The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

City officials still not
getting the message

Re "Future Cupertino Housing Will Focus On City Centers" (May 30): It seems, according to Cody Kraatz's article, that Steve Piasecki, director of community development, pulled a Rip Van Winkle and slept through the last election. You remember, the one where measures D & E, and the huge grassroots movement made it perfectly clear that commercial property should not be rezoned for housing. Especially when portables are haphazardly plopped down in our schools, crowding out areas where kids should be playing.

Instead of irresponsibly focusing on reshaping us into Condotino, yet again, how about redirecting that energy into making Cupertino into a walking/shopping/energy-efficient place to live--and gifting us with what we really need, a downtown where we can meet to browse, dine, sip and enjoy each other's company.

Could the infamous Growthzilla still be swimming around in Stevens Creek? Certainly sounds like the opening salvo for our upcoming city council election.

Ruby Elbogen

Cupertino

You've got trouble
here in Cupertino

In keeping with Ms. Elbogen's "Music Man" reference (May 23 letter in the Courier), please allow me to respond in kind (with apologies to Meredith Wilson).

Well, either you're closing your eyes

To a situation you do now wish to acknowledge

Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated

By the impending flood of traffic in your community.

Ya got trouble, my friend, right here,

I say, trouble right here in Cupertino

Trouble with a capital "T"

And that rhymes with "C" and that stands for CARS!

And just last week, Ms. Elbogen thinks the Vallco committee be frittern away, I say she thinks. they be frittern!

Frittern away a chance for a downtown, midtown, uptown too!

Just "unite the city,"

Never mind getting cars off the road

Or clearing side streets from thousands of day trips

Never mind freeing bike ways or walkways

'Til your parents are caught in jams at schools

Trying to drop off the kids and that's trouble,

Oh, yes we got lots and lots a' trouble.

I'm thinkin' of the kids at Apple and HP,

Shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the community

with jobs to pay the taxes for our school,

look, folks! No Doubt

Right here in Cupertino

Gotta figger out a way

To keep the young ones living close and walking about

Oh, a SPAN will do it, my friends

Oh yes, I said a GRAND SPAN, do you hear me?

I say Cupertino's gotta have a GRAND SPAN

and I mean she needs it today !

Cupertino citizens will be star,

Showing suburbia near and far,

The bridge to the future is the way to deal with cars!

P.S. While my singing voice may cause despair, there is hope at www.CupertinoCitizen.wetpaint.com

"Professor" Mark Brodsky

Former mayor of Monte Sereno

Get involved in your
community, world

Thank you for the fine article on Raging Grannies at my residence. I want to acknowledge the longtime peace & social justice efforts of another Cupertino resident, Gertrude Welch, who died in April.

While many of us are certainly concerned about how national and international policies affect us, we are often involved in local affairs as well. Lois J. Fiedler, who was quoted in the article, was given a San Jose city award for her leadership in the emergency preparedness efforts in her community. As a 28-year resident, I also received a city recognition as a Neighborhood Watch representative and serving as a fine arts commissioner.

I encourage all of you to get involved in your community and your world. We live in a powerful democratic nation that often is the model for others. Keep yourselves informed and let your elected officials know what you want done.

Shirley Lin Kinoshita

Nancy Court