AROUND THE BLOCK AROUND THE BLOCK (May 25, 2005)

GARAGE-O-RAMA . . . Just how much stuff can you buy for $50 in this town? Bargain hunters can find out Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 2005 Citywide Garage Sale. That's when hundreds of deal-minded locals will put their junk -- er, treasures -- on display. It's too late to sign up to officially host a sale, but not too late to start planning your shopping route. Ads with maps of the garage sales will appear in the Weekly, an event sponsor, next Wednesday and Friday.

PARDEE PARTIES . . . The neighbors of Eleanor Pardee Park will be hosting two family-oriented events in June. Family Safety Day is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Eleanor Pardee Park. The event will include a police department talk about pedestrian safety; kids' games that reinforce the "safety first" message (some activities are rumored to involve candy); fingerprinting for kids by the Vanished Children's Alliance, to make Child ID Kits (bring a photo ID); and a fire department interactive presentation to teach kids about emergency preparedness. Then on Saturday, June 25 at 11 a.m., the UCCE Santa Clara County Master Gardeners will lead residents on a tour of the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Eleanor Community Gardens (851 Center Drive). The tour will be followed by a reading by a San Francisco author/illustrator from her book geared for pre-K children titled, "Our Community Garden." Attendees can bring a picnic basket for lunch, to follow. RSVPs required. Contact Joyce Martha of the Eleanor Pardee Neighbors Group at joycemartha@yahoo.com or (650) 326-2181. Martha requests that only families attend the gardening event, due to limited space.

LAND USE? . . . Is the vacant land on Greer Park really going to turn into a high school gym, as rumored by one local newspaper? Not so fast, says Annette Ashton, chair of the Midtown Residents Association. The Parks and Recreation Commission task force is considering a range of options, including a bocce-ball court, community center, community garden, dog park, gymnasium, par course/senior trail, parking lot, passive park, recycle center, skate park, sports field, swimming pool, and tennis courts. Or, the city could do nothing with the 1.5 acres. Citizens with suggestions can forward them to the city staff member Paul Dia, the commission liaison, at (650) 496-5916.

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND . . . The controversial leaf-blower ban will make an appearance at the City Council on Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center. The proposed ban would prohibit use of all gasoline-powered leaf blowers in the city, starting July 1.

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