—Diane Gorman, Kahala Court


Speaking up for Kathleen King

I need to speak up because I feel Kathleen King's message didn't come across the night I heard her speak. I was perturbed by the fact that in listening to her, I didn't get enough of a sense that people could learn about all the good work she has been doing and all the good ideas and compassion that she can claim as her own.

I don't know her all that well, but I remember what a remarkably organized person she was in the midst of what must have been a chaotic and traumatic time, a time of managing the many problems of a child that was not well while managing her other children in the everyday onslaught of daily life. That's what the Saratogans could easily respect about her if they knew about it all.

It is clear to me that Kathleen has busied herself with the huge and important issue of bringing a pediatric hospital to the San Jose area, even while facing the effects on her family of a seriously ill young child. My question is this: without knowing what I know about Kathleen, how could a voting Saratogan understand how good she would be for the city? It would probably help if she would brag a little more about bringing the children's hospital to our area. I view that as a huge accomplishment! Also remarkable was her ability to unify those parents whose kids were all in the hospital when her son was there. To me that is a giant accomplishment.

People move to Saratoga because of the school district. Many people are here because it's a great place for kids and families. Parents need to understand what an effective, organized, compassionate advocate Kathleen King is for kids and families.

—Ellen Mastman, Saratoga


Campaign filled with innuendoes

Bill Simon says Gray Davis' campaign is loaded with lies and innuendoes. That's politics!

These are also the political tactics included in campaign literature urging support for Bret England, Jeffrey Schwartz and Gagan Singh in the West Valley­Mission Community College District Board of Trustees race. The problem is, most people do not know the truth and believe these lies and innuendoes.

The England, Schwartz and Singh campaign literature states: "The District spent over $500,000 on legal fees against a neighboring city, and lost." The innuendo is that the district sued a neighboring city. The truth is that the city of Saratoga sued the district.

"The District has had four chancellors in four years, three vice chancellors for business in four years, and Mission College has had four presidents in four years." The innuendo is that the district has a hard time holding onto CEOs because of internal problems. This information is a pack of lies. The truth is, the district has had one chancellor and a one-year interim chancellor during the search process in the past four years. The district has had two vice chancellors for business, and Mission College has had one president for three years and a one-year interim during the search process.

The moral of this story is that some politicians seeking office will say anything to get a vote. Be careful what you believe.

—Joan Sarlo, faculty member, West Valley College


Supporting Lucas for WVC board

On Nov. 5 we will be voting for three trustees for the West Valley­Mision Community College District. As a former member of that board, I strongly recommend a vote for Jack Lucas. I feel he is the best-qualified candidate.

This position needs a person who understands education and governance. Jack was principal of Mark Twain Continuation High School when I served on the Los Gatos­Saratoga High School board. The high school district employed him for over 35 years and he worked marvels on students who were trying to find their way in a very challenging environment.

Jack has served on the Monte Sereno City Council for 18 years. His dedication to his city and all of the aspects of county services is unparalleled.

In this very difficult election, Jack will need all of the support we can give him. He is not in favor of a stadium at West Valley College. He, however, does not oppose a very limited number of seats recessed into the dirt (for safety reasons). This puts him at great odds with the immediate neighbors of West Valley College and the money they generate. With a shortfall in the college district budget, energy should be directed towards solving educational issues, not contending with a group of homeowners.

—Marlene Duffin, Canyon View Drive


Lucas can 'contribute positively' to board

West Valley College is an important part of our community. The selection of trustees to govern the college district is an important responsibility of the voters of the entire district. We must elect an informed, fair-minded, competent, articulate person to represent our area .

Dr. Jack Lucas is such a person. I have known Jack since the opening of Saratoga High School in 1959. I served on the high school board of trustees when he was principal and responsible for the development of an exemplary continuation school program at Mark Twain High School. During Jack's long career as an educator, he was always working with people in a positive way. He has demonstrated his commitment to his community with his service as mayor and city council members of the city of Monte Sereno which gives him a unique insight into school district/city relationship.

I am certain he can contribute positively to meeting the challenges facing the district.

—Louise Garrod Cooper, Mt. Eden Road


Lucas' letter 'skirts the real issue'

Jack Lucas' letter (Oct. 16) in which he supports a non-stadium at West Valley College with permanent seating "carved into the bank" is disingenuous and skirts the real point of the whole argument.

The state Supreme Court upheld Saratoga's City Use Permit, which says no stadium of any size or any other facility with a similar use but different name can be built on the West Valley College site. There can be no permanent or portable seating, no permanent or portable lighting, no permanent or portable sound system, press box, scoreboard, restrooms or concession stands.

So give it up, Jack. Stop inventing non-legal solutions while trying to sound like you are against the stadium, when you really are a stadium supporter. As a "high school educator" running in the district trustee election, why not lead us in the direction of a responsible and legal solution. Stop trying to speak out of both sides of your mouth.

