Per Councilmember Nancy Pyle’s latest newsletter, everyone is invited to an Open House style Community Thank You Celebration at the Almaden Community Center from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 13th with a more formal ceremony beginning at 5:45pm. We will serve hors d’oeuvres and enjoy musical selections from the San Jose Youth Symphony. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to laura.cowan@sanjoseca.gov or call 408-535-4979 for more information.
Kathy Sutherland and Nancy Pyle
Here’s what Councilmember Nancy Pyle had to say about MFPA in her latest Newsletter:
“Years ago the TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks were created as part of an agreement between PG&E and the City of San José to provide the utility company with a right of way for their high-voltage transmission lines and Almaden Valley residents with two new parks. Conflict between the existing trees and the high voltage transmission lines in the parks erupted in early 2010 as PG&E became concerned that some existing trees were causing a safety hazard for their power lines and announced a proposal to remove 62 trees in 2010 and 78 in 2011. After many months of negotiations we were able to resolve the conflict and PG&E agreed to implement a multi-year plan that preserved the vast majority of the 140 trees originally planned for removal. In the end only thirteen of the most high-risk trees were cut and a cooperative partnership developed between the City, PG&E, Our City Forrest, the TJ Martin Neighborhood Association, the Martin-Fontana Parks Association and the San José Parks Foundation. These groups now work together to replant and reconfigure the landscape of the TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana parks and due to these efforts the parks are now more beautiful than ever!”
MARTIN-FONTANA PARKS ASSOCIATION 