By Hoping they'll come to their senses
I was appalled to hear that there is a group of individuals in Los Altos who are trying to oust the Packard Foundation.
They are one of the largest foundations in the United States, with an excellent reputation to match. The building is tasteful and unobtrusive. Their staff comprises well-educated professionals.
Over the years, they have funded numerous projects that have impacted our community and many of our lives in a profound way.
I can’t in my wildest dreams think of why anyone wouldn’t welcome them into our community with open arms. I can only hope that this supposed “coalition” will do their homework and come to their senses.
Three cheers for the Packard Foundation. I personally hope they will remain in our town for years to come.
Meredith DuHamelLos Altos
Use of ‘charrette’ was, indeed, correct
Yes, indeed, the French word “charrette” does mean a small cart.
In the context of architecture, planning and design, however, it refers to the cart that circled the architectural studios of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, collecting the final drawings as the deadline for project submission approached.
Students were known to jump on the cart with their drawings, putting on last touches in the waning minutes until deadline. Hence, the concept of “charrette” among architects and planners refers to a project of continuous intensity, demanding high effort down to the last minute.
The issue of transportation in Los Altos is certainly one that deserves that kind of intense effort, and I hope Citizen Dubrulle will participate in the process.
Phoebe BressackLos AltosPlanning Commissioner
Get back on the ‘charrette’
C. Dubrelle’s letter to the editor in the Sept. 5 Town Crier titled “City should watch its language” was incorrect in its criticism of the city’s recent flier that used the word ‘charrette.’
The use of the term ‘charrette’ in this context dates back to the early days of the renowned architectural school at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
The students’ deadline for turning in design project drawings was announced when the man came through the design studios pulling a “charrette” (cart).
It was from this process of working under time constraints to produce design projects and turn them in to the charrette that the word “charrette” transformed into a verb, as in “to charrette”‘ or a noun, as used by the city. This use of the term “charrette” is common knowledge in any architectural school around the world.
Mark Srebnik, AIAArchitect-Urban DesignerLos Altos
No taxes involved in pools plan
In a letter to the editor published Sept. 5, Ed Austin opposes burdening Los Altos tax payers with the cost to design and construct an aquatics center and recommends that the city allocate the land for the pool and solicit an organization to raise funds to build it.
That recommendation is, in fact, the proposal that SPLASH (Swimmers Promoting Los Altos Aquatics, Safety, and Health) made to the city of Los Altos in 1998 and is exactly the arrangement under which the city is moving forward with the pool project. Once completed, this new pool will be an asset belonging to the city of Los Altos, and not to any private group.
If you have questions about the Los Altos Community Pool project, please contact SPLASH (see our Web site, www.splashcommunitypool.org for contact information.).
Dick ThomasCo-director, SPLASH
Not all DSL is the same
Commenting on the Aug. 8 DSL story, I think it’s important to point out that not all DSL is the same, and in particular Pac Bell plays different roles for different types of DSL.
Pac Bell, through its subsidiary Pac Bell Internet, is an ISP that provides consumer and some business DSL service. This is the company that we tend to see and know about through their large advertising efforts. But behind the scenes, the “wholesale” side of Pac Bell also leases various elements of their network that other companies like Covad and MegaPath use to provide DSL service to business customers.
The “competitive local exchange carrier” or CLEC industry was energized in response to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which required the incumbent phone companies to provide access to their facilities for these CLECs to begin a competitive service.
One of the best CLECs today is Covad, based in Santa Clara. Covad provides MegaPath and other service providers with a competitive and high-quality business line that MegaPath then enhances with additional product and service features before delivering this service to the customer.
The resulting product is both price competitive and quality superior to similar offerings from Pac Bell Internet.
So it’s not true that it must cost more from anyone besides the phone company.
Harry TaxinLos Altos
(Taxin is CEO of MegaPath Networks.)
Raising of eyebrows an appropriate reaction
Regarding the First and Main front page story (Aug. 22), I think John Moss chooses his words well when observing Roxy Rapp raise his eyebrows way up when the council got done with him.
Los Altos has long had that ability; council, staff, city fathers and mothers … anyone in authority … to make developers, retailers, architects and homeowners roll their eyes at the micromanagement and grandstanding done at most Los Altos meetings.
Joel Goldfus
Los Altos
