OMVNA Newsletter

March 2008
Volume 20, Number 2

The OMVNA Newsletter is distributed to 1900 households and 175 downtown businesses by dedicated volunteers.  The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the OMVNA Steering Committee. Let us know what you think!

Editor: Velva Rowell
E-mail: editor@omvna.org

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IN THIS ISSUE:
From the Chair
Adventures With Foodies
Critter Column: Marsupials
A few minutes with…Bruce Karney
Leadership Mountain View Seeks Future Leaders
How Can Mountain View Become More Sustainable?
Notes from OMVNATalk
Steering Committee Dates
Lions Seek to Start Mountain View Chapter
Our Newsletter Sponsors

From the Chair
by Noam Livnat

Over the last couple of weeks a lively and sometimes heated debate has been taking place on the OMVNA newsgroup. It all started with a post from a new neighborhood association, Wagon Wheel, that was founded in Whisman to oppose the proposed Hetch Hetchy development. The City Council rejected the developer's proposal on April 23 to the dismay of the developer and the land owner, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, who had spent significant time and money on project planning.

It's reasonable to assume that some of the neighbors' objections stemmed from a classic NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) syndrome: they didn’t want denser development right next to them, didn’t want neighbors peering down at them from a third story window, and may have been generally opposed to change. This is certainly not unusual. The discussion on our newsgroup, however, featured contributions from people who won't be affected in the same way as the Whisman residents.

In broad terms, the argument pitted those who see value in expanding the Mountain View community and those who believe that the city will be ill-served by growth. The first group pointed out the benefits that come with a larger local population: a more lively downtown and improved ability to support and fund schools and public services which add to the health of the community. The second group worried about overtaxing the city's extended resources and the growing congestion and noise. They wanted the city to retain its historical character. Interestingly, environmentalists supported the project as it allows people to live closer to public transportation and their jobs which reduces commutes and increases sustainability.

My belief is that in order to keep Mountain View thriving and diverse we will need to continue growing; change, while not always good, is inevitable. We'll need new higher-density housing. We'll need growing families to expand existing homes so they can remain in the city. And we'll need new businesses in the area to offer jobs. Complain as we might about the downside of growth, not growing might mean losing out to global "competition" for business and people and a drop in our quality of life. But our growth should be smart and offer the appropriate benefits. While I expect the number of second story houses in downtown to grow, I'd expect public places to be increased and improved. I'd like to see our schools become more attractive to all downtown residents, many of whom currently opt for private schools.

The most important lesson from the development discussion is that this is truly an intricate question, even when you neutralize the NIMBY effect. Transparency and public debate are the surest way to find the optimal way to improve our quality of life while balancing our other needs. So educate yourself, get involved, and get heard on our newsgroups and in City Council hearings.

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Adventures With Foodies
By Velva Rowell

Dave and I went on a real eating adventure last week when we were walking down the street looking for a restaurant we hadn’t tried before, and came across Diyar bistro and wine bar on their opening day. Now, I know that one should never review a restaurant on their opening day and I’m breaking that rule, but I have a good reason. I think Diyar is going to be a really nice addition to the neighborhood.

The cuisine is Mediterranean, mostly Turkish, and the prices are very reasonable. With a glass of wine each, a shared appetizer and an entrée apiece, we got out of there for about fifty dollars pre-tip. Also, the food was very tasty and, as one would expect, it went extremely well with wine.

My only issue is with the presentation of the menu. It is varied and interesting looking, however it would be useful to have it posted outside especially since Castro Street is so pedestrian friendly. Also it would have been nice to see the back two pages swapped so we could see all our dinner options in one place. We almost missed the entire page of pastas and chef’s specials, and that would have been a shame.

Diyar has an extensive wine list with a variety of bottles, glasses and half bottles. Dave and I each ordered by the glass because we had very different entrees, and we were both pleased with our choices. He had a Pinot Grigio and I had a very smooth food-friendly Zinfandel.

We chose to begin with an appetizer of Portobello mushrooms grilled and served with spinach and goat cheese. This turned out to be a very simple dish of sautéed spinach topped with a large meaty mushroom and a roundel of goat cheese. We both thought it was very tasty even though the spinach could have had a bit less salt. The meatiness of the mushroom made a pleasant contrast with the soft chilled goat cheese.

Dave’s fettuccini calamari was a generous portion of calamari rings in a nicely spiced Turkish style marinara served over fettuccini. It was a tasty and well integrated dish. Dave thoroughly enjoyed it although he found some of the calamari a bit too done for his liking.

My lamb shish came out in a very pretty presentation of grilled lamb and pilaf, with a whole roasted tomato and hot pepper and a pile of fresh mint, basil and parsley. Lamb was well-done and tasted especially nice when eaten with the fresh mint and basil. The pilaf was cooked in broth and studded with what appeared to be almonds. I ate everything on my plate with the exception of the hotter half of my pepper.
Diyar is well priced for what it is. It is a solid mid range restaurant with nicely prepared food which is something we need downtown to balance out the high-end restaurants and the low-end places that cater to the lunch crowds. Diyar is located at 300 Castro.

