they’ve been in for quite a while. I see where it’s changing again. We’ve been through so many phases.”

In 1962 Cilia bought his first shop on Main Street from Ed Tonsey. Soon Cilia brought in Sam Gil as a partner. Eventually, there would be a move in 1968 to the current location at 977 Monroe Street.

The Cilia-Gil partnership would last 32 years and end when Cilia sold his interest to another barber in the shop.

“We worked hard and had great customers,” Cilia said of the joint venture. “Our shop was the best.”

One day during Cilia’s break, he took a walk that returned him to the past. He’d gone to see a barber friend who worked there and Tina La, the current owner, asked him to come back.

“I’ve worked in other shops but they weren’t like this one,” he said. “Not too many shops I can see offer the personal contacts. People aren’t just customers here. I have many of my same customers and I really enjoy them.”

Exercise is Cilia’s other passion. He walks four miles every day including his days off and to and from the shop. Plus, he plays golf each week and claims his game improved when he “stopped keeping score.”

You can find Cilia standing beside a barber chair behind a red-striped pole on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Barbering has been good to me,” Cilia said. “I’ve got no complaints.”

For more information about Roy and Sam’s Barber Shop, call (408) 296-0496.

History Comes to Life at Harris-Lass Museum Tea and Fashion Show

By Carolyn Schuk

From Bay Area architect Julia Morgan to a Temperance brigade on the trail of Demon Rum, a bygone era came to life on June 14 for guests at Historic Preservation Society Santa Clara's annual Afternoon Tea and Vintage Fashion Show.

A nonprofit group under the direction of History San Jose’s Education Department, Portraits of the Past served up turn-of-the-century – that's the 20th century – tableaus featuring historical figures from the Bay Area, music of the time, and the non-profit's signature hand-crafted period costumes.

Always a popular event, this year's tea drew 114 guests to enjoy tea, finger sandwiches, scones and other teatime treats under the shady trees of the 1865 Harris-Lass House Museum, according to event chair Maria Lopes. Money raised by the tea supports the museum's restoration and renovation.

The event began as simply an antique fashion show, recalls Lopes. Six years ago, Lopes heard about Portraits of the Past. "I liked their format and so we hired them. It's a new show every year, and the vignettes about historical figures in the community are always fresh and interesting.

"It's been very successful for them and for us," she continues. "People enjoy it. We have many repeat visitors – every year is a new experience."

Not only are the fashions vintage, so are the kitchen operations in the property's barn, where Lopes and her dedicated volunteer crew washed dishes by hand in metal wash tubs. The dishwashing water was heated in coffee pots on the Harris-Lass House's 1919 Wedgewood gas stove.

"It's work," says Lopes, "but it's so much fun."

The Harris Lass House Museum on 1899 Market Street is usually open one weekend afternoon. For schedules and information, call (409) 249-7905 or visit harrislass.org. For more information about Portraits of the Past, call (408)-238-3627 or visit portraitsofthepast.org.

Carolyn Schuk can be reached at cschuk@earthlink.net.

Flambeau Kicks Off Concert in the Park

By Tricia Chambers

Nothing else will do on a Wednesday evening in Santa Clara, except a rockin’ concert at Central Park. And that’s why over 200 people gathered to see Tom Rigney and Flambeau kick off the 6th annual Concert in the Park Series on June 17. And what a kick off it was!

Even before the 90-minute non-stop show started, the lawn almost disappeared underneath the scores of the music-loving Moms, Dads, kids and Golden Retrievers who turned out to dance and boogey down.

Shirley Walker of Los Gatos was one of many who brought an evening snack of cheese and crackers. Walker and a friend staked out a table under the canopy of the shade trees that encircle the pavilion.

“This is a perfect little spot,” Walker said while nibbling on a grape.

“That’s just what these tables are meant for,” said Pam Morrison, Cultural Advisory Staff Liaison. The city’s Cultural Advisory Committee sponsors the event.

Finally the audience got what they waited all year for when Rigney took to the stage like a fireball in his signature red leather boots and lit into “Driving that Thing.”

There was a plethora of requests for other Flambeau favorites such as the original songs, “Mazatlan,” “Guinness and Gumbo” (Irish Cajun) and the hot Cajun two-step, “Swamp Feet.”

Additional selections the band performed included ones like the title tune, “Serious Fun,” that comes straight off their new CD.

Rigney didn’t disappoint when he joined with bass guitar player Steve Parks to belt out a Lou Rawls duet of “Bring it on Home to Me.”

