January 9, 2007

2006: Extreme weather, new businesses and sad goodbyes

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

New Year’s Day 2006 came in with a roar as heavy rains and strong winds felled trees throughout the Bay Area, especially in the South Bay. Weather made news throughout the year. There was a long, very hot heat wave in July along with some bitter cold weather—for Californians—in the late fall and a dusting of snow on the East Hills in February.

Popular Rolling Hills P.E. teacher Brian Mayock died suddenly at 56 on Oct. 31

It was a time of change for business. New stores in downtown Campbell increased foot and auto traffic and big box stores on Hamilton Avenue brought new revenue into the city. The November election brought changes to the City Council and the mayor’s office as Jeanette Watson retired after five terms and 23-year-old Evan Low was voted onto the council.

Stories that helped define 2006

January
Jeanette Watson takes over as mayor of Campbell. It’s her fifth term on the council she’s served on since 1985. While she expresses excitement, she’s also concerned about the downturn in the economy and its effect on the city budget. While the city coffers appear healthy an emergency could cause fiscal problems. The first woman on the Campbell City Council said she sees some positive revenue in the future with the new downtown stores and the big box stores, which are being built on Hamilton Avenue.

Campbell residents wake to a New Year’s Day with uprooted trees, fallen fences and downed power lines caused by high winds recorded with 50- to 60 mph gusts.

In other news, the staff at Keller Williams Realty was safe and sound despite a car “parking” in its lobby. During a recent noon-hour, call coordinator Ashley McFadden looked up and saw a car trying to park in the space in front of the office when suddenly it went “over the curb and through the front door. He hit the desk where I sit and kept going right to the second conference room where he kept trying to back up,” she said.

A preschool teacher is arrested on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography but none of the children he takes care of appears to have been involved. An early morning fire displaces 10 families, who are relocated to other apartments in the complex.

February
Slow business and few shops in downtown Campbell will be a thing of the past as retail shops and restaurants open and a slew of new housing throughout the area is completed.

Firemen blame a malfunctioning kitchen appliance for an early morning fire that destroyed a home across from Westmont High School. Homeowner Lisa Devlin and her boyfriend Roland Kamber escape without injury, although one of her pet boa constrictors suffers a burnt nose. Firemen rescued two boa constrictors and a cat. Damage was estimated at $600,000. The home has since been bulldozed and the land put on the market.

Santa Clara County’s District 4 Supervisor Jim Beall delivered the State of the County address pronouncing Santa Clara County in good shape despite a decreased budget. In the past year, the county, he said, initiated health insurance programs for children, juvenile detention reform and opened an office of affordable housing.

Project Match becomes Senior Housing Solutions, changing its name after 27 years. The agency provides low-income seniors with safe, affordable housing and supportive services that enable them to live independently, in a shared housing environment.

March
Prospect High School takes the county’s title for Mock Trail and advances to the state competition. The school edged out 2005 finalist and Mock Trial powerhouse Palo Alto High School in the process –a testament to the abilities of these young people.

Bonnie Aerts, United States Powerlifting Federation bench press record holder, sits at her husband's desk displaying the Aerts' style, which combines exquisite taste and down-to-earth fashion. Photo by Jeff Frazee

Westmont Principal Owen Hege returns to his job full time after suffering a massive heart attack in January. Hege spent three days in the hospital and four weeks recovering.

San Jose resident and part time Westmont High School match teacher Luke Lajole is arrested for setting up a meeting at John D. Morgan Park with a “12-year old girl” to have sex. The girl turned out to be a Campbell police officer. Meanwhile, police are trying to find ways to protect middle and high school students using MySpace and Xanga from pedophiles.

April
“Let’s Celebrate Campbell” honors Alan Aerts as Citizen of the Year and Mama Mia’s as Business of the Year. The chamber also honored a number of volunteers including Earle Wigham, Scott and Theresa Alster, Pat Hagmann, Cindy Campbell, Bob Carlson, J.R. McKee, Neil Reid, Marle Davidson and offered special recognition to Executive Director Betty Deal for her relentless work for the Chamber and for healing a rift between the city and the chamber.

Campbell elementary schools 2005 API scores grow, ranging from 662 to 900. The city’s middle schools were about even except for Rolling Hills, which gained 26 points. Both Del Mar and Westmont raised their API scores, the former by 63 points and the latter by 21.

