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Letters
City should not give land to Maleksalehi
The proposal by Nemat Maleksalehi to the city of Saratoga to build an indoor sport and recreation facility should keep Mr. Maleksalehi employed for life. He is asking the city to give him the land, which at its lowest value will be about a half a million dollars an acre, and he will put up $200,000. For his $200,000, he will get all the income of the facility for life, while the city will get $1 a month for the multimillion-dollar land that it provides.
Mehdi Safipour
Purdue Drive
Creekside Saratogans should appreciate creeks
I was taken by the DeCinzo cartoon in the Jan. 19 issue of the Saratoga News depicting a well-heeled older Saratoga couple on the steps of their mansion, saying to an assemblage of animals, "We moved to the Saratoga Hills to be near nature! What are all these animals doing here?"
This cartoon reminds me of a parallel scene I see along Saratoga's several creeks: about 95 percent of the lots have elaborate fences along the creek bank. These barriers close off necessary access to the creek by deer and other wildlife.
Why do people buy or build homes along a lovely creek and then shut it out of their sight? Is it fear of the wildlife? Or of possible creek-walkers? The people who walk in creeks are the same as those who walk the roads. But the beauty of our creeks is simply ignored and often residents use the creek only as a dump.
Don't these residents realize that the junk they dump in the creek can hang up downstream and form a dam? Such blockage can force high water to back up, causing severe bank erosion at least, and severe flooding at worst! Such use of the creeks is especially stupid because our trash collection service will collect and recycle all yard trimmings and will safely dispose of other waste!
The resultant erosion damage encourages the water district to throw up ugly walls of riprap or cement sacks at taxpayer expense (of course, creek dumping is illegal and can be cited by the water district, if reported).
If those who live along Saratoga's creeks cannot appreciate the beauty of their creeks, they, like DeCinzo's fearful hillside dwellers, should go live elsewhere.
Robert E. Wallace
Foothill Lane
DeCinzo did capture a segment of community
I have enjoyed the DeCinzo political cartoons almost since the Saratoga News began to carry them. I also enjoy them in an associated publication, on the occasion I happen to pick it up at a newsstand. I just wanted to express my appreciation for the latest of DeCinzo's work in the Jan. 19 edition of the Saratoga News. I find the artist's sharp commentary through animation humorous at the least and thought-provoking at the best.
The aforementioned cartoon displayed a middle-aged-to-elderly couple complaining of wild animals infiltrating their precious Saratoga hillside property, as if they should be granted an exemption to invading the creatures' habitat.
Additionally, the gentleman depicted was toting an oxygen bottle, implying this is a person who abused his health in his younger years and now taxes the health-care system with a self-inflicted condition.
At any rate, I found DeCinzo's work to be the best ever and had a good, heartfelt belly laugh. Whoever DeCinzo is--male or female--I would like to shake this person's hand if ever given the privilege. DeCinzo articulately captures the core of an effete part of this community most of us find too grotesque to acknowledge.
A loyal and appreciative reader,
Ron Schild
Veronica Drive
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
