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News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Grave Confessions Women seeking counseling after an abortion have few choices. But pro-life Christian groups offer it for free with an agenda that one critic calls 'diabolical.' Expunge the Grunge! Los Gatos--Fed up with the Third World sanitary conditions in Los Gatos, the homeless population there has requested that public showers and toilets be installed downtown. Homeless advocate Rosemary Bitterman of the Interfaith Council of Los Gatos is planning to present a petition to the Town Council soon in spite of councilmembers' nervous mutterings about liability, cost and community opposition. The facilities would likely cost $2,000 to $3,000 and could potentially improve the air quality around Town Hall, as town employees would be entitled to use the showers, too. Was It the Car? Saratoga--Last week two of a trio of burglary suspects were released on their own recognizance after a hearing. The third suspect is being held on bail. Charles Harrington, 18, of San Jose and Efrin Ortiz, 18, of Campbell were arrested Feb. 5 along with Terence McCarthy, 20, of Campbell when a sheriff spied their gold late-'60s model van, which he'd heard described over the radio. The three are suspected of stealing VCRs, cash, jewelry and stereo equipment from nine homes in Campbell, Cupertino and Saratoga. A search of Ortiz's home revealed jewelry, a handgun and a Playstation bearing the original owner's name. Electric Avenue Cupertino--In an effort to cut down on the polluted hot air generated by city employees, Cupertino has acquired four virtually emissions-free electric cars. The city used Valley Transportation Authority grants to lease rather than buy the Toyota RAV 4s because the batteries are expensive and need replacing every 100,000 miles. A battery can run about 80 miles on a charge; recharging takes eight hours and costs around $2. Public Works director Bert Viskovich says they're fast, quiet and rather popular among staffers. [ Metro | Metroactive Central | Archives ]