Another integral member to the hot Flambeau sound is Brent Ramponi who sits in the background and carries the beat on the drums.

When it came time for keyboard player, Caroline Dahl to perform her famous, “Swanee River Boogie,” Rigney shouted, “Burn it down Caroline.”
And you can be assured that she did!

Did you miss this performance? Well, have no fear because there are two more Wednesday evening shows and six Sunday afternoon shows.

Next up is The Robinson Family Band who will take to the stage on Wednesday, June 24 to display their talent with pop, rock and blues music. The Robinsons hail from Santa Cruz and offered their offspring an instrument as soon as they were able to hold one.

Wednesday shows run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday shows run from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Central Park is located at 909 Keily Boulevard and Homestead Road.

Read about the concert series at
http://www.santaclara.gov/calendar_jun.html
or call 408.615.221.

Historical Santa Clara Newspapers to Go Digital

By Carolyn Schuk

Santa Clara newspapers published between 1890 and 1922 will be available online next year, according to Mary Hanel, Director of the City Library's Heritage Pavilion. Google is scanning the newspapers and converting them into digital format as part of its Google News Archive project. The archived newspapers will be entirely searchable and available through the news.google.com. search page.

Newspapers published after 1922 can't be scanned because copyrights remain in force. Google is pursuing copyright permissions, but many of these papers may be "orphan works," says Hanel, meaning that copyright holders can't be found. A federal bill to reform the handling of orphan works died in congress last September.

Community Calendar

City of Santa Clara 4th of July All-City Picnic Saturday, July 4 Pancake breakfast followed by entertainment and family activities. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. followed by Fireworks Display at 9:30 p.m. Central Park at 909 Kiely Blvd. For more information, call (408) 615-3140.
FC Gold Pride vs. Saint Louis Athletica Sunday, July 5 Women's Professional Soccer's (WPS) FC Gold Pride vs. Saint Louis Athletica at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. For tickets and more information, call (408) 541-3511 or visit www.fcgoldpride.com
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC Saturday, July 11 Major League Soccer's (MLS) San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. Match starts at 7:30 p.m.
Antiques Appraisal Show and Tell July 15 Do you have an antique or collectable that you think might be valuable? Do you envy the people that get selected to have a family heirloom evaluated on Antique Roadshow? If so, buy a ticket for the Harris-Lass Museum Antiques Appraisal Show and Tell on Wednesday, July 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1889 Market Street. Each ticket holder may bring one item for appraisal by Denise Harr, former owner of the Antiquarium shop in Los Gatos, or her assistant. Only one item per person will be appraised.
Tickets to participate in this event are $15 each and include a box lunch. Tickets can be ordered from: Antique Appraisal Luncheon Coordinator, 1983 Harrison St., Santa Clara, CA 95050. The event is limited to 50 people. For more information, call Anita at 296-5949.

FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers July 19 Women's Professional Soccer's (WPS) FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. For tickets and more information, call (408) 541-3511 or visit www.fcgoldpride.com

FC Gold Pride vs. Los Angeles Sol July 23 Women's Professional Soccer's (WPS) FC Gold Pride vs. Califorina rival Los Angeles Sol at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. For tickets and more information, call (408) 541-3511 or visit www.fcgoldpride.com
San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United Saturday, July 25 Major League Soccer's (MLS) San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. Match starts at 7:30 p.m.
Junior Theatre presents Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr. July 28-30 The 41st season of the Roberta Jones Junior Theatre concludes with a toe-tapping production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.,” the Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning cartoon series brought to life in one of the most fun and energetic musicals ever to hit the stage! A cast of young performers, ages 8-15 years, will take the stage on July 28, 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale until July 27, $3 for children and $6 for adults. Performances are at the Mission City Center for Performing Arts, 3250 Monroe St. Ticket order forms are available at the Community Recreation Center, 969 Kiely Blvd., or download forms at RJJT.org, or call 615-3161.

The Hangover

Rated R for language, nudity, sex, drugs, violence, a tiger and a chicken
behaving badly
Reviewed by Karl Scott

The title should give this one away. That and the fact that it was made in Las Vegas or
a very well disguised Vancouver Canada.

Three long time buddies as well as the
brother-in-law-to-be, head to Sin City for a bachelor party before one of the pal’s pending marriage in Southern California. They drink a lot. When they wake up the next morning they are sporting big hangovers and can't remember anything that happened. The groom to be is missing and the suite at Caesars Palace is a wreck.

