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Your spurious remark that former Mouseketeers are "turning nasty" verges on the tabloidesque and, by inference, taints 37 former child stars. For more than 42 years, the Mouseketeers were not involved in any incidents of substance abuse or bouts with the law, while the palpable problems of other child actors are well known. The union that represents us Mouseketeers, the Screen Actors Guild, is pursuing a claim against the studio on our behalf. Finally, thanks for superimposing Billie Jean Matay's photo over my face. I have assiduously avoided appearances in the tabloids for all these years. LONNIE BURR (MOUSEKETEER LONNIE) Valley Village, Calif.
MIR CREATURES ON EARTH
Garry Trudeau intended to be humorous in his satiric look at the home life of Russian cosmonaut Vasily Tsibliyev and his wife [ESSAY, Sept. 1], but succeeded only in painting a very negative image of Tsibliyev as a bumbler. How easy it is for Trudeau to take the difficulties of the Mir space station and place them squarely on the shoulders of one person. Putting a space station thousands of miles above the earth is a great scientific achievement. Just because Tsibliyev is a Russian, he is ridiculed. Don't forget that Mir is the only manned space station to remain in orbit for 11 years. PAREEN SHAH Sterling Heights, Mich.