News & Notes
President’s Message
By Nicholas Perry
MVHA President
Spring is in the air! It’s a time of fresh starts and new beginnings.
For me this year, that sense of optimism is underscored by the
arrival of my brother’s irst child. My new niece is adorable,
wonderful, and perfect, and I’m so excited to be her uncle!
This newsletter is published four times a year by the
MOUNTAIN VIEW HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 252, Mountain View, CA 94042
www.mountainviewhistorical.org
MVHA Board of Directors
President: Nicholas Perry
Vice-President: Robert Cox
Secretary: Jamil Shaikh
Treasurer: Emily Ramos
Past President: Candace Bowers
Historical Data: Melissa Wright
Membership: Lisa Roquero Garcia
Newsletter: John Cortez
Ways & Means: Vacant
Director-at-Large: Marina Marinovich
Director-at-Large: Gil Lane
Newsletter Copy Editor: Cynthia Hanson
Newsletter Graphic Designer: Nick Perry
MVHA Board of Directors
Email: [email protected]
Voicemail: (650) 903-6890
My niece’s arrival has prompted me to re lect and wonder
what connection she’ll feel to Mountain View. Over the past
decade, my generation of the family has been priced out of
our hometown. Those of us who have begun to raise families
of our own are doing so at the edges of the Bay Area where
housing is relatively more affordable.
Which brings us to our spring program on Eichler homes.
When Joseph Eichler built his subdivisions, his goal was to
make modern housing affordable to all people, regardless of
race or background. Our guest speaker for our May 5 meeting
will share this history with us. I hope you’ll come learn
more about the role Mr. Eichler played in building Mountain
View into the inclusive, affordable, middle-class city that my
generation and my parents’ generation were so lucky to grow
up in.
But Mountain View Eichler homes that originally sold for
$13,950 – $131,000 in today’s dollars – now sell for over $2
million. For decades, housing production has not kept up with
job creation. Demand for housing now far exceeds supply and
as a result, fewer and fewer people can afford to call Mountain
View home. So when I see new housing rise up on the site of
an old shopping center or of ice building, I may mourn losing
the physical connection to any memories I made there, but I
also understand the need. If done right, we will be building a
Mountain View that is able to maintain the diversity that has
long-de ined its identity.
Nevertheless, it now seems quite likely that my niece’s
generation of the family will be connected to Mountain View
only through our family’s history. We have become part of a
Mountain View “diaspora.” Looking at the addresses in the
MVHA membership roster, I know many of you also fall into
that same category, which is why I’m glad the MVHA exists.
This association provides a way for us to stay connected to the
Mountain View community, whether we live near or far. And it
also serves as an important bridge between those who live in
Mountain View today and those who came before. So whether
you just left Mountain View but want to stay connected, or
whether you just arrived in Mountain View and are looking to
feel more connected to your new community, this association
is here for you!
–Nick
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