Archive for the ‘Nancy Pyle’ Category

13 Nov

Former District 10 Councilwoman Nancy Pyle suffers near fatal heart attack

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Almaden Times, City of San Jose, Nancy Pyle. Tagged: , , , .

TJ Martin Park 5-28-11

Shown in this photo in May of 2011 are from left to right, Pat Wagstaff, Joy Stevens, Nancy Pyle, Mike Thompson, and Larry Sasscer.

According to the Nov 6th Almaden Times, “Former Almaden District 10 councilwoman Nancy Pyle is resting in the hospital after suffering a near fatal heart attack during a luncheon Friday October 30 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.”

Back in July of 2013 she had surgery to remove a Carcinoid on her lung. She said the surgery went well but after surgery she suffered serious heart problems.

For the rest of the article click here.  

22 Jul

Nancy Pyle back home after “Life Threatening” stay in the hospital

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Nancy Pyle. Tagged: .

Nancy Pyle is on the right.

Nancy Pyle is on the right.

Per the latest ABVnews, two term D-10 City Council Woman Nancy Pyle is back home today after spending nearly two weeks in the hospital with what she described as life threatening treatments. Pyle initially checked into Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara to have surgery to remove a Carcinoid on her lung. She says the surgery went well but after surgery she suffered serious heart problems. Pyle says at one point her heart rate reached 171 with a bad sinus rhythm. She says her blood pressure was “all over the place”.
Pyle is fine now and thanks the help from the fine doctors and nurses at Kaiser for their outstanding help. She is now at home.
The popular two term Council Member won election to represent District 10 in 2004. She was re-elected with the most votes in the history of this district in 2008.

 

23 May

New Crosswalk Open at Meridian & Oak Glen Way

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in City of San Jose, Events, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, TJ Martin Park. Tagged: , , , , .

Councilmember Johnny Khamis leads them across

Councilmember Johnny Khamis leads them across

For several years the TJ Martin Park Neighborhood Association has lobbied the City District 10 Councilmember to install a safer crossing light at the corner of Meridian and Oak Glen Way. Last year, members of the Martin–Fontana Parks Association and the Villas HOA joined in to support their effort.

The new Crosswalk was opened today by District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis. The crosswalk has flashing beacons and bulbout curb extensions for pedestrian safety. 

Crosswalk 12

Joining Councilmember Khamis was former

District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle

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Thanks to TJMPN, MFPA, and the Villas HOA for all their hard work in achieving this goal!

 Click here to see what the Almaden Times Weekly had to say.

17 Apr

Negotiations with PG&E concluded for 2013

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in City of San Jose, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, PG&E, TJ Martin Park, Tree Data. Tagged: , , , , .

Coast Live Oak #14 being removed.

Coast Live Oak #14 being removed.

For the 2013 year, PG&E replaced the negotiating team (with whom we had worked since 2010), with two new personnel.  This meant starting from scratch.  We entered this year’s discussions with the new team who chose not to follow the previously schedule or plan of discussions used in the past.

On Feb. 14, the new PG&E lead negotiator met with us in both parks with a list of 10 trees to be removed the first part of March.  We agreed with the removal of two of the trees, and campaigned to save the remaining eight.  PG&E offered to give three trees a reprieve, but insisted on removing the other five.  MFPA President Linda Wilson and Vice President Mike Kalashian then met with District 10 Councilman Johnny Khamis who was very willing to provide help.

After discussions with a PG&E source, who had worked with Nancy Pyle in 2010, and both Councilman Khamis and the Senior Program Manager in charge of Transmission Vegetation Management South at PG&E, MFPA was able to achieve the following results:

 

  • PG&E removed a Chinese Pistache tree from TJ Martin Park and a Coast Live Oak from Jeffrey Fontana Park in March.  Both were located under the center of the 230 kv lines.
  • In August, PG&E will trim 2 Blue Oaks in Jeffrey Fontana Park that had been slated for removal in 2013, and agreed to trim them annually as needed.
  • Regretfully, in last year’s discussions, we had agreed to the removal of 2 Golden Rain trees in Fontana in 2014.  PG&E donated 18 new trees in 2012 to mitigate this loss.
  • Three multi-trunked crepe myrtles PG&E had slated for removal were placed on a year to year watch and monitor list.   MFPA growth charts for the last four years have shown that these trees have not grown any higher and are not likely to do so in the future.
  • This December PG&E will follow the original time line and procedure of discussions used in the past for their 2014 review of the park trees.

 

7 Feb

MFPA Honored at Mayor’s State of the City Address

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in City of San Jose, Events, Johnny Khamis, Media, MFPA, Nancy Pyle. Tagged: , , , .

Award

On the steps at City Hall

On the steps at City Hall

MFPA  was honored at the Mayor’s State of the Address at the Civic Center on February 7th.  One group or individual is chosen each year for each of the ten City Council Districts.  We are pleased to have been selected by our outgoing Council member, Nancy Pyle and by her successor, Johnny Khamis.

