ONE PICKS NITS

Although one hates to nit-pick (actually, one loves to nit-pick), one must complain about the otherwise swell article by Deborah Caulfield (“A Bit of Vice in Iowa,” June 29).

It is well known that smarmy Big City reporters love to look down their noses at those funny folks in “Eye-Oh-Way.” However, as much as Caulfield wants to believe that there is only one high school in Waterloo there are, in fact, three. (Actually, four, if you want to count the Catholics--and a lot of people don’t.)

There’s East (the only good one), West High and by golly, another one, too.

I know Caulfield and The Times believe all towns in Eye-Oh-Way are mere collections of gas stations and feed stores in the middle of the cornfields, but some of them have quite a few folk, and indoor plumbing as well.

Why, the place is pert-near as big as Pasadena, if you can believe it.

HOWARD DECKER

North Hollywood

In 1980, Pasadena was 118,000 folks; Waterloo was 76,000.