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Top Stories: Oct. 7, 2009

The New Cesar Chavez Elementary Opens; Library Kisser Cleared of Charges; Oaks Taken Out in PA

by Staff on Oct 07, 2009
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More Clinics Needed to Offer Swine Flu Vaccine
The first doses of swine flu vaccine arrived in Santa Clara County yesterday, but public health officials are already worried. When compared to nearby counties like San Mateo, the number of doctors and clinics who registered to administer the vaccine is simply not enough.

Marty Fenstersheib, the county's Public Health Officer, worries that people will have to seek out the vaccine or that they might start a rush on public clinics, especially since there may not be enough vaccine to go around. To avoid potential problems, health officials are now urging smaller clinics, doctors, pharmacies, and student health centers to register to administer the flu shots, particularly to those groups most susceptible to the virus.
Read More at KCBS.


Local School Gets Major Makeover
Rene Sanchez is excited. The principal of the Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the Alum Rock School District remembers how just last month teachers were forced to bring a fan in to a kindergarten camp to keep the kids—and them—from sweltering in the heat. Then Measure G took effect, and the differences are already noticeable.

After voters in the Alum Rock School District decided to pour $179 million into their ailing school system, the Chavez school has already seen a new fence and new landscaping, and classrooms have been equipped with interactive electronic whiteboards. As for air conditioning, that's on the way too, and should be installed by the time temperatures start to soar again.

Sanchez now says that the school must focus on improving students' tests scores, which are still below the state average. But with the new enhancements to the school environment, there are no more excuses that it's too hot or too cold.
Read More at NBC Bay Area.


San Jose Student Found Dead at CSU, Chico
Chico police are investigating the death of Gina Marie Maggio, 21, of San Jose, who attended CSU, Chico. The young woman was found dead on Tuesday morning at the home of a friend where she had spent the night. Since there was no evidence of foul play, coroners are conducting a toxicology report in an effort to determine the cause of death.
Read More at ABC 7.


Federal Stimulus Clears Student of Kissing Charge
Dominick Hendricks was convicted of a crime. While visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in downtown San Jose, he was caught on camera making out with a girl, arrested, and convicted of committing a lewd act. True, since he was visiting the library, he perhaps should have been stimulating his mind, not his loins, but most people agree that this was just a youthful indiscretion. The problem is that in Hendricks's case it went on his record, and is preventing him from getting a good job.

But that may all be a thing of the past. Thanks to a federal stimulus grant of $113,000 to the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office, people convicted of minor misdemeanors can now have their record cleared by a judge and go on to get a better job, without having to report their conviction. The free service covers the cost of court filing fees and clerical help, and even pays for a part time lawyer to help applicants with their cases.

J.J. Kapp, a supervising attorney at the PDO estimates that there are about 1,000 people in the county who are still haunted by minor misdemeanors, some of which took place decades ago. He calls the new grant, "a way to help people get back to work or get ahead with their lives."
Read More at Watch Dog Silicon Valley.
Read More at the Mercury News.


A Tree Dies in Palo Alto
Abraham Lincoln once said that "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe." That would have been sage advice to the public works official in Palo Alto, who took down 63 oak trees along California Avenue. The work was part of a larger beautification project, which planned to replace the holly oaks with red maple, as well as repaving the street and adding additional parking spaces. But the sudden disappearance of the trees left many local merchants furious. "I feel so guilty that I wasn't here this morning," said Hector Sol, owner of a local restaurant." I would do anything not to let them cut my tree."

The problem seems to revolve around whether public works officials gave the public enough time to complain about the tree-removal. The Mercury News claims that they did not give them two weeks to protest the decision, and suggests that Director Glenn Roberts could lose his job over this.

On the other hand, PaloAltoOnline.com states that "The tree removal began on Monday, after the City of Palo Alto sent out notices to area businesses." It does not, however, say when the notices were sent out. Based on the response of some local businesses, even two weeks would not have been enough.
Read More at the Mercury News.
PaloAltoOnline.com.


Family Calls for Open Grand Jury in San Jose Shooting Death
"We want to know the reason why my son had to die. We want to call 911 for help. We don't want to call 911 for kill." Vinh Pram said this to a group of Vietnamese protesters, who called on the District Attorney to open the investigation into his son's death. On May 10, Pram called police to his home because his son Daniel, 27, had been acting up. Though he explained to the police that his son was mentally ill, when the young man raised a knife police opened fire and killed him.

A spokesman for the DA's office says that under the circumstances, the grand jury should conduct its deliberations behind closed doors. But this was unacceptable to the local Vietnamese-American community, which collected 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for an open jury. Many of them remembered the case of Bich Cau Tran, a local woman who was shot dead six years ago after supposedly threatening police with a weapon. Thought it turned out to be a vegetable peeler, the policeman who shot her was acquitted before an open jury.

Daniel's brother Brian, who was a witness to the shooting, is not contesting the Grand Jury's possible findings. "All we want is a little transparency," he said.
Read More at KTVU.



by Staff on Oct 07, 2009
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