Why not just play in the dark?

Another example of the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the school. Night football games generate the most income for sports programs. Night games allow more people to see the games. There is a reason why I don't lived next to a high school, one of them being the need to complain about being next to a HS. If you think the few people putting up a fight will stop progress look at the Cuesta Annex...all we have is a large depository for dog poop( but the neighbors are happy!)

Attended MVHS from 1980 to 1983, we did use Foothill for homecoming games. Would be nice for MV along with LAHS to have a home field with LIGHTS, locker room, snack bars. One side of studium can be Blue and Gray while the other side Black and Gold. We all can spend a Friday evening with friends, family and cheer for the home team. Go MVHS.

Didn't MVHS have their homecoming 2 weeks ago?

MVHS stadium light proponents have failed to adequately plan for safety, security and traffic management, and are hoping that two toilets will be adequate for more than 1,500 people. Until they get their act together, they should continue with night games at Foothill College.

Friday Night Lights? That's so passe. I don't understand why the students need night football games to create school spirit. They have an amazing Performing Arts group and a beautiful new theater. (Think Glee!) They also have fantastic volleyball and basketball teams. All of these already play at night. Why not rally behind these? Football is a dying sport anyway, given the known permanent harm of concussions.

Solution: Just buy everyone night vision goggles.

Some of you sound like the kids, the parents, the supporters are going to cause a small crime wave or worst yet. Riot. I worked sercurity at football games, yes there was traffic, yes some noise, yes there was a crowd. Teachers, staff and parents were involed, police were on hand, but don't think we ever had a problem. If yours kids play sports you will know football is a biggie, that theatre brings in high school art and drama supporters. Please build more, add more, all kids need to show off pride.

*If I don't directly participate in something, or fail to understand the reason people enjoy it, then I'm fully against it and will fight it aggressively. Who plays football!?! A bunch of kids who don't appreciate fine art or the joys of yoga, that's who! They should understand that they live in my world, and if I'm not for it then it shouldn't be allowed. After all, this is all about me and my fears of what might become.*

MVHS split their Homecoming week into 2 this year, as the traditional game against Los Altos High was so early in the year. They did not have time to get the floats together, etc.

So, in Oct, they will have Spartan Week. The parade will happen then, and to add some school spirit, they want to have a night football game.

Anyone who buys a home across the street from a high school knows that said school is occupied by a thousand or so kids for 3/4 of the year.

If my understanding of MVLA history is correct, wasn't the school there first?

I was at the MVHS-LAHS night game at Foothill a few weeks ago and there was not a hooligan in sight. Lots of well-behaved, happy, enthusiastic kids, period. And administrators. And parents. No hooligans.

Why don't we just offer season tickets and a $5 snack stand voucher to the neighbors and treat them to a night out?

MVHS has a football team? Last I saw there were 30 kids on the field and 60 parents in the stands in a losing effort. It's best for everyone if they played in the dark.

This issue and article is a joke.

Harden the *heck* up, Spartan 'ballers! Play for each other, play to win, and the rest will follow.

If you build it, they will come !!

One game a year isn't gonna kill you people. Let them play.

I have to side with the neighbors on this one.
They share a fence line with the school noise and traffic are already an issue in the neighborhood.
Those neighbors already put up with early morning and evening Marching Band practice for most of the year

How about planting some fast growing tall trees, first row along fence lines. The next row around the studium, also put some light shields around the lights. Find the right height, the right amount of lights Look and see.

I grew up near a high school, and it was normal to hear loudspeaker announcements, marching band performances, and cheering during evening football games (under permanent lights). My family and I never minded. So it's hard for me to imagine why neighbors thought they could "count on things quieting down at night", how these normal Friday evening events and noises would cause neighbors so much trouble, or why MVHS should be restricted more than many, many schools all over the country.

"Neighbors already put up with early morning and evening Marching Band practice for most of the year"? First of all, if it's like my old high school in Iowa, marching band season ends when football season does, so that's not true. Secondly, they aren't trapped. I bought a house recently, so I know that area is absurdly expensive even for Mountain View. Those neighbors won't be hurting if they decide to sell.

Of course, if they do move, they might find their new homes have even more noise. In Monta Loma, I hear train horns. Should I start a campaign to shut down Caltrain? Some people live near fire stations. Should we ban sirens? Some people live near Moffett - should we ban low-flying planes? Or should we just say that you knew (or should have known) what you were getting into, your home's price probably reflected it, and you have to take the bad along with the good - or leave?

