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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods I Was Iron Man Los Gatos--A Los Gatos couple were recently convicted of fraud-related charges and sentenced to prison and probation terms. Ex-mortgage broker Robert Pasternak, 58, was sentenced to nine years in state prison on July 6 for 20 felony counts relating to embezzlement, violating terms of probation and possession of a firearm. At the same time, his wife, Jan, 53, was convicted of assisting in his unlicensed real estate activity between 1997 and 2000. She was sentenced to two years of probation. The district attorney's investigation found that in November 1998 Robert Pasternak tried to borrow $125,000 from a Saratoga resident. The Saratogan was the landlord of the San Jose building that housed Pasternak's business, the now-defunct Iron Mountain Financial Services--which Santa Clara Deputy DA Paul Colin called a "house of cards." Nature's Bonfante Willow Glen--The county's newest theme park is all about growing things, and some of its roots go down deep to Willow Glen. Bonfante Gardens Theme Park founder Michael Bonfante spent some of his formative years in Willow Glen, attending Willow Glen Middle School (then known as Markham Middle) and Willow Glen High School until he graduated in 1959. Legal Threat Cupertino--The city-owned sports center has been viewed as both boon and hindrance by many Cupertino residents. While there were improvements made on the sports center following a lawsuit over the building's lack of compliance with regulations related to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the structure still does not meet either seismic or accessibility standards. For those reasons, the city currently regards the center as a major source of possible litigation. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]