ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSONVILLE

HMMM ... DeCinzo's portrayal of Watsonville (DeCinzo, Jan. 24, print edition) is not the Watsonville we know. Perhaps a Metro Santa Cruz field trip to the city is in order. We suggest you do a few key things to get to know the city better: shop at the Farmer's Market; take in a show at the Mello; see some art at the PV Arts Gallery; participate in a meeting of REAL youth organizing for a better future; watch parents take classes to strengthen their families; see advocates working to combat the harm of poverty; visit the library; watch the building of the new Civic Center; have sushi at Miyuki or rose petal blossom enchiladas at Tepa y Sayauo; visit friends in lovingly restored Spanish and bungalow style homes; walk the wetlands trail; take in a soccer game at Watsonville High; see civic engagement in action at a City Council meeting; take a class at the Cabrillo campus; observe dedicated teachers educate; watch families have a picnic in the Plaza. That's what we see when we work in Watsonville and visit from our midcounty home. The majority of the county's residents will live in Watsonville in just a few short years, the time is now to get to know the real Watsonville.

David and Susan True, Live Oak

WATTS UP WITH THIS?

RE RICHARD VON BUSACK'S review of The Painted Veil ("China Syndrome," Film, Jan. 3): When you said at the beginning of your last paragraph that you had one more performance to mention, I thought you were going to write about that of Naomi Watts, the lead of the film whose performance is highly praised in most reviews that I've so far read, but to my disappointment it was only supporting actress Diana Rigg that you wanted to mention.

You had talked about co-lead Edward Norton in some length. You had even talked a bit about supporting actor Liev Schreiber, though you had also forgotten about Toby Jones. But it was no excuse and actually an insult to Watts that you didn't have a single word to say on her performance.

I'm now listing you as a contributor to the collective snub of the talented actress who has been slighted and snubbed again and again as if she can be taken for granted for that. Shame on you.

Steadric, Markham, N.Y.

Have a look at reviews I did of 'Mulholland Drive,' 'King Kong' and 'Ellie Parker.' They're all on Metroactive.com, and they're all very pro-Naomi Watts. Then you can take me off your list.

Sincerely, Richard von Busack

THE H WORD

I WAS OFFENDED by the use of the word "holocaust" in the Jan. 24 letters to the editor. This word usually refers to the almost total destruction of European Jewry, 6,000,000 men, women, and children who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. These people represented about half of all the Jews in the world.

The challenges facing the local homeless population are certainly severe and the 42 deaths in the past year in Santa Cruz County are tragic and worthy of investigation. This is a sobering story, but not "a small holocaust." I ask that we all be more sensitive to the words we use and the power they can convey.

Rabbi Shalom Bochner, Santa Cruz

WRITE TO THE TROOPS!

WE ARE WRITING from Mr. Turton's third-grade class at Trinity Christian School in Sacramento. We are writing to ask for your help. We have been studying letter-writing, and we sent letters to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. We hoped to send encouragement to them. We felt bad, though, that we could only send 15 letters (that's how many of us there are). We want to do more!

We have set a goal of collecting 2,500 letters to send to our troops overseas. We are asking that you print our letter and ask your readers to write a letter to a service member and send it to use to forward to serviceman or -woman. So far, we have had our letters published in more than 20 newspapers in 12 states and have already received more than 300 letters in response! We are asking that those who write a letter include an extra stamp and envelope to cover postage. The troops love to hear about sports teams, school, family and anything else that would remind them of home. Please help us communicate that we are thinking of them often.

Thank you in advance, Mr. Turton's 3rd Grade Class, 5225 Hillsdale Blvd., Sacramento

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