East Palo Alto resurrected

Thank you for the masterpiece ``East Palo Alto Takes Back Its Mean Streets,'' Feb. 14. It is 100 percent accurate.

I have walked precincts in the community, promoting good candidates, and have met many wonderful people determined to protect their neighborhoods. Moral courage and resilience abound. Outside interference was the worst problem, and the assistance now forthcoming from outside is long overdue.

My husband and I marvel at the patience and compassion of city officials and the Just Us volunteers, described in the article, who are taking back their streets from drug dealers. The Community Law Project also has provided invaluable legal advice to community members. Churches persistently have maintained programs for the youth and the needy.

When riots erupted in some cities, East Palo Alto's religious and civil leaders kept a lid on a possible outburst.

It's a national disgrace that ``respectable'' citizens using drugs create a market for pushers. Juvenile delinquency thrives where positive adult role models are absent. The decent people of East Palo Alto have this in common with people everywhere: The battle for what is right goes on. Marjorie Wallace, Menlo Park, Calif.

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