Around Santa Clara

Conspiracy Con 2011: In Xanadu Did Kubla Khan/Satanic Mass Decree…

2011-06-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Douglas D. Dietrich is a striking presence. Part Chinese and Japanese, his face is one that you don't forget. If you sent to central casting for an oriental despot, or a James Bond villain, they'd send in Douglas Dietrich. When you talk with him privately, Dietrich seems a gentle soul, with the antique gallantry of a bygone age. He's a veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, born in Formosa

Conspiracy Con 2011 - The Live Blog - True Otts and Conspiracy Gaming

2011-06-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

My first stop is to catch the tail end of Len Horowitz and Sherri Kane who are ranting about…well, I'm not sure what. Something about "True Ott" and the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. "Now that we know that truth about this…we had to ask Brian Hall for extra security. We're not going to stay around for obvious reasons." Horowitz is a dentist who found he could make a lot more money selling new

Conspiracy Con 2011 - The Live Blog

2011-06-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Conspiracy Con, Santa Clara, CAJune 4, 2011 Ominously, it's raining today. Really raining. Now, heavy rain is an extremely low probability event in Santa Clara in June. And you might be tempted to point to it as evidence of (take your pick): Global warming The global chemtrail conspiracy Project HAARP global weather manipulation conspiracy Which makes it a

Shell Game or Prudent Planning? The latest Santa Clara RDA money shuffle

2011-03-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Despite the ostensible urgency that demanded an emergency meeting of the Santa Clara RDA/Stadium Authority Monday to transfer $4.5 million to a SF 49ers business entity called Stadco, no one seems to know who called the emergency. "[I] Can't pinpoint exactly who was the driving force," is how one member of the City staff -- who have been working on the details of the resolution

Does the Monday's Emergency RDA Meeting Violate the Brown Act?

2011-03-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

One question that is begged by Monday's short-notice RDA meeting is whether the meeting violates the California's 1953 Brown Act, mandating that public agencies conduct their business in a way that is open to public scrutiny. The Brown act requires agencies to post meeting agendas at least 72 hours in advance, in a "freely accessible" location, and to describe each item of business – including

Candidate recommendations

2010-10-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

As we're on the eve of the election, I felt it prudent to get this posted. I've been avoiding doing this mostly because as a reporter, I'm supposed to stay neutral on issues or candidates. But as a citizen of our fine community, it's rather difficult for me to just sit by the sidelines and not speak up, which is probably a reason why I'm a reporter in the first place.Recommendations:School

The Brown Act and Ina Bendis

2010-10-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ok. This is not my writing, although I do like the style of this.This was written by a soon-to-be participating blogger, "Fly on the Wall" on the Around Santa Clara blog, but since the election is almost here and Mr. Fly still can't post, I felt it prudent to get this posted sooner than later. Apparently did Mr. Fly in his email to me asking if I could post it for him (her?) in the meantime. (

The “Sniff Test" - Part II

2010-10-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

Santa Clara Plays Fair has endorsed Christine Koltermann in her bid for Santa Clara Unified School Board, Trustee Area 2.Except, "Christine Koltermann... (is) a Board member of Santa Clara Plays Fair..."Santa Clara Plays Fair's (SCPF) endorsement of Koltermann smells funny since Koltermann is on the board. To be truly objective and easily pass the sniff test, no board member would (or should)

The Sniff Test

2010-10-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

Candidate Recommendations – Do They Pass the “Sniff Test”?As the election season begins its last week, fliers imploring people to vote for candidates continue to pour into and overflow residents’ mailboxes. Each one extols the virtues of their particular candidate or a particular measure.The Sniff TestSome of these groups hope voters won’t give the fliers the “Sniff Test”. The “Sniff Test” is a

Blatant recommendations - Gov and Senator's race

2010-10-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

On the eve before the eve before the election, is this first of several posts. I've been avoiding doing this mostly because as a reporter, I'm supposed to stay neutral on issues or candidates. But as a citizen of our fine community, it's rather difficult for me to just sit by the sidelines and not speak up, which is probably a reason why I'm a reporter in the first place.I'm expanding this to

Questions for Candidates

2010-10-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

Early on in the election season, I posted a series of questions to each new candidate hoping to submit a story to the paper. That never happened, in part because of the sloooooow response of some candidates (I'll considering revealing that for a large enough contribution to my favorite charity). I didn't email people currently on the Council or who had served on the Council in the past, since

City Council Candidates and Purple Cows

2010-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

James Rowan has a way with words -- or should I say, without words. Last week he posted a commentary about Teresa O'Neill's candidacy for City Council that consisted of linking to a song from Guys and Dolls, and an admonition to follow Nicely Johnson's advice.For those of you who haven't seen the interminable Frank Loesser musical in a while -- or who, like me, had dozed off by the time the

AeONsafe Brews Free, Secure WiFi at Bellano Coffee

2010-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

These days, free wireless hotspots are commodities, not competitive advantages, for cafes. But one Santa Clara cafe has upped the ante. Bellano Coffee on Stevens Creek Blvd. offers free, secure WiFi from AeONsafe. Aeon does it with a unique key it automatically creates for each user's communications. Read more about in this article from the Santa Clara Weekly.

