Cupertino, California
From Freepedia
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| Location | |||
| Image:CupertinoCALM.GIF Location of Cupertino within Santa Clara County, California. | |||
| Political Charateristics | |||
| Country State County | United States California Santa Clara | ||
| Mayor | Patrick Kwok | ||
| Physical Characteristics | |||
| Incorporated | October 10, 1955 | ||
| Area Land Water | 28.3 km² 28.3 km² 0.0 km² | ||
| Population Total (2000) Density | 50,546 1,783.9/km² | ||
| Time zone Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC−8) Pacific (UTC−7) | ||
| Latitude | 37°19'3" N | ||
| Longitude | 122°2'31" W | ||
| Official website: http://www.ci.cupertino.ca.us | |||
Cupertino is a city located in Santa Clara County, California, USA, on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 50,546. The current mayor (as of 2005) is Patrick Kwok.
Notable natives and residents of Cupertino include actor Aaron Eckhart and basketball player Kurt Rambis.
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Name origin
Cupertino was named after Arroyo San Giuseppe da Cupertino (now Stevens Creek). The creek had been named by Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza's cartographer, who named the creek after Saint Joseph of Cupertino. The name first became widely used when John T. Doyle, a San Francisco lawyer and historian, named his winery on McClellan Road "Cupertino". After the turn of the twentieth century, Cupertino displaced the former name for the region, which was "West Side".
History
Cupertino in the 1800s was originally a small rural village at the crossroads of the Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Stevens Creek Road. Back then, it was known as the West Side and was part of the Fremont Township. The primary economical activity was fruit agriculture. Almost all of the land within Cupertino's present-day boundaries were covered by plum, apricot, and cherry orchards. A winery on Montebello Ridge overlooking the Cupertino valley region was also operating by the late 1800s.
Soon, railroads, electric railways, and dirt roads traversed the West Side farmlands. Monta Vista, Cupertino's first housing tact, was developed in the mid-1900s as a result of the electric railway's construction.
After World War II, a population and suburban housing boom dramatically shifted the demographics and economy of the Santa Clara Valley as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" was beginning to convert into the "Silicon Valley". In 1954, Cupertino leaders began to drive for incorporation as they were concerned about unplanned development and rising property taxes. In the September 27, 1955 election, voters approved the incorporation of the City of Cupertino. Cupertino officially became Santa Clara County's 13th City on October 10, 1955.
In the early 1960s, entrepeneurs and businessmen began to set up various industries and businesses. The VallCo Business and Industrial Park (now the VallCo Fashion Park) was constructed by Varian Associates as a business park, and has now become a shopping center. Apple Computer, Symantec, and Portal Software also built their headquarters in Cupertino.
De Anza College soon opened. The college, named for Juan Bautista De Anza, occupies a 112-acre site that was the location of another winery built at the turn of the last century, called Beaulieu by its owners, Charles and Ella Baldwin. Their mansion has now become the California History Center. De Anza College then accumulated a total of 26,000 students and became the hub of activity in the city.
Housing developments were rapidly constructed in the following years as developers created many neighborhoods, including Fairgrove, Garden Gate, Monta Vista, and many other developments. Although originally low-cost housing, Silicon Valley's housing prices shot up dramatically as many houses that were formerly priced under $100,000 became million-dollar homes. The high cost of living in Cupertino can be seen in that neighborhoods with a median household income of $90,000 or $100,000 may have small, one-story houses that average 1,000 to 1,500 square feet in living space area.
Demographics
General
Like most West Valley cities, Cupertino was originally developed in the early 20th century by settlers of predominantly European descent. However, since the 1980s, Cupertino's demographics have gradually shifted so that Asian Americans (mostly of Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian descent) now form one of the largest ethnic groups in Cupertino.
A major cause of this demographic shift is that many Asian immigrants moving into the Bay Area wish to enroll their children in high-quality public schools, and select the well-known Cupertino Union School District and Fremont Union High School District.
One sign of the demographic shift is the rise of Chinese-oriented shopping centers in Cupertino. The largest one is the Cupertino Village complex (which has a 99 Ranch Market as its anchor) north of Vallco Fashion Park, which replaced the unsuccessful Vallco Village project. Another Asian-themed shopping center is located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, with Marina Food Market operating as the anchor. Tin Tin Supermarket and some non-Asian themed large chain stores (Albertsons, Safeway, Nob Hill, Whole Foods, Target, Sears) also operate in Cupertino.
Although Cupertino has a very low concentration of Latino residents, many Mexican Americans work in the city and fill in most of the demand for blue-collar positions, including car washing, construction, restaurant jobs, maintenance, and repair.
