The Town Crier has done a fine service in publishing Joan Passarelli's sensitive portrayal of the Morgan Center ("It's got to be for love," June 23). Although the Morgan Center has occupied the Covington School site for nearly 20 years, its reputation as one of the country's leading programs for people with autism is far better known nationally than locally.
Morgan Center's upcoming eviction from the Covington site is unfortunately part of a greater trend.
As districts scramble to accommodate larger school populations and smaller class sizes, special education classes are frequently displaced to make room. Ironically, while the availability of special ed classes is decreasing, the number of school-age children with autism is dramatically increasing, as indicated in Passarelli's article.
In effect, children with special needs are being disenfranchised by the population explosion.
More unfortunately, Morgan Center may also be an unintended victim of the NIMBY syndrome. The president of the Los Altos School Board has stated that her responsibility is to ensure "equity" among school sites - i.e., to see that the makeup of each Los Altos school is basically the same.
What did not appear in the article is that the LASD had been seriously negotiating with Morgan Center for possible continuation at Covington.
The district now maintains that they only have space at Covington for limited day care and have never planned otherwise. This before- and after-care could become very expensive indeed, considering the loss of Morgan Center's sizeable contribution to LASD's operating revenue and the possible consequences of district noncompliance with federal special education law.
Obviously, Morgan Center's plight reflects many larger issues facing not only Los Altos but also the community at large. Joan Passarelli did a superb job in capturing the essence of a fine program and presenting an objective and balanced view of a complex situation.
Sue SwezeyFounder and Past PresidentS.F. Bay Area Chapter, AutisticSociety of AmericaMenlo Park
EDITOR'S NOTE: School Board president Kristine Salmon said the district wanted to keep the Morgan Center at Covington, but the center's size needs, two-to-three acres, was the reason the district could not keep the school. Also, she said the district has never entered into serious negotiations with the Morgan Center regarding continued operations at the Covington site. The district did ask tenants for their size requirements, Salmon said.
Not a 'nice, friendly neighborhood business'
Phil Menasce seems to feel that the former gas station at the corner of Grant and Fremont was, "a nice, friendly, neighborhood business" (Town Crier, June 30).
If Mr. Menasce went to the "huge meeting" that he also mentioned in your paper, he would have realized that many people who live near the gas station site, unlike himself, did not find it a "nice, friendly, neighborhood business."
These feelings should all have been aired a year ago to the city council instead of being dredged up in a setting that won't resolve anything.
Had Mr. Menasce known all of the facts, he too would support the building of two houses on that "weed-infested eyesore" plot of land.
As Mr. Menasce said, "The intersection of Fremont and Grant is very busy during commute times, making it an undesirable area to build a house."
If Mr. Menasce feels it is too busy now, imagine how busy it was when it was filled with cars gassing up during commute hours.
Not only did this add to the danger of using the gas station, it also made for an unpleasant atmosphere for neighbors surrounding the now "weed-infested, eyesore" property.
I was upset, as were many of my friends, when the Chevron closed on San Antonio and First Street near downtown.
However, seeing as how that was not in my neighborhood, I felt I had no right to protest in any way, as you seem to feel about our neighborhood.
Nancy S. GregurasLos Altos
No rural anymore in Los Altos Hills
I have lived in Los Altos Hills for 45 years - before it became Los Altos Hills.
I was told that my house - redwood siding, 10-foot beamed ceilings - would be torn down when I die. This is because my lot is so great for another castle.
There is no more rural anymore.
I continue to wonder what council members Toni Casey and Steve Finn are up to.
Lawrence G. Olinger
Los Altos Hills