Saratoga News
Letters & Opinions
Speak Out
Many highlights during
anniversary celebration
The 50th anniversary celebration of the city of Saratoga had many highlights, thanks to Paul Conrado, chairman of the entire month-long series of events. The parade, ably chaired by Warren Lampshire and presented by the Saratoga Rotary Club, was the perfect culmination. At the parade's end, all citizens were treated to birthday cakes donated by many local establishments and I wish to acknowledge their support.
Decorated cakes came from Saratoga Plaza Bakery and Deli (with the city seal!), Lupretta Delicatessen, Gene's Quito Market, Albertson's, Costco, Effie's Restaurant, Flames Coffee Shops (Winchester and De Anza boulevards), Hobee's (Cupertino and Campbell), Holders Country Inn, Max's Opera Café, Mimi's and PW Market.
Personal donations came from Bruce Hodgin Realty World, Chip and Associates, Earl Williams and Alain Pinel Realtors, and Saratoga Rotary members Ted Jenkel, Carol Mauldin, Wil Houde, Robert Catalano, Miles Rankin and Reiko Iwanaga.
Appreciation also goes to Bob Gilmore's Flowers and Home Accessories, The Inn of Saratoga, Boy Scout Troop 407, Saratoga Lions Club, Lynbrook Interact Club, Kiwanis Club and the following key personnel: Carol Mauldin, Yvonne Lampshire, Joan Pisani, Michael Boitz, Priscilla Ho, Radhika Kasturiraman, Aparna Kasturiraman, Lillian Barna, Adam Henig, the city staff and (why I love Saratoga!) all the private citizens who jumped in to cut and serve our thousands of birthday celebrants.
Reiko Iwanaga,
Springer Court
Thanks to so many
for street dance
I would like to say a very big and heartfelt thank you to a huge number of people. The 18th annual Celebrate Saratoga! Street Dance was held on Big Basin Way in September. So many people, working in front of and behind the scenes, made this year's street dance one of the biggest and best ever!
The planning begins months in advance and includes forming a committee, which steers, or guides, the effort needed to make this event happen. This year's Celebrate committee included some of our board of directors, a previous executive director (thank you, Kristin Davis), our Chamber bookkeeper (thank you, Ray Froess) and representatives from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, Saratoga Fire District and the city of Saratoga.
Additionally, hundreds of volunteers gave their time and energy to staff booths, the Family Fun Zone and the alcohol-free/drug-free Teen Scene areas. They put in an enormous effort to ensure the safety of Saratoga's most valuable commodities--our children, teens and young adults. Other volunteers (so many!) worked before, during and after the event to keep things moving smoothly.
I would also like to thank the Chamber's neighbors in the Village. Without your assistance, cooperation and understanding, we would not be able to produce this annual, fundraising event.
Through your efforts, we were again able to showcase Saratoga. The music provided by bands scattered along Big Basin Way provided a fantastic backdrop to celebrate our wineries, restaurants and so much more.
Chris Oakes, president
Chamber Board of Directors
Community should have
a 'Mr./Ms. Bike Roads'
If San Jose can have its "Mr. Roadshow," we should have our own Mr./Ms. Bike Roads.
We have had some biking accidents, and some work was done to improve the safety of some roads, but the pressure is off!
How about a weekly bikers' forum, discussing which local roads are unsafe for bikers, and what should and could be done to improve these. Given the number of bikers in the area, this would be a safety boon which bikers would appreciate.
Let me start with two suggestions for Mr./Ms. Bike Roads:
* The speed limit trailer that shows one's speed in big numbers is being parked in the bike lanes--what a clever location. The other day [when I was ]coming downhill on Highway 9, the device was blocking the bike lane just down the hill from the Monte Sereno Post Office. I had to do a quick stop, as I did not dare to enter the car lane. Two days later, a similar trailer is located on Daves Avenue, again in the bike lane, this time touting a limit of 30 mph for the 90-degree turn. Note that coming in the other direction, a sign (blocked by bushes) states 10 mph! Who is right? Neither! Where to place these contraptions? Not in the bike lanes!
* Vegetation is taking over the bike lane on Quito Road (between Sobey and Austin Way), and Highway 9 has bushes claiming the bike lane between Austin Way and Fruitvale, while dirt, leaves and other stuff is encroaching on the bike lane pavement. The squeeze is causing some anxious moments!
Let's make biking safe--if it is the resident owner's responsibility to cut the vegetation next to the road, let them know, otherwise let the proper city agencies improve our safety.
Don Schmidek
Monte Sereno
Comcast should offer
PBS digital channels
I was all set to drop Comcast because of poor cable service and switch to satellite service--Dish Network or Direct TV--when I discovered these providers do not transmit the PBS digital channels, which have been offered to them free of charge by KQED. I know from past experience that the five KQED digital channels have the most family-friendly content on TV.
It defies credulity that Dish and Direct will not make our public broadcast channels available and I encourage everyone to contact the provider and demand that this intelligent, wholesome and interesting programming be provided.
Marcia O. Kaplan
Sevilla Lane
