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Letters
Offer of farewell to Ray Rossi, drugstore
It is hard to believe that soon, very soon, we won't see the familiar sign of Saratoga Drug Store on Big Basin Way. It feels like losing a good neighbor, a good friend who helped us for many years to go through the most difficult time in our lives, when we were sick, when we were in need not only for the right medication, but for convenience, comfort and support.
All this and much more were offered by this modest place for years. I think that we old customers should say "thank you" to Mr. Rossi and his team by giving them a farewell party, perhaps in Wildwood Park. Anyone interested in participating can call me at 741-1139.
Isabella Markhovsky
Paul Avenue
Article on attorneys completely off base
I was disappointed to see that the appointment of the new city attorneys elicited an almost hysteric response from the Saratoga News in the July 14 issue. If I read your actual concerns correctly, you are upset that there are two law firms--each with its own area of expertise. And, my goodness, they both have offices outside of Santa Clara County.
Saratoga has not had a city attorney from a city nearer than Mountain View since 1980; the current group is headquartered in Alameda County! As I recall the public discussion at a council meeting, just one councilmember (Nick Streit) expressed the need to have a law firm that was specifically located in Santa Clara County.
Therefore, your basic problem (and perhaps that of the Good Government Group?) must be that Shute, Mihaly and Weinberg were (gasp!) involved in the writing of Measure G. It shouldn't have taken any particular digging on [reporter] Steve Enders' part, short of a brief inquiry or two, to determine that fact; it's a matter of public record.
It would have been interesting to see the response, by the way, had the law offices of Walter V. Hays applied (perhaps they did) and been selected. They are "local" (Palo Alto) and Walt Hays is a former San Jose City Council member. He has also been a part-time city attorney (much like Saratoga's) for Los Gatos and Morgan Hill. But (again, gasp!) he and his associates are environmentally sensitive!
In line with your reasoning, though, Walt Hays would have been totally unacceptable; he was the attorney of record for the preparation of Measure A, the passage of which led to the formation of the Specific Plan for Saratoga's hillsides.
I'm pleased that this council had the good sense to choose a city attorney whose past performances echo the philosophies of a majority of Saratogans (please witness the results of the past few elections). Anything else would have been a disservice to our community.
Dora Grens
Old Oak Way
City Attorney choice doesn't make sense
I am very concerned with the selection of Richard Taylor of the San Francisco law firm of Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger as our new city attorney. The stated purpose of searching for and selecting a replacement for our current city attorney was to find someone local with significant experience in representing cities like Saratoga. Instead, our City Council has elected to hire a firm with little or no experience, and they certainly are not local. On top 22 points, plus triple-word-score, plus 50 points for using all my letters. Game's over. I'm outta here.
Of that, we now have another firm from Santa Cruz as a subcontractor! An additional objective in selection of a new city attorney should have been to reduce cost to the city. Was this purpose served by the selection made, what with travel and two-level representation?
It is extremely curious that the selected firm, and specifically Mr. Taylor, had a hand in drafting Measure G. Mayor Jim Shaw's comment, that the recorded $481 paid to Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger by SONIC was not their entire fee, brings up the questions of how other payments were made and who made them. This selection smacks suspiciously of political payback by councilmembers who were supported by Measure G backers.
I believe the taxpayers of Saratoga are entitled to an explanation beyond the vague claim that we are facing "a number of land-use issues" that are anticipated. This selection seems to make no sense, nor does it appear to be in the best interests of Saratoga and its residents.
Al Roten
Veronica Drive
People should stop invading wild land
In the July 14 issue of the Saratoga News, reporter Jason Baker [writes that residents near the hillsides] wonder why "indigenous critters can't stay on their own side of the woods." Their own side of the woods? Just which side might that be? Inside one of the parks or open space areas that have had housing development spread right up to their borders?
Maybe some "Wildlife Keep Out" signs posted at the urban/park boundaries would set them straight about who belongs where.
Do those who move into rural areas really expect wildlife larger than birds and squirrels to somehow be educated in the concept of private property, or if that doesn't work, trapped and removed so they don't disturb the bucolic tranquility?
I agree that it is unsettling to find dead deer occasionally; the results of predation are especially troubling to witness, but they are a fact of wildlife that must be accepted if you want Saratoga to keep what's left of its native animal population.
If you are concerned for the safety of your pets, keep them indoors at night and don't leave pet food out after dark to avoid attracting wild carnivores.
If wild animals are "coming closer" to already developed areas than before, consider that we are also coming closer to them, as houses spread throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains, crowding the existing wildlife into even smaller areas. Saratoga has long claimed to be a "rural" residential area, a dubious definition that has eroded with each new subdivision and monster "trophy house" that is built. Mountain lions, deer, bobcats, etc., didn't invite us to move into their woods. If people can't learn to live with them, maybe they should consider moving to someplace less rural.
Doug Diemer
Wardell Road
'Conservationists' no friends of cats
I was extremely disappointed with the extensive coverage you gave Tom Preisser and Kristin Nowell on the front page of the July 21 issue of the Saratoga News representing them as protectors of wildlife.
Anyone who says "hunters are all right" and who is petitioning our government to allow the importation of murdered cheetahs is no animal supporter in my view.
What hypocrisy! I suspect that they have an entirely different agenda than animal protection. How could you give such uncaring people such good publicity? I am really disappointed.
There are so many people that are truly out to protect animals and ensure that animals are treated right. I'm sorry you couldn't find one of them to focus your story on.
Betty Skatoff
Los Gatos
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
