Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Music in the Plaza needs support from community

Each year, the Town of Los Gatos Arts Commission produces an annual Music in the Plaza concert series so that residents and others may gather on summer evenings to celebrate a common social and cultural experience through music.

MIP traditionally features accomplished musicians with the highest quality artistic standards offering a variety of styles, forms and multiethnic and cultural origins.

One of the most visible and delightful town projects, MIP is enjoyed by families and friends, children and seniors from throughout the town and surrounding areas. It serves the arts through the promotion of local talent and world music.

This is a community project, supported by the entire community. To help us meet the $14,000 budget goal for the 1997 summer concert series, the Arts Commission is now soliciting contributions.

Individuals donating $25, $50 or $100 to Music in the Plaza will receive a bronze, silver or gold pin, respectively, inscribed with musical notes and the initials "MIP."

Businesses or agencies donating $1,000 or more to a Sunday program will be publicized as Major Sponsors.

The Arts Commission looks forward to hearing from you regarding participation in its fundraising drive. We also invite you to join us again this summer on the lawn of the Los Gatos Town Plaza to enjoy the old-fashioned, small-town tradition of Music in the Plaza.

Donations can be mailed to: Music in the Plaza, c/o Community Services Dept., P.O. Box 949, Los Gatos, 95031.

We truly appreciate your support of this wonderful community event!

Sue Gilmour
Dolores Baker
Jann Perez
Brian Carleton
Music in the Plaza Committee

Editorial ignored the facts about Old Town theater

I was surprised and dismayed by your editorial in the Jan. 15 issue, regarding the movement by concerned local citizens to preserve the Old Town Theater. Clearly, the writer did not take the time to ascertain the simple facts of the matter, and hence has done a great disservice by misleading town residents.

As a participant in the effort to save the theater, I can state that, contrary to your assertions, the only expectation that we have expressed is that the theater be preserved, rather than being demolished in favor of a bookstore.

All of the technical equipment (lighting, sound, etc.) required for the operation of the space will come from other sources.

The editorial suggests that preserving the theater would keep the developers from "using their prime retail space for retail," completely ignoring the fact that the space in question has never had a retail use, and the developers purchased the building with the existing restriction of the space to auditorium/theater uses.

You also ignore the fact that a recognized professional theater company, now located in Sunnyvale, has been actively pursuing renting the space, at normal going rates.

Such a professional company would bring top-quality live performances to our town and guarantee the developer reasonable rental returns.

I know that those of us working to preserve the theater all are supportive of the Old Town renovation project in general, and want Hunter-Storm to succeed in their project.

However, destroying the theater, a unique and irreplaceable facility in Los Gatos, in favor of simply providing one more bookstore does not make sense--for the present or future residents of this town.

Rich Billig
Los Gatos