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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Mac Attack Once a safe haven in the Macintosh universe, some local universities are becoming Mac hostile. At Santa Clara University, teachers even get a gold star for switching to a PC. Freeze Tag West Valley--Forget those futile duels with traffic, poverty and stratospheric rents! Cities in this county are taking a stand against a real problem: graffiti. The "Tag You Lose" campaign is about to lift off in a blaze of white-and-aqua glory in all 15 cities, a reminder to taggers that getting caught could cost them their driver's licenses, result in community service or cost their parents money. Guilty graffiti grommets too young to drive face having their driver's license eligibility delayed by up to a year. Some law enforcement officials compare this effort to the "Avoid the 13" campaign of several years ago. Cat Chow Saratoga--In the Coyotes-vs.-the-Yuppies war in Saratoga Hills, the Yuppies' cats are the biggest losers. One was found last week paralyzed and with puncture wounds in its head, and another was glimpsed in a coyote's mouth, according to one resident. Neighbors on Pierce Road have so far resisted calling on trappers to solve the problem, but they agree there are more coyotes around now than ever before. One Fish and Game biologist notes that the cosmopolitan coyote is making appearances in Southern California's streets as well, where palatial houses are encroaching upon the coyotes' hillside territory. Speed Limit Campbell--Who'd have thunk, back in the mid-1970s, that the loop streets arcing around downtown Campbell would become high-speed race tracks? Designed to alleviate congestion on East Campbell Avenue, the two one-ways effectively funneled traffic away from the street--a little too well, actually, for the infant downtown that struggled to spring up along Campbell Avenue in the mid-'90s. Campbell's recent decision to stripe parking spots along both roads solves two problems: it provides more much-needed parking for downtown and it slows the pace of traffic to create a more "downtown feel." [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]