Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (October 15, 2004)

Park owner said to be buying mobile homes

Editor:

I'm writing in response to an article on page 15 of the Fall Real Estate 2004 section of last week's Voice.

Of the 207 units in Sahara Mobile Village, one space has been empty for over a year. The house previously on this lot was bought by the park owner, John Vidovich. There are several houses known to be for sale because signs are posted; some have been vacant for over two years. Other houses were or are for sale but no signs were posted because they were being bought by Vidovich and rented out for up to $1,495 per month.

The growing number of houses bought by Vidovich, who owns both Sahara Mobile Village and Santiago Villa in Mountain View, not only changes the nature of the parks, but decreases the number of "affordable" houses available for sale in Mountain View.

Park management may not necessarily be "pet friendly," but the California Civic Code stipulates that all mobile home parks must permit at least one pet per house. At Sahara Mobile Village, dogs (except for service dogs) are not permitted. Mobile home parks may not be "a viable living option" for as long as park owners actively work toward closing the parks to build much less affordable condos.

The cities, county and state need to be proactive and reactive to support mobile home owners and protect this dwindling housing stock.

Iris Lubitz
E. El Camino Real

Who are these endorsing organizations?

Editor:

A few weeks ago the Voice's lead article was about the absence of organizations in this year's city council election.

This week you noted that Mountain View Voices for Peace and Advocates for Affordable Housing had endorsed candidates. Since these organizations are not well known to the general public, it is unclear who and what they represent, unlike the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce or the Mountain View Firefighters, whose membership and policies are well known to most voters.

There has been a proliferation of advocacy groups in recent years, and it is very difficult to determine how much support each group has in the community. Rather than simply reporting the endorsements of such groups, it would be a real service to your readership if you included information about the organization, its leadership, the number of members it represents, and the charter or mission of the group.

>Readers would then be able to evaluate the endorsement in relation to those of other, better-known groups that routinely endorse political candidates.

Cecilia Keehan
Levin Avenue

Start recruitment now for new superintendent

Editor:

I'm very concerned by the Mountain View-Whisman School Board's recent decision to do nothing regarding the recruitment process for a permanent superintendent.

The stated rationale was that by starting the process now, it would reflect badly on the board and the current superintendent (who has a contract through next June). Instead, board members decided to wait until January and then determine if they should start the recruitment process.

This thinking is deeply flawed, for many reasons:

1. It significantly limits options for the best candidates. Fall begins the recruitment season for district administrators. By waiting until next year, our district will be at a competitive disadvantage with other districts that will have a four- to five-month head start courting the best candidates.

2. The board will make many serious decisions in the coming months. The new board must address school closure, a lawsuit, superintendent search, teacher negotiations and the ongoing achievement gap issue. It's nuts not to take the time, when available, to ensure the recruitment process is done in a manageable timeframe.

3. The board will have to work in a compressed timeframe. The process will be shortened from 10 months to four to five months and require the board to make decisions quickly. It also could limit essential public input due to lack of time.

4. The board is concerned that a decision to start a search process now will undermine the current superintendent's effectiveness. However, by waiting five months to start, it has the opposite effect -- it says the superintendent is not doing a good job and must be replaced. It's much more prudent to use a thoughtful process, with well-established timeframes to search for the best candidate.

In the end, with a decision to delay, the board will effectively have its decision made for it, without public input and without ensuring we have the best candidate. This current school board must start an open and thoughtful recruitment process now.

Judy Levy
Orchard Glen Court

Bill Evers for County School Board

Editor:

I would like to remind everyone that after the elections elected officials are there to represent everyone in the community.

We must remember that party politics should not come into play and keeping an open mind at who can best do the job is most important. That said, I am pleased to learn about a very qualified candidate for the County School Board, Bill Evers.

It is refreshing to have a candidate who has the credentials and experience to serve the children of our county. He has been involved in local and state level education policies. He is a respected education advocate, a noted author and editor.

I would like to encourage others to visit his Web site at www.billevers.org to learn about this candidate who will greatly benefit the children in our community.

Julin Lu
Bryant Street

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