Letters

LGHS track coach speaks out about article

I'd like to clarify exactly what I said to the Los Gatos Weekly-Times [April 25 issue].

I said to you that the coverage of the pictures of my track team, being out there at the very first meet only, was not good. I said that Dick Sparrer does a great job on all our articles through the years. I said that I'm the one who supplies the pictures. I then said if the Weekly-Times can come out immediately to take a picture of Chioke Robinson, then the weekly can surely come out to take some pictures of our team on home-meet days. I further said, why don't you take a picture of me or Trudy, we are the ones that run the programs, not the sprint coach. He doesn't need to be bothered by this; in fact, it doesn't need to be put in the paper at all. What's the point?

I'd also like to clarify that I said that if an administrator came out to see any of our practices, then they would have seen the value of our sprint coach for our kids. I did not imply that an administrator does not show up at any of our meets. I implied that they needed to see just one practice and evaluate Chioke Robinson's coaching. He is a very good coach, who doesn't deserve this.

I also said, that Robinson coaches our sprinters and jumpers privately every day, continuing their training at DeAnza College. That this is what 99.9 percent of our sprinters want, 99.9 percent of our parents want, and all our coaches want. I had a meeting with the parents and athletes--this is what they want. They are mostly seniors and they don't want to lose their personal coach. I never said, he coaches every single day at Los Gatos on our campus, because he is not allowed to be physically on our campus now. He coaches our athletes at DeAnza, along with all the other kids from other schools he privately coaches. He picks DeAnza because that is where our league finals are at. I support what my athletes, parents and coaches want, which is perfectly legal. He is not a coach at Los Gatos, he is a private coach for our kids; there is a difference.

I also train other athletes from other schools with our athletes.

It is allowed throughout the Central Coast Section, if approved by their parents and school coaches. No other approval is ever needed for this, it is perfectly legal to have an outside private coach. I've been doing it for 15 years.

Let's talk more about our distance-medley boys, who ran the fastest time in state last week, No. 3 in the nation, set a school record by 12 seconds, and ran the second fastest time in CCS history. A great article was just written by your sports writer Dick Sparrer, who does a great job.

I also said, yes, I've won 20 CCS titles, I think I know what captures our kids hearts, in order to compete well and have a great track experience, and what is good for our kids, coaching-wise. This is also what I said.

This is my last year of coaching, so I'd like to see a great finish.

We have a great team that will win league and possibly CCS. I don't want to jeopardize that. These seniors have worked too hard.

I'm entitled to a response to your article.

Willie Harmatz
Head track coach
Los Gatos High School

Recollection about 5-Spot brings back memories

Great article by John Baggerly about the 5-Spot brings back fond memories of riding my bike up there from home at 497 Bird Ave.

At that time, in the early '50s, the property had many beautiful great oak trees and there was one right by the roadside next to the restaurant where a big dump truck lost control, without brakes, and got wedged between the tree and the building, creating a scare for the customers.

I sure wish that old place was still in operation in Los Gatos for enjoyment when I come to town to visit.

Franc G. Fallico, M.D.
Anchorage, Ala.

Schools should not be used for propaganda

The April 4 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times reported that "Students Staged a day of Silence to Promote Talking about Homophobia" on the LGHS campus.

The article reports that members of the Gay-Straight Alliance used this event to distribute literature, and recruit members of the student body during the school day.

The article reports that "many teachers and administrators wore 'Ally' stickers in support of this Gay-Straight Alliance event."

The El Gato student newspaper also reports that "many teachers restructured their curriculums for the day or even participated throughout the day."

Who asked you, as a parent, if you wanted Los Gatos High School staff turned into agents for this political pressure group? Can you think of any other political organization that is handed this kind of special access to our schools?

These students did not originate this "Day of Silence." It was conceived and directed at the national level by the PR machine of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

If any other group, say a religious group ever used school personnel, or resources, like this don't you think you would have the ACLU on the attack faster than you could say "lawsuit"? What if a teacher posted the 10 Commandments in his classroom? Outrage! Lawsuit city! However, where is the outrage over an Orwellian anti-First Amendment placard stating "Homophobic Comments will not be Tolerated" as posted in several Los Gatos High School classrooms?

Let's define what "homophobia" really means. It is a word invented by the gay activist PR machine to prevent scrutiny or criticism of their practices or tactics. It says, "You are afraid of us, and you are mentally ill if you oppose us. You shall agree with us or you may not speak." Homophobia is used as an immunity necklace to shield this powerful political lobby from diverse opinions they don't want to hear.

This "Day of Silence" event has little to do with so-called tolerance. It has everything to do with advancing the political power and influence of a well-funded and aggressive special interest lobby and their allies in the grievance industry who resort to this abuse of the educational system and students to advance their agenda.

We entrust our schools to educate, not facilitate propagandizing by bullying and deceptive special interest groups.

Every student and every school should be free from this type of political pressure and pandering. Let's make our schools safe from this kind of abuse and subversion. These groups are free to do what they like on their own time and with their own money. As a taxpayer are you not deeply offended that your tax dollars are being hijacked to peddle this kind of special interest agenda?

Ted Kucklick
Los Gatos

Article on school did not reflect traffic problems

This week's article, cartoon and editorial concerning the Hillbrook School conditional-use permit approval stories had a school administration slant that prompted me to write this letter on behalf of the neighbors of Hillbrook School.

Gloria Wang's story had some balance for the concerns of the school and the neighborhood adjacent to the school. I feel that your biased front-page headline, cartoon and editorial does not reflect the growing traffic impacts that have been allowed to increase, resulting in reduced quality of life in the neighborhood. Reflection of the communications breakdown, concerning the problems of the neighborhood, school and town government in resolving this issue, was hidden in the story.

Hillbrook School administration's increasing lack of neighborhood sensitivity by how it operates the school has created this controversy over the years, since the construction of the gymnasium. The planning/town council review process is lengthy and frustrating for all who participated. I do not think any of the parties are satisfied, except for the Arbor Drive neighborhood. School supporters stormed the council chambers by taking an overwhelming majority of seats, thus limiting speakers time to be heard and further giving the Marchmont Drive neighborhood the impression that its concerns are secondary to the operation of the school.

The town council's approval includes a condition of unannounced car counts by the town, during peak hours twice a year, to ensure that there are no more than 165 parent cars during a hour period of before and after school. This condition is important to the neighborhood and should be reported to the residents and the public. I am asking the Los Gatos Weekly-Times to make a commitment to publish these counts for all to see. I am hopeful that the town will communicate this information to the neighborhood. It is not unusual for promises not to be kept in the future.

Jim Randall
Los Gatos

Correction

In a story on teacher housing in the April 25 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, the approximate starting salary for teachers in the Cupertino Union School District was incorrectly stated as $36,476. The district had provided its 1999-2000 salary figures, which are lower than its current salary figures. Starting salaries for teachers in the district are now $40,496 for intern teachers and teachers on emergency permits, and $41,077 for regular credentialed teachers straight out of the program.

In a news brief in the May 2 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, the status of the contract between Blue Cross and the Community Hospital of Los Gatos was incorrectly listed as expired. The hospital and Blue Cross do currently have a contract and Blue Cross does serve Community Hospital patients.

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