Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Baby boomers will eventually be the seniors

I have been a volunteer at the Senior Nutrition Center for the past 14 years. I am 84 years of age. I have had the privilege of working with one of the most dedicated, loyal and kind human beings I have ever known, Eleanor Vora.

In a community that prides itself so for its desire to preserve the past, some may have forgotten that we, the elderly, represent the only real tie to the past. Our parents were the Victorians. We are a product of a time long gone. If you are willing to fight to preserve a Victorian building, then wouldn't you consider helping to save the Victorians' children. The center is our lifeline to one another and to life itself.

Keep in mind that you, the "baby boomers" in control of the finances that nurture the seniors today, will be the seniors of tomorrow who replace us. If you can forget our needs, then the next generation will forget yours.

It has been reported in the media recently that an alarming number of elderly are resorting to suicide. Not because of ill health but because they have lost their sense of value and worth for themselves, their families, and an increasingly uncaring society.

Always remember, there are no prison walls higher than old age and lack of money.

Muriel Barnes

Los Gatos

Domestic partners registry tries to change tradition

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will soon be voting on the proposed Domestic Partners Registry being considered for the county.

Passage of this measure would allow Santa Clara County to sanction same-sex marriages. (The supervisors have scheduled a public hearing Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors' chambers.--Editor)

Marriage refers to the state of, or relation between, a man and woman who have become husband and wife.

Same-sex relationships can be formalized by a contract, an agreement between two people to do something, especially when formally set forth in writing, and enforceable by law.

Protection of the rights of minorities may be considered to be timely and noble. However, changing the meaning and history of honored and accepted institutions and mores of our society does not seem to be a reasonable approach. Creation of new terms and symbols that signify and honor new and different institutions would seem to produce a much more significant and lasting result.

This approach would be more widely acceptable than attempts to change the meanings of older institutions.

All interested parties should contact their supervisor (Michael Honda in the 1st District) and encourage him to vote against the Domestic Partners Registry.

Robert D. Wales

Los Gatos

Police needed to block gang foothold here

As an assistant principal at Los Gatos High School, I work closely and frequently with our police. Consequently, I must strongly disagree with your recent editorial. Contrary to your report, a cut in police services would most certainly result in a greater cost to the community through the loss of deterrent.

As an educator, one of my primary concerns is preserving a safe learning environment; hence, I am concerned about the possibility of gangs gaining a foothold in Los Gatos. Some of the most violent, known gang members in neighboring communities have come through our town (and to our campus): thanks to our police--including our school resource and narcotics officers--they do not stay. Information to which I am directly privy would alarm this community. For example, one of the gang members I have personally seen at a school event is known to be at times heavily armed and violent. Furthermore, some of the most notorious gang members are reported to have driven through Los Gatos fully equipped with automatic weapons.

At my former job in Placerville, I saw gangs quickly take root in a similarly peaceful community after police services were cut for identical reasons. Gang activities can best be stopped by preventing their inception: once they take root, it is extremely difficult to eradicate their influence. "Peace through strength" costs money but saves lives. Rather than a "sacred cow," our police force is a wall which keeps Los Gatos safe. To weaken that wall would be unspeakable folly.

Craig Heimbichner

Assistant Principal, LGHS

Spaces but no spaces and anatomical symbols, too

Congratulations on your fine editorial in the May 29 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. Here we go again with the hey-kids bunch (hey, kids, let's have a town!). . .

If someone wants us to approve a project, including condos, a hotel and shops, let's keep insisting on changes, costly additional land and parking spaces. Then, going on a quarter-century later, we'll say: You have spaces, but you don't have spaces. Build farther from the street. We already know how people feel about having their view blocked out by in-your-face buildings (which we previously approved). Besides, an Italian Renaissance style would be nice.

Then we have a thoughtful couple writing a letter about the anatomy of the Byer Center at Blossom Hill Road and Los Gatos Boulevard. Save me from these people. I don't want to be anywhere near anyone driving around gazing at mountains instead of the car ahead.

While we're at it, let's tear down church steeples, the Hoover Tower, the Washington Monument, the Bok Singing Tower, and push over the leaning tower of Pisa. We can't have these anatomical symbols around. My goodness!

Kent Josephson

Los Gatos

Competition benefits the competitors

In response to the letter "Wal-Mart appears in Dream" in the May 22 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times:

Very amusing, Greg, your dream of a fortnight ago. When we moved to town in the 1960s, there were five of everything--REALLY--just ask. There were five grocery stores and five gas stations between the Boulevard and Highway 17 exit on Santa Cruz Avenue alone. Yes, five banks, too.

What makes our country great is your dream. Competition benefits all, including the competitors. Welcome all and any entrepreneur. It's not my place to tell you we don't want you in our town.

Good night Franco, Mussolini, Adolf, Khomeni, Castro, Peron, Saddam, and may your nightmares be forever. Oh, and God bless my abuela who escaped to this country so we could have a Planning Commission that can say: Yes, this is your right as long as you don't infringe on others.

Justo Hernandez

Los Gatos

Phallic-symbol boycott could impact town's traditions

I'd just like to give a big "thank you" to the Fromms for the biggest laugh I've had all week. It's entertaining enough to see people so upset over a shopping center that they're wasting time writing poems and songs, but to call it a phallic symbol [in their letter in the May 29 Los Gatos Weekly-Times] and then refuse to shop there on those grounds is hilarious!

Are these people going to refuse to have Sunday brunch at the Toll House because the clock tower is offensive? Or maybe we should call off the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony because it's an illuminated phallus.

Bring out the grape leaves. . .

Chris Lozowicki

Los Gatos

Neighbor thanks teens for their firefighting effort

On the afternoon of May 23, six Leigh High School students noticed smoke up on the hill behind the children's playground of Belgatos Park, ran to the fire site and used sticks to contain the fire. When the firefighters, police and park ranger arrived at the scene, a few hundred square feet of the hill was burned.

It seems to me that the team effort of these students should be recognized. Many of us in the neighborhood greatly appreciate the responsible actions of Scott De Lara, Tyson Ormonde, Ray Hernandez, John Morton, Tim Varner and Scott Whiteford.

Also, many thanks to the firefighters, police and park ranger.

Kamy Rahimi

Los Gatos

Arbiters of good taste should give architecture lectures

The letters panning the new Crown Bookstore on the corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road reveal an amazing, but common, arrogance and ignorance that rivals that of neighboring Saratogans.

Can the view of the amazing hills be that important? Can these petulant, demanding folks, positively salivating for a view of the hills, not walk across the boulevard to regain their view, or walk behind the new building to look up, or would that take too long? Instant gratification is that important?

And since they offer themselves as arbiters of excellent taste, can we have their address so we can walk, or drive by, their astounding houses, to marvel? Do they condescend to give lectures on architecture?

But, above all, how can any rational person, let alone a particularly sensitive one, "appreciate" a parking lot jammed with cars for sale? They couldn't see it? They were glued to the hills?

I think this [fuss over Byer Center] is really about no change at all to "perfect" Los Gatos, that exceptional beauty whose very zits need to be treasured. That zit of a used-car lot has annoyed me for years, and I was so amazed to see a bookstore, and a very strongly designed bookstore, with a landmark dome, replacing that eyesore parking lot--and no cars, finally, between the street and the building--just like in the really old days, the horse and buggy days--in Los Gatos. The town is not so perfect it can't be improved?

George Green

Los Gatos