Monte Sereno, California
Encyclopedia
Monte Sereno is a city in Santa Clara County
, California
, USA. The population was 3,341 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains
, about 10 miles southwest of San Jose
and is immediately northwest of Los Gatos
. The city is named for the 2249 ft. El Sereno Mountain
, upon whose slopes the southern portion of the city is built on. The community is entirely residential, with no commercial zoning and 99% single-family housing, and is an upscale Silicon Valley
bedroom community. Monte Sereno shares the 95030 ZIP code
with the Town of Los Gatos. Many municipal services are provided under contract by the city of Los Gatos.
land grant of Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos
. The city incorporated on May 14, 1957 to protect its semi-rural atmosphere.
John Steinbeck
wrote The Grapes of Wrath
and Of Mice and Men
in a wooded home at 16250 Greenwood Lane in what is now Monte Sereno
Beat generation
figure Neal Cassady
lived in a Monte Sereno ranch house in the 1950s.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land. Saratoga-Los Gatos Road (State Route 9
) runs through the city.
The El Sereno Open Space Preserve
is immediately south of the city and covers the top and portions of the flanks of El Sereno mountain.
was 2,068.4 people per square mile (798.6/km²). The racial makeup of Monte Sereno was 2,698 (80.8%) White, 14 (0.4%) African American, 12 (0.4%) Native American, 464 (13.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 28 (0.8%) from other races
, and 125 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 162 persons (4.8%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 1,211 households, out of which 433 (35.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 917 (75.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 59 (4.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 26 (2.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 14 (1.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 8 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 178 households (14.7%) were made up of individuals and 87 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76. There were 1,002 families
(82.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.05.
The population was spread out with 816 people (24.4%) under the age of 18, 156 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 487 people (14.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,235 people (37.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 647 people (19.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
There were 1,287 housing units at an average density of 796.8 per square mile (307.6/km²), of which 1,090 (90.0%) were owner-occupied, and 121 (10.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 3,030 people (90.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 311 people (9.3%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 3,483 people, 1,211 households, and 1,024 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,158.7 people per square mile (835.3/km²). There were 1,237 housing units at an average density of 766.7/sq mi (296.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.61% White, 0.17% African American, 0.06% Native American, 12.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 1,211 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.0% were married couples
living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $154,268, and the median income for a family was $156,706. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $41,875 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $76,577. About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Monte Sereno is located in the 15th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Sam Blakeslee
, and in the 21st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat
Rich Gordon
. Federally, Monte Sereno is located in California's 14th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +18 and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
.
City Council elections are held the first Tuesday of November in even numbered years. The election is nonpartisan and the Councilmembers are elected "at large" to serve the entire community rather than by district. The Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms. In 1998 voters approved an ordinance limiting the number of terms a member of the Monte Sereno City Council may serve on the City Council to two consecutive four year terms with a right to hold office again only after at least two years have elapsed since that person last held office.
In 2004 the City Council voted to cancel the election because only the two incumbents whose terms were up, Erin Garner and David Baxter, filed candidacy papers to run for the two available seats.
In 2008 the City Council voted to hold the election for the two available seats despite there being only two candidates, Lana Malloy and Susan Garner, for those seats.
(1) Marshall Anstandig was appointed November 18, 2008 to fill Alan Aerts' seat after Mr. Aerts resigned on October 21, 2008 for health reasons.
(2) Appointed April 13, 2000 to fill Joel Gambord's seat when Mr. Gambord moved out of the City.
