Letters

Children's hospital is desperately needed in area

Thank you for your attention to the children's hospital issue. The need in this community is quite acute, as many parents of chronically ill children can attest. Parents and children in this community must navigate their way through a patchwork quilt of institutions providing medical services for children.

This quilt consists of various local community hospitals, none of them with the specialized pediatric services which are found in all other major cities; the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto is many miles away over increasingly congested freeways and is essentially inaccessible by public transportation from the greater San Jose area; and at Valley Medical Center there are very few community pediatricians maintain staff privileges.

Parents of a child in this community having a medical emergency such as a severe asthma attack, a broken arm or an appendicitis attack do not know where to go to be sure that the child will be treated by highly qualified pediatric medical and surgical specialists. This area has trouble attracting such specialists because there is no specialized facility for them to practice the high level care which they are trained to provide. Medical services for children in this area are decades behind those found in other major cities, and even many that are not so major. For example, Fresno has a fine new children's hospital.

The North Forty area of Los Gatos is ideally suited for a children's hospital. It lies at the intersection of two major freeways. Large numbers of pediatricians and related specialists are already located in that area. There is already a nearby children's convalescent hospital, the Children's Recovery Center.

The North Forty development would likely include other facilities for children.

You are correct [in the editorial in the Jan. 19 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times] in saying that raising the money for a children's hospital will be a big job. However, it has been done in many other well endowed communities such as Fresno; Tacoma, Wash.; Roanoke, Va.; Akron, Ohio; and Omaha, Neb. Surely we can do as much for our children here.

Richard B. Fox, M.D.
Los Gatos

Cheer is more than frills, they need a mat

A few facts about the Los Gatos Tigers that were not mentioned in Dec. 15 article in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times about the team asking the Town Council for financial support for its trip to compete in Florida: The 1998 season was a very trying and successful year for the Tigers. With only four returning members and 24 new members, the team took second place at the Regional Invitational Championship in Reno, Nev. In 1999, the team had 43 members: 20 returning from 1998 and 23 new members.

For the first time in the history of Los Gatos Pop Warner Football and Cheer, the Tigers were the only team to advance to the National Championship Tournament in Orlando. In 1999, the Tiger Team has taken first place in an Invitational Championship Tournament, Conference Championship Tournament and Regional Championship Tournament.

The Tigers did this without a mat on which to practice or an indoor facility in which to practice. The girls practiced on asphalt, dirt and lawn, no matter what the weather conditions were. The Los Gatos Tigers are desperately looking for an indoor facility in their community in which to practice. Cheer isn't all frills and poms; it is gymnastics, tumbling, dancing and stunts. The practice mat is needed for the girls' safety. I can be contacted at akwacke@aol.com.

Rusty Wackermann
Proud parent of a Los Gatos Tiger

Preschool problem may be getting worse than before

I'm writing this letter to try to make the town residents and council members just pause and think about the decisions they make and how they affect not just this moment in time, but possibly future generations.

With the closing of both Casa Maria and Hillbrook's preschool programs, there has become a shortage of preschool space in Los Gatos. Unfortunately, this problem is not isolated to Los Gatos. It is a problem throughout the Silicon Valley area--a problem fueled by the economy of the area and the resulting rising property values.

The increasing property values have equated to higher rents and higher paying positions available for once preschool teachers who can't afford to remain here without higher compensation.

A new addition to the Los Gatos preschool shortage may be the relocation or closing of the Shannon Nursery School at the First Presbyterian Church. It is a parent participation program that has been a part of the town since 1963. I personally attended the school in the '60s, and the last of my three children is in the school. I have friends I met in that preschool to this day. Our family has made close family friends with many in the Los Gatos community while participating at Shannon Nursery School. The school is a real attribute to Los Gatos and the feeling of a close community.

Unfortunately, the church needs the preschool's space for its quickly expanding congregation and programs. I recently learned that in the past the church had attempted to expand its facilities both up and out and ran into red tape with the town.

I question why the town would discourage expansion of any local church facilities in that they are huge supporters of the community. My children personally are involved with both preschool programs at the First Presbyterian Church and the basketball program at Calvary, and they use the Jewish Community Center facilities with the LGUSL soccer program. I know that traffic is a serious concern to the entire town, but rather then slowing expansion of much needed facilities, the town should address the real issue of alternate transportation!

The town of Los Gatos is ever changing, whether good or bad in our opinions, and the best planning we can do is to attempt to plan for the growth ahead while helping to preserve the programs and places we all love for future generations!

Kimberly A. Haskell
Los Gatos

We need to build the world's best children's hospital

I would like to reply to your editorial of Jan. 19. I support Mayor Blanton's plans to start a task force in Los Gatos to explore the possibilities of a Silicon Valley Children's Hospital in Los Gatos. Now, in an emergency situation, the parents of 650,000 children located in this valley have a choice of Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital (20 to 80 miles away) or to admit the child to an emergency room not completely equipped to handle child emergencies.

There was an article in the November issue of Good Housekeeping entitled "In the Emergency Room." The article discussed three issues comparing adult emergency rooms to pediatric emergency rooms: the experience of the diagnosing physician, if the correct equipment is available, and if the physician treating knows the special needs of children.

The outcome: General ER doctors typically devote one to three months studying children's medicine. The most commonly treated emergencies for adults are strokes and heart attacks. The most common emergency for children is respiratory distress brought on by illnesses like bronchitis.

Many times in an adult ER, the wrong size respiratory equipment is used when treating a child. Any parent who has had to watch IV lines put into their small children know that experience with children really is critical.

In this article, the author cites a survey of 238 ERs and found that almost all pediatric hospitals would use analgesics to set an 8-year-old's broken arm, while less than 60 percent of adult ERs would use analgesia in the same circumstances.

