What a great weekend for gardening … sunny, but not too hot.

But in case you you were doing something else, there’s still time to get your garden going. The “Grow It Yourself” class at the Willows Senior Center hosts its Spring Plant Sale his Tuesday, April 22, 2008 …. 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.

It’s an Earth Day tribute, too, with all kinds of fabulous plants for gardens, including veggies, berries, flowers, and more. Members of the class will be present to provide tips and hints for successful backyard gardening and neighborhood horticulture.

Proceeds benefit the Willows Center Garden, located behind the main building.

WGx knows what you’re thinking … How many more bad puns can “The Plant” inspire?

And now the latest … retail offshoots of the Plan will undoubtedly follow as landowners across the street and down the block from the “power” shopping center seek to capitalize on the soon-to-be-fully-grown shopping center. Before The Plant even reaches its mature growth status, new plants will try to steal the retail center’s nutrients.

Enough Already … but there are a bunch of new rezoning applications on the City’s online permit database, including large plots across the street and almost the entire block southeast of Tully & Monterey Road south to Old Tully Road.

Intriguing coincidences in the local hardware store industry …

Willow Glen ACE opened its doors this week, almost simultaneously with the opening of the new Home Depot at The Plant. That’s two new hardware options for Willow Glen residents within 2 miles of each other, and essentially on the same street, too. While Ace’s opening was more relaxed — and perhaps a bit ahead of schedule — the Home Depot hits town with a splashy two-page ad in today’s local section of the Mercury News, complete with special pricing good at this store only.

Invites a bit of comparison shopping doesn’t it …. Anyone need anything?

Technically, the Falcon Place model homes have been open for a few weeks, and they’ve been getting good press due to the green building approach from developer Pinn Brothers.

19 Single Family Homes
4 Bedrooms
2.5 Baths
Approx. 2,322 to 2,391 sq. ft.
Models Now Open

Falcon Place, a new 19 unit community in San Jose starting from the high $800,000s, that offers 2 single family plans ranging from 2,322 to 2,391 square feet.

But this Saturday is the official Grand Opening, which probably means they’ll tie a bunch of balloons on the fence where Hervey Lane turns south off of Alma. As you pass the removed railroad tracks, glance south, and you’ll see these homes built over the former Southern Pacific rail line:

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Locally-based Pinn Brothers are no strangers to WG … they’re behind the St. Elizabeth Park condos, which are also now open off Curci Avenue west of Meridian.

Check back when Terminal B at SJC actually opens — sometime in mid-2010 — but there’s a chance that the airport may be in Willow Glen by then.

Following last weekend’s news that several locally-owned eateries have been included in an initial winning bid to open outlets at San Jose Mineta International Airport, the Mercury News even editorializes about the possibility of a venue with local flair. Interestingly, quite a few of the eateries have ties to Willow Glen:

Among the restaurants included, participants said, are: San Jose’s Britannia Arms, Mojo Burger and Sonoma Chicken Coop; Willow Glen-based Willow Street pizza; downtown’s venerable Paolo’s Restaurant; and San Jose Rocks, a new concept by the Muller brothers who brought you Lou’s Village. (Think local musicians featured in a Hard Rock Cafe-type theme restaurant.)

An overturned car is surprising to see anytime … but to see it on residential Hicks Avenue north of Curtner … downright scary.

Unconfirmed reports suggest a high school student driving too quickly lost control of her car, clipping another vehicle and flipping over before 8:00 am this morning. No one was seriously hurt.

The title of this blog has been painted over with white paint … just like the street curb address numbers in one part of Willow Glen. Seriously. Someone covered over all of them — or at least almost all of them.

In the latest twist in the exciting curb number painting industry, all – well, all but one – of the curb numbers on one stretch of Nevada Avenue (west of Bird Avenue) have been painted white. As announced by a mysterious flier offering to paint residents’ numbers, home owners were told they could opt-out of a coming painting opportunity by posting the flier in their window.

Since governments across California recommend home owners avoid outright scams and unlicensed painting businesses, most neighbors ignored the fliers. But by Tuesday morning, someone had carefully painted over most of the 40+ curb numbers with shiny white paint.

As of yesterday afternoon, the “opportunistic” businessperson had yet to return to charge for having the numbers repainted. At least one industrious neighbor wasn’t interested in being forced to purchase the service … she grabbed a bucket of paint and her own brush to replace a few of the numbers … even though she’s supposed to have a permit, too.

Willow Glen’s got a a big walkathon weekend (if you count Friday) coming up, with popular fund raisers being held at Willow Glen Elementary on Friday and at River Glen School on Saturday. In honor of River Glen’s Spanish Immersion concept — which may or may not take hold at WG Elementary — WGx wishes both schools luck at their respective Caminatas!

Got Little Kids? Need clothes? … It’s Willow Glen’s version of a neighborhood rummage consignment garage sale … or something like that: (more…)

The next phase of the VTA Light Rail station retrofit on the Guadalupe South line begins April 14. The Tamien station will be open for full access, along with the Virginia Station — but the Curtner, Branham, and Capital stations will be closed full-time during construction.

When: Monday, April 14 thru mid-June.

Why: The stations are being retrofitted to allow level boarding between light rail vehicles and the station platform.

Note: Substitute bus service will be provided at all three closed stations. In the northbound direction, the bus bridge will begin at the Ohlone/Chynoweth Station, then stop at all three closed stations and end at the Tamien Station. Southbound substitute bus service will begin at Tamien and end at Ohlone/Chynoweth after stopping at all three closed station[s]. Passengers needing to utilize the alternate bus service should allow extra time to reach their destination.

The entire retrofitting project runs through March 2009. The Curtner and Capitol stations will be closed late April through early July (reopening is planned before Independence Day), and most stations up and down the Santa Teresa line will be impacted along the way.