ReaderWire ReaderWire (July 02, 2004)

'Elephant' clarification

Jocelyn Dong's article on the City Council's certification of Hyatt Rickey's EIR (June 25) states that I am alleged to have said in a meeting with an individual City Council member and neighborhood leaders that I "had a lawsuit in hand and (was) prepared to deliver it to the city" (if the EIR were not certified).

The only such meeting I had was with Councilmember LaDoris Cordell, and it was cordial and mutually respectful throughout. I made no litigation threat against the city, nor did the subject of potential litigation arise.

Not only was there no elephant in the living room; there was no elephant at all.
Robin B. Kennedy, Esq.
Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto

A different option

The egg or the fountain? Forget them both!

Let's put one of Tom Kabat's homemade recycled bicycles on display. Now they truly symbolize the spirit of Palo Alto -- environmentally friendly twice over, creative and springing from the same do-it-yourself mentality that gave birth to Silicon Valley.

And who knows? In a spirit of compromise, maybe Kabat can use his skill to make one that sprouts a fountain.
Hana Pederson
Louis Road, Palo Alto

Park density

If Stanford Research Park is "a relatively dense office park" (Weekly, June 25), then the banana split I just had is a "relatively low-calorie dessert." The park is just that -- lots of landscaping and lots of parking.

A "denser" candidate for the new, automated technology is the other Stanford property, the university, yet it appears to be extremely well served by the free, frequent, reliable, safe, new, low-floor buses known as the Marguerite.

The most appealing aspect of the Silver Bullet proposal unfortunately may also be the most unfeasible, according to the article. I refer to the reconfiguration of the park made possible by the elimination of 6,600 parking spaces, thereby freeing 50 acres of new housing to be built and sold.
Irvin Dawid
Alma Street, Palo Alto

Transportation alternative

I just wanted to comment on the June 25 article "Silver bullet, or pie in the sky?"

I have a better idea for transportation: Rather than a $50 million "pod" that transports people around a 6.2 mile loop, let's buy all CalTrain passengers a $12 pedometer and a $30 pair of walking shoes.

Imaging the millions of dollars and lives we'd save in lowering blood pressure, stress, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many cancers.
Dan McClure
North 2nd Street, San Jose

Red Fridays

I recently received an e-mail from a friend asking me to wear red on Fridays from now until election day as a show of solidarity with all those other Americans who do not like what has been happening in our country, who do not like the way we have lost credibility in the rest of the world, who do not like the way our civil liberties have been curtailed, and who do not like the atmosphere of fear and secrecy that has been created by the current administration.

I began to wear red last Friday and will continue doing so each Friday through Oct. 29. In addition, I am broadcasting this message in every way I can think of to urge others to wear red on Fridays and reach out in every way they can as well.

It is a simple enough thing to do. I encourage your readers to join me in this effort.
Eric Stietzel
Whitclem Court, Palo Alto

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