Most of DeCinzo's cartoons are insightful, and often downright funny, usually pricking the pompous egos of people who probably ought to lighten up a bit and take themselves less seriously. [The Nov. 12] cartoon really missed the mark and crossed over the line into vicious.

Having experienced Sept. 11 and lately the devastating fires of Southern California, how can any of us feel anything but awe and gratitude for men and women who risk their lives to save us and our property from fire? My daughter lives in Stevenson Ranch and was under "evacuation watch" for several days. My co-worker at Valley Medical lost her brother—he was sent from Novato to help with the wildfires. I am a nurse; I have worked in a pediatric burn unit.

I hope and pray every day that the firemen of Saratoga and everywhere else have nothing better to do but sit in the firehouse waiting for fires that don't happen. But when they do happen, there they are, willing to risk their own lives to help the rest of us. To our firemen, I say, "Thank you, and I salute you!"

—Sue Wingerter, Lomita Avenue


Fire captain sets the record straight

I'm writing this in response to DeCinzo's cartoon about the Saratoga firefighters. I have always been impressed with the Saratoga News' accurate and factual reporting in the past. I feel if Mr. DeCinzo wants to portray the firefighters in a correct light, he needs to be informed about a few things: First of all we don't have a sofa, we have eight recliners we sit on. We don't have a fire pole to slide down, we live in a single-story doublewide at the moment. We don't have animals around the station house, because we would not enjoy picking up the mess. We have turnout coats we wear to emergencies, not sports jerseys with numbers on the back. The firefighters would never sit that close to the television, because our parents have always taught us that was bad for our eyes. Your only factual depiction that was correct is my receding hairline, the occasional pizza or popcorn and definitely the salsa.

—Berkely Gilson, Captain, Saratoga Fire District


Articles 'uplifting,' but DeCinzo a bully

The Saratoga News is a newspaper worth reading, but every time I see DeCinzo's comics I wonder why you have chosen a staff member to deliberately insult those you support in your articles.

I was appalled that you would publish DeCinzo's disrespectful portrayal of our firefighters. These men and women serve the Saratoga community and the state of California with integrity, courage, and a great deal of compassion for their fellow citizens, as do most of the people that DeCinzo targets with his insults. The messages DeCinzo portrays in his comics are inconsistent with the pride we have in our community and do a disservice to those who support the community and the paper itself. Your articles are uplifting and celebrate our citizens, whether homeowners, business owners, our children, or our public servants. Why on earth do you need DeCinzo?

Our children and teens know that there is always one bully in the bunch who cannot celebrate the value of others and strives to discredit them. Let's hope that our young readers see DeCinzo as the bully he is and choose to learn communication and interpersonal skills that will help them build relationships in their community instead of trying to break them down.

—Donna Wolf, Puente Court


Trail to be discussed at Dec. 3 council meeting

On Dec. 3, our city council will be discussing the options for the preservation and improvement of the existing, but ad hoc, trail that runs along the joint PG&E, water district and Union Pacific right of way.

Some residents living adjacent to the corridor, many of whom have back fence gates giving them access to the trail, are opposing the city's effort to preserve and develop this trail for all the citizens of our city. They list a number of fears, which are heard over and over again whenever a trail alignment comes up for discussion in the city. I believe they are genuinely, but unnecessarily, concerned. Their fears are that the trail will increase crime, cause a loss of privacy, increase fire danger, and threaten property values.

Please, take the time to learn what the city actually plans for the trail. The city is not proposing to build parking lots at trailheads as an invitation to heavy use by nonresidents. The city is not going to be opening this trail to motorcycle use. The city is not going to mark adjacent street curbs for trailhead parking. The trail accesses off of Saratoga-Sunnyvale, Cox, Saratoga, and Quito will be unchanged.

Making it an official city trail will mean it can be patrolled to increase safety and can be periodically cleaned to reduce litter that now simply builds up. Making it an official city trail will mean it will have an all-weather surface, and its location can be routed to maximize its compatibility with neighborhood privacy concerns. The money to do all this is available from a fund established by the VTA and a single civic-minded private donor.

To learn the actual effect of trails on neighborhoods, read some, at least, of the many studies that have been published of the effects of trails on adjacent properties. These studies show property values are more likely to increase than decrease along trail corridors and public safety is enhanced. The full studies are on file at the public works department at the City Hall, and summaries are on http://www.Brookshess.com
—click on the Saratoga Trails link. Send your message of support to the council at www.saratoga.ca.us/elected.htm, or better yet, come to the meeting on Dec. 3 and tell the council directly of your support.

—William T. Brooks, Merrick Drive