I read the Courier's Aug. 18 article "Parking at B.J.'s should be a little bit easier." I have been there a few times, and I have to tell you that it is really frustrating to have to go through a valet-parking procedure to park your car, especially when you see a number of empty spaces easily available.

I would like to know where the valet-parking attendants park the cars if there are not enough parking spaces in their lot?

It is possible also that the people who built this place maybe should have thought of parking at the time.

I also don't like to see their sign up at the valet-parking area saying "gratuities accepted." It, of course, makes everyone feel like they have to give someone a couple of bucks to get their car back.

This is essentially a fast-food restaurant, and you really should not have to pay to park your car.

Jim Carlisle

Cupertino

Youngsters should not be the brunt of cartoons

I appreciated the recent coverage the Aug. 11 issue of the Cupertino Courier had of the city council's special meeting on De Anza Youth Soccer League's field-use permit. As a parent of a Cupertino child in the DYSL, I found myself in agreement with much of what the article had to say. However, I was shocked and saddened that a cartoon in your paper depicted a DYSL player, child, as an alien-looking creature. Not an adult coach, or DYSL board member, but a child with a number on the jersey. I found it appalling.

Since your paper covered the special meeting, you would know that the mayor on behalf of the city council indicated that this is an issue between adults, and not about the kids themselves.

The cartoon lowered the playing field past the point that any parties involved have previously taken it.

I admire humor, especially when it can put a cheeky turn on a heated issue. But making fun of kids, many of whom go to Cupertino schools, is unacceptable. Make fun of the DYSL board, of the DYSL parents, of the park and rec. commission or the city council members, but not the kids. It is irresponsible.

It is my hope that your paper had no awareness at the time of publication that this cartoon was denigrating to a child and that the slight was not intentional. Please prove this by providing an apology to the kids in your next publication. My son is 13, and he reads your paper. Let him know that he and his teammates are not the joke or the target of contention on this adult issue.

Tara Jolley

Cupertino

Apartment complex rules
harsh toward youngsters

Biltmore (Prometheus property) is one of the most pleasant apartment complexes in the Cupertino vicinity. Located on Rodrigues and Blaney, this complex is landscaped with streams and lush green ferns that create a serene atmosphere.

I thought my children would be happy growing up in this natural beauty.

But little did I know that life would not be as cool and heavenly as I had dreamed of when I signed the lease. Now I think my kids' childhood is at stake.

New rules and regulations have popped up, which are nowhere mentioned in the lease.

Kids are like freshly fallen snowflakes giving joy to every heart. But instead of being cherished and treated gently, the seniors in the vicinity are hushing them all the time.

Cycling and skateboarding was banned first. I understand that the apartment's managing staff cares about the resident's safety.

But now kids are kept from playing on the meadows in between the apartments. They are asked to walk like adults rather than run around. Playing remote cars in safer areas also annoys the staff. Even the very sight of children outside makes the seniors livid. Residents are taking pictures of youngsters playing outside order to threaten them. Kids are now paranoid even to step out of their houses.

Moms, busy though they are, spend a few hours in the park with their kids. But if the child wishes to play outdoors for six hours, what is in store for the exhausted mom? The park within the complex is good enough for three to four year olds. As a result, the older kids are forced to play with their Play-stations and Game-boy's. There's no doubt that their growth will be stunted and they will soon need thick glasses.

The managing staff justifies themselves by saying that they want to be fair to the seniors living in this complex. The owner of the property has no interaction with the residents.

A story that has always touched me is about the giant who, though good at heart, was unhappy. His vast garden was always locked. He wondered why his garden remained cold, dry and devoid of sweet smelling flowers, though spring was around. One day some children sneaked in. They loved playing there and made it a habit. The giant flung open his window after many days of his return, and was surprised to see his dying trees reviving, only in the little patch where some kids were playing. A whiff of essence filled his room. He could not resist the giggle of the kids. He rushed to the spot where the kids swung on the tree. Scared as they were, the kids began to flee, except for the little one who was too young to catch up with the others. The giant knelt down and embraced the child. Ever since then, his garden was open to all and he took great joy in playing with the little angels. Sorrow never touched him again.

This is an urgent request for the seniors, to not put our kids' childhood at stake. We all have enjoyed our childhood. My plea is to let these kids also have a memorable childhood, instead of a forced adulthood. Childhood is a boundless treasure, which can never be retrieved when lost.

Shashi Nagendra

Cupertino