900 Kiely Developer NOT the company in bankruptcy -- who knew?

2010-06-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Fairfield Residential business division developing 900 Kiely (the former Kaiser hospital site) was not part of the business that filed for bankruptcy last year, according to company representative Ed McCoy at tonight's City Council meeting. In that case, one might ask why McCoy didn't offer this information -- or return the Weekly's calls -- last year when I was reporting on the story.

July 4 Fireworks Committee Wants Your Contribution

2010-06-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

If you would like to help underwrite Santa Clara's 2010 July 4 fireworks show, contribute online at the City website, or send a contribution payable to the City of Santa Clara, Fireworks Fund, 1500 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, CA 95050.

Conspiracy Con X - Texe Marrs and the Great Brotherhood of Conspiracy

2010-06-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dateline Santa Clara. Ground zero for Conspiracy Con. I arrive with my all-seeing eye at 14:00 hours: I stop by Texe Marrs talk. Marrs seems anomalous here – an old-style tent revivalist at a gathering of New Age conspiracists. But of course, just as "in Christ there is no east or west," in conspiracy there is no left or right, only conspiracy as far as the eye can see.

Carolyn's Conspiracy Cocktails

2010-06-05T09:33:00.001-07:00

As I prepped myself for the upcoming Conspiracy Con, I thought it would be appropriate to have some conspiracy cocktails.As I thought about it, I developed a few rules. Conspiracy cocktails: They should use as many ingredients as possibleAbsinthe must be an ingredientObscure, arcane ingredients are preferredColor should be black or unnatural Conflicting and negating flavors

Illuminati Beware: Preeminent Gathering of Conspiracy Theorists Celebrates its 10th Year in Santa Clara

2010-06-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

The annual conspiracist mind meld, Conspiracy Con, celebrates its 10th birthday – and 10th year in Santa Clara – on June 5 and 6 at the Santa Clara Marriott. Conference organizer Brian Hall, describes the event as "a forum for… the most controversial speakers in the world," on "Mind Control, Secret Societies, Shadow Government, The Federal Reserve, 9-

900 Kiely Developer Fairfield Residential Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

2009-12-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Market Turmoil Comes Home to Santa Clara In what the Wall Street Journal called "the latest casualty of the turmoil engulfing the U.S. real-estate market," Fairfield Residential, developer of the Gallery on Central Park project at 900 Kiely (the former Kaiser hospital site), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on Dec. 13, 2009. Chapter 11

A New Opera Premieres in Santa Clara and a New Star is Born

2009-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Taylor's new opera, "Truce of Carols," delights audiences. At the world premiere of Gian-Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors nearly 60 years ago, New York Times music critic Olin Downes wrote, "It was an exquisite piece… a work that few indeed could have seen and heard last night save through blurred eyes, and with emotions that were not

Mission City Opera's Christmas Show Preview Offers Taste of Michael Taylor's New Opera

2009-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

If you had been among the audience in the Santa Clara Central Library's Redwood Room on November 17, you would have been among the luck few to hear first-ever performances of music from Truce of Carols, a new opera by Mission City Opera Associate Conductor Michael Taylor. "We're getting to see the birth of this new work," is how one member of the audience put it. The

The family that watches City Council meetings together...

2009-11-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

At our house we have a standing date every other Tuesday night. It's not for a romantic dinner and a movie. It's to watch the City Council on TV, by far the most entertaining reality show on Bay Area TV. It's Santa Clara's contribution to the venerable 600 year-old Commedia dell'arte theatrical tradition, featuring a rich assortment of pagliacci (clowns) and our very own Il

Around Santa Clara is now on Twitter

2009-09-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Follow Around Santa Clara on Twitter: twitter.com/arndsantaclara.

