The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

City council's Vallco vote was self-serving

I was disappointed but not surprised to find that members of the city council, totally ignoring their campaign pledges to listen to their constituents, voted to approve construction of more than 100 additional condos in an already severely overcrowded area of the city. Their failure to consider the wishes of their constituents was so blatant and self-serving that a referendum to halt the overcrowding is being circulated. The builder, demonstrating a superior sense of concern for the wishes of the surrounding residents, then attempted to physically harass the petition-gatherers. The city council should be commended on its selection of a good neighbor to be added to an already overcrowded area.

From a pure business sense, I wonder why the developer has not considered that his actions have ensured that some 400 households in the closest area will never shop at Vallco. You can force the projects in, but you cannot force us to support them financially. From a strictly legal point of view, I question how Vallco can recruit tenants without being completely truthful with them about the bad reputation it has earned in its neighboring area and the potential negative effect on the ability of those tenants to survive financially.

John Callahan

Cupertino

Closed bike trail invites dangerous accidents

Last Wednesday was Bike/Walk to School Day at Monta Vista. This was a school-wide effort to reduce the car traffic and increase awareness that students can find alternatives to coming to school by car. In theory, I fully support this concept. However, before we ask students to make the sacrifice to walk or ride to school, we in the community need to create safe routes for them. The route from my house (on the west side of Monta Vista) requires riding down McClellan past McClellan Ranch Park. Every morning this road is packed with cars and bicycles going to Monta Vista, Kennedy and Lincoln. It does not have a bicycle lane and is not a safe route for students to bicycle.

There could be a safer route from my house to the schools for bicyclists and pedestrians, and until recently, there was. The route went through Blackberry Farm. Four of five members of the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended incorporating this access into the plans for the upcoming Stevens Creek Bicycle Trail.

However, earlier this year the neighbors petitioned the city council to close this alternative access, fearing an "endless parade of cars" despite the fact the access was intended only for pedestrians and bicycles. Unfortunately, a majority of the city council members sided with the neighbors and closed this access.

You can only imagine my horror when, on Bike to School day, I saw a student bicyclist on the pavement after a collision with a car on McClellan Road.

The good news from this crash is that the student walked away from the accident. Let's not wait to see what the outcome might be of the next accident to reopen this discussion of how we can provide a safe pedestrian and bicycle alternative through Blackberry and the Stevens Creek Trail. Let's reopen the access through Blackberry now and create an even safer pedestrian and bicycle route to the schools in the future through the upcoming Stevens Creek Trail.

Carol Stanek

Mira Vista Road

DeCinzo's caricatures are mean and discourage public service

Like most weekly Cupertino Courier readers, I seldom miss the Letters & Opinion page. This section is the most consistently interesting section of the Courier. DeCinzo cartoon's are well drawn and eye-catching. The subject matter is often irreverent and biased. That helps to make them thought-provoking. The readers may not agree with him; he doesn't seem to care. The Courier doesn't seem to care, either, as the paper brushes off cartoon criticism as if it's beyond their control.

But here's the catch: There are hundreds,--no, make that thousands--of Cupertino citizens who spend enormous amounts of their time to make our city a place we are proud to call "home." Those who serve in the public's eye in city government, public schools and civic affairs are often unfairly and critically singled out by DeCinzo. He doesn't have to be fair, balanced or even right in his view. He has to be readable. Controversial is even better. Don't worry about hurtful and inflammatory innuendoes. Personal attacks are welcome. His targets must question whether it's worth the price.

I wonder why he doesn't use his talent, creativity and obvious wit in a less destructive manner? I'd like to think he's a better person than his critical, biased and often hurtful cartoons would indicate.

Jim Walker

Regnart Canyon Drive

DeCinzo cartoons are local, insightful and appreciated

The April 5 issue of the Courier has two separate letters complaining about DeCinzo's cartoons. I'm writing to provide some much-needed defense. I have read a lot of different community newspapers over the years, and DeCinzo is by far the best political cartoonist I have seen in any of them. Almost every other community newspaper I have seen either has no cartoonist, an untalented cartoonist or a syndicated cartoon with no relevance to the community. DeCinzo is both relevant to Cupertino and has the chops to be in a larger paper such as the Mercury News. The insight he shows into local issues on a weekly basis is proof enough that he's a local who pays attention to city events.

In his letter, Hung Wei laments the polarizing sentiments of DeCinzo's cartoons. I'm not sure what sort of cartoon Mr. Wei is looking for. Political cartoons are about conflict and debate. The legendary Thomas Nast didn't include a lot of constructive criticism of Boss Tweed other than to throw the bum out. A good political cartoonist illustrates the ridiculousness of a given position or situation and deflates the arrogance of those currently in power. There's just not enough room in that little square to offer a complete solution.

I, for one, applaud DeCinzo and am grateful he is willing to contribute to the Courier on a regular basis.

David Ranney

La Mar Drive

GI's son looking to learn more about his late father

My name is Kim Phillips. I have just received paperwork from the National Personnel Records Centre pertaining to my late father, Manuel Ortega Villarreal. His last address was in Cupertino as per the Social Security death records. He was a GI in England in 1944. I am now 61 years old and have only just, with the help of an organization called TRACE, found him.

Dr. Neils Zussblatt of the NPRC tells me he is buried in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in San Jose. He has also sent me the medals that my father won in World War II.

Most of the records pertaining to his military service were lost in the fire at the NPRC in 1973, but we were able to match a signature on my adoptive mother and father's marriage certificate (Manuel was a witness) to a signature on payroll documents.

My adoptive mother was the sister of my birth mother, who sadly died when I was 4 years old. She told me when I was about 8 years old about my father.

I now want to look for any relatives that I may have but really don't know where to begin. The name Villarreal is, as you may know, very common.

Without the signature, we would have not been so lucky.

My wife and I are both retired now, and our first thoughts were to come over to America and see the grave, but there is a big problem. I have kidney failure and get dialysis three times a week, so it's not just a matter of jumping on a plane!

My father died on Aug. 30, 1997, and was buried on Sept. 4.

He was born Aug. 5, 1921. I don't know how long I've got myself, so time is of the essence. If you have any information regarding my father, please email me at sheilaphillips51@hotmail.com.

Kim Phillips

Ireland