Santa Cruz Sentinel

This medal is the civilian equivalent of the military Medal of Honor and is reserved for those who risk their lives for others or perform an act which promotes the essence of freedom in this country.

As much as I respect what Hank Aaron has done for the sport of baseball, I have difficulty supporting this medal for him. This is, after all, a sport.

This medal should be reserved for those who exemplify the meaning of freedom in this country, and at this time the only ones I believe who qualify for that honor are the people from Flight 93 and the police and firefighters who lost their lives that day. Why they have not been bestowed this honor as of yet is still a mystery to me.

KARLENE LANTZ

FELTON

Creekside rule unfair
We recently received a notice from the Santa Cruz Planning Department about a hearing on the Creekside Ordinance. Our first reaction was one of puzzlement since, as far as we know, our home on Sacramento Avenue is nowhere near a creek. Luckily, one of our alert neighbors investigated and discovered that the Planning Department is trying to designate a drain pipe buried 15 feet underground in the alleyway behind our home as the "Arroyo Seco Creek Section 10." Thus, our alleyway would become a "riparian corridor" subject to draconian restrictions that could cause our house, back fence and back deck to be designated "non-conforming." This designation could totally destroy any property value we now have.

We have owned this property since 1983, are in our retirement years and hope to live here for the rest of our lives. If, however, circumstances were to change and we are not able to care for ourselves, the restrictions on our property would mean that we would not be able to sell it and then pay for care in some institution. This is a terrible prospect to face when we have lived in and considered ourselves to be good Santa Cruz citizens for many years. Please do not approve the Creekside Ordinance as it is now proposed. Please do not designate a drain pipe buried 15 feet underground as a creek needing a riparian corridor. Please do not destroy all of our financial planning for our retirement years.

TERRANCE AND MARGARET KELLY

SANTA CRUZ

Unhappy downtown
Shhhhh. According to Joan, you must be kept silent. (July 9). No sense in letting the City Council know that the majority of the citizens of Santa Cruz are "unhappy" with downtown. Right now I’m busy searching for those rose-colored glasses I seem to have misplaced. I hope I find them soon, as I took another drive downtown and then made a side trip by Councilman Porter’s home. (Apparently some are not as concerned about their neighborhood as others.) Reality hurts. Now, where are those darn glasses. I can’t take the pain.

WINTER SCOTT

SANTA CRUZ

‘Commons’ problem
In the Middle Ages, towns would have a "commons" which all residents would share to graze their cattle. This worked very well for small households of responsible townsfolk. The concept fell apart when selfish individuals took advantage of their neighbors’ generosity by either overgrazing the land or poaching. Then, the commons was lost to all and fences were erected.

We have the same problem here in our "commons" — Pacific Avenue. Our main problem seems to be the "poachers" of our good and caring nature — the public drug and alcohol abusers, panhandlers and defecators who are trashing our beautiful commons area.

Most other cities have already learned how to deal with this issue. Perhaps, our "downtown committee" should consult with several of our neighboring city elders for good "down-home" practical advice on how to successfully resolve this matter once and for all.

MARK EGBERS

SANTA CRUZ

Leave trees alone
I was riding my bicycle on Swanton Road two days ago when I saw the public notice on the plan to harvest trees along the Scott Creek watershed. To say I was dismayed doesn’t begin to cover it.

As an often-stressed teacher, this ride into one of the most peaceful valleys along the whole of Highway 1 has become important to me and to hundreds of recreational bicyclists who use this route — a rare loop that allows a cyclist to return to the start point without backtracking. It moves through farms, thriving song-bird-filled forest and finally grasslands above the sea. With high-density cities in Silicon Valley only a half-hour away, this wildness provides refuge and spiritual uplift for literally millions of people. Once we cut, the beauty is gone for us, our children and our grandchildren. Only our great-grandchildren, 80 years from now, might enjoy something comparable to what we have now.

I urge the Sentinel and the public to speak out and encourage the California Department of Forestry to choose responsibly for the long term and the majority, not the short term and the few.

FRANCESCA HAMPTON

SANTA CRUZ

Council must listen
Wow! What has it taken to get the City Council to acknowledge that there is a problem downtown? I can tell you that many tourists from as far as Santa Maria are afraid to come to Santa Cruz anymore with their families because of the scene down there.

Over the past couple of years, voice messages and letters we have sent to our City Council have never even been acknowledged. I must say that’s not quite true. Keith Sugar responded once when we came to his defense when he was accused of saying racist and inflammatory comments concerning the Beach Flats. Ed Porter responded with a defensive and nasty e-mail when we recently hoped for a little discussion concerning the downtown and his "lily-white" comments. We e-mailed back and said we know his position takes much time and effort and we would love to hear his views on these matters. No response. The mayor did respond to our concerns recently concerning the traffic jams on Highway 1. We appreciate the effort.

When are we going to get a City Council that cares to hear comment from voters and tax-paying members of the community? Hey, I guess I can’t complain. One response, one nasty comment and one "thanks — I needed your support" out of all of our communications to all of them isn’t bad. Or, is it?

NORMA AND GEORGE HADLAND

SANTA CRUZ

Let Cross Roads stand
Many of us who grew up in Santa Cruz (I attended Capitola Elementary, Mission Hill Jr. High and graduated from Santa Cruz High in 1960) are appalled by your inability to leave a landmark standing that we consider to have historical value to Santa Cruz.

The Cross Roads was a meeting place for teen-agers who had no other place to congregate other than the Cliffs, and our parents forbade that one. This was as much a part of our lives as attending school, playing sports and various other activities performed by myself and classmates.

Please reconsider your plan to tear this down and leave us with a little piece of our "Small Town Past." Heaven knows, there is not much left, and as we all know, memories are a precious commodity.

Thank you for your consideration.

DIANA JO PETERS

SOQUEL

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