Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Music in Plaza started in 1978

In response to Shari Kaplan's article on the 10th anniversary Music in the Plaza in the June 17 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, please note the following.

Music in the Park/Plaza started in the summer of 1978 by the one-year-old Cultural Arts Commission (later changed to Arts Commission). The charter members of this commission made its first project a Music in the Park series which would bring music to all the parks in Los Gatos.

The first concert was held in Oak Meadow Park on Sunday, July 2, 1978, and featured the Gem City Jazz Band. This series ended with a fifth concert held in the Plaza featuring the Chuck Travis Band.

The Cultural Arts Commission organized the Music in the Park series until 1983 when it was discontinued mostly because of lack of support by the Town Council. It did, however, take up the cause of the Los Gatos Chamber Orchestra, which performed in various places in town during 1982 and 1983.

The series was abandoned until 1988 when Emerald Hathaway Bush picked up the standard--as reported in Kaplan's story--for two years after which Ethel Worn, arts commissioner then, continued for another few years.

The original Cultural Arts Commission came about in 1977 with the instigation of then Vice Mayor Mardi Gualtieri Bennett and artist Ad Klein. The charter members were this writer, Deborah Gabris, Sandy Lauthian, Ema Rau and Ad Klein.

Lucille Hogan
Los Gatos

DeCinzo was mere messenger of the truth

Alas, once again our beloved political icon Stephen DeCinzo is under attack by overly sensitive inhabitants of "Our Town" for his recent cartoon depicting of LGHS principal Ted Simonson. Seems that some folks want to idealize Simonson and cleanse him of his alleged past flaws, namely sexism, racism, and homophobia, stemming from his remarks at the infamous Chamber of Commerce function as well as from his approval of a strip show to entertain the LGHS football team, among other gaffes of his tenure.

I am sure that even DeCinzo critics would agree that he did not in any way compel Simonson to do these politically incorrect things (Simonson bravely admitted that they were the result of a malfunction somewhere between his mouth and his brain). What troubles me is that Simonson's Lions' Club friends and well-meaning LGHS' alumni actually do Ted (and the citizens of "Our Town") a disservice by seeking to cover up his human frailties.

All the good Simonson did surely outweighs the bad without having to tee off on DeCinzo as the mere messenger of the truth.

Steve Zientek
Los Gatos

Thanks to town for job well done

We would like to compliment the staff of the town of Los Gatos for completing an excellent project on the street pavement overlay, median improvement and striping plan for Los Gatos Boulevard between Blossom Hill Road and Loma Alta Avenue.

The pavement overlay is a great improvement to the use and appearance of the boulevard.

The new divider median in front of Van Meter Elementary School provides additional safety for children attending school and pedestrians using the crosswalk. The new striping plan, which provides for two lanes and center-turn lane, was very well thought out. In the past, vehicles traveling northbound tried to squeeze side by side into 1 1/2 lanes in front of the convenience/liquor store and the service station at Spencer Avenue, creating a dangerous situation.

Finally, the bicycle lanes provide clear demarcation, making this a safer route for bicyclists.

Again, we would like to compliment the town for working through a wet winter and completing an excellent project.

Dan and Cheryl Simons
Los Gatos

A kinder cartoon would have been more appropriate

I always look forward to Tuesday and the Weekly's delivery. It keeps me in touch with my town and my schools. However, the cartoon captioned "Oh, Mr. Simonson! You forgot some of your things!" didn't make me laugh; it just made me feel sad.

I realize that humor is individually defined, just as what is beautiful to one may not be so to another. So I searched inside for the source of this feeling of sadness. And I thought, what if someone did a cartoon of me at a milestone in my life, and what if it highlighted the moments of which I might be least proud?

What if it was titled "Mom" or "Volunteer" or "Friend" or "Neighbor" and it focused on either the mistakes I had made or the embarrassments or pain I had caused others? Would it define the person that I am? Would I not be able to laugh at myself? Then I realized that such a cartoon would not be "personally correct," since it magnified only a small part of the total person.

In today's world we all need humor. In our family, you had to be able to laugh at yourself and withstand relentless teasing for any slight faux pas. However, it always was very clear that there was a line which, if crossed, would allow someone to be destructive with their comments and then you become the target of someone's hurtful words.

Perhaps in my cartoon I would wish that I would be remembered and laughed at less for my errors in judgment, and more for the everyday kindness we all share as human beings. We are all burdened with regrettable misstatements or decisions--these are "skeletons" or burdens that we carry in our hearts.

Here's my true cartoon: immediately after the graduation ceremony, Ted, Patti Hughes and Al Simon, still wearing their black ceremony robes and gold tassels, are seen arm-in-arm, walking down a hospital corridor, "da, da-da-da-ing" the processional march as they arrive at Steve La Barbera's room to present him with his diploma. (He is recuperating from a devastating auto mishap).

The caption reads "The one with the longest name is the shortest (and oldest); the tallest one has the shortest name (Simon); and of course the beautiful one is Patti.

We must each be responsible for magnifying and perpetuating the beauty and goodness we see in each other. That is how we can develop good family values and ensure a healthy future generation.

Judy Peckler, Jana '88, Jennifer '90 (Jill '93 and Jeff 2000)
Los Gatos

Shortcut makes for danger in neighborhood

We are appealing to Los Gatans for help in making our neighborhood safe for our children.

Vista Del Monte is used as an alternate route by many drivers to get from Los Gatos Boulevard to downtown Los Gatos. Many of these cars are traveling at speeds in excess of the 25-mile speed limit, some at speeds that are very dangerous.

There are many families with young children living in our neighborhood. We may be pulling out of our driveway, playing with our children on the front lawn or taking our child on a walk with the dog. An accidental injury--or worse--to a child is something all parents want to avoid.

Please help make our neighborhood safe for our families and children by driving the 25-mile speed limit on Vista Del Monte and surrounding streets. Encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Thank you for your support.

Kelli O'Gorman
Los Gatos

De Cinzo's views must be paper's

I usually confine my letters to subjects having to do with the arts or the museum, but this time De Cinzo really got my attention. All four of our children are Los Gatos High School graduates during the tenure of Ted Simonson. They are all grown and gone, but when we described the cartoon that ran in the June 24 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times to them, "cheap shot" was the unanimous response.

There is a reason that LGHS wins so many awards that it has become commonplace. There is a reason people will sacrifice almost anything to live in this school district. It also means something at college-entrance time to be a graduate of LGHS. The credit for all this belongs to Ted Simonson, a fact that seems to escape our worthy cartoonist.

Whether we like it or not, the Weekly-Times is not only a reporter and editorializer, it is a representative of the town and De Cinzo's cartoons do represent the editorial policy of the paper. It's a copout to say that the views he expresses are his own when every part of the paper is subject to editorial review.

Mr. De Cinzo, it may interest you to know that Ted Simonson has volunteered to join the Board of Directors of the Los Gatos Museum Association. May his civic dedication continue in spite of the parting shot you chose to give him. I invite you to give us a cartoon on that subject. Something to do with fossils, perhaps.

Ted Glauser
Los Gatos

De Cinzo's latest was just awful

I am about ready to stop taking your paper. I was so disgusted with the cartoon by DeCinzo in the June 24th issue! I have not liked many of his cartoons before, but this one really disgusted me.

Ted Simonson, now retired, has done a few silly things over the years but the cartoon, depicting stuff he supposedly left behind, is awful!

Is DeCinzo on your staff? Is he one of the owners? You continue to print his awful cartoons! I'd fire him if I had anything to do with your paper!

Roberta Blake
A Los Gatos resident for over 60 years

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