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Letters
Restorative justice for juveniles is the answer
This is in response to Steve Glickman's letter to the editor, in the Jan. 23 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. My first comment is that Mr. Glickman should have followed Mark Twain's advice about not picking fights with people who buy ink by the barrel--at least in this case.
The article on the Restorative Justice Program most certainly had its limitations; however, a search of the website on the subject would have assisted Mr. Glickman in understanding more fully the principles and practices of restorative justice.
First and foremost, it is a practice that while attempting to ensure "no shaming or blaming," calls for offender accountability to the victim and the community, instead of to the state or deputy probation officer. Restorative justice at its core assists in personalizing the offense (which most certainly assists in developing empathy), involves victim and community participation, and helps develop offender competency.
I have worked in the criminal justice system since the mid-1960s and have been in Santa Clara County Probation's Restorative Justice areas since it began. May I respectfully point out to Mr. Glickman, that as he well knows, having served on the Juvenile Justice Commission, it is the "traditional system" of juvenile justice that involves "shaming and blaming."
Experts in the area include Howard Zehr, Gorden Bazemore and Mark Unbreit. In addition, going to www.restorativejustice.org will give the curious reader much information. I sincerely hope that community members who want a healthier community will seriously look at volunteering as Neighborhood Accountability Board members.
Jeanne Lucchesi
San Jose
Writer defends DeCinzo's satire
I understand the position of those angry readers of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times who would be much happier if cartoonist Steven DeCinzo lessened the savagery of his artistic wares and amused us with sugar-coated and meaningless pap.
It is always more comfortable to be entertained than it is to acknowledge the unpleasant about institutions, events or people. Unfortunately for these aggrieved souls, it is not the function of the cartoonist to placate or assuage. Those seeking information of a nondisquieting nature are better served by preachers, politicians, and fortune tellers, all of whom will tell you exactly what you want to hear.
The job of the cartoonist is to produce drawings that are symbolic and usually intended as humor, caricature or satire, and which comment on public and political matters. Cartoons, particularly editorial or political cartoons such as those generated by DeCinzo, make full use of the element of caricature. Through gross exaggeration and distortion the artist hopes to achieve an immediate, comic, often satiric effect that will influence his audience. (The importance of cartoons with respect to public opinion was persuasively demonstrated in the elections of 1871 and 1873, when the power of Tammany Hall was broken and Boss Tweed was imprisoned largely through the efforts of Thomas Nast and his cartoons for Harper's Weekly.)
The foregoing strongly suggests that not only should Mr. DeCinzo avoid the high roads of logic and moderation, which are better left to opinionated letter writers who feel they alone are capable of reasoned argument, it is his duty to do so.
In Point Counterpoint (1928) Aldous Huxley wrote, "Parodies and caricatures are the most penetrating of criticisms." If this is true, it would seem that those objecting to a DeCinzo cartoon should spend less time disparaging him and more time wondering about what motivated him to draw what he did.
Artists do not create in a vacuum. Could the man with the withering pen be telling us something?
Frank Stagnaro
Los Gatos
Is another Santana Row in Los Gatos' future?
There was an article in the Dec. 19, 2001, issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times about Marty Woodworth, Los Gatos' new Redevelopment Agency manager. I'm surprised you haven't heard from other people who are as worried as I am about Mr. Woodworth's reported accomplishments in other communities.
Maybe I don't understand the role of a Redevelopment Agency manager and should be enlightened, but his record scares me.
The wonderful things he did for Campbell, according to the article, were bringing in Fry's Electronics and Home Depot. Maybe these are great businesses for Campbell, but we don't want them in Los Gatos.
The article also states Mr. Woodworth was instrumental in the expansion of Valley Fair. Valley Fair was a manageable mall. Westfield mall is a confusing, cold labyrinth. What was the point of that expansion? The other great thing he did for San Jose was the development of Santana Row. Have you seen Santana Row? Maybe Town and Country wasn't a viable shopping center once Valley Fair was completed, but was it necessary to completely cover that land with massive buildings?
Mr. Woodworth says, "Los Gatos is the most viable downtown of all Silicon Valley ... The sidewalks don't roll up at 5 o'clock at night." I'd like Mr. Woodworth to know that most Los Gatos citizens think Los Gatos is overdeveloped, and we would welcome some sidewalk rolling up.
Will the North Forty someday look like Santana Row? Is that why Mr. Woodworth was hired?
Rhodie Firth
Los Gatos
West Valley College is an investment worth protecting
There have been a number of letters in your newspaper lately discussing Measure E, the facilities bond measure for the West Valley-Mission Community College District on the March 5 ballot. As a recently retired employee of 27 years I feel I am in a good position to comment on the district's needs and activities.
