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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Frats Flounder Los Gatos--Looks like members-only clubs are becoming endangered species. The Moose, Elks, Masons, Knights of Columbus and Odd Fellows are all finding it difficult to attract new members who might not embrace ideals such as "fellowship and brotherhood and the social aspect," as one Mason says. Some believe that fraternal organizations are outdated societies with mystical, perhaps irrelevant, rituals. Although members admit that overall membership is on the decline, they dispute certain perceptions about lodge life. Los Gatos Mason Lowell Johnson, 59, says, "It's hard to get kids to come in, with this garbage on television. It's hard to teach them moral standards." Del Mucho Monte Willow Glen--San Jose City officials will consider allowing retail and residential uses at the site of the now-defunct Del Monte Corporation Cannery north of Willow Glen. The land use change would allow the construction of 532 to 1,330 living units on 13.3 acres of the site. The change in land-use designation, from industrial to commercial, requires an amendment to San Jose's General Plan. It is among about 40 amendments up for consideration by the planning department and City Council in August. Spice Channel Saratoga--Money permitting, Saratoga's community-access cable station will spice up its programming. KSAR-15 is looking into a movie classic film festival for the fall. Station staff are also looking forward to new equipment that would allow the station to improve the quality of its taped shows and public bulletin board displays between shows. New KSAR Director Carolyn De Los Santos also wants to get the channel's 6,000 Saratoga viewers to put down their remotes and come into the station to produce some homegrown shows of their own. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]