In a letter to the editor that appeared in the June 30 Saratoga News, a Saratoga resident raised several issues related to cable and Internet services provided by Comcast. I want to clarify several points raised in his letter.

The city of Saratoga has a nonexclusive franchise agreement with Comcast that ends on Sept. 15, 2008. The agreement includes performance standards and technical service requirements that Comcast must meet. Other cable-service providers can operate within the city with council approval. Competition is also created by satellite television providers and Internet service providers such as SBC.

Comcast's predecessor recognized Saratoga as a good market for their advanced services. Saratoga was one of the first cities in the state to receive cable modem and high-speed Internet services, and we are scheduled for a substantial upgrade to our high-speed Internet system starting July 16, 2004—nearly one year ahead of many nearby communities.

A city staff member serves as the cable franchise administrator, and part of his duties include receiving and responding to resident complaints and concerns. The number of documented complaints Saratoga has received directly from residents is very small—less than one or two per month—and is well under the standard set in the franchise agreement.

In addition, the amount of staff time needed to administer the agreement is negligible and does not divert significant city resources from other required activities or issues.

The franchise agreement stipulates that the city receives 5 percent of Comcast's gross revenues generated by Saratoga customers in the form of franchise fees. The city then allocated 40 percent of the total amount received to support KSAR Public Access Television on Channel 15. KSAR programming includes important public meetings and other relevant programs of local interest.

The city is committed to providing Saratoga residents with high-quality service and response in every area. That commitment extends to supporting resident access to quality television programming and fast, dependable Internet services.

Sincerely,

Dave Anderson

City manager

Set the record straight
over letter's content

I would like to set the record straight with Belinda Heerwagen's comments (letters, June 23) on my "Finding it difficult to be patriotic over this war" letter. Ms. Heerwagen states, "You obviously have super-secret information that the rest of us are not privy to because you so factually state that there is no Al Qaida in Iraq. Can I read your report? Can I speak to your resource? I'm fascinated."

Well, I'm fascinated, too, since I never said that. My letter states, "What do liberals have to do with the fact that our self-proclaimed war president decided to attack and occupy a country [Iraq] that had nothing to do with 9-11." This is not an opinion but a known fact.

Nowhere in my letter do I state "that there is no Al Qaida in Iraq" even though there hasn't been any evidence linking Al Qaida with Saddam Hussein. I find it rather insulting, and ironic, that someone goes through all the trouble of questioning facts when they can't even get them straight themselves.

James Diaz

San Jose

Misunderstood building
material? It's copper

Jean Newton's April 7 article on Dave Flick and "green building" shows the depth of concern and commitment by many of the nation's best homebuilders and the attitudes of a growing number of home buyers to use durable, natural building materials such as copper.

Unfortunately, Cheri Donnelly and Kathy Ottenberg's April 28 letter to the editor concerning this article misunderstands the nature of copper in aquatic environments. Copper (like calcium, iron and sodium) can be toxic in excessively high concentrations; however, it is also essential for sustaining life.

After extensive study, the South San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has determined copper poses no threat to bay life and should be removed from its earlier list of problem contaminants. The board found that environmental factors in the bay bind and detoxify copper in the bay emanating from all combined sources, including architectural copper, thus rendering the copper harmless to the bay's aquatic life.

Unlike mercury and some organic contaminants, U.S. EPA fish consumption advisories cite no water bodies in any state having any problem with copper moving up the human food chain. Currently, Santa Clara communities discourage the use of architectural copper based on the prudent intent "to maintain current water quality and protect beneficial uses in the South Bay." In that spirit, the Copper Development Association suggests that, before any copper building product is dismissed and/or replaced, a proper consideration of all environmental concerns is warranted. Each alternative material has inherent risks and benefits.

If used responsibly, copper is safe. Let's not repeat the errors that brought us the MTBE gasoline additive to improve air quality and resulted in contamination of our groundwater drinking supplies. Copper is the most recycled and recyclable of building materials.

Andrew G. Kireta Sr.

President & CEO
Copper Development Association
New York

Downtown needs more
than restaurants, spas

If anyone doesn't think Saratoga Village is dying, you don't work there. There is not a decent market, women's store (except Studio 56), bookstore or hardware store. The city of Saratoga and even the Chamber are not easy to work with. The only real store is Patrick James.

It takes more than beauty salons, spas and jewelry stores to create a viable retail climate. Bringing Halloween downtown is not the answer—this brings people, not shoppers. Restaurants here are good, but they can't do it alone.

Even the Saratoga News is in Los Gatos.

Debra Baker

Saratoga

The Saratoga News continues its track record of being an award-winning newspaper, earning a list of honors in the California Newspapers Publishers Association 2003 Better Newspapers Contest.

At the awards ceremony, held in Southern California on July 17, the Saratoga News won first place in the sports story category for "Détente at Westmont," written by Sara Hazlewood, and second place in the writing category for "A Christmas Miracle," by Gloria Wang. The paper was also named a Blue Ribbon Finalist in the categories of photo essay for photographer George Sakkestad; feature photo for Sakkestad; and editorial cartoon for Steven DeCinzo. The Saratoga News competed in the 4,301­11,000 non-daily circulation division.

"Our goal each and every week is to produce the highest quality community newspapers possible within our economic model. It is not to win awards," said David Cohen, publisher of Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, parent company of the Saratoga News. "The fact that we are recognized by our fellow journalists for our efforts is certainly gratifying and reaffirms that we are fulfilling our mission. I'm proud of our editorial department."