Hey, drivers, pay more attention! There are crosswalks spanning Santa Cruz Avenue from one end to the other, most of them without a traffic signal or stop sign to protect pedestrians. It's up to the motorists on the roadway to be alert to people attempting to cross the street.
The trouble is, motorists aren't paying attention. They're talking to passengers in their vehicles; they're talking on their cell phones; they're daydreaming or they're listening to Rick Barry on sports radio. To make matters worse, most of these drivers are going too fast. Put the two together and it's creating a dangerous situation for pedestrians attempting to cross the street.
It was less than five months ago when tragedy struck on the town's main drag. An elderly couple was attempting to cross the street just after dusk on a rainy evening when a vehicle traveling southbound struck them both, killing 81-year-old Los Gatos resident Harold Medley and sending his 78-year-old wife, Kathryn, to the hospital.
While the tragic event should have served as a wake-up call for motorists who frequent the area, it seems to have had little impact on driving habits.
Maybe Los Gatos needs to follow Willow Glen's lead and install bright yellow fluorescent signs in the middle of each crosswalk down the stretch of Santa Cruz Avenue from Blossom Hill Road to Broadway. Signs on the stretch of Lincoln Avenue that cuts through the heart of the Willow Glen business district caution drivers that it is illegal to enter crosswalks when pedestrians are present.
Drivers need to understand that Santa Cruz Avenue is not a thoroughfare; it's a busy street in a business district that is teeming with pedestrians. Anticipate people stepping out into the crosswalk and be prepared to stop.
Simply put, slow down and pay attention or else pick another route. We don't want you on Santa Cruz Avenue.
Beautiful town
Los Gatos is a beautiful town. This month, though, there's an effort to make it look even better.
It's April, and that means it's time for "Keep Los Gatos Beautiful Month." This year, appropriately, the month is being dedicated to the memory of the late Shirley Henderson.
Shirley was a member of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee and she worked tirelessly through the years as a volunteer to bring beauty to the community. The planter boxes filled with flowers along N. Santa Cruz Avenue are there because of Shirley's efforts, and they offer a beautiful memory of what she meant to this town.
There are a number of activities planned throughout the month, including a Los Gatos High School Campus Clean-up Day on April 23 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Join the effort this month to make Los Gatos even more beautiful than it already is. Shirley would have been pleased.
