I read your Jan. 5 article titled "Study says Cupertino basin on shaky land." Can you please explain which area of Cupertino comprises the Cupertino basin? The information would be slightly more useful if a map or written description was provided.

Erica Baylor

Cupertino

Given the subterranean boundaries of the Cupertino basin, no definitive maps of the basin could be located. The U.S. Geological Survey assisted the Courier in this search and also was unable to provide a detailed map. However, the Cupertino basin is defined as an oval-shaped basin, with its northern border in Palo Alto, its southern border 35 miles to the south in Los Gatos and its center in Cupertino. To the west it extends to the Santa Cruz Mountains and to the east it includes Sunnyvale. --Editor

Burglars seem to know
who might have jewelry

In the past month, I have been hearing and reading about burglaries even in broad daylight in many Cupertino neighborhoods. The burglar(s) seems to be targeting jewelry during these break-ins.

While keeping a lot of jewelry in the house might not be a prudent thing to do, even smaller amounts have been looted. It appears that the burglar knows who might have jewelry and seems to be targeting those folks. I hope people become aware of this and take precautions.

I would also recommend people getting more involved in the neighborhood watch programs. As I have not heard about any of these victims recovering their possessions, it would be nice to hear from the police about where these cases stand and if any special steps have been taken to prevent them.

It would be a shame to live in our home like prisoners with security alarms always turned on and getting stressed about the safety of our homes.

Lali Palamadai

Cupertino

Anyone filing a lawsuit
should pay legal fees

I have read for the last couple of months all of the stories about Stephen Williams, the teacher at Stevens Creek School who is suing the school district, and the numerous letters to the editor, including his wife Sarah Williams' vigorous defense of him.

I don't know if Stephen Williams is a religious zealot trying to spread his version of religion to his class or not. He is fully entitled to file a lawsuit against the school district he works in if he believes his constitutional rights have been violated.

With school districts almost universally having budget problems, it just does not seem either fair or right that the taxpayers will have to pay the school district's legal bills for what might be a lengthy court battle over this subject while Stephen and Sarah Williams will not have to pay any legal fees because some out-of-state political action committee (the Alliance Defense Fund) will pay them.

If you are going to sue someone you really should have to pay your own legal fees. To me this gives some credibility to your suit and yourself.

Jim Carlisle

Cupertino

Williams should fire ADF
and hire his own lawyer

Sarah Williams correctly notes in her Courier letter of Jan. 12 that parents at Stevens Creek School are unhappy with her husband Stephen. But she has misunderstood why. No parent I know questions his right to sue. However, all are upset about the gratuitous defaming of our community that he brought with the lawsuit.

He chose as counsel the Alliance Defense Fund, a publicity-seeking Christian advocacy group specializing in lawsuits against public schools over religious issues. The ADF not only filed a lawsuit, they also booked national TV shows and made the absurd claim that our school had "banned the Declaration of Independence." The result was over 3,000 hate messages and threats to our little school. Many of the teachers and staff were terrified, and my children had to walk past police cruisers to get to class.

As a parent, I'm angry with Williams for creating this situation. If he didn't mean for this to happen, it's obvious what he should do: Repudiate the ADF, get a conventional lawyer, and try his case in the courts--not in the media.

John Bartas

Cupertino

Psychiatrist not only ones trained in depression

In his Jan. 19 letter to the editor, Stuart Krigel states that "Psychiatrists are the only mental health professionals trained to diagnose and treat depression..." This is incorrect. Psychologists, family therapists, social workers, and (I presume) nurse practitioners who prescribe are also trained to diagnose and treat depression.

His next phrase, "...and rule out possible medical illnesses that could be masquerading as depression" is misleading, in that internists, family practitioners and other physicians also diagnose related medical conditions and also often prescribe for depression.

If he means that psychiatrists can do both, this is correct but his sentence as a whole is misleading.

Linda Riebel, Ph. D.

San Jose