A dispute between two neighbors over extravagant Christmas
decorations gained Monte Sereno attention in national news. Bonnie and Alan Aerts
of Monte Sereno had for years showcased elaborate holiday displays, costing as much as US$
150,000, on their front yard. The displays attracted large masses of visitors, resulting in great traffic around the normally quiet cul-de-sac of four houses. Neighbors Le and Susan Nguyen protested, and, in late 2003, the city council voted 3-2 (Nesbet, Brodsky, Wright for, Garner, Baxter against) to pass an ordinance regarding "regulation of special events" http://www.montesereno.org/details.php?type=agendas&id=88, http://www.montesereno.org/details.php?type=agendas&id=90 which would require permits for such displays. On the first Christmas season for which the law was effective (in 2004), the Aertses declined to apply for a permit, which would allow the Aerts's holiday display to be active only for 12 hours in a 72-hour period and would require a 30-day waiting period before a new 72-hour permit could be applied for. Instead, they erected a huge, 10-foot-tall Grinch
on their lawn, who swayed from side while singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
". The Grinch's outsretched arm pointed conspicuously at the home of the Nguyens. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6590930/
The spectacle gained mention from the Associated Press
and NPR
. http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/lgwt/20041208/lgnews1.shtml The Aerts and the Nguyens also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live
, a late night talk show, about the situation.
Padgett Lawsuit -
- Darla and Joe Padgett and the City of Monte Sereno have been engaged in various lawsuits stemming out of incidents relating to the Padgett's building of a home which was started in 1999. The City began with allegations of code violations and a too-tall wooden fence and later the Padgetts claimed, and later proved, a city employee had written them a threatening letter and that there had been numerous other attempts made to intimidate them. In September 2007, Monte Sereno's city manager, Brian Loventhal, was found to have destroyed evidence and in June 2009 a jury found Mayor Curtis Wright violated the couple's civil rights and awarded the Padgetts $1 in compensatory damages, $200,000 in punitive damages, and awarded more than $4,000,000 in attorney's fees—more than the City's entire annual budget. http://www.mercurynews.com/losgatos/ci_12555238
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. The population was 3,341 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
, about 10 miles southwest of San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and is immediately northwest of Los Gatos
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
. The city is named for the 2249 ft. El Sereno Mountain
El Sereno Open Space Preserve
El Sereno Open Space Preserve is a park unit of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District located on the peak and slopes of 2249 ft. El Sereno mountain, a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located in Santa Clara County, California....
, upon whose slopes the southern portion of the city is built on. The community is entirely residential, with no commercial zoning and 99% single-family housing, and is an upscale Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
bedroom community. Monte Sereno shares the 95030 ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
with the Town of Los Gatos. Many municipal services are provided under contract by the city of Los Gatos.
History
The Monte Sereno area was part of the 1839 Alta CaliforniaAlta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
land grant of Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos
Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos
El Rancho Rinconada de los Gatos was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California made in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Jose Maria Hernandez and Sebastian Fabian Peralta. Located in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, the grant included present day Los Gatos and Monte...
. The city incorporated on May 14, 1957 to protect its semi-rural atmosphere.
John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
wrote The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
and Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
in a wooded home at 16250 Greenwood Lane in what is now Monte Sereno
Beat generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
figure Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
lived in a Monte Sereno ranch house in the 1950s.
Geography
Monte Sereno is located at 37.238194°N 121.989475°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land. Saratoga-Los Gatos Road (State Route 9
California State Route 9
State Route 9 is mainly a rural and mountainous route in the U.S. state of California that travels 35 miles from SR 1 near Santa Cruz to SR 17 in Los Gatos, passing through the San Lorenzo Valley and the Saratoga Gap...
) runs through the city.
The El Sereno Open Space Preserve
El Sereno Open Space Preserve
El Sereno Open Space Preserve is a park unit of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District located on the peak and slopes of 2249 ft. El Sereno mountain, a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located in Santa Clara County, California....
is immediately south of the city and covers the top and portions of the flanks of El Sereno mountain.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Monte Sereno had a population of 3,341. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,068.4 people per square mile (798.6/km²). The racial makeup of Monte Sereno was 2,698 (80.8%) White, 14 (0.4%) African American, 12 (0.4%) Native American, 464 (13.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 28 (0.8%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 125 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 162 persons (4.8%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 1,211 households, out of which 433 (35.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 917 (75.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 59 (4.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 26 (2.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 14 (1.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 8 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 178 households (14.7%) were made up of individuals and 87 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76. There were 1,002 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(82.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.05.
