San Jose Inside

We thought it would be nice to remember those who passed away in 2006. There is also room here to remember personas, places and things, including the politically dead. We have open minds, so use this space as you see fit, but with respect.

Oh, this is really going to be fun. You get to name your own category and winner. What could be better than that?

With all the local sports action this year, it’s hard to pick a favorite event or most important story. Even after a few pints at O’Flaherty’s, our merry little group of writers couldn’t agree on a single thing (nothing new there), so we put the following short list together to get the ball rolling. We have told you ours, now you tell us yours.

“If I Misappropriated Public Funds”—A Hypothetical Conspiracy Confession

The embattled former book publisher, Judith Regan, has been rehired by Harper Collins to publish outgoing mayor Ron Gonzales’s hypothetical conspiracy confession, “If I Misappropriated Public Funds.”

The Late Ira Brilliant’s Invaluable Legacy

When real estate magnate and music scholar Ira Brilliant died at age 85 in San Jose on September 10, he left behind the most important collection of items related to the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven in North America. Located in a cozy corner of the fifth floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of humankind’s greatest geniuses. It is open to the public from 11am to 6pm most days and is one of the best free rides in town.

It is a standard human impulse to see a brave new and optimistic world when a certain era is closing.  From the conclusion of a project, to the end of a school year, to a change in jobs, all are a time of reflection and satisfaction.  Much is leaving; much will abide.

As I was watching highlights of Ron Gonzales and Cindy Chavez at the last San Jose City Council meeting, I was wondering if anyone else felt the same way I did—that the sentiments shown in that meeting were just about as fake as a set of Lee Press-On Nails.

By Leonard McKay

Editor’s Note: As a tribute to our recently departed friend, we are repeating the piece he wrote for this site last Christmas.

Did you ever wonder how Christmas was celebrated in the past in San Jose? When our first foreign settlers, the Spaniards, were here, the birth of Christ was celebrated by going to mass at the Mission Santa Clara, the closest church. The male citizens rode their horses for the three mile trip. The women and young children went on the rough ride to the mission on a wooden wheeled, no-springs caretta. After the Americans arrived, most of the celebrations moved to the family home or local churches.

Pair File Lawsuit for Defamation of Character

Just one day after prominent lobbyists Tony Arreola and Sharanjit “Sean” Kali-Rai received word that they were the joint recipients of this year’s Papal Humanitarian of the Year Award, they filed a lawsuit against the Vatican claiming their reputations in the lobbyist community had been irreparably damaged.

It is a fact of life for downtown residents that Friday and Saturday nights are extremely noisy, especially if you live on or near Santa Clara Street. The constant stream of slow-cruising, high-volume subwoofer-armed cars is bad enough, but the loud music from the clubs and the groups of shouting, laughing merrymakers after midnight are just as bad. The only thing that makes it tolerable for those of us over 40 who live downtown is the fact that the police clear the streets at 2 a.m., and by 2:15, all is quiet. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t get any sleep on the weekends.

Just like the man falling off the high rise and yelling at the 89th floor, “so far, so good,” I am happy to report that the Reed Transition is going very well.  The sky is the limit as far as the expectations of many on the multi-faceted committee representing the richness of our city.  From the Environment subcommittee with Judy Stabile and Janet Gray Hayes, to the Public Safety area with Jose Salcido of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and Bobby Lopez of the Police Officers’ Association, there is no shortage of ideas and energy. When the Education subcommittee gets the benefit of the county’s Superintendent, Colleen Wilcox, and also Jennifer Andeluz, the co-founder of Downtown College Prep, as well as Barbara Hansen of PACT, it’s a wonderful collision of concepts, spiced with practical knowledge.

Since we all spend enough time finding what’s wrong with our city and talking about it on this site, I thought that in the spirit of the season, I would sprinkle a little sugar instead of lumps of coal.  In sharing my weekend experience, I hope to show you that San Jose has a lot to offer—if you look closely enough.

Saturday night I took in a Sharks game at “The Tank”—still one of the best things you can do on a Saturday night in this town. For those who have never been to a game, especially a weekend game, it is a must.  The game is action-packed (and, seriously, what’s not to love about hockey men?). The people-watching is incredible and it’s just one of the best experiences you can have in San Jose, bar none. 

The four murders that took place over the first weekend of December brought Chief Davis before the public to call for enlarging the force. According to the chief, his department was stretched so thin to cover the investigations of the rare spate of killings that he had to draw officers and detectives from other duties. He wants to hire 600 additional people over the next five years and boost the force by 35 percent. But, as Scott Herhold pointed out in his column last week, given the high cost of each member of the force, can the city afford to acquiesce to the chief’s request?

Fire Stations, Jiffy Lubes to Become Drop Off Sites For Unwanted Shills

As a result of Chuck Reed’s overwhelming mandate in the mayoral election, and the uncertainty of how strict ethical rules will be enforced, several prominent, overpaid lobbyists have been turning up abandoned in various dumpsters, back alleys and gated country clubs in the valley.