Saratoga News

Letters

Where would the wannabes park?

The idea of that space cow or whatever it is that graces the logo of Starbucks on my way into the Village is sickening.

Perched on the corner like a vulture, Starbucks would pick off people who might bring business to town. Tourists would miss out on other great coffee shops like the International Coffee Exchange or the Blue Rock Shoot.

Congestion at the intersection, which is bad at times already, could only get much worse. What about parking? Where would all those wannabe Seattle coffee drinkers park while they wait for their morning latte?

Tacky is the best word I can conjure up to describe a Starbucks in the Village, just like an ugly ornament on a beautiful Christmas tree.

Once Starbucks makes its home here, what's to keep out those other vultures waiting to swoop in?

Josh W.
Big Basin Way

Sound the alarm, man the fortress!

Sound the alarm! Man the fortress! Quaint Village Saratoga is under attack again! Already under siege by street dances advertised via radio to "them" (non-quaint residents of non-village communities), burdened by a tacky Saturday Farmer's Market which appeals to "them," while creating massive traffic jams at the quaint intersection of Big Basin Way and Saratoga-Los Gatos Boulevard, the besieged residents of our village may soon have to suffer from a professional, highly regarded, quality coffeehouse, i.e., the dreaded Starbucks.

If Starbucks gets in, and is "logically followed" by Noah's Bagels (gasp!), we villagers may be subjected to something worse than good coffee--a good bagel!

Never! We kept out Home Depot, passed Measure G and killed the utility tax, thus ensuring a miserable tax base, declining city services and ever bigger potholes (excuse me--quaint village potholes) for the foreseeable future.

Keep Starbucks out, keep Saratoga pure and, above all, never let Saratoga be anything other than a quaint, unique, high-rent village.

Kirch DeMartini
Canyon View Drive

Get a life, Saratoga

Count me in as a Saratoga resident who sometimes is not proud of the fact that I live in Saratoga. A 19-year-old businessman is breaking the law with a balloon. Give me a break. The city officials justified their idiotic actions with, "We're just doing our job." Bull. They should have told the narrow-minded people who complained to climb back on their brooms and go home. In fact, the people who complained should have been identified as a good target for an old-fashioned TP raid on Halloween.

We have another nincompoop who is "outraged" over the thought of a Starbucks coming to town. If we follow his line of reasoning, we ought to run every branch office bank out of town because as a branch of a "chain," they are not good enough for our elite little town. I wonder if this nincompoop was born in Saratoga and is claiming squatter's rights to his "little village." They teach business economics in school. The more people attracted to an area, the more every business benefits. So what if we have more than one coffee shop in town. How many banks do we have in town? How about the owner of the building Starbucks is considering? I don't see this outraged nincompoop volunteering to pay the building owner rent. This outraged resident undoubtedly gives no thought to anyone else's problems or situation. He just wants things to remain as they are so he isn't inconvenienced.

People were holding cardboard scorecards up at West Valley athletic events so that spectators would know the score. Some other nincompoop is "outraged," and we have the city government involved. I have a tree die in my front yard, and I have to get permission from the city to remove it. It's my tree, for crying out loud! The city manager gets all bent out of shape over Measure G, and we have to vote to allow a resident to move a fence on his own land. Give us a break. Get a life, Saratoga.

Dennis W. Farmer
Saratoga Vista Avenue

Just say, 'No, No, No'

Regarding the story about Starbucks you recently published, just say, "No! No! No! No! No! No!"

Jason McKenzie
Oak Street

Moreland students are rarely mentioned

Your article "Westgate Mall stages grand reopening bash" (Saratoga News, Nov. 6) focused on the partnership between M & H Property Management and the Moreland School District. Therefore, I was disappointed that you chose to feature a photograph of a Dixieland band rather than one of the Rogers Middle School band, which also performed at the grand-opening ceremonies and reflected the participation of the school district in the event.

Although many Saratoga students are represented in the Moreland School District, activities of these students are rarely mentioned in your publication, while Saratoga Union School District functions receive regular coverage. Since you did opt to cover the grand opening of the Westgate mall, it would have given some recognition to these Saratogans to have published a photograph, or at least made mention, of the award-winning Rogers band. With stories on teenage smoking and other negative behavior appearing in the Saratoga News, it seems suitable to commend local students, even those outside the boundaries of the Saratoga Union School District, who participate in worthwhile activities.

