Preservationistas
Kudos to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Bob Selk for pointing out effete snobbery ("Landmarks Commission Is Hurting City," 3/7/2014, and Letters, 3/14/2014). Apparently, historic preservationistas are so full of self-importance that all bricks must be yellow.
I'm all for continuity: High-rises and strip clubs don't belong in residential neighborhoods. But at the same time, some buildings have outlived their useful life.
Density and populism (affordability) aside, how about we let go of some notions that nothing must change?
Erick Tysver
Eat those words
I was shocked to read Adam's Powell's terrible advice in the spring Isthmus Dining (3/28/2014), where he advises readers to arrive right before a restaurant closes. In my experience, everyone from the dishwasher to the chef hates nothing more than a customer who arrives just before close. Never mind the fact that it is rude and thoughtless to force the employees to stay late just for you. It is certainly no way to have your food treated with "loving care."
Sara Redlin
Two-wheeled terrorists
Bicyclists should be grateful that Madison's alders cared enough about their safety to allow them on sidewalks designed only for pedestrians ("Bad Madison Bicyclists," Tell All, 4/4/2014). They have obligations to give pedestrians the utmost safety. Anything less is terrorism and negligence and being a taker. No walker deserves to be frightened. Those who blame the victim display a callous uncaring for their own behavior's harmful impact to the extent it causes fear or worse.
Susan Michetti, Mount Horeb
Sharing the blame
Regarding my letter to the editor of April 11, 2014 entitled "Race and Schools," my main criticism was meant to be aimed at the Madison School Board for keeping the "zero tolerance" policy until Maia's case became an issue in our media. Unlike the press, the board has access to all disciplinary information. The decision to publicize this case in a very visible way, however, was that of the local press, including Isthmus. The access that Maia's family has to this sort of coverage is indicative more of a discrepancy related to class rather than race. I'm sure that if such a case came to your attention from the parents of an African American or Latino child, you would have published that story as well. What bothered me most was the school board's inaction until a white "honors student" was affected.
Stephen Hoffenberg
