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Monte Sereno ( Spanish for "Serene Mountain") is a city in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, United States. The population was 3,479 at the 2020 census. The city is located in the foothills of the
Santa Cruz Mountains The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States. They form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. They separate the Pacific Ocean from ...
, about southwest of San Jose, and is bordered by the town of Los Gatos to the north, east, and south, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the southwest, and the city of Saratoga to the northwest. The city is named for the El Sereno Mountain, upon the slopes of which the southern portion of the city is built. The community is entirely residential with no commercial zoning and 99% single-family housing. It is an upscale
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Cou ...
bedroom community. Monte Sereno shares the 95030 ZIP code with the town of Los Gatos. Many municipal services are provided under contract by Los Gatos.


History

The Monte Sereno area was part of the 1839
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
land grant of Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos. The city incorporated on May 14, 1957, to protect its semi-rural atmosphere. Its first Mayor was Retired Vice Admiral and former U.S. Director of Naval Intelligence, Thomas B. Inglis.
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
wrote ''
The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
'' and '' Of Mice and Men'' in a wooded home at 16250 Greenwood Lane in what is now Monte Sereno.
Beat generation The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Genera ...
figure Neal Cassady lived in a Monte Sereno ranch house in the 1950s. Painter
Thomas Kinkade William Thomas Kinkade III (January 19, 1958 – April 6, 2012) was an American painter of popular realistic, pastoral, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for achieving success during his lifetime with the mass marketing of his work as ...
lived in Monte Sereno in the later years of his life and until his death.


Geography

Monte Sereno is located at . According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Saratoga-Los Gatos Road ( State Route 9) runs through the city. The
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 2580 ft. El Sereno mountain, a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located in Santa Clara County, ...
is immediately south of the city and covers the top and portions of the flanks of El Sereno mountain.


Demographics


2010

The
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
reported that Monte Sereno had a population of 3,341. The population density was . The racial makeup of Monte Sereno was 2,698 (80.8%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 14 (0.4%)
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 12 (0.4%) Native American, 464 (13.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 28 (0.8%) from other races, and 125 (3.7%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
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 , 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
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 3,483 people, 1,211 households, and 1,024 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,237 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.61%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 0.17%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.06% Native American, 12.29% Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.06% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population. In the city 604 people are foreign born, 6.7% from
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, 3% from
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, and 2.7% from other
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
n countries. 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, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
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. The unemployment rate in 2015 was 3.7%. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $41,875 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $76,577. About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.


Politics

Of Monte Sereno's 2,687 registered voters, 43% are registered Democrats while 26% are registered Republicans, according to a January 2022 report by the California Secretary of State. In the
state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
, Monte Sereno is in the 15th
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
District, represented by Democrat Dave Cortese, and in the 28th Assembly District, represented by Democrat
Evan Low Evan Low (born June 5, 1983) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 26th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of the Northern CA South Bay and Silicon Valley, inclu ...
. Federally, Monte Sereno is in . Monte Sereno is also served by District 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman.


Schools

Most of Monte Sereno's residents are served by the Los Gatos Union Elementary School or Saratoga Elementary School districts (for elementary and middle schools) and Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School Districts (for high school). 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 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. However, 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. (1) Javed Ellahie, Burton Craig, and Evert Wolsheimer were appointed to the council rather than holding an election in November 2022 because they were the only three residents who submitted candidacy forms for the three open council seats. (2) Council Member LaBouve resigned on September 1, 2020.
(3) On March 5, 2019, Council Members Turner, Leuthold and Lawler voted to strip Mayor Rogers of his title of Mayor and elevate Vice Mayor Turner to Mayor and make Council Member Lawler the Vice Mayor.
(4) Daniel LaBouve was appointed on May 7, 2019 to fill Curtis Rogers' seat after Mr. Rogers resigned on March 5, 2019.
(5) Evert Wolsheimer was appointed on November 3, 2015 to fill Susan Garner's seat.
(6) Lon Allan was appointed January 21, 2014 to fill Julie Wiltshire's seat.
(7) Julie Wiltshire resigned in December 2013 when she moved out of the city.
(8) Marshall Anstandig was appointed November 18, 2008 to fill Alan Aerts' seat after Mr. Aerts resigned on October 21, 2008 for health reasons.
(9) 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 is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
decorations gained Monte Sereno attention in national news. For years, Bonnie and Alan Aerts of Monte Sereno had showcased elaborate holiday displays in their front yard, costing as much as US$150,000. 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,

