Gloria Steinem's remark about motherhood (Town Crier, May 12) was demeaning to all women who choose to raise their own children. The women's movement is about an agenda and not about women.
My problems did not begin with the birth of my child. My life began that day. I did not marry until I was 34 years old. I had a great career and a wonderful life, but I had never experienced the joy and fufillment I do now having my own family, being a wife and a mother.
I do not regret for one second choosing to give up career for family. The women's movement does a great disservice to young women by not recognizing and honoring all of the choices women have to make.
Doreen B. Andriacchi
Los Altos Hills
Millennium party fees as charitable deductions
At the May 11 Los Altos City Council meeting, several council members expressed concern about the calculation of the charitable portion of a Millennium Eve celebration ticket. As a member of the executive committee for the Millennium Eve celebration, I would like to explain why a purchaser of a $500 Millennium Eve ticket will be entitled to a $250 charitable deduction.
Specifically, published IRS procedures permit a charitable deduction in the amount that the cost of the ticket exceeds the fair market value of the benefit received by the purchaser of the ticket. And, the fair market value of the benefit received is determined on the basis of admission prices to similar events in a similar geographic location.
The IRS procedures were closely followed by the executive committee in calculating the deductible portion of tickets to the Millennium Eve celebration. A survey was conducted of the cost of similar events in the Los Altos geographic area.
On the basis of that survey, it was determined that in accordance with the IRS procedures, any amount paid for a ticket in excess of $250 may be properly characterized as a charitable contribution.
Mark K. Smallhouse
Los Altos
Girl Scouts need a thank-you, too
I enjoyed your paper's article about all the various groups and folks who pitched in to help make the Rotary art show a genuine community affair (Town Crier, May 19).
It was indeed a wonderful event again this year, where everyone involved had a grand time, and a substantial amount was raised for the Rotary Club to give back to the community.
Sadly, there was one glaring omission from the list of helpers, and from the "thank you" advertisement which ran as well, which jumped out at me like a sore thumb when I read them: Right along with the Troop 37 Boy Scouts who worked so many different jobs, were over 50 Girl Scouts from several different troops in our area.
This was by far the biggest turnout for the event that we've yet had, and the scouts looked extra sharp in their spiffy uniforms as they passed out programs, sold ice cream, and blew up and handed out balloons to the little kids, and helped in a variety of other ways.
Without either the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, the art show would be lots less fun for us "old-timers," and we want them to know we really, really appreciate having them be an important part of the annual Rotary art show.
Dick Blanding
Los Altos
It's a small world, and we can relate
I would like to say to Joan Passarelli that, "It's a small world, after all." At this particular time of her writing, "Enemies: The 'little' voices that urge men to gossip, to yell" (Town Crier, May 19), the adult Sunday school class at Foothill Baptist Church in Los Altos is also studying the Psalms and we are coming up with some interesting interpretations, too. We can identify with her thoughts, which make for an interesting lesson for all of us, since we have some outside company on the same subject. Nice to get another's input.
Esther Payne Davis
Mountain View
Spontaneous contributions help new park
Remembering your thorough and enthusiastic reporting of the need for a park and now seeing its splendid transformation, I thought you would be interested in writing a story about the community spirit that contributed to the creation of the park.
The early gathering of interested town people to voice the desires and suggestions for park design was an inspired action of the Parks and Recreation Commission's leadership. The Los Altos Town Crier's editorial supporting King Lear's motion to get started was widely read. Ed Tooker's voicing the Camellia Society's willingness to donate specimen plants for the shady corner, along with Mrs. Hambly's generous gift of $5,000 to improve parks, were quickly followed by more donors
Parc Regent residents Dr. Charles Nealis, and my husband Bob and I each sent $1,000 checks, enabling the park to upgrade the trees to be planted from 15-gallon buckets to 22-inch boxes. When it was time to plant the Camellia Society's specimens, it was learned that the city budget had not provided for the cost of the special soil required for optimum growth. On hearing of the need, Sis Jones, Virginia and John Morgan, Dale Baker, Mr. and Mrs. John Meridith, and Mr. and Mrs. Orlins immediately wrote checks for $100 each.
The gifts didn't stop there. Ed Tooker who kept close watch on the park project, inspired more contributions. I'm enclosing a copy of his letter to Bruce Bane which acknowledges many others who worked together to create the beautiful entry to downtown Los Altos.
I have never lived anywhere that compares with Los Altos where the spontaneous contributions from the community were so generous.
Louise G. Lee
Los Altos