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Fee-For-AllTo the Editor, Sam Negri's article on National Forest user fee demonstration projects ("Forest Service Prime Evil," March 11) brings up an important issue. Why should we pay (again) to use the national forests? It's our land, isn't it? Well, it sure is. But nature and entropy didn't build those roads, picnic areas, trails and camp sites. Nature doesn't police the fools among us who want to destroy or misuse parts of it. Nature doesn't put up all of those brown signs, either. But time and entropy do work to destroy those things. Unless you walk in from private property off road and off trail, you are using something other than "the forest." So the "it's ours" argument doesn't really work.
If you don't want to pay even more at the point of use in the future, and I sure don't, then take Sam's advice and let your elected reprehensible know it, early and often. --Darryl Lefevre
Record LossTo the Editor, Regarding Emil Franzi's "Not-So-Local Yokels" (March 18): There are two reasons Jeff's Records (on Campbell Avenue) went out of business, neither of which were related to national chains. In fact, Jeff outlasted several large chains (for example, Odyssey Records on Broadway, which was later a Zip's Records) that came into Tucson, cut prices and threatened to run him out of town. I know because I've been friends with Jeff Weinstein for many years (since graduate school at the UA) and Jeff had always been a tremendous record collector. I patronized his first store (on Campbell just north of Speedway), then the one on Speedway in the same bank of stores as Tom Bahti's Indian Shop and Eric's Ice Cream, and finally down on Campbell. The first reason the store folded is that Jeff sold it because he decided to get out of the record business and go to law school. As anyone who knows Jeff can tell you, his knowledge of classical records (and soundtracks) is encyclopedic. And without Jeff, well, the store was already doomed to be a relic. Then came the CD revolution. At one time Jeff sold all sorts of recorded media, including 78-rpm records (his vow after moving to the Speedway store: "I will never move 78s again") but he was faced with a real problem: converting most of his huge inventory (33-rpm vinyl albums) to CDs. That eventually brought about the second problem. Nobody was buying 33-rpm vinyl albums anymore. The last time I was in the store there were few, if any, CDs; I mean how many vinyl albums have you bought in the last 10 years? So what killed Jeff's was failure to adapt to a changing market and the loss of the original owner. A true loss for music lovers, but one that cannot be blamed on outside forces --Larry Harnisch
No Kitsch HereTo the Editor,
I own one of the galleries in the complex and have yet to witness any tourists ogling Southwestern kitsch in my presence. This may be due to the easily verified fact that there are no such items in my space. The clients I regularly entertain in the restaurant are consistently enchanted by the courtyard, the ambiance and I dare say, the menu. In all honesty, the restaurant has been understaffed at times, but on those occasions the staff and manager go way beyond the usual niceties to make amends. The "urgent but hushed" conversation the reviewer observed was not an unusual gesture reserved only for her benefit. It really is a shame that the reviewer implies that this complex is adequate only for the much-maligned tourist. I've overheard first-hand the acclaim Old Town receives from a national and international repeat clientele, and am regularly mystified by many locals who don't appreciate this quintessential Tucson experience. After reading Rebecca's review I'm starting to get it. --Kurt Niece
Weather Or NotTo the Editor, I am writing to you with the hope that you will consider developing my story for publication in your weekly newspaper. First, allow me to introduce myself: My name is Jennifer Santiago. I am currently the weathercaster, producer and features reporter for WB 58 (Channel 8 on cable...have you seen us?) I understand that articles about Tucson media-types generally don't make for good reading, but I think my story would interest your readers. First, I am the only Latina weathercaster in town--of Colombian descent. I am also the only non-meteorologist in town doing the weather on-air. My background is quite diverse. I am actually an attorney who moved to Tucson in November after practicing law in Pennsylvania and working part-time as a model and actress in New York. WB 58 has already made quite an impact on the Southern Arizona community. And apparently, my role here has created quite a stir. For example, after just a few days on air, a local radio station started a fan club in my name. Certainly I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, or another member of your staff, in person to discuss this further. I would also appreciate the publicity that would come from publishing my story in a newspaper as widely circulated as yours. Finally, I am hoping to make a run for "Best of Tucson" for Best Weathercaster. Do you have that category? Thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you shortly. --Jennifer Santiago Editor's note: Jennifer, we'll get right on that--just as soon as you forecast a cold day in hell! We Want Letters! Thrilled by our brilliant insights? Sick of our mean-spirited attacks? Need to make something perfectly clear? Write: tucsonweekly@tucsonweekly.com
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The "I pay taxes" argument only works if our elected
reprehensibles use them on the forest. And Negri points out that
they don't want to. They want to spend it on a missile defense
system to protect our forests and mansions instead. Or cut taxes
instead. So, if you don't want to pay more taxes or want tax cuts,
you should expect to pay for play, as we have done for years at
the national parks and monuments.
I read with great interest Rebecca Cook's review of La Cocina
restaurant at Old Town Artisans (