In conclusion, you asked in your editorial how can we afford a local community children's hospital? My question to you is how can we continue to do without? Mayor Blanton has my complete support. We must find a way to build the best children's hospital in the world.

Roseanna Berkowitz
Campbell

The town should leave the hillside standards alone

On Jan. 26, the Design Review Committee will further define and modify our hillside standards. The bad news is that the majority of our homes will not meet the new guidelines. Our residents need to be very concerned because their existing fireplaces, multistory elevations and all those things that are in 90 percent of our hillside homes will no longer be allowed.

If you think this is a "so what," think again, because a renovation, expansion and "saleability" to a new owner are all negatively affected. Remodeling your home with a wood fireplace? Well, it will only be approved with a fireplace appliance. Have a basement and garage and living area on different levels? Well, it cannot be in the "new rules." Want to sell it to an owner with an eye to remodel? Hope they are from out of town and are unaware of the guidelines.

Before allowing our Design Review Committee to initiate a comprehensive hillside planning interpretation, our Los Gatos community members need to take a deep breath and ask themselves: Is a new comprehensive hillside plan really necessary? What do our existing homes say about our town ? Shouldn't 90 percent of our existing homes be compliant and reflect a planning goal?

Shouldn't our residents know that the rules are changing before they change? Will writing a new comprehensive hillside plan deal effectively with the underlying social and political conflicts, or will it avoid them by diverting attention to subjective interpretations by style police?

Will the time necessary to prepare an adequate plan defeat the purpose of controlling imminent development affecting our environment or safety? Or will the whole process occur under so much time pressure that the plan will be prepared hurriedly with inadequate public involvement and/or recommendations that are based on insufficient analysis and thought?

A concise, analytical diagnostic study of our Los Gatos hillsides can reveal what needs to be done both to solve immediate problems and to chart a course for a better long-term future. All home owners need to know the impact of the new rules and interpretations very, very clearly.

Dennis Omanoff
Los Gatos

Omanoff is seeking approval to build a home in the hills above Los Gatos. --Editor

Donna Courtright is a better choice for Republicans

In the Jan. 5 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, C.J. Szukalski writes that "small-minded arrogant politicians risk losing me as a Republican voter." [He was referring to Assemblyman Jim Cunneen's dual endorsement of Suzanne Jackson and Steve Blanton for his Assembly seat. --Editor]

Perhaps Szukalski (and other similarly peeved) should consider that there is another Republican candidate for Assembly besides Jackson and Blanton--one who is neither small-minded nor arrogant--nor even a "politician."

Donna Courtright is courteous and dignified. I have had the privilege of hearing her give intelligent analyses of various issues affecting the state of California and Assembly District 24. You can find out more at http://www. godonna.com/

Welcome back to the party, C.J.

Larry Bickford
San Jose

That $15 million could buy lots of alternatives

Maybe I'm out in left field, here. I hope so, anyway, since we as a community need to look at the downtown parking issue from new angles before we cast the wrong solution, which would be no solution at all, in concrete.

I have real mixed feelings about parking. Here we are worrying how or whether to spend $15 million to solve our parking problem downtown. It's a demand/supply thing, where we'd be better off in the long run dealing with demand (that is, reducing the need for parking) than forever pouring concrete and millions of dollars into the supply of more and more parking spaces.

Like the roads and freeways, it's never enough. The more you build, the more you need.

But what about the short run? Edelen and Almond Grove neighbors are about to come to blows with one another and/or with the town about who is pushing Old Town growth-generated parking on whom. Meanwhile, retail employees didn't seem to be interested in using the shuttles to Miles Avenue the town provided during the holidays. But then, many employees didn't even know about them, employers didn't promote them, and they were not operated at the convenience of the intended riders.

What we need are stronger, more enticing incentives to business owners and employees, and anyone else for that matter, to park remotely (at Miles or elsewhere--what about the Town owned empty lot at Lark and Winchester?) and use shuttles, including making the shuttles more appealing an option. It doesn't even have to be shuttles. What about public bicycles? And don't forget carpool incentives, free passes (town or business financed) on existing or intensified VTA routes?

In the Town Council's Jan. 18 discussion on the motion to spend nearly half a million dollars on designs for one of the two new garages, Councilman Joe Pirzynski agreed that we need to look at parking alternatives as well as go ahead on at least one if not both of the new garages. But I heard no motion, following the unanimous vote on the design authorization, to spend even half a dollar on alternatives.

It would seem we could do a lot in that vein with $15 million. Both to ameliorate the present crisis and find--and fund--a longer term demand-side solution.

Am I just whistling in the wind, or are there others out there in left field with me?

Mike Abkin
Los Gatos

Hospital would benefit every parent in valley

I would like to address an issue you brought up in your Jan. 19 editorial. About the need for a children's hospital, you mentioned Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford as the hospital we as parents can use.

As a parent of a child who went through 10 surgeries in the first three years of his life, I would like to tell you about my experience at Lucile Packard. The Stanford Hospital is a teaching and research hospital. Every time we have taken our child to Stanford for appointments, they were always scheduled on a Wednesday (they only see patients on Wednesdays), and we would spend 50 minutes with an intern and 10 minutes with an experienced doctor. I do believe all the doctors at Stanford are excellent and experienced, but I felt uncomfortable with their approach to diagnosing a child's problems.

My dream is to have a children's community hospital "dedicated to the healing of sick children." (I borrowed that quote from Mayor Steve Blanton.)

I met with Mayor Blanton and Dr. Richard Fox and was very impressed with the questions he asked and his quick grasp of the problems for sick children, parents and their doctors in this valley.

I hope the dream of a children's hospital can become a reality for every parent in this valley.

Kathleen King
Saratoga

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