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Move away from the ‘waterfall effect’
Volunteers know it is difficult to accomplish change. When I sought along with several others to get a Restorative Justice program implemented at a Los Gatos school, I initially encountered great enthusiasm for the idea. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm was followed by inaction on the...
Letter: State shouldn’t profit on grieving children
A family member dying and passing the family home onto their child or grandchild should not be a taxable event. Prop. 19 allows property to be reassessed to market value when it passes from parents to children, resulting in a massive property tax increase...
Guest View: Protecting the newts of Alma Bridge Road
A week before the 2022 New Year, I received a text from a friend expressing his dismay at the great number of dead newts he saw on Alma Bridge Road while he was biking. This was right after one of the December winter storms....
Our firefighters are facing a silent threat: PFAS
Gearing up every morning for a job built on danger just comes with being a firefighter. Yet for thousands who hold this job in the Bay Area, the greatest risk may come not from flames or collapsing walls, but from the gear meant to...
Blum: How can I shape the future?
Is your current definition of “community center” a dusty gym with dodgeballs older than your grandma’s knitting needles? Fear not, fellow Los Gatos residents. We’re tossing out the tired old model and crafting a vibrant, all-encompassing space that would make Michelangelo himself ditch his...
TikTok, misogyny and the election
The selection of a Bay Area native as presidential nominee of one of the major parties bears watching here in the bear flag state. If successful, she would not only be America’s first female president and the first one of South Asian heritage—she would...
When public service is met with personal attacks
For the past several years, I have served the Town of Los Gatos as a volunteer commissioner and code enforcement hearing officer. Throughout that time, my goal has been to contribute constructively, help resolve problems, and support the town I call home.
Nothing in that...
‘Fugitive Dreams’ and forgotten realities
I’m not a movie reviewer. In fact, I wasn’t even much of a movie watcher, until the pandemic hit, which pretty much coincided with my semi-retirement (more like 90% retirement) from working as a family law attorney. Since then, I’ve watched hundreds of movies....
The North 40 Shell Game: a $250M betrayal
The Los Gatos Town Council’s 3-2 approval of North 40 Phase 2 represents more than a new direction for the town; it puts a definitive price tag on the administrative failures of Mayor Rob Moore, Vice Mayor Maria Ristow and Councilmember Rob Rennie.
This is...
Letter: Kudos to history writer
I enjoyed reading Lisa Traylor Scott’s chronicle of her family in last week’s issue of the Los Gatan as well as the companion piece she wrote last year. As an amateur historian, I’m forever curious about the people whose mostly untold stories reveal how...

















