Letters

Household Haz-Mat and SMaRT

Thank you for recognizing Sunnyvale's achievements in waste reduction in your recent article ("Litter Smug", page 15, August 18).

I would like to clarify the distinction between the SMaRT Station and the new Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Site because they serve different purposes. The two sites are easily confused since they are both located near the intersection of Caribbean Drive and Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale.

The SMaRT Station, at 301 Carl Road, began operating in 1994 and does not handle hazardous waste. Rather, it is the site where the public can drop off recyclables and solid waste. It is also where Sunnyvale's trash is sorted to recover recyclables before being trucked to a landfill.

By contrast, the new Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Site is located at 164 Carl Road and is designed to accept hazardous waste from residents and small businesses by appointment during specific drop-off days. The site, operated by Santa Clara County, is an expansion of Sunnyvale's former Household Hazardous Waste program which began in 1984. Both facilities play an important role in helping the City divert 53% of our waste. The City surpassed the state mandate to cut our waste in half by the year 2000 four years ahead of time.

Mark Bowers
Solid Waste Program Manager
Department of Public Works

Boyish enthusiasm in mayor's letter

Mayor Manuel Valerio's extraordinary and apparently necessary letter in defense of the city manager is more than just a political love letter loaded with propaganda, eyewash and boyish enthusiasm. Although His Honor has aligned himself completely with the city manager, and staked his reputation on him, it doesn't seem likely the problem at City Hall will culminate in their holding hands on the Titanic.

Robert Thoen
Sunnyvale

Kudos to two papers for range of awards

While carefully going through a pile of newspapers today, I spotted the article about your first-place award and three second-place awards presented by the California Newspaper Publishers Association this summer. Congratulations for all your hard work and this much-deserved recognition!

For those of us who read the Courier and The Sun on a regular basis, we know you do an excellent job. Isn't it great when professionals in your field take note, especially because your awards cover such a broad range of talents including public service, writing, photography and spot news?

Janice D. Winkel
De Anza College,
Media Relations

Thanks to an officer for brightening day

I would like to thank the police department of Sunnyvale for caring enough to brighten up a mother's day. My son, Jason Custer, had been riding his bike in Sunnyvale for the last three years. One sunny day, Jason came running in my store so excited. He could hardly talk ... at first I thought something had gone wrong when he told me he had been stopped by a police officer ... except that he had a grin the size of Sunnyvale on his face.

He proceeded to tell me that he was waiting at a crosswalk on the corner of Fair Oaks and Olive, when an officer in a police car had told him he was going to give him a ticket. Jason couldn't figure out what for. He said he was a little scared until the officer handed him two tickets to an A's game! The policeman told him that was for wearing his bike helmet and to keep up the good work!

As Jason was telling me this story, I was almost in tears. What a incredible thing to give. The acknowledgment from a prominent figure in our community to a 10-year-old boy, will last my son a lifetime. Living in this strange and harsh world, it is really cool to see good things happen.

I would like to thank that officer personally. I hope this gets out to him and all the rest of our men and women who work to uphold safety and the sense of some kind of community here in Sunnyvale. Jason has never given me a hard time about wearing his helmet, and I know that his sense of responsibility for himself is stronger because of this experience. ... Thank you for making it a brighter day! Thank you for caring!

Susan Custer
Sunnyvale

Council neglected their responsibilities

As elected city representatives, it is the City Council's total responsibility to perform as thorough due diligence examination and investigation of the record of performance of a city manager before hiring him.

In the controversy surrounding the hiring of city manager Bob LaSala, the Sunnyvale City Council abdicated its responsibility by selecting city employee David Nieto to go to Florida to check into LaSala's background. This is against Council policy because Mr. Nieto reports directly to the city manager. He does not report to the Council.

By Council policy, up to three councilmembers should have gone to Florida to perform the background investigation. They should not have sent a city employee! If the City Council had done their job, we would not now have all this finger-pointing.

Lastly, in your Aug. 4 issue, you quote Mr. Nieto as saying: "There is no councilmember who was on the council who did not have that information. I am fully aware of his background, and all the council knew about his background and experience."

Someone is not telling the truth in this matter. I am summing it up thusly: If Mr. Nieto had the information on LaSala's background and experience, then Council must have known it; and if Council knew it, how come Councilmember Kawczynski didn't know about it as he was mayor at the time?

There is something amiss here!

Frances Rowe
Sunnyvale

 

Correction

In the Aug., 11 story "'Fishbowl' teen center to relaunch," THE SUN incorrectly stated that the teen program serves local junior high and high school teenagers. The program serves only high school students and a high school identification card is needed to participate in the coffeehouse program. THE SUN regrets the error.

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