As the coordinator of the first lunar new year celebration in the city of Saratoga, I would like to thank the Rotary Club's Building Bridges project for its sponsorship, and also thank: Master Li's Kung Fu group, Yao Yong Dance, Chinese Music Ensemble of Saratoga, calligraphers (Chang, Tao and Lu), Ladies' Mahjong (Jill Van Hoesen and friends), Saratoga High School's GO Club, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, California State Park-New Brighton State Beach's Pacific Migration Center, Chinese Historical and Cultural Project and Organization of Chinese American Women, Silicon Valley Chapter. Thanks to the many hardworking volunteers for food booths, children's games and arts and crafts, as well as the generous contributors who helped to make this celebration a great success.

I also want to thank Phyllis Ballingall and Pat Bailey (chairwomen of the Mustard Walk) for working with us closely in promoting both events together. Mayor Norman Kline's words at the ribbon-
cutting ceremony about embracing everyone in the community was also very inspiring. It was truly an East-meets-West, bridge-building event.

For those of you who came to our events, I hope you enjoyed the heartwarming, mind-engaging experiences. I could feel the happiness, excitement and enthusiasm among all the participants at the event.

Cynthia Chang

Toni Ann Place

Lights would impact more
than immediate neighbors

Apparently the Saratoga High School administration is unaware that the neighbors who might be affected by sound and lights from the football field are not just those in the immediate vicinity of the campus. Homeowners who live along Saratoga Creek, as far as the Village, can hear every sound emanating from the campus. That includes Pop Warner football games on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the fall starting at 8 a.m., summer band practice from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the whistles from water polo games at the pool, P.A. announcements, etc. All of those activities are wonderful and what a school should be about, but there should be some limits and consideration given.

At neighborhood meetings a year and a half ago, the school superintendent pledged that neighbors would be given consideration and invited to be in discussions of future facilitation plans at the school.

I think it is amazingly hypocritical for the community to promote and support this in the name of school and community spirit while so vigorously denying that very same objective to the students at West Valley College.

Wendie Weisman

Squirrel Hollow Lane

New group forms to save
heritage trees in the city

Two beautiful heritage trees were cut down in Saratoga this past week. One, a 200- to 300-year-old oak on Big Basin Way, slowly deteriorated after a construction project on the property piled dirt and concrete at the base of the tree, precipitating the onset of fungus. The other, one of the largest redwoods in the city on Farwell Avenue, was cut down at the owner's request.

A heritage tree is a tree of significance whether because of age, beauty, size or history. Communities that do not protect their heritage trees not only lose some of their value but also their spirit. For this reason, a group of citizens has started a Heritage Tree Society to increase the community's awareness of, and appreciation for, the most significant and spectacular specimens in our midst.

If you know of a special tree or want to be a member of the Heritage Tree Society (no money or labor involved), call me at 408.741.1213 or email me at jhunter95070@yahoo.com.

From March 7-14, California's Arbor Week, 20 of our finest trees will be selected by a panel of judges. The results will be made public to our community so that even our youngest members can view the trees and learn to appreciate them.

Jill Hunter

Lomita Avenue

TV, monitor recycling
event was a success

Thank you to the Saratoga News for printing the Jan. 25 article about the television found in the creek and the related community TV and monitor recycling-collection event. Residents responded enthusiastically, with 250 vehicles participating in the drive-through collection on Jan. 28.

It turned out to be a welcome opportunity to dispose of toxic items responsibly. Several people claimed they had been storing old monitors for more than a year.

Cheri Donnelly

Los Gatos

CORRECTIONS

In the story, "Post office in flower shop could be wilting away," in the Feb. 1 issue of the Saratoga News, the revenue of $392,000 earned in 2000 was that of the previous owner. When Ramin Shirazi took over the shop in September of 2001, the postal annex no longer handled money orders, and changes in mail pick-up times made it impossible for him to offer next-day service on express mail.

In the February issue of Image, an item in the Hot Flashes column was incomplete. The Victories bracelet designed by Marilyn Dorsa is a tribute to the Victories Rosé wine Peggy Fleming and her husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins, are producing in their Fleming Jenkins Vineyards. For additional information on both the bracelet and wine, go to www.marilyndorsa.com and www.wine.com.