I concur with Tara Jolley's criticism of DeCinzo's cartoon in the Aug. 11 issue of the Cupertino Courier and its likely unintended traumatizing of Cupertino children, particularly the youth soccer players. It truly is a sad situation.

However, an unmanageable precedent would be set if you were to publish the requested apology in your next edition—that action likely would lead to an infinite line of similar demands by all those readers who have felt dismayed, insulted or traumatized for many years by Mr. DeCinzo's cartoons.

Alternatively, I suggest you establish a grief counseling program in conjunction with the city for DeCinzo's many victims, funded by higher city fees charged to all groups whose members sign up to avail themselves of this valuable new service.

I'm confident this grief counseling would be immensely helpful to those children whose family members are employed by or retired from the airline industry, after the trauma caused by viewing DeCinzo's cartoon (airplane disintegrating in flight) in your Sept. 1 edition, adjacent to the Jolley letter.

Gordon Frolich

Cupertino

Moon Festival will happen and it will be right on schedule

As a Cupertino resident I am happy to say that the sixth annual Moon Festival of the Silicon Valley will not only appear on time again this year (Sept. 18­19 in Memorial Park), but has exciting new activities for the visitor to enjoy.

The board and staff deserve much credit, in my opinion, for overcoming the delays and obstacles stemming from unfounded charges earlier this year.

President Lucia Wu has maintained the dignity and high standards of this intercultural event. And I'm happy that the people of Silicon Valley can once again come together to enjoy our ethnic and cultural diversity.

The new chairwoman, Jennifer Chang, has put a new emphasis on youth while retaining the traditional settings of family and culture. There will be hands-on features such as tai chi, kickboxing, hip-hop, break dancing and Chinese song and dance and Chinese opera and much more.

Everyone is welcome.

Ralph Otte

Cupertino

De Anza fees were raised by
the state, not by the colleges

After reading the article "De Anza has raised its fees, cut staff, classes" in the Sept. 1 issue of the Cupertino Courier and seeing DeCinzo's cartoon depicting De Anza as an airplane falling apart, I would like to make my point by carrying on with the airplane metaphor.

Welcome aboard the fall flight to college. Sorry the Courier didn't get the full orientation or it would have made the point that all California community colleges were forced by state legislators (girly men?) to raise fees for flying with us. Fares are standard and mandated by the state.

How much more informative and accurate it would have been to share the regret that due to poor state management and special interests getting all the seats in first class, all 109 community college campuses now have to charge $26 per semester unit and $17 per quarter unit (as at De Anza).

That said, community college is still the best educational bargain anywhere. The staff, faculty and administration are the most dedicated and knowledgeable you could hope for and never give up the daily fight to get things done despite dwindling dollars and a burgeoning population. And employees don't get millions in overtime or fitness bonuses.

The mission of community colleges is to educate all who apply—as space permits. We do not grow in size to fulfill grandiose desires, but to accommodate anyone who wants or needs to learn, post high school.

If we were funded at least in tandem with K­12, or on the same generous formula as California State Universities and Universities of California, we'd maybe be able to give you more than peanuts on your journey, but I can assure you, we are more than likely to get you where you want to go.

De Anza flies your future contributors to Social Security, who get their certificates and degrees and launch into the workplace. Each passenger with a good stopover here will soon be educators, leaders, CEOs, mechanics, managers, public servants, nurses, and maybe even your pilot.

Welcome aboard—we are not about to crash.

Sally Larson

Cupertino