Someone needs to address unsafe railroad crossing

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 25, 2005

WHAT A sad situation we had to be reminded of again this weekend behind Tennyson High School when another student was hit and killed by an Amtrak train. We need to provide a safe crossing here for our public high school kids as soon as possible.

Amtrak doesn't seem to show any interest in putting in a pedestrian bridge for the students. How many deaths will it take for them to help protect our kids from getting hit by their trains?

How about this solution: Hayward Mayor Roberta Cooper should tell Cal State East Bay President Norma Rees to show the local community that CSUEB really does care about it, by paying for a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks for the students. And CSUEB should do it.

I know that would never happen, but it sure would go a long way toward improving life around here.

Tom McCaslin

Hayward

Community wants Jimenez honored with fire station

I ADMIRE City Councilman Olden Henson for making a motion to name Fire Station No. 1 after Matt Jimenez -- not because he was a City Council member but because of his past work with the community, for approximately 50 years. We all know of his accomplishments through the years.

In listening to two council meetings where this subject came up, many people who were against some of his political items spoke in favor of his name being placed on Fire Station No. 1. I admire them for that. Many people who spoke supported this honor; I have not read or heard anyone from the community who spoke against this proposal.

No one speaks against this except some council members, Bill Ward, Barbara Holiday, Mayor Cooper and Mr. Dowling, who all state in front of Matt at council meetings that they all love him, and say, "Matt, you have done a great job over the years, but we cannot vote for you until you die. If you died tomorrow, I would vote to have your name on this fire station." This seems to be really sick.

Many streets, parks and buildings have been named for people who have served and have worked for their community. Let's honor this man for what he has done, over 50 years, before he dies.

President Bush gives honors to servicemen who have served their country -- Purple Hearts, citations, etc. -- but he does not say, "we can only give this honor to you after you die."

Let's honor Matt Jimenez now and place his name on Fire Station No. 1.

William S. Wood

Hayward

Federal government is lap dogfor big drug companies

WELL SAID. Your editorial ("Senior prescription drug plan looks like a lemon," Feb. 22) could just as well been titled, "Congress and executive branches: Big pharma's lap dogs." The COX-2 fiasco also reveals the hypocritical underbelly of the war on drugs. Cannabis, that "reefer madness" drug, remains Schedule One -- "dangerous and without known medical use" -- in spite of the fact that for many, not all, its medical uses are manifest, especially for relieving pain. The health "side effects," while not absent, are relatively benign compared to cigarettes, booze and COX-2 drugs.

Gerald Sutliff

Castro Valley