Kay Schomp was a legendary Denver figure whose contributions to the city will be noted for generations to come. The citizens of Denver will miss her dearly.
Andrew Hudson
Spokesman for Mayor Wellington Webb
The devil is in the details: While reading Bill Gallo's humorous and excellent commentary on the emotions and feelings generated by the contentious issue of the new Broncos stadium's name ("The Name Game," November 23), I was pleasantly surprised by his reference to my "Dr. Faust" letter that appeared in the Denver Post. Although written before Gallo's article, my entire letter, before editing by the Post and reproduced below, offers a rebuttal to Gallo's conclusion that the Broncos fans' passionate efforts toward retaining the Mile High name are much ado about something not very important and constitute misplaced energy. The unedited letter follows:
"The Broncos are Metro Denver's civic religion, fulfilling the valuable social function of binding the community together. Integrally woven into this social function is Mile High Stadium and its heartwarming history.
"Has the spirit of Dr. Faust -- the historical legendary figure who sold his soul to the Devil for the pleasures of this earthly life -- infiltrated the Metropolitan Football Stadium District Board? Can the board really have been intending to sell Metro Denver's soul for cold corporate cash? Doesn't the legal requirement of the board to consider the `public sentiment' -- a substantial majority of the community favored `Mile High' -- necessitate that without modification, the name `Mile High Stadium' be retained?
"Thank you, Mayor Webb, for holding the stadium board's feet to the fire. Without your intervention, it appears that our community's civic religion would have been irreparably tarnished. Materialism triumphs too often in American culture. By continuing the `Mile High' name for the new stadium, a powerful statement will be made that in our community, cultural and traditional values, and not commercialism, have the highest priority."
Seymour Weinberg
Denver
A Sturdy Fence
Duel meanings: Wow! Eric Dexheimer wrote a great article about the sport of fencing with his November 16 "Touché!" Just add one more thing: Northern Colorado Fencers is the top club for kids in the USA.
Among all the other kids at NCF who improve their intellect, strategy skills and physical and mental reaction time is my seventeen-year-old son, Michael Banks. Michael has been a student of Gary Copeland and Andrea Lagan at Northern Colorado Fencers for seven years. Michael earned his place on two USA World Championship Teams (1999 and 2000) and became the first fencer in the history of the Pan Am Games to win two gold medals at the fencing championships in Puebla, Mexico.
Fencing helps develop critical thinking skills, creative problem-solving and finely tuned self-control. Fencing works for kids. Fencing even helps parents learn self-control; we have to refrain from whooping and hollering during competitions!
Thank you, coaches Lagan and Copeland!
Rise Smythe-Freed
Denver