which would require permits for such displays. In 2004, on the first Christmas season for which the law was effective, the Aertses declined to apply for a permit, which would allow the Aertses' 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 "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 animated special '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''. History The lyrics were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music ...
". The Grinch's outstretched arm pointed conspicuously at the home of the Nguyens

The spectacle gained mention from the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
and NPRbr>
The Aertses and the Nguyens also appeared on
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's ...
, a late night talk show.


Padgett lawsuit

Darla and Joe Padgett and the City of Monte Sereno
litigated - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...
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, including a wooden fence that was too tall. Later, the Padgetts claimed, and later proved, that 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 evidenc

In June 2009, a jury found that Mayor Curtis Wright violated the couple's civil rights and awarded the Padgetts $1 in compensatory damages, $200,000 in punitive damages, and awarded $600,000 in attorney's fees and costs

In 2010, the punitive damages were reduced from $200,000 to $10,000.


City in Turmoil in 2019

In February 2019, newly elected Council Member Shawn Leuthold successfully led an effort to change how Monte Sereno would select its mayor in the future, arguing that the City was violating the law in election years by choosing the Mayor for the next year, prior to the seating of the newly-elected council members. In March 2019, the Council went a step further and removed Mayor Curtis Rogers from his position as mayor, and then appointed the then-current Vice Mayor Rowena Turner as Mayor with Council Member Liz Lawler being appointed as Vice Mayor (with Council Members Turner, Lawler, and Leuthold voting for the changes and Council Members Javed Ellahie and Rogers voting against). Upon being removed as Mayor, Council Member Rogers resigned. The Council appointed Daniel LaBouve to fill the vacancy. During the course of the remainder of the year, most of the City staff resigned: Finance Officer Sue L’Heureux, City Attorney Kirsten Powell, Building Official Rob Queirolo, and City Manager Terry Blount. The City staff also decided to unionize for the first time in Monte Sereno's 60-year history. In April 2020, Andrea Chelemengos, City Clerk for the prior two decades, resigned.


Notable people

File:ThomasKinkade.jpg,
Thomas Kinkade William Thomas Kinkade III (January 19, 1958 – April 6, 2012) was an American painter of popular realistic, pastoral, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for achieving success during his lifetime with the mass marketing of his work as ...
, American painter of popular Realism (arts), realistic,
pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depict ...
, and idyllic subjects. File:John Steinbeck 1939 (cropped).jpg,
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
,
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
-winning author wrote
The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
and finished Of Mice and Men while living in Monte Sereno. File:Jack_Tramiel_retuschiert.jpg,
Jack Tramiel Jack Tramiel ( ; born Idek Trzmiel; December 13, 1928 – April 8, 2012) was an American businessman and Holocaust survivor, best known for founding Commodore International. The Commodore PET, VIC-20 and Commodore 64 are some home comput ...
,
Polish American Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykańska) are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83 ...
businessman and Holocaust survivor, best known for founding
Commodore International Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Mac ...
. The
Commodore PET The Commodore PET is a line of personal computers produced starting in 1977 by Commodore International. A single all-in-one case combines a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, Commodore BASIC in read-only memory, keyboard, monochrome monitor, ...
,
VIC-20 The VIC-20 (known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) is an 8-bit home computer that was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the ...
, and
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness W ...
are some home computers produced while he was running the company.


References


External links


City of Monte Sereno official website

Map of El Sereno Open Space Preserve




{{authority control Cities in Santa Clara County, California Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area Incorporated cities and towns in California Silicon Valley