Publication Date: Friday, December 09, 2005
ReaderWire
ReaderWire
(December 09, 2005)
Stanford fight
I was not surprised to read that Stanford is fighting with its employees, because Stanford is also reneging on its agreement to build recreational trails in its Santa Clara County land holdings.
On Dec. 12, the union for both the university and the hospital are threatening to strike against Stanford. On Dec. 13, Santa Clara County supervisors are going to vote on whether to accept a widening of Alpine Road (in San Mateo County) in lieu of a recreational trail crossing Stanford's property that Stanford promised two years ago.
Stanford golfers, neighborhood groups, Acterra, Committee for Green Foothills, Stanford Open Space Alliance and other community groups do not accept Stanford's position on this issue. If they want to get reelected, the Board of Supervisors must stand up to this huge landowner and recognize that Stanford does not always operate in the best interests of this community.
If you want to tell the supervisors to hold Stanford to its agreement and provide us with real trails, come to the meeting on Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m. to speak out at 70 West Hedding St. in San Jose.
Elaine Haight
Cowper Street, Palo Alto
Riace response
I have been going to Caffe Riace for years and have no qualms recommending it to my friends as one of the best Italian restaurants in town. The food is consistently fresh, delicious, authentic and in generous portions.
I have taken family and visitors there many times for special occasions and have never been disappointed with the cuisine or the service. Everyone I take there is favorably impressed, typically giving the restaurant rave reviews after a fine meal.
The review in the Nov. 25 issue is a travesty. The whole review is so nasty it sounds like the reviewer has an ax to grind, some kind of personal vendetta. Either that or he has no taste.
The review is so far from my own repeated experience and that of everyone I know who has been there that it doesn't even sound like the same place. The review reeks of arrogance and pretension, things definitely lacking at Riace's.
The restaurant deserves a better review from someone who isn't determined to tear it down. Better yet, readers should go for themselves to discover how wrong the review is and they'll discover a delightful venue for excellent Italian cuisine and genial ambience.
Sanford Forte
College Avenue, Palo Alto
Going, going, Gunn
We are sorry to hear that Focus Cinema will cease operations at Spangenberg Theatre. We were frequent patrons and appreciated the variety of movies as well as the convenient location, easy parking and great prices.
It is a unique business and, more surprising, it also brings in a monthly fee to Gunn High School ($1,000/month). What better deal for a community than to use its existing resources for multiple purposes?
How nice of the Focus group to bring its entertainment to sleepy south Palo Alto, which has nothing in the way of night life. Both the school and the film society appear short-sighted in disagreeing about such trivial issues as movie-poster placement and the smell of popcorn in the lobby.
While the student art on the walls is very nice, it is hardly a well-lit gallery and usually the lobby is too crowded to view what is there. Moreover, as high-school parents who attend our students' concerts, plays and parent-education forums here, we disagree that there is a flashy theater ambiance -- the modest concession case is tucked away in a corner.
In this age of under-funded schools, how can the principal turn down this easy source of income? Was something else the real root of the problem? Was the film group leaving its trash around, forcing school janitors to do extra pick-up?
If this is the case, please, negotiate a win-win scenario for the school and the film society. Charge a bit more for tickets, install a fan for the popcorn smell and be strict about clean-up every time.
Look for other ways the school could benefit, perhaps by encouraging film classes to be a part of the solution.
Thank you for the four years. We saw some great titles there.
Jane Moss
Ferne Avenue, Palo Alto
Menlo politics
Politics as usual in Menlo Park -- this scenario occurs over and over: An issue comes up for City Council consideration (e.g., housing ordinance, save the Baylands, the mayoral position, etc.).
Myriad citizens appear and argue convincingly for position “A.” Two or three folks speak in favor of “B.” The council majority -- Jellins, Duboc and Winkler -- vote for “B,” for their minds are made up well ahead of time.
Though their votes are futile against the intransigence of the majority bloc, residentialists Cohen and Fergusson support “A,” thus representing the greater portion of the Menlo Park citizenry.
Nancy Barnby
Spruce Avenue, Menlo Park
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