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Top Stories: Sept. 22, 2009

Green HP; Safeway vs. Zanotto's; Bag Ban Protest; Beating the Heat

by Staff on Sep 22, 2009
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Hewlett-Packard Greenest Company in the U.S.
Earlier this summer, environmental activists from Greenpeace painted “Hazardous Products” on the roof of Hewlett-Packard’s Palo Alto headquarters. The stunt was just one in a series of attacks targeting the company because of its failure to eliminate a series of hazardous chemicals, including flame retardant BFRs, from its products. At the time, SanJose.com reported HP's response that it has been has been "a leader in environmental responsibility and has adopted practices in product development, operations and supply chain that are transparent and help to reduce its environmental impact." Newsweek agrees. In its Sept. 28 edition, it listed HP as the greenest company in America.

Citing its programs to reduce GHG emissions and remove toxic substances from its products, the magazine gave HP a perfect Green Score of 100.0. In comparison, runner-up Dell received a 98.87. On the other hand, HP's Environmental Impact Score was only 64.80, compared to Dell's 67.70.

Santa Clara County was also represented in the top 10 greenest companies by Intel, which ranked 3rd, and Applied Materials, which ranked 9th. Intel was cited as being the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the U.S. and for its focus on energy efficiency in its products. Applied Materials was noted for using less water, energy, and greenhouse gases in manufacturing its products.
Read More at Newsweek.

Is Safeway Killing Local Businesses?
It hasn't even been a month since Safeway opened its swanky new store in downtown San Jose, but in that short time Zanotto's, long a city landmark, has been forced to lay off 12 people, while local cafes are also sufffering. Troy Tibbiles, the owner of Zanatto's, called it a "mini Walmart syndrome," that is having "a negative impact overall" on the local shops. Business in Zanotto's has dropped 30 percent since the new Safeway opened. Café owners are upset because they cannot compete with the vast range of products at Safeway, including lunchtime sandwiches and even its own café. "They have absolutely everything," said one café employee.
Read More at KCBS

Former SJ Giant Pleads Innocent
Wearing a bulletproof vest, San Jose Giants' first baseman Angel Villanola, 19, appeared in court in the Dominican Republic on Monday to plead innocent to the shooting death of Mario Felix de Jesus Velete, 25. According to the prosecution, Villanola shot Velete to death in a bar. The judge ordered him to jail for two months while prosecution prepares its case. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Villanola was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 2006 for a record $2.1 million. He was just 16 at the time of the signing. This season he played 74 games for the California League's San Jose Giants, batting .267, with nine home runs and 42 RBIs. He was sidelined by an injury in July, and did not return to play for the rest of the season. Read More at KLIV.
Read More at MLB.com.
Read More at Yahoo Sports.


"Cyclops" Arrested for Vandalism
For two years, the name "Cyclops" has appeared spray painted on walls throughout the South Bay and etched into shop windows in Los Altos. Yesterday, police arrested Edgar Ochoa, 19, of San Jose and charged him with 67 counts of vandalism. He is currently being investigated in connection with another 60 acts of vandalism, most of them graffiti, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Read More at ABC 7.


City Opens Cooling Centers to Beat the Heat
With highs expected to reach 97 in San Jose today, the city has opened ten designated cooling centers, were residents can get relief. The centers will be open during the peak hours of the heat wave, from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm. In nearby Sunnyvale, another cooling center will be open at the Sunnyvale Community Center at 550 E. Remington Drive.

Throughout the day, people are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and to pay special attention to family members who are especially vulnerable to the heat, particularly children, the elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

Temperatures are expected to go down slightly tomorrow, which is just in time, considering that fall officially begins at 2:00 pm this afternoon.
Read More at NBC Bay Area.
Read More at CBS5.


Retailers, Businessmen Protest Bag Ban
Local retailers and business owners called on the City Council to reconsider its proposed ban on plastic and paper bags when it votes today. City Council will be voting on what to do about the excessive trash created by single-use plastic bags, and whether to charge a fee of 10-25 cents on paper and recycled bags.

At a press conference outside the Grocery Outlet on Monday, opponents of the ban called on the Council to place greater emphasis on encouraging consumers to recycle their bags. They noted that a city ordinance enacted last year requires retailers to place specialized plastic bag recycling bins in their stores. Councilman Sam Liccardo, an advocate of the bag ban, responded that despite the mandate for the bins, only about 1 percent of all bags are recycled (the EPA gives the number as 10 percent), and an information campaign would cost the city as much as $4.5 million. Bags cannot be included with regular recycling because they tend to choke up the machinery.

Miguel Olivo of the Hispanic Political Action Committee Silicon Valley noted that a fee on bags could cost as much as $300 for shoppers who insist on purchasing them. On the other hand, the city points out that the bags would be phased out gradually over a 1-month period, and needy shoppers would be provided with reusable bags instead.
Read More at the Business Journal.
Read More at the Mercury News.


Financia CFO Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Tax Evasion
Gregory Scott Dixon, 39, CFO of the Financia investing firm of San Jose, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to wire fraud and tax evasion. According to the charges, Dixon told investors that their money had been invested and even provided them with false tax forms showing non-existent earnings. He then diverted the money for personal use, purchasing $500,000 in jewelry for his girlfriend. He is also said to owe $145,150 in taxes for 2006.

Sentencing is scheduled for January, and Dixon could receive as much as 25 years in prison, as well as a fine of $500,000. Read More at the Mercury News.


Police Officers Could Lose Jobs over Cover-up
Two SJPD officers received a Notice of Intended Discipline after covering up a DUI case involving another police officer. Following an investigation by SJPD’s Internal Affairs, Police Chief Rob Davis is inclined to fire the two men.

The case began in March 2008, when Sandra Woodall crashed her vehicle into several cars, injuring a teen girl. Sergeant Will Manion, a 19-year veteran of the SJPD, and Patrick D'Arrigo, a 15-year veteran, arrived at the scene, but failed to test Woodall for alcohol. Woodall, who had been in rehab shortly before the accident, smelled of liquor and admitted that she had been drinking.

Bobby Lopez, outgoing head of the Police Union, said that the punishment seemed too severe. The two men were cleared before a grand jury of any criminal wrongdoing, and even if they are fired, have the option of appealing the ruling before a civil service commission.
Read More at The Mercury News.



by Staff on Sep 22, 2009
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