June 03, 2005

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Is anarchy an answer to boredom?

Good grief, no.
Sue Kemp
Seale Avenue, Palo Alto

Ban blowers

Our City Council will take up the leaf-blower issue again on June 13 to decide whether to accept the ordinance section banning gas-powered blowers effective July 1.

The April 26 Cubberley meeting, which I attended, was a refreshingly strong outpouring of anger against the frequent nightmare these machines cause so many people. It is not a crime to be home during the daytime, in one's own house or to be walking on the sidewalk.

Exposure to wave after wave of incessant noise and particulate air pollution close to one's ears and lungs is a health problem for many of us, infuriating over time because it is so unnecessary. If the ban is permitted, the police will find it far easier to enforce, reducing time from their current protocol and helping homeowners with a major quality-of-life issue.

The marketplace will decide how prices are adjusted for gardeners' services. My prediction is that gardeners will thrive without blowers, do every bit as good a job and not lose income in the process. Insistent predictions of disaster by some gardeners have not materialized in Los Altos, Berkeley, Los Angeles and several other California cities and will not happen here.

I hope everyone who can be there June 13 will tell the City Council loudly and clearly where they stand on this issue.
John K. Abraham
Ellsworth Place, Palo Alto

Time to move again?

When we moved to Palo Alto in 1950 for Stanford Graduate School, we chose to come here because the city had a reputation for good living, sensible government and opportunities for raising a family within a moderate income stratum .

Of course it was a long time before the Silicon Valley growth and Stanford development burgeoned out of control. In 1955 we moved just a bit away to Mountain View, returning to Palo Alto in 1966 because of the good schools, excellent city government, city-owned utilities and financially sound local businesses.

The libraries (not including the downtown branch) were easily accessible, playgrounds and parks were safe, and locally owned shops along University Avenue where the sidewalks were clean and streets swept regularly made shopping downtown a pleasure.

Spending city money required a careful budget process and neighborhoods took part in deliberations. They did not rule the City Council. Real-estate interests were required to consider the overall effect of shopping-area changes, compatible housing in small neighborhoods, adequate fire and police protection along with clean streets, and did not come with exorbitant salaries for top management, such as council, education and services personnel.

Now we have Mr. Beecham and Mr. Ulrich and whatever "smart" money managers we employ saying sure we can pay a corrupt, guilty, conniving, bankrupt company our money, at the same time raising utility rates, school growth fees, park and recreation use fees again.

Perhaps it is time to move again.
Janet McClure Lyman
Amaranta Court, Palo Alto

A messy Seale Park

Once again, in the space of two months, human excrement has been found at Seale Park. Both times the "deposit" was behind the corner tree in the picnic area, which has several refuse containers.

I realize there are no bathrooms in this little park, but if dog owners are required by law to pick up after their pets, why can't soccer moms, nannies, walkers, bicyclists and very sloppy picnickers also be expected to clean up their messes?

Palo Alto purports to be such a civilized city -- why can't we work to eliminate this horrible and dangerous nuisance?
Leslie Gerolde
Greer Road, Palo Alto

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