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Letters
Pacheco put in long hours in seven years
I first want to thank Leonard Pacheco for his service to our town. As a former planning commissioner myself, I know that Leonard devoted at least 40 hours of volunteer time each month to Los Gatos during his tenure on the commission. Over seven years, that time totaled 3,360 hours.
Leonard volunteered because, like many of us, he loved Los Gatos. He did not use the commission as a quick path to the town council or to achieve a statewide political office. He did it because he was concerned about the character, history and architectural integrity of our town. And he wanted to continue to serve.
It is unfortunate that he was denied reappointment in such an ungracious way. I would like to think that Los Gatans would treat one another with dignity, especially someone as selfless as Leonard. If we do not, the town will no longer attract the best and the brightest to local government.
Barbara Spector
Los Gatos
Barring squirrels, mountains are safer than town
Thanks for your recent story about the mountains, but now I know how it feels to be misquoted. I said that it was more dangerous to live in Los Gatos than in the Santa Cruz Mountains. After all, Los Gatos has more expensive stores, more fancy restaurants and more charge card machines. Our dangers are chain saws, big dogs and an occasional falling tree, but Los Gatos has more traffic, more tourists, and more crime. Yes, we have wildlife, but I've never been mugged by a squirrel. A recent survey, conducted by our sheriff's Summit Substation, reported that 47.2 percent of our mountain residents always feel safe in their neighborhoods, and 50.1 percent feel safe most of the time. Now, if we can just keep flatlanders out, we'll be in paradise.
Neil Wiley
Editor
Mountain Network News
Starting from scratch not a good idea
I am astonished and somewhat alarmed at the failure of the town council to reappoint Len Pacheco to the planning commission. The loss of his particular skills and familiarity with past and present growth issues in Los Gatos is troubling. Clean slates may be appealing but empty ones are dangerous. I urge the council to find a way to bring competence and perspective back into the planning process.
Verle Waters
Los Gatos
Pacheco stood up even when stand unpopular
I am writing this letter because of my disappointment regarding Leonard Pacheco not being reinstated to the planning commission. I have had the pleasure of living in Los Gatos for quite awhile and being active with many committees and know Leonard because of this. If you like the character and integrity of our town, then you would be referring to Leonard. I always felt comfortable knowing that Los Gatos had a watchdog who was not afraid to stand up to issues that could make him unpopular at times. I feel that the architectural qualities of Los Gatos are a direct reflection of Leonard's participation on reviewing projects. Leonard was not going to let our town look like many of the strip-mall cities in this valley. Personally I think we have lost a very integral part of our community by not having Leonard Pacheco watching out for our town.
Thank you.
George Kohl
Los Gatos
Stores don't need another city ordinance
Regarding the letter written by Robert Miller in the Feb. 7 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times: Maybe Mr. Miller should remember the old adage "When we assume." I can't speak for other retailers downtown, but when our store has its doors open our heater/air conditioner is in the OFF position.
Maybe when he takes his next walk, he should look at Los Gatos Boulevard's Auto Row, the big-box office supply stores and the grocery stores; the lights are blinding!! We certainly don't need more town ordinances, telling us how to run our businesses!!
Ted Romero
House of Brass
Los Gatos
Town can help smooth the way for preschools
Town can help smooth the way for preschools I would like to respond to the editorial last week regarding the Los Gatos preschool shortage. The editor wrote that the town's role is limited in what it can do to help with the shortage. I agree with that to a point, but since we (Mariposa Montessori Preschool) have just been through the process, I have some suggestions for the town to consider:
1. Speed up the process. It took us over a year to go through the planning commission and town council meetings before we were given approval to proceed. (Processing and meeting town requirements took another five months.)
Most of the time spent at these meetings was repeatedly going over the same concerns with neighbors who were opposed to the school's opening due to existing traffic problems. Jan Hutchins suggested early on that the council commit to fixing the existing traffic problems in the area and approve the school going in at the same time. Six months later, after realizing that the existing traffic problem was more complex and would take a lot more time to fix, that is exactly what they ended up doing.
2. Waive the town fees. It will cost us between $25,000 and $30,000 when all is said and done to complete the town's conditional use permit process. As stated in the editorial last week, preschools aren't in the business for the money. "They do it because they love it." If not for a generous, anonymous donation, we'd still be scratching our heads trying to figure out how to come up with the money just to pay the Los Gatos fees. Even though we now have the money to pay the town, it would have been great to be able to spend that money instead on the school itself. While seeking approval from Los Gatos, we opened another school in San Jose in four months (state licensing time) and paid only $200 in fees.
3. Treat us like a school instead of a business. A school provides a necessary service to the town's residents and, perhaps, should not be subjected to the same level of stringent rules applied to any business. Like it or not, the town has grown due to the valley's economy and the town's growth plan and with that comes the need for necessary services like preschools.
4. Encourage citizen participation. If the town ensures citizens that it won't stand in the way, maybe more people would be willing to try and open new or expand existing preschools.
The preschool shortage wasn't caused by the town. But as you can see, they could do quite a bit to help alleviate it.
Joanne Varni
Mariposa Montessori President
It's hard to believe a power problem exists
Its hard too believe there is a power crisis. When you look up on the surrounding hills above Los Gatos and see the houses lit up like the Lincoln Memorial, really! And just to think that there are people who can just make the bills to pay for cooking keeping warm and running this dumb computer. But, hey, if you can afford it,I guess that's all that matters. Or does it?
Dennis A Elia
Los Gatos
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
