Speak Out

Reader thanks Jim Spence for courage

I would like to thank Jim Spence for his considerate endorsement of candidate Ken Yeager. They both have a lot to offer and the courage to act. Yeager and Spence have the ability to view District 6 needs and wants within the context of the entire city of San Jose, knowing when to lead and when to represent. Mayor Ron Gonzales, Spence and Yeager appear to be team players. After all, success is achieved when everyone is able to work together!

Karen Naegeli
Hamilton Avenue

Trustee reponds to litter letter

Mrs. B. Fletscher's letter [April 19] expresses her concern about the lack of pride shown in the litter at Willow Glen High School and Middle School. As most of us are aware, Willow Glen Middle School has been undergoing major remodeling and renovation for the past 10 months. This is not a good excuse for the litter that you see on the school sites and the school community needs to deal with this immediate problem.

Yes, the tennis courts are an eyesore and the district is working with the city of San Jose to help pay for the resurfacing of seven courts on the high school campus. The cost is approximately $154,000 and the school district does not have a budget for resurfacing tennis courts. We are hopeful that Councilman Fiscalini will help us with this project since the courts are used by the public as much as by students.

After all the remodeling is completed, the district is looking at landscaping proposals to truly beautify our campuses. Hopefully, community groups and businesses can help us with some plants and shrubs and I know the Parents' Club and Booster Club can also help out. We need to get more people involved in our schools since they reflect our community.

Carol Myers
Trustee Area 3, San Jose Unified School Board

Avenue shopper longs for drugstore

The [Lincoln Avenue] planners are to be commended. The anchor stores at each end of the street set a wonderful cozy calm feel as well as a presence of affluence and a youthfulness, and even a fashionable trendiness which emanates a sense that this avenue has arrived. The "new" reflect a commitment and an investment and obviously a belief in the economic health of our neighborhood.

The feel of a Long's drugstore right in the geographic middle of Lincoln I perceive as a wonderful addition to the street as well as to the neighborhood. A well-planned exterior in tune with the flavor of Lincoln will add life and vitality and a sense of solidness. At least once a week I drive to the Long's drugstore which I presently patronize. How great it will be to have a Long's so close, then I can park my car and more frequently walk along the Avenue, rain or shine. I love the idea!

I get concerned when I read that others are worried that the contemporary chain store image will taint our avenue. Again, Long's must be respectful of the street. But it is important to remember that drugstores are a part of our everyday living of today.

In addition, good business begets good business. Longs will carry all of the items which all large drugstores sell. I/you go there to buy these items already. It will not diminish nor be in direct competition with the businesses currently on Lincoln. But what it will do is to bring Long's Willow Glen customers precisely to Lincoln Avenue to shop, to browse and to dine more frequently.

Judi MacLean
Hazelwood Avenue

Free men bear arms --against the state?

I was appalled to see in the latest Resident [May 3] that there will be a local version of the "Million Mom March for gun control." What they are leading to is complete disarmament of the civilian population, with the government holding the only guns. Isn't this the ultimate intention of all gun control laws?

It's certainly heartwarming to know that there are people out there who trust their government so implicitly. This is the same government that tore down that building in Oklahoma City the same day it was bombed, and carted away the pieces so that the real source of the explosion could never be determined. This is the government that killed scores of innocent women and children at Waco, with tanks and incendiaries yet. This is the government that refused to accept the testimonies of hundreds of people who saw a missile streak toward TWA flight 800. This is the government that had an innocent woman, Vicki Weaver, shot dead by one of their sharpshooters at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, just to prove a point. While her child looked on. And all of the foregoing supervised by morally bankrupt presidents and cabinet members.

Maybe the million (?) mothers trust this government, but I never will. In my way of thinking, an armed citizen is a free citizen.

Robert L. Smith
Cottle Avenue

'Grandma Etna' fondly recalled

Settle Avenue lost a treasure of a neighbor when we lost Etna Vinyard two weeks ago. Etna lived here for over 50 years. She raised six children, lost her house to fire, lost her husband, rebuilt her home, and "walked on air" when she remarried, at 73, almost two years ago.

Etna worked at Valley Medical Center; she handled newborns and dealt with felons. She was loving to both!

Etna's daughter-in-law offered day care in their home. When a neighbor would call for sitting, and Kimberlee had no openings, Etna would insist on coming right over to "watch our babies." No matter the time of day! Often, she'd zip on over in her robe and slippers--still carrying her coffee. Etna was the "Grandma of the Street." She told me this when I had my first child. There are now about 30 young children on Settle Avenue. They all knew and loved Grandma Etna!

Etna kept a few chickens in her back yard, and shared her fresh eggs with us. We also enjoyed her tomatoes, lemons, plant starters and many salvaged "goodies"! It seemed that if Etna had it, she would share it!

We all now remember our happy times with Etna. She will always be here on Settle Avenue--in our hearts.

Leslie C. TenBoer
Settle Avenu

Around the Glen

DeCinzo

Family Daze

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