Annie Chilson, who created Girl Powered Real Estate in 2005, helps woman take charge by helping them purchase property on their own. The business provides workshops and counseling to help clients through the job of buying their own homes.

May
Campbell celebrates Easter with its “Eggstravaganza” Easter egg hunt and the annual Bunnies and Bonnets parade.

Santa Clara County’s Beall is termed out after 12 years on the board. He is running for Assembly District 24.

Twenty-five volunteers for Rebuilding Together help Elvira Angulo paint the inside and outside of her home, install grab bars to help her walk safely, repair faucets and windows and install handles on windows to make them easier to open. The Calpine Foundation sponsored the project and volunteers came from the energy company and the Family Community Church.

Campbell Union High School District’s Junior ROTC awards ceremony honors students from Westmont, Del Mar, Prospect, Leigh and Branham.

June
Castlemont Elementary students raise $15,000 at a Jog-a-thon for school programs.

After years of struggling to make a decent profit, Susan and Mark Gaetano, the owners of the Gaslighter Theatre since 1980, have sold the theater to Nick D’arpino, who has plans to turn it into a Las Vegas style ultra lounge. The theater closed in June for renovations.

The two-day Boogie on the Bayou was successful despite one day of rainy weather. A large crowd attended on cloudy Saturday, many of them dancing to the lively music and sampling the spicy Cajun food. More than 175 arts and crafts vendors offered their creations. The crowd thinned down on Sunday when a steady downpour limited the revelers.

With 52 percent of the vote, Ken Yeager handily won the June 7 primary for District 4 County Supervisor despite strong competition from District 1 Council member Linda LeZotte and Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan. A large group crowded the Hobbee’s Restaurant s at The Pruneyard to celebrate his win. He will take office in mid-December.

The Campbell Union High School District celebrates the groundbreaking of construction of a new agricultural sciences classroom building at Westmont High’s agricultural farm campus, north of the main campus across from the baseball/softball field on Westmont Avenue. Construction for the building, which is part of the two and a half acre farm, will run $1.8 million. Funding comes through the Measure C bond passed by voters in 1999.

July
The popular principal of Leigh High School, Rick Costanza stepped down after 30 years with the Campbell Union High School District. He joined Leigh in 1998 as dean of students after 22 years at Westmont. He took over as principal in 2000.

Campbell’s annual Scottish Highland Games again proved to be a success with a large crowd turning out to watch male and female competitors play games invented hundreds of years ago.

This fall, Rogers and Castro Middle Schools will merge and become Moreland Middle School due to declining enrollment. In a Web site letter to parents, officials said the Moreland Unified School District “is losing about $650 in income per student who does not attend Moreland next year.” Moreland middle school students will attend school at the Castro site and the Rogers property will be occupied by Easterbrook Discovery School. The district announces that they will also close Latimer Elementary and lease the property.

Downtown Campbell retail is 98 percent leased. Only one downtown space is not leased; those 3,000 square feet need to be remodeled and seismically retrofitted for a new tenant. Two of five retail spaces in the mixed-use building under construction across from the Sonoma Chicken Coop are pre-leased.

August
Campbell’s annual Relay For Life brings out 1,300 to walk or run raising money for education, awareness and research for the American Cancer Society. This year’s relay achieved $15,000 more than its goal of $330,000 before the official close of the Relay season.

Campbell Carol of Lights Committee holds a Casino Night clearing about $5,000, slightly less than a third of what is needed for the 2006 holiday event.

Westmont High’s Future Farmers of America have a good showing at the hog judging at the Santa Clara County Youth Fair. Senior Nikki Navarro won the Reserve Supreme and FFA Grand Champion Hog. Campbell FFA Chapter 126 won Outstanding Chapter for Market Hogs.

Evan Low holds his campaign kickoff for a City Council seat. He ran two years ago and lost by less than 1 percent of the vote.

September
Single mom Rhonda Dunn credits the city of Campbell for approving a loan allowing her to buy a used manufactured home to put on the lot where her former 740-square foot home stood. “We’re going from a 740 square foot dump that was falling into the basement to a 1,600 square foot home,” said the San Tomas neighborhood resident.

