News Briefs

Village lights will be going back on

At Village merchants' request, the city council has recommended that the decorative lights be illuminated year-round in Saratoga's premier business district.

Council members directed Economic Development Coordinator Danielle Surdin to push ahead with lighting the Village for three evenings a week.

Previously, the council approved the new lighting, wrapped in the Big Basin Way trees from Fourth Street to Blaney Plaza, only for the winter holiday season. The lights were turned off in mid-January.

But several prominent merchants and restaurant owners, including Mitchell and Tracey Cutler of La Fondue and Bill Cooper of Bella Saratoga, advocated for continued lighting.

Surdin will now poll the landowners who pay for the lighting to assess the actual interest in keeping the lights on.

Money offered to county trust

City Manager Dave Anderson said last week that a portion of federal grant money in the city's coffers was offered to the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County at one point last year.

The housing trust refused the federal Housing and Urban Development money because it had too many bureaucratic strings attached to it, Anderson said.

Instead, the city gave the trust $25,000 from its general fund.

In last week's issue of the Saratoga News, teacher housing advocate Lisa Liu said that some $25,000 of city money from a 1997 HUD grant that has still not been spent might go to the housing trust.

Sheriff's office wants speed sign

After several mornings of speed enforcement and observation at the west end of Big Basin Way this winter, Deputy Carl Neusel of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office told the city recently that a new speed zone sign will be posted and periodic reinforcement of the speed limits will follow.

Deputy Neusel issued 13 citations on four different mornings this winter at various spots on Big Basin Way.

The primary problems existed north of Sixth Street, where speeds were often in excess of 40 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone.

Sheriff's Report

Commentary: Science projects can be extraordinary, if not too tasty

Photo: Daffodils at Saratoga Elementary School

Local Home Sales Listings

Obituary: Ruth Henry

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

High school softball

High school baseball

High school track & field

Sports fundraisers and camps