"Action!," Patricia Calhoun, June 11
I'm writing just to say "thank you" for last week's piece on the internal arguments at the Denver Film Society. I'm a member and a regular there, and I was writing tons of e-mails to the staff for support and to boardmembers to not let the "heart" of DFS disappear with 21 employees. I'm glad to see Bo Smith go. Good work!
Alex Teitz
Denver
Thank you for your good reporting on the recent events at DFS. The early coverage in the Denver Post was useless; they reported all the resignations without any explanation of what prompted them. Nor did they bother to explain why they didn't have such information, such as "neither the employees nor DFS would comment for this story." I appreciate knowing what this was about. Keep up the good work.
Ava Chappell
Denver
The state of film in Colorado would be maddening if it weren't so sad. Donna Dewey won't shoot another film here. A nationwide search has put the Denver Film Society on life support. Incredibly talented people continue to pay the price for living in Colorado (Denver included), if they haven't already moved to New Mexico (which is continually crossing my mind). I guess there's nowhere to go but up...maybe up has more incentives. Art is food for the soul. It is the foundation of any great state or city or region. True producers know that. True producers know the return of art to business in dollars.
P.S.: Craig Meis should take a look at Comes a Horseman or, especially, When the Legends Die for a class-act film supported by Colorado.
Terry Dodd
Denver
"Mexican Standoff," Letters, June 11
Bravo, Mr. Wilks.
Finally someone had the guts to say the glaring, obvious truth about the crappy feature in an otherwise great publication. "Ask a Mexican" sucks, plain and simple. It's always whitey's fault for everything. I have grown weary of reading the same shtick every week. And let's be clear, it is shtick. Not to be taken seriously or given a second thought. When I e-mailed Mr. Arellano and asked some serious, interesting questions, I was met with nary a reply...
If I were the editor of Westword, I would say "Hasta la vista" to Señor Arellano.
Jeff Noble
Denver
"New Joint," Off Limits, June 4
It's a shame that Cheba Hut couldn't get a liquor license in Greeley, where the bars run drink specials aimed at college students, many of whom are underage. Awarding prizes for drinking games like beer pong is perfectly okay, but simply having references to marijuana on the menu is not. That's just sad.
Lynn Klyde-Silverstein
Denver
"Summer Stay-cations #1," Kenny Be, June 4
In the 1950s and earlier, homebuilders around Sloan's Lake appeared to know the history of how the lake came to be, so they built mostly on slab foundations. Our current crop of infill developers and city planners apparently slept through Colorado history, and, in their eagerness to maximize profits, are building ten-foot-high-ceiling basements in their high-end dwelling units.
As a result, many now boast an added amenity: a private spring in many of these luxury products. Attached is a photo of such a unit with its appealing pump outlet [pictured above].
Have fun, and thanks for all the good work!
Steve Kite
Denver
"The Giveaway," Alan Prendergast, May 14
I discovered this sad story on "News of the Weird." Here in New York, so-called nonprofits are some of the most cushy gigs imaginable, particularly those that derive substantial funding from government entities. Their practices — including financial dealings — by and large remain under the radar.
If it's true that Laradon prefers to a) continue with Annie Green on the payroll, and b) fight to keep the money, it is more than likely there are inappropriate actions taking place somewhere within the institution. I urge Westword to keep some legs under this story; you may be surprised at what you find.
Plus, if for no other reason, you honor the admirable intentions of a disturbed man who was clearly worth (at least) trying to save.
Lance Watkins
New York City
Editor's note: Last week, Alan Prendergast's "The Giveaway," his May 14 feature on the strange events surrounding the suicide of John Francis Beech, was the top story at www.newsofthewierd.com, a website that typically features lighter fare, such as a story about mockingbirds that carry grudges against specific people and a beauty contest in Saudi Arabia that judges morals rather than physical attributes. On Friday, June 19, John Beech's family as well as representatives of Laradon will be at Jefferson County probate court for a hearing on his estate.
"Classic Wonk," Ben Westhoff, May 21
I was humming right along, reading Ed Barcas's critique of overexposed classic rock in last week's letters, nodding in agreement — until his last sentence. He lambastes Neko Case, a singer-songwriter whose "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" and "Furnace Room Lullaby" are absolute masterpieces that can stand up beside the best of any of the classic rockers. This woman has some real talent and shouldn't be lumped in with present-day rock-and-roll hacks.
Steve Harmening
Denver
I read the letters regarding the state of classic-rock radio, and I concur. To me, "classic rock" has come to be defined as "all the music I was tired of hearing twenty years ago." The only thing worse are the inane morning shows and brain-dead disc jockeys. However, I have found an alternative: KYEN, at 103.9, out of Severance. They broadcast a great mix of '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s on a loop. They include many tunes I haven't heard on the radio in decades. It's the kind of stuff that takes me back to warm summer nights in the 1980s and all the stuff we were doing then.
Everyone who is sick of what passes for mainstream classic rock needs to hear this.
Pat Desrosiers
Denver
