Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Lice story becomes a nit-picking issue

In the Feb. 26 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, you wrote about the head lice infestation we have recently experienced at Lakeside School.

I would like to clarify two points. First, from my conversations with county Vector Control and the county Health Department, head lice infestations are occurring in large numbers of schools around the county, not just at Lakeside School, and second, this was a very difficult infestation and was not easy to eliminate from our school. We were successful at eliminating it only through the implementation of a "no nit policy" and the checking of our students thoroughly.

With the help of parents, nurses and volunteers and staff, we were able to check and reverse the infestation. I am very proud of the efforts of staff and parents in eliminating head lice from our school.

In addition, I would like to remind the Weekly-Times that at the same time head lice became an issue in your paper, our Lakeside School Community Foundation funded a new Macintosh computer lab and an expanded arts program, our PTA held its annual talent show and the school facilities committee completed Phase I of its expansion proposal and began planning the installation of a double classroom portable building that will result in the expansion of our library and computer lab.

From my recent experience I would be the last one to nit-pick your coverage or split hairs over it, but I would just remind your readers that Lakeside continues to be a thriving educational community.

Martin St. John
Superintendent/Principal

Old photograph jogged memory of prison protest

What a delightful surprise to open our Los Gatos Weekly-Times and find a picture of myself--15 years ago--in your anniversary edition! Alice Hansen and I had a wonderful conversation about it. She was there also (that is her sleeve near the left margin in the photograph about the women's prison protest) with her family dog, Sandy!

The reason we were there was that it was Martin Luther King Day, so there was no school. A Van Meter teacher organized the affair as we heard that Gov. George Deukmejian was to come and see the Guadalupe site, and we wanted to exercise our right as citizens to protest. Thank you for a delightful picture memory.

Dot Perry
Los Gatos

Medicaid cuts to legal immigrants are inhumane

What in the world do the legislators have in mind? Cutting off Medicaid to legal immigrants who aren't citizens and have been in the country for a long time?

Many thousands of deserving seniors who are in the country legally have been contributing to our economy for decades. The reasons they haven't become citizens are as numerous as the immigrants themselves and, after all this time, irrelevant.

If political leaders must conserve funds, they should make it a policy from now on; inform new entering immigrants who are legal that, in the future, those who don't apply for citizenship may not be eligible for Medicaid.

Grandfather in those who are living here already, especially the frail elderly. It is inhumane to add further hardship and anxiety to lives already deeply concerned with simply surviving.

Reese T. Cropley
Los Gatos

Religious reference showed bad taste

I am offended by the DeCinzo cartoon in the Feb. 19 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, which used religious-looking icons to depict a discussion on the Monte Sereno City Council.

Whether you agree or disagree, I don't think my religion or any other religion should be used to show humor or satire in cartoons. It's a shame that bad taste sells papers. Maybe you should get a new cartoonist.

Ida Cutler-Heyman
Los Gatos

Correction

The headline on the story about the Los Gatos Police Department's Bike Patrol Unit in the March 5 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times incorrectly identified the company that helped donate bicycle equipment to the patrol. The headline should have read: Kiwanis brings WheelSmith together with LGPD bike patrol.