Statistics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 50,546 people, 18,204 households, and 13,616 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,783.9/km² (4,620.5/mi²). There are 18,682 housing units at an average density of 659.3/km² (1,707.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.14% White, 0.69% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 44.44% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. 3.98% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 18,204 households out of which 41.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% are married couples living together, 7.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% are non-families. 19.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.75 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $100,411, and the median income for a family is $109,455. Males have a median income of $91,191 versus $58,375 for females. The per capita income for the city is $44,749. 4.8% of the population and 3.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cupertino was the only city with both a population over 50,000 and a median household income in excess of $100,000 in 2000.
The crime rate for Cupertino is low compared to average suburban cities, with just two homicides between 1997 and 2002.
Geography
Cupertino is located at 37°19'3" North, 122°2'31" West (37.317492, −122.041949)¹ at the southern end of San Francisco Bay. The eastern part of the city, located in the Santa Clara Valley is flat while the western part of the city slopes into the Santa Cruz Mountains.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.3 km² (10.9 mi²)1. 28.3 km² (10.9 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Cupertino has mild weather with wet winters and dry summers. Oak and redwood forests cover the hills overlooking the Cupertino lowlands.
Averages in July (at Santa Clara University)
- Maximum - 82.0 °F (27.8 °C)
- Minimum - 54.1 °F (12.3 °C)
Averages in January (at Santa Clara University)
- Maximum - 58.2 °F (14.6 °C)
- Minimum - 38.7 °F (3.7 °C)
Extremes
- High - 114 °F (45.6 °C) - June 1961
- Low - 16 °F (−8.9 °C) - December 1990
Neighborhoods
Cupertino has two subdivisions, Monta Vista in the west and Rancho Rinconada in the east. Rancho Rinconada is the more affordable side of Cupertino, though the cost of living is still considerably high there. De Anza Boulevard separates the two subdivisions.
Layout
The Cupertino region is mainly suburban residential and technical-industrial with a relatively high standard of living. De Anza Boulevard separates the city into two neighborhoods, namely Rancho Rinconada, lying east of De Anza Boulevard, and Monta Vista, west of De Anza.
Because Cupertino has developed so quickly since the 1960s, it never developed a true downtown or Main Street. The closest equivalent to a Main Street is the six-lane divided thoroughfare known as Stevens Creek Boulevard, which is lined with strip malls, shopping centers, offices and fast food restaurants all the way from the border with San Jose right up to the valley's western edge. The closest equivalent to a downtown is the busy intersection of Stevens Creek and De Anza Boulevards, which is bordered by two open-air shopping centers, two gas stations, and the high-rise Cupertino City Center mixed-use complex at Cali Mill Plaza (with offices, newly built condominiums, Le Boulanger Bakery, Armadillo Willy's Steakhouse, and Cypress Hotel).
The goal of developing a true downtown has been regularly debated by the City Council ever since the city was incorporated in 1955. The underlying concern is that a downtown would compete directly against all the other West Valley downtown areas, which have been barely staying alive because of the dominance of large shopping malls in Silicon Valley. Key examples include Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair, Santana Row, and Westgate Mall in San Jose; Cupertino's own Vallco Fashion Park; Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto; and the Pruneyard in Campbell.
Large mansions and undeveloped lands occupy the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Major roads in the hills include Foothill Boulevard, Prospect Road, Regnart Road, and Rainbow Drive. The Permanente Cement Plant, founded in the 1930s, is located on the western end of Stevens Creek Boulevard in the foothills.
Economy
Cupertino is sometimes referred to as the "heart" of Silicon Valley, as the worldwide headquarters for Apple is located here (in a modern complex circled by the playfully named Infinite Loop). Other companies headquartered in Cupertino include Ducati, NetManage, Packeteer, Portal Software, and Symantec. Over 60 high-tech companies have offices here, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. Most of these hi-tech companies are located on De Anza Boulvevard, Cali Mill Plaza, and Bubb Road.
Though Cupertino headquarters many hi-tech companies, very little actual manufacturing takes place in the city. The primary activities of those corporations' Cupertino branches are management and design.
In 2002, Cupertino had a labor force of 25,780 with an unemployment rate of 4.5%. The unemployment rate for the Santa Clara County as a whole was 8.4%.
Law and government
The City of Cupertino, incorporated in 1955, is the city's official government.
The city's symbol is a conquistador hat. A sculpture of this hat used to sit in a plaza at the Civic Center, and it is also used as the city logo. Previous versions looked like a stylized snail, although the current version actually looks like a hat.
The current statue was a gift to the city from its sister city in Japan. Cupertino's sister cities include Toyokawa, Japan, and Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Transportation
The city is served by an excellent road system. Two freeways intersect in Cupertino, and like any typical middle-class California suburb, it has multi-lane boulevards with landscaped medians and a full set of traffic lights at all major intersections. Streets are in good condition and nearly all have sidewalks. The few exceptions are in unincorporated pockets at the city's edges, which are maintained directly by Santa Clara County. Some of Cupertino's pedestrian crossing buttons, however, are different from those of the other South Bay cities. There is no actual "button" to press on, and the pedestrian simply places his hand on an electronic sensor to activate the system.
