The Saratoga Contemporary Artists has been a viable and active group of local Saratoga artists since 1958. For many years we met in the community room at the Saratoga Library. Our SCA meetings and professional guest speaker presentations are open to the public, complementing the role of the library's mission of learning as well as promoting art within our community. Artists who have been in SCA have developed their skill and have been juried-in to the library.

Now we find that other groups, even non-Saratoga residents, are booking the days previously had by us, making it impossible for us to establish a regular day (even though representative Margaret Magill called for booking at the earliest possible time permitted by current library policy). This is disturbing to us since we are Saratoga residents that took on the burden of financing the library by the added tax supporting the construction bond.

When the library re-opened we found that the "first-come, first-served" booking policy for two or three months at a time has worked against us. We have had to accept alternative options twice, which have caused difficulties for the artists we have booked. It was very inconvenient to contact our members often to communicate the date changes. It was discouraging when we found organizations that are not local to Saratoga had "beaten us to it" in the current system. Sometimes the groups have been very small, not even requiring a room the size of the community room in question.

To make an organization viable and to keep it flourishing, it is necessary to have a dependable, consistent day and location for meetings. Since we give artist demonstrations and slide shows, we need a large, light room with access to a kitchen. The community room is ideal, especially because of its central location in Saratoga and its adequate parking.

We feel that there should be some way for us, a long established Saratoga organization, to have priority over others who are outside Saratoga boundaries. We should be able to at least book the room a year at a time so that we can schedule our top guest artists and our members can rely on it. If not, our membership will dwindle, and another historic Saratoga institution will weaken.

The future strength of our organization really does hinge on this important issue.

Phyllis Feemster, president SCA

Ten Acres

War is no different
than any other

In the May 19 edition, Carl Heintze's patriotism is challenged based on inaccurate historical facts. It is well established that Roosevelt knew of the impending attack at Pearl Harbor but allowed it to happen so as to get the American people charged up to fight a war. I hardly call that farsighted and articulate—politically considered a good move, but hardly honest.

We declared war on Germany, not the other way around. Once we were attacked, patriotism was not an issue. We were all gung-ho to go. Clarity and truth never was the sustaining unification.

The question remains, why aren't we now after 9/11? Are we losing the spirit of patriotism? Or have the liberals convinced us we are not at war?

We had better wake up and accept the fact that we were attacked and we are in a war. We had better ignite the patriotic fervor quickly or we will suffer the unretractable consequences. This "ain't like no war we ever had before," but believe me, it is a war.

William E. Sirvatka

Glasgow Drive

Resident comes to
Sharlotte's rescue

The winds whipped up and blew open a downstairs door in our 110-year-old home on Fruitvale Avenue.

Our 17-year-old blue point Siamese house cat, Sharlotte, wandered out during the night. The petite cat is blind in one eye, arthritic and quite frail.

I walk about five miles early each morning and have made many friends in the neighborhood. By morning, I had concerned neighbors helping look for our precious Sharlotte.

My wonderful friend, Connie, part Medoc Indian, came to assist me. We searched for 13 hours and spoke to many kind, friendly Saratogans who agreed to keep an eye out for her. In late afternoon my husband, Mel, stapled about 30 posters around the neighborhood.

But as night fell, I became very discouraged. The temperature dropped down to 43 degrees that night. I thought of the coyote we see in the creek that runs through our property and the yowl of an occasional bobcat. Frankly, I thought she was a goner.

Tuesday morning I resumed the search, calling her name as I wiped tears from my eyes. Although she was wearing a collar with ID tags and we had plastered signs across the neighborhood, we received no calls.

About 8:30 a.m. the phone rang. It was a young man who said he had my cat in his backyard. I just couldn't believe it! He gave me his address and I jumped into my car and drove to his home on Belle Court. There was Sharlotte, sitting in the sun in his yard. I believe he gave her a bowl of milk. This wonderful young man, Jonathan Yang, looked like a guardian angel to me! I'm sure Sharlotte agreed. That may have been the reason she was drawn to him and that particular yard. She had journeyed a mile from home and made it across Highway 9!

He could have seen her and looked the other way but he didn't. He was concerned and caring enough to recognize there may be something wrong, she needed help and he did the humane thing. He took the time to look at her tags and call me.

He will never know how happy he has made me and my husband. And, in this time of turmoil in our troubled world, it's comforting to know there are many wonderful people, especially in Saratoga.

Sharlotte is doing well and is very grateful to be home. Since her return, I have had calls and visits from concerned neighbors.

I am so thankful to live in such a wonderful place, but mostly thankful for Jonathan Yang.

Janet Gerst

Fruitvale Avenue