I am concerned about the possibility of the San Jose Unified School District closing Hacienda Elementary School.

Hacienda is a highly successful, socially and ethnically diverse, environmental science magnet elementary school. Although 41 percent of its kindergartners come from low-income areas of San Jose, Hacienda's API scores for the last two years exceed 830.

Hacienda has an exceptional science program that has inspired countless students to study advanced levels of science and follow science-based careers. Hacienda students are even featured in the social studies textbook adopted by the state of California.

A key component of the environmental science program is Hacienda's Outdoor Classroom, one of the greatest gems in the San Jose Unified School District. The outdoor classroom showcases the native plants communities within Santa Clara Valley. This acre of land was developed with limited funds from the school district. It is maintained entirely by Hacienda's school community with support from the San Jose Water District.

If the school district was to close Hacienda, it would mean closing a school that specializes in science, a key to future jobs particularly for those that are under represented in science: women and minorities.

Caryl Westerberg

Coastland Avenue

Greater awareness can
improve riding for all

Thanks for writing such a thoughtful article about the problems that bicyclists have with drivers. I hope lots of people read the article and give more consideration to the situations that were described.

Bo Hebenstreit, who was attacked by several motorists, is a teammate of mine in the Alto Velo Bicycling Racing Club. That was a very traumatic experience that he had.

Jim Turner

Menlo Park

Hacienda Gardens, a project that's too large

The person Mr. DeCinzo depicts in the Willow Glen Resident's Nov. 10. cartoon I am proud to say is me. Beside myself, there are others who only want a shopping center on the south side of Yucca Ave. I am on a street of 14 single-story family homes. The front of my property is 36 feet from the proposed three-story rental apartments in the Hacienda Shopping Center.

The developer of the Hacienda Gardens shopping center project at Meridian and Hillsdale avenues proposes to build 299 rental three- story apartments with only 550 parking spaces for tenants and visitors. The overflow will filter into the commercial area. What businesses will agree to lease commercial space in the shopping center with that responsibility or liability?

The other site of the shopping center that is being developed on Yucca Avenue will have 103 parking spaces for 55 rental units. And the last section of the project on the north of Foxworthy Avenue will have 447 parking spaces and 244 units

The San Jose municipal code regarding occupancy basically says there should be 150 square feet of living area for every two people. And each additional 50 square feet of living area allows one person more.

So with this in mind I have an idea for Mr. DeCinzo: how about doing a cartoon regarding the proposed mess? It will be a first for you and your paper. But you will need three to four pages to fit it all in if you use the "real" math requirement which as units times square feet times legal occupancy equals people times automobiles minus area equals a big mess.

Joe Pottgieser

Yucca Avenue

New concert series is great time, a bargain

I just wanted to give my personal endorsement to the "Thursdays at the Theater" series at the Willow Glen Middle School Little Theater. I've been to the first two events and thoroughly enjoyed both shows.

The comedy acrobat team of "Grinn and Barrett" was a riot, and last week's "Fred McCarty Duo" was a thoroughly entertaining evening of cowboy songs, guitar and fiddle music, and just plain fun. The next show on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. is going to be a "Jazz Singer" and I am looking forward to it.

Of course, it's all for the benefit of the Willow Glen Middle and High School music programs that have been so drastically underfunded, so they need the help of the community in attending these shows.

At $7 a ticket it's a real bargain, and I would urge you to tell everyone about this worthy program.

James Gott

Willow Glen