Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Downtown should be more friendly to bikes

It was recently that I tried to ride a bike to downtown Los Gatos to make use of one of the many small businesses that operates in that area. I was shocked at what I found.

The downtown area in Los Gatos is totally unsuited to bike use of any kind. There are no bike lanes and no bike racks that I could see.

As soon as I took a side street off from University Avenue, I had to walk my bike along the sidewalk. What might be considered a bike lane was filled with parked cars, and the street was too busy with cars to safely accommodate bikes. There are, of course, a few serious bikers who race ahead of the cars all the way down University Avenue, but I do not feel like risking my life to join them.

I, admittedly, am a high school student who has not yet gotten his driver's license. But there is no reason why everyone should be required to use cars in order to visit the downtown businesses in Los Gatos, and there are many in this town who bike instead of drive. There has been some discussion lately over the question of why Los Gatans prefer to drive to San Jose and other cities for shopping needs, rather than visit local establishments.

Our downtown is often crowded with cars. If one owns a car, then one might as well just take Highway 85 out of town rather than look for a parking space on N. Santa Cruz Avenue. But if Los Gatans of all ages could safely bike through our downtown and not have to worry about parking spaces and slow traffic, the appeal of visiting our local merchants would be greatly increased.

With all the recent talk about improving the town's quality of life and gathering citizen input, I had assumed that something like this would have already occurred to town planners. Evidently, I had never looked for bike lanes or bike racks when I had driven or run through the downtown. But when I expected them to be there, they were not. I take this to be a serious omission on the part of the town and hope that many more agree with my position.

David Hembry
Los Gatos

It's Blanton's turn to wear mayor's mantle

As time draws near for the Town Council to select Los Gatos' mayor for the next year, I would like to suggest the name of Councilmember Steve Blanton.

His council colleagues elected to punish him two years ago because he dared to differ with them. Blanton said that we didn't need to raise taxes to fix our streets because the improving economy would generate the funds needed (it has).

Blanton opposed an earlier agreement with Green Valley Disposal, saying the town could get a better one for its citizens (it did). Ultimately, he opposed the police contract with Monte Sereno because he thought Los Gatos' police coverage would suffer.

Judging by the rowdy crowds in the downtown area on some nights, I would tend to agree.

According to stories in your paper, he has proven to be a good listener, too, making efforts to protect the neighborhoods around the Calvary Church, the Downing Center and Lark and Winchester from over-development.

Blanton has been an excellent councilmember who has shown the courage of his convictions. His judgment has often proved better than that of his fellow councilmembers. Maybe that's why they don't want him to be mayor.

Maxine McMurry
Los Gatos

Thanks for repairs on N. Santa Cruz

Regarding the new paving on N. Santa Cruz Avenue, those of us who travel this street are totally pleased with the new, smooth asphalt surface. I hope those who planned, designed and installed this project will read this letter and accept our thanks.

William W. Johnson
Monte Sereno

Residents outside school district get second-class treatment

I specifically moved to Los Gatos to become part of a smaller community but do not live within the Los Gatos Union School District boundaries. I support moving our area into LGUSD because we are treated as unfavorable Los Gatos residents simply because of the fact we are not part of the LGUSD (something the real estate agent doesn't tell you).

The response of the families and administration of the LGUSD, at recent meetings, clearly proves the point! According to them, we would lower their test scores, lower their property values and bring gangs to their schools.

Please. Our children attended preschool and attend church and summer school in Los Gatos, enroll in Parks and Recreation classes, and have in the past attended LGUSD. They participate in some (but not all) of the sports teams with your children (obviously unbeknown to you).

Unfortunately for us, being full participants in the Los Gatos community requires becoming part of the LGUSD. Unless you are in our situation, this may be difficult to understand because your school is part of your community by definition.

In our children's school, we have at least three different cities attending different Parks and Recreation classes and summer schools. Our children are split between Saratoga, Los Gatos and Campbell sports leagues, depending on the sport.

Also, many of us are active in the town in which we live, but our families gravitate to different towns for activities. The Los Gatos Town Council, the recreation department, Los Gatos businesses and even the Los Gatos Weekly-Times tend to only support LGUSD students and not their fellow students in other school districts.

We understand that LGUSD is full (as are most schools), but if LGUSD would take a look at the whole instead of treating this issue and their facilities problem as separate, they may be able to see what the Saratoga Elementary School District has seen. The county study may solve your facilities problem and at the same time help build a stronger Los Gatos community by finally changing the school district lines to align with town boundaries.

We might be able to provide the demographics to build a new school while at the same time bring in more parcel tax and property values to help fund it or transfer at least one school (if not three) into the LGUSD district. Building or transferring a new school would help eliminate LGUSD housing problems and, depending on location, may not necessitate transferring existing students to other schools.

All we ask is that LGUSD and our fellow Los Gatos residents have an open mind and try to solve a problem that has existed for more than 40 years--town boundaries not aligned with school boundaries causes community fragmentation.

Karie L. Chow
Los Gatos

Correction

A story about a Los Gatos Union School District meeting in the Nov. 5 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times incorrectly reported that Superintendent Bert Pearlman and the district support Scenarios 1 and 3. The position of the district is to support only Scenario 1. At the Nov. 5 meeting, the group Parents for Quality Neighborhood Schools circulated a petition in support of Scenarios 1 and 3.

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