Santa Clara underpass art a far cry from the Louvre
Q Gary, can you get an explanation on the big blue “doughnuts” San Jose is painting along Santa Clara Street under Highway 87? I can’t think of a bigger waste of money and can’t wait to hear the city’s excuse for this one.
Bruce Arkley
A Well …
Q Knowledgeable guru: Tell me what genius thought that blueberry glazed, old-fashioned doughnuts were a good thing to paint on West Santa Clara Street under Highway 87? Who paid for it? Taxpaying citizens? And why? Bare dirty concrete looked much better. It sure as heck is not “art.”
Mark Crain
A But art it is! This is part of an illuminated artwork display on both Santa Clara and San Fernando streets under the highway. The San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs received a $600,000 grant from Art Place America to create a series of artworks that will bring light to various locations downtown. The Santa Clara St.-87 site is one of its downtown gateway locations, and officials want to make the under crossings a better and safer entryway into downtown. Look for them to be illuminated soon.
Q While on the subject of trash, I want to point out the problem you don’t see — our SEWERS. I live in Richmond and walk my dog around the neighborhood every morning. Lately I’ve been stopping at the corners and looking into the storm drains. They are full of trash. I remember the El Niño of ’97 and all of the flooding, much of it due to clogged sewers. If it starts raining soon, we will be in a lot more trouble than is necessary. Hopefully you can point this out to the powers that be. I know a letter from an ordinary citizen in Richmond isn’t going to go far.
Bob Kastner
Richmond
A Cities across the Bay Area have crews out to clean storm drains. You know what most of the trash is? Cigarette butts.
Q I often find myself stopped at a red light behind or next to a driver who is smoking and hanging their cigarette out the window, thereby causing me to quickly push my recirculate button in an attempt to not have to breathe smoke from the cigarette. I suppose this happens a lot now because most cars no longer have ashtrays. I prefer that people who smoke in their cars not subject the rest of us to it. Thoughts?
Kristi Iverson
Sunnyvale
A I don’t find this to be a huge problem, but I know when my adult, nonsmoking kids are around smokers it bothers them a great deal.
Q One thing I have noticed is that many new cars don’t have ashtrays. What are smokers supposed to do? Not that I am one. I’m not. But this might explain the number of butts tossed out of cars — a number likely to grow as people buy new cars.
Dave Butler
A Very few new cars include ashtrays. You can have one installed. Or there is another thing some smokers do instead. Read on.
Q I get an empty soda can and use that as my ashtray. Been doing that for years. … Try using a Styrofoam coffee cup. Just leave a little liquid so the cup doesn’t catch fire. Bill Hastings,
Mel Pinto and others
A That would not be good.