On behalf of the First Santa Committee, I would like to extend thanks, respect and gratitude to the many elves and helpers that made Santa Claus Coming to Our Town such a wonderful success. I would like to mention a few that need a special word of recognition.

Thank you to the many students from Los Gatos, Westmont and Leigh high schools and to the Fisher Junior High students, too. They were all willing to take time out of their vacations, wear elf suits and hold little hands as excited, anxious and sometimes fearful little faces got up close and personal with Santa. You were terrific.

Jack Rusitano was the pen ultimate Santa. His Santa raiment and rapport were perfect. He took whatever time was necessary to be sure all children got their wishes heard and their belief in Santa validated. Jack is a community treasure. He's not only a credentialed Santa but he teaches Salsa dancing and computer classes at our recreation department.

The Santa memories that were made in the plaza were captured by a trio of terrific, hard-working waterproof photographers. Laura Berjerol and Joerg Lehmann were amazing with the children and took exceptional pictures under some tough conditions. Mark von Keszycki of ImageSnap "ran" the film from the plaza to his shop on foot or on his bike to insure the hour delivery to waiting parents.

The three generations of Libantes were invaluable to the effort. Jean (Bunte) Libante fashioned a truly regal slipcovering for Santa's throne. Her daughter, Janet Libante Goodman, and her daughter, Dana, stuffed candy bags, handed out flyers and hung posters even before the event started. Then they showed up each Santa day to help set up, take photo orders, hand out candy and merchant discount scrolls and pitch in wherever needed.

The merchants took time to support the Shop Los Gatos First effort by offering wonderful free and discounted items for the Santa Scroll that was given to each parent that brought children to see Santa.

The event would not have happened if it hadn't been for the Santa Committee's Chief Elf, Judy Glickman. While finishing up her finals at San José State University, she was able to arrange for permits, get Parks and Public Works incredible support, have banners printed, design posters and flyers, create print advertising and put together the Santa scene with live trees and lights, poinsettias and wrapped presents. She transported all this to and from the plaza, in her brother's truck, each day Santa was in the plaza. Thanks goes to Judy's able assistant, supportive husband, Santa Committee member and our new mayor, Steve Glickman, who canvassed the downtown for donations and merchant discount offers.

To everyone who participated, you have been a part of another wonderful event in Los Gatos, designed to bring pleasure and business to our town where people come to live and give to their community. Thank you very much.

Happy New Year.

Sandy Decker

Member of the Santa Committee

Los Gatos

A parking ticket spoiled otherwise 'very nice' dinner

After a very nice dinner for four at The Chart House on Dec. 20, I returned to my car [three blocks away] to find a parking citation for $45. When I parked the car, the sign indicated it was a legal time and place. When I got the citation and went back to the signs, I then noticed the adjacent sign said "by permit only." I would be willing to bet that I'm not the first to be confused by your signage.

The ticket has been paid [I don't have the time to protest]. I do, however, need some very good motivation to drive the 45 minutes from Morgan Hill to Los Gatos for dinner. As good as The Chart House is, your deceptive parking signs have tipped the motivation scales, and The Chart House has lost a good regular customer, through no fault of their own. Hopefully they can work with the town on this issue before they lose any more customers.

Woody Cowles

Morgan Hill

Writer's letter out of tune with reality

Paul Dembry declares [Los Gatos Weekly-Times letters, Dec. 31] that "The so-called goodwill of the international community came from joy that we had been bloodied, nothing more." It would appear that once again xenophobia trumps reality. What is next for advocates of Mr. Dembry's viewpoint? Razor wire on the invasion beaches of Santa Cruz, gun emplacements in strategic Aldercroft Heights?

Wes Tietzen

Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada

Monte Sereno needs more weed abatement time

We have just received the notice from the Santa Clara Fire Marshal, mandating that by April 1 [April Fool's Day!] all the weeds need to be abated in our "jurisdiction" and stating that on Jan. 20 there would be a hearing at the Monte Sereno City Council meeting about this proposal and date.

Again this year, I will not be able to attend the meeting—I will be out of town—and I request that this abatement's date not be accepted. In our part of Santa Clara Valley, our macroclimate—significantly influenced by the Santa Cruz mountains—vastly differs from that of the East San Jose hills. "Our" weeds are still green and still growing on that date, and rains are still a regular occurrence.

I suggest that the date be reset for May 15, which is a few weeks before the hills turn gold from the wintry green. Note that the Santa Clara Environmental Agency has May 15 set as the beginning of the fire season. Why do they take 45 days for buffer at our expense?

I went through this issue last year—I was visited twice by two nice people from the Santa Clara Fire Marshal's office—sometime in late March 2003 and again in late April 2003. We walked through the property—through the green weeds—and we agreed that May was the more appropriate date for completion of weed abatement in our area.

I have always, for more than 25 years, abated my weeds prior to the fire season because I greatly value my property and that of my neighbors, and I will naturally do it again, as always. But I do not consider April 1 to be the correct date. Note that to meet the April 1 date, we would have to schedule the disking for February or March. There are just so many disking companies, and they cannot disc all lots in the last week of February—and they will not disc a steep slope while the soil is wet.

As I am a biker, I have been all over the Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga hills during the year, and for the most part the abatement was completed by mid June—some even later. Let there be enforcement, but let it be justified so that no one will be unjustifiably penalized.

I am retired, and in this economy I can ill afford to throw a few hundred dollars away each year just to please someone. So, please challenge the date. Make yellow weeds illegal, but green ones OK. April Fool's Day is not the right date for Weed Abatement.

I hope that this year Monte Sereno will reconsider this issue and challenge the Santa Clara Fire Marshal's unreasonable abatement completion date.

D. Schmidek

Monte Sereno