Letters

Damage to trees was not to the eucalyptus

Special thanks to Leigh Anne Maze for her article on the trees at Saratoga School in the April 26 issue of the Saratoga News. Some people misinterpreted what I said in the article. I basically thanked the school for trying to preserve the eucalyptus trees. When I referred to damage from construction which many of us have observed, it had to do with other trees, not the eucalyptus.

I said that one of the reasons for opening discussions about preservation of the two largest eucalyptus trees revolves around removal and damage to other trees on the property, particularly the beautiful old oaks out front, where major trenching has severed primary roots.

We are concerned that we may lose some of the oaks in a few years, and it is for that reason that we ask that healthy, old trees, which are not a safety issue, be maintained on the grounds where they have been for over one hundred years, and which provide a good complement to the large new buildings.

Gay Crawford
Aloha Avenue

The City Council should also support business

We were encouraged to see the April 12 Saratoga News headline indicating that the City Council is beginning discussions about revitalizing the business districts in our town. The Chamber of Commerce strongly believes that a thriving community cannot be comprised of only neighborhoods, but must have a healthy business community and downtown as well. To that end, it is imperative that the city serves businesses' interests in addition to those of local residents.

It appears that the City Council and the owners of the Mountain Winery are at an impasse, due to traffic, property development and sound issues. At this point the matter may be destined for a long drawn-out lawsuit. Perhaps a more viable and less costly solution would be to submit the issues to mediation or even binding arbitration, two much speedier and satisfying solution methodologies. The taxpayers' money that the city would have spent on attorneys, appeals and possible future litigation can then be better utilized to begin the business revitalization efforts that the council wants to undertake

The city's efforts to build a strong business community should begin by helping existing Saratoga businesses to succeed. The Mountain Winery is a good case in point.

A recent letter to the editor indicated that the council was not interested in shutting down the Mountain Winery. One look at the list of the county's conditional-use permit conditions shows how extensive those conditions are and how they address the city's concerns relative to traffic, noise and the maximum number of events allowed at the winery.

The new owners and management of the Mountain Winery have demonstrated their desire to be good community partners. Their unprecedented willingness to work toward getting a use permit in place and the early improvements, they've made relative to concert traffic and noise, demonstrate their desire to focus on solutions. If Saratoga truly wants to build a strong business community, all businesses must be able to view the city and its elected officials as partners. The Chamber strongly urges the mayor and City Council to work closely with the Mountain Winery to find amicable solutions, which address the city's concerns and concurrently support business development. We, as the Chamber's directors, are dedicated to the support and promotion of business and commerce in the city. We look forward to working in partnership with the city as the revitalization efforts progress.

The Board of Directors
Saratoga Chamber of Commerce

The League advocates campaign finance reform

A 90 year-old great-grandmother from Dublin, N.H., has taken her message for campaign finance reform across the United States. "Granny D," as Doris Haddock is fondly called, has proven that she can walk the walk. For 14 months, from California to Washington, D.C., Granny D walked the highways and byways of this great nation--right to the steps of Congress. Now, in an election year, Congress has the unique opportunity to prove that it can not only talk the talk but walk the walk, too.

Doris marched her last five miles to D.C. with hundreds of concerned citizens, including League of Women Voters members. She walked to spread the campaign finance reform message and to demand that Congress act to curb the corrupting influence of money in politics. She pounded the pavement because people are concerned that "laws might be sold to the highest bidder," because she is a citizen and a voter who cares.

Americans understand that how we finance political campaigns dramatically affects government decisions, from the environment to taxes to health care. Even though a majority of Americans and members of Congress support campaign finance reform legislation, it has been repeatedly stalled in the Senate by a minority of Senators. This is why Granny D focuses on campaign finance reform to fix America's broken democracy; she knows that citizens will regain their voices only when dirty money is rooted out of politics.

Campaign finance reform means strengthening contribution disclosure laws, banning soft money and closing the "sham issue ad" loopholes. Only when these goals have been achieved will Congress have the freedom to hand government's keys back to the people. Then legislators can respond freely to concerns about the air citizens breathe and the water they drink. They can react to the need for school safety and access to health care.

Campaign finance reform advocates, like the League of Women Voters of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, will continue to carry on Granny D's message, and the question we pose to Congress is this: Will you tackle these reforms so the people's agenda is the only agenda in Washington? The League of Women Voters urges all citizens to ask Senators and to support campaign finance reform.

Patricia Khan
President of the League of Women Voters of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno

Thanks, necklace finder for turning it in for me

I would very much like to thank the woman who found (and turned in to Linda, our wonderful postal clerk) part of my necklace in the parking lot of the Village post office on April 24. Not only is the necklace quite valuable but extremely sentimental and irreplaceable. Thank you for your honesty and caring.

Audrey Chapman
Aloha Avenue

Sheriff's Report

Saratoga High School students design Westside Substation's website

Obituaries

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

High school sports

National Junior Basketball League championships

AYSO soccer registration