Campbell’s elementary, middle and high schools record success on 2006 STAR tests, demonstrating growth over the previous year. Students from both Capri and Village Schools show substantial gains in 2006 test scores.

Astronomer and optometrist Dr. Lee Hoglan, who uses talent and experience to create telescopes and eyeglasses to see stars more clearly at night, remembers his nephew Mark Bingham, who was killed on Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.

October
Military families and their supporters board the USS Hornet aircraft carrier to celebrate the second annual Operation Care and Comfort Troop Fest in Alameda. An estimated crowd of about 3,000 took self-guided tours of the carrier, watched an ROTC Drill competition and was entertained by several local bands including Greg Kihn.

Jason Hamm enjoys his first Oktoberfest as he rests on one of the few available “seats” on Campbell Avenue.

The West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority Board approves new garbage collection rates set to go into effect on March 1.

Pamelynn Greenwood, Campbell resident and fourth grade teacher at Fammatre Elementary is named teacher of the year for Cambrian School District. Greenwood has received many accolades over the years for her work in curriculum, supporting new teachers, being active in the teachers’ union or modeling the importance of lifelong learning for her students and other teachers. She is known enthusiastically as the Accelerated Reader Queen at her school, with her students typically surpassing every other classroom in number of books and words read each year. Last year alone her class of 27 students read more than 22 million words!

November
Campbell voters must choose three of five candidates--Tom Francois, incumbent Dan Furtado, Evan Lowe, incumbent Jane Kennedy or Margie Mitchell—for the three open seats on the City Council.

Rolling Hill’s popular P.E. teacher Brian Mayock, 56, dies of a heart attack. Mayock first came to Rolling Hills as a fifth grade teacher. He later taught seventh and eighth grade PE and coached boys and girls soccer. Grief counselors visit the campus to offer their services to students and staff.

Members of Campbell San Jose West Rotary Club elect Derek Fujikawa 2006-07 president. Shiraz Sorabji from Boy Scout Troop 330 is collecting shoes for homeless people for his Eagle Scout Leadership Service project. San Jose Christian School’s Walk-a-thon raises $51,000 for field trips and supplies.

The weather cooperates as downtown Campbell hosts the Oktoberfest, drawing about 40,000 people from throughout the Bay Area, outnumbering Campbell’s population.

December
It’s the end of an era. Jeanette Watson steps down after 20 years on the Campbell City Council. The first woman to be elected, she’s watched the city change from a sleepy little town with a one-way street through a rundown downtown to a thriving city boasting a lively downtown. Watson plans to relax and visit her three children and eight grandchildren.

Evan Low, Jane Kennedy and Dan Furtado are sworn in to office to begin their city council terms. Furtado is selected as mayor.

Hundreds turn out to the 2006 Carol of Lights. The three-hour event featured children’s activities, choirs and baton twirlers and dancers passing out cookies, cider and popcorn. Volunteers saved the event. They held fundraisers including a casino night, a bunco night, a garage sale and a percentage of the proceeds from a day at the Sonoma Chicken Coop.

Assembly member Jim Beall, who is sworn in on Dec. 4, opens an office in Sacramento and one locally at Paseo de San Antonio. Presiding Judge Catherine Gallagher swears County District 4 Supervisor Yeager on Dec. 12. San Jose Mayor-elect Chuck Reed introduces him and a huge crowd, including his predecessor Beall, and many of the political elite of Santa Clara County witness the ceremony.

Wounded Iraqi war veteran Warren Hardy and his wife Gina welcome triplets Thomas, Preston and Erik to their family, which also includes three-year old Autumn. Hardy is undergoing treatment for a concussive traumatic brain injury and damage to his spinal chord and vertebrae, which happened when his armored personnel carrier struck an anti-tank mine. He has been unable to return to work. Recognizing that the Hardys will need financial assistance as well as money for formula, diapers and clothing for the triplets and their 3-year old daughter, several Campbell luminaries come to their aid spreading the word to local media outlets.

Bank of America recognizes Westmont High’s Chelsea Mowry as a student leader with an interest in improving her neighborhood. Santa Clara nonprofit Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors received the biennial Doris W. Kahn Award for Accessible Transportation from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in recognition of its achieving significant improvement in escorted transportation services for the elderly.