Letters

All anyone had to do was ask who owned the trailer

What constitutes good neighborliness and good community policing in Los Gatos these days? Some of the answers can be found in the incident that occurred on Sunday, April 16, in our normally quiet neighborhood.

Considerable excitement was created as two police vehicles, a community service officer and a tow truck with flashing red lights all assembled to deal with what should have been a quiet discussion among neighbors.

We are accustomed to excellent police service in Los Gatos, and to a community where neighbors help each other, but on this occasion an anonymous complaint caused a great deal of trouble and elicited an overreaction from our police.

The background of this incident is that we parked our camper-trailer on the street in a parking area outside our house while remodeling work was in progress in our house. We had discussed with our immediate neighbors the issue of parking the trailer there for a few weeks while the contractor used our driveway turnaround for delivering building materials and storing debris prior to hauling.

We all agreed that this was an acceptable solution, but someone else in the neighborhood called the police to report the "abandoned" vehicle, a clean, obviously well cared for tent trailer. Apparently, a tag was placed on it five days before, which unfortunately we did not find in our daily check.

It appears that some neighbors are less than friendly and helpful. Sad, but so far not disastrous.

Next, rather than check the registration of the trailer and phone or send a note to us asking us to move it, the Los Gatos Police community service car showed up along with a tow truck to remove the offending vehicle. Here's where things got out of hand.

Our alert neighbors across the street noticed the arrival of the tow truck, and suggested to the accompanying community service officer that they talk to us before hitching it up. Instead of being thanked for the information about ownership, our neighbor was threatened with arrest for obstructing justice!

More police were summoned. Our gentle and friendly neighbor, whom we cannot imagine being threatening to anyone, was very upset by the this reaction. By the time one of the officers was persuaded to come to our door, the police presence had tripled, adding two squad cars to the community-service car and tow truck. Flashing lights undoubtedly got the attention of the rest of the neighborhood. One of the officers finally came to our door and we immediately removed the trailer from the street.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our good neighbors for their concern and patience about this incident and the circumstances leading up to it.

Please be assured that no crime was committed. We'd like to encourage our other neighbors to communicate directly with us and each other about minor grievances. We'd much prefer to see our taxes spent supporting our police force to keep us safe and secure. We also want to thank the Los Gatos police for eventually reaching the correct solution to this problem and allowing us to move the trailer without penalty, even though they uncharacteristically slipped up along the way.

J. Campbell Scott and Joyce D. Scott
Los Gatos

MROSD rangers deserved to be given praise

As a longtime walker in the Sierra Azul area of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, I read with dismay the April 11 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times article regarding the letters of warning issued to rangers Kerry Carlson and Tom Randall by that District's management.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to meet some of the district's rangers (including Carlson and Randall). At all times I was impressed with the rangers' knowledge, courtesy, and professionalism.

Now we have a situation where the two rangers, in the course of their work, participate in an activity which renders the hills above our town safer. Are rangers Carlson and Randall recognized with praise from the district's management?

No. Instead, the rangers are reprimanded with letters of warning. The reason given by the district's administrator is that the rangers did not follow the Ranger's Field Operations Manual.

As we begin the 21st century, this may well be an appropriate time for the administrators of MROSD to review and update the manual for the current century.

In my view rangers Kerry Carlson and Tom Randall deserve letters of commendation, not letters of warning.

Gregory J. Martin
Los Gatos

Students will not forget emotion of the simulation

"Every Fifteen Minutes someone is killed by a drunk driving collision."

This message was drilled into the heads of Los Gatos High School students on April 4 and 5. The front page article on this event in the April 12 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times reminded me of the emotional toll these days took. I know many of my friends and I got shivers just looking at the pictures and remembering the intense, although simulated, trauma.

Los Gatos parents, students, policemen, firemen, emergency crews, and school officials have put in too much time and money for us to forget the message of Every Fifteen Minutes. So I encourage all students and parents affected by this event to keep the idea alive.

I know, as a student, that we won't stop drinking. But, that doesn't mean we can't make the decision not to drive drunk. Those who actually dedicate a couple seconds of thought to make the life-long decision not to drink and drive, probably won't. Whereas those who just figure they won't do something as stupid as that are the ones who end up in jail for vehicular manslaughter.

Even though the Every Fifteen Minutes crash and funeral were simulated, the emotions evoked were very real. If you were at the funeral, you saw it. I want everyone to remember what they felt and share what they felt--it could save a life. And in my opinion, $10,000 is worth one life.

Joel Key
Student Body President, LGHS

Albanian students would love to have magazine copies

I am working in Kosovo and one of the host country local nationals who works for me also has a part-time job as an English teacher. He saw my copy of the February 2000 issue of National Geographic in which there are articles about Albanians and the Albanians who live in the Kosovo province.

He was so excited about the article that he wanted to share it with his students. So I am asking if folks from Los Gatos can spare those copies of National Geographic and can they send them to me at Chris Wiley, Brown & Root, HHQ, APO AE 09340.

The folks here will be most appreciative to get this issue with or without the special map. Thanks for your support Los Gatos!!!

Chris Wiley
Los Gatos

Dress code offers strange solution

The dress code at Fisher Middle School is now being enforced, but the excuse they give for enforcing it is that we wear too distracting or too revealing clothing, i.e. sagging and spaghetti straps.

But if we violate the dress code, they make us change into our P.E. clothes which I believe to be more distracting.

I have adapted to the sagging and other things they consider not fit for school.

Derek K. Doyle
Fisher student

Where are the funny cards?

This letter is in regard to a store on University Avenue up to about a year ago called Putting on the Ritz. Did that store move to another location? If not, can any of your readers recommend another store in the Bay Area that stocks the same "fun" greeting cards that this store sold?

Alan Hills
Los Gatos

Police Report

Walls separate neighbors and cultures

Obituaries

Picture From the Past

Sports Briefs

Local athletes perform well at CCS Top 8 Track Classic

Los Gatos Little League results

Six high school athletes win Wedemeyer scholarships