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Published on 09/22/1997 All articles from this issue

Letters to the Editor

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Bothered by Moffett beacon

Has anyone else been bothered by Moffett Field's new beacon?

The beacon was installed as part of an FAA upgrade. Since apparently no commercial flights are planned this seems unnecessary.

If this beacon seems a nuisance (it lights up the inside of my house) please call Gary Thorton at Moffett, 604-0685. A call to your local town council office 941-7222 would also help in determining the extent that this is a problem.

Nanci FoxLos Altos Hills

Council needs to finish what it started

This letter is not to second guess council's recent decision to relieve Gloria Bauer of her duties on the planning commission. It is to express the belief that the city council has acted wisely if it now follows through rather quickly with what it has started.

Gloria Bauer is a lady of considerable intellect and integrity. She would not have produced such an outburst if there had not been real problems with the city staff.

The city council, having initiated action, now has a very real responsibility to the residents of Los Altos to find and correct the root cause of the problem. It is very easy for a body, like the city council, to turn a blind eye and say "no such problem exists." That is what the Council would be doing if, with the relieving of Gloria Bauer from her duties, it simply leaves the situation now as finished.

There have been a number of indications, in letters to the editor of the Town Crier and articles in the Los Altos Homeowners League newsletter, that real problems exist in our city staff. If one talks with people who have had occasion to deal with the city staffs of neighboring cities (e.g. Palo Alto, Mountain View, or Cupertino) as well as the staff of Los Altos, they will tell you that ours does not measure up to that of our neighbors' in quality and effectiveness.

Residents of Los Altos should express their opinions, in writing, directly to members of the city council.

Stephen W. MillerLos Altos

Recalling Bob Gray, the councilman

Resident Bob Norton offered the following commentary, given to the Los Altos City Council Sept. 9, as a letter to the editor:

Councilman Bob Gray is nearing the end of his term. In case he plans to take some vacation or I am away in the next few weeks, I don't want to miss this opportunity to thank him publicly for the last four years of his life he has devoted to the people of Los Altos.

In June 1993, the council was considering an inclusionary zoning ordinance.

My first recollection of Bob Gray was as a distinguished gentleman standing right here before this tired old microphone telling the council that if the ordinance passed, referendum petitions would be started immediately and the ordinance would be repealed at the next election. It passed and, Bob, you were right!

Bob, you provided leadership for Measure G as you ran your own campaign for the city council.

You promised to open city hall to air and light and the flow of information to the public. And you did.

This situation at city hall is significantly improved from five years ago.

The city had repeatedly failed to get its affordable housing plan approved. You promised to get the city's housing element approved by the state. And you did.

You pushed for the necessary ordinances and a viable city plan and sold them, personally, to the state officials in Sacramento, a first by any city to make a personal presentation, according to the state staff.

Your open and inquiring mind and your persistence led you to accomplish much more during the last four years, but the above are among the most important to me.

Dolores and I are very sad to see you leave the council. But we greatly appreciate your sacrifice of those years from your busy retirement.

Now you can go back to retirement life and whip your golf game back into shape.

Thank you.

Bob NortonLos Altos

Historic inventory needs updating

The following letter was addressed to the Los Altos City Council:

It has come to my attention that the draft inventory of historic sites and structures in Los Altos has not been completed and has not been approved by the Historical Commission or the city council.

You may be aware that last year two historic houses in Palo Alto were demolished. One was a large Queen Anne in College Terrace; the other was a Julia Morgan in another neighborhood.

Neither was on the inventory, which in Palo Alto was incomplete as is ours in Los Altos.

If these buildings had been listed, there would have been hearings and they almost certainly would have been saved.

It seems imperative that the Historical Commission complete work on the inventory at the earliest possible date, perhaps bringing in auxiliary members to help do the job.

Then the inventory can be forwarded to the city council for prompt action.

