It was a case of mixed reviews for Los Gatos last week when local officials received kudos for a job well done on a construction project, but they're diligence to public safety was brought into question after a small grass fire.
First, the good news:
The motorcycles were lined up in a row at the curb in front of the Black Watch—just like they are on most Sundays. People were perched in the window seats enjoying a burrito at Andales, a slice at Pizza My Heart and a latte at Great Bear Coffee.
It was business as usual on N. Santa Cruz Avenue last Sunday afternoon, and that says a lot for the town and the construction company in charge of the project of resurfacing the roadway.
The original plan that called for a nine- to 10-week closure for a major construction job on N. Santa Cruz was reduced to a two-week project. As it turned out, is was better than anyone expected.
An incentive was built into the project for the Duran & Venables, Inc. construction company. Not only did Duran & Venables finish ahead of schedule, it finished the part of the job that called for the road closure in less than a week. The project began on Monday, July 11, and crews had N. Santa Cruz Avenue open to traffic by Saturday, July 16.
The roadway still requires striping, but that part of the job can be done at night so as not to disrupt the business district. Merchants on N. Santa Cruz Avenue owe a debt of gratitude to John Curtis, his parks and public works crews, Duran & Venables and Town Manager Debra Figone.
Now the bad news:
The quick actions of local residents helped avert a potential wildfire in the hills above Los Gatos on July 12. Residents on Euclid Avenue and Jones Road near Novitiate Park raced to the scene of a small grass fire, and extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrive.
The event left area residents with questions and concerns. Not because they had to battle the blaze, but because of the lack of response from the town of Los Gatos.
Residents indicated that they had called the town several times in the last month in hopes of getting the dry grass in the park cut down to avert a potential wildfire. Their concern is that they never received a response. Curtis countered that there was a record of only one call received, not several. But then, how many calls does the town need to receive before responding? One seems like enough.
Curtis also said that the town does not have the proper equipment for such a project, that the larger mower the town would have to borrow from Caltrans was not available. Yet a day after the fire, crews were cutting the vegetation with town equipment and, though only part of the field has been cut, it looked to us to be better than before.
Residents don't need excuses, they need action. Thankfully, because of the quick actions of this group of community members, a bigger problem was averted. A fire official praised the actions of the residents for being "our eyes and ears" and tipping off the department to potential hazards.
It's hard to respond to tips, however, if no one is listening.