Each working day, I came into contact with students whose lives were changed by attending classes at West Valley College. Some students were on welfare until they learned skills for a job as a paralegal, physical therapist or technology administrator. Other students I got to know received the counseling and classes they needed to transfer to a university and are now working in professions like teaching, law, medicine and public safety.
I have been privileged to work with an innovative and caring staff, faculty and administrators over those 27 years.
West Valley College is helping build a better community for all of us by educating leaders for our valley. The college needs help to fulfill this responsibility. The campus looks beautiful from the outside thanks to hardworking groundskeepers, but the buildings are almost 40 years old. Like a house that old, our buildings need major maintenance. Our roofs leak; our ventilation, heating and energy systems are outdated; and our science labs are in need of modern equipment.
Too little has been said in your paper about the positive contributions of the district. Most people are thrilled to have a community college in their neighborhood because they are able to use the pool, tennis courts, driving range and walking paths, not to mention taking personal from fulfillment classes--and what a bargain at $11 per unit.
Over the years my family and neighbors have enjoyed many of the college's excellent theater and musical productions.
I hope you'll look into Measure E for yourself at the website: www.wvm-yes-on-e.org. It's your community college and your investment is worth protecting. Vote "yes" on Measure E.
Shirley Litzinger
Los Gatos
Sobrato project makes Highway 85 ramp necessary
In every news article and every editorial column that I've read over the past several months regarding this large development at Winchester and Highway 85, no mention of adding an on ramp for southbound Highway 85 traffic is ever mentioned.
Don't the planners of this town realize that half the traffic on Winchester Avenue every weekday evening is people trying to go southbound onto Highway 85? The only way to get to southbound Highway 85 for the people that commute to this area is to take Lark Avenue up to Los Gatos Boulevard and go left to Highway 85 southbound.
It was a mistake not to add a southbound Highway 85 ramp at Winchester Boulevard when they originally extended Highway 85 through Los Gatos. After the Sobrato development project is completed at this site there will be much more traffic on Winchester Boulevard created by folks wanting to go south on 85.
In addition, if/when light rail is put in, many additional people will simply drive to the station and take light rail further into the valley. This will create several more cars on Winchester and increase the traffic problems at that point.
I'm actually in favor of the Sobrato project at that site; however, without a southbound entrance onto Highway 85 at this site, we're just asking for more congestion on Winchester Boulevard and into Los Gatos.
Are our town planners even discussing this issue?
A.P. Schultz
Los Gatos
Light rail line won't decrease traffic congestion
Hopefully the opinion piece in the Feb. 6 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times will cause some discussion of light rail and transportation in the valley. From the Internet a 49-page study from Harvard by Jonathan Richmond titled "A Whole-System Approach to Evaluating Urban Transit Investments" is available. In it, the author argues, "In no case has new rail service been shown to have a noticeable impact upon highway congestion or air quality."
From the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., is a 22-page study by James Delong titled, "Myths of Light-Rail Transit" which is an eye opener. He documents that light rail option is 20 times as costly as bus service in terms of demand on local capital funds. He also reports that light rail is not rapid, not high capacity, does not decongest roads, is not cost-effective and promotes land form counter to most peoples' values.
From the Cascade Policy Institute in Oregon there is a study by John Charles titled, "The mythical world of Transit Oriented Development," which contradicts Mr. Diridon's report of the advantages of TODs.
The author was unable to obtain from any agencies a single study showing that TOD's reduce congestion, improve air quality, protect open space or make neighborhoods more livable. Finding evidence to the contrary was not difficult.
The new light rail line from San Jose to the Woolworth nursery on Winchester in Campbell has been reported to cost $340 million. It is projected to carry 9,000 passenger trips a day. There will be 139 parking spaces at Winchester and none at Campbell or Hamilton avenues. Are 9,000 trips possible with limited parking? Counting two trips per person, in and back, we have 4,500 passengers a day.
Studies show that 65 percent of new rail users were previous bus riders and that 35 percent or 1,575 were previous auto drivers. Autos normally carry 1.2 passengers and so hopefully 1,312 cars will be removed from the highway each day at a cost of $250,000 per car. Of interest: a normal traffic lane adjacent to a light rail line will carry two to five times more passengers than the light rail.
Finally, in reviewing the Valley Transportation Plan 2020 it is noted that during the next 20 years, 80 percent of funds are to be spent on rail. Page nine reports that freeway capacity is to be increased only 4 percent while jobs are to increase 21 percent. It clearly and honestly states congestion ahead.
The voters have just supported a bond issue with a campaign slogan of "Traffic Relief Now," led by the Silicon Valley Manufacturers Group and yet we find there are no plans for traffic relief. Before spending the proposed $8 billion on transportation, we should have a plan the experts agree will advance our needs.
There are solutions and hopefully Rod Diridon's commentary will open a discussion as to where they can be found. We can and must do better.
Lowell Grattan
Los Gatos
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
