Saratoga News

Letters

Resident's letter hit right target

Jack Mallory is not alone. We agree with his letter in the March 11 issue of the Saratoga News. In addition, we believe a hometown paper does not need abrasive political cartoons.

Fred and Lana Waite
Saratoga

The Saratoga News is doing its job

As a resident of Saratoga for more than 32 years, I have observed elected officials being nasty to each other and a city manager doing what some city managers do, misleading the people in order to obtain what he perceives as the right result. However, I hadn't seen what appears to be an attempt to control the press.

Recently, there have been complaints against DeCinzo cartoons on the grounds of "cruelty." It seems the desired standard is that, in this small-town newspaper, the cartoonist should not have a license to poke fun at local people (who are just trying to do good); it may be all right for a cartoonist on a big-city paper, but it's not appropriate here in Saratoga.

The March 11 issue of the Saratoga News contains a letter from Jack Mallory (who says he is trying to do good) in which he objects to a DeCinzo cartoon, but also goes further and labels political articles which didn't espouse his point of view as "biased and unprofessional." He also attributes the negative votes on the utility tax to the coverage by the Saratoga News, which "misled the public."

The group that lost the last election still doesn't get it; rightly or wrongly, people will vote against a proposition when they conclude that the proponents of that proposition have tried to mislead them or go around them. Was it unprofessional of the News to report the facts that led the public to the conclusion that the City Council had been doing just that?

Ted Furman
Winter Lane

Farewell to the Book Market

In regard to the Saratoga Book Market: In Michelle Alaimo's article about the Saratoga Book Market closing ("The Book Market to close after four years in Village," Feb. 18), it stated that Rachel Cart's lease would not be renewed and that details as to why the Book Market is closing are sketchy. In our opinion, the article left a perception with the reader that we, the owners of Blue Rock Shoot, have "booted" the Book Market out of its location. For the record, we were informed by letter from Rachel and Ian [Oeschger] that "we plan to stop doing business as the Saratoga Book Market at the conclusion of our lease in March." The reason given was "market circumstances."

We at Blue Rock Shoot have now had to decide, sooner than we ever thought, about the future direction of the business as a whole. Although we will miss Rachel and the Book Market, we have been given the opportunity to reconsider our options with regard to the best use of the Book Market space located directly beneath us. Without the presence of Rachel, the Book Market would not be the same.

In conclusion, we say goodbye and thank you to the Saratoga Book Market and wish Rachel and Ian the best of luck in their future. We hope all their dreams come true.

Tracey and Mitchell Cutler
Josh White
Owners, Blue Rock Shoot

Freeway cartoon was out of line

The cartoon knocking the Freeway Noise Abatement Committee and the residents of Saratoga was completely out of line.

We knew when we bought this house that the corridor was out there. However, we never thought they would run a freeway through a bedroom community. But, just in case, we used to drive around and park next to all the freeways around to see if we could stand that level of noise in our back yard. We decided we could.

We were totally unprepared for the level of noise that we actually got when this freeway was completed. We think we have a very narrow corridor between Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue with a bend in it that allows the noise to bounce back and forth between the walls, causing a godawful racket. We can count the number of cars driving by on the opposite side of the freeway when it is not rush hour. Since our house is two stories, we get the full blast upstairs from this freeway.

The city of Saratoga's building inspector came to inspect our new roof and told us our house was by far the loudest he had been to in his travels.

And, anyway, why would Mr. DeCinzo (the cartoonist) object to a decrease in noise levels in this valley?

My husband and I took a drive to Anderson Reservoir during a dry break before it filled up. We drove to Henry Coe Park, passing only about three cars on the way. When we arrived at the park, we got out of the car, walked over to the grass and gloried in the view--some trees blooming, daffodils blooming, the hills so green and gorgeous. The sun warmed our skin, the birds were chirping, the air smelled like spring and we could see forever, taking in the hills to the ocean, seeing Monterey Bay. Ah, wonderful! Then I asked my husband, "Can you hear it?"

"What?" he said.

"The high-pitched hum coming from the valley?" I replied.

There in that gorgeous setting, atop those lush green hills on a sunshiny day, the noise of the valley still invades.

Let Mr. DeCinzo live with that if he wants, but I think it behooves us to try to eliminate that racket when we are able.

And, while I'm at it, noise pollution is not the only thing we get from this freeway. The night light pollution and the pollution in the air is difficult. We cannot keep our house dusted, to say nothing of our lungs. And there is nothing we can do about these two things. Why should we not try to change the one thing we can? And with some help, we will.

Tina Vanslow
Saratoga

Cat owners need to be responsible

In spite of all the articles in our papers and national magazines concerning the decline of the bird population in our country--primarily due to cat "kill"--cat owners routinely put their pets out at night to roam the neighborhoods. In the last several years, piles of feathers and bird parts have been found in our yards, apparently the leavings of a cat kill.

Now, the remains of a mockingbird were left in our front yard. This is the last straw. A mockingbird's cheery song can lighten anyone's morning mood, and this lovely bird deserves protection!

So, cat owners, this is what I will do: First, I will attempt to trap roaming cats with box traps. Second, I will transport captured cats to the county Humane Society for their disposition.

This I would not like to do, as I like cats and fully understand the love people have for their pets.

Cat owners: Keep your cats in your own back yard! Our bird population is declining noticeably year by year. We love the birds, feed the birds and try to help the birds survive.

Cat appearances in our bird-feeding areas are disturbing, and it is almost a daily ritual now to go out and chase cats back over the yard fences each morning. Cat owners, please cooperate!

Roger Nelson
Woodside Drive

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