San Jose’s Department of Parks Recreation & Neighborhood Service (PRNS) is planning to renovate the grass playing fields at Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park this Fall, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Actually, there is no good time, but playing fields across the City are in desperate need of upgrades … so this improvement will be appreciated.

The fences are schedule to go up on October 1, after which city crews will thatch, and fertilize the lawn. The renovation process is a cross between roto-tilling and aeration, but no grass is harmed.

Since the park covers almost eighteen acres, the restrooms, most of 29 picnic tables (and 11 BBQs), both kids playground structures, both asphalt basketball courts, and all six tennis courts should remain open and enjoyable.

And better grass will be worth waiting for!

Just like the stamps you buy at the little counter tucked in the corner, the local stamp collecting office itself is about to become a collector’s item, so to speak.

The formally-titled Philatelic Office at the Meridian Avenue Post Office will permanently close its doors on August 16. Although there is no official word on the reason, the office has had its hours cut back over the years, and has served walk-in clients irregularly in recent months.

Like many major retailers, the US Postal Service recommends you now buy stamps from the regular counter service, or online at the USPS Store.

One of the more eclectic pockets of WG might get a bit more interesting.

Twenty-two new “office condominiums” are proposed for the corner of Willow Street and Westwood (where Willow dead ends a few blocks east of Meridian). The proposed use permit would combine two existing parcels to include up to 22 office condominiums on the site.

OK … so what are “Office Condos?

Office condominiums work much like their private housing counterparts. Instead of renting a suite of offices, some companies purchase an individual unit in an office condominium complex. The common areas are co-owned by all of the tenants and a board usually oversees landscaping and other maintenance issues. Office condominiums are often created as part of a mixed-use renovation in downtown areas of medium to smaller cities.

The existing businesses on the block are mostly dental and medical offices, with a smattering of chiropractors and chinese medicine providers. There are also duplexes and other assorted multi-use residences across the street from the proposed “condos.”

It was one of those “quiet grand openings” a few weeks go, but alert WGNA eLister Mark Sweiger caught the arrival of Willow Glen on Google’s Street View maps feature:

From: Mark Sweiger
Subject: Smile, you’re on Candid Camera

I just noticed that most of Willow Glen north of Minnesota as well as the part west of Newport and north of Pine is now on Google Street View. … You may see yourself watering the lawn, your cat in the window, or, as some have discovered, your image coming out of the Pink Poodle. I just checked and you can see in the open door of the Pink Poodle but it will take better spy software than I’ve got to look through the partition, so you are all safe for now until the Google Insect Cruise Cam comes into your house.

Where is my flyswatter?

This maps feature from Google made news this past week when a couple in Pennsylvania sued Google for invasion of privacy:

PITTSBURGH - A western Pennsylvania couple has sued Google Inc., saying pictures of their home on its Web site violate their privacy and devalued their property.

Images of the home Aaron and Christine Boring bought in the Pittsburgh suburb of Franklin Park in October 2006 appeared on Google’s “Street View” feature, which allows users to find street-level photos by clicking on a map.

“A major component of their purchase decision was a desire for privacy,” according to their complaint, filed Wednesday in state court, which also says the couple suffered mental distress.

The images must have been taken from the couple’s long driveway, which is labeled “Private Road,” and that violated their privacy, according to the complaint.

Mark’s joke was penned before the lawsuit was announced. But it may only be a matter of time before similar suits appear from folks found in compromising positions. Of course, the privacy issues didn’t stop local bog Valleywag’s posting of pictures of the Pennsylvania residence.

Google uses vehicles with mounted digital cameras to collect pictures for Street View. Some of these vehicles were spotted in WG last Fall, which seems to correlate with some of the images recognized by neighbors. Right now, Street View is only available for areas north of Pine Avenue (marked in blue above). Stay tuned for more.