Amidst a backdrop chorus of screaming thrill seekers and roaring roller coasters a new sound was heard echoing at California’s Great America on Saturday, June 27 when thuds were heard as bodies were being slammed to the canvas.

An array of wild professional wrestling characters appeared at Great America as part of Youth Sports Day, including the high-flying Luchadores Chicano Flame, “Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra and Kid Omega --- plus an array of evil villains including the 399-pound “Mountain From Stone Mountain” Larry Blackwell, Kimo “The Heat” Kanaloa, “Italian Assassin” Vennis deMarco, “Nice Guy” Vinnie Massarro, “Insane” Mike Rayne --- as well as colorful and animated fan favorites like “Rock Legend Scum” Adam Thornstowe, Jeckles the Jester, “Son of a Highway Man” Jody Kristofferson, Otis the Big Trucker, “The Showcase” Johnny Plinko and the perennial underdog, the 5-foot-5, 135-pound Kryptonite.

Dazzling thousands of fans throughout the day with array of powerful and innovative wrestling maneuvers, risk-defying aerial attacks and unparallel technical wrestling prowess, there was wrestling excitement for everyone’s palettes. Fans fought off the scorching 100-degree heat to watch in awe as the wrestlers performed bone-shattering maneuvers.

The huge 20-person over-the-top battle royal featuring the best wrestlers from throughout the West Coast had fans gathering in droves as wrestlers were being tossed far and near. In the end, the standing-room-only crowd in Celebration Plaza witnessed Kryptonite eliminate Blackwell with an assist from Thornstowe.

Great America guests also witnessed the stunning debut of the wild El Leopardo Locco, a mysterious masked wrestler from the Amazon jungle managed by the much-despised lawyer from New York, Buddy Sotello, ESQ. Fans also saw two of the country’s fastest-rising female wrestling stars in action as “Punk Princess” Christina Von Eerie defeated Leopardo Locco, while the sassy Davina Rose fended off the brash and arrogant “Glamorous” Ryan Von Kool.
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Facing a $12 million shortfall caused by declining local tax revenue and a catastrophic state budget deficit, Santa Clara Unified School District is looking for ways to close the gap in the short term, as well as ways to stabilize school finances in the long term.

The proposed 49ers stadium may be one of those strategies. That's because of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) tax pass-throughs – payments that are legally mandated if Santa Clara's redevelopment plan is amended to allow the agency to incur new debt – that will flow to SCUSD schools over the next 15 years.

The County Office of Education and West Valley-Mission Community College District would also benefit. Other districts that are inside Santa Clara city boundaries – Campbell Union, San Jose Unified, and Cupertino Union – would not.

But the stadium "boost" is $26 million, not $133 million – or $141 million – that some are reporting. That's because if the stadium isn't built, the district will still receive an additional $107 million over the same period from Redevelopment Agency property tax reversion – incremental tax revenue (from higher property values) that's diverted to repay redevelopment bonds. When the bonds are repaid, the tax diversion ends.

However, as any businessperson knows, total dollars is only part of the story. How soon those dollars start coming in – cash flow – is equally important to financial health. In the case of the Redevelopment Agency tax reversion, that money doesn't start flowing to SCUSD until 2020-2021 ($12.7 million, jumping to about $22 million in 2023-24).

That 10-year wait means any measures to close the school district budget gap – layoffs, cuts in after-school sports and recreation programs, eliminating summer school and adult ed, furlough days, larger class sizes, a parcel tax – are almost certain to be long-term.

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Robinson Brothers Band Bring it Home to Central Park

By Tricia Chambers, Photo by Larry Sacks

The six musicians that make up the Robinson brothers may not have much time to spend playing together. But it wasn’t apparent from the way they rocked the stage for a full 90-minutes when they performed at last Wednesday’s Concert in the Park.

“Vinny (harmonica) and I call each other sometimes,” said keyboard player Mark Robinson, a Campbell resident well-known at the Triton Museum. “And we’ll say, ‘Hey let’s get together.’ You know, for special things like this.”

The band, a mix of local boys, ripped into a hot combo of blues/honky tonk and rock tunes, amidst a backdrop of hoots and howls from an audience that grew steadily larger as the show got under way.

Fessehaye Tesfay, a 26-year resident of Santa Clara showed up with his wife and son. He couldn’t fight the urge to keep time to the music by tapping his feet and shaking his head. But ask him why he’s not dancing and all he will do is laugh.

As crowded as the Pavilion was, there was still plenty of room for uninhibited adults to strut their stuff to the band’s jam of original tunes like “I’m Going to Marry My Mother-in-Law,” and Santo and Johnny’s 1959 hit, “Sleep Walk.”

