Willow Glen Resident

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Homeless problem
presents danger
to trail users

In "Homeless camps visited by nonprofit and city workers," (Willow Glen Resident, Sept. 28), there was no mention of whether the people living in these camps were evicted by the police. The homelessness problem is an unfortunate and complex issue to solve, but people should not be camping along our waterways.

I commute by bicycle daily on the Guadalupe River Trail between Willow Glen and the airport, and there are numerous homeless along the river. The banks of the Guadalupe have been eroded because of people pitching tents, there's trash spilling into the river, and no doubt the residents of these camps use the river as a bathroom. In addition, many of the homeless are mentally ill or on drugs and alcohol and present a potential safety danger to trail users.

Chris Dresden

Willow Glen

Police can ticket illegal campers along the Guadalupe River, said San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia. Volunteers at EHC Lifebuilders say police also have tried to dismantle camps, but it depends on the situation. The outreach program has been in place for several years, and aims to give the homeless other options for shelter.

--Editor's note

Calee's Lilies
mural is a loss
for downtown

When I learned that Calee's Lilies had moved to a new location on Lincoln Avenue, I believed that the charming and eye-catching mural she'd commissioned for the wall along Minnesota Avenue would most certainly remain. I thought that perhaps the words would be changed to "Welcome to Downtown Willow Glen" or something of the sort, but I could not imagine it being painted over although, in retrospect, I guess some part of me must have feared that it might. Sadly, that's exactly what happened. What an unfortunate and unnecessary loss for our beautiful little village.

Marilyn Riedel

Willow Glen