Letters: Willie Mays | Enviable effort | Bad use | Google’s folly | Going digital | Risking legacy

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Willie Mays made
magic with young fan

In the summer of 1959, I was 9 and living in San Jose. One afternoon, my friend Kathleen and I were riding our bikes on Stevens Creek Boulevard. We passed a used car lot with balloons and a sign that said: “Meet Willie Mays!” We thought, “Let’s do it.”

We parked our bikes and walked over to three gentlemen in suits. Luckily, we were the only visitors at the time. Standing in front of us were Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda. In those days, everyone followed baseball, so of course we knew who all three were. Feeling a tiny bit shy, but not much, we introduced ourselves and shook their hands. Then we got their autographs.

With Willie Mays’ recent passing, I remember this magical moment and feel lucky to have been in the presence of these three wonderful Giant legends.

Christine Borror
San Jose

County makes enviable
effort for housing

Re: “Project forced to start anew” (Page A1, June 24).

I am deeply saddened by the news that a fire destroyed the Middlefield Junction project, but I am also heartened by the county’s ongoing support and commitment to rebuild the complex.

In an area rich with resources, it is often easy to overlook those in need. I am grateful that we are making efforts to alleviate the housing stress by providing affordable housing.

Isabella Bian
Palo Alto

Golf course project
is bad use of land

Re: “San Jose golf course redevelopment gains support from the community” (Page B1, June 24).

The affordable housing project in Alviso located in front of Top Golf will have 780 units on 3.2 acres — 243 units per acre.

Pleasant Hill Golf Course will be redeveloped with only 4,000 units on 114 acres. That’s 35 units per acre. How absurd. There should be at least 18,000 units on this site, along with other amenities.

Here we have a great opportunity to address some housing issues and we simply cave to the residents on the East Side of San Jose as they only want low density. It is no wonder why we have a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis as we kowtow to residents’ interests when we should be building mass amounts of places for people to live.

It’s a disgrace and an embarrassment to San Jose and California. I will be voting no on the $20 billion ballot measure to address homelessness in November.

Michael McWalters
Alviso

Google search loses
its way with AI

Google is no longer a trustworthy research tool.

I’m a published author, completing the draft of my second biography. For many years I was able to type phrases into the Google search bar and find documents I needed on my subject matter, sometimes even finding treasures after going several search pages deep.

But in the last few months, Google has decided that I don’t want sources and leads — I must want answers. And the AI answers are ridiculous. Even when I scroll down to find sources, there are so many suggested “answers” in the way, and questions other people have asked — it’s like shoveling pillows to try to find an actual object.

Not cool, Google.

Lisa Francesca
San Jose

Digital voter guides
save cash, environment

In Santa Clara County and probably other counties, one can opt out of receiving a printed voter information guide and receive a notice by email to view it online.

I opted out several years ago, but since other voters in my household did not, I still have the option of reading a printed copy.

If every household did this, the financial and environmental costs would be much less.

Susan Elgee
Palo Alto

VP hopeful should
keep legacy in mind