Sorting it all out is a script full of surprises, odd-ball turns and a parade of wacky characters unlike any other film since Ben Hur (1959). The number of problems and comic situations packed into the 100 minute running time would fill a whole season of I Love Lucy episodes. The chemistry of the main characters is a big plus as is the ever clever screenplay by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The only drawback is the pervasively bad language and other adult themes mixed in with all the fun.

Much better than it's predecessor What Happens in Vegas (2008) it avoids the serious side and sticks with the weird predicaments and odd ball surprises they keep springing on the audience. Not a scene goes by without a new character appearing and one more comical complication to add to the boy's problems.

The Vegas scenery is great to watch and includes the big casinos as well as the seedier parts of town. This is a really funny film but the elements listed in the R rating are not to be taken lightly. This is adult humor and the R should be Respected.

The end credits are a series of still pix not to be missed.

The part of the baby is played by no less than three sets of twins and a dummy. What baby? The one they find in the closet.


Rated 3.0 out of 4.0 designated drinkers. Cheers.

My Botox Resume

By Bob Goldman

Oh, the sacrifices that must be made when you lose your job. You may have to give up your company-leased Lexus, or sell the vacation house in Belize that you have been writing off as a branch office. Without a job or an expense account, you may have to downgrade from a suite at the Ritz-Carleton to something more modest, like an empty refrigerator box under the freeway.

Go without a job long enough, and the sacrifices get even more painful. You might have to give up private school and send your kid for home schooling, assuming you can find a home that will take him. Your country club membership will go immediately, though you might be able to get a job as a caddy. You also won't be able to keep up your gym membership and could revert back to your natural flabby state. But don't sweat it. There's no better diet plan than being unable to buy food.

No matter what indigent indignities await you in your new state of unemployment, rest assured that there is one life essential that you will never give up. It's a drive that is stronger than hunger, or sex, or even the innate, genetic need to watch "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

You can fire me, you can humble me, but believe me — you will never take away my Botox.

It's true! According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Rhonda L. Rundle, "Vanity appears to be trumping frugality in a looks-conscious society."

Rundle goes on: "Despite the dismal economic climate, most women — and men — who undergo appearance-enhancing treatments such as Botox injections are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to maintain the regimen."

Though you and I are natural beauties whose striking good looks require no artificial enhancements, I do understand the decision to keep the Botox flowing. The need to look youthful is a critical career skill in a highly competitive job market. In the face of an economic meltdown, you don't want your face to melt down, too. Or, as Kathleen Hudson, a 57-year old marketing consultant puts it, "If you're in the business world and you want to be competitive with the younger people, you need to stay on top of your game."

Let me pause here for those readers who do not understand what miracles can be wrought by a substance like Botox or Juvederm or Restylane. Delivered by injection into a repository of wrinkles, the magic elixir fills, lifts and smoothes. If you've ever restored a 1956 Chevy, you might think of it as Bondo for your face.

Though there are some drawbacks to injecting facial putty, like the inability to smile or show any emotion, like horror when you get the doctor's bill. Still, even the most negative side effects can become positives in the workplace. Consider the advantage of not being able to smile. If we're going to reward the blunders of a chucklehead as CEO with a bushel of taxpayer cash, we want him to look serious. In the same spirit, a manager who shows emotion can be seen as weak, loopy or female. Getting a face freeze is definitely a plus in any workplace situation, especially when confronted with the thousands of employees you will have to lay off.

Of course, Botox treatments can be expensive. Even with special, two-for-one offers, the average cost per visit can range from $500 to $2,000 dollars. No wonder the children of marginally employed and unemployed workers are forced to give up visits to the pediatrician to finance Mommy and Daddy's trips to the plastic surgeon. Until Wal-Mart gets into the game, we all will have to make sacrifices.

On the other hand, one can look at serial Botoxers as thrifty shoppers. As the Journal article points out: "Patients like the idea that with aesthetic treatments they can pay as they go," says Dr. Malcolm Z. Roth, a New York City plastic surgeon. Botoxing is also a whole lot cheaper than a facelift to make you look young, or a tummy tuck to make you look thin.

Personally, I think if you truly care about your appearance, you really don't want to skimp. Get that face-lift! Charge that eye job! Hey, it cost me a fortune for a plastic surgeon to make me look smart by crafting these Spock ears, but on me, I think they look good.

Bob Goldman has been an advertising executive at a Fortune 500 company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He offers a virtual shoulder to cry on at bob@funnybusiness.com.

