Rosemary Stasek was easy to love
Editor:
I first got to know Rosie when I was a staff writer at the Mountain View Voice about 10 years ago and she was on the City Council. As a city official, she struck me as gregarious, approachable, whip smart, an unapologetic feminist, and committed to creating community in her adoptive home town of Mountain View. Her votes on issues were not always predictable, but were always well-reasoned.
After I left the Voice we became good friends, and my husband, Matthew Walker, and I were married by Rosie on our rooftop patio overlooking the Hope Street parking lots. I remember her joking that being the mayor that year did not earn her the privilege of skipping the long line at the county clerk’s office, when she applied to become our officiant. I also remember Rosie toasting us with a tequila shot at our wedding dinner at Fiesta Del Mar Too.
I know she found much fulfillment in Afghanistan, and in Mountain View, and I’ll miss her so much. Here’s to Rosie!
Karen Lee Willemsen
Seattle, Washington
More thoughts on an entryway arch
Editor:
For several years now I have had a vision for some type of arch that would distinguish the entry into downtown Mountain View. It would cross Castro Street on the Evelyn Avenue side of the train tracks.
So you can imagine my interest in the guest opinion by Allen Price, “If not Eiffel, why not a Castro Tower?” that appeared in last week’s paper. That story stated how great cities often have important landmarks that are both an expression of the city spirit and a visual compass for its people. Those are my sentiments exactly.
Last year while visiting Anacortes, Wash., I enjoyed an arch that wonderfully reflects the spirit of that town. Not only does the arch provide a visual entry to the downtown but it is further enhanced by the flowers, bushes and hanging baskets that adorn it. The effect truly captures the city spirit by illustrating how a portion of the work was paid for by donations — indicated by row after row of red bricks in the sidewalk inscribed with the names of individuals, families and businesses who contributed money to the project.
Price suggested a tower with a viewing platform. What a wonderful idea. What if Mountain View were to build a landmark that encompasses an arch with a viewing platform? It might even go beyond that to include some or all of the other stunning features suggested by Mr. Price.
Chuck Henderson
Aldean Avenue
No sidewalks in San Antonio plan?
Editor:
I’ve been following the proposals for the new San Antonio shopping plaza with great interest. What I find odd is that none of these plans include any serious discussion of pedestrian access.
Even a recent San Jose Mercury News article, which featured a promising-sounding “Main Street,” highlighted angled parking spaces instead of a pedestrian sidewalk. This seems incredibly out of place amidst all the discussions of “green cities” and “carbon footprints” and “food miles.”
It’s doubly disappointing considering that the current shopping plaza is one of the most unfriendly pedestrian areas around. I’m actually coming to the conclusion that it’s impossible to walk across the plaza (Walmart to Milk Pail, for instance) while staying on sidewalks and marked crossings at all times. And to go from the restaurants to Target without jaywalking requires a substantial detour to the crosswalk either at California or by Walmart. Even the best intentioned shopper can end up driving between stores when it’s so unpleasant to walk.
What are we teaching our children when we preach to them about environmental sustainability but drive our cars 100 feet between stores? Being green doesn’t always mean fancy (and expensive) technology — sometimes it just means leaving a human-sized footprint instead of an SUV-sized one. I can only hope that the eventual design of the new plaza takes this into account.
Birgit Werner
Mountain View Avenue
Throw out NCLB
Editor:
I agree with your Sept. 25 editorial that the No Child Left Behind act should be canceled, since it sets unrealistic goals for many K-12 schools (“The NCLB hockey stick”).
In fact, I think that the Department of Education should be closed. The U.S. Constitution does not show that the federal government has any place in the K-12 education of children, which is left to the states and the parents. If we did not have to pay all those bureaucrats in Washington, local schools would have more money to teach with and fewer forms to fill out.
Charlie Larson
Sylvan Avenue
