Two promising sites for pool

A community swimming complex in the right location would be good for Los Altos. I believe that the current effort to find the best site for this proposed project has missed two very promising alternatives.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Rosita Aquatic Complex concludes that “no Alternative Location that was environmentally superior to the proposed project has been identified.”

While some have taken this statement to mean the proposed Rosita Park location is the “best” site for the proposed Aquatic Complex what it really means is that none of the evaluated sites, including Rosita Park, is suitable for such a complex due to space, noise, traffic and other significant negative impacts on the environment and the community. At least two additional alternatives for community swimming in Los Altos should be considered before any final decision is made.

The first alternative is the City owned property at First and Main. This property is owned by the City. It is large enough for the proposed multi-pool Complex. It is not in a residential neighborhood and avoids traffic and noise impacts on homes. It is located on high volume commercial, not residential streets, and could bring additional retail traffic to downtown.

While placing the Aquatic Complex at this site would potentially preclude other commercial activities at First and Main it would almost certainly be a better environmental solution for the Aquatic Complex and the community than the proposed Rosita site.

The second alternative is building two single pool sites. Two single pool sites share the traffic, noise and other environmental impacts between two locations instead of concentrating all the impact in one neighborhood. Two single pool sites also provides the additional benefit of better community access to the pools by locating them in different parts of town. The City has shown this to be an effective strategy for recreational facilities with the joint construction with the Los Altos School District of two gym facilities in place of the at one time proposed 25,000 square foot mega-gym complex. While two single pool sites would potentially cost more than one large Aquatic Complex this alternative would be a better environmental solution for the community than the proposed Rosita site. I strongly urge all parties involved in the Aquatic Complex discussion to consider these two very promising alternatives.

Deanne Tucker

Los Altos

A sweet

poem to teacher

(To Caroline Marley)

You’re an awesome teacher

In quite a few ways.

You’re good at explaining something,

And you make the bells in my head really ring.

You are also amazingly organized,

And you’re wonderfully minded.

I miss working on a vocabulary sheet,

And I think that the most fun part of the year came with the “meat”.

A sweet poem to teacher

Submitted by Charlene
Johnson on behalf of her daughter, Erika, grade 4, Montclaire Elementary School
Los Altos

(To Caroline Marley) You’re an awesome teacher in quite a few ways.

You’re good at explaining something,

And you make the bells in my head really ring.

You are also amazingly organized,

And you’re wonderfully minded.

I miss working on a vocabulary sheet,

And I think that the most fun part of the year came with the “meat.”

You’re such an artistic person,

And from you I’ve learned a ton. (about art)

Plus, you have the ability to be nice or mean,

And that is a very good thing, from what I have seen.

Your loudest voice is very loud,

It’s so loud that many can hear you, and maybe even a cloud.

Furthermore, I really admire your calligraphy skills.

Oh yes, I’d also like to mention that whenever you’re teaching, my brain really fills. (with knowledge)

Now, just take this poem like a compliment,

And please don’t forget how much time I spent. (on this poem)

I feel so full of melancholy,

For when you are my teacher, school’s always jolly.

Oh, bitter sorrow fills me up,

Because you’re the teacher I just can’t possibly bear to give up.

I wish that if you taught fifth grade you’d be better paid,

Because I really would like you to be my teacher for fifth grade.

I feel so sorry, for this poem must end,

I hope you’ve enjoyed it, because my creativity had to bend.

Goodbye for now, but never forever.