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Re: Old UP Branch in WIllow Glen...Who is Diridon ???
Author: Carol L. Voss
Date: 02-03-2010 - 09:14
George Andrews Wrote:
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> For those of us living outside the Late , Great,
> Golden State, just who is this Diridon fellow who
> has a RR station named after him ??? I thought the
> name referred to an area of San Jose...
Rod Diridon is a former Santa Clara County Supervisor, native of Dunsmuir, railfan etc. who was instrumental in getting the VTA light rail built in Santa Clara County. A state law had been changed which now allows public buildings to be named for living individuals. When the SP Cahill train station in San Jose was refurbished---and I forget just when---late '80's maybe----the station was renamed officially Diridon station in Rod's honor. The ceremony for all of this was most notable in that at the height of the ribbon cutting or whatever, a "streaker" ran across the stage, thereby upstaging all the other proceedings. :-)
After Rod left politics, he became head of the Norman Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State and also became heavily involved with the HSR stuff. He is also the president of CTRC, a volunteer railfan group rebuilding the SP 2479 and seeking a home for a rail museum in San Jose.
C.
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> For those of us living outside the Late , Great,
> Golden State, just who is this Diridon fellow who
> has a RR station named after him ??? I thought the
> name referred to an area of San Jose...
Rod Diridon is a former Santa Clara County Supervisor, native of Dunsmuir, railfan etc. who was instrumental in getting the VTA light rail built in Santa Clara County. A state law had been changed which now allows public buildings to be named for living individuals. When the SP Cahill train station in San Jose was refurbished---and I forget just when---late '80's maybe----the station was renamed officially Diridon station in Rod's honor. The ceremony for all of this was most notable in that at the height of the ribbon cutting or whatever, a "streaker" ran across the stage, thereby upstaging all the other proceedings. :-)
After Rod left politics, he became head of the Norman Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State and also became heavily involved with the HSR stuff. He is also the president of CTRC, a volunteer railfan group rebuilding the SP 2479 and seeking a home for a rail museum in San Jose.
C.