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Critter Column
Marsupials
by Jack Perkins

I’ve never thought much about pouched-mammals (Marsupials) until one lumbered into our family room last week.  It was late, and while we were sitting numbed and trance-like in front of the TV, a small furry critter entered stage left and moved to center stage right below the BBC production of Sense and Sensibility. 

Rat?  No, definitely opossum, baby possum.  We got excited, and I thought what a  cool pet it would be.  It was slightly smaller than my fist, fully-furred, and it opened its mouth wide and hissed, trying to look fearsome but only making me want him even more.

He wasn’t very quick, and we got him in a box pronto, added a nice pillow case for him to cozy up with and even placed a heating pad next to it.  They live outside in the cold and wet but I wanted my possum to be very comfortable for a change.

I got on Youtube and started watching pet possum videos, possums wearing clothes, possums riding unicycles, water skiing, and possum juggling…  I really want a pet possum.  Then I checked out their care and feeding and snapped out of it.

Reluctantly I fired off an email to the local wildlife rescue center and in the morning their reply was: “You can simply put it back outside and it will be fine. 

It probably just fell off its mother and is looking for food.  This is normal for the time of year.  Even though it is tiny, it is several months old and needs to be independent.  If you think it truly needs help, take it to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.”

So they crawl from their mother’s pouch and hang onto her fur until they are fully furred, and when they let go, the mother doesn’t wait for them. That’s it, they are on their own.

I’ve been leaving my garage door open a lot lately and that’s how the little fellow found us that night.  We put him in the bamboo hedge in my back yard and a half hour later I went to see if he was okay. I couldn’t find him, but I felt like I was being watched.

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A few minutes with…Bruce Karney
By Velva Rowell

Bruce Karney and I met for a cup of coffee on Saturday morning so we could talk about his history of involvement in Old Mountain View. Bruce is the person who first got me involved on the OMVNA board as co-Newsletter Editor, and he has also served over the years on the board and as a de facto historical resource for the members of the board.

Bruce and his wife, Twana, have lived in Old Mountain View since they first purchased their house in 1987 shortly before the construction of the new City Hall and the renaissance of Castro Street. His perception at that time was that this house was a bargain because people really had little interest in living in Old Mountain View, preferring to settle in southern part of the city in the Los Altos Elementary School District.

Bruce became involved in the community in 1992 when the City Council unexpectedly voted to sell Fairmont Park in order to raise money to purchase the land where Mercy-Bush Park is now located. As he put it, “I got very angry and discovered OMVNA.” In order to fight the actions of the council, he helped to form the Friends of Fairmont Park in an effort to get the council to reverse their decision and to recall the members who voted to sell the property. He also determined that the best way to measure park usage would be to weigh the garbage produced at the park.

The Friends of Fairmont Park came close to unseating one member of Council in the April elections of that year, however the increased attention to the situation caused the newly elected Council to reverse their decision unanimously and the funds for Mercy-Bush Park were ultimately found elsewhere.

He got to know the founders of the Mountain View Voice and Steve Lewis and Jeff Farmer who were in charge of OMVNA at that time. His actions regarding Fairmont Park also led to an invitation to join Leadership Mountain View.

He was the first OMVNA Chair to be elected after the group adopted their Bylaws in 1992. He has served as Chair, Vice-Chair, Newsletter Editor and At-Large. He has also been a frequent member of the Nominating Committee which is formed and disbanded every year. He also enjoys moderating our candidate forums every election.

He feels that his most significant contribution to OMVNA was to get the OMVNA Newsletter to print advertisements and be used as the financial engine of OMVNA. He also expanded this publication to eight pages during his most recent tenure as Editor. Ever the gentleman, he apologized for any stress that this might cause me when I am trying to fill those eight pages.

Outside of OMVNA, he is the current chair of the Environmental Sustainability Task Force and a member of the board of Directors of the Community Services Agency (CSA). In the past he has also served on the Downtown Committee and on the County Registrar of Voters Advisory Group on Electronic Voting.

He is very pleased with the longevity of OMVNA and credits two factors. First is the group’s ability to find multiple positive things to rally around. His thought is that most neighborhood associations (including OMVNA) are founded in protest against something, but only coming from a place of confrontation can lead to stresses that tear an association apart. Second is to find a source of funding that doesn’t depend on large individual contributors.

Of the neighborhood, he says “In general I think our neighborhood has been the opposite of NIMBY.” He cites examples such as interest in becoming a Baby Bullet stop and willingness to have low-income housing built in the neighborhood. As he puts it, “we understand what’s different about being a downtown neighborhood.”

