Saratoga News

Letters & Opinions

Letters

Orchard a special
place, for so
many reasons

How fortunate we are here in Saratoga to have the orchard surrounding the library as a living tribute to our agriculture heritage. The place of honor it holds at the welcoming corner into town allows us to participate in its seasonal beauty from bare limbs to blossom, from green leaves to harvest.

Such an experience is rare and yet so necessary for maintaining our connection to the Earth. If we are to heal the rift between our technological world and that of nature, we can prevent the looming epidemic of nature-deficit disorder for our children, a syndrome mentioned by author Richard Louv in his timely book Last Child in the Woods. Children need the experiences that only nature can provide.

In addition, the young are inspired by the deeds of the adults around them as they care for the earth and live in harmony with the seasons. Our orchard gives these very opportunities to our community. The master orchardist, Matt Novakovich, models an exemplary steadfast consciousness in his work for keeping the trees and their environment in their impeccable condition. The orchard thrives under his care.

For many years, my classes of kindergarten children experienced the beauty of the seasons in the Novakovich orchard. I have written in detail about this on pages five and six in my book, Freeing Children's Creative Potential. In the fall, Mrs. Novakovich and her two sons, Matt and George, whom I had long ago in kindergarten, greeted us with buckets for harvesting the walnuts. One bucket would always return with us to school to enjoy. Our next visit was to watch the pruning of the trees. We gathered the branches to take back for making garden fences and other projects. In spring we came back to breathe in the beauty of the blossoms. We gathered the wind-blown blossoms on the ground for our artwork, all the while breathing in the fragrance of spring.

Nearing our last weeks of school, Matt would leave some cherries low on the trees for us to eat. In pure delight we stuffed ourselves with cherries. It was at this time we celebrated our gratitude to the Novakovich family and the earth itself with a party for Matt's mother. (Yes, we did leave some of the cherries we had picked for her to sell.) The orchard is for children!

At the same time, it is under the supervision of a knowing and caring adult, Matt, who makes time spent in the orchard worthwhile to everyone involved. There is a careful sequence to the work of each season, one that is administered with wisdom and diligence. A random presence in the orchard, no matter how good-willed, is neither helpful nor recommended. To be truly beneficial to the community, let us honor the lawfulness of the orchard, its yearly rhythm and the people who care for its health and well-being.

I would be pleased to work with the school to speak about my ideas for celebrating our orchard with young children.

Thank you to the Novakovich family for these many years of hard work and devotion.

Betty Peck

Saratoga Avenue

Proposition 93
does not offer
any real reform

California's government is broken. There are many reasons why this is true, but one cause that stands out is the polarization of the political parties. Because of gerrymandered districts, politicians in both parties have few reasons to seek compromise and move forward on major issues. The politicians were elected from the extremes of their parties and have no accountability back to the voters because no serious candidate in either party will run against them. The districts are rigged so the incumbent's party always wins.

Now Proposition 93 is offered so that these same politicians can remain in office longer without any reform of their district maps. It does nothing to fix the fundamental problems facing the state and could cause serious damage to the legislative branch.

Some believe the current term-limit situation is a bit too strict, but this proposal is not the solution. It is titled "Limits on Legislators' Terms in Office," but it really should be called "Extending Legislators' Terms in Office.' Proposition 93 increases an Assembly member's time in office from six to 12 years. A senator's time is increased from eight to 12 years.

Oh yes, there is a limitation that says a person cannot be in either Assembly or Senate combined for more than 12 years. That somehow is supposed to make everything OK. In fact it makes the situation worse. Here is why:

Each house has a specific purpose. The Assembly contains 80 members serving shorter terms and is supposed to be the newbies learning the trade. That contrasts with the Senate containing just 40 members, who serve longer terms and are supposed to be the more senior and perhaps not as "hot-headed." Often Assembly members run against each other to become state senators. It is hoped that the best and the brightest win and we all get the benefit. Less than half of Assembly members ever become state senators.

Proposition 93 turns all that on its head. Once elected to the Assembly and serving a few years, would anyone want to give up that seniority to move to the Senate and become a junior member there? Since you do not get any additional years and less seniority, which is extremely important, you will probably just stay in the Assembly for the entire 12 years, six years longer than you could serve now.

The real solution to term limits is to bring forth a simple and straightforward plan to extend the terms in each house by one term and at the same time present a redistricting plan to fix the badly mangled districts. Instead we have this hocus-pocus language that is designed to confuse the voters into thinking they are punishing politicians, which instead is in fact rewarding them.

I'm voting no on 93 because it tries to mislead the voters, rewards current undeserving politicians while undermining the historical roles of the two state houses, and doesn't solve the underlying problem of political polarization caused by the gerrymandered districts.

Norman Kline

San Jose