V I E W P O I N T
L ET T ER S Our readers write
Continued from previous page
There are those who wish to “save” the park by opposing the library and keeping the park the same. I too wish to save the park, but I welcome change. The park is not an antique. Let’s save the park for future generations by truly enhancing the park, building our community’s library there to meet the evolving needs of our changing community. Lenore Horowitz Atherton
Increasingly biased agenda on Athertonians blog Editor: With less than two weeks before the close of our election season voters in our community are being inundated with campaign materials in the form of fliers, ads, mailers and email communications. It is the latter that causes me some measure of concern, and the “Athertonians” Yahoo e-mail group in particular. Many people in our town signed onto this group with the understanding that it was an open forum to keep people informed on town events and issues, and that it was a townsponsored site. It is not a townsponsored site. The site operated as a relatively open forum until about a year ago. The biased tone and agenda-driven communication seems to coincide with the Atherton Library’s
Director defends role of health care district By Kim Griffin
T
his is to respond to a letter published education, counseling and physical edulast week advocating dissolution cation to all school districts within the of the Sequoia Healthcare District, health-care district. Providing this service which funds a number of community to our children is another cost-saving prehealth-care related programs and grants ventative program. that directly benefit district residents. In The district also works in conjunction the current fiscal year the district will pro- with Sequoia Hospital and Sequoia Hosvide $10.6 million in community health pital Foundation to monitor the needs of services. district residents with a considerable stake The district’s Heart Safe program has in the new Breast Health Center and plans provided life-saving defibrillators and to implement a case management program cardiac compression devices to schools, designed to keep district residents out of public areas and first-responders. the hospital. The district conDuring the economic downturn tinues to fund the county clinic we provided funding to food as well as surrounding combanks and “soup lines” when primunity clinics that serve district vate funding could not make up residents. This provides access for the increasing gaps. We also to care and prevents costly use fund Meals on Wheels, which of local emergency rooms that provides meals to the elderly or would otherwise be used as a disabled who are unable to presubstitute for primary care. GUEST pare a warm, nutritious meal or About 51 percent of OPINION obtain food on their own. This county revenue goes to jails and service currently provides meals courts. There is no guarantee to the poorest to some of the wealthiest where the current tax dollars collected for district residents. the health-care district would go if the disOur chronic disease management pro- trict is dissolved. The only thing certain is gram provides education and training for that money will continue to be collected. a number of illnesses, keeping residents As a registered nurse, I do not view healthier and sparing health-care dollars health care, nutrition, or lifesaving mediby preventing complications of illnesses. cal equipment as “charitable programs.” The district’s Healthy Schools Program The services are necessary, cost-effective, has provided more school nurses, health and generally expected to be available
becoming a controversial issue. Today, this forum is increasingly used to communicate a biased political agenda by: the so called “moderators” who choose to remain anonymous, select City Council members, the Teamsters’ Union and those
allowed by the “moderators.” Dissenting views are not posted and some members of our community have simply been denied access. Certainly the “moderators” are entitled to their First Amendment rights, but I am curious as
Open letter to Portola Valley By Leslie Lambert
Y
ou probably didn’t know in the Building and Planning that during my time Department in Portola Valley. working in the Building Ever since, Portola Valley has and Planning Department in become a meaningful part of Los Altos Hills many years ago, my life. Terry and I were marthe entire staff would come ried at Christ Church, we had and have lunch at Rossotti’s on our reception in the old mula Friday afternoon. tipurpose room at On the way there Town Center. Funny along Arastradero how things work out, Road I would always isn’t it? Got to love look over at one parit. ticular building and Over the past I thought perhaps 20-plus years that someday I would I have worked for work there. I had no the town, the people GUEST idea what they did and community have OPINION there, but it looked meant so very much like a comforting to me. This really place to be. Some 10 became an imporyears later I did go to work tant part of my life. It has been there at S.P. McClenahan, and wonderful to work in such a luckily for me I met my hus- beautiful location and lovely band Terry, who has worked area and have the opportuthere for more than 30 years. nity to meet such appreciative With even more luck, one people who have made this day I opened the Almanac town so special. The volunand saw a job opening for the teer spirit of the residents, the position of deputy town clerk long-term consultants, the
local businesses, public safety, and a town staff committed to keeping Portola Valley as it is, is commendable. After having the traumatic brain injury over one and a half years ago and being able to go back to work truly helped me to recover, knowing that I had so much support from everyone in the town. Because of a recent brain seizure, Terry and I decided that it was time for me to retire from my position with the town. I am grateful for my time in Portola Valley and I will so miss everyone I have met over the years. You have all meant so very, very much to me. You have a lovely community and you should cherish it and keep it living as it is — there aren’t many places like this. Leslie Lambert is the former planning manager of Portola Valley.
when ultimately all of us require them. Voters now have more control over utilization of tax dollars that go directly to health-care programs within their own district. The board and directors, with the exception of Jack Hickey, constantly assess and evaluate our programs, making necessary changes according to community needs and the many changes taking place in health care. The district once owned the hospital, continues to support it and provides services that every one of us will eventually need. It saddens me that anyone likely to require health services would so quickly deny those now receiving them. Mr. Hickey is running for an additional seat on the board despite the fact that his current position does not term until 2014, forcing the district to spend $160,000 on what otherwise would have been an uncontested election, only to further his dogmatic and extreme ideology to not pay taxes at all. This is a tragedy when one considers district programs that would have greatly benefitted by what I consider a lot of money. No board member should have the right to force taxpayers to foot the bill for an election just to advance his own political agenda. Kim Griffin is a registered nurse and president of the Sequoia Healthcare District board of directors.
to why they don’t think it appropriate to extend those rights to all. Equally disturbing is the moderators’ complete disregard for verifiable facts. Regardless of how you decide to vote, I encourage voters to dismiss anonymous, mean-spirited misstatements and focus on verifiable facts. Suzanne Legallet Selby Lane, Atherton
Clarke has qualifications for Menlo council Editor: The Menlo Park City Council could use someone with experience on a city board or commission, experience with the give-and-take of working with staff and citizens. East Menlo Park/Belle Haven has never been represented on the council, other than a Raychem employee many years ago. Fortunately, there is a candidate who has all of these qualifications. Please join me in supporting Carolyn Clarke for Menlo Park City Council. Margaret Fruth Peggy Lane, Menlo Park
Recalling Sen. McGovern’s work on hunger Editor: Recently, we lost former U.S. Sen. George McGovern. Although many will recall his disastrous 1972 loss to Rich-
ard Nixon and his subsequent leadership in getting us out of Vietnam, his truly lasting legacy will be his war on hunger and malnutrition. In 1977, following extensive public hearings, McGovern’s Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs published Dietary Goals for the United States, a precursor to today’s Dietary Guidelines. It marked the first time that a U.S. government document recommended reduced meat consumption. The meat industry forced the committee to destroy all copies of the report and to remove the offending recommendation from a new edition. It then abolished the committee, voted McGovern out of office, and warned government bureaucrats never to challenge meat consumption again. Yet after 35 years of studies linking meat consumption with elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases, the MyPlate icon, representing USDA’s current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommends vegetables, fruits, and grains, but never mentions meat, and shunts dairy off to one side. And it all started with one brave senator from South Dakota. Malcolm Davidson Encinal Avenue, Menlo Park
October 31, 2012 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 23