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Top StoriesCity Responds to Child's Death; Target is Hiring; Mountain View Robberiesby Danny Wool on Jan 29, 2010City Mulls a Tree Tax Street trees are like abandoned puppies. Everybody thinks they're cute. No one wants to take care of them for the long haul. That's the problem City Hall is facing with its plans to add 100,000 new trees to the almost quarter million that already line our streets. No one is willing to take care of them by watering and pruning them, or even removing them when they become dangerous. This became a problem when a 10-ton silver maple crashed down on a car last Friday, killing two-year-old Mateo Ortiz. The city finally agreed to remove the tree, which sits on property outside Mateo's grandfather's home. At first it wanted the grandfather to remove it, at a cost of $3,000. In the end, the city agreed to pick up the tab, but the case raises a larger question of who is responsible for maintaining these trees. The city used to do it, but it can't afford it anymore. Most property owners aren't willing to deal with the hassle and pay the costs, especially if the trees are not theirs. So the city came up with a new plan. It wants to impose a tax on property owners to maintain the city's street trees. Officials say that the tax will amount to under $100 per property. The question is whether voters will approve the new tax. One person who will vote against it is Andres Ragsac: "They planted the tree on my lot without even getting my permission!" Others are more receptive: "You're going to have to pay for it one way or another," says John Mai. Read More at The Mercury News. Hundreds of New Jobs Planned at … Target Forecasters predict that the Bay Area could lose 20,000 jobs in 2010 because of "anemic" economic growth. Yet despite the recession and the decline in retail sales, Target has announced that it plans to open two new stores in the Bay Area this year, one of them in San Jose, along Highway 237. The store is expected to provide employment to hundreds of people from the area. In other words, people may not be able to afford to buy, but at least they can sell. Read More at ABC 7. Mountain View Police Warn Against Armed Robberies Shop owners in Mountain View are worried. Since January 8, five stores in the town have been robbed at gunpoint, and police are still looking for the perpetrators. "It's just a matter of time before they strike again," police warn, and they are asking store owners to be especially cautious. Very little is known about the two men who committed the crimes. Though they appeared on surveillance cameras, they were too well concealed to discern any identifying features. All that is known for certain is that one of the robbers used a silver handgun. In the meanwhile, police have handed out fliers to all the local businesses, asking them to be on the lookout for the two perpetrators. Read More at KTVU. by Danny Wool on Jan 29, 2010 |
 Street trees in San Jose have become controversial, following the tragic death of a local 2-year-old. |
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