How many times have you not received your mail? A few times each month I encounter problems with receiving mail delivered to my home. Why? Because we have country mailboxes in Saratoga, and my mailbox sits across the street from my home between two property lots. As a result, someone parks in front of the mailbox several times each month, thus preventing mail delivery.

Having country mailboxes was a good idea for Saratoga 10 years ago, but Saratoga is no longer a country. Residential streets, like Baylor Avenue, are being used as freeways to bypass jam-packed roads like Quito Road, Saratoga Avenue and Prospect Avenue. With over 200 cars daily, how safe is mail sitting on the edge of a busy street? This, coupled with the increase in mail theft, identify theft, and the excessive late charges on credit accounts, shouldn't we rethink country mailboxes?

Despite several requests to solve this problem with neighbors, the city of Saratoga, the Saratoga Post Office, and the Saratoga Sheriff's office, no one really seems to own "the solution" or even cares about the problem. I guess it is OK to not receive your mail? I know other folks in Saratoga have these same concerns, because I see their signs, "No Parking Here" and "Do Not Block the Mailbox." Isn't it time for the people of Saratoga to reclaim their mailboxes to the safety of their own property?

S. Hollis

Baylor Avenue

Neighbors concerned about housing project

I saw the article in the Saratoga News regarding Barry Swenson's proposed housing project on Quito Road. I appreciate that you included both positive and negative opinions about the project. I hope that in future articles you will have an opportunity to include responses from neighbors who will be directly impacted by the project.

Although Mr. Blayley may have collected 1,000 signatures supporting the development, I would be very curious to know how many actually live on Quito Road, Aspesi Drive or Montpere Way in the immediate vicinity. Our neighborhood has contacted Mr. Blayley and requested that he meet with us to explain the project and hear our concerns about the traffic impacts, in particular. He has not agreed to do that, although he seems very willing to go to the schools in the area. He indicated he would rather wait until the community meetings scheduled as part of the Environmental Impact Report process. We are very disappointed at the apparent disinterest in considering our concerns as part of the overall planning process, which could actually help the project.

Elizabeth Zimmermann

Montpere Way

Parking a longstanding problem in the Village

As a 38-year former resident of Saratoga, I found it interesting that the last comment regarding the revitalization issue was parking.

Parking has been a fundamental barrier to growth of business in Saratoga for as long as we can remember. We loved the Village and went there frequently for shopping and dinner.

But parking was always very painful experience and we generally ended up in the school parking lot at the top of the hill. Our best shot at Florentines was a spot across the street, hidden behind a dumpster.

So we eventually started going over to Los Gatos even though it was less convenient and often more expensive because there were more shops.

Why? Because Los Gatos had built a huge parking lot that was conveniently located right behind the stores on Santa Cruz Avenue and most of the shops offered back entrances.

We moved to Eagle, Idaho, four years ago, but we still read the Saratoga News and love and care about Saratoga. Sometimes it's easier to see the forest from far away. I think this may be the case regarding the revitalization of the Village.

Paul and Nancy Finnigan

Eagle, Idaho

Coyote story had too much drama

When you write a story about "prowling coyotes," do me a favor and don't dramatize it through fear over the recent mountain lion event in Southern California. No offense to the writer of that story, but it was so one-sided and biased that it was painful to finish.

First of all, coyotes aren't mountain lions. I know many people have read stories by Jack London and the like of bloodthirsty wolves attacking out of hunger, but has there ever been a recorded wolf attack on a human? I don't think so. Along the same lines, has a coyote attacked a human?

After reading your story of how we should make noise, make ourselves look bigger, etc., you would think there have been many.

On your follow-up story, let's try not to be so biased and fear oriented. They are wild animals and they will definitely prey on young cats and dogs. But they are a part of the landscape and have been around much longer than the first Saratogan. They may scare many residents, but they will go about their business and generally stay out of the way of humans.

A wildlife biologist or an official with the Fish and Game Department can tell you all about them and an interview with one of them would have lent credibility to the story.

As a former resident of Peach Hill Road, I can tell I have seen many coyotes in the area. In fact, a neighbor even spotted a mountain lion, and as kids we still spent years playing and roaming throughout those hills.

They may be hungry and there may even be more in the area, but there is no reason to throw fuel on the non-existent fire by a story such as this.

Brian Bose

Saratoga