Letters

It's time to get started on a
senior center

Why do we make them beg?

My friend Wanda is one of our senior citizens. She is a beautiful, well-dressed woman who emanates grace and elegance. She is a proud woman and holds her head high. She faces this world with curiosity and passion. Wanda has a story worth being told. But, she is saddened by the fact that she feels invisible while walking down the street in our idyllic little picket-fenced town.

What I would like to see is Wanda walking down the street with a spring in her step on her way to her Senior Center, where she is known by everyone there. Where she is special and where there is vitality.

What I would like to see is a Senior Center that is alive with music and laughter, entertainment, learning, sharing and caring for each other. Vital! A celebration for outliving the rest. A celebration of life! A reason to get up and a reason to get dressed and a reason to live and a place to go.

So when Wanda walks in, someone knows her name. Someone is happy to see her. She is vital. There are so many interesting and vibrant elderly people in our community with so very much to share. Why do we ignore them? They have so much to give.

Why not build them a beautiful Senior Center? Why not show our respect and love? Is it politics? Is it greed? Is it a power struggle? Is it too many personal agendas? I am not suggesting any wrongdoing, but truly asking. Why not build a beautiful "state of the art" center?

Maybe we could build the Senior Center that we, the powerful "boomers," will be hanging out in very soon.

We need to hire a dynamic coordinator and she or he needs to run the new center as if there were a party going on! This should happen immediately and with gusto! We promised the seniors an upgrade of the Neighborhood Center and nothing has been done yet.

We should have a community drive to support and honor our seniors. They don't have years to talk about this.

We all brag about living in Los Gatos. Admit it! That's why we all paid what we did. My husband and I moved here three years ago from Singapore after living there for more than 10 years. When we moved home to the states, we wanted Americana. We wanted a small town with sidewalks and restaurants and bars and antique shops and boutiques. We wanted Los Gatos.

The fact that it is the quaintest town in the South Bay and in the heart of Silicon Valley is just about too much to believe. We wanted Los Gatos. It is all those things and more, but there are a few holes in our infrastructure. An up-to-date library, a safe place to skate for our teens and a welcoming elderly center. There are many wonderful aspects of living here but why don't we take care of our own? Our elderly and our teenagers. They are the powerless; why do we make them beg?

Linda Brown
Senior Task Force Member

Photo: New storm drains go underground on Tait Avenue

Mark W. Mayfield: Non-pet performed amazing feats of color

Local Home Sale Listings

Photo: United Methodist Church of Los Gatos presents double bill for community concert

Picture from the Past

Sports Briefs

Wildcats going for 10-0 football season

Cougars open playoffs with win

Martin, Beritzhoff lead the Cats to cross-country wins

Gatos rolls 56-0 to clinch frosh-soph football title