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The unique flavor of each Palo Alto neighborhood is reflected through a combination of history, facts and individual resident perspectives. When I was mayor, I told San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales that Palo Alto often seems like a town of 60,000 which acts like a city of 600,000-plus, given the degree of community engagement and the number of distinctive, identifiable neighborhoods.

The only question I would raise about the content of the publication is the apparent renaming of the "Seale Addition" neighborhood to "Old Palo Alto." Anyone who has been here for some time would agree that the downtown neighborhoods and Professorville represent the real "Old Palo Alto."

And those residents with very long memories will know that until the end of World War I, the town ended at Embarcadero Road (with all due respect to the separate community of Mayfield). Henry Seale's south Palo Alto farmland did not become part of Palo Alto until 1919, a full 25 years after incorporation!

I acknowledge that from a real-estate perspective, "Old Palo Alto" may be a more attractive name than the "Seale Addition" (and by the way, my home happens to be in this area), but can't we find a way to continue celebrating Henry Seale's important role in the history of the city through inclusion of "Seale" in the name of the area that once belonged to him?

Is a street name enough?

I'm certain Carol and her team have to contend with many differences of opinion about neighborhood names each year. Another reason to applaud their great effort. Gary Fazzino Former mayor and councilmember, Palo Alto Kellogg Avenue, Palo Alto
Educational teamwork

As a trustee of the Mountain View-Whisman School District (MVWSD), I would like to offer a perspective of Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA) differing from those recently published.

I was the presiding officer at the meeting at Castro School last spring that Rev. Dona Smith-Powers referred to in her letter. Rather than causing a division, the meeting provided both organizations with valuable information and experience as well as a steppingstone to a closer relationship.

In the ensuing months MVWSD administrators and trustees have met with PIA organizers and parents a number of times. Doors of communication have opened between parents and the school district. Both organizations now recognize that we have common goals for the education of Mountain View's children.

Building on this foundation, MVWSD has worked to help PIA understand the realities of public education: the resources available, the cycles, the constraints, the opportunities. Similarly, PIA has educated MVWSD on their purpose, their philosophy and methodology.

We play different parts, but MVWSD and PIA are on the same team.

The work to achieve educational equity, where children are achieving at comparable levels regardless of income, home language or ethnicity, is a most difficult and important endeavor. To achieve that goal, the community must continue to work together.

I am pleased that MVWSD and PIA can partner in that effort. Carol Fisher Trustee, Mountain View-Whisman School District San Pierre Way, Mountain View
'Calming' frustration

How can the ridiculous "traffic-calming" plans proposed by the Palo Alto Transportation Commission be explained? So far, it has only caused division and frustration amongst our community -- the Downtown North neighborhood being an example.

The Charleston/Arastradero plan has the potential of creating an even bigger mess. We are already experiencing our neighborhood streets being used as a detour in order to escape the congestion on Charleston and Meadow.

This also adds to pollution in our streets. What evidence is there that creating more bike and pedestrian lanes and fewer automobile lanes will increase the population of cyclists and pedestrians and automobile use will magically diminish -- thereby justifying these huge expenditures?

Where is the money coming from? If it is grant money, are there requirements Palo Alto has to conform to which may not necessarily be in the best interests of our community?

This type of planning should be completely understood by the residents of Palo Alto through proper public exposure and disclosure. S.D. Nathan Roosevelt Circle, Palo Alto
Make project permanent

I am a resident of Poe Street and strongly support the current traffic-calming project. I am reminded of the many, many autos passing through, which often turned our long one-block street into a very noisy "race track."

Animals were killed. Humans had to be very careful in attempting to cross the street. Thanks to the traffic-calming project, the tranquility and safety for which we longed have finally arrived.

Please help us in making this a permanent way of life for the residents of North Palo Alto. L. G. da Silva Poe Street, Palo Alto

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