To view a video of the event please click here and then you can fast forward to 31:44 to see the presentation to MFPA.

13 Dec

Councilmember Nancy Pyle’s Community Thank You

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Events, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, Our City Forest, PG&E, TJ Martin Park, Tree Data. Tagged: , , , , .

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.

Nancy Pyle

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!”


19 Aug

HEART OF THE PARK III takes in over $2000 in donations

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Events, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Media, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, Our City Forest. Tagged: , , .

Vallie Sharpe-Geisler, with lots of help, reads out the winning numbers

Sunday, August 19 marked the third celebration of our nonprofit, dedicated to saving as many trees as possible from PG&E chainsaws, and improving areas of TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Park marked by earlier tree removals.

Nearly 100 neighbors turned out for cupcakes, coffee, and the big fundraiser raffle to raise funds for the 2013 projects.  The raffle was well attended, with several gift baskets and gift cards going to the participants.  This year, we cleared slightly over $2000 in donations, the best year we have ever had!  Several members signed up for new memberships and we had many renewals from past supporters.

The event began with the dedication of the Bench at Tree #13, and the celebration of saving the iconic tree doomed to be the thirteenth tree removed in spring, 2012.   We were delighted to thank Councilmember Nancy Pyle for the $2000 city grant we recently received for community beautification.

Councilmember Nancy Pyle

Participants enjoyed visiting the nonprofit tables of our park partners, viewing the displays of MFPA accomplishments over the last two years, and learning what projects are slated for completion in 2012, including the planting of Island C and the improvement of the McAbee frontage in Fontana Park.  The Glowing Ct. garden in TJ Martin Park will be improved, and three new trees will be planted.

Park partners

We thank our volunteers, supporters, and raffle sponsors for making this day a stellar event for MFPA, and have already begun plans for park improvements and tree replacements in 2013.  Meanwhile, we continue to negotiate with PG&E each winter to limit the tree removals.

See what the Almaden Times Weekly had to say about the event.

  Click here.

23 May

May 2012 Newsletter from Councilmember Nancy Pyle

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in City of San Jose, Events, History, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Nancy Pyle. Tagged: , , , , .

MFPA President Linda Wilson and Councilmember Nancy Pyle

Dear Community Member,
On Arbor Day, April 27th, I had the pleasure to participate in the
dedication of a large grove of magnificent oak trees in Jeffrey Fontana
Park. These trees were designated to be Heritage Oaks by the City of
San Jose in August 2011 and after much effort by the Martin Fontana
Parks Association and the TJ Martin Neighborhood Association the
Heritage Grove was dedicated to the community.

Read the rest of what Nancy Pyle, District 10 Councilmember had to say here.

27 Apr

Heritage Grove Dedication

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Events, Media, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, PG&E, TJ Martin Park. Tagged: , , , , , .

On Arbor Day, April 27th, an enthusiastic audience participated in the dedication of a large grove of magnificent oak trees in Jeffrey Fontana Park.  Cub Scout Pack 282, Boy Scout Troop 262, and Daisy Troop #61229 from Los Alamitos, began the program with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Tom Morse, President of TJ Martin Neighborhood Association and Linda Wilson, MFPA President, introduced the first speaker, Councilmember Nancy Pyle.  Both thanked her for her unwavering support.   In reply, she in turn thanked the TJ Martin Neighborhood Association, who addressed neighborhood issues of soccer, traffic, and crime in the area and MFPA for their work in saving the trees in the parks and enhanced unsightly areas.  At the same time Councilmember Pyle also announced a grant for $2000 from her office for the non-profit MFPA.

City Arborist Ralph Mize described why these trees qualified for a designation as Heritage Trees and explained that Heritage Trees enjoy a protected status in the City of San Jose.

James Reber from the San Jose Parks Foundation described the unique relationship Martin-Fontana Parks Association has with them.  Working with the San Jose Parks Foundation has made it possible for MFPA to receive restricted grants from donors.  The foundation works with a wide range of park related nonprofits and associations throughout San Jose.

MFPA especially thanks Association members Vince Piazzisi and Joy Stevens who worked relentlessly for over a year to achieve the Heritage designation from the City.  We also thank all of our park partner organizations and our volunteers who work so hard to plant and water the trees and shrubs in MFPA projects, and tirelessly spread endless mountains of mulch to reduce the need for defoliant sprays for weed control.

Be sure to take the time to pause under the shade of those magnificent Oaks and read the writing on the plaque.

4 Apr

“FUN-RAISING” at the COOP

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Events, MFPA, Nancy Pyle. Tagged: , .

Well everybody had a great time and we made $87 towards our goal of $1300 to pay for the for the Dedication Bench under Tree 13.

Tree 13 with proposed Dedication Bench

Thanks to the Sonoma Chicken Coop for helping us to take another step forward in reaching this goal.

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