Letters to the editor Letters to the editor (December 10, 2003)

Give the gift of smokeless air this season

Editor:

When you smell that wonderful smell of wood smoke in the air you know that it is the holidays, and you know that you are inhaling some of the most dangerous pollutants around.

When you are outside your house and the smell of wood smoke makes you think of happy families gathered around the fire, think too about particulate matter that travels deep into the lungs and stays there forever. This smoke contributes to lung disease, including lung cancer (the number one cancer in terms of fatalities for both men and women in the U.S.) and asthma (pandemic in recent decades). Will Taylor of the Bay Area Air Quality ManagementDistrict says that "conventional masonry and open wood fires are the greatest enemy in the air pollution field today."

The pollution from fireplaces is worst closest to the source, including inside houses. People inside or near houses with burning fires are most at risk. This of course includes babies and children who are even more susceptible to lung problems than adults.

Do your own research. It would be nice if burning wood was OK, but it isn't. Give your children and neighbors the gift of clean air this year.

Maria Kleczewska

Marmona Drive, Menlo Park

Happy to see horse trail moved, and preserved

Editor:

I would like to publicly extend my gratitude to Woodside residents Bob and Anne Bass for their effort to accommodate equestrians with the proposed new horse trail across their property.

The Bass' property has an equestrian easement through it that I've been riding for the past 25 years. In order to protect their privacy, they propose to change the trail by replacing it with one that meets their needs yet provides the safe, scenic, and convenient access on which local equestrians depend. Their proposal is an excellent compromise, and ought to have the full support of the local horse community.

As our town becomes more gentrified and less pastoral, and old horse barns and arenas are converted to cottages and tennis courts, it's a great pleasure to learn that these neighbors have an interest in preserving the horse community. Kudos to the Bass' for acknowledging and proactively supporting equestrians' needs in Woodside.

I hope that other property owners in Woodside with equestrian easements will follow their example of preserving the rural feeling of the area and creating good will between neighbors. My sincere thanks to the Bass family for their consideration.

Amy Umpleby

Kings Mountain Road, Woodside
Open space district expansion will benefit all

Editor:

Carrie German's letter of December 3 articulates several of the benefits of the proposed expansion of the Midpeninsula Regional Open District (MROSD) boundary.

She correctly points out that the services of MROSD are critically needed on the Coast. Budget cuts are making it almost impossible for state parks and other agencies to adequately manage existing holdings, much less add the additional land as requested by citizens.

MROSD purchases open space land and accepts donations from landowners (which, as Ms. German points out, can provide considerable financial benefits to the seller). As a public agency directly supported by the citizens it serves, MROSD has a long and impressive history of land stewardship and responsive management. The District's expertise will provide for the permanent and responsible protection of these coastal properties.

MROSD is also able to use easements that will allow agricultural lands to remain in private ownership while also ensuring that they remain in agricultural production. Lease-back and sell-back programs to local farmers can also go a long way towards protecting the Coast's agricultural heritage.

The Coastside Protection Program will not divert any tax money from existing local special districts. MROSD has adopted a "Resolution of No Property Tax Exchange" as part of the state-mandated project approval process through the Local Agency Formation Commissions of both San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

Finally, as part of its Draft Service Plan for the Coastside Protection Program, MROSD has committed to increase fire protection and emergency services, and will provide professionally trained rangers to manage coastal lands.

Expansion of the District's boundaries to the San Mateo County Coast will provide countless benefits for Coastside and Bayside residents by preserving the Coast's irreplaceable natural, scenic and cultural legacy. April Vargas Legislative Advocate, Committee for Green Foothills Palo Alto

District will protect Coast's heritage

Editor:

I wanted to correct some misinformation contained in Carrie German's letter about the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's Coastside Protection Program.

In response to broad-based community support on the Coast, the Open Space District has submitted an application to extend its boundaries to include coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay, Montara, Moss Beach, La Honda and Pescadero.

Local governments are supportive not only because they want to protect the coast from inappropriate development, but also because the Open Space District has adopted a resolution guaranteeing that no share of the current property taxes will be taken from another local agency.

Strong public support for this project exists because Coastsiders recognize that this is the best way to protect and preserve the rural and agricultural heritage of the Coast while also ensuring accountability to local residents through fair and democratic representation.

As the Almanac pointed out this year when it editorialized in support of the program on August 27, "most local governments on the Peninsula have endorsed the plan."

The Open Space District has worked hard to fashion the Coastside Protection Program to ensure that we are able to both protect the rural and agricultural heritage of the coast while also ensuring that property taxes collected in San Mateo County will continue to be distributed exactly as they are today.

We remain enthusiastic about this historic partnership, which will extend open space protection, democratic representation and public accountability to the San Mateo Coastside.

Cathy Woodbury

Planning Manager, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

Los Altos

Film festival a true gift

Editor:

I would like to publicly recognize the wonderful gift that David Packard has given our community by presenting the two-month-long Satyajit Ray film festival at the Stanford Theatre.

Somehow, I had never before been exposed to the films of this exceptionally talented Indian (Bengali) filmmaker. However, after seeing the first films of the series (the powerful and moving Apu Trilogy, which followed a young Bengali boy from childhood to accomplished student and struggling, but eventually happy, adult), I was hooked on trying to see as many of these wonderful and varied films as possible.

The best way to understand what is unique and exceptional about Ray's films is to see them (the film festival ends Dec. 21st). As with great works of art, words seem inadequate, but some of the reasons his films have made such an impression on me are the slow and relaxed pace of the film, which promotes the intimate and touching relationships that unfold on the screen, the universal themes that are covered in a non-judgmental way, and the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography. The early black and white films of the Apu Trilogy made me think I was watching a series of Ansel Adams photographs.

Whether in black and white or in color, the locales include a variety of majestic outdoor sweeping views, simple but dignified village huts, teeming city life, and intricately carved temples. I have also fallen in love with Ray's favorite leading man (the handsome and versatile Soumitra Chatterjee) and have enjoyed seeing him play a variety of roles over a 35-year career.

Although I also have enjoyed seeing the classic American films at the Stanford Theatre, the current tribute to the Bengali filmmaker, Satyajit Ray, has truly enriched my life. Not only was I introduced to one of the world's most accomplished filmmakers (who generally not only directed but also wrote the stories, composed the music, and manned the camera for most of his films), but I also gained a much better understanding of Indian history and culture.

Thank you, David Packard, for these experiences, and for contributing to the cultural richness of our community.

Cynthia Dusel-Bacon

Princeton Road, Menlo Park

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