Mailbag

Cheers For Chico

To the Editor,

I'd like to congratulate Mari Wadsworth on her piece on the Arroyo Chico project ("Urban Watershed," March 16). In my humble opinion, it was one of the best and most thorough pieces of reporting that I have ever read. All angles were presented clearly and fairly. Thank you, Mari, for doing your job with such integrity. The report lacked the sensationalism that we had from our daily papers. Since I worked on the mayor's committee, I thought I knew the history, but, alas, my opinion was colored and was formed out of bits and pieces of truth and fiction.

-- Alice Dance


To the Editor,

Thank you for your article on Arroyo Chico ("Urban Watershed," March 16). I hope Mari Wadsworth and The Weekly stay on top of this story, which has previously been reported in tiny bits and pieces that didn't appear to relate to each other. This was the first time I've seen it so pulled together.

-- Caitlin Williams


Writer's Block

To the Editor,

What an in-depth display of investigative reporting! What a perfect example of muck raking! Surely this hard-hitting exposé is a candidate for a Pulitzer.

I am talking, of course, about Chris Limberis' "L.A. Influential" (March 16). My understanding of the article is that if you were a member of the good ol' boys' club in Tucson, and you move out of town, the good ol' boys will support you in your new locale. What a revelation! I think this has feature movie potential, don't you?

Jeff Smith is long gone. I haven't read anything of late from Emil Franzi, and although Margaret Regan's feature ("Up From Desperation," March 16) was a well-written human interest piece, it hardly had the kind of substance found in her human interest feature on architect Annie Rockfellow ("Remembering Rockfellow," January 27).

It has not taken long for the Wick influence to show. I should have known as much since the other Wick publications regularly print as news unedited or slightly edited news releases submitted to them.

The lead for Chris' story should have read, "We can see it now: In the year 2050, 123-year-old Douglas Biggers regales his Inside Tucson Business Weakly reader (singular) with a tale from the past."

Jim Hightower and Tom Tomorrow, watch your backs.

-- Richard Shapiro


Sweet Jane

To the Editor,

Why in God's name are you picking on Jane Amari, the Daily Star's new editor/publisher?

How would you like it if you were named boss of a daily whose journalistic rating would jump only if it ceased publication altogether? It would take a genius to bring it even lower, and from what we've seen so far, Amari doesn't seem to fit that description.

Last November, when Tucson voters opted for a Ford dealer's vision of a metastasizing city, the Daily Star proved its worth by backing a mayoral candidate who openly vowed to make Tucson a "world-class city" (nurtured with trench water). Hey, Amari fits right in!

-- Sverre O. Tinglum


The Purloined Column

To the Editor,

Why do you practically hide Jim Hightower's column? He's one of your best contributors.

It was much better to locate his column when his words were in a box at the bottom of a page instead of on the present inside column.

He has helpful information to impart. Give him proper space, please.

-- Elizabeth R.S. Richards


Love Letter

To the Editor,

I've resided in Tucson since December 1980, after my Army discharge, and by and large have enjoyed living here (especially after living in Anchorage, Alaska, where the number of yearly "sunny" days is directly proportionate to the number of "cloudy" days in Tucson).

I think your publication is terrific -- the void would be immense if The Weekly's (oft-times) iconoclastic orientation did not exist here. The importance of your publication on controversial issues is paramount in that it continues to stimulate (and make available) varying points of view and hopefully make people think about issues and then act accordingly in the community which shapes our future.

The main reason for writing was to congratulate you for recently adding Stephanie Bailey's "Relationstrips" to the paper. Her acerbic wit is wonderful! As a divorced 50ish male, her insight into male-female interplay makes for a good chuckle every week!

Thanks again for the great paper. Keep the issues comin'!

-- H.M. Smith