Cynthia Press
Saratoga

What's to keep others from coming here?

As a San Jose resident, born and raised, I find the idea of a Starbucks festering in the Village disappointing.

My mother used to bring my sister and me to the Village when we were young. It was a reward for being good, and I always looked forward to it. For us it was a getaway, a quick trip to that small town with tiny stores, nice people and the green hills as a backdrop.

I feel that a corporate giant like Starbucks would suck up a lot of what makes the Village so cool. What's to keep others from coming in once Starbucks opens those doors.

Now, as a young father, I would like to reward my son as my mother did me. Unfortunately, the sight of Starbucks for me would take away a lot of what makes the Village the special place that it is, or should I say "was"?

Jim Blowry
San Jose

Outstanding service in the coffee field

As Pedro and Rosamarie's son-in-law (owners of the Village Rendezvous Restaurant), I have, for the past 11 years, watched the downtown section of Saratoga with great interest. Having previously lived in downtown Los Gatos, I often compare the two. The most striking difference between the two very historic and wonderful sections of both downtown areas is the amount of foot traffic at night. Los Gatos seems to always have the streets full of people just walking around, and the shops stay open longer--it just seems alive with business.

Los Gatos has four separate coffeehouses, all catering to a slightly different clientele. However, they all have one thing in common: These coffeehouses bring in people who spend money there and at other shops in the downtown section.

Starbucks has a very limited menu; they specialize in fresh roasted coffee, pastries and after-dinner snacks. The one thing that Starbucks will do for our section of downtown is stay open late and draw people to Saratoga.

As for the competition with existing businesses, they, in my opinion, will hold their own. All of the restaurants, real estate shops and coffeehouses bring a different flavor in how they present their particular product or service. I personally can't see how Starbucks coming to downtown Saratoga would be anything except an asset to the community, not to mention providing another level of outstanding service in the coffee field.

Wade Peebles
Big Basin Way

Saratoga already has plenty of coffeehouses

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I believe we already have several coffee shops in Saratoga. Why on earth would we want to add a Starbucks?

The great thing about small villages, such as Saratoga, is that they are different from big cities. Within a village, a person is able to mingle with and get to know the proprietors of each unique shop. There is a strong sense of community here in Saratoga that is not found in neighboring cities. I really don't think Starbucks and like chains should be allowed to come into small towns, where they completely bulldoze over the already existing little guys.

I think Starbucks has a place in our society; however, that place is inside of big strip malls or perhaps on the side of freeways, where people feel the need to gulp down a quick, impersonal cup of coffee on their way to someplace else, but they do not belong in communities. Communities are made of people, not corporations!

I hope anybody who reads this letter will understand the irrevocable consequence of allowing a chain into our town. Once Starbucks is here, they are not likely to leave, and undoubtedly, other chains will follow in Starbucks' footsteps. By allowing a chain store into our town, we will soon see our precious Saratoga turned into a vestige of what once was a small, charming village.

Janet Lewis
Esterlee Avenue

Saratoga is a unique and special town

I am most disappointed to learn that Starbucks Coffee Co. is considering a location in our village. As a longtime resident of Saratoga, I feel a need to communicate my feelings about this.

Saratoga is a unique and special town that has over the years grown quietly into the jewel of the South Bay. We are quaint, charming, distinct and to some extent, yes, prestigious. Years of slow, considered planning have yielded a balanced community. Our charming village restaurants provide a complementary service to the community.

Although there is definitely room for improvement, and I believe that this will happen in the near future, I believe it would be a grave non-erasable mistake to include a Starbucks chain store. By including a Starbucks, we become just like every other town. We become imitators. We apply cookie-cutter touches and pack them into our streets like ticky-tacky boxes of non-personal identities.

Starbucks, Blockbuster Video, McDonald's and the rest are all just impersonal attempts to dehumanize and reduce the global village into manipulated marketing tools aimed at you and me. Please reconsider!

Sylvia Coten
Saratoga

Oh no, not another fast-food franchise

Starbucks has no place in Saratoga Village. The residents need to wake up and say no. Not another fast food-type franchise. Why don't we follow up with a Marie Callender's or Wendy's Hamburgers?

Steven Cominsky
Fourth Street