Letters

Kniss has demonstrated leadership, judgment

I would like to publicly add my name to the list of people supporting Liz Kniss for county supervisor. Mayor Kniss in her past elective offices as a Palo Alto city councilwoman and two-time mayor has demonstrated her leadership ability and also her good judgment. Her background in business and as a health care professional affords her the knowledge and experience for county affairs. Her candidacy brings a balance to the political structure of the board of supervisors.

Mary Ellen Fox
Quito Road

Return both Bogosian and Waltonsmith to council

I am writing to encourage Saratoga residents to return Ann Waltonsmith and Stan Bogosian to the city council. After many years of nastiness, arrogance toward the public and in fighting, we finally have a city council that is thoughtful, serious and professional. Residents who want to address the city council are no longer graveled down or insulted. There has also been a parallel change with the city staff, who is more responsive and more positive than was true in the past.

Ann Waltonsmith and Stan Bogosian have earned our support on Nov. 7.

Dora Grens
Old Oak Way

Of three candidates, council members are best choice

With the challenging decisions posed in our national election, it is refreshing to know that Saratoga voters will not need to agonize when deciding on city council candidates. Ann Waltonsmith and Stan Bogosian are both longtime Saratoga residents who have deep and abiding interests in preserving our hillsides and neighborhoods; however, they also understand the importance of supporting our languishing commercial areas. In other words, both have supported and will continue to support a balanced approach to the viability of our unique community.

The experience that Stan and Ann have acquired as current council members is invaluable. They know the city staff, city procedures and protocols and there will be no "down time." Saratoga is on the right track and reelecting Stan and electing Ann will ensure that we stay on the right track.

Please join me in electing Stan and Ann for the Saratoga City Council.

Marcia Fariss
Saratoga Glen Place

Kniss is most qualified for District 5 supervisor seat

I have had several occasions to meet Liz Kniss, candidate for District 5 of the board of supervisors, and am extremely impressed with her qualifications, her integrity, and her ability to make decisions and leadership abilities. Her background as a mayor, city council person, school board member, employee of high-tech, and a public health nurse (which puts her in touch with some of the critical needs of this county) make her uniquely qualified to serve as a supervisor. She is bright, she is conservative and she is independent. She is perhaps one of the finest and most qualified persons I have seen run for office in many years, and I encourage Saratogans to vote for Liz Kniss.

Gay and Roy Crawford
Aloha Avenue

Firefighters respond quickly to all calls

At the city council candidates' debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters, all of the candidates were asked about the Saratoga Fire District and whether it should consolidate with the Central Fire District. Chuck Page said, "if they aren't happy, they won't rush out the door" to respond to a call. I would like to know what evidence Mr. Page has that our firefighters would purposely endanger lives and property over some organizational issue within the fire district.

Fortunately, Ann Waltonsmith challenged Mr. Page and said that she knew our firefighters were professionals who would respond quickly whether they were happy with their organization or not.

My own experience is that Saratoga receives exceptional service and exceptionally good response times and that we are fortunate to have such first-rate firefighters.

Mr. Page's comments were irresponsible and he owes our firefighters an apology.

David Yancey
San Marcos Road

Campaign has plenty of Chuck Page signs for all

'Tis the season for campaign promises. Here's one that constitutes my commitment to the people of Saratoga. On election night, Nov. 7, beginning at 8 p.m., I will personally be driving around the city picking up all the campaign signs that my supporters have placed on their lawns. I will ensure there are no signs that I have placed anywhere to be seen on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8.

Thanks for the great response to those of you who want to place my signs on your lawn. Please call me if you need more, don't take your neighbors'.

Chuck Page
City Council candidate

Facts are available on copper's toxicity

Mark Pierce's letter in the Oct. 11 issue of the Saratoga News focuses on Planning Commissioner Bernald's very strong comments directed at me for allegedly failing to provide Commissioner Bernald with any evidence that copper is toxic. Mr. Pierce's letter and Commissioner Bernald's criticism are factually inaccurate.

At the recent public hearing on the Sobrato Cemetery project, the planning commission established design conditions for houses in the future subdivision. The commission wanted natural building materials to be used so that the houses would blend into the natural setting of the property. I recommended the addition of the following condition: "No toxic substances should be used for decorative purposes."

This condition was added to the subdivision approval. However, Commissioner Bernald commented at length and with some heat that, "You have provided me no evidence that copper is toxic."

I must begin by stating that there simply is no dispute as to the toxicity of copper. In December of last year the whole planning commission in a public hearing, reviewed a study on copper roof runoff. (The study was provided by an applicant wishing to have a copper roof. I objected to the use of this toxic material for purely decorative purposes and the applicant responded with a study funded by a copper institute.)

I will quote briefly from that study, "Most major rivers in Connecticut ... exhibit exceedances of the Copper Water Quality Criteria that have been associated with aquatic life toxicity." In preparation for that December 1999 meeting, I had contacted the Palo Alto Regional Quality Control Plant and obtained a flyer they have produced. I read that flyer to the commission during the public hearing. Its bold headline reads, "Copper on our roofs is copper in our Bay ... And that's a problem for mussels and other organisms at the base of the Bay's food chain."

This became a focus of the planning commission retreat in March of this year. In preparation for that retreat I spoke with Lorin Reinelt of the public works department in Issaquah, Wash. The substance of that interview plus the Urban Design Guidelines provided by Mr. Reinelt were submitted to our community development director for inclusion in our retreat packet and made available to all planning commissioners. In addition, I had a second phone interview with Claire Elliott of the city of Palo Alto waste water treatment facility. This interview and a copy of the flyer described earlier were also included in the retreat packet. Commissioner Bernald did not attend the retreat.

The allegation was that I have not made evidence on the toxicity of copper available to Commissioner Bernald. Evidence has been made available. We can and have had serious discussion of what actions the commission might take with regard to toxic substances, including the question of whether the risk of copper runoff from roofs outweighs the decorative benefit of such roofs. Personalizing the issue in an erroneous and misleading way is not helpful to Saratogans or to the commission.

Cynthia Barry, Ph.D.
Planning Commissioner

Please support our men in the orange shirts

Rick Torres, Richard Amaro, Eddie Caldwell, Sergio Serrano, Jesus Villalobos and supervisor Bryan McQueen-these are the names behind the faces and orange shirts that maintain the streets of Saratoga. These are the men of the street maintenance division of the city of Saratoga's Public Works Department. They are the men who patch the potholes in our streets, re-mark our streets and crosswalks so we all drive safer and our children can safely walk to school.

Now, I know at times it can be very frustrating when the workers have a street partially closed while they paint "school zone ahead" in the middle of the street.

Instead, I urge you to consider thanking Rick, Richard, Eddie, Sergio, Jesus and Bryan for making that school zone safer, for cutting the weeds in our street medians, for repairing a cracked street, for clearing the storm drains so our streets don't flood, and for helping make Saratoga the city we all love to call our home.

Nick Streit
Saratoga City Council

Correction

The story about candidate websites in the Oct. 18 issue of The Saratoga News incorrectly state the URL for the Stan Bogosian and Ann Waltonsmith website. The correct address is www.Saratogacouncil.org.

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