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Letters
Phone towers aren't welcome
I attended a recent Planning Commission meeting where one of the items on the agenda concerned yet another request from West Valley College to allow more electromagnetic antennas to be mounted on the Theatre Arts Building.
And at the meeting many of our commissioners reluctantly voted "a certain way" (they approved, 5-2) because of a stranglehold by our federal government over what they can and can't do. Hey, they told me the Gestapo was on the losing side. Can't believe anything nowadays. The result is that the Theatre Arts Building is being turned into an antenna nest. (I guess antenna "farm" is the right phrase).
I've lost count but we're over three dozen pieces of equipment now with more coming down the tube and other companies waiting in line. And the college keeps requesting more and more and more. Why? Is it strictly greed or is there some strange educational benefit from this radiation?
And who has been told about the existence of this radiation? The "notification system" from the Planning Commission concerning these things can be described as absolute chaos. People who definitely should be notified, are not on the mailing lists. Hey folks, we're not talking about a second-story addition obstructing the view of the Blue Hills.
We're talking about stuff that flies throughout the air with the greatest of ease. If an "effective" area goes past Cox Avenue and only people 500 feet away are notified, a tremendous number of people are being kept in the dark. These public hearings should be citywide. And this stuff can be "aimed" and those in the line of sight are not being told. And it's not just individual residences involved, it includes areas where many people congregate. Seems like the Odd Fellows folks were not notified. You could draw a bulls-eye on the front of their building.
Does anyone in Saratoga wonder about the actual level of radiation they will be receiving from now on? The library was not notified. When I go to the library, I'm curious about the radiation at that location. Does anyone else in Saratoga wonder about the level of radiation at that location? And like the Odd Fellows, another line of sight is Redwood School. Does anyone in Saratoga wonder what level of radiation exists at that location? The city should hire someone in this field who can record levels and plot a relief map of the city showing the hills and valleys of radiation due to the numerous antennas throughout the city.
I feel that West Valley should supply a list of radiation levels, at these points, to the city and that the city should also make similar measurements at specific areas under their jurisdiction.
Mind you, these levels are not at a high enough value to pose any immediate danger. But I remember when I was exposed to radiation in order to do my work, it was the accumulative amount that carried a lot of interest. And if this is true here, the low continuous level is but one part of the equation.
Up on the roof, the communications people are notably and justifiably concerned about danger to their workers, which is good. But when that radiation leaves the roof, no one seems to have any interest from there on. That's wrong. That's very wrong.
Bert Martel
Fruitvale Avenue
Back to school means sore backs
After hefting my daughter's huge backpack, and experiencing its surprisingly massive weight on only the third week of school this year, I decided to weigh it. The huge pack tipped the scales at 24 lbs. That is over one-fourth her 90-pound body weight.
This might be managed long-term on a big bulky frame pack, which transfers the load to the hips and legs, but certainly not on a soft, unsupported day pack. Even the heavy seams threaten to rip out.
According to the school (in theory) they have two sets of books, one at home and one for the classroom, so they do not need to transport books back and forth. They only need (theoretically) a binder sectioned to accommodate all their classes.
In practice, though, there are not enough books, and one binder for all classes is inadequate. My daughter's backpack included two books for classes which don't have enough books for two sets. Also, many students have multiple binders and/or spiral notebooks, since there is insufficient room in one for all the papers as the year progresses.
Additionally, some teachers require students to retain all graded papers. Not being adept in filing at that age, most just keep the papers in their backpacks. Finally, there will be no gym lockers until mid-year, so the students must also tote their gym clothes around all day from class to class. I don't even want to think about what those classes must smell like on Friday afternoon, much less the additional weight and bulk.
The exceedingly heavy backpacks irritate and contribute to back injuries and serious life-long misalignments of the spine, such as scoliosis, just at the time young girls are most vulnerable to them.
I know it is just a matter of time until some of these overburdened children are diagnosed with skeletal diseases documented by doctors as a direct result of these weighty requirements, and lawsuits are filed against the school districts that mandated them.
While the districts say the reason for removing lockers is due to cost, I think the real reason is to keep students from "hiding" bombs and guns and such at school.
It would be just as easy to hide a bomb or gun in a backpack, but since the packs are so heavy already with books and binders and old school papers, it must be assumed the schools think the packs could not fit, much less be lifted with, this extra contraband in them.
There is a fairly easy solution to both these problems though: Put clear plastic panels on the backs of the lockers. Locate the banks of lockers in rows of two, back to back, with the backs of each row separated and formed by a narrow corridor up the middle. A locking gate attached one end of the lockers would allow the principal access to enter and observe the contents of every locker in a brief stroll down the private corridor.
I do believe the school administrators should examine this situation, and take a reasonable, practical approach to it that quickly removes this undue burden on the student body.
Anthony and Jane Hoffman
Northampton Drive
Correction
In the Sept. 8 issue of the Saratoga News, an advertising supplement on page 15 included some inaccurate information about local dentist Thomas P. Fitzgerald. The wording in the advertisement was not approved by Dr. Fitzgerald, and he in no way wants to misrepresent himself as a board-certified specialist.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
