By INGRID MCCLEARY
Brian O'Toole stepped down as mayor in September, 1990 after he was arrested for child molestation. Frances Rowe was removed from office in December 1994 by the same councilmembers who'd voted her in.
In many respects, this doesn't reflect well on Sunnyvale. We want to be proud of our community, and we're reluctant to hear about failings in our leaders.
When President Clinton visited Sunnyvale in 1993, we all got 15 minutes of fame, each resident taking a bit of credit for living in a city held in high esteem by our nation's highest authorities.
But when the coin is flipped and we discover all is not well in City Hall? Well, we feel duped. And yes, on some level, responsible.
Perhaps the saving grace in being a resident where trouble also resides is that adversity catches our attention. Increased interest follows.
Look at the case of figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. Implicated in the knowledge of the attack on Nancy Kerrigan's knee, Tonya was banned from skating. Until that attack, you could watch skating only during the Olympics and sometimes on Wide World of Sports on Saturday afternoons. That was it.
As the Harding/Kerrigan drama unfolded, viewer interest increased. More people viewed the 1992 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, than had ever watched previous games. With viewer interest came opportunity. Suddenly, figure-skating competitions appeared everywhere. Television coverage appeared biweekly. Sponsors attached their names with pride.
There is no silver lining for the guilty, and I'm sure Nancy would have preferred to forego the entire experience, but there's no denying that the incident did benefit the sport as a whole. Tonya, in essence, has made millionaires of her fellow skaters and past rivals.
What's ice skating got to do with Sunnyvale's mayors? Plenty. The first: When someone falls, people watch. In the case of falling mayors, residents take note.
When Rowe's dismissal occurred, I raised my eyebrows and began reading subsequent reports with increased concern. But keeping tabs on Rowe's actions also illuminated the actions of her council colleagues.
At first it seemed like outright ostracization. Rowe was too pushy, too demanding, and they simply didn't like her any more. It gave the entire council a jaundiced sheen. And it made me uncomfortable.
The second: Authorities began to question proceedings. Was it indeed a kangaroo court? Or had Rowe indeed gone too far? Forceful leadership was one thing; threatening leadership was another.
The third: Opportunities arose. Letters voicing opinions came from residents, councilmembers and reporters alike. And, as with so many other things in life, easy times are just that--easy--but it is adversity that tests strength. Yes, the process was an embarrassment. Yes, we could have swept it under the rug to preserve the city's image. But it did give us the opportunity to test ourselves and our city's leaders.
The fourth: The incident did benefit the city as a whole. Sunnyvale has weathered a storm ,and I believe we're stronger for it. We'll use that strength to question proceedings, to voice opinions, to bring about change, if change is needed.
The flood has receded for the second time (Rowe's unsuccessful bid for reelection raised concern yet again). But I think we're more aware of city government now, and I imagine the councilmembers are treading carefully because interest in their actions is still high.
Just as figure skaters triumphed over adversity, I'd like to think that Sunnyvale residents are triumphing over ours by becoming more involved in the community. Because the more involved we are, the more accountable we become to our surroundings.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 10, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.