ReaderWire ReaderWire (September 17, 2004)

Leave plaza alone

Why are they talking about redoing Lytton Plaza? What is wrong with the way it is?

It is currently a comfortable plaza for the people who use it. And if the city would empty the garbage containers more frequently in the whole of downtown area it would be much cleaner.

The people who use the plaza are mostly young people and some homeless who, as far as we have seen, do not really disturb anyone.
Marvin Lee
Harker Avenue, Palo Alto
Goal-post dangers

Shame on the Weekly for posing high school soccer player Maya Bruhis (Sept. 1, page 15) hanging off a soccer goal crossbar. Shame, for that matter, on Maya for letting herself be posed in that manner.

Using soccer goals as jungle gyms can kill young players. The goals can break or fall over if misused. A young boy in San Jose died earlier this year from climbing on a goal.

Conduct like that modeled in the Weekly conflicts with the strenuous efforts we in the soccer community make to keep players off goals.
James R. Madison
Holly Avenue, Menlo Park

Honoring 'hourlies'

I have been a resident of Palo Alto since 1992 and our family of five has always enjoyed the various facilities provided by our wonderful city. But it was only since last week, when I attended a coffee social with some of our city's hourly workers, that I realized how these benefits are being provided and maintained by two classes of city employees -- the salaried ones and the "hourlies."

One may think that the "hourlies" are temporary, project-based or seasonal workers when in fact, in most cases, the "hourlies" would be doing very similar jobs as the salaried, and may have been in the employment of the city for years and years.

And yet, they are not eligible for any permanent job openings, not accessible to group health insurance, even if they pay 100 percent for it, barred from educational or training programs, nor provided with tools, supplies, equipment or clothing considered necessary for maintaining safety on the job.

Now these hourly workers are asking the city to allow them to organize themselves as a union and be recognized for the contributions they are making for all Palo Altans.

And I say it is high time we do that.

I am hereby calling all my fellow citizens, especially those parents who have been signing up their children for various classes and summer camps, or those of you who borrow stacks and stacks of books from our several libraries, or those who simply enjoy jogging or hiking around our numerous beautiful parks, especially our unique Foothill park, please e-mail, write, phone or fax your City Council members and urge them to start recognizing our "Palo Alto Hourlies."
Laura Chiu
Talisman Court, Palo Alto

Anonymous victims

One thousand Americans have died in Iraq. They volunteered to kill and risk being killed, or be damaged physically and psychologically for life.

More than 13,000 anonymous civilians died in Iraq and thousands more are physically or psychologically damaged. They did not volunteer to kill and risk being killed or damaged.
Christiane Cook
Emerson Street, Palo Alto

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