Gridlock traffic occurs at some main intersections during evening rush hour (5 pm to 7 pm), particularly at De Anza Boulevard and Interstate 280 because of freeway metering lights.
Cupertino has bike lanes on its boulevards, but they are frequently ignored by careless or speeding drivers, and bicyclists must exercise extreme caution.
There is no commuter rail or light rail service in the city. Caltrain commuter rail runs through the cities to the north and east. Bus service is provided by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. The quality of service is poor, although it is trapped by the fact that the population density of the area it serves is too low.
Cupertino is landlocked and, like most Bay Area cities, depends on the Port of Oakland for most oceangoing freight.
Passenger and cargo air transportation is available at Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose. The closest general aviation airport is in Palo Alto.
Education
Primary and secondary
Cupertino is very well known for its high achieving primary and secondary schools. For example, Faria Elementary School is the number one ranked elementary public school in the state of California, per California API test scores.
Primary (K-8) public schools are organized into the Cupertino Union School District, while the Fremont Union High School District is responsible for high school students. Cupertino High School is located in the Rancho Rinconada section of Cupertino, while Monta Vista High School and its feeder, Kennedy Middle School, are in the Monta Vista neighborhood in the western half of Cupertino. In addition, Homestead High School is located in the northwestern portion of Cupertino, along the city border with neighboring Sunnyvale.
Colleges and universities
Cupertino is home to De Anza College, one of the two community colleges in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. De Anza runs a facility called Flint Center, a large enclosed theater which is the primary venue for performing arts in the West Valley.
The University of California, Santa Cruz (Extension) and the University of San Francisco (a private Catholic university) have satellite campuses in Cupertino.
The controversy at Stevens Creek Elementary
On November 22, 2004, Stephen Williams filed suit in federal district court against the Cupertino Union School District, alleging violations of his rights under the First Amendment. Williams has taught the fifth grade at Stevens Creek Elementary School for six years and describes himself as an "orthodox Christian."
With the assistance of the Alliance Defense Fund, Williams alleged that the school had violated his rights when principal Patricia Vidmar began to screen the handouts that he intended to give to his fifth-grade class during lessons on the history of the United States. Media coverage indicates that this was probably done in response to complaints by Williams's students (and their parents) that he was talking about God all the time.
The handouts included quotations from the Declaration of Independence, various state constitutions, George Washington's journal, John Adams's diary, and William Penn's writings. The quotations appear to have been selected to highlight the use of religious references by the Founding Fathers of the United States and other earlier leaders; there were no quotations from Roger Williams, a Colonial-era proponent of the separation of church and state. There was also a handout that included quotations from various U.S. presidents and Jesus Christ on why it is good to read the Bible.
Unfortunately for the school district, the Associated Press incorrectly reported that Williams was alleging that he was being prevented from teaching the Declaration of Independence. FOX News, conservative websites, and such commentators as Alan Keyes ([1]) played up the story as a blatant instance of hostility to religion. These interpretations were based on the Alliance Defense Fund press release. As Media Matters for America explained ([2]):
- Even the lawsuit ... acknowledged that the school has not imposed an outright prohibition on the mention of God or the discussion of religious beliefs in the classroom. The lawsuit recognized that "other teachers are permitted to show films and distribute handouts containing references to God," and that Williams had been permitted to teach "lessons on the origins of religious holidays" during that school year and had provided handouts relating to religion in the past "without any problems." Despite that acknowledgement, an Alliance Defense Fund press release about the lawsuit was headlined "Declaration of Independence Banned from Classroom".
The full text of the Declaration of Independence (like that of the U.S. Constitution) already appears in all California social studies public school textbooks, including the one used at Stevens Creek.
Because of the play given to the distorted version of the story, the school, the school district, and Williams were buffeted by a wave of email, faxes, phone calls, and postal mail. Some of the messages received by the school were threatening in nature, so the school's security officer had to patrol the school more aggressively during the month of December 2004.
The City of Cupertino also received some messages from out-of-state people who do not understand that California school districts are funded and regulated by the state Department of Education.
On December 9, 2004, Fox News's Hannity and Colmes program visited Flint Center and filmed a show there with Williams and his attorney. The Center was packed by a crowd of more than 3,000.
In April 2005, Federal Judge James Ware disallowed three of the four claims, allowing the fourth to proceed. A hearing date was set for October.
In August 2005 Williams dropped the lawsuit, preferring to settle out of court. Per the settlement, no change was necessary to school policy and no payment required between the parties. Several days later Williams resigned from the school district. Patricia Vidmar, a target in the original suit, continued in her position as Principal of Stevens Creek Elementary.[3][4]
External links
Schools:
- Cupertino Union School District
- Fremont Union High School District
- Lynbrook High School
- Cupertino High School
- Monta Vista High School
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
| Incorporated municipalities of Santa Clara County, California | |||||||
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