January 11, 2008

2007 – the year that was

A look back at 2007 events

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Editor

In the time capsule of history, 2007 was a very good year for Campbell.

It was a time of new beginnings, achievements and milestones. It was a moment in time when Campbell presented itself as a unique entity in the Bay Area.

A plethora of new restaurants, retail shops and artists’ galleries open their doors establishing historic downtown Campbell as a destination of choice for people from all over the Santa Clara County area. Campbell became the place to be and be seen. New condominiums projects were built many with multi-use commercial space on the ground floor. Campbell continues to grow under the attentive and creative problem solvers at City Hall.

But at the same time, the city’s roots remain intact; neighbors are willing to help one another, residents and businesses are thriving. There is always some event happening downtown or somewhere in the city limits. After all it is the Orchard City. But now instead of a grove of fruit trees, the area is full of finely tuned businesses, services and eateries making Campbell a unique place to live and work.

January

Beth Holloway Twitty visits Valley Christian High School to share the tragic disappearance of her 18-year-old daughter Natalie Holloway in Aruba in 2005. In honor of her daughter, Twitty helps create a nonprofit organization called the International Safe Travels Foundation to educate the public on the various ways to stay safe when traveling internationally.

Panera Bread opens at 501 East Hamilton Avenue offering baked goods, soups, salads and sandwiches.

Cupertino Body Shop owner Larry Cooper passes the business on to his children Russ and Nancy. The business has been open 38 years, the past 37 at Winchester and Hacienda.

The First Lady of Campbell, Jeanette Watson

California Writer’s Club presents monthly Open Mic Nights every third Friday at Barnes and Noble where aspiring writers and authors share their work.

Stone Griffin closed its doors in downtown Campbell after 12 years selling various stone and pewter statues, candleholders and fountains. Owner Dana Smith moved some of the merchandise to The Gallery, 416 East Campbell Ave., which he also owns.

Neal Collins, owner of Trailsloggers, is named the Downtown Campbell Business Association president.

Campbell and West San Jose experience three separate shootings leaving two people dead. Other crime rises too with increased tagging and graffiti and at least 20 expensive bicycles stolen off apartment balconies in the past two months. Several neighborhood associations schedule meetings with the Campbell, San Jose and Los Gatos Police Departments. An important program is with the San Jose Mayor’s Gang Task Force, renowned throughout the country for its successful three-pronged approach of intervention, mediation and suppression. Campbell has received grants from the state to increase police training for gangs. Campbell’s police officers also are working with the Santa Clara County Special Enforcement Task force to address gang issues.

Slice, adjacent to the Cardiff Lounge, and also owned by Sam Ramirez, opened late January with Chef Joe Cerrone serving thin crust pizza, stromboli and salads.

Del Mar High School captures West Valley Division basketball championship for 2006-2007.

February

Mayor Dan Furtado is appointed vice chair of the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee at the National League of Cities.

Two hundred people pay tribute to Jeanette Watson known as the First Lady of Campbell. A Campbell native, her father’s family settled in the now downtown area in the 1800s. She helped establish the Campbell Historical Museum, worked tirelessly on many committees and served on the City Council for 23 years and five terms. She wrote the first history book on the area, “Campbell, the Orchard City.” Watson plans to move to Arizona to be closer to her daughter.

Park Town Place, 24 new condominiums are completed. The homes are behind the old Water Building and tower. They sell out immediately.

The Campbell Chamber of Commerce selects Pat Hagmann as Campbell’s Citizen of the Year and Campbell Optometric Group [COG] as the Business of the Year. Hagmann is currently serving her second term as president of the Campbell Museum and Ainsley House Foundation. She also volunteers for chamber events and is a longtime member of the Country Woman’s Club.

Dr. Art Low has been president of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce and the local Lions Club. For many years he collected eyeglasses the Lions Club distributes. He has been with the COG for 29 years. Dr. Rodney Lum is currently serving as president of the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project which helps promote and preserve Chinese American Culture. He often volunteers his time at downtown Campbell events.

Marvin Bamburg received the award for Rotary Club of Campbell-San Jose West 2007 Outstanding Community Service Club member; Ken Kawamoto received the Kiwanis Club of Campbell honoree of the year award; and Jan McClure was honored by the West San Jose/Campbell Lions Club.

Westmont High School secured a Central Coast Section basketball playoff bid by beating second-place Santa Teresa 58-55.