This measure probably would not have saved the Anowitz house at 638 Paco Drive, which you approved for demolition. But it might save another historic structure similar to those in Palo Alto which were destroyed last year.

Nancy MasonLos Altos

Grateful hospital is turning around

I found it odd and darkly ironic to read in your paper that Crownie Billik and Carol Watts, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Los Altos and Mountain View, wrote about their questions and objections to the current structure of the governing bodies of El Camino Hospital.

I have difficulty understanding their position since a year and a half ago I remember them objecting to the El Camino Hospital District Board's lawsuit against the merged Camino Healthcare (Sunnyvale Medical Clinic + Hospital + Shoreline Medical Group).

The old Camino Healthcare held meetings that were closed to the public and no public oversight was allowed.

In addition, this organization was losing $1 million a month. The League of Women Voters of Los Altos and Mountain View continued to support a failing organization that only a short time earlier had been a successful district hospital.

Since the return of El Camino Hospital to the district board, it has begun to turn a profit. It has also kept its meetings open to the public and has volunteered to keep the newly appointed Camino Healthcare board meetings open as well.

This gives us an opportunity to attend meetings, hear financial reports, give input, and work with the elected officials. El Camino Hospital has become a model for dissolving public-turned-private hospitals.

I am personally grateful that El Camino Hospital is turning around, is still a local hospital, and I want to see them continue leading in this direction.

Mary WagnerLos Altos

Brochure should answer questions

There has been much confusion about El Camino Hospital District governance structure. Very shortly you will be receiving a brochure in the mail, and I sincerely hope that you will take time to study this very informative brochure.

Many people are still confused about the take back of El Camino Hospital, and the continuance of El Camino Healthcare.

El Camino Hospital District serves over 100,000 people, and we are very proud that El Camino Hospital is now back In the hands of the people. We need your support.

Good health care is essential for all of us, and our future generations.

The district board meets quarterly, and "Camino Health Care" meets monthly.

Meeting times have been published in the Town Crier.

If you have any questions concerning this matter, call 940-7000 and ask for either Judy Twitchell or Keeley Blanchette.

Valerie B. Mc CarthyLos Altos

More pet language mutilations

Mr. Burnell, you give me the courage to add a few of my own pet 'language mutilation frustrations' (Town Crier, Aug. 20):

1. "Criteria" and "media - those are plural words and therefore one cannot say "the criteria is.. ." or "the media is" (as most people seem to do) , but must say "the criteria are" or "the media are".

2. "Amount" and "number" - "less and fewer" amounts come in piles - like a large amount of sand.

One cannot say "a large amount of people." People come in numbers and, therefore, one must say "a large number of people." If it can be counted the word "amount" must not be used.

In the same manner there are fewer people but there is less sand.

There are fewer grains of sand (yes, you can count them if you wish) but there is less flour.

3. "Is" and "are" -- technically speaking one can not say "there's two cats over there".

However, since 95 percent of all United States citizens, including news broadcasters, use the verb "is" when they should be saying "are," I have just about given up on this one.

That is all for today. I hope there are others who wish to share their particular frustrations with the mutilations of the English language.

I hope, Roger Burnell, that you have started something!

Christiane M. CreightonLos Altos

We have it all - but no dog catcher

Recently, there was a little black dog with a collar, tail down, frightened and running in the middle of Los Altos Avenue heading toward El Camino Real.

The dog made some narrow escapes as cars stopped just in time. I tried to catch him to read the address on the collar, but no luck.

I called Los Altos Police. There is no longer a dogcatcher service in Los Altos. Palo Alto will only help if you have caught the dog and have it in your yard.

No help here for lost or frightened animals? No humane society?

With all of the dog-, cat-, horse- and animal-lovers in Los Altos, I couldn't catch him - I don't know if he was killed or caused an accident.

I was shocked to think we no longer have a dogcatcher here. Fancy benches, all kinds of goodies, and no help for our lost animals?

J.S. Lawrence

Los Altos