The population was spread out with 816 people (24.4%) under the age of 18, 156 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 487 people (14.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,235 people (37.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 647 people (19.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
There were 1,287 housing units at an average density of 796.8 per square mile (307.6/km²), of which 1,090 (90.0%) were owner-occupied, and 121 (10.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 3,030 people (90.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 311 people (9.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,483 people, 1,211 households, and 1,024 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,158.7 people per square mile (835.3/km²). There were 1,237 housing units at an average density of 766.7/sq mi (296.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.61% White, 0.17% African American, 0.06% Native American, 12.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 1,211 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $154,268, and the median income for a family was $156,706. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $41,875 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $76,577. About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Monte Sereno is located in the 15th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Sam Blakeslee
Sam Blakeslee
Samuel Norman Blakeslee is a Republican California State Senator representing California's 15th State Senate district, a former California State Assemblyman from California's 33rd State Assembly district, and a former State Assembly Republican Leader...
, and in the 21st Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Rich Gordon
Rich Gordon
Richard S. Gordon is an American politician from Menlo Park, California who currently serves in the California State Assembly representing the 21st district...
. Federally, Monte Sereno is located in California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is located between San Francisco and San Jose. The district includes portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties and most notably contains part of Silicon Valley. Major cities in...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +18 and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
Anna Eshoo
Anna Georges Eshoo is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, which includes part of Silicon Valley, includes the cities of Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto...
.
Schools
Most of Monte Sereno's residents are served by the Los Gatos Union Elementary School and Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School Districts while a small portion of residents, primarily in the Bicknell Road area, are served by the Campbell Union School and the Campbell Union High School Districts.Public services
Public services for Monte Sereno are served by those of the town of Los Gatos. These include The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, The Los Gatos Parks and Recreation Department, and Los Gatos Youth sports leagues.Government
Monte Sereno is a General Law City incorporated on May 14, 1957. It operates under the City Council-City Manager form of local government, which combines the political leadership of a five-member elected City Council with the strong professional experience of an appointed local government administrator (City Manager) who is the responsible for the day-to-day administrative operation of the City, including preparation of the budget, delivery of services, hiring of personnel, and implementation of capital projects.City Council elections are held the first Tuesday of November in even numbered years. The election is nonpartisan and the Councilmembers are elected "at large" to serve the entire community rather than by district. The Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms. In 1998 voters approved an ordinance limiting the number of terms a member of the Monte Sereno City Council may serve on the City Council to two consecutive four year terms with a right to hold office again only after at least two years have elapsed since that person last held office.
In 2004 the City Council voted to cancel the election because only the two incumbents whose terms were up, Erin Garner and David Baxter, filed candidacy papers to run for the two available seats.
In 2008 the City Council voted to hold the election for the two available seats despite there being only two candidates, Lana Malloy and Susan Garner, for those seats.
| Year | Mayor | All Council Members |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Marshall Anstandig | Marshall Anstandig, Burton Craig, Lana Malloy, Susan Garner, Curtis Rogers |
| 2010 | Don Perry | Marshall Anstandig, Lana Malloy, Susan Garner, Don Perry, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2009 | A. Curtis Wright | Marshall Anstandig, Lana Malloy, Susan Garner, Don Perry, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2008 | Erin Garner | Alan Aerts Alan Aerts Alan Aerts is a world powerlifting and benchpress champion, born May 6, 1956. Aerts has polycythemia, a fatal blood disease. He is also the owner and operator of the largest vending machine business in the San Jose, California area, ""... -->Marshall Anstandig(1), David Baxter, Erin Garner, Don Perry, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2007 | David Baxter | Alan Aerts, David Baxter, Erin Garner, Don Perry, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2006 | Mark Brodsky | David Baxter, Mark Brodsky, Erin Garner, Barbara Nesbet, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2005 | A. Curtis Wright | David Baxter, Mark Brodsky, Erin Garner, Barbara Nesbet, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2004 | Erin Garner | David Baxter, Mark Brodsky, Erin Garner, Barbara Nesbet, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2003 | David Baxter | David Baxter, Mark Brodsky, Erin Garner, Barbara Nesbet, A. Curtis Wright |
