Willow Glen Resident

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Narrow Lincoln Avenue
from four to two lanes

I'd like to comment on Linda Julian's recent letter to the Willow Glen Resident ("Traffic is still a big problem on Lincoln," Sept. 27). I'm a seven-year tenant of office space on Lincoln Avenue and I have experienced both dangerous pedestrian episodes and chronic parking problems on Lincoln Avenue.

I'd like to suggest a solution to address both of these issues: narrow Lincoln Avenue from four lanes to two lanes between Coe and Minnesota avenues and institute angle parking. This would significantly slow down the dangerous traffic on Lincoln Avenue, especially during rush hours. People in a hurry would avoid a slower Lincoln, and it would add a considerable number of parking spaces immediately near street-side businesses.

Lincoln has become a thoroughfare between Almaden Expressway and Interstate 280, and people drive on it at rush hour like it's an extension of the freeway.

My office overlooks the avenue, and I can tell you with confidence that the traffic rarely, if ever, is traveling at the posted speed limit of 25 mph. It is dangerous to pull out of alleyways onto Lincoln due to the speed of traffic, and despite the additional new crosswalk warning lights, it is dangerous to cross the street at times.

Narrowing Lincoln Avenue would address both problems.

Anyone familiar with University Avenue in Palo Alto is familiar with this approach, and it doesn't seem to have deterred business at all.

To me it feels a whole lot safer to cross University Avenue in Palo Alto than it does Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen.

Narrowing Lincoln would address both problems that Willow Glen residents have raised again and again.

We have an upcoming election. Does anyone running for city council care to respond to this suggestion?

Joe Buczek

Willow Glen

Right on, Al Gallegos,
your efforts are heroic

A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Walt Grebing speak at Santa Clara University. He began his talk by asking the question, "Raise your hand if you've ever heard of a student in the high school band dropping out of high school?"

Not one hand went up, and he went on to say that involvement in school and feeling like you "belong" are some of the intangibles that keep students-at-risk, in school.

As a new teacher at Willow Glen High School, I had a first-hand opportunity to work with Al Gallegos. Al truly does care about each and every student at WGHS and makes a concerted effort to seek out the disenfranchised students and make each one of them feel that they belong.

Perhaps people like Al Gallegos, who put principles above paychecks and remember not only where they came from but where they could've ended up, will continue making differences in kids' lives on a daily basis, and be recognized for their heroic efforts.

Rosemary Ruiz Fernandez, M.M.

Music Teacher, Willow Glen High School

Chuck Reed, take a
look in the mirror

Chuck Reed wants to clean up City Council? He should begin with himself. Shame on Mr. Reed for using taxpayer money for his own personal charitable donations and political ads.

Shame on Mr. Reed for pointing his unclean finger at his opponent, with false allegations of impropriety while he was the one acting improperly. And, shame on Mr. Reed for trying to excuse his misconduct by claiming ignorance of the law instead of simply apologizing.

Gloria Flores-Cerul

San Jose

Editor's Note

Three of the candidates running for San Jose City Council in District 6 did not have their websites or information listed with their profiles ("Big shoes to fill, but six run for Yeager's District 6 seat," Sept. 20). We have included it here.

For more information on Pierluigi Oliverio, visit www.fromhereforus.com.

For more information of Art Maurice, visit www.artincouncil.org.

For more information on Brad Imamura, call 408.887.0197.