By Keep Los Altos a small town

The last thing we need in Los Altos is a hotel. There are already many hotels on El Camino and a Residence Inn being built on El Camino Real in Los Altos. We also do not need a mammoth theater. A small theater would be very nice.

In our opinion, the council and city merchants are thinking of more money in their coffers and not of the people who live in town. The qualities that have made the downtown area a nice place to be are already being eroded. Dirty sidewalks and traffic being only two of the problems and with more people, they will only increase. Another issue is squeezing condos into any small space available. We don’t need a larger population and bulky two- and three-story buildings in town.

Survey after survey has shown that the semi-rural, small-town atmosphere that initially attracted people to our town is desired by the majority of residents. It’s time for the council to take charge and slow down development unless it truly enhances our town.

Gary and Marya KeethLos Altos

Best event in the Bay Area

Every year around Thanksgiving time, Los Altos comes alive with magnificent costumes and decorative floats. The Festival of Lights Parade is the best community event in the entire Bay Area. It brings friends and neighbors together, and puts the holiday spirit into everyone’s heart.

This special event keeps everyone feeling part of our Los Altos community. Thank you to the hardworking volunteers who keep the Festival of Lights Parade part of the Los Altos tradition.

Lindsay Nickel4th grade, Oak School

Carriage rides cruel to horses

I believe in holiday traditions but not the Los Altos Village Association’s sponsored carriage rides that represent a cruel tradition for horses.

Not only is hard pavement bad for horses’ hooves and legs, it is also a widely-known practice by carriage owners not to feed or hydrate horses adequately to inhibit bowel and urinary movements for many hours.

In addition, who monitors how long the horses are forced to walk the paved streets in 40 degree weather without rest?

I think people should re-address what traditions should be continued or discontinued as we move into the next millennium. Using animals for profit and entertainment is immoral.

Athena Buchanan

Los Altos