| 2002 | Jack Lucas | David Baxter, Erin Garner, Suzanne Jackson, Jack Lucas, Barbara Nesbet |
| 2001 | Barbara Nesbet | David Baxter, Erin Garner, Suzanne Jackson, Jack Lucas, Barbara Nesbet |
| 2000 | Suzanne Jackson | Fred Hawkes(2), Suzanne Jackson, Gordon Knight, Lucas, Barbara Nesbet |
| 1999 | Jack Lucas | Joel Gambord, Suzanne Jackson, Gordon Knight, Lucas, Barbara Nesbet |
| 1998 | Suzanne Jackson | Dorothea Bamford, Joel Gambord, Gordon Knight, Jack Lucas, Suzanne Jackson |
| 1997 | Jack Lucas | Dorothea Bamford, Joel Gambord, Gordon Knight, Jack Lucas, Suzanne Jackson |
| 1996 | Nancy Hobbs | Dorothea Bamford, Nancy Hobbs, Suzanne Jackson, Jack Lucas |
| 1995 | Dorothea Bamford, Nancy Hobbs, Suzanne Jackson, Jack Lucas | |
| 1994 | Dorothea Bamford, Nancy Hobbs, Jack Lucas | |
| 1993 | Dorothea Bamford, Nancy Hobbs, Jack Lucas | |
| 1992 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1991 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1990 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1989 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1988 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1987 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1986 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1985 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1984 | Dorothea Bamford, Jack Lucas, Barbara Winckler | |
| 1983 | Dorothea Bamford, Barbara Winckler |
(1) Marshall Anstandig was appointed November 18, 2008 to fill Alan Aerts' seat after Mr. Aerts resigned on October 21, 2008 for health reasons.
(2) Appointed April 13, 2000 to fill Joel Gambord's seat when Mr. Gambord moved out of the City.
Notable events
Christmas Decorations -A dispute between two neighbors over extravagant Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
decorations gained Monte Sereno attention in national news. Bonnie and Alan Aerts
Alan Aerts
Alan Aerts is a world powerlifting and benchpress champion, born May 6, 1956. Aerts has polycythemia, a fatal blood disease. He is also the owner and operator of the largest vending machine business in the San Jose, California area, ""...
of Monte Sereno had for years showcased elaborate holiday displays, costing as much as US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
150,000, on their front yard. The displays attracted large masses of visitors, resulting in great traffic around the normally quiet cul-de-sac of four houses. Neighbors Le and Susan Nguyen protested, and, in late 2003, the city council voted 3-2 (Nesbet, Brodsky, Wright for, Garner, Baxter against) to pass an ordinance regarding "regulation of special events" http://www.montesereno.org/details.php?type=agendas&id=88, http://www.montesereno.org/details.php?type=agendas&id=90 which would require permits for such displays. On the first Christmas season for which the law was effective (in 2004), the Aertses declined to apply for a permit, which would allow the Aerts's holiday display to be active only for 12 hours in a 72-hour period and would require a 30-day waiting period before a new 72-hour permit could be applied for. Instead, they erected a huge, 10-foot-tall Grinch
The Grinch
The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared as the main protagonist in the 1957 children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!...
on their lawn, who swayed from side while singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 cartoon special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. The lyrics were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music was composed by Albert Hague, and the song was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft...
". The Grinch's outsretched arm pointed conspicuously at the home of the Nguyens. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6590930/
The spectacle gained mention from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
. http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/lgwt/20041208/lgnews1.shtml The Aerts and the Nguyens also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, a late night talk show, about the situation.
Padgett Lawsuit -
- Darla and Joe Padgett and the City of Monte Sereno have been engaged in various lawsuits stemming out of incidents relating to the Padgett's building of a home which was started in 1999. The City began with allegations of code violations and a too-tall wooden fence and later the Padgetts claimed, and later proved, a city employee had written them a threatening letter and that there had been numerous other attempts made to intimidate them. In September 2007, Monte Sereno's city manager, Brian Loventhal, was found to have destroyed evidence and in June 2009 a jury found Mayor Curtis Wright violated the couple's civil rights and awarded the Padgetts $1 in compensatory damages, $200,000 in punitive damages, and awarded more than $4,000,000 in attorney's fees—more than the City's entire annual budget. http://www.mercurynews.com/losgatos/ci_12555238