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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Leapin' Lizard Willow Glen--On a normally sleepy section of street neighbors are jovially calling "Lizard Lane," the corner of Malaga Way and Aragon Drive has been restored to its former tranquility. Folks were jumping out of their skins over rumors of a 4-foot lizard attacking and devouring birds and squirrels in their backyards. Turns out the rumors weren't so far-fetched. On July 24, Dave Espinola captured a hissing, 32-inch Nile monitor lizard on his front lawn, then gladly handed the critter over to the Humane Society. It's still a big mystery whence the reptile came. Gift of Gab Saratoga--This city's planning commission surely has no shortage of things to chat about. A whopping seven-hour meeting last week prompted yet more talk among commissioners about how ineffectively their meeting time has been utilized as of late. Communication troubles and failed working relationships have been cited by many as the root of their troubles. Commissioner Cynthia Barry, also a management consultant, suggested an easy anecdote: the Indian Tribal Council method, where everyone speaks in turn and no one is permitted to open their trap afterwards. This would hopefully preclude any more seven-hour powwows. Sorry, Honey Campbell--When Doug Simpson accidentally flushed his wife's diamond rings down the toilet, he knew he was in the doghouse. That's why he called on the West Valley Sanitation District to dig them out. At the time, only one of the rings was recovered, but now, 18 months later, the second one turned up in a nearby sewer pipe. Tony Cuevas, who found the first ring, kept searching for the other every time he found himself in the neighborhood. He delivered the tarnished but still intact ring to Anne Simpson, the wife in this story, who just can't sing Cuevas' praises enough. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]