It takes half a dozen members to get the Robinson Brothers’ sound. Bass guitarist Dave Gonzales whaled on a brand new guitar from the left side. Maybe out of sight, but just as integral, was drummer Quenston Statin who didn’t miss a beat during his own vocal solo. Blues composer and guitarist Craig Robinson displayed the same raw talent he showcases when he plays regular gigs at Gumbo Jumbo on Market Street in San Jose.
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Wallenda Walks the Wire Over California's Great America

By Suzy Paluzzi, Photo by Chris Kinney

All eyes were cast upward as Nik Wallenda walked without a safety net, harness, or safety wire over 100 feet high.

Gingerly caressing his way across the very thin high wire stretching from the Barney Oldfield Speedway to the popular roller coaster Invertigo, bone-chilling suspense and tension broke into wild applause as the seventh generation member of the famous Wallenda family completed the 500-foot walk across California’s Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara on Sunday, June 28.

Adding to the risk was a steady breeze and 100-degree temperatures at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Walking only holding something for balance, Wallenda has a team that sets up the rigging and holds the wires below, with even his wife participating. When asked how she feels seeing the father of their three children do these death-defying acts, Erendira shares, “I’m nervous, but he has been doing this since he was four.”

Wallenda is the holder of two Guinness World Records. In October of 2008, the 30-year-old performer rode a bicycle 13-½ stories up for the highest and longest ride on a high wire. He wears the bicycle chain that broke then around his neck. “I respect what I do,” says Wallenda.

In 2001, Wallenda was part of the family troupe, which set the Guinness Record by achieving an eight-person pyramid on the high wire. Wallenda’s great grandfather Karl, who founded The Flying Wallendas, was known for creating the seven-person pyramid.

“I’m doing this because it is in my blood by now. I love doing it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Nik Wallenda says when asked why he performs such feats.

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City Council Roundup: June 23, 2009 Meeting

Roll Call: All Council members present.

Approval of the Minutes: The May 19, 2009, May 26, 2009 Joint City Council/Planning Commission Meeting and May 26, 2009 - Special Meeting were approved and filed.

Special Order of Business:
• Outgoing Commission Members Marwan A, Fawal, Cultural Advisory Commission (1998-2009), Mary Ann Marinshaw, Historical and Landmarks Commission (1999-2009), Frank J. Barcells, Planning Commission (2005-2009) and Edward L. Murphy, Senior Advisory Commission (2005-2009) were honored and recognized.

• The City of Santa Clara Silicon Valley Power Scholarship and Technical Grant Awards were presented to recipients. Visit www.SantaClaraWeekly.com/1372 for full story.

• Estella Ross Lockwood was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Cultural Advisory Commission for the full term ending June 30, 2013.

• Deborah Costa was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission for the full term ending June 30, 2013.

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Silicon Valley Power Awards Scholarships

Five college scholarship grants and two technical grants for Santa Clara-based students pursuing studies in the energy services, public power and/or power industry have been awarded by Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility. SVP grant recipients were chosen by a panel of local power, business, and educational professionals.

Four graduating high school seniors and a university Ph.D candidate will receive $5,000 tuition grants. Albert Ai of Wilcox High School, Kara Johnson of Santa Clara High School, and Melissa Darr and Kamini Iyer of Archbishop Mitty High School will begin college in the fall. Sara Cooper, a Brown University graduate with a degree in Chemical Engineering, is pursuing a Ph.D in Applied Physics at the University of Sydney.

Marc Fontana, a Hewlett-Packard retiree and De Anza College student in the Energy Management Degree Program, and Scott Shaw, a certified electrician studying energy services at the Institute of Business and Technology (IBT), will be awarded $2,000 tuition grants.

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Police Blotter: Week of June 27, 2009

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Drugs Location: 3300 Block of El Camino Real
Officers Lutz and Gutierrez responded to a citizen’s complaint about possible drug use by a group of young men. One of the suspects was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Case Number 09-6446

Traffic Accident Location: 2800 Block of Stevens Creek Blvd.
A motorist was making a turn in a department store parking lot when she struck a 17 year old male and knocked him to the ground. The victim was taken the hospital for abrasions and hip pain.
Case Number 09-6454

Drug Arrest Location: Lafayette & Richard Ave.
Officer C. Stewart made a car stop where the driver exhibited signs drug use. The driver was removed from his vehicle and arrested. A search of his vehicle revealed methamphetamine, a drug pipe and scales. His three week old daughter was also in the vehicle.

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