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vol . 5 , no. 31 : april 1- 7, 2026 : losgatan.com
police blotter p6 : piano studio opening p7 : stars of lg shine at gala p8 : track & field p9 Faizi Samadani/Los Gatan
LOCAL JEWISH RESIDENTS RALLY WITH MUSLIM COMMUNITY FOR MOSQUE PERMIT The packed Planning Commission hearing happened just after Ramadan finished Drew Penner, Editor
Last week, the pews were packed with Muslims and Jewish folks— alongside people of varying levels of other beliefs—as Planning Commission considered whether to grant permit modifications for a local mosque. The West Valley Muslim Association was asking that indoor prayers be allowed to occur as early as 1.5 hours before sunrise, for night prayers to go until 10:30pm (but only during the summer months), and for 30 days of extended hours during Ramadan (2-2.5 hours each night as they work their way through the Quran). “A m o s qu e c a nnot b e a mosque if it cannot offer congressional prayers,” said WVMA founder Razi Mohiuddin. “This is fundamental. And they have to be offered at the time. These times cannot be changed by individuals or institutions.” Mohiuddin displayed paperwork from 1990 that the faith group received in 2018 when they purchased the facility. “They clearly show that this facility was approved in 1990, 36 years ago, to have three auditoriums that can…simultaneously hold about 700 attendees, and with about 200+ vehicles driving down Farley Road—on this street, in this neighborhood, and in this R-1:8 zone,” he said, ➝ Permit, 4
BEFORE THE LESSON Greg Wachala, the owner of Music with Greg, gets ready for his students to arrive.
MUSIC WITH GREG KEEPS THINGS STRUMMIN’ Entrepreneur says demand is strong for music education in the Silicon Valley region Faizi Samadani, Contributor
When entering Greg Wachala's second-story music school, don’t be surprised if a feeling of nostalgia instantly overwhelms you,
if you’ve ever been a professional—or even a novice—musician. A plethora of instruments adorn the room, including electric and acoustic guitars, drums, piano, and a microphone, which is reminiscent of scenes from “School of Rock” starring Jack Black. For nearly three years, Greg Wachala has been teaching music in downtown Los Gatos.
Prior to migrating to the west coast, Wachala taught at the university level for 17 years. But one trip to California made him realize this was the place he wanted to call home. S i n c e t h e n h e’s p r o v i d ed instruction to more than 200 students. Wa c h a l a o ff e r s h i s s t u ➝ Music, 12
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