According to the release, the eleven-year-old was approached by a woman in a car around 8:00 am on Wednesday, December 9, near the corner of Harris & New Jersey, northwest of the intersection of Curtner & Leigh.

On 12-9-09 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., an 11 year-old male juvenile was walking to school on Harris Ave in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose when he was approached by a “lone female” in a vehicle. The female stopped her vehicle alongside of the 11 year-old male and yelled out “Your mom has just had a heart attack. Get in the car and I will drive you to the hospital”.

Since the child had just left his house a few minutes prior, he knew that his mother was alright. The juvenile then ran to his school. While running, he observed the vehicle leaving westbound on Harris Avenue .

The female is described as a white female adult in her 30’s, blond hair in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt. She was also seen wearing large rimmed glasses.

The vehicle is described as a Chevrolet 4 door sedan or an SUV type vehicle.

Additional details were provided by the mother of the boy, who circulated an email to friends before the official SJPD announcement. In an apparent effort to lure the boy into her car, the female suspect told him that his mother had suffered a heart attack. The boy ignored the story, ran to school, and later informed a teacher of what happened.

Despite what might seem like an unlikely story, both educators and SJPD believe the boy is telling the truth, according to his mother.

SJPD Adbuction Attempt Dec 9 2009

• November 28: Holiday Movie inside the Garden “Theater,” featuring two showings of “Up!” … 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.
• November 28: the WGBA Tree Lighting event at Buffington House, 5:30 pm.
• November 28 – December 20: various Santa Visitations around Downtown WG and the traditional horse-drawn carriage rides around the neighborhood.
• December 12: Breakfast with Santa at the Willows Senior and Community Center.
• December 5: Holiday Boutique inside 12-4

And, technically, since the otherwise helpful marquee forgot one of the other big events downtown, WGx is happy to add it:

December 3: The traditional Willow Glen Elementary Tree Lighting, at 6:30 pm

Trick Question! … this year, there are TWO Willow Glen tree lighting ceremonies. Twice the Lighting. Twice the Christmas. So the intrepid amongst us will head to Downtown WG twice over the coming weeks. Twice the walking …

• Sat, Nov 28: WGBA Tree Lighting at Buffington House
• Thu, Dec 3: WG Elementary Tree Lighting (the original)

Twice the fun, twice the budget … and maybe … twice the confusion? …

After delivering 75 live holiday trees this week, the Willow Glen Business Association is clearly pulling out all of the stops for this holiday shopping season. In an email to WGx, executive director Norma Ruiz admitted it that having two tree lighting ceremonies is confusing, but also explained that the WGBA wanted to do their own tree lighting downtown.

Of course, a thorough search of the Buffington House property downtown reveals that no actual pine tree grows there. So, one had to be ordered. And installed. And decorated. The tree was put up late last night, and should decorated soon.

So for those of you keeping score at home, that’s 75 living Christmas Trees to be re-planted, one really tall full-time tree at WG Elementary, one reasonably tall but definitely freshly cut-down at Buffington, and at least one other Christmas tree recently decorated in front of Chase Bank on the corner of Minnesota & Lincoln. And almost certainly more on the way.

Start practicing your Christmas carols now … All I want for Christmas is my two WG Christmas trees? ;-0

The WGBA has already hung the street lights and festive garland over Lincoln Avenue, and nearly every mature (and permanent) tree has its own bright red bow.

And taking a tip from the famous neighborhood tradition of Charlie Brown Yard Trees, merchants downtown are putting trees and lights in their yards … or at least their sidewalks.

And don’t worry, multiple sources have confirmed that the trees — currently nestled in 5 gallon pots — will remain alive throughout the holidays, and will be re-planted soon after the holiday season.

WGBA executive director Norma Ruiz confirms:

Our City Forest assisted by receiving and delivering the trees. Once the holidays are over the trees will be planted in schools and parks throughout San Jose. Our City Forest, Willow Glen Business Association and our businesses are working together to become a “green” business district.

In addition to encouraging shoppers to spend money on the Avenue, the WGBA is also hoping they’ll vote for their favorite merchant’s holiday display. As pictured, Powell’s Sweet Shoppe took the early lead with their storefront already sporting an inflatable Santa and the aforementioned Christmas tree.

And, if you are interested in joining the WGBS in donating living Christmas Trees, checkout the Our City Forest website for more information on what kind of tree can you buy for short-term holiday use and how to donate it.

As a form of giving back to the community, a worldwide “TweetsGiving” movement has taken hold — with some firm roots right here in Willow Glen.

It’s basically a party on the Eve of Thanksgiving, with the price of admission going to worthy cause. And the organizer of the Silicon Valley version, one of WG’s social media expert — and Twitterer — Janet Fouts explains the details in a recent post on San Jose MetBlogs:

The speculation began in July when the grocer expressed its interest in the location before PW Supermarkets had even closed its discount bare-bones Foxworthy Foods step-child at that location.

