Cupertino, California

Cupertino () is a suburban city 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. The population was 50,546 at the 2000 census.

Notable natives and residents of Cupertino include Primus drummer Brian Mantia, actor Aaron Eckhart, and basketball player Kurt Rambis.

Name origin

Cupertino was named after Arroyo San José de Cupertino (now Stevens Creek). The creek had been named by Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza's cartographer, who named it 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 tract, 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.

A major milestone in Cupertino's development was the creation by some of the city's largest landowners of VALLCO Business and Industrial Park in the early 1960s. Of the 25 property owners, 17 decided to pool their land to form VALLCO Park, 6 sold to Varian Associates (property later sold to Hewlett-Packard), and two opted for transplanting to farms elsewhere. The name VALLCO was derived from the names of the principal developers: Varian Associates and the Leonard, Lester, Craft, and Orlando families. A neighborhood shopping center and, much later, the Vallco Fashion Park were also developed. 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 cities in the western Santa Clara Valley, Cupertino was originally developed in the early 20th century. Since the 1980s, Cupertino's demographics have gradually shifted so that Asian Americans (mostly of Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian descent) form one of the largest ethnic groups in Cupertino.

A major cause of this demographic shift is that many immigrants moving from Asia to 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 north of Vallco Fashion Park. This center, which replaced the unsuccessful Vallco Village project, has a 99 Ranch Market as its anchor. Another Asian-themed shopping center is located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, with Marina Food Market operating as the anchor. Some non-Asian themed large chain stores (Albertsons, Safeway, Nob Hill, Whole Foods, Target, Sears) also operate in Cupertino.

Statistics

As of the census of 2000, there were 50,546 people, 18,204 households, and 13,616 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,783.9/km² (4,620.5/mi²). There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 659.3/km² (1,707.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 18,204 households out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $100,411, and the median income for a family was $109,455. Males had a median income of $91,191 versus $58,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $44,749. About 3.7% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

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 (37.317492, −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), all land.

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 is made up of numerous subdivisions, most of them developed since the 1960s. Two of the newest parts of Cupertino are actually among its oldest housing tracts. Monta Vista and Rancho Rinconada were developed outside of the city's boundaries in the 1950s and before, and were only recently annexed into Cupertino. The newest and most northern neighborhood, Oak Valley, borders Rancho San Antonia Park, and was developed around the year 2000.

Layout

The Cupertino region is mainly suburban residential and technical-industrial with a relatively high standard of living. The two main thoroughfares are Stevens Creek Boulevard, which runs east-west, and De Anza Boulevard, which runs north-south.

Because Cupertino has developed so quickly since the 1960s, it has never developed a true downtown or Main Street. Instead, the major streets are lined with strip malls, shopping centers, offices and fast food restaurants.

The closest equivalent to a downtown is the busy intersection of Stevens Creek and De Anza Boulevards, known as the Crossroads, where Cupertino first started. It is currently 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 city recently completed an update to its General Plan, which includes plans to move Cupertino to a more pedestrian-oriented community. Several more pedestrian-oriented developments are being proposed or built throughout the city.

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, now operated by Hanson PLC, 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 (the creator of the Apple Macintosh and the iPod) is located here in a modern complex circled by the playfully named Infinite Loop. Other companies headquartered in Cupertino include Borland, 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 is home to the headquarters of many high-tech companies, very little manufacturing actually takes place in the city. The city's large office parks are primarily dedicated to management and design functions.

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

Cupertino was incorporated in 1955. The highest body in the city government is the City Council, made up of five members who serve overlapping, four-year terms. The council itself elects the mayor and vice-mayor for a term of one year.

The city does not have its own charter. Instead, it is a General Law city, which follows provisions and requirements for cities established by the state of California.

Law enforcement duties are outsourced to the Santa Clara County Sheriff Department. The Cupertino Library is part of the Santa Clara County Library System.

The city's symbol is a conquistador hat. A sculpture of this hat stands in the Civic Center, and it is also used as the city logo. Previous versions looked like a stylized snail. The sculpture was a gift to the city from its sister city in Japan. Cupertino's sister cities include Toyokawa, Japan; Hsinchu, Taiwan; and Copertino, Italy, Cupertino's namesake.

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 cities in the south San Francisco Bay Area. There is no actual "button" to press on, and the pedestrian simply places his or her hand on an electronic sensor to activate the system.

Gridlock traffic occurs at some main intersections during evening rush hour (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), 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, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)'s Mountain View - Winchester light rail line runs to Campbell, California to the south. Bus service is also provided by VTA, and the prospect of twenty-four hour bus service on Stevens Creek Boulevard is being studied. Though this corridor (line 23) is one of VTA's most heavily used routes, there is no express or limited-stop service that takes commuters into San Jose, and the quality of service is therefore considered to be relatively poor, although better service would most likely not be economical because the population density of the area is very low due to the trend of the area toward independent houses and very small apartment blocks.

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 San Jose International Airport in San Jose. The closest general aviation airport is in Palo Alto; it is known as Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County.

Sister cities

Hsin Chu, Taiwan Toyokawa, Japan

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 and its feeder school, Hyde Middle School, are 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.

Stevens Creek Elementary lawsuit

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. Conservative websites and such commentators as Alan Keyes (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 ([http://mediamatters.org/items/200412090002):

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.^*^*

External links

Cities in California | Santa Clara County, California | Cupertino, California

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