School District Boundaries Update

2009-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Update on last night's back-to-back special Santa Clara Unified School District board meeting and County Office of Education, Committee on School District Organization public hearing: The skinny: By a unanimous vote, SCUSD board of trustees gave a qualified nod to Santa Clara south-of-Pruneridge residents' request to move the neighborhood from the Campbell Union school

SCUSD Staff Opposes Proposed Boundary Change to Include City Residents South of Pruneridge

2009-09-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Note: In the interests of full disclosure, I live in the south-of-Pruneridge neighborhood. I have no school-age children. On Sept. 22, the Santa Clara Unified School District Board is holding a special meeting to take up a request by Santa Clara residents in the south of Pruneridge neighborhood to move from the CUSD and CUHSD districts to SCUSD. The question was tabled at

Conspiracy Con9 - The Live Blog: Decent Into the Maelstrom

2009-07-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Santa Clara, CA June 6, 2009 7:53:39 P.M "It took less than a single day to change these hairs from a jetty black to white, to weaken my limbs, and to unstring my nerves, so that I tremble at the least exertion, and am frightened at a shadow." – Edgar Allen Poe, Descent Into the Maelstrom The last speaker on the Conspiracy Con 9 agenda is Anthony Hilder, cinematic auteur of

The night of the whining

2009-07-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

Before the last election, I posted "An Election Who's Who" where I gave opinions about the candidates for City Council. Now that we're 8 months down the road, let's revisit some of those recommendations and see how people are acting. This is based entirely on public appearances. I didn't interview anyone for this.At the last two City Council meetings, several people have spoken - including

Iran solidarity vigil 6/26/09

2009-06-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Vigil in solidarity with the suffering people of Iran, remembering Neda and the countless others who have sacrificed for a better future for their children, their nation, and the world.FRIDAY, June 26, 2009 7:30 PMStevens Creek and Winchester (Santana Row)This is a peaceful vigil and memorial. Organizers have requested no flags. More here.

So little time, so many lunatics

2009-06-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

We're talking about 900 Kiely, the latest development tempest in the Santa Clara teapot. Every time we have a development project, it's the same. The usual suspects, headlined by our very own Village Lunatic Extraodinaire, ringing changes on the I got mine, the hell with you chorus.Here's Bela Lugosi returned from the dead. "Raaaadeeee00000h-ahhhktiff waste." "I've been a homeowner in the City of

California's Governator Turns Ballot Initiatives to Bullet Initatives

2009-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

I can only wish!The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cYou're Welcome - California Budget Crisisthedailyshow.comDaily ShowFull EpisodesPolitical HumorNewt Gingrich Unedited Interview

Conspiracy Con 9 - The Live Blog: Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound

2009-06-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Santa Clara, CAJune 6, 2009 7:53:39 2 P.M.By the time I check back with Conspiracy Central on Sunday it's 3:30 -- half an hour is spent locating my badge because I figure that saying that I lost my badge will finger me as a New World Order plant or worse. I start in the exhibit where I buy a fascinatingly configurable magnetic jewelry "rope" from Denise Wells of

Conspiracy Con 9 - The Live Blog: The Worshipful Master

2009-06-08T01:16:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Santa Clara, CAJune 6, 2009 5:30:22 P.M.I woke up this morning under a heavy cloud of FFA (free floating anxiety). I take a few deep breaths and remind myself that I'm at home, not Conspiracy Con. Clearly I'm too close to this story.I rolled into last night's dinner at about nine o'clock, which seems to me a civilized hour, but most people iare already working on

Conspiracy Con 9 - The Live Blog: Initial Probe

2009-06-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Santa Clara, California Saturday June 6, 2009 4:28:05 p.m. PDTAfter a tour through the exhbit, where Don from St. Paul, MN pressed two handfuls of pamphlets on me with titles such as Orthodox Medicine is Public Enemy #1 and Why Silver is the Answer, I check in with Don VonKliest, "The Value Of Minstrels, Jesters and Entertainers In The Future." An idea that I, as

Conspiracy Con 9 - The Live Blog: First Contact

2009-06-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Santa Clara, California Saturday June 6, 2009 1:57:14 p.m. PDTAfter wresting my car from my 18 year-old, I hit the road for the Marriott, which for the next two days is ground zero of world conspiracy theory. This is the ninth year the event has been held in our fair city, and that alone is worthy of note. That George Noory, host of Coast to Coast A.M. -- the nighttime radio talk show

The vote on the 49ers stadium

2009-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara City Council meeting is slowly grinding through the issue of the 49ers stadium. As of now, the meeting's been going on for nearly 2 hours.I've got a flu bug and don't have the patience to sit through the end of the meeting. Besides, news is more fun when you can read about it before it happens, so let's cut to the end of the meeting and take a glimpse at the final results of

Why I didn't Vote on May 19, 2009

2009-05-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, for the first time since I was old enough to vote -- 1972 -- I didn't. Why? Because I'm sick and tired. Of a lot of things. Of doing the state legislature's work for them, for one. I'm sick of having to become a legislative analyst every six months and of trying to anticipate the blow-back lurking in the current ill-conceived proposal. State ballot initiatives almost invariably (

Who Shot JR?

