The article on multicultural day at Argonaut School, the letter on giving by Marcia Fariss and a mention by Mary Ann Cook a week ago of Los Gatos artist Anne Lamborn sending seeds to Guatemala for poor women who lost their harvests in the hurricane floods all tie in with the local, all-volunteer nonprofit, our developing world.

Our developing world is designed to bring realities of the developing world and the richness of diverse cultures to North Americans through a free lending resource library for teachers, in-services, a newsletter, reality tours, programs and material aid.

We invite teachers to come and check out what will make the world come alive to their students.

Anne Lamborn was with us and translated on our developing world reality tour in 2003, where we met her friend from Peace Corps days who took us to the village Anne's now helping again. It's from these kind of close connections over many years that our reality tours can see the ongoing and changing needs, struggle and progress of many in poor countries. These experiences (this July in Nicaragua) give us energy and hope. We encourage our participants (limited to 10) to use their checked bags for donations to organizations that can get them to those most in need. We fill our empty bags with handcrafts from the artists for our annual handcraft sale the weekend before Thanksgiving. There's a story about each piece to bring people closer across the miles. And we select what we want to give for the coming year to put on our gift shelf.

This year we've added a gift of giving which will be ongoing. So far we have 49 sponsors of the Naledi Angel Doll made by South African women with AIDS. The money goes to the doll makers. The dolls are given to children with AIDS who've never had a doll. Google our developing world for our website to learn more.

Barby and Vic Ulmer

Co-directors, our developing world, Paseo Presada

It's important to save
the Heritage Orchard

Regarding the Jan. 4 Saratoga News article, "Free signs for the Heritage Orchard are on hold," you quoted Councilman Nick Streit as stating that " ... there was enough land in Central Park for the orchard and for additional uses in the future." However, this contradicts an email written by Nick when he was mayor, dated Oct. 21, 2002, and reviewed by the Saratoga Heritage Preservation Commission. In it, he gave a personal commitment to, among other things, " ... make sure the HPC has commission control over the orchard," and that "the current size of the orchard will be maintained."

I believe that the council, and especially Nick, understands that the Heritage Orchard is what it is: a unique area of living history located at one of the gateways to our community. In a few months, once the apricot trees begin to bloom, I think we'll all begin to see how priceless this orchard really is. Once it's gone, we'll simply have more of what we have already.

Tom Lowdermilk

Saratoga Heritage Preservation Commission
Elvira Street

Spring pickup is
basic city service

In spring of 2005 I was surprised to learn from Green Valley Disposal that Saratoga, in a cost-cutting measure, no longer participated in the yearly spring pickup. Instead, I had to make an appointment with the Santa Clara County Hazardous Waste people up on Caribbean Avenue in Sunnyvale and take my items up there. Other large items, like old bookshelves, etc., remain here, as we do not own a vehicle large enough to transport them to the dump. Yes, I know I can have them hauled away by a junk person, but that's beside the point.

The spring pickup is a basic city service which benefits all residents, at least it was when we lived in Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Saratoga (until last year). It would seem to me that all basic city services should be funded long before special interest groups like regulation soccer at Kevin Moran Park receive funding that benefits only a small percent of the residents.

Linda Williamson

Newport Court

Where's the money
for a soccer field?

Many of your readers will remember that I have long compared the ridiculous practice of the Saratoga City Council in using tax dollars to subsidize Villa Montalvo concert-goers rather than pay for essential road and bridge maintenance.

Instead, they sought to raise a new tax for the purpose of road and bridge maintenance--happily defeated heavily by the voters in 2004. Now, the city council proposes to spend at least $516,000 (according to Dan Eastman's letter, "City should fill potholes not build a soccer field," in Jan 18 issue) to build a soccer field.

Again, I am amazed at the priorities of the council; they declared in the campaign leading up to the 2004 election that the city "could not afford" essential maintenance of roads and bridges.

Now, I ask the residents of the city, do you want your roads to decay to the point of being unusable, or your bridges to fall down? Or, do you want soccer fields?

Your city council has apparently decided that soccer fields are more important. If you disagree, I suggest you write to them and tell them so.

Peter Knight

Glasgow Drive

Negative impact
on neighborhood

I felt compelled to respond to Dory Albert's letter ("Council votes for field in a 'landmark decision,' " Jan. 18). No doubt soccer is a wonderful sport for your children. That's not the point! When you seek to destroy a neighborhood for your own ends, then that is too much. I noticed that you don't even live in the neighborhood.

How absurd to think that this is a win-win situation, when the soccer side got all they wanted while the neighbors got a negative impact on their community. You suggested that Scully and Miller might be able to address their traffic problems now. Would you suggest wider streets or possibly traffic lights? Please!

Roslyn Fishman

Ladera Court