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Letters to the Editor

'Affordable housing' bad for quality of life

Editor:

My wife and I moved to Mountain View 40 years ago because of the quality of life. Now, after making mortgage payments for 30 years, our home, our largest asset, is being threatened. Advocates of "more affordable housing" want to turn Mountain View into a place of multi-family tenements.

If I wanted to live in a slum, I would move there. Instead I chose to live in Mountain View. I say if affordable housing supporters want to live in a high-density slum, so be it. However, don't turn Mountain View into a slum.

Konrad M. Sosnow

Trophy Drive

Save the heritage tree on Hans Ave.

Editor:

At the meeting on the general plan last Saturday, I was delighted that we were talking about sustainability and developing a "green plan" for the future. But what we do today impacts the future. I feel the city is missing an opportunity right under our noses.

I refer to a huge, healthy Chinese elm tree on the 300 block of Hans Avenue. It is a landmark heritage tree and it was approved to be removed because the landowner finds it too costly to trim, an impediment to her sewer pipe, too large for her lot and worrisome for her neighbors.

On the latter point, I checked with the neighbors on both sides and they had not noticed the sign posted on the tree indicating the removal process had begun, and they did not seem interested either way. The posting is hard to notice, and you have to walk through ground cover to get to the small paper on this huge tree.

A tree this large creates a big "sponge" for carbon absorption. The city forestry committee at first denied the application for removal, but the homeowner appealed, and it was decided in her favor. If it is removed, I think it is a travesty.

Patricia Evans

Bonita Avenue

A vision of shopping near Whisman Station

Editor:

I was unable to attend the community-visioning meeting last Saturday, but I did attend a smaller "pre-meeting" in my neighborhood a few days before. What I learned is that I am not alone in feeling like an island here in the Whisman Station neighborhood.

Our closest shopping outlet, at Grant Road and El Camino Real, is accessible only by car, and there are no plans to build any retail into our ever-expanding neighborhood.

The idea of community visioning is laudable, but I think it should be a goal of the city's to have basic shopping within everyone's walking distance, like the bodegas and green grocers that are on every corner in places like New York City.

All the visioning in the world is for naught if we can't easily step out for organic milk, a good loaf of bread, free-range eggs and bananas. We need to think green on the most basic of tasks.

Cynthia Marshall Schuman

Magnolia Lane

Thanks for story on BMW strike

Editor:

I am one of the shop foremen at the BMW dealership. I just want to thank you for your support and for the nice piece in the Voice last week ("Workers go on strike at BMW dealership"). The union members really appreciate all of the kind words.

This will be a very tough fight for us. You would not believe how many unhappy Auto Nation employees are cheering us on.

If you have any interest, you can check out the Web site www.destroyautonation.com. It gives a snapshot of the kind of company we are dealing with.

John Lea

San Jose

New option for girls softball players

Editor:

As many Voice readers know, I am a longstanding supporter and member of the youth sports community in Mountain View.

Most recently I have become involved with the girls' fast pitch softball organizations in our community. I recently realized there was a need for more opportunities for our girls to play beyond the normal recreational league. We need a place for girls who want to play in a more competitive environment and get more detailed coaching for the next level of the sport.

I have joined Jim and Joann Porter to help expand their recently formed Mountain View Mayhem softball organization, which is focused on developing girls from Mountain View and Los Altos to become better softball players.

We are now offering roster spots for 14- to 16-year-olds on our summer and fall team. Girls in this age group who would like to play softball this summer should contact Mountain View Mayhem on the Web at www.mvmayhem.com, e-mail mvmayhem16@yahoo.com, or call (650) 776-8407.

Joe Cree

Morgan Street