2008-11-19T07:00:00.001-08:00

In what could best be described as Santa Clara's own Theater of the Absurd, City Council Member Dominic Caserta proved that life can be stranger than fiction. Mr. Caserta placed on the agenda, Item 16C, "Request to authorize correction to Minutes of November 16, 2004 City Council meeting regarding abstention by Council Member Dominic Caserta from taking action on the Mills Act contract

A Disclaimer

2008-11-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

As a disclaimer to my election rant, I think I should state for the record the owner of the Santa Clara Weekly paper is Miles Barber.In response to the woman (wouldn't identify herself at the Final Word Forum) who stated, "You work for the paper and Miles gets money from the Gilmors so they tell you what to write" you couldn't be more wrong.Miles has given me feedback on maybe 3 of my stories

An Election Who's Who

2008-11-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the election, much has been learned about the candidates. But questions still remain. I've been avoiding doing this for far, far too long but finally felt compelled to do this on the eve of what could prove to be the biggest election Santa Clara has ever seen.As a disclaimer, I'm sure there'll be lots of things in here various people in various groups won't like. Feel free to email

Mercury Dishes the Dirt But Doesn't Ask the Obvious Question

2008-10-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

You could say that the South Bay election season doesn't officially begin until the San Jose Mercury News launches its first attack on its favorite local politics bogeyman, Santa Clara. By that criterion, 2008's election began Sunday with the Mercury's Internal Affairs gossip column stoking them old Santa Clara election conspiracy flames with a "he said, she said" story about Kevin Moore's

Mike Honda Blogs On the Issues

2008-06-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Santa Clara's fighting fireplug of a Congressman, Mike Honda, has a new blog, Congressman Mike Honda on the Issues, where you can engage with him on the issues of the day. There are plenty of podcasts and audio briefings as well as reading. Check it out.

22nd Assembly District Race: Plot Thickens with 11th Hour Slate Mailer

2008-06-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Like most Democrats in the 22nd Assembly district, my mailbox has been so crammed with campaign ads the past few weeks that I just toss them without even looking. Saturday was not different. I was about to send an Anna Song flier to join Caserta's and Fong's more elegant efforts -- sorry guys, putting it in an envelope still won't make me read it -- when something caught my eye on the cheesy

Giving Tech its Due

2008-05-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who sometimes feels like Santa Clara has multiple personality disorder? I saw this headline this morning in FierceCIO:TechWatch: AMD scoffs at Nvidia’s 'huge, monolithic' approach.(Hang on, I'm getting to the MPD;)Here are two tech giants that will decide how we see the next generation of computer graphics -- that means games, online video -- who both are headquartered in

Santa Clara – A Livable Town

2008-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

About four years ago, when I interviewed Gary Gillmor for the Weekly, the former mayor described Santa Clara's character this way:"The personality of Santa Clara is a true middle class community. We cut our city up with the transportation -- Central expressway, Lawrence expressway… We created jobs, we created a tax base. [By contrast] the personality of Los Altos, Saratoga -- they don’t want any

Calm Shattered in Santa Clara

2008-04-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Santa Clara, CA - This quiet community has joined the ever growing list of cities in, not just the nation, but the world, plagued by seemingly random acts of violence, known as drive-by's. Although all the facts aren't available, what is known is rival groups have attacked and counter-attacked each other with so far, one fatality.Drive-By WebbingsDrive-by Webbings are the latest example of

49ers Stadium Announcement - April 1, 2008

2008-04-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

SF 49ers To Buy Santa ClaraRumors have swirled for the last several weeks about the ongoing negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and the City of Santa Clara. Initial rumors were too wild to publish but recent revelations have been substantiated by anonymous sources close to the negotiations who are not authorized to speak for either party. Given the significance of these rumors, it is

I Got Them Old Convention Center Blues

2008-03-21T00:13:00.000-07:00

This past week I spent some time in the San Jose Convention Center, giving me a refreshed appreciation of our hometown's facilities. The occasion was the VON -- voice on the 'Net -- conference. Unlike the Santa Clara Convention Center, San Jose's operation has all the convivial charm of, well, the set of a low-budget slasher flick. It's big, barn-like, frigidly cold -- literally -- and eerily

