The Sunnyvale Sun
Letters & Opinions
Speak Out
Residents, workers have
right to know about TCE
As a resident of Birdland, I want to thank you for your article about the underground water contamination and possible air contamination with TCE. We had been led to believe that we were on the flat portion of the curve and that most of the contamination had been cleaned up. Now we hear that due to some new findings that the TCE may still represent a significant health hazard. That leads me to ask the following questions:
Who is the responsible agency for assuring that there is satisfactory cleanup of the contamination?
Who is the responsible agency for defining what is the magnitude of the problem as understood today?
Who is responsible for informing the neighborhood and the people who are employed by the companies located on Tantau of the status of the problem and the status of the and cleanup?
Are the companies that caused the contamination still in business so they can also pay for the cleanup?
I hope you will continue to cover this story so the residents and employees in the area will understand the magnitude of the problem and what is being done to correct the situation.
Werner Gans
Sunnyvale
DeCinzo does disservice
to public safety officers
Several weeks ago, at a late hour, I dialed 911, as a member of our family was having a health emergency. My call was answered immediately. A dispatcher gave me important advice. While still speaking with the dispatcher, a fire engine arrived at our home and two public safety officers entered. They gave immediate assistance to us, only leaving when an ambulance and its crew arrived to take over. From the moment I called for help I was dealing with competent, caring, well-trained professionals.
DeCinzo's tasteless cartoon (Sun Sept. 6) is an insult to our public safety officers. I certainly hope our officers know these cartoons do not represent the attitude of most Sunnyvale residents.
Janet Tobias
Sunnyvale
Hard work and dedication
pay off for SV actors
The West Side Story musical was a huge hit with the audience on opening weekend. The Sunnyvale Community Players have worked very hard to make this a spectacular production. This was my first experience with a theater production and I had no idea how many hours the cast and staff endures. I helped with props, set painting, and costumes. I visited second-hand clothing stores so often I knew the clerks on a first-name basis. During dance rehearsals the cast would arrive clean and dry, then finish the night sweating so much they were like snowmen melting away. Everyone gave it their all and it shows on stage. The crisp dance turns, lifts, and mambo are breath-taking. The actors tumble, fall, hit, and slide, making the fight scenes very realistic. You will experience the feeling of love, hate, hope and despair throughout the show. West Side Story is about gangs fighting in the '50s and I am glad times have changed and this behavior is behind us. Then a week ago, a cast member's brother was shot and killed while driving through Oakland. This tragedy has made me realize that times have not changed and gang violence still prevails. The 35 actors are pouring their heart and soul into this production, hoping to make a positive change to rid the streets of gang violence. Please don't miss seeing West Side Story, which runs through Oct. 8.
Call 408.733.6611 to reserve your tickets.
Marcy Chaussee
Sunnyvale
New community garden is
a great use of vacant lot
Thank you for publishing the super article on the Sunnyvale Sustainable Gardeners and the photos of their incredible garden (Sun, Sept. 13). Josh Salans and his members should be commended for the fabulous creation they accomplished in a short amount of time. A true vision--a vacant lot to a community treasure. During my visit it was such a thrill to see gardeners of all ages enjoying the opportunity to not only nurture and grow flowers, fruits and vegetables, but the art work on the sheds, a place for educating the young with field trips and the circle under the tree for storytelling. What a wonderful addition to Sunnyvale. Great teamwork everyone.
Julia Miller
Former mayor and
council member
Enough is enough,
protect your kids
How many young bike riders need to be hit by cars in order for our community to take notice?
In the past few weeks, there have been five incidents in Cuupertino that I'm aware of, where bike riders or pedestrians have been struck by cars.
This does not even account for near misses and unreported incidents. This is outrageous!
We have been encouraging our children for years to walk or ride their bikes to school and yet we are unable to make it safe for them. I have personally seen the abominable behavior of parents at Stevens Creek Elementary, Kennedy Middle School and Monta Vista High School. Parents disregard cones and volunteer walking guards. I've seen drivers curse at the volunteers because they are made to wait while they are crossing with children. Mr. Ottey, the principal, is out in the mornings personally guiding cars at Kennedy. Parents park in red zones, jay-walk with their children, double park and totally disregard the recommended drop off/pick up procedures (procedures set up for their child's safety).
Are we a community that can only react if there is a tragedy? What can we do? Can we hire traffic officers who can pay for themselves with the tickets they write? We need help.
Parents, do you even realize that I'm talking about you?
Linda Orvick
Los Altos
Correction
The Sept. 20 story "Able Cable" should have ended with the line "For more information on Able Cable Productions and On The Move, or a full programming list and schedule of show times, visit www.ablecable.org."
