September 30, 2004

ValleyViewpoints

Build the darn fields already!

Editor,
Let’s stop fighting like two little kids in the sandbox that want the same toy. The battle over building soccer fields off McKean Road is ridiculous. In a nutshell, the 2,000-plus kids who play soccer in Almaden absolutely need modern, safe fields to play on. The site off McKean Road is the only viable land on which to build. A small group of vocal residents (that probably live near the proposed site) point to some legitimate, but resolvable problems with traffic, the environment, etc. The answer should be a compromise that is best for the community.

Certainly what is best for the community is to work together, be mindful of and fix the traffic and environmental concerns, and BUILD THE DARN FIELDS ALREADY! Heck, it is not like someone wants to build condos or a power plant on the property. Let’s be good neighbors and do the right thing.

Scott McLaughlin
Heathfield Drive

Sick of the athletic field topic!

Editor,
Have parents in this community got their priorities straight when it comes to their children? All they can think about is an athletic field. Not once have I heard anyone trying to do anything for the schools in this area. What happened to academics being a priority? Does everyone think their child is the next Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm?
Maybe they could be the person to discover a cure for AIDS or cancer?

So often I have children or parents knocking at my door asking to buy this or that to help support the arts, music, or academic outing for their school. Yet all I hear about in the AlmadenTimes regarding children is this athletic field that has so many adults exchanging heated arguments and debates. Maybe all that money that has already been spent on environmental reports, numerous meetings, and whatever else would best be spent on the school’s athletic fields or in school programs.

Just last week I had a parent tell me that Leland High school has one of the worst drug problems in San Jose.

“Why?” I asked naively? The response was surprising to me. This parent said that the more affluent schools have more drugs due to the fact that the kids have spending money. This was also confirmed to this parent through the police department. So maybe the athletic field money could better be spent on drug prevention in our local schools? I hope parents don’t think that because their children play sports that they don’t do drugs? I’m sure they were in high school once.

Some of the worst offenders in my school were the jocks!

Maybe the athletic field shouldn’t be parent’s priority when it comes to their children’s extra-curricular activities.

Our schools are always asking for more money to fund academic programs, books, arts, and music. How many times have you heard of a program being cancelled due to lack of funding? And there is definitely a drug problem in the area that could use attention.

I’m not saying that athletics isn’t important in our schools, (I was on the field hockey team, track team, and a cheerleader, all on school time and never on the weekends), but there are other important issues that I think need to be addressed before spending millions of tax payers money on something that should be secondary.

Think about it!

Denice Swinnen
Almaden Valley (address
withheld upon request)

Borowitz column on Bush not funny

Editor,
In reference to the Sept. 16 Almaden Times humor column by Borowitz, isn’t it interesting that the news media has not carried this story about the Kerry speech in Michigan? What right does this contender for the presidency have to call our sitting president such derogatory names and continue to lash out at him in his speeches? Free speech does not come to mind, but respect for a man or his office certainly does provoke some thought.

If this column was written to inject humor into our lives at this time, it is a pretty poor effort. We are all concerned with the world as we know it right now and attacking and shouting false and misleading statements about a president who has had to keep this country’s safety and that of the men and woman fighting on foreign soil in his constant thoughts, is a sad statement about the person who is standing and blasting these falsehoods. How could anyone know what they would do in these situations, or how they might respond to the threats other countries make on these United States?

A person who makes their living writing about truths and falsehoods of famous and not so famous persons, must lead a jaded existence. But a person who takes information from a book and does not question the contents and the necessity for printing such material is an even more troubled individual because he is vilifying a man with a proven record of stability as a governor and four years of the presidency. The National Guard issue is putting those members in the bad light who have no reason to be scorned.

The same can be said for those who served in Vietnam and who have felt the harsh and unwarranted remarks from a man who seemingly has planned for many years to become president by whatever means necessary.

I certainly do not know if President Bush or Vice President Cheney said those things you have quoted, and though I read, listen to radio reports, and watch television news, it has not been imparted to me. You could say I am not really in touch with all that is going on, but I can say I really do try, and this article was not uplifting or humorous.

On the contrary, I am disappointed that the Almaden Times Weekly would print it.

M. W. Heitzman
Los Rios Drive

Editor’s response: Borowitz writes a humor column which often skewers politicians as well as current pop culture icons. Some think he is funny, some do not. We make every effort to print articles that are humorous and poke fun at both ends of the political spectrum. Case in point is this week’s article on page 42.

Vector Control, Dando not doing jobs regarding coyotes

Editor,
A couple of evenings ago my husband and I took a walk on a street called Corte de Rosa, here in the Almaden Valley. There is a large vacant field located there, bordered by a hill that is densely covered with bushes. This property backs up to Camden Avenue and is owned by the city of San Jose. Quicksilver Park is on the other side of Camden. As we passed by the vacant lot, a large coyote was watching us as we walked. I don’t know if you would describe this as being “stalked,” but I felt like the coyote was stalking us and it was a frightening experience.

We talked to a resident on this street who told us the coyotes are spotted in this area almost daily, including during daylight hours. She said the coyotes are coming down into this property from Quicksilver Park. She told us she personally had been stalked by a coyote when she was getting into her car and that a young child playing in a yard in this area had also been stalked.

Neither us, nor any of our immediate neighbors were informed of a meeting on Sept. 15 at the Vineland Branch Library to discuss the situation with the coyotes in the Almaden area. Our area is approximately two miles from the Villas, which has a serious problem with the coyotes. In other words, the problem is not only at the Villas area, but is much more extensive. The Almaden Times has reported killing of family pets here in this neighborhood.

When a meeting is being held to discuss problems of this nature, I believe every resident should be informed by mail or by our City Council representative.

To say that we have invaded the coyote’s territory is not correct. The homes in this neighborhood have been here for 30-plus years and there has never been a problem until recent years. I believe the problem is that the coyotes have overpopulated and that the “laws of nature” are not working to keep them in check. If there are 50 coyotes in Almaden Valley (and I am sure there are more than that) and half of those are female and each female has a litter of five pups a year, that is 125 more coyotes being put into the neighborhoods. If half of those 125 are females and can reproduce in a year or two that is another 62. Do the math. The situation is only going to get worse.

I do not believe Vector Control is doing its job and neither is our City Council representative, Pat Dando, or the city of San Jose, who should be looking after the safety of its residents. They all seem to be more concerned with “proper procedure” and buck passing instead of taking responsibility.

Will it take a child or an adult being attacked to get these coyotes removed? Perhaps all those who have had a pet killed or all those who have been stalked should band together in a class action suit against the city of San Jose. Maybe this will speed up the process to get some action taken.

I want to point out that we had a similar situation a few years ago when this neighborhood was inundated with skunks. Again, Vector Control would do nothing. Our neighbor personally hired someone to trap the skunks and remove them to the hills to be released. The cost was $100 per skunk and when 16 had been trapped the cost was getting prohibitive. Several of the neighbors, including us, contributed to help pay this expense. It was ironic that a few months later, we heard that a street nearby also had to resort to hiring their own trapper to have skunks removed. I believe, again, that the skunks had overpopulated.

I do not feel our children, pets, and even adults are safe with the number of coyotes running loose in Almaden. I know the animal activists will say coyotes don’t attack humans, but if they should, would you want it to be your child?

Eva Runco
Cerro Verde

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