Practiced Deceits

2008-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

First, link love to James Rowan at Mission City Lantern for a nice mention of my last post about the old Kaiser hospital site.Practiced DeceitsSometimes you go to the theater and simply enjoy the show. Other times the performance sucker punches you, lays you out flat and sends you home feeling transformed. The Greeks, who invented theater, called it catharsis. It doesn't happen often -- at least

On the Street Where I Live

2008-02-24T09:08:00.001-08:00

Last week I had an interesting conversation with Kevin Park of Concerned Santa Clara about Fairfield's development proposal for the old Kaiser hospital site — 900 Kiely. One of the things that we talked about was the fact that the plan doesn't include any retail space — which we both agreed was a mistake. One of the surest ways to get people out of their cars and onto their feet is to bring

Strange Bedfellows

2008-01-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

Truly the end times have arrived. The lion is lying down with the lamb. I am, of course referring to the January 15 City Council meeting where Chris Stampolis and Miles Barber came down on the same side of an issue; namely the 49ers stadium. When did you last see that happen? It's certainly something to think about.

Stadium Follies

2007-10-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

After the Oct. 23 City Council meeting, I can only assume the Santa Clara Plays Fair advocacy group intends the word 'play' in its theatrical sense. In which case, its troupe might do better to tour its act on the comedy club circuit rather than at City Hall. Its show bombed when the anti-49ers stadium group flung its fanfold computer paper petition across the width of the Council Chambers in

Carmelite Convent - Santa Clara's Oasis of Tranquility

2007-08-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, someone told our Weekly photographer Christy Kinney that he was delighted to read this week's cover story about the Carmelite Monastery on Benton St. The reason was that he had just visited it for the first time and found a wonderful tranquility in the grounds and the church. That's what makes our efforts worthwhile. The convent is one of my favorite spots around Santa Clara. I

Getting Connected

2007-08-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Let's face it -- City Council meetings are pretty dull most of the time. You've got to hand it to Council Members, whatever you think of them or their politics. It takes a special dedication to plough through those meetings every two weeks -- not to mention enduring verbal rotten tomatos thrown on a regular basis by Santa Clara's unhinged and perennially malcontent. Like I once read about the

2007-08-21T10:22:00.001-07:00

I got an email this morning urging SaveBAREC supporters to turn out for tonight's City Council meeting, where Council Members will have to vote to either rescind the zoning changes that enable the Santa Clara Gardens project to go forward or refer the question to voters in a special February election.My first thought, was Not another marathon. I mean, give it a rest, guys. At this juncture,

Santa Clara Politics Deja Vu

2007-07-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

I was amused to hear the Santa Clara Gardens [BAREC] project described as "the Summerhill Gillmor development project" by an opponent at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. That's what a large footprint Gary Gillmor, mayor in the 1960s, has in Santa Clara. People blame him for everything, things that happened a decade before he was mayor and things that happened long after he left office. When

Only the Names Change

2007-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I usually read the New York Daily News to hone my writing skills – it's the gold standard of tight, pithy journalism. But today this headline caught my eye: Factory fight turning bitter - Housing vs. preservation for Domino Sugar plant. Sound familiar? Check out the rest of the story. At the heart of the controversy is a closed sugar factory in the northern part of Brooklyn that includes

BAREC Grows Legs

2007-06-25T21:51:00.001-07:00

Far from being old news after last week's Council vote, the BAREC story has legs. Save BAREC appears to be looking to hire the lawyer that represented the groups behind last year's binding arbitration ballot initiative. A blizzard of emails has been flying through cyberspace about the proposed ballot initiative and various lines of attack.But even more interesting is the survey that's being taken

Just the Facts

2007-06-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

When someone says "we report - you decide" most of us are naturally suspicious that the speaker is anything but impartial. If I'm truly impartial, I don't have to tell you. It'll be evident. In the 25 years I've lived here, I've always thought that the San Jose Mercury News was professional in its news coverage. Not, for example, the New York Post or Fox News. They didn't have to say so - it was

How Not to Win Friends and Influence People

2007-06-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

You've doubtless heard it said that some people are their own worst enemies. It could be said with considerable justification about Save BAREC after the group's blundering performance last week.First, a Save BAREC representative called the Weekly's office to complain about a perceived lack of coverage of the question that forms the core of Save BAREC's mission – the disposition of the 17 acre