I have known and admired Jack Lucas for many years, as he has dedicated his life to serving his students as a teacher and his community as a well informed member of the Monte Sereno City Council. I have seen Mr. Lucas in action on numerous occasions at the council meetings and at his monthly "Coffee With The Mayor" get-togethers, and I have always been impressed with his knowledge, his fairness and his dedication to serving the Monte Sereno and Los Gatos communities.

I have never had the experience of meeting Ms. Niemi because I do not recall ever meeting her at any of the council meetings or mayor's coffee clutches. In fact, I would be willing to bet a farthing or two that she has never been to a meeting and obviously doesn't even know Jack Lucas. If she knew Mr. Lucas, I am certain that she would never have written such trite remarks about this fine public servant.

I know that I will be voting for Jack Lucas in the next election, not only because I feel he is the best man for the job but also just to say "thank you, Jack" for your dedication and for your years of sacrifice in striving to make this a better place to live. You certainly have earned it.

—Larry Brown, Monte Sereno


Malhotra pointing out the obvious

In his recent interview reported in the Saratoga News, city council candidate Neil Malhotra pointed out that the city had a large surplus before the purchase of the North Campus property (intimating, obviously, that the surplus was much smaller after the purchase).

I would like to thank Mr. Malhotra for bringing this to our attention; such deep insight into economic matters will undoubtedly ensure his success as a financial analyst!

—Dora Grens, Old Oak Way


Trash container is an eyesore

Our new library has much visual appeal and architectural interest, except for one big faux pas [the trash container]. To what or whom do we owe this blot on our new library's street side elevation, and what must be done to move it to a more appropriate location? This concrete block trash container is currently 50 feet long by 8 feet high, and covering it with ivy won't help.

I know of no other $15 million building that makes trash collection, with its attendant odors, more important than the building's main façade and principal access. If a village merchant wanted to put a walled trash collection pad of any size in front of their establishment, or if I wanted to put one on my front lawn, I'm sure the city would insist on it being put in the back or side yard and refuse approval.

—George Faraco, Saratoga


Taking issue with editorial

Regarding your Sept. 4 editorial ("City's recent actions are worrisome"), what is far more worrisome than any actions by the city is the failure of the Saratoga News to observe reasonable journalistic standards of balance and accuracy. Your editorial takes several unrelated and inaccurately represented events to suggest there is a pattern of poor performance. The reality is quite the opposite.

We finally have a city council that treats the public with respect and responsiveness after many years of councils that ignored or actively derided public input. For four years, this council has placed highest priority on neighborhood interests, on maintaining low-density housing and on fighting traffic increases. At the same time, this is the most pro-business council in memory, hiring a fulltime economic development coordinator, bringing an anchor store [Patrick James] into the Village and funding the Gateway project and the Village beautification project.

The council has so far been successful in an uphill and courageous battle to stop the West Valley College stadium. It has supported the successful library bond and two successful school bond issues and thus far prevented over-development of the Paul Masson Mountain Winery site. Why aren't any of those patterns mentioned in your editorial?

Let's look at the specifics you mention. The construction project on Paseo Lado that was approved over the counter and which should have gone to the planning commission for design review? The city acknowledged that it was a serious mistake and the employee involved no longer works for the city. What else would you have had the city do? Once the approvals had been granted, they could not be rescinded legally.

You describe a house that has been under construction for 5 ¹/2 years and say that you are "a little worried" that the building permit did not expire last week, when it was scheduled to expire. The city has been trying to work with [the owner] rather than let her construction permit expire and do what? Use abatement procedures, get into expensive litigation and try to take the woman's house so that the city could finish the construction and sell it? Is that how most of us want our city to work?

Then there is the purchase of the Grace United Methodist Church as the city's "North Campus." Saratoga has 60 percent less open space and park land than the average California city with our population, in part because prior city councils lacked foresight and sold excess city land. The city's civic center has been overcrowded for a number of years and few of us want to see the Heritage Orchard surrendered to civic center expansion. Two of the buildings are already in use by the city. If that isn't leadership and planning for the future, what is?

Finally, let's turn to the conflict between the city and the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. The city has subsidized the chamber with direct grants of money and with free rent for many years. For several years, the chamber has promised the city a statement of measurable performance objectives and evaluation of the achievement of those objectives in providing general information and tourist information on behalf of the city. The chamber has never fulfilled those promises. The city has also taken the position that if the chamber is subsidized by public money, then the chamber's board meetings should be open to the public. The chamber refuses to do that.

However, the details of the conflict between the city and the chamber are not the issue here. Your editorial presents a one-sided picture and then comes down on the side of the chamber. Did you forget to mention that the Saratoga News is a member of the Chamber? If you are going to take an editorial position in a dispute, aren't you obligated to let your readers know if you have a vested interest in one of the two sides, or is that outside your definition of journalistic integrity?

—Victor Monia, former Saratoga City Council member, former trustee, West Valley-Mission Community College District


Concerns about candidates

Although Andrew Barnes is attempting to project a "concerned nice guy" image, there are some serious questions that we Saratogans need to ask him. For example:

1. Why did he not register to vote until this past March, although he's lived in Saratoga for 14 years?

2. Since he has been unwilling to vote all these years, why is he now a city council candidate?

3. Why was he silent when the West Valley College stadium, creek clean-up, traffic, neighborhood parks and other neighborhood concerns were before the city council?

4. He is placing his signs on private property without obtaining permission from the owners; doesn't he know that's nullifying property owners' rights?

Recently Barnes spoke before the city council to oppose the city's basement building codes. At that time he stated that "homeowners should be able to do whatever they want" with their property, regardless of neighbors' feelings and/or city ordinances. Now he claims that he will protect "our city's unique character." Thus far, Barnes' actions have negated his professed positions.

Finally, while I admire Neil Malhotra's youthful energy and willingness to be a candidate, not residing in the city he wants to represent does not inspire confidence. In the Saratoga News interview, it became painfully obvious that Malhotra has no familiarity with city issues. It was also apparent that he is unaware that residents, not the city council, were instrumental in rebuilding the library, that Saratoga is and has been financially sound and that "town meetings" have occurred. In other words, he is too uninformed; not surprising when he hasn't lived here for at least four years and he's campaigning from 3,000 miles away. He is not ready to represent us.

After residing in Saratoga for a significant length of time and becoming familiar with its residents, needs and issues, perhaps he will run for city council again; he will then likely be better prepared to serve Saratoga.

—Marcia Fariss, Saratoga Glen Place