Publication Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Letters
Letters
(July 14, 2004)
Remove portables
Editor,
There is only one way to resolve the dispute over portable classrooms placed by the Palo Alto Unified School District on city property at Rinconada Park: The school district should remove the temporary buildings altogether.
When the residents of Palo Alto voted in 1995 on the $147 million bond measure for the "Building for Excellence" program, it was understood that portable classrooms would be used on a temporary basis while schools were renovated and new classrooms built. Now that this has been done and regular classrooms have replaced temporary ones, the school district should remove all the portable buildings on school sites including those located on city property at Rinconada Park.
Residents who enjoy Rinconada Park have to look at those unattractive buildings. If it is the school district's plan to keep these temporary classrooms indefinitely, it should take some of the $17 million it has kept in a reserve fund from the bond measure and build attractive permanent structures on school district property, not city land.
I am disappointed that many of our schools look worse now than they did before the "Building for Excellence" program started. Several schools are still cluttered with temporary classrooms and some have kept their unsightly storage containers and ugly dumpsters indefinitely.
The school district should display more civic pride and remove all these unnecessary structures from our schools.
Jean Wilcox
Sutherland Drive
Palo Alto
Nothing positive
Editor,
Eugene Micek's long, angry and error-riddled letter (Weekly, July 7) attacking Don Kazak's "Our Town" column ended with one final accusation. He said the column "did not mention one positive comment or achievement in what the United States has accomplished in Iraq."
I would like to point out that neither did Mr. Micek. Had he limited himself to the topic, it would have been a much shorter letter.
Paul George
Alma Street
Palo Alto
Plants for Lytton
Editor,
I find it somewhat interesting that a fountain is even being considered for Lytton Plaza, given the article posted on the Palo Alto Weekly's Web site Wednesday morning (June 16) about Santa Clara County's efforts to educate the public to use water wisely.
As I recall, during the last drought fountains were shut down, including those that used mostly recycled water. How about a nice patch of drought-resistant native plants instead? Informational signs could inform the public of what they are and how to grow them, along with how much water can be saved by planting native species.
Let's make Lytton Plaza a showcase of Palo Alto's greener side.
Seth Yatovitz
High Street
Palo Alto
Anti 'feminist'
Editor,
Perhaps when Bill D'Agostino said that Juana Briones is a "feminist icon" (Weekly, July 2), he did not intend the phrase to be demeaning in a variety of ways, but I took it so.
Some readers who took offense as I did may be pleased to know that a respected historian, Jacob N. Bowman, in an article in the Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly in September 1957 wrote, "Among the women of provincial California, Juana Briones stands preeminent."
Since a man wrote that, and at a time when the word "feminist" was just entering the American popular vocabulary, it helps mitigate the stigma some women like myself will think Mr. D'Agostino's remark conveys.
Jeanne Farr McDonnell
Secretary, Juana Briones Heritage Foundation
Portola Avenue
Palo Alto
Preserve Briones house
Editor,
A legal decision has been made that will allow the current owners of the oldest documented home in Palo Alto to demolish the house.
Dating from the rancho era, the home of Juana Briones connects us and our progeny to our local history, state history, Hispanic history, women's history and the specific historical personage of Juana Briones.
She emerges from the mists of history by the force of her energy and instinct to persevere when many from that era were ruined and forgotten. What a shame that the demolition of her home will be allowed to happen because of no outcry from the public.
If the public is interested in preserving the house, people must speak up now. Showing support is important. It is what matters now. Speak at City Council meetings or send a letter to 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301.
Kathy Akatiff
Rinconada Avenue
Palo Alto
No consultant needed
Editor,
Does the city need a consultant to evaluate its top four managers? No.
Palo Alto's citizens should remind its City Council members that they should do the job they were elected to do. If they want to manage, then reviewing those who report to them is part of a council member's function.
Paying a consultant to do their job is not acceptable, unless the council members involved want to pay a consultant out of their own pockets.
It appears that the Palo Alto City Council needs some more clean-up. This latest show of incompetence is worth remembering when the next election comes around.
Jan Reimer
Toyon Place
Palo Alto
Save the tables
Editor,
One of our favorite restaurants, one that exemplifies the spirit and charm of Palo Alto, is Nora's on California Avenue. Nora's is a very Parisian sidewalk cafˇ open all day with wonderful food, wine and ambience. One of the keys to its charm are the outdoor sidewalk tables.
We were shocked to find out that the city is requiring Nora's to remove most of the sidewalk tables.
Apparently someone complained that the tables block a bench. This bench was installed by the previous owner of the restaurant (not by the city) and it was almost never used by anyone. To insist that Nora's remove their tables to allow access to the bench is ludicrous.
Nora's is the sort of business that makes Palo Alto special. It adds character, brings in business and adds to the vibrancy of the entire California Avenue area. If Palo Alto is to be business and people friendly, if Palo Alto hopes to attract visitors and keep residents, if Palo Alto is really a people-oriented town that puts culture ahead of arbitrary rules, then it is absurd to require Nora's to remove the tables that give it its character and give so many people so much joy.
We love the open-minded, free spirit of Palo Alto and would hate to see something so out of character happen to a business in our town.
Gayle and Richard Koralek
Bryant Street
Palo Alto
Encouraging competition
Editor,
I just read the Palo Alto Weekly Upfront article about LaDoris Cordell's encouragement of Palo Alto city officials to cease talking to Palo Alto Daily News reporters (Weekly, July 9).
I am disappointed that an elected public official would try to stifle communication between city officials and a legitimate local newspaper. I sense that Ms. Cordell prefers that the Daily didn't exist. In spite of its flaws, the Palo Alto Daily News is good for Palo Alto and good for democracy. The Daily has created some competition in the local news market.
Competition is a good thing.
I have no doubt that the presence of the Daily has sharpened the reporting at the more respected local newspaper, the Palo Alto Weekly. The Daily's more aggressive style of reporting keeps elected officials alert to the impact of their action (or inaction). The Daily is willing to take-on the vested interests in the community, making no attempt to be polite.
Is the Daily sometimes sensationalistic? Yes. Do they sometimes frame information in a way that stimulates controversy (and their readership)? Yes. But without competition in the local news market, it would be far easier for local officials to put their own spin on information resulting in a different kind of "framing" of information.
Being among the residents who lived through the 1998 El Nino flood, I am thankful for the Daily's willingness to address what we perceived as the city's complacency and subsequent apathy towards San Francisquito Creek flood control in the aftermath of the crisis.
Back in that timeframe, the local flood district didn't even have San Francisquito Creek on its list of "priorities," and at that time Palo Alto city officials who were responsible for attending flood-district meetings were apathetic about their ability to change those priorities.
It was only through a very confrontational front-page article in the Daily and simultaneous pressure from local residents that our elected officials mustered their courage to exert pressure on the flood district and get our creek added to the list of priorities. Much has happened since that time, but those are the facts from February 1998.
I am thankful to live in a nation with a relatively free press, and I encourage our local officials to do their part in supporting that freedom -- LaDoris Cordell included.
Kevin Fisher
Alester Avenue
Palo Alto
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