Roadside garbage creates a different kind of pileup
QThe other day I drove down Monterey Road between San Jose and Morgan Hill and was appalled at the trash. Mattresses, chairs, couches, clothing and a great amount of general trash.
We need to do something about this eyesore. My suggestion is to make the dump free. The fees charged there are restricting people using these places to get rid of their unwanted belongings. Additional places for people to dispose of their trash might also help.
— Chester Thuener
AFinally, some encouraging news on perhaps the South Bay’s most blighted trash spot. San Jose and Union Pacific have agreed on a plan to keep UP’s property clear of encampments, with UP picking up trash once a month starting in North San Jose and stretching to the Morgan Hill border.
Also, on Jan. 25, you can participate in the Dumpster Day from 8 a.m. to noon at Del Roble Elementary School. An effort in November brought in almost 32 tons of waste, of which 77% was recycled and over 2,500 pounds donated to Goodwill.
QSo only a short while after your discussions about rats, I was informed by my garage that rats had done $2,700 damage to my son’s 1998 BMW 528i. That’s well more than the Blue Book listing, so the Bimmer is now a charity donation.
I asked Tom at Portola Valley Garage if he’d had any experience with ultrasonic devices. “Yeah, we used to install them,” he said, “but we got too many complaints about rats chewing through the wires connecting these devices.” Tom also pointed out they don’t work on deaf rats.
I then asked if the Honda hot-pepper-infused tape worked, and he said, “It depends on whether or not the rats like spicy food.” Tom said he’d seen a case where rats had chewed right through the Honda pepper tape.
— David Fair, Portola Valley
AThose rats can be tough critters.
QIs it going to take another year to complete the paving on Olive Avenue in Fremont?
About a month or more ago, they ground down and laid the first layer of asphalt between Paseo Padre Parkway and Washington Boulevard. Then the rain started. Pavers left the street grinder for a week or so. They did put down the temporary marker tags denoting crosswalks but nothing denoting the centerline of the partially repaved section. The western section from Sunrise to Washington hasn’t been touched.
— Bruce Onken,
Fremont
AYour wait is almost over. This week the city began replacing temporary lane lines of the partially repaved section and starting repairs on Olive Avenue from west of McKay Street toward Washington Avenue with paving to follow.