Editorial

What's the big secret? Let's spread the word

The two best-kept secrets in Los Gatos during this holiday season are free valet parking and the employee shuttle service. That's too bad because both services were instituted with the best of intentions. Free valet parking was supposed to make parking easier for shoppers during a time of year that's critical to local merchants. The shuttle service was put in place to encourage employees--particularly at Old Town--to park in the Miles Avenue parking lot, thus freeing up other spaces for shoppers.

Three-hour time limits in town lots also were implemented to discourage employees from taking up spots where shoppers could park.

Unfortunately, instead of trumpeting news of the valet service, the town is barely acknowledging it. Several tasteful little signs near the valet parking lot offer "Complimentary Valet Parking" in very small letters.

If free valet parking were an ongoing service intended for gradual expansion, the tasteful little signs would be fine. However, valet parking will serve no purpose if people don't know it's available as soon as they get to town. People not only need to be aware of the valet-parking option, but also need to know that it's free.

We don't understand why the service is being labeled "complimentary" when one of the simplest, most powerful words in the English language is FREE.

A big banner at Highway 9 and N. Santa Cruz Avenue advertising the location of free valet parking would have been more effective, if less tasteful.

Poor communication also seems to be at the heart of the town's other best-kept holiday secret--the employee shuttle service to the isolated Miles Avenue parking lot.

Threatened by the Town Council with discontinuation of the service, the Chamber of Commerce tried to find out why employees were not using it. At the chamber's request, Old Town's manager sent a memo to businesses encouraging managers to promote the service.

Many of the store managers, it turned out, were so busy and so understaffed that they hadn't taken time to talk up the service. One manager even admitted letting people take time from the job to move cars parked in the three-hour limit parking lots--but promised not to make it so easy to ignore the shuttle option in the future.

And that's exactly what other employers need to do. No one wants to place a hardship on employees; that's why the Town Council approved the shuttle service. But managers do need to encourage employees to use it.

It's no secret that parking can be a mess in downtown Los Gatos, especially at this time of year. But there are two good options for making the situation better. Keeping those options a secret makes no sense at all.

Photo: Newborn Camel

Ferries are practical for crossing the Bay

Photo: West Valley College fashion class

Wedding: Ashleigh and Trevor Coffeng

Picture from the Past

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos shot down in shootout

Ryan, Blevins lead Gatos to soccer win

Veteran frosh-soph football coach Scott Downs steps down

Photo: Fisher Middle School girls basketball team