By Shari Kaplan
Although the Oakland Raiders' interest in making Los Gatos home for the team's summer camp was in the news the previous week, the idea wasn't presented to the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District until the regular district board meeting on Jan. 16.
The response of the district was not overwhelming.
Board member Bob Allen presented what he knew of the football team's interest in using Los Gatos High School fields for its summer camp and the possible negotiating point around the construction of a weight and locker room. The school has been raising funds to build such facilities, a necessary addition for the Raiders to consider Los Gatos as a summer base.
After his presentation, Allen expected at least a few Los Gatos citizens to come forward and publicly condone or condemn the Raiders' presence, he commented after the meeting. But no one in the scant audience came forth.
LGHS Principal Ted Simonson and Allen agreed that, until they see something in writing that sounds propitious for the school, they will not get excited about the proposal. Simonson reiterated that what at first sounded like a profitable endeavor for the town would, in fact, have a negligible financial effect.
Allen said several questions remained unanswered about the proposal, such as what kind of on-campus security would be available to keep away zealous fans, foes or other teams' spies. He also wondered about insurance issues.
"I kind of get the feeling they might be using us as a pawn for negotiations with other cities," Allen said. The Raiders are also considering Santa Rosa, Davis, Sacramento, Stockton and Fairfield.
The day after the meeting, Allen said that since the Los Gatos Weekly-Times article on the Raiders camp came out on Jan. 16, he has received an equal number of phone calls and comments for the idea as against it.
He said he and the board would probably look favorably on the idea "if there's a major benefit to the school and the kids."
As of Wednesday, however, no news was good news--or bad news, depending upon how Los Gatans feel about the Raiders.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 24, 1996.
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