Thank you, Mr. Ferguson, for sharing your valuable insights on behalf of your Vineland community. As a result of your letter (Los Gatos Weekly—Times, Nov. 27), I have wondered for the past week if Scrooge sat tirelessly counting carriages with children that ruined his neighborhood, while horses left pollution in their passing.

Your letter further inspired my curiosity as to the conflicting conclusions of your numbers, formulas and assigned values differing from the past two years of community investigations, analyses and public reviews. My last inquiry: What is your price on the life of a child?

I thank the neighborhood champions from Pleasant View, Winchester, Daves and Vineland, and the Los Gatos and Monte Sereno councils who donated their time to our community and local elementary schools for pedestrian safety.

—Patti O'Brien, Monte Sereno


Farmers' market should return to Town Plaza

Nearly everyone I've spoken to favors moving the farmers' market back to the Town Plaza. Here are some of the reasons we urge your support:

* The parking is horrendous around town hall. There isn't much to start with, and the church services and ongoing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings further impact this, particularly on Sunday mornings. It's a very long walk to the high school parking lots.

* Parking is a positive near the Town Plaza. The large number of municipal lots within a block or so of the plaza are much better able to meet farmers' market parking needs. Unlike those in the town hall area, they are largely unused on Sunday morning.

* Merchant benefits—There are many more stores and restaurants near the Town Plaza that will benefit from the increased foot traffic that the farmers' market generates.

* The renovated Town Plaza Park is one of Los Gatos' finest gems—show it off and take advantage of it by having the farmers' market adjacent to it.

* Social interaction and overall flow—The Town Plaza street provides a broad boulevard type of environment, enabling people to stroll in a much more relaxed and open area with a nice, logical flow. It also provides lots of room for people to stand and chat without impairing traffic flow. In contrast, the town hall farmers' market has a cramped feel to it and winds around with a number of dead ends. This is not good either for shoppers or for sellers.

—Dennise and Peter Carter, Los Gatos


Decker a real leader—cartoon was offensive

As a professional woman, I find DeCinzo's Dec. 4 cartoon depicting Mayor Sandy Decker as Los Gatos' new leader both offensive and insulting. Not only does he play on the stereotype of an "airhead female," he insults all women who attain leadership positions in their respective organizations.

DeCinzo clearly misrepresents Mayor Decker's enthusiasm for our community in his portrayal. I recommend that DeCinzo spend one day with this smart, dedicated and very knowledgeable woman before he depicts her again.

—Mary Ellen Kaschub, Los Gatos


Waking up to the reality of a town's tragedy

I woke up this morning and it was my birthday. I woke up this morning and it was Thanksgiving Day. I woke up this morning and my daughter's friend, a senior at Los Gatos High, was in critical condition. I woke up this morning and my daughter's friend, a junior at Los Gatos High, was booked in jail on charges of felony drunken driving. I woke up this morning and my daughter's friend was in the hospital with multiple injuries. I woke up this morning and cried.

I spent the afternoon of Thanksgiving explaining to friends and family our overwhelming sadness. I spent the afternoon holding my daughter as she cried in my arms. I spent the afternoon answering phone call after phone call, only to end each question with a sob from the depths of my soul. I spent the afternoon thanking God I still had my child.

I spent the evening dreading the next day. I spent the evening trying to cheer my child. I spent the evening watching my daughter and her friends say good-bye to a friend. I spent the evening watching teenagers go through pain they don't even understand yet. I spent the evening reaching out to one mom. I went to bed and I cried.

I learned that evening to hate the sound of the phone ringing. I learned that evening to hate the sound of a teenager's crying. I learned that evening to hate the feel of my own tears hot on my face. I learned that evening to hate the taste of wine.

—Gabrielle Fidiam-Smith, Los Gatos


Youth should know that they are valued

The death of Eric Quesada—a happy, well-liked and good-hearted young man—is a tragedy to his dear family, friends and to our entire community. The gift of life Eric's family gave to strangers will remain as a tribute to Eric forever.

I have felt uncomfortable with what I perceived as the "what more can we do" statements I've read in several local newspapers, including the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. I believe that we as parents, teachers, school administrators and community leaders can each and every day let our kids know how much they are valued, cared for and respected. I know there are those among us who work hard at exactly this goal, but as a middle school substitute teacher my eyes have become wide open to the many youth in our community who have not gotten this message from the adults in their lives. I also believe we can never stop listening to our kids and must have a constant dialog with them about the perils of drinking, period. The celebration of the birth of a baby in a manger is as great a time as any to begin to understand the answers to life's deepest questions.

And as my dear friend Judy Peckler and now Kathy Wolski have so eloquently demonstrated to our entire community, we can never do enough to honor the memory of those we have loved and lost.

—Kelli O'Gorman, Los Gatos


Red Ribbon Week is a success, so thank you

The red ribbons you have seen around town are not there to signify that Christmas is coming but to recognize an event that is celebrated nationwide. On Feb. 7, 1985, 37-year-old Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camerena was brutally murdered by members of a Mexican drug cartel. The Red Ribbon Week campaign was launched as a statement that Americans were tired of the violence and destruction caused by drug and alcohol abuse.

Since that time, the Red Ribbon campaign has earned a congressional proclamation and has become an annual event, reaching millions of Americans each year. Community Against Substance Abuse (CASA) provides the opportunity for all local schools to participate, and we thank the community for its participation.

CASA wants to thank everyone in town who made Red Ribbon Week Los Gatos such a great success.

* Mayor Randy Attaway, Vice Mayor Sandy Decker and the town council for proclaiming Oct. 19­27 Red Ribbon Week in Los Gatos;

* Jenny Haruyama for her involvement and support;

* The Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and Jean Rajabzadeh, our CASA rep to the Chamber;

* Los Gatos­Monte Sereno police for visiting the schools and participating in the Club Live membership drive at Fisher and Los Gatos High Red Ribbon Week with Chief Scott Seaman, Officer Sam Wonnell and Quarz, Capt. Alana Forrest, the motorcycle unit officers Kerry Harris and Dave Fishback and resource and DARE officers Layton Howard and Michelle Stanfill;

* Anderson Chevrolet for parking all their red cars along the street and decorating them with red ribbons and red balloons;

* The Luggage Center for decorating windows with red luggage;

* TCBY/Mrs. Field's, Petroglyph, Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza, Swenson's, Round Table Pizza and Pizza My Heart for offering discounts to students who wore their red ribbons or bracelets.

This kind of support lets the youth know that our town cares about them.

C.T. English, Loma Prieta, St. Mary's, Los Gatos Union School District schools and Los Gatos­Saratoga Unified High School District schools have participated in a fun run, essay contest, assemblies, pledges, dances and a parent education night. Many thanks to superintendents Mary Ann Park and Cindy Ranii and all school principals and the elementary school district parent ed council for your enthusiasm and support.

—Kathy Winkelman, Terri Trotter, CASA co-chairs, Los Gatos

Correction

In the Nov. 27 Monte Sereno City Council key agenda items box, some of the votes were incorrectly listed. For the Daves Avenue grading-use permit request, both Vice Mayor David Baxter and Councilwoman Barbara Nesbet voted no. For the Greenwood Road application, the council unanimously approved a grading request.