Letters

Resident wants trees to remain in Town Plaza

In regard to the remodeling of Town Plaza, which we town people always have called the Post Office Park: I hope the three redwood trees my dad and I planted when I was a young boy in the YMCA Indian Guides will not be hurt in any way, shape or form.

There is a family bond now that there is only three of us still alive and live in downtown. I'd hate to see anything happen to the trees. I'm a third generation here. My grandfather and father have had, for almost 60 years, Sorenson Plumbing on 21 W. Main St. I was raised here and graduated from the old Mark Twain High School. I worked here until my illness has brought me down to a sadder state of poor health. The trees are standing today through time, and I hope they will still be here for years to come.

Jack R. Sorenson
Los Gatos

Tenants find loopholes in rent dispute

Recently, a ray of hope flickered over Riviera Terrace Apartments. Several of us tenants continued to examine details of the Los Gatos Rental Dispute Resolution Ordinance, and related state code. It seems we found at least one loophole that could void our recent $429-per-month rent hike.

Two issues were presented recently by tenant representatives in a private meeting with Martin Eichner of Project Sentinel, the town's agent for rent disputes. Our mission was to curb the outflow of tenants by immediate case-dismissal rather than engage in lengthy mediation/arbitration phases and probable litigation. Eichner said he would think about it this weekend.

First issue--none of the rental increase notices mailed to the tenants are in compliance with California code. Secondly, the loan secured by the new owners (Sobrato) amortizes over 36 months. But under Los Gatos code, in order to pass through the cost of debt service to tenants, the payback must exceed 60 months. While the loan figures are confidential, the amount of any debt pass-through is presently incalculable. So why proceed?

For months we have said goodbye to those neighbors who couldn't bear the threat of this huge and sudden rent increase. While tenants still stream away each week in U-Hauls, they more likely lost a job recently, whereupon staying wasn't an option. But if our case gets thrown out, we will be doubly sad to have lost those fine neighbors still working nearby who could have stayed. And sadder yet is the irony of their victimization--priced out by Sobrato's scheme to convert part of the complex into affordable housing. In a plummeting market in which For Rent signs and Move-In-Special banners are sprouting up like so many American flags?

Jim Shannon
Los Gatos

Association says thank you for help with camp

Two 10-year-old girls attended horse camp recently. This is not unusual except that the children got there through the generosity of merchants and individuals in this town.

The Los Gatos Horseman's Association decided this year to start a horse camp fund to be used to send children every summer to Chaparral Ranch in the Milpitas foothills for a week of horse science, riding, feeding and stall cleaning--all of the activities surrounding the care of a horse. The club sponsored an essay contest on "Why I Want to Know a Horse," for fourth-graders at the George Mayne Elementary School in Alviso. We believed that children in that area, which is surrounded by dot-com development, might never come within touching distance of a horse.

The winners wrote of dreaming about a ride on a horse, loving and caring for him and feeling the fuzzy touch of his nose when feeding him.

As horse lovers, we were charmed. It is our hope, after all, to nurture the love of horses in children for life.

But it takes money. So a big thanks goes to the merchants and individuals who provided cash or donated merchandise which was used for prizes in an annual fundraising trail ride.

We appreciate the generosity of Pet People, Safeway, Coast to Coast, PetCo, Steamers Grill, Cottonworks, and local residents Charles and Francis Roberts, David J. Arata, Lenore Dowling, and Dan Scharre. Without those good folks and the dedicated club members who drove two hours to pick up the children and drive them to camp and then repeated it to drive them home, it would not have been possible. Thank you for giving us space to talk about some good stuff!

Carole Reames
President, Los Gatos Horseman's Association

Fiesta de Artes organizers thank the volunteers

On behalf of the Los Gatos Kiwanis Club, I would like to thank the many Los Gatans who made our recent Fiesta de Artes event so successful. We are pleased to host the fiesta, the town's only art and wine festival, each August on the civic center lawn. This year we had a tremendous turnout that helped raise money for local Kiwanis projects, including scholarships, youth projects, maintaining the Los Gatos Creek Trail and allowing us to help other local institutions such the Southwest YMCA, the Youth Science Institute and Eastfield Ming Quong.

My particular appreciation goes to the hundreds of non-Kiwanis volunteers who poured wine, served food and contributed to the success of the fiesta.

We couldn't do it without you.

Ernest G. Patterson
President, Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos

Police Report

For a beautiful lawn, forget the horses and get the horsepower

Trustees discuss ways to more fairly represent the residents of the district

Local home sales and property listings

Wedding: Lara And Bill Colvert

Picture From the Past

Sports Briefs

Petrillo, Still are triathlon champs

Cats deliver a message with 49-0 win over Paly

Peterson leads Cougars to Pop Warner victory

Beritzhoff sixth at Central Park

Vikings roll to win over Sequoias