March

Campbell’s Standup Comedy Showcase at Sonoma Chicken Coop raised funds for injured Iraq War veteran and Campbell resident Warren Hardy. In two months, Campbell residents as well as others from the Bay Area donated $80,000 to the family. Forest Hill Elementary School students and teachers collected $2,400 in one night.

Isabella Post, 6, hunts for eggs during the Campbell Eggstravaganza at the Campbell Community Center on April 7.

The Arts Council of Silicon Valley awarded Pat Thomas’ philanthropy and individual civic leadership and the Pruneyard Plaza Hotel for first time business support with their 2007 Silicon Valley Arts & Business Awards.

The National School Nurses Association names Campbell Union School District’s Melinda Landau National School Nurse Administrator of the Year.

Longtime teacher Erna Holyer dies at 82 from cancer. In 1968, she started teaching creative writing at Adult Metropolitan Education Program at Del Mar High School. She had published 16 books and inspired 100s of students to become writers and authors under her tutelage.

Westmont High School hosts the Every 15 Minutes, a program which recreates a fatality and injury accident caused by a drunk driver, followed by the driver’s arrest and a funeral for the deceased. The name of the program derives from the fact that every 15 minutes someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-related traffic collision.

Mayor Dan Furtado prepared and served food to residents as a Meals on Wheels volunteer to call attention to risks of malnutrition among seniors and the homebound.

April

The Eggstravaganza Easter egg hunt at the Campbell Community Center had children of all ages searching for eggs and candy followed by the Bunnies and Bonnets Parade. The Kiwanis Club of Campbell, Kirkwood Plaza Shopping Center and Circarta Advisors sponsor the event.

Campbell becomes a hub of activity as new businesses move in and condominium projects are built. The Onyx development is being built where Fung Lum Restaurant used to be. It takes up at least one city block at Bascom and Campisi. The four-story mixed use building will house 45 luxury condominiums as well as 4,850 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

Quiznos and Aqui Cal-Mex open in the new downtown mixed-use development the Campbell Center across from Sonoma Chicken Coop. Besides the 11,239 square feet of office and retail space on the ground floor the building has two floors of condominiums.

Del Mar High School junior Anna Myers captured second place among six contestants in the Campbell, San Jose West Rotary Club’s annual high school speech competition. Katie Johnson, a junior at Westmont High School received a cash prize for participating.

The new Agricultural Sciences Department classroom building at Westmont High School celebrates completion with an open house. The $1.8 million, state-of-the-art laboratory classroom and mechanics shop utilizes green, environmentally friendly principles paid for by bond money passed in 1999.

May

The California State Department of Education recognizes Del Mar High School as a 2007 California Distinguished School. The award was a long time coming for the school many used to refer to as the “ghetto school.” Many credit the turnaround to Principal Jim Russell who took over the reins four years ago.

Del Mar High School’s principal, Jim Russell, with some of his students.

Campbell’s Louisa Perez is honored during the 38th annual Junior League Volunteer Recognition luncheon. Under her leadership, the National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI] Santa Clara County developed a program offering Spanish language support groups and family classes to educate people on medical care and advocating for family members. Perez also coordinated a Spanish day at the past two NAMI CA conferences with well-known speakers along with coordinating scholarships for interested clients. She also has taken 12 bus trips to Santa Cruz, and gotten rides to Watsonville from other volunteers in order to teach a multi-session course to families in that area.

Seven hundred students at Castlemont Elementary School “run wild” at their annual Jog-a-thon with the community cheering and supporting their efforts through donations and pledges. Campbell Mayor Furtado helped kick-off the event, running alongside the children.

Downtown turned into the 29th annual Boogie on the Bayou on May 19 with throngs enjoying arts and crafts vendors, food and three stages of entertainment as well as the Kiddie Korner.

Three hundred Rolling Hills Middle School seventh graders stepped back in time for their annual Renaissance Day. The students and a dozen parent volunteers came dressed in Renaissance costumes and spent the day enjoying Michelangelo painting, catapulting, jousting, face painting, stained glass making, alchemy and games of tug of war.

June

Jake Redmond accepts the head football coaching position at Westmont High School.

Campbell Union High School District Jr. ROTC Awards ceremony is held at Branham High School. Among the honorees are Leigh High School students Adair Beamesderfer and her brother Loryn.

Boynton High School students Jonathon Gladstone and Westmont’s Jacob Bryan, Stephanie Cavigliano, Christopher Chaney, Ashley Harden, Nikki Navarro and Melissa Viveros receive $1,000 scholarships from the Campbell Kiwanis Club for turning their grades and lives around.

