From: Irving & Evelyn Mitsunaga
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2023 5:54 PM
To: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>
Cc: Town Manager <[email protected]>
Subject: Senior Services Roadmap
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Council members --
Thank you for endorsing the Senior Services Roadmap. You are to be commended for recognizing the professionalism and thoroughness of the road-map report.
A part-time coordinator position to serve as a central point of contact is critical to the implementation of this program, and I hope you will find a way to approve that staffing.
Regarding housing: As some of you know, I am immensely disappointed that the Meadows Project has apparently been shelved. I personally feel that the Town needs to reach out to such businesses and help find solutions to the senior housing needs, rather than present roadblocks to projects.
Thank you for your service. - Evelyn Mitsunaga, Los Gatos.
From: Jane Hiatt
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 12:23 PM
To: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>
Subject: KCAT funding request to support The Producers Network [EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Town Council members,
My name is Jane Hiatt, and I am a long-time Los Gatos resident. I currently serve as secretary of the Board of Directors for KCAT Public Media. I am writing to urge you to provide a second (and final) year of funding to support KCAT’s development of The Producers Network, a creative and innovative approach to involving senior adults as active and essential members of the Los Gatos community.
The Producers Network has accomplished a remarkable amount in the 13 short months of its existence.
Easy-to-measure accomplishments include:
• the recruitment and training of over 125 seniors in all aspects of the creation and production of community media (with another 80 potential participants on the waiting list); • the provision of monthly education and support meetings for program participants; • the development of six new shows with a total of 19 episodes created and directed by members of The Producers Network; and
• the creation of a program infrastructure that will carry the program forward.
The less quantifiable accomplishments of The Producers Network, however, are perhaps more valuable:
• the provision of opportunities for program participants to become actively engaged in and feel a sense of commitment to community media;
• the sense of social connection that program participants report feeling as a result of the program participation;
• the interaction and cooperation between youth and seniors as they work together on Producers Network programming;
• the addition of a vital “senior perspective” into the general programming at KCAT; and • the creation of a volunteer force that will support KCAT in its community initiatives.
The Producers Network is an impressive, innovative program of which the Town of Los Gatos can be proud. I encourage you to grant this KCAT funding request so that the important work of The Producers Network can continue and so that KCAT will be able to bring the program to the point of being selfsustaining.
Thank you for considering this funding request carefully. And thank you for all that you do to help Los Gatos thrive.
Jane Hiatt
KCAT Board member and secretary