Appreciates coverage of worker center
Joseph Bennett
I read with interest the writeup on the Mountain View Work Center at Calvary Church by Elizabeth Ridgeway.
As a regular visitor to the center I endorse her views on the center’s work. Thanks to John Rinaldi, who is the founder-benefactor of the center and the gesture of pastor Jim Stringer of Calvary Assembly of God Church, as he has given the site for the center, which is ably managed by Maria Marroquin.
The work of voluntary tutors Rich Strock and Sue Sullivan is really laudable.
In India there is a proverb that the one who teaches letters to others is equal to God. The plight of the poor workers and the services rendered by great souls for the center are well brought in your paper.
Your reporting will usher in good tidings for the center and for the workers.
SPLASH, Masters
separate entities
Thank you for recognizing the recent judicial decision allowing the Los Altos Community Pool Project to move forward in your editorial last week. We’d like to correct an inaccuracy, which is the implication of a contingency between SPLASH’s fund-raising offer and the possibility that Los Altos Masters may operate our future pool.
SPLASH (Swimmers Promoting Los Altos Aquatics Safety & Health) made the offer to raise funds to design and construct the new pool once the community learned that Covington Pool would be demolished. SPLASH has been very clear that the funds raised are a gift to the city to build a pool according to the city’s specification. Every council since 1999 has supported the partnership with SPLASH.
LAM (Los Altos Masters), is a swim club for adults aged 19 and over associated with U.S. Masters Swimming and one of several users of the former Covington Pool. At the city’s request, LAM operated Covington Pool from 1987-2001 with break-even financials. The old pool’s inadequate size for the current population of Los Altos and the city’s requirement for 100 percent cost recovery resulted in programming choices. The bulk of pool operating hours were devoted to programs that filled the pool and broke even: swim lessons, youth swim team, masters swim team and other lessons.
The city may select LAM to operate the new pool. Or not! Although many SPLASH supporters were former LAM members, the two groups are separate and distinct at the membership and board levels. There is no link between SPLASH’s commitment to raise funds for the pool and the potential that LAM would operate it. SPLASH hopes that the city will go through a rigorous process to select a pool operator or enlist the resources of the recreation department to operate it.
The city council has recently supported subsidizing pool operations consistent with subsidies to other recreation programs. SPLASH applauds the council for this support for the sizable Los Altos swimming community.
The SPLASH team requests the opportunity to restate in print in the Los Altos Town Crier our commitment to raise design and construction funds for the pool that our city leaders determine is right for our community.
Reevaluate your coverage
Eric Ramberg
The idea that Mayor Casas’ letter (letters to the editor, Aug. 24) might be taken as if having come from “a private citizen” is disappointing. However, the Crier’s “coverage” of this letter was surprising.
The Crier’s reference to Casas’ letter on page 3, and the half page news article (page 4, with photo) validated the newsworthiness of a statement from the mayor.
This treatment of Casas’ letter removed any possibility that it might have been interpreted as having come from a private citizen who is not the mayor.
I appreciate the quality of the Town Crier, and make an effort to support your advertisers. Please reevaluate your fair and balanced coverage.
No great effort to save Griffin House
Steve Aced
The Griffin House is a historic building that is listed on the National Register and every effort should be made to save it. This hasn’t been done.
Designed by a locally significant architectural firm, the building is a superior example of this style house and the firm’s work; exhibits fine craftsmanship, use of materials and building techniques; and is a classic example of an “estate house” occupied by one of the founders of the Del Monte Company during the height of the orchard period in the “Valley of the Heart’s Delight.” There are few (if any) other examples of this type of house in the area that are as significant and it needs to be saved as it is part of our cultural heritage.
Why is it that a garage in Palo Alto can be saved as a part of our cultural heritage from the “Silicon Valley” but we can’t save this farm house? Is the farm house any less significant?
The Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees should make a real effort to save the house. They need to look for ways that would allow the house to be saved, investigate alternative uses for the house and give preservation a priority in their decision making.
There is support for the preservation of this house. If the board of trustees made a serious effort to save the house they could enlist support from the local community.
