Publication Date: Friday, April 29, 2005
ReaderWire
ReaderWire
(April 29, 2005)
Towers and pantaloons
I object to any discussion of any potential hazard to "the children" from any cellular tower. That is a settled issue not subject to further review, especially by a lay organization not known to be guided by scientific principles.
They are welcome to locate a tower on my residential property.
Cellular phones have been proven to be an asset to public safety beyond all question. If for no other reason than the safety of women drivers I would have you mandate full coverage. I only object to the priggishness/silliness of those who would force the camouflaging of a utilitarian device.
This is akin to tea cozies on fire hydrants and pantaloons on pianos. There is yet a place in this world for honesty. Cancel the hearings and proceed under emergency powers. Save the artificial trees for Christmas.
Walter E. Wallis
Waverley Street, Palo Alto
Misleading 'downzone'
"Downzone" is a completely misleading term in relation to the upper California site under the Mayfield agreement.
At present, Stanford can elect either commercial or residential use. After the deal, they get both: housing on the site and along El Camino Real and 300,000 square feet of commercial space in the Research Park with no strings attached.
Together with other aspects of the proposed agreement, the new zoning for upper California is part of a negotiated trade, which should result in full compatibility with the adjacent neighborhood.
With regard to neighborhood traffic impacts, our letter-petition team has studied the data and the underlying standards upon which they are based. The standards have been misapplied. Unfortunately, our residents' association has simply accepted the invalid data at face value. We are presenting our findings to the City Council.
Our call-to-action of College Terrace residents began shortly after the development agreement was made public in mid-December. In response, a detailed, four-page letter-petition to the council has exceeded 200 neighborhood endorsements.
The petition does not oppose the deal. Nor does it ask for conceptual changes to the original offer. It simply describes what should be in the development agreement to ensure what Stanford, the city and some residents are leading our neighborhood to think it is getting.
Fred and Ann Balin
Columbia Street, Palo Alto
Time for blower ban
We are writing in support of Palo Alto's wise ordinance to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in July 2005. The writers are a retired schoolteacher and a retired Lockheed engineer.
We attended the April 26 town hall meeting on leaf blowers held at Cubberley Community Center. The overwhelming consensus of the Palo Alto homeowners and renters was that leaf blowers are an extremely irritating, noisy and polluting nuisance.
Even the new blowers operate at a deafening more-than-90 decibels at the machine and spray dust, pesticides and excrement in all directions. Nobody disputes this.
The gardeners coalition argued passionately that they needed leaf blowers so that they could do their job quickly and send their kids to college, like the people whose gardens they were mowing and blowing.
We believe that the gardeners' heartfelt desire to get their job done as quickly as possible does not give them the right to generate noise and environmental pollution in the community. We have patiently waited five years for this well-debated Palo Alto ordinance to go into effect.
We sincerely hope that the City Council will not betray us. We should follow the environmental lead successfully set by Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Los Altos and many other California towns and cities who have banned leaf blowers.
Russell and Patty Targ
Harriet Street, Palo Alto
Art and generosity
It was great to see the Weekly's cover article (April 15) about the art at Ronald McDonald House and the impact that it has on the families staying at the house.
I was delighted to be in the right place at the right time with the right art to donate to help Ronald McDonald House realize its goal of building a collection to enhance the lives of families going through very difficult times.
There were, however, several people who really should have received kudos for their enormous contributions to this effort. First, the collection wouldn't be as cohesive and meaningful without the huge time commitment of Toni Sarraille and her Art Committee. They put in many hours choosing the art that would be most appropriate for this special environment.
And equally important was the contribution of artwork and time (including installing some of the two-dimensional work) by board member and owner of Adler & Co. gallery, Jim Adler and his wife, Cynde.
It was the Adlers who donated the Stango work on the Weekly's cover and many of the bright and upbeat works by Britto at Ronald McDonald House.
Finally, although Peter Shire was commissioned to make the wonderful work that hangs in the entry gallery, he went far beyond the scope and budget of his commission to create a work that fills children of all ages with joy as they walk into their temporary home.
Lucy Berman
West Crescent Drive, Palo Alto
E-mail a friend a link to this story. | 
