 |
 |
|
August 7, 2002
Saratoga, California Since 1955 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Speak Out
|
|
Berry's always been one talented 'cat'
It was with great pleasure to read your
recent Saratoga News article on the great
Robert Berry! I have known of Robert since my
early teens, first at Redwood Junior High
School, then Saratoga High School.
Robert, with various band members, used to
play his Hammond organ during lunch time
performances near the "Falcons Nest" in the
early 1970s. All my fellow classmates were in
amazement with such a talented "cat" on
campus. His mastery of the Hammond organ was
and is excellent, and his musicianship is
equally stupendous!
I know that Robert will continue with his
music, and help with the creativity of new
and old musicians who record at his Soundtek
Studios.
—Arturo Fallico, Saratoga
Exactly what was the council's intention?
So the vice mayor and city council "had no
idea how bad [the buildings] were" at the
Prospect Road site they paid $4.5 million
for. This can only be the action of people
spending someone else's money. Did they not
know where it was, or did they not think to
go around there and look at it?
Or is there another agenda? Politicians are a
bewildering blend of incompetence and skullduggery. Can we really
believe they never looked at the building on
the site before spending $4.5 million of
taxpayer money? Or was the intention never to
put the senior center there but find a place
for "administrative functions." I suspect the
latter; it is easier to get voter support for
a senior center than for an expansion of
space for administrative functions.
—Peter Knight, Glasgow Drive
Request for cartoon on the web page
Please put Decinzo's weekly cartoons back on
your web page, even if they are a week late.
As an ex-patriot of Monte Sereno, I sorely
miss Mr. Decinzo's unique and enlightening
part of your paper. With the approaching
political season, I'm sure his work will be
mesmerizing.
—Joel Gambord, Pebble Beach
Church pleased that city purchased site
I want to respond to the concerns raised in a
recent letter to the editor about the city of
Saratoga's purchase of the former Grace
United Methodist Church property on Prospect
Road. I want to outline the process for the
sale from the perspective of the church.
First let me say that, to my knowledge, no
one in the congregation had a close
relationship with any city official. The
church had 11 offers on the property, all
equivalent to the offer by the city of Saratoga or higher. The price for the
property was determined by appraisal.
There were two appraisals of the property.
One came in at $4.48 million. It was a very
lengthy and narrative appraisal, by one of
the most well-respected firms in the Santa
Clara Valley. A second appraisal came in
higher. The appraisals valued only the land
and not the buildings sitting on it. The
buildings were deemed of no worth to the
property by the appraiser. Our list price was
$4.5 million.
As I said, all 11 offers were equivalent to
that or higher. The real estate agent for our
congregation was a member of a local United
Methodist Church in downtown San Jose, who
did the work for us pro bono. He is not a
commercial agent, but sells homes. The
congregation decided on the buyer at an all
church meeting with a regional church
official present, as required by United
Methodist protocol. This official was
required to sign off on the sale. The
congregation voted to offer the church first
to the city, and if the city was not able to
purchase the property in a timely fashion, we
had another congregation in the second
position.
A number of developers also made offers. The
members of the congregation had three
goals:1) to keep the property open to the
public and consistent with our values, 2) to
sell quickly because we had a merger pending
with the Los Gatos United Methodist Church,
3) to sell at the asking price. The city of
Saratoga best met all these goals.
The congregation in second position asked for
a late August closing date. We were happy
with the offer from the city because we felt
it most likely that the property would
continue to serve the public.
Our congregation has especially valued
openess to all people and non discrimination.
The city cannot discriminate and be within
the law, and its property belongs to the
public. It is a beautiful piece of property,
and its size—2.62 acres—rare. We believe
that one day all will commend the mayor, the
city council, the planning department and the
private citizens who had the vision to
authorize the sale. What they did was risky,
and of course no one can please everyone. I
thank them for their vision.
—Rev. Judith Stone, pastor of the former Grace United Methodist
Church
Decinzo cartoon was insulting
I have lived in Saratoga for over 15 years
and have never been so insulted by the
horrible "cartoon" of Decinzo that seemed to
allude to pedophiles living and working at my
church, Sacred Heart. Picking on a local
parish just because there is a problem in the
general U.S. is pure slander and uncalled
for. You and your newspaper owe all Catholics
and other good people living in Saratoga who
worship at their local churches a full
apology.
—Frank Orasin, Saratoga
Decinzo cartoon was inappropriate
I wish to express my displeasure with the
cartoon in the Saratoga News of July 31. The
designer made a connection between two
separate stories—new Montessori school and
accusations of sexual misconduct—in a most
inappropriate way, leading the viewer to
believe something exists at Sacred Heart
School that does not.
—Elizabeth Lilly, Saratoga
Get rid of Decinzo—he is irresponsible
Once again Decinzo has crossed the line from
political "humor" to being outrageously
irresponsible, in his mocking of a Catholic
school in the light of priest scandals
elsewhere. I hope someone sues the pants off
him and your newspaper. Get rid of him.
—Donna Dittrich, Verde Moor Court
Cartoonist has sunk to new low
This is in regards to your July 31 drawing
concerning Sacred Heart School. You have sunk
to a new low. Get a life. You have crossed
the boundaries of what is acceptable. Of what
faith are you?
—The Homen Family, Saratoga
|
|
|
|
|
|