In response to the letter from Pat Andrews (letters, July 7) about "too much at the top" at West Valley College, I must disagree.

Recently, I inquired of the state community colleges agency in Sacramento about the fiscal health of the college district. Unlike many other districts throughout the state, West Valley­Mission Community College District is not on the state chancellor's fiscal watch list, implying that the administrations of the district and colleges are doing their best to manage resources in difficult times. Yet the college faculty has censured the current district chancellor, and censured one of his predecessors, when responsible management did not suit the faculty's self-assessment of worth.

In 1998, I myself raised a complaint against West Valley College. To my astonishment, several faculty and one administrator indicated that the college had $165,000 plans for a new planetarium. But investigation of official documents showed that the "plans" were not in the master plan, or in the budget, or in the minutes of the college council. The only document in support of the claim was an unapproved memo from one faculty member (not presently at WVC), requesting the money for a sole-source vender without bidding. Several other members of the faculty, confronted with this knowledge, did not consider it to be remarkable.

Robert Allgeyer

Aptos

Searching for
information
about print

Sometime around 1960, I purchased a limited edition serigraph by artist Dalene Osterkamp titled Afternoon Stroll. I found it in an art gallery named The Vault, located, as I recall, along W. Main Street (could it possibly have been an old bank building?). It has hung in our home wherever we were living, including Forestville, Cupertino, Garberville and now St. Helena. If there is anyone out there that has some knowledge of our print or the gallery where it came from, I would truly appreciate the information.

JoAnn Adams

St. Helena

Winchester plan
would not benefit
Los Gatos

Recently I came across a copy of an email sent to a number of residents of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno. The sender of the email was Mark Brodsky, a member of the Monte Sereno City Council. The email contained a message urging the recipient to join an effort to pressure the Los Gatos Town Council to change the configuration of Winchester Boulevard under the guise of safety.

A couple of years ago a traffic light and islands were installed at the intersection of Winchester and Daves Avenue to ensure the safe crossing of the students attending the school at Daves Avenue. According to Mr. Brodsky, that project was "Phase 1."

Now Mr. Brodsky calls for a "Phase 2" for Winchester. This new project entails elimination of one northbound traffic lane and the current two-way left-turn lane, replaced by a wide, forested median down the length of Winchester through Monte Sereno. This is not a safety issue but an attempt by a resident of Monte Sereno to have Winchester Boulevard beautified with the taxpayers of Los Gatos paying the bill. This unnecessary project is for the benefit of Mr. Brodsky and his followers, hoping the improvements will increase their property values.

I feel confident the town council will never allocate the funds, a significant amount of taxpayers' money, to such a project as promoted by Mr. Brodsky, an individual who is not even a resident of our town.

Egon Jensen

Los Gatos

Letter about
12-year-olds
was right on

Moe Soto's letter of July 28 was right on, except for one thing. He should not be surprised at the ignorance of a 12-year-old when many adults display the same lack of knowledge about world affairs. Unfortunately, like the 12-year-old, they voice their opinions with conviction and are exploited by those with political axes to grind.

All of us abhor war, especially those of us that were around when millions died in WWII and tens of thousands died in Vietnam and Korea. So when we say we abhor war, we say it with firsthand knowledge of the horrors of war. However, we have also seen the results of appeasement and the lack of action on our part when a short war could have prevented the devastation of the major conflagrations.

We could have kept negotiating with Saddam for another 12 years and kept the sanctions in place. However, the UN published figures are that 40,000 innocent Iraqis, mostly women and children, were being killed by our sanctions and Saddam every month. Thus, another five months of negotiations and sanctions would have killed another 200,000 innocent Iraqis. Another 12 years would have killed another 6 million innocent Iraqis. And not very many Americans would have been killed, provided Saddam did not pursue weapons of mass destruction.

I am very happy that the blood spilled in past generations to protect our freedom was not spilled in vain and that we have a leader who has the guts to gain freedom and life for millions in our generation.

Don Wolf

Los Gatos

Children should
be congratulated
for their letter

In response to Moe Soto's letter, and with due respect for his opinion, I deplore the fact that he is calling three idealistic, peace-loving sixth-graders foolish and accuses their parents and teachers of brainwashing. My children are both students at Los Gatos High School and with them I have relearned history.

Maybe in Mr. Soto's days "the official version according to the United States" was taught in schools. Gone are those days and it is a good thing. Children are now learning to reflect and analyze, they are encouraged to be critical, they are told of the U.S.'s biggest victories as well as its gravest mistakes. They now understand that sometimes the side you are on determines if it is right or if it is wrong. Their insight is so much greater than mine at their age.

I do not dispute the fact that Saddam Hussein was a harsh leader, but Mr. Soto must also know that these kids are learning that the Shah of Iran, whose regime we supported and whose cruelty we pardoned, was not a nice man either. It is not only healthy but refreshing to see that they accept that the U.S. is capable of making a mistake, that they question their government, that they demand answers from their leaders.

If the schools keep it up, they will become involved citizens, capable of truly making a difference. Instead of clipping their wings, let's congratulate them for their compassion and their initiative. Maybe their idealism will succeed where your (and my) generation has failed.

Michele Jehenson-Chow

Monte Sereno

It's Moe Soto who
is misguided,
not students

For Mr. Soto to call these students "misguided" is misguided in itself. If the students wrote an opinion that he agreed with, I assume they would be well-informed students. Instead of labeling students as "misguided" because he did not agree with their opinion, we as adults should encourage our future leaders to get involved, gather information, form an opinion and feel free to openly state that opinion. These students were very brave to write an opinion on a subject that is a "hot potato" in this country today. Keep it up!

Adele Guerzon

Los Gatos

Kickboxing clinic
will raise funds
for Barber Bob

My husband and I were so touched by your story about Barber Bob and his young clients who decided to raise money for his medical expenses.

Daniel Mosko is a student at our studio in Los Gatos. His gesture made such an impact on us that we decided to hold a kickboxing clinic fundraiser on Sept. 18 at 11:30 a.m. at All Pro Tae Kwon Do, 15545 Los Gatos Blvd., Suite D. For more information, call 408.358.6042.

Thank you for writing such uplifting stories!

Lea Fanelli

Los Gatos

A story in the July 21 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times incorrectly stated that William Danser was disbarred July 26. Judge William Kelsay officially stripped Danser of his judicial powers in California, which he had voluntarily surrendered the week before. But the California State Bar will decide whether or not to disbar Danser at a later date.