The Heritage Orchard, on the other hand, has a lot going for it in the way of essence, to use one of my favorite words. Here I'd like to refer to some century-plus-old volumes that point up the importance of agriculture in Saratoga's history. The first is an 1888 publication, Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World, or Santa Clara County, California, from the Lewis Publishing Co. of Chicago.

In the section on Saratoga, it states that "the Saratoga district was the very first to discover and take advantage of resources in the direction of fruit and vine-growing. The success of the earlier orchards induced the planting of others, and the success of these has kept up the enthusiasm until nearly the whole country is a succession of orchards and vineyards yielding golden harvests to their owners."

I can't find this primacy in time borne out elsewhere in the text, unless "Saratoga district" includes territory in and around San Jose. It is known, however, that there were early orchards here, such as that set out in 1865 by Don Jose Ramon Arguello at Quito Road and Saratoga Avenue. He planted olives, a small vineyard and a fruit orchard.

In a later volume, a profusely illustrated souvenir book titled Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers, published by the San Jose Mercury in 1895, it states: "Saratoga is one of the best cultivated sections in the county. The size of the town affords no indication of the number, extent and wealth of the orchards in the vicinity. New orchards are being planted, and every year the vineyards reach further up onto the hillsides."

So I find it more than appropriate for the city to preserve this vestige of its rich agricultural past. OK, I'm waiting for the nit-picker who'll point out that Saratoga's beginnings antedate even the orchards. Why not, such a person may ask, go back to the real beginning of Saratoga, which was lumbering back in the mountains? Why not re-create a sawmill? I'd rather not get into that.

This whole thing about the Heritage Orchard came to mind over the Thanksgiving holiday, when I was making a mental list about things I could be thankful for in Saratoga. What was more logical than to be thankful for the orchard?

Another major source of thankfulness on my part is based on the number 159. Does that ring a bell with anyone? What does 159 mean to Saratoga? Well, to put it one way, 159 is the key to our municipal existence. That was the vote margin approving incorporation as a city on Sept. 25, 1956. Considering there were 3,299 votes cast altogether, that's a pretty slim margin.

There were some very cogent arguments against incorporation, but the overriding factor in favor of city status was San Jose's pattern of annexation thrusts across the valley. These were expedited by the law allowing annexation of "uninhabited" land on the petition of the owner. For "uninhabited" read "orchard." Forty-six years ago, this tactic could have put San Jose's boundaries well within our present city limits. What a heritage.

While I'm in a thankful mode, I'd like to put in a plug for the city's Heritage Lane ordinance as helping implement the whole idea of preserving some of those elements that made this town the attractive place it is. I'm referring in particular to Saratoga Avenue, which, as a Heritage Lane, is to remain two lanes with a 35 mph speed limit along the mile between the Village and Fruitvale Avenue. Are there drivers who think 35 mph is an infringement on their rights? Their name is legion. Are there drivers who can't see why the street can't be widened to allow passing? You've got to be kidding—of course there are. Are there drivers who appreciate proceeding at a leisurely pace along a pleasantly winding road with overhanging oak trees? Count me in, even if the net effect is an occasional long delay getting into or out of my driveway.

When you have a location such as Saratoga, there are sacrifices that have to be made in preserving its quality. I'm thankful that some of these have been made.