Letters

Settlement terms are not secret--they're not public

Tom Moran's letter on March 10 purports to raise "several questions" about the settlement of the Saratoga Creek lawsuit.

Moran asks how I could comment on the settlement if the terms were not yet disclosed and it was a closed session item for the City Council, implying I was privy to confidential (closed session) material. News Flash: "reaching settlement" means the principals agree to the terms. I know the details of the settlement because I am a principal in the litigation, not because someone leaked closed session information. The accusation is less insulting than bizarre.

The details of the settlement will be made public as soon as the city completes some business related to the litigation and finalizes the settlement, but there are no remaining disagreements between the plaintiffs and the city.

Moran's statement that "Friends" [of Santa Clara County Creeks--one of the plaintiffs] has a 4 to 1 majority on the council is conceptually misguided. Instead, at long last, the environment has a 5-0 unanimous City Council in Saratoga.

Even if former Councilmember Gillian Moran, Mr. Moran's wife, had nothing to do with his letter to the editor, the most important question Mr. Moran could ask on this subject would be to find out from Mrs. Moran why she repeatedly refused during her entire four years on the council to so much as talk with us about settlement or the situation in general.

Two and a half years ago, two new councilmembers were elected on a platform that included settlement of this lawsuit as a major objective. They could not proceed because Mrs. Moran would not countenance even an exploration of settlement possibilities. The result is that approximately one half million dollars of city funds, and equally precious resources from the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund were wasted on legal fees, without a cent going to the cleanup of Saratoga Creek, to arrive at a settlement that could have been reached more than four years ago.

Saratogans will make their own judgments about this settlement when it is public, but I believe it is a reasonable and positive agreement and that it will not unduly burden the city. The new City Council has acted quickly and responsibly and the city and Saratoga Creek will benefit from their efforts, both financially and environmentally. They have my gratitude for doing the right thing.

Jeff Schwartz
San Marcos Road

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According to Saratoga Mayor Jim Shaw, the terms of the settlement are under wraps because the Association of Bay Area Governments is still reviewing the city's insurance policy carried by the organization, to ensure that potential costs to the city are covered. Until final papers are approved by the plaintiffs and submitted in court, the settlement will remain private. The story was published in the Saratoga News on Feb. 24, 1999.--Editor

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Parks and Rec has money for trails

The Parks and Recreation Commission was pleased to see the reference to our newly created Trail Grant Program in Steve Enders' Feb. 17 article in the Saratoga News. We would like to provide the following further information about this partnership opportunity.

Beginning in 1974, the city of Saratoga recognized that the city's trails would benefit from maintenance assistance from private citizens and stressed that "community participation is to be encouraged, utilized and recognized." The 1991 Parks and Trails Master Plan further explains the needs of the city for trail improvements.

Accordingly, the city has set aside approximately $100,000 of the Park Development Fund for trail improvements. The money is available to community volunteers of civic groups who are willing to supply their own labor or resources to improve specific sections of the city's trails.

Anyone interested in the grant program may pick up a brochure at City Hall or contact Irene Jacobs at the City Manager's office.

Sheila Ioannou, Marianne Swan
Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission

KICU as valuable as KSAR is to residents

The dispute between KICU and KSAR for the Channel 6 location is unfortunate. So too was the tasteless cartoon in the Saratoga News. As a founding board member of KSAR, I am firmly committed to community access. I do not feel, however, that the Channel 6 location is sacred, nor that Saratogans are particularly loyal to that spot on the dial or less apt to watch their local City Council meetings and other local programming if they appear on another channel.

KICU is perhaps one of the most community minded stations in the Bay Area. Brian Adams, who oversees the station's outreach, has given his time and talent to support programs such as the American Cancer Society's Courageous Kids program or Child Advocates, Rotary functions and many other events supported by Saratogans. KICU's involvement with community activities and non-profits is exemplary. Their healthy family programming, local sports and commitment to public service provide far more power for Saratoga than our own channel can ever provide with its limited viewership.

KSAR should negotiate a fair solution and move to a new location. A good relationship with KICU and TCI will benefit all of Saratoga. Move on!

Gay J. Crawford
Aloha Avenue

Going out on a limb

How to make the right decision on the future of the trees at Saratoga School? The emotional arguments that they are a part of our children's heritage are powerful, but what about those who say that the trees pose a safety risk? To try and answer these questions, we turned to some independent authorities in the U.S. and in the tree's native Australia. This is a summary of our findings:

The Tasmania blue gums (eucalyptus globulus):

* should never have been planted in such a location;

* is not considered a heritage tree by nature organizations;

* represents a real, quantifiable threat to our children's safety.

Judge for yourself: "The limbs (of the blue gum) are dropped progressively from the tree by a natural process: a fungus weakens the base of the limbs and the growth of the stem forces the branch to break off at that point. The limbs have a habit of dropping without warning on calm, hot days."--Australian Government Publication, Think Trees, Grow Trees.

"The eucalyptus is a weed. It grows extremely fast and has fewer limiting biological factors in its new environment than native species ... the large amounts of litter shed by the trees are full of resin and break down very slowly, making it difficult for native plants to gain a foothold ... no [native] animal species feed on eucalyptus.--The California Native Plant Society.

"Fifty-five percent were 'root failures,' 34 percent 'branch failures,' 11 percent trunk failures."--University of California Extension organization referring to reported failures in eucalyptus.

We have published our full findings at www.bookbrowse.com/trees. Take a look. You may reach a different conclusion, but at least it will be based on hard information. Then, let's all start working together to support our school board as members continue to work so hard to create a safe learning environment for our children.

Paul and Davina Morgan-Witts
Briar Court

New SVCN paper begins publication in Campbell

Community, district should compromise on trees

Engagement: Kristie Kuechler, Christopher Reid

Saratoga Sampler: Lee family musicians; Cattle Baron's Ball; The Joe Trio

Sports Briefs

Falcons win two in softball

Worden tosses no-hitter for Falcons

Saratoga, Westmont golfers earn league victories