This is a love letter to the shop owners and tradespeople of Saratoga and Los Gatos. Thanks to them for generously donating door prizes and auction items for the English Tea given by the American Association of University Women Committee for Homeless Women and Children.

I can't tell you how it lifts the hearts of all the ladies on the committee to know that people of our community stand behind us, and support us. They have made our efforts to raise money to ease the pain of women and children living in shelters so much easier.

What do we do with the income from the tea? We make annual donations to the Georgia Travis Drop-In Center and to the San Jose Family Shelter. In addition, we put on several holiday parties for those who would very probably have no other celebration. We try to answer emergency calls for personal needs of the mothers and their children.

Without the donations help, we would not be half as successful as we are.

Patricia M. Weber

Los Gatos

WVC students suffer
with too few classes

West Valley College has been losing enrollment, largely due to the mismatch between student needs and programs offered. Its faculty union claims that this is due to lack of funding, and that is true enough; but it is also due to wastage of available funds on inessential offerings, according to the politics and personal interests of its faculty.

When students attempt to enroll in a math class, they may discover that all sections are full. This has been the case for some time. The college will claim that it cannot find qualified instructors. What it means to say is that the qualified instructors whom it can find, and there are many of them, do not meet its "diversity" criteria. The college is reluctant to allow such non-diverse persons to acquire teaching experience, and even more reluctant to help them improve their qualifications if marginal.

According to academic politics, not unique to WVC, it is better to let students suffer by offering fewer courses in an essential subject, if necessary to meet social engineering goals. Meanwhile, there is a proliferation of inessential courses in non-skills disciplines. Why should the faculty care? It gets paid the same, either way.

Robert Allgeyer

Aptos

AAUW board endorses
North Campus project

The board of the Los Gatos-Saratoga American Association of University Women endorses the goal of the Citizens Committee to Save the North Campus. We feel this project will preserve land and facilities for immediate and future community needs. As land is a finite resource, we feel the city should use this property, as was intended when it was purchased, to benefit the citizens of our community.

Marlene Duffin, President

Los Gatos-Saratoga AAUW

Bring back school bus
service for students

Get smart Saratoga! I am hoping the students, parents, PTAs and administrators of Sacred Heart, St. Andrews and Redwood schools and our city officials will read this letter. I am urging you to pool your intelligence and other resources to come up with a better way to transport students to and from school.

My frequent morning walks or afternoon errands in my car take me by the busiest intersection in our fair city--Saratoga and Fruitvale avenues--where many of your vehicles congregate in your long lines, burn your expensive gasoline, pollute the environment and waste your precious time.

I've lived in this town for 40 years but still can vividly recall waving to my son as he boarded the school bus. I urge you to consider calling a meeting of all concerned parties and begin to establish a plan to inaugurate a bus service once again. Try it--you'll like it. If this is not such a smart idea, I sure would like to know why.

Laurel Smithstoner

Vineyard Lane

Preservation of Hakone
Gardens is a blessing

It was refreshing to read Jennifer McBride's excellent story on the little-known history of Hakone Gardens ("Peaceful Retreat," May 11) and the groups of individuals who respected and treasured it over the years. What a blessing for us all that Hakone Gardens remains beautifully preserved and open to the public.

With our world as troubled as it is, we need a reminder of the beauty and solitude found in those gardens and those who had the vision to preserve it.

Ronnie Rabideau

Harleigh Drive

Survey says seniors
want North Campus

In an attempt to ascertain the senior center membership's current opinion, a survey was recently initiated. The survey consisted of questions specifically designed not to bias the response of those called by phone. Eighty-one individuals were randomly selected out of 650. Fifty-nine answered or returned our call.

Response to the question, "If the buildings were refurbished to meet the needs of the seniors, would you favor moving the senior center to the North Campus?" Eighty percent said yes. Of the remaining 20 percent, 12 percent had no comment and 8 percent did not favor moving. Reasons given for not favoring the move were: "Now we are close and can walk to the center," or "I do not like to drive in traffic."

The survey also asked how often they used the center and in what programs did they participate. Seventy-five percent participated at least 3.33 times per week. The most attended programs were line dancing, exercise and bridge. An informal "show of hands" in these classes with 137 people present showed 97 percent approval of moving to the North Campus.

I believe this shows there is overwhelming support by the membership of the senior center for moving to the North Campus.

Gloria Watson

Farwell Avenue