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Editorials
Time to harness the local talent
One of the cornerstones of a democracy is citizen participation. But it's hard enough getting people to exercise their right to vote, let alone getting them involved in civic affairs. Los Gatos and other local governing bodies are finding that residents don't have the time or inclination to volunteer at city hall.
The town of Los Gatos began to notice a high number of vacancies on the various committees and commissions that help the town function. In some cases, these governmental bodies had so few members, they were unable to hold meetings.
One way to stem this tide of apathy is to do what a football team does when it has a hole in its lineup: go out and recruit players. The town has taken this strategy and created Leadership Los Gatos, a nine-month program to train future community leaders.
But instead of going after just any warm body, the program is targeting people who are already in leadership positions and want to step up their involvement.
The program sounds like a winner, and the model has proven successful in other communities. Maybe the local government can tap into some of the high-priced brain power that runs Silicon Valley. In these days of mass layoffs, a lot of talent is wasting away on the sidelines. Hopefully this new program will attract some of these blue-chip prospects who have a bit of time on their hands.
Los Gatos Film Festival
Film festivals seem to be everywhere nowadays, and the town of Los Gatos apparently wants one of its own.
Mayor Joe Pirzynski and the owners of the Los Gatos Cinema, Jack NyBlom and Jim Zuur, have hatched a plan to sell the town on sponsoring the aptly named Los Gatos Film Festival.
The promoters of the festival are proposing a small, two-day community affair, highlighted with nightly screenings at Oak Meadow Park. One of the confirmed sponsors is the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. At least five films will be featured, and the subject matter will lean toward family fare.
Of course, the organizers of the event are quick to promise that they're not after a glitzy, Hollywood kind of film festival. They say they want to keep it local, even to the point of advertising solely in Los Gatos.
Film is a wonderful medium in that it still has the power to bring people together for a shared entertainment experience--no easy feat given the proliferation of home theaters and cable television.
But a film festival also means that a group of people will be empowered to choose the films that are screened, a highly subjective--and potentially political--endeavor. Hopefully, the organizers will make sure to create a selection panel that represents a wide range of community interests, especially if town money is used to develop the project.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
