Letters to the editor

Yes on BART to the university

Much has changed since I went to college at Santa Clara -- new buildings and academic programs, new athletic fields and nationally-ranked soccer and volleyball programs -- but one thing has remained the same: traffic congestion and an incomplete transit system.

That's why we need Measure B on the November ballot.

Measure B will extend BART to Silicon Valley and connect with Caltrain to complete a loop throughout the Bay Area -- bringing an integrated transit system to a station across the street from the Santa Clara University campus.

Bringing BART to Santa Clara will give students easy access to career, research and education opportunities.

Students will be able to take advantage of educational opportunities offered anywhere in the Bay Area, and will be able get there by rail. Business students could intern at tech centers along the Interstate 880 corridor without ever having to get into a car.

Once the extension is constructed, more than 80 percent of Santa Clara County residents will live two miles or less from a BART, Caltrain or light rail station, and will have access to the entire system -- and the entire Bay Area.

And that's the reason Measure B is so important.

Public transportation is green transportation. The highway arteries of our region are clogged with traffic congestion, dramatically increasing our daily carbon impact and negatively affecting air quality.

Imagine reducing Bay Area carbon emissions by 100,000 commuters a day. That's what Measure B will do. It's an opportunity for a greener commute and a less polluted Bay Area.

Next week, when you cast your ballot, I hope you will join me in protecting marriage equality, standing strong for change in the White House and supporting Measure B.

Gavin Newsom '89

Mayor of San Francisco

Reward for return of Locatelli cutouts

Thank you for the excellent article and picture describing the celebration of Fr. Locatelli's 20-year legacy at Santa Clara.

Unfortunately, the two life-sized cardboard cutouts of Fr. Locatelli have disappeared, and I am offering a $50 reward for the return of each one in good condition, no questions asked.

I am the one who purchased these cutouts, and I would like to give one to Fr. Locatelli's family.

Anyone wanting to collect this reward can contact me in Loyola Hall or Karrie Grasser in the Event Planning Office in Benson Memorial Center.

Thank you.

Jim Purcell

Vice President