ReaderWire ReaderWire (March 12, 2004)

Cheesecake lover

I have to admit I was quite amused by Dale Bentson's overall negative review of Palo Alto's new Cheesecake Factory restaurant (Weekly, March 5). Is he talking about the same restaurant I've visited many times since it opened in mid-December? I wonder....

At last Palo Alto has a pleasant, very attractive, mid-priced restaurant downtown with a varied menu, good food and pleasant wait staff. I've mostly sampled salads at Cheesecake and they've all been good -- and my friend said her burger the other day was the best she'd ever had.

Among other items, Bentson criticized the Kahlua cheesecake, which I'd rank, again, among the very best. And I love the decor, a kind of Paris bistro with Chagal touches mixed with a bit of Vegas' Luxor.

I salute the people who've brought such a great restaurant to our town. Gale Randall Parkinson Avenue, Palo Alto
Great 'Passion'

Great cover story on March 3 ("The power of 'The Passion'") -- extremely informative (especially to someone who's not exactly an expert on theology), lots of context and background, and a great balance of different perspectives. Bronwyn Barnett Park Boulevard, Palo Alto
Looking for closure?

Billing the "modified mixed-measure plan" scheduled to be voted on March 22 by the Palo Alto City Council as a "transportation compromise" insults the intelligence of each of the hundreds of residents who have signed petitions, sent e-mails, made phone calls and written letters to their elected officials stating their position against the road closures.

The "mixed-measure plan" is nothing more than a charade, a case of smoke and mirrors that not only keeps five of the seven "trial" closures in, but throws good money after bad by including traffic circles and turn restrictions to add misery to the maze.

Even the restricted-turn signs from Middlefield Road and Alma Street are a signature of the same heavy-handedness shown by the Transportation Department. How many commuters do you know who are commuting from 7-10 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.?

Save us from this kind of traffic engineering.

While heartening that at least two planning commissioners derided the "mixed measures" as being "backward" and voted against the plan, the "six-month (eight, 10?) trial" has taken on a life of its own, "just because it's there" and supported by people like Carl Stoffel of transportation, who've become entrenched in advocating for a minority of residents.

For those of you who say "too bad," it's not in my backyard (NIMBY) and just want closure on this issue, I recommend a test drive of Downtown North from Middlefield, Lytton Avenue and Alma.

You'll get closure, I promise. Nancy Adler Emerson Street, Palo Alto
Bush's inappropriate ads

President Bush, on whose watch the United States lost more than 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and more than 500 people in Iraq, spent dozens of billions of dollars in Iraq and destroyed its infrastructure, is now trying to show in his political ads what a strong leader he is.

He is completely ignoring the feelings of those who lost their loved ones in these tragic events and conveniently forgetting about his promises not to play the 9/11 politics, while refusing to testify publicly before the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.

You've got to be out of your mind to vote for this inept and insensitive Bush. Ken Auerbach Matadero Avenue, Palo Alto

E-mail a friend a link to this story.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]