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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Union Do's Sunnyvale--At long last, Sunnyvale's city council and the Sunnyvale Employees' Association have made nice and are playing quietly together. For the past nine months they've been haggling over the terms of a new contract for the employees' association, but last week the council approved a five-year contract with nary a peep. The sticking point for both groups--how to average the wages of employees in surrounding cities to achieve a fair benchmark for Sunnyvale's own--was smoothed over when the city agreed to drop the lowest-paying city from its averaging formula in the last three years of the contract. Screen Grocer Cupertino--Back in the old days a bargain theater stood a chance against a good cheese section, but not anymore. Cupertino's Oaks Theater, which shows movies for $3.50 in its venerable Stevens Creek location, is in jeopardy of losing its spot to a yupscale Andronico's grocery store. Cupertino planning commissioners continue to support the plan although neighbors showed up at the last meeting to voice fears about traffic and the loss of the theater. If Andronico's goes in, it will be one of seven grocery stores within a 1.5-mile radius. Change of Part Palo Alto--The Palo Alto Homeowners Association got a public relations shiner for allegedly masquerading as preservationists during their successful campaign to prevent the demolition of Palo Alto's older homes. The self-described preservationists are at it again, but this time they actually want to preserve something: the old, weathered Sea Scouts building at the Palo Alto Baylands, built by legendary Palo Alto architect Birge Clark and commissioned by city founder Lucie Stern. Homeowners Association leaders are backing several council members who are trying to save the facility, but have no plans to take the matter to the voters. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]