Police Report June 14 - 20, 2009

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Probation Search Location: 1100 Block of Los Padres
Officer J. Green headed up a group of officers who conducted a probation search of a home and found methamphetamine that belonged to one of the residents. An issue regarding the number of individuals living in the home will be investigated by the Nuisance Suppression Unit.
Case Number 09-6206

DUI Location: El Camino Real & Bowe
A citizen called to report the license plate number of a drunk driver. The driver failed to pull over for Sergeant Hosman for almost a mile. Once stopped, the female driver and a passenger were both found to be intoxicated. They were arrested and taken to County Jail.
Case Number 09-6210

Warrant Arrest Location: 2400 Block of Karen Dr.
Officers went to a residence to serve a warrant. A female in the residence attempted to hide hypodermic needles and the subject of the warrant attempted to run out the back door. Both were arrested.
Case Number 09-6189

Burglary Location: 1000 Block of Los Padres
A snack bar building at a park was burglarized and candy was stolen.
Case Number 09-6193

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Warrant Arrest Location: 3100 Block of Homestead Road
Officers Lee and Orlando located and arrested a person who had an outstanding warrant.
Case Number 09-6215

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Burglary Location: 2500 Block of El Camino Real
Someone smashed the sliding glass window of a business and stole computer equipment.
Case Number 09-6253



Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Copper Theft Location: 1700 Block of de la Cruz Ave.
An unknown suspect cut and stole copper ground wire from two electric poles.
Case Number 09-6280

Theft Location: 4700 Block of Old Ironsides Dr.
A vehicle owner observed a suspect walking away from his car carrying his laptop bag. The victim chased the suspect and he dropped the bag. The victim recovered his property, but the suspect remains at large.
Case Number: 09-6294

Felony Arrest Location: 2400 Block of de la Cruz
Officer Machado was flagged down by a citizen who had witnessed an auto burglary. At the same time, Officer Cardin had stopped the suspect for an unrelated incident. The officers collaborated and the suspect was arrested.
Case Number: 09-6295

Theft Location: 3900 Block of Freedom Circle
Laptops were stolen from four vehicles which were parked in a restaurant parking lot.
Case Number: 09-6312

DUI Location: El Camino Real & Lafayette
A citizen called to report that an intoxicated person had left a bar and driven to a fast food restaurant. Officers responded, found and arrested the driver for DUI.
Case Number: 09-6322

Traffic Accident Location: El Camino Real & Kiely
Officers and the Fire Department responded to the report of a car hitting a skateboarder. A witness reported that the skateboarder had been weaving in and out of traffic and appeared drunk. He was taken to Valley Medical Center.
Case Number: 09-6324

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Theft Location: Scott & Benton
A man came to the front desk of the Police Department to report that a friend had stolen his cell phone.
Case Number 09-6343

Domestic Violence Location: 3700 Block of Flora Vista
Officers Lamendola and McDowell responded to the report that a woman had been assaulted. The intoxicated suspect was arrested and booked into County Jail.
Case Number 09-6352

Possible Weapon Location: Market & The Alameda
Officers responded to the report of an assault. When they arrived, one of the involved men pointed out the other combatant. A gun was mentioned as involved, but not located.
Case Number 09-6370

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Vehicle Theft __________ Location: 3500 Block of Ryder
A stolen vehicle was recovered.
Case Number: 09-6374

Theft ____ Location: Great America Park
A woman stole four pairs of sunglasses and a ring from a store at the theme park. She was arrested and booked into County Jail due to prior theft convictions.
Case Number: 09-6392

Domestic Violence Location: 2700 Mission College Blvd.
A suspect battered his girlfriend in a hotel room, then fled. An Emergency Protective Restraining Order has been issued.
Case Number: 09-6395

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Drug Arrest Location: 900 Block of Rose Court
Officer Martin stopped a motorcyclist for Vehicle Code violations outside a residence. Methamphetamine was found in the helmet of the rider, who was arrested and booked into County Jail.
Case Number 09-6418

DUI __________ Location: 20 Block of Washington St.
An off duty San Jose police officer contacted the Police Department because he had followed an intoxicated driver into a gas station. Officer Higgins responded and arrested the driver for DUI.
Case Number: 09-6424

Burglary ________ __Location: 2000 Block of Duane Ave.
An unknown suspect pried open the front door of a business, kicked in an interior door, and broke into a cash drawer. The amount of the loss is unknown at this time.
Case Number: 09-6438

Armed Robbery _______Location: 2000 White Oak Lane
A suspect used a knife to threaten a store clerk and steal cash. A search was conducted, but the suspect has not been located.
Case Number: 09-6440