Campbell Union School District sends off retiring teachers Nancy Atkinson, Jane Duff, Carol Radke, Margaret Schraft and Kathi Woods at the Ainsley House.

Richard Park takes over as owner of Campbell European Motors at 2565 S. Winchester Blvd.

July

The American Cancer Society holds its Relay For Life in Campbell to raise awareness and funds for the disease.

Julie Davis Berry leaves Times Community Newspapers after seven years as executive editor.

Pirjo Polari-Khan

Ceramic artist Pirjo Polari-Khan opens Terra Polaris Creative Arts Gallery in downtown Campbell.

August

Campbell resident and Presentation High School senior Danielle Gong qualifies for the Olympic trials in the 200 individual medley.

Local film company Guerilla Wanderers Films presents their double feature of the summer with the August premier of “Superhero” and “Boxed Up” at Pruneyard’s Camera 7 and Camera 12.

Campbell Union School District students rocked out at its new Rock and Roll Camp. The 11-16 year olds fine tuned their musical skills on keyboard, drums, guitar, bass and vocals.

Santa Clara County Fair awards go to four Westmont High School students: Jordan Aloe, Emma Garcia, Albert Hultberg and Nikki Navarro, who are members of the Campbell chapter of the National Future Farmers of America. The students competed with steers they raised. The program at Westmont High School is the only remaining urban agriculture program in Northern California.

A fire at White Oaks Village townhouse complex causes $700,000 in damages. Residents are evacuated after the blaze ignited on the first floor of the townhouse and quickly spread to the second floor.

September

Campbell Union School District honors Rising Young Authors at Barnes and Noble with book publishing, awards and book signing complete with paparazzi.

Academic Performance Index scores rise in Campbell School Districts. Westmont High School scored 754 compared to last year’s 738. Also showing gains were Rolling Hills and Campbell Middle Schools. Rolling Hills grew 16 points to 859 and met the 800 target while Campbell grew 1 point to 691.

Nearly $18,000 in reward money offered for the capture of the Delta Car Wash duck killer is donated to animal welfare groups. A man driving a red Acura Integra with personalized license plates drove into the Delta Queen Classic Car Wash on East Hamilton Avenue after midnight on Aug. 5, 2005, and began running over ducks with his car. The case generated national attention with the killing of 11 ducks. The suspect is still at large.

October

Throngs visit downtown Campbell to celebrate October First Friday with the Carnival of Arts featuring music and dance from around the world.

The Olive Bar Grand Opening ribbon cutting attended by City Officials and Campbell residents. From left: Blendz Fun Fresh Food president Matt Phipps, City Manager Dan Rich, Campbell Vice-Mayor Donald Burr, Campbell Mayor Dan Furtado, Chrystie DeSoto, Ed DeSoto, Chamber of Commerce President Carl San Miguel, Diane Aza, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Betty Deal. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The Olive Bar celebrates its grand opening with city officials and residents. The new merchant in downtown Campbell specializes in high quality extra virgin olive oils, aged flavored balsamic vinegars, stuffed olives, garlics, herbs, tapenades and gift baskets.

Longtime resident Nikola Tomic, owner of Nick’s Jewelry dies.

The Fall Furry Flurry 5K event held at Los Gatos Creek Park raises money for homeless animals.

Downtown Campbell turns into Bavaria with the celebration of the 13th annual Oktoberfest.

November

Pinder Winery celebrates wine, food and fun at their annual grape crush for members and guests.

St. George Coptic Orthodox Church on W. Rincon Avenue breaks ground for a new sanctuary and hall.

Efrain Aleman, 24, is shot and killed while walking near his home at the 200 block of West Sunnyoaks Avenue.

Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream and Desserts opens in downtown.

Campbell Veterans Memorial Foundation holds a public ground breaking ceremony for the new Campbell Veterans’ Memorial at Orchard City Green on the corner of Civic Center Drive and Central Avenue.

Downtown Campbell’s Terra Polaris Gallery celebrates grand opening with city officials, residents and Bay Area artists.

Turkey feathered Campbell Christian School principal, Dr. Shawn Stuart, is chased and plucked by kindergartners at the annual Thanksgiving kickoff event.

December

Downtown Campbell celebrates the holiday season with Carol of Lights and Ainsley House open houses, tours and teas.

Campbell residents Chris and Carolyn Eichins’ historic Virginia City, Nev. bed and breakfast is featured on “If Walls Could Talk.”

Downtown Campbell gallery owner and artist Mary Medrano is selected to show three of her paintings at the prestigious Biennale Internazionale dell’ Arte Contemoranea in Florence, Italy.