The SJ/SV Business Journal was the first to report the news – as Twttered by WGx. In a Press Release* shared with WGx, Dale Tibbils and Fred Zannoto express their excitement and their vision for the store:

SAN JOSE, CA – NOV. 18, 2009 – Zanotto’s Market today announced that it is bringing its unsurpassed quality and customer service to Willow Glen. The new store will open next spring on the corner of Foxworthy and Cherry (1421 Foxworthy)

“We are very excited to bring the Zanotto’s tradition of a locally owned and operated community market to Willow Glen,” said Fred Zanotto, Vice-President, Zanotto’s Willow Glen. “We believe the Willow Glen community is massively under served from a grocery store perspective and we plan to change that. Not with just another market, but with a market that provides the community of Willow Glen with our exclusive Montana Ranch Brand All Natural beef, our farm fresh produce, a dedicated area for imported Italian specialty food items as well as a large eating area to accommodate our popular wine dinners along with beer festivals, group meetings and cooking schools.”

*The complete press release appears in the comments section below.

The recent history of grocery stores in WG is a short one, with many stores closing in recent years … and no new stores anywhere near Willow Glen, unless you count Beverages & More downtown or the Trader Joes that have sprung up on Almaden Expressway and just south of San Jose International Airport.

The Albertson’s at Bird & Minnesota/Alma closed in 2006, with the empty promise of a new Fresh & Easy opening there someday, after crushing Zanotto’s hopes of opening in that location. The Safeway at Almaden & Curtner departed this past January with similarly high hopes. But, alas nothing.

May this be the start of a new trend!

Follow @WillowGlenExtra on Twitter

As is our mantra … WGx scours the Internet so you don’t have to …

Local real estate weblog – and real estate panic-mongerer – “Burbed” has set its sites on another Willow Glen property for sale, this time a home for sale near Schallenberger Elementary.

Actually, the 4-bed 2-bath home on Tenaya Drive has already been sold, but Burbed enjoyed playing with the realtor’s MLS listing, which celebrated the glorious heritage of Tenaya Drive, calling it “one of the greatest streets surrounding Schallenberger Elementary.” Burbed couldn’t leave that one alone:

After all, this is the greatest street surrounding Schallenberger Elementary – not just a good street, the greatest. History books have been written about this street and how it conquered would be contenders. Those weakling lanes, avenues, courts, and drives were no match for this street.

Tenaya. It’s the street of champions. Without this street, your children are at risk.

So please, think of the children. Start camping out on Tenaya now so that you can get a house on the great street of what must be the greatest elementary school in the history of mankind.

Of course, a cursory review of the map reveals even more realtor hyperbole. Tenaya — although nearby — doesn’t really “surround” Schallenberger. Technically, one of the greatest streets surrounding Schallenberger would probably have to be either Cottle Avenue, Koch Lane, Avalon Drive, or Gerald Way. But in either case, WGx invites you to decide:

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And speaking of great streets in Willow Glen, WGx is happy to observe that the long-for-sale home on the “corner” of Dry Creek Road & Cherry Avenue appears to have finally sold. It’s been on-and-off the market since WGx first spotted it nearly 18 months ago.

Say all you want about Tenaya Drive and Schallenberger, but you can’t deny the uniqueness of the house that cuts Cherry in half.

The December 3 ceremony will be hosted, organized, and funded by Willow Glen Elementary School. The low-key, small-town celebration usually includes a visit with Santa, a performance from school children, homemade goodies for sale … and a tree lighting.

But this year, things are little more interesting. In an email to WGx, organizer Samantha Fein elaborates:

This event is particularly important to me and my bilingual peers as we — the Two Way Bilingual Immersion parents at Willow Glen Elementary– are hosting this as our first-ever event. It is important to us to demonstrate the multiculturalism of the community and of our school and it’s Immersion program that we are so proud of. In an unprecedented way, we have our Spanish-speaking parents and English-speaking parents volunteering side-by-side for this event on everything from creating a Santa Booth with handmade Mexican flowers to parents working together to make homemade Tamales to sell that evening. We are ready to go.

But until this morning, there was no plan to actually put lights on the tree. And that’s where local savior Straun Edwards (from Trees 360°) saves the day! In her personal blog, Fein covers the community-wide effort mounted to find someone to hang the lights, and the story ends with Edwards offering to climb the tree himself next week, just in time for the official tree lighting.

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And for those felling a little déjà vu … No, it’s not the first threat of a dark Christmas in Willow Glen. In 2005, vandals cut the tree lights that had been left up year-round that year. Repairs were eventually made in time for that ceremony, too.

Everyone’s heard of a haunted house. Probably even a haunted theater. But a haunted play? Could it be haunted by the spirit of a man who died recently at the theatre? No…it’s not possible! At least, that’s what theater director Bonnie Bagwell tries to convince the other members of the troupe as writer Colin Chambers hints at the trail of horror that has cursed his script, Ax of Murder.

Unfortunately, curiosity gets the best of the actors and, despite Colin’s adamant warnings, they open the script and start reading the play. It soon becomes apparent the play is mirroring their theater and even the specific actors. “The play changes with each performance,” Colin intones, though he’s not taken seriously. But when a police sergeant shows up on cue stating he was called in on a murder, people begin to wonder. Wonder turns to fear when someone IS murdered onstage! And it seems as if no one could have done it. No one, that is, except perhaps a ghost.

Running November 18-22, and Starring Willow Glen Middle & High School students!

November 18, 19, and 20: 7:00pm
November 21: 3:30pm & 7:00pm
November 22: 3:30pm

Willow Glen Middle School’s Little Theatre … Purchase tickets online or at the door for General/Students/Seniors seating.