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Leadership Mountain View Seeks Future Leaders

Leadership Mountain View (LMV) is a ten-month training program for emerging community leaders.  It is now accepting applications for its class of 2009.  The program consists of 9 1/2 day-long sessions.  They take place one Friday a month, starting in September and running through June, 2009.

Class members explore leadership and community issues through discussions, expert speakers, workshops and field trips.  Topics will include how city government works and issues facing the regional economic, environmental, human services and educational systems.

To apply, simply go to www. leadershipmountainview.org to access the online application. The cost of this year-long experience is only $1,750.  Payment schedules are available, as well as some partial scholarships.  The class size is limited to 32 participants, and LMV is committed to seeking participants who reflect the rich diversity of the area.

For more information, contact Michelle Proulx at mproulx@chambermv.org.

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How Can Mountain View Become More Sustainable?

The City Council recently established an Environmental Sustainability Task Force.  Its mission is to provide suggestions to the Council on ways to make Mountain View more sustainable and to reduce our community's emissions of greenhouse gasses.  The Task Force's recommendations are due at the end of August.

Neighborhood resident Bruce Karney, profiled elsewhere in this issue, chairs the Task Force and many other OMV residents serve on the Task Force and its Steering Committee.

The Task Force is actively seeking public input - the more ideas, the better!  You can offer your suggestions via e-mail to comments@Sustainable
MountainView.org, or via postal mail to City of Mountain View, Attn: Environmental Sustainability Task Force, P.O. Box 7540, Mountain View, CA  94039.
You are also invited to share your ideas at a meeting at Graham Middle School, 1175 Castro Street, on Monday, May 19 from 6:30 - 9:00 PM.

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These are just a few of the many topics that have been dscussed on OMVNATalk over the past several weeks:

Stargazing on Saturday, April 14th was a big success. Over 150 people came to view the stars under the guidance of Dave Rodrigues (a.k.a AstroWizard), a lecturer at the Morrison Planetarium and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

There will be an election held on June 3rd to decide the fate of Measure C, the parcel tax renewal for Mountain View-Whisman School District. For further information you can visit www.yes-on-c.org.

People are expressing concern about the lack of paper recycling at the Mountain View Post Office.

Thursday Night Live will be back this summer. The dates are the first Thursday of the month: June 5, July 3, August 7, and September 4. Castro will be closed from Evelyn to California St (last year it went all the way to Church St.). On August 7th and September 4th, the concerts that would normally be held at Civic Plaza will play on Castro at California.

On June 7th, there will be a community "Visioning Meeting" where neighbors are invited to talk about desired changes to the Downtown. There will be more information about this posted on OMVNATalk as it becomes available.

Please come join the conversation at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/omvnatalk/.

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Steering Committee Dates

Future meeting:  Monday May 12  at 7:30 p.m. at 580 Castro in the Chamber of Commerce Board Room.  Everyone is welcome to attend!  Agendas are sent to the OMVNAtalk e-mail list a few days before each meeting. To suggest a topic, send e-mail to: chair@omvna.org.

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History Corner: Dana Street School
by Lisa Windes

Dana Street School, the precursor of Edith Landels School, was located on the site of our fire station on Dana Street between Oak Street and Shoreline Boulevard. In 1913, school trustees eased overcrowding at the grammar school at El Camino and Calderon by opening a branch classroom in a house at the southwest corner of Castro and California Streets. Miss Victorine Klein, the first grade teacher, was joined in 1916 by Miss Edith Landels, who taught kindergarten classes in a store front at 275 Castro Street for a "pretty good" salary of $600 a year.

In August of 1916, a bond measure passed that allocated $9,000 for the construction and equipping of Dana Street School, the second elementary school in Mountain View. On May 1, 1917, the Parent-Teachers Association held a special reception and housewarming for the new school with songs, recitations and May pole dancing by the children. The single story stucco school opened in June of 1917, its five rooms for kindergarten, first and second grades, office and teacher's room considered the most modern of school plants. The school was enlarged in 1921 to include third grade.

Both Miss Klein and Miss Landels transferred to Dana Street School when it opened. Miss Klein retired in 1934. One week before her death in 1958, the school district voted to name the new school being constructed at the corner of Ortega and California Streets after her. Although the Victorine Klein School was torn down in 1987, the park that occupies part of the site bears her name. Miss Landels taught kindergarten in classroom number 2 at the Dana Street School all the years that it existed.

In 1955, Dana Street School was condemned because of structural faults. The school continued to be used until 1959, however; there was no place else for the students to go. In 1957, the school trustees decided to name a modern, sleek 18-room replacement school after Miss Landels. Landels Elementary School was completed in 1959 at a cost of $687,000. Miss Landels taught her final kindergarten class at the new Landels School and then retired after 43 years of teaching in Mountain View.

This article was first printed in the OMVNA Newsletter in March 2000. If you have a story to tell, please contact editor@omvna.org.

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The opinions printed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the OMVNA Steering Committee.