Some day I hope to send a child to high school around here (probably LAHS). My child's activities shouldn't be restricted because of a few whiny neighbors. I will vote against any elected representative who gives them the time of day.

JEEZE! How _few_ games will be played during the entire year? How many hours must the poor poor poor residents actually notice that they bought a home near a high school? SELFISH NIMBYS! Let the kids have their friday night experience. Those memories are some of my best and our kids deserve to be able to look back on them as well.
This absolutely should NOT be up for such debate. Build it and put a box of tissues in the budget for the snivelers. Good lord.

Geez folks. This is for the kids. Things get messed up when adults get involved. It's only for one night. Let the kids show us they can handle the responsibility.

Lynbrook High got its field lights this past year. Here's the Merc News article about their lights. Appears to me it was a win-win outcome.
Web Link

Why would you purchase a house near a school if you are not expecting there to be traffic, kids, noise and school activities going on? The lights will be there for one evening. There is more traffic on a regular school day than there will be for the football event. This is a very nice neighborhood and you have some of the most well behaved kids in the Mountain View community attending MVHS. You should be proud of that and support the school. If you don't want permanent lights put up on the grounds in the future, I can understand that. This is only for one evening and maybe one evening a year.

These players and students deserve every benefit of a night game. We went to the Milpitas game last week and the entire community including the fire department comes out to support the event. It is not just about playing football under the lights, its a safe environment for the students, parents and community to come together as one. Los Altos HS amd MVHS are a few of the only schools left in the country that do not have a nightime football event. The time for lights have come and the neighbors need to grow up and embrace the school and this community event. There needs to be a balance at the high school between academics, the arts and sports and sports have been put in last place. Limit the hours that the band can play to please the neighbors and give more attention to the sports teams. The results will be more community attention and more funding by donors to the school. Property values will go up as the sports teams improve and more people want to send their children to MVHS-look at Los Gatos as the example.

spartan mom... School was built in 1961. Many of the homes surrounding have deeds from 1954. So... does your argument still hold?? The school KNEW they were moving into a tightly packed neighborhood so why would they not expect this kind of reaction ??
The logic goes both ways.

Many pro-lights comments here are derogatory and rude "grow up" "selfish nimbys" "if I don't understand it I will fight it". Must be nice to live in a black and white world -- us vs. them. neighbors are just advocating for themselves and have repeatedly gone out of their way to say one night is not a big deal but have been shut out of the conversataton that started many months ago. is this your idea of community?

Friday Night Lights use to happen at old Mountain View HS, their home field is now the site of Eagle Park. Awalt HS might have had night time games if they did the lights were removed back before 1973.

So the neighbors are afraid of the slippery slope, that if the school has one night game, then they will set up permenent lights and have a whole season of night time games. I agree that is something to worry about. So why not just draw up an agreement that allows the school to have "one night time game per year". Add a clause that states "all field lighting must be used only for the purpose of this one game and no permanent field lights will be permitted". That way the school gets their game and the neighbors have the agreement to calm their worries.

Rugby - that would be a great solution that the neighbors would like, but it has not been offered and they were brought into the discussion very late. a lot of animosity and distrust could have been avoided. it was mentioned at the board meeting by someone that the boosters have been talking to other non-school based teams to see if they would use the facility. when asked about this the neighbors don't get "no way.. never.. that is not our goal, dont worry we would be happy to have a contract like that" Instead they get denials that the group is after anything other than a one night event even though they are clearly talking to people about permanent lights. so you can call the neighbors paranoid but dont call them stupid...they are being worked.

" If yours kids play sports you will know football is a biggie, that theatre brings in high school art and drama supporters. "

And football brings Athletic Supporters. So what is your point?

I graduated from the ORIGINAL MV Eagles H.S. MV had a jock problem there too. I never was able to excel at P.E. I found out just now that I had an inherited heart condition that could have me literally drop dead on the field. As it was, I almost broke my neck on the trampoline because the MVHS P.E. teacher { coach that was pissed off that I wouldn't go out for football )said your grade depended on it. Most P.E. grades BROUGHT DOWN my GPAs for college.So this graduate is voting NO on giving jocks ( and their Athletic Supporters ) an extra privilege.









"

The REST of America has great HS nighttime football, all the communities rallies around these, a part of American tradition. Regardless of what one thinks about football, I think some acceptance and support is the right thing to do. anything that connect the kids to some sense of school pride cant be a bad thing....I find it odd that anyone not even associated with the school would form a stance against this... Selfish NIMBY attitude serves no purpose other than to degrade and alienate the HS community, and the MV community overall.