I recently joined approximately 75 neighbors by signing a petition that asked the Los Altos School District to reconsider locating a child-care center at Egan School.
I did so not because I am opposed to child care in my neighborhood but because of the obvious lack of thought given to where to build the center.
Egan's fields are some of the few remaining spots of green in Los Altos. For all of its charms, Los Altos has never been as aggressive as some of our neighbors in building parks and preserving open space.
Thankfully, that trend has been changing the last few years, or so I thought.
As I understand it, the school district's plan would place the day-care center right smack at the corner of the current Egan field. Gone would be part of the green field that has been enjoyed by countless children and supplied welcome visual relief.
I imagine that in its place will go a square, not-too-attractive school building. Why not place the center somewhere in town that is already converted to concrete rather than do the easy thing and reach for open space and plop a building on top of it?
Additionally, as the traffic foes have pointed out, Egan will be the site not just for middle school students but also grade schoolers during the years of construction ahead.
This means there could easily be 1,000 children using that site. Fortunately, whatever buildings are constructed for the elementary school students are temporary, but I have the feeling that once the land is claimed for day care, it's gone.
As the mother of two young daughters, I am painfully aware of how necessary day-care centers are. My younger daughter even went to a day-care center located at Covington. But asking the town to put some thought into where these much-needed resources go is also necessary.
Susan KroossLos Altos
We are the village
If it takes a village to raise a child, we are that village! There is no room for arguments if and where to relocate child-care centers currently at Covington school.
Children are not born at age 5 or 6, and their education does not start at that age, either.
There is overwhelming research available today, confirming what enlightened educators have known for many, many decades, namely that the years from birth to 6 are by far the most important years in a child's development.
Does it not stand to reason then that we should give these little ones the very best education?
And is our community, one of the most affluent in our nation, not well equipped to be a leader in early childhood education?
Let us glance into the new millennium and see the possibilities:
Imagine that we invite Abby Ahrens to contribute her flair for design to create preschools that are beautiful, inviting and warm.
Imagine if local builders would contribute their skills and build these schools for cost plus 10 percent.
Imagine if local high-tech companies led the way and set up endowment funds to finance no-interest loans to build these schools.
And then imagine these same companies establishing an endowment fund to bring qualifying teachers' salaries up to standards with professionals in other industries.
As a society, we have to ask ourselves, are the services of a $70,000 engineer more valuable than the child-care teachers who shape the ideas of a whole new generation and prepare children for a successful school experience, all on a meager salary of $20,000 on average?
These ideas do not need to remain in our "Imagine if" file; all we have to do is recall and reactivate our country's unique barn-raising principle, all hands working together for the common good, which made our great nation what it is.
Together we can move mountains and we can give our children, all our children, the very best education.
Hannelore Engelman, Founder and DirectorMontessori School of Los Altos
Fawning homes article nauseated reader
Re: Carolyn Barnes' article on the "Changing Look of Los Altos" (Dec. 8):
Ms. Barnes' fawning article supporting the extraneous opulence of extravagant homes nauseated me - five bedrooms and six-to-nine baths, his and hers master baths? This is easily earned money, nouveau riche, all show, no substance.
We grew up in a four-room, heatless, hand-built cabin, with five kids and a rather whacko, idealistic free-lance artist dad. But I'd rather have had that upbringing and the values and appreciation we learned, than this phony, inflated economy and subsequent spoiled, pampered, gutless value system.
I'm not advocating growing up poor, but I have no respect for this flimflam show of wealth.
Catherine SullivanLos Altos
Thanks to Clinton neighbors
When my husband passed away recently, the neighbors on the street where we have lived for more than 50 years came to celebrate Max's life, and wish him pain-free joy next time around.
In time to come, I will thank each of them for the love they showed him - but I can't do it right now. So to all of you on Clinton Road, my gratitude and love.
Norma LoweLos Altos
City could lead by banning toy guns
As a volunteer at the Los Altos recent Harvest Fair, I visited the vendors' stalls. I was appalled to see several toy vendors offering toy guns for sale.
In light of the American history of drive-by shootings, school and street shootings and recent senseless work-place retaliations, I support gun control.
Why should we encourage children to learn that guns can settle their disputes? I believe that playing with toy guns teaches the wrong lesson.
The city council should take the lead in prohibiting the sale of toy guns at our city fairs and shops. This would set a good example for our entire region and could result in real gun control legislation nationally.
Myra Orta
Los Altos