—Ann Waltonsmith, Saratoga Hills Road


Wolfe seems like two different people

It never ceases to surprise me how we view ourselves compared to how others see us. I have recently attended half a dozen meetings of the Board of Trustees of the West Valley­Mission College District. I do not know Don Wolfe personally, but his statements in the Saratoga News, and the person I saw in action, seemed like two different people.

Mr. Wolfe, who is running for re-election, claims that he has a sense of humor. The only humor I saw at the meetings were sarcastic and biting comments directed at certain board members and public speakers. This certainly flies in the face of his "appreciation of the process of democracy."

As to his not wanting to "take up millions of educational dollars" on taking care of rehousing the burrowing owl, how does he explain his lack of concern of spending hundreds of thousands of these same dollars fighting the city of Saratoga?

I agree that "advancing the educational system especially when coping with the rest of the world" is important. I just don't want it done Mr. Wolfe's way. He's not getting my vote.

—Rachel Zierdt, Maclay Court


Statements about budget deficit untrue

Coverage of the West Valley­Mission Community College District [WVMCCD] Board of Trustee candidates has included statements about a $5 million dollar budget deficit. This is not true.

West Valley and Mission colleges are facing the formidable challenge of educating more students at the same time California is reducing funding. When employees are laid off, they return to community colleges for re-training. WVMCCD enrollment is up 12 percent, however, the state only funds our growth to 3.29 percent. We have budget issues, but they are due to rising costs that exceed state revenue increases.

Community colleges are last on the education-funding list. For every UC student, the state of California contributes $26,952; $10,905 per CSU student; $7,487 for K-12; and $4,690 for every community college student. To increase our budget, we fund raise, and last year we obtained $17 million. This year, private donations are down due to stock losses. Other funding options are limited. Community college fees are set by the state legislature, so we can't increase tuition to offset increased costs.

Our deficit is only $435,000 due to increased health care costs and fees for retiree programs. Independent auditors review the budget every year and we pass with flying colors. Don't rely on rumors; the budget is a public document that anyone can review. To get your copy, call 408.741.2652 or send an email to: ask_the_chancellor@wvmccd.cc.ca.us.

—Robert T. Owens, president, WVMCCD Board of Trustees


England, Singh, Schwartz get voter's support

Having watched the performance of Don Wolfe at West Valley College board meetings, I have been continually astonished. Don Wolfe was consistently unprepared and uninformed. Curiously, he was vindictive of those who were prepared.

More than once he got up and left the room in anger when a fellow board member spoke. He even left the room when members of the public addressed the board. When Jeff Schwartz tried to get the board meetings televised, he voted against it.

More important, he voted to saddle us with a monumental bond measure based on no needs assessment, much of which was already scheduled for state funding and much of which represented growth not authorized or tolerable in our residential areas. One such item was the stadium proposal. In the last board election Don Wolfe had promised to oppose the stadium on the West Valley campus. But once on the board, he reversed his position and worked for stadium approval, voting for a 5,000 seat stadium and voting to place the bond measure with $5 million dollars allocated for the stadium on the ballot.

Don Wolfe certainly did not represent me. Thus, I am supporting Jeff Schwartz for reelection, who has done so much to alert us to the issues at West Valley Community College, Bret England and a third excellent candidate from the Santa Clara area, Gagan Singh.

—Cheriel Jensen, Quito Road


Understand—stadium issue is not dead

Saratoga residents should understand that the West Valley College stadium is not a dead issue. Earlier this year, the appellate court ruled 3-0 in favor of the city and against the college district. The college district then appealed that decision to the California Supreme Court and the Supreme Court decision also favored the city.

The college district spent over $500,000 on legal fees (and perhaps over $1,000,000 in total costs) this time. The college district lost a similar lawsuit at the district court level in the 1970s. They appealed that decision as well and lost again on these same issues at the appellate court.

It is not over. This spring the district convinced Assemblymember Elaine Alquist to introduce AB3046, which would have rewritten existing law so that it specifically allowed West Valley College to build the stadium, and thereby override the Supreme Court decision. The district also hired Sacramento lobbyists to work on the stadium issue—all at taxpayer expense. While AB3046 was not successful this year, due in no small measure to the efforts of Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fred Keeley, of the Santa Cruz-Monterey area, Alquists' bill can be reintroduced in its exact form by Alquist or by any other member of the assembly or senate, as soon as the legislature convenes after the first of the year.

In the upcoming trustee election, two of the four candidates (Don Wolfe and Jack Lucas) that they favor development of the stadium site.

The latest court battle cost the city of Saratoga over $250,000. Evidently, a resounding loss at the Supreme Court, huge expenses, a 35-year long conflict and the loss of a sorely needed bond measure do not appear to have provided enough motivation for the college district to decide to honor its written commitments.

—Cynthia Barry, San Marcos Road