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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Formidable Frank Los Gatos--It's not easy being a woman with a giant wiener. But being the woman behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile--now that's a job Los Gatan Jodi Rabitz can sink her teeth into. The 23-year-old college grad has spent the last year driving one of six 27-foot Wienermobiles across the country with her fellow Wienerettes, auditioning thousands of singing tykes for the wiener and bologna jingles. This week the Wienermobile is parked in the driveway of Rabitz's parents while she takes a break and ponders her future, which she hopes will include travel and sports marketing--but nothing as serious as a mobile sausage. BungaLow Rent Saratoga--The not exactly low-income city of Saratoga's effort to convert a gardener's cottage at Hakone Gardens into a low-income housing unit, plagued with trouble of late, now faces a challenge from unexpected quarters. Last week Hakone Foundation board members met with the City Council and, citing safety and liability concerns, challenged the council's right to rent the property without their blessing. The board majority would rather see an alternative use, such as a visitor's center. They're a little late, in the council's opinion: the process began three years ago and the city has already spent more than $100,000 on improvements. But board members say they never voted to green-light the project, and were kept in the dark throughout the process. Apricot Jam Sunnyvale--Several weeks ago Burbscape scolded the city of Sunnyvale for selling out its last orchard, the 15-acre Olson cherry farm, to development interests. Well, we were wrong. Sunnyvale still has a museum piece in the 10-acre apricot orchard known as Orchard Heritage Park. This Saturday the Orchard Heritage Blossom Faire and BBQ celebrates 100 years of orchards and orchard families with a festival that includes clowns, ice cream and old-time music, plus plenty of shade. [ Metro | Metroactive Central | Archives ]