Janet Gray Hayes always had a knack for beating the odds. She served as San Jose’s mayor from 1974 to 1982, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. city. Now Hayes, who died in 2014 at age 87, has managed one more surprise victory and will likely have San Jose’s Columbus Park renamed in her honor.
And the outcome was due to ranked-choice voting, of all things.
The city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department is planning a “reimagining” of the 10-acre Columbus Park, and that includes dropping its connection to the much-maligned European explorer. The city asked residents to nominate potential names and conducted surveys to determine the most popular ones out of 19 suggestions. The five finalists were A.P. Giannini Park, Muwekma Ohlone Park, Walnut Street Park, Taylor Street Park and Janet Gray Hayes Park.
In the final ranked-choice voting — which got 842 responses — Muwekma Ohlone Park got the most first-preference votes with 206, just ahead of Giannini (200) and Hayes (199). But the former mayor won out by being the most common second-preference, which helped boost her past Walnut Street Park and Muwekma Ohlone Park. The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission voted in October to recommend Janet Gray Hayes Park to the San Jose City Council, which is expected to consider it in early 2023.
HOPE GRANTED: Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian joined Hope Services CEO Chip Huggins and Director of Mental Health Anna Fernandez for a celebration at the nonprofit’s location on Middlefield Road in Mountain View. The reason for the festivities? A $250,000 grant that Simitian spearheaded through the County Board of Supervisors last summer for Hope Services, which provides programs for members of the community who are developmentally disabled or require mental health services. The grant is funding four Ford Explorers and 60 laptops so clients can access its services remotely.
Huggins notes that the disabled community has had a tougher time recovering from the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and providing transportation and remote access to telehealth is crucial. Simitian agreed, calling the partnership between the county and the non-profit “smart.”
“If something as simple and basic as a van or a laptop can connect the program participants at Hope Services with the larger community, that’s a winner,” Simitian said.
SHOPPING LOCAL: Still on the search for an interesting holiday gift that also satisfies your desire to keep your dollars in the community? There are a couple of events this weekend on The Alameda in San Jose to help you out. The School of Visual Philosophy is hosting its annual Handmade for the Holidays gift fair, with more than 30 creative types offering original art, homegoods and apparel from 3-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1065 The Alameda.
And right across the street, The Alameda Artworks will have its annual winter art fair going on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with works from more than 50 artists available for sale at 1068 The Alameda.
HELPING HANDS: Bonnie and Marvin Bamburg got some unexpected aid last Saturday night when they were heading to History Park in San Jose to catch Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” They misjudged the curb while making a U-turn on Phelan Road, and their Tesla wound up perched on the concrete unable to move. Soon after, a group of young men approached the car from the nearby neighborhood and offered their help.
While the Bamburgs suggested calling a tow truck, the guys were insistent they could handle it themselves and together lifted the red Tesla off the curb and back onto solid ground. Bonnie Bamburg said the group continued on their way before the couple could even properly thank them for their help.
