A big bouquet of roses to editor Moryt Milo for her editorial in the Sept. 15 issue of the Willow Glen Resident on high-fructose corn syrup. This stuff really is garbage and is condemned by some really noteworthy health authorities.

I was shocked to discover that it is the No. 1 ingredient in a very popular brand of barbecue sauce I have been using. By becoming a label reader, I found another brand (a store brand) that doesn't even contain it. The fact that high-fructose corn syrup is much more dangerous than sugar should not be ignored by anyone, that is if you want to maintain your health.

Robert Smith

Cottle Avenue

Pam Foley will bring
about positive results

In the Willow Glen Resident Sept. 22 issue profiling the two candidates running for the San Jose Unified School Board, Carol Myers states that she has served two four-year terms. Public records show that Mrs. Myers has been on the school board since 1992.

Supporters of Pam Foley include the other four school board members, retired San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Linda Murray, former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer and many parents, teachers, administrators, business and community leaders.

Willow Glen deserves a school board member who can work collaboratively with other board members and community groups to bring about positive results for Willow Glen schools. Pam Foley is that person.

Paul Kanter

Retired SJUSD teacher

Former president, Willow Glen High School Parent's Club

Every school in Willow
Glen deserves support

In the Sept. 21 Willow Glen Resident article that profiled the candidates running for the San Jose Unified School District Board Trustee Area 3 seat, candidate Pam Foley stated that if she is elected she will do the following: Bring music back to Willow Glen Middle and High schools; and get community and business involved in school fundraising and setting priorities.

Pam Foley, where have you been?

For the past several years, both Willow Glen Middle School and High School have had outstanding music and drama programs under the direction of Andrew Eisenmann and Sarah Miller. The Music Booster Club is under the direction of Linda Eaman and Rick Guptill is organizing music bands at Willow Glen Elementary, Booksin, Schallenberger, and Galarza schools. Jonathon Ulrick is the new music director at Willow Glen Middle and High schools.

The Willow Glen Middle and High School Foundation has been in existence now for four years. The foundation has raised more than $150,000 for programs and services at both schools.

The business community will become more involved when they see Willow Glen schools retain more of their neighborhood students.

Parents and teachers at Willow Glen Elementary and Schallenberger would love to have the same funding and programs that Hacienda has enjoyed for many years. Desegregation dollars that have gone to Hacienda for the past 15 years are dollars that should have gone to Gardner Academy, Willow Glen Elementary, and Schallenberger schools. Equity among schools is important; however, from my experience Pam Foley believes magnet schools deserve more funding, while not accepting their fair share of bilingual programs and economically disadvantaged students.

It is a sad reflection on the previous superintendent and a majority of the school board that Pam Foley and other parents believe their sons or daughters have to leave Willow Glen schools to get a better education. Pam Foley and I have personally disagreed in statements to the San Jose Unified School District Board at general meetings regarding the success of the magnet program and its future. I feel that the magnet program at Hacienda was placed under the microscope last year and that Pam Foley is running to make sure the district's cost cutting looks the other way.

For example, look at Pam Foley's website (votePAM.effoley.com) and you will see her stated goal "I will unite parents, teachers, business leaders and the community around their neighborhood schools." On the League of Women Voters website (www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/sd/vote/foley_p), you will see her goal stated differently: "Unite all stakeholders: parents, teachers, business leaders around local schools, while protecting schools of choice."

To me, this subtle difference shows more of how Pam Foley is not interested in supporting the other Willow Glen neighborhood schools as she is in supporting her choice of a non-neighborhood magnet school.

That's why I am supporting Carol Myers, who believes in supporting neighborhood schools through equitable funding for all students.

John Mansperger

President, Schallenberger Home and School Assoc.

Parent Member, 2003­04 SJUSD School Consolidation Committee

The Willow Glen Resident Sept. 22 issue profiling the candidates running for the San Jose Unified School Board should have stated that Carol Myers first served on the school board in 1990 as a member-at-large. She then served three four-year terms.