I am concerned that with the financial health of our communities, the maintenance of our police cars is being overlooked.

Last week a Los Gatos police car drove down Andrews Street, rolling through two stop signs and turning right onto Highway 9 without ever signaling. I sure hope he was able to get that vehicle back safely for a thorough check of its brakes and signal lights.

I noticed several hours later, another police car parked right nearby those same two stop signs. Apparently this other officer was alerted to a problem in the neighborhood and was checking if other vehicles had a brake or signaling problem at those intersections. Perhaps there might have been strange magnetic disturbances in the area, causing cars to malfunction and requiring emergency red light assistance. The officer could have then stopped them and awarded a citation for their assistance in duplicating the problem.

Robert Lipp

Los Gatos

Seniors shouldn't
have to clean
up for pet owners

One recent letter to the editor and one report of possible action by our town council has given me a faint glimmer of hope—a dog caretaker's concern that those who do not pick up after their pets on the Los Gatos Creek Trail could jeopardize their continued use, and the possibility of our town actually enforcing town code rules.

I live in a beautifully landscaped senior retirement facility in which the occupants take care of the space surrounding their individual houses and a gardener maintains the common areas. The gardener has to mow the lawns with his pockets full of plastic bags in order to either frequently stop the mower to pick up after neighbors' dogs or get splattered, which often happens. And the rest of us are forced to get out shovels, dust pans and plastic bags to keep our little garden spaces free of odor, flies and the harm done to our plantings. An irony is that we are not permitted to have pets ourselves!

I don't think the law enforcement officers of our wonderful town should have to take the time to deal with the lack of decent, considerate behavior on the part of our citizens; nor do we, even in our retirement, have the time or inclination to sit at our windows and watch for offenders, follow them home and deposit their pet's droppings at their doorstep, as many people advocate.

So how can the otherwise nice people in my neighborhood become belatedly educated on how to be good neighbors and responsible pet caretakers? The fool-proof solution of gates would eliminate our opportunity to relate to the many children who use this private property as a shortcut to their nearby elementary school, and since most of us have grandchildren who are out of town, we enjoy this contact. And, I might add, we enjoy seeing some beautiful animals walking by, since many of us miss our former pets. But, please, don't make us old folks pick up after you.

Jeanette Rapp

Los Gatos

Yellow Ribbon
effort by Rotary
supports troops

A nonprofit organization, "Operation Yellow Ribbon," that supplies Los Gatos soldiers in Iraq and other foreign countries with the everyday things they can't get overseas, has been formed by a group of independent Los Gatos Rotarians.

The organization is funded entirely by private donations and by local companies that donate their products. The mother of one of the soldiers contacted us and said that her son received our packages and particularly mentioned the beef and turkey jerky, donated by Los Gatos Meats.

To date, two separate mailings to 20 of our Los Gatos soldiers have been shipped. The first shipment was in late summer, and another sent several weeks ago has already arrived. The packages contain deodorant, Oreo cookies, various snack-packs, candy bars, lip balm, suntan lotion, handwipes, beef and turkey jerky, magazines, and local newspapers—to name a few of the items.

Every dollar that is donated goes toward the purchase of the items sent to the troops. The Rotarians and other local dedicated citizens meet at a local office and work to assemble the packages for the boys. As additional money is collected and items are donated, more packages will be sent. The group encourages private citizens and companies to donate whatever possible to ensure this effort will be sustained. We want to continue sending these packages as long as there is one soldier fighting in a war zone.

Recently, Marine Corporal Marcos Eugenius returned from Iraq and was invited to join the Los Gatos Rotary Club for lunch during its weekly meeting. Marcos assured us that the troops were vitally concerned that they had the support of the American people and were very optimistic regarding the outcome of the Iraq war in spite of what we hear and read in the news media. He also stated that packages and mail from home were paramount to the soldiers' optimism. As other servicemen and servicewomen are rotated back home, they will be honored as luncheon guests at a Los Gatos Rotary luncheon meeting.

The committee urges all citizens and companies to donate to this very worthy cause. Also, if you know about a Los Gatos serviceman who may not be on our list, please contact the committee. The committee has already established a nonprofit organization, and all donations, large or small, are tax deductible. You can send your donations or the names of additional servicemen serving in a war zone, or just get more information, by contacting Operation Yellow Ribbon, c/o Mike Frangadakis, 408.354.4992, 408.395.2568 (fax) or by email to mike@frangadakis.com .

Mike Frangadakis

Los Gatos

Mike Frangadakis, a Los Gatos Realtor, is the organizer and spokesman for the Operation Yellow Ribbon campaign.

Looking for some
history on the
issue of marriage

So many fundamentalist pundits keep saying, God intended marriage to be one man, one woman. I'm not the sharpest tool, but aren't heterosexuality and monogamy separate issues? It would really be good to see some commentary and analysis from a few religious historians and cultural anthropologists on the issue of marriage generally. Why such a big deal, anyway?

Joanne Hall

Los Gatos

Join community
college students
in Sacramento

In 1960, the California Master Plan for Higher Education promised equal access to "all who may benefit" from higher education. That promise was kept until the current state budget crisis.

Community colleges have lost approximately $330 million out of a total budget of $5 billion in the last 18 months. When deep budget cuts were proposed early in 2003, students rallied to save their educational opportunities. They organized a march on Sacramento that brought more than 10,000 students to protest on the Capitol lawn. Another 4,000 to 5,000 students held rallies in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Although their efforts reduced the extent of the loss, the California Post-Secondary Education Commission estimates that some 175,000 students are being turned away during 2003­04 because the classes they need are not available.

On March 15 students will march again. Governor Schwarzenegger's budget does not cut the community colleges' allocations but it redirects substantial numbers of students from the California State Universities and University of California to the community colleges who are already turning students away.

Traditional entry-level community college students, many of them the first in their families to aspire to college, must compete with university-eligible students for the limited spaces available.

The League of Women Voters of Southwest Santa Clara Valley supports full access to higher education. We encourage the community to support our students either by joining in the march or by letting their representatives in Sacramento know that they support access to community colleges for all.

Patty Weber, president

LWV of Southwest
Santa Clara Valley

'Main Event'
story was fascinating

"Main Event" was excellent. Dick Sparrer is to be commended on a well written and fascinating article on the history of our town. I am anxiously awaiting the remainder of the series.

Barbara Spector

Los Gatos