Letters
Residents voice their opposition to MetroPCS
As a concerned citizen of Los Gatos, my husband and I are very much against the possible installation of antennas and supporting cabinets at the base of the PG&E tower at the entrance to Live Oak Manor Park, located at Lester Lane and Blackwell. We feel strongly about blocking MetroPCS from entering our neighborhood for their benefit alone.
Currently, we have an unsightly view of the PG&E high-tension tower from our backyard. With the addition of six antennas atop the tower and with a six-foot solid redwood fence surrounding the base of the tower, this will be more of an eyesore. We have children who often play in the park in which there is a concern about dangerous emissions from the existing structures. We do not want our children subjected to additional emissions. Also, we are asking ourselves: If MetroPCS goes out of business, who will remove the structures left behind? On Los Gatos Boulevard we already have remains from businesses gone awry, namely Burger Pit.
What is being proposed for our neighborhood could eventually be proposed for all Los Gatos neighborhoods. Presently Los Gatos has no restrictions or guideline requirements in the town code stating where cellular antenna sites may or may not be installed. To protect and preserve the quality of life in our neighborhoods, we are requesting that the town of Los Gatos draft and adopt a wireless telecommunications facilities ordinance. We need the entire community of Los Gatos to lobby the town council to make this happen.
We are asking the town council on May 20 to please not allow MetroPCS to pollute our small park just for the sake of "progress" or "the greater good." Most kids in Los Gatos already carry cell phones with sufficient services; we don't need more telecommunications companies coming into Los Gatos residential areas and residential parks. Let's keep our little town beautiful by having an ordinance that would protect against antenna blight.
Daniel and Karen West
Los Gatos
DeCinzo's 'cheap shot' is out of line
DeCinzo's distorted characterizations of Los Gatos citizens, businessess and public servants is tasteless, prejudicial and inflammatory. His second depiction of Whole Foods employees and customers in the April 24 edition of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times was clearly personal in nature and out of bounds in journalistic value. His work is nothing more than cheap shots taken at innocent people for whom he has no regard or respect.
His cartoons are amateurish, lack insight and do harm to our community by randomly targeting its citizens. DeCinzo's freedom of speech has become personal license underwritten by the Weekly-Times. The cynical disposition of his work devalues the Weekly-Times and is entirely contrary to the thoughtful, challenging and community-oriented articles written by your staff.
Kenton W. Smith
Monte Sereno
Applauding hard work done by blended families
I've just finished Sandy Sims' article about the psychological and emotional struggles of living within a blended family (Los Gatos Weekly Times, April 17). In my opinion, she did an excellent job of highlighting the issues we currently face as a society and civilization.
When I became a licensed marriage, family and child therapist in the mid-1970s, like many novice therapists of that era I tended to regard this phenomena of family life as an adjunct clinical issue to the more "real" or deeper psychological issues for which people sought counseling. Today, in the year 2002, it is the major issue I see presented every week in my work with children, adults, couples and families. Its pervasiveness and impact on the lives of the people I see feels painful and overwhelming to me at times.
As Sandy's article noted, the statistical outcomes for success in blended families are very grim. Paradoxically I find it rewarding to have shared in my clients' struggle to heal despite such pronouncements. The awareness I hold of their efforts and desire to heal has filled large gaps in my professional training and has led me to discover much about the resiliency, depth and strength of the human spirit. Articles such as Sandy's-combined with people's grit and determination to emerge from this existential quagmire-continue to affirm my sense of appreciation for the hard-won successes I have witnessed. Thanks for publishing her article at this particular time.
Stacy Smith
Los Gatos
Is 'conspicuous consumption' a worthy topic?
I have not even finished reading the April 24 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times because I am so disgusted by Oakley Brooks' article "King Vendor" that I must respond to it.
I fail to see any merit in this gratuitous showcasing of some kid who made it big. I kept waiting for the part of the article that would talk about the good things the grown-up Alan Aerts is giving back to the community with all of his vending machine loot. Instead I ended up reading over a three-page spread on a self-indulgent, conspicuous consumer who wouldn't even give a dime to save a piece of Monte Sereno-and Santa Clara Valley history-but who will spend like a Home Shopping Network junky on schlocky holiday decorations for the front yard of his Monte Sereno [home]. I wonder if his neighbors look forward to the holidays as much as he does?
What exactly was the point of this article? What portion of its content qualified it as your cover story? Am I the only one who missed something or was Oakley Brooks simply pointing out that even a little town like Monte Sereno can run with the big dogs like San Jose and allow a slice of rural life to be paved over and replaced with all the glamour of a trailer park? If that was his intention, he succeeded beyond his own expectations. In my opinion, however, Brooks' article was a waste of valuable space in your paper, and a waste of valuable time out of my day.
David N. Ralph
San Jose
Los Gatos losing its 'soul' to chain stores
I am an out-of-towner who was visiting Los Gatos a few weeks ago. I was very excited to pay a visit to the majestic town of "The Cats" because I had heard so many wonderful things about the area. So I drove a couple hours from the north in order to be a tourist and witness nature's transformation from winter to spring, look at the beautiful high school and walk around the historic downtown.
The leaves on the trees and the clean, crisp air made me feel very calm and relaxed. The high school is so gorgeous that it looks like it's out of a movie. And making my way up Main Street to connect with N. Santa Cruz was simply one of the most attractive short walks I had experienced in a while.
And then combining all of the downtown architecture and the surrounding nature with the soul from the surroundings made me absorb a lot of NorCal pride about what this town's environment has established and maintained. I was experiencing a lot of upbeat emotions with the town until ... I reached the middle of N. Santa Cruz, between Highway 9 and Main Street, and underwent a complete reversal with my feelings about the splendidness of Los Gatos. I had only been in your town for two hours and a roller coaster ride of emotions occurred!
The love for this town was shattered when I was confronted with the chain stores Williams-Sonoma and GapKids sitting in the middle of downtown Los Gatos. Out of complete shock, my initial question to my companion, a Los Gatos local, was, "Are we walking down the middle of a shopping mall?"
My stars! The intimate old-school feeling that I had perceived, which has enriched the town for decades, is being erased by businesses that are predominantly found in a mall. My friend replied in a worried way, "Things are changing here and not in the best ways. There is a Border's Books and Banana Republic around the corner, also." Ouch!
Nevada City, Calif., is a town that has kept its old-school flavor. There are no corporate chain stores in the town, giving it a very warm feeling in the heart and soul. People there breathe fresh mountain air while they stroll past the businesses, all of which are in the "ma and pa" style. Now, if only Los Gatos was able to re-create that realness that a historic downtown should have. How unique that would be, to keep your town the true treasure it has been for scores of years, without any corporate bashings.
Downtown Los Gatos has been knocked some blows to her beauty with these stores. I've learned from travelling across the United States that when one corporate monster breaks the barrier of a small town-especially one with residents who generate a nice income-additional chain stores will inevitably follow. With patience, a Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen and Footlocker will appear in your downtown.
Remember, this is the opinion of a concerned and interested out-of-towner.
Kamalani Norris
Kentfield, Calif.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
