Goodbye from longtime TC reporter

Linda Taaffe

Some of you may have noticed my name absent from the newspaper the past two weeks. After eight years of writing for the Town Crier and my hometown community, it is time for me to say goodbye. I recently moved from my parents’ Los Altos Hills house to the Rose Garden in San Jose and joined a newspaper within walking distance of my new home. I surely will miss working in such a tight-knit and friendly community as Los Altos.

I extend a long-overdue thank you to everyone who called with corrections, compliments and reprimands over the years. Your input inspired me to work harder and to write better stories.

I am grateful to the police, city staff and council, who always returned my phone calls and treated me with respect, even when I was reporting on issues that weren’t positive for city hall. I especially appreciated the patience of the finance director, who always politely explained the annual budget multiple times until those figures sunk in my head correctly.

I can’t think of a better place to have called home when I was growing up or a better place to have worked than the Town Crier. I will carry fond memories of both throughout my life.

Nonresidents not the Westwind problem

Zsuzsanna Molnar

I’ve been a neighbor of Westwind Community Barn for over 10 years, a member of Friends of Westwind Barn and co-chair of this year’s barn fund-raiser. There has been a view presented that Westwind is used primarily by nonresidents. While it is true that over the years nonresidents have donated many of the new facilities to Westwind Barn such as the new arena, they are not the problem as some would make them out to be. The barn already gives priority to Hills residents for boarding and for classes.

I presented data at the last town council meeting showing that 56 percent of people who board horses and ride at Westwind are residents. A number of LAH families with children use the barn, while almost all of the nonresidents are one-person one-horse riders. Almost half (46 percent) of the boarded horses are owned by Hills residents. We have a growing number of Hills families who have two horses for their family at Westwind, which is exactly what I believe the town wants to encourage.

I also wanted to clarify the organizations at Westwind Barn you mentioned in the Town Crier article Oct 25. The structure at Westwind is multifaceted because of the number of organizations that use the facility. The Town Crier stated Friends of Westwind “competes with others for use of the facilities.” In fact a number of the other groups at the barn are members of Friends of Westwind. The 4H Riding for Handicapped and Pony Club programs are members of Friends of Westwind as well as their own organizations. They vote for the Friends of Westwind Board of Directors which is responsible for managing the barn and property.

Friends of Westwind, hand in hand with the Town of Los Altos Hills, not Supporters of Westwind, is responsible for the maintenance of the barn. The supporters are doing a superb fund-raising effort for restoration of the historic barn.

Finally contrary to statements that there is no place to expand, many of us boarding at Westwind believe there is space on the large property for additional programs. We support the addition of a riding ring designed for the beginning riders of the Town of Los Altos Hills Year Round Riding Program.

This would make Westwind Community Barn an even greater place for town youngsters to start their equine sports careers.

30 mph limit sounds fair

Gloria Vinciverna

I have been a Los Altos resident for more than 41 years and loved it; however, I am not so sure now, since the speed limit has been reduced to 25 mph all over town. Things have changed.

It takes forever to get from point A to point B. Granted, in a school zone 25 mph is a must, but streets like Springer, El Monte, Grant, Fremont and Miramonte, to name a few, do not make any sense. It seems to me that it’s not an issue of safety but rather of revenue. Thirty mph sounds fair.

Speed decision based on wisdom

Ed Irvin

Perhaps your poll results on the Springer speed limit issue will be meaningful, but could I suggest a real test for the Los Altos City Council to consider?

It is simply the following: Have as many Los Altos residents as possible drive the entire length of Springer at speeds of (a) 25 mph or less; (b) 30 mph or less; and (c) 35 mph or less. Then ask those test drivers which speed they would suggest as a limit, taking into consideration safety and utilitarianism.

I know that collecting data takes time, but then most wise decisions should be based on something more than intuition.

Anyone actually performing the test should leave their cell phone in the off position.

I’m sure safety would be enhanced.