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Publication Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 LETTERS
LETTERS
(September 14, 2005)
newitem:District says thanks for use of office space
Editor:
On behalf of the Menlo Park City School District, I would like to thank Steve and Scott Bohannon for providing office space during construction of our permanent district office.
During the full year that our new office was being built at the Encinal School campus, the Bohannons donated an exceptional facility in East Menlo Park for our interim office.
Although construction expenditures are separate from the general operational budget, the lease of interim housing is not. The Bohannon's donation saved the district many thousands of dollars that was instead used for operating the schools and instructional program.
Kenneth J. Ranella
Superintendent
Library or online service? Elephant exposed
Editor:
Thanks to A. Engen's letter to the Almanac last week, the elephant in the room has been identified. Of course the Internet vastly exceeds the capabilities of any library that Portola Valley could possibly build, but not for babysitting, and that is what the library is really about.
The high school students of Atascadero were polled about how they would use a proposed new library. Their answer was, "Why? We have the Internet."
A library is a quaint anachronism for information storage and retrieval, but as a place to dump the kids while shopping, dining or playing tennis - priceless.
Bruce Campbell
Santa Maria Avenue, Portola Valley
Lost by logic of building new Town Center
Editor:
I am attempting to follow the logic of the Portola Valley Town Council and the other supporters of building a new Town Center at the same site as the old Town Center.
The supporters have concluded that the old Town Center, near the San Andreas fault, is not and cannot be made earthquake safe, despite the buildings surviving the Loma Prieta earthquake.
But, the supporters say, for a mere $20 million plus of local residents' money, a new Town Center can be built, with adequate safety, despite locating the new buildings within 100 feet of the old buildings. Heh? What?
That is like saying an ideal place for a major city is at the mouth of the Mississippi River, despite it being built on a site lower than sea level and in the potential path of hurricanes.
Can anyone see that the site is the problem? Keep the modular units for the town's administration offices, and keep the library at Corte Madera.
H. Hauser
Alpine Road, Portola Valley
Taxes for Iraq, or Katrina relief?
Editor:
I'm sitting at my desk, looking at my paycheck and trying to decide how much of it I can send to the Red Cross for the victims of Katrina. Then I notice that $399 have been taken out for federal taxes, and I wonder: how much of that is going to Iraq?
Why do the people of Louisiana have to depend on charity? Hasn't our country paid for helicopters, transport vehicles, and National Guard troops? Why are these resources in Iraq? I have no problem paying taxes that support the common good, but I object that my money is going to destroy someone else's country. Let's put our money and personnel to work where they belong: here at home in the U.S.
Debbie Mytels
Louis Road, Palo Alto
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