Los Gatos Weekly-Times Editorials LGUSD election rumors must be put to rest Minnesota's new governor is a professional wrestler. And, while the rest of the nation is all atwitter about it, Minnesotans seem to be taking it in stride. In Los Gatos, the newest member of the school board is a young martial arts instructor with no previous experience in the Los Gatos Union School District. And his election is not exactly being taken in stride. Many school volunteers are scratching their heads and wondering how this happened. And the rumor mill is grinding furiously. Does Andrew Fanelli really live in Los Gatos? Where did he really go to school? Why didn't he prepare a statement for the Oct. 19 candidates forum? We posed some of these questions to Fanelli. He offered answers, but, at least in the matter of the candidate's statement, his version is a far cry from the one offered by the chairwoman of the forum. Fanelli writes off the rumors, saying it's going to take people some time to get used to the fact that he won. He's probably right about that. Still, at last count, 3,430 Los Gatans voted for him, giving him 19.4 percent of the vote, compared to 15.3 percent for the next runner-up. So we're left to ponder the implications of this school board election. The closest Fanelli came to a platform statement to the press was that he thought students might be saddled with too much homework. Did he win a seat because 3,430 voters are also concerned about too much homework? Did he win because the ballot listed him as a teacher? School activists favor that theory. Fanelli says a martial arts teacher is a teacher. In spite of its enviable reputation, the LGUSD could be in for some difficult times in the near future. Overcrowding and teachers' salaries are problems that must be addressed. School board members have their work cut out for them. The district can't afford to become mired in rumors and speculation about the qualifications of a board member. The questions that are pertinent need to be answered. That done, Fanelli needs to take his seat on the board and be given the opportunity to show that 3,430 voters didn't make a mistake. Fair Price Vasona Management could be on sound legal footing with its proposed rent increases, but if tenants on fixed incomes--tenants who've called the El Gato Penthouse home for years--find themselves out on the streets, something's not right. An arbitrator begins sorting things out this week. Let's hope a solution can be found that is fair to the owner without being cruel to elderly residents who say they'll be forced to leave if the proposed increases are approved. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 18, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.