Mind Your Own Beeswax

WOW-DECINZO SEEMS to be setting Stephen Kessler (self-described "former psychiatric patient [Dominican Hospital, 1970]") back about 37 years (Letters, Nov. 21). It is the esteemed opinion of this writer that perhaps Stephen is manifesting displaced (from Dominican) aggression.In an obvious if failed effort to immunize himself against appearing PC, Stephen declares, "I am all for political incorrectness, but ..." Sadly, we search in vain for the evidence.

Stephen seems particularly steamed that DeCinzo sometimes takes cheap shots. Yeah, OK, but when he does I just spray "DECINZO'S A MORON!" on the sides of my house and I'm OK. You don't have to go postal firing off a crackpot letter demanding DeCinzo be terminated. And when post office employees read this, do you think they're going to shoot me? No. They'll maybe spray "KITTLE'S A MORON!" all over their homes, and leave it at that.

Pat Kittle, Santa Cruz

Missing The Point

AFTER READING Steve Kessler's letter where he blasts DeCinzo's illustrated satires (Letters, Nov. 21) and says the artist attacks the communities' most vulnerable with the glee of a "schoolyard bully," I have to wonder how Mr. Kessler missed the obvious. Doesn't he realize expressions of outrage such as his are the bonus to the cartoons? How mundane if only letters of praise came in. Kessler-type letters of utter indignation are the encore to another great DeCinzo performance.I read these irreverent cartoons (the one on Jack Baskin's ego comes to mind) and I laugh, thinking, "Boy, someone's really gonna raise unholy hell over this one." That's fun-that's hot! No one gets hurt and the cartoons might even serve to make some of the constipated, uptight "I'm a victim" clubs take a better look at themselves.

Look around at some of these mindsets, the anti-apple-moth-spraying nuts who compare the aerial spraying to 1945 Dresden, the obscene salaries of UCSC execs, the absurd policy where the police arrest criminals only after clearing it with the sensitivity/profiling charts. These are begging for lampooning. Pity the day when we lose DeCinzo's caustic artwork and the Kessler-type letters of outrage.

 Theodore F. Meyer, Santa Cruz

A Bad IdeaI

I AM WRITING to express dismay at the planned closing of the Skyview Flea Market and Drive-In and to request a review of the significant adverse impact this has on the community at large.

To allow this change to happen is to, in effect, destroy a historical landmark and unique community resource in order to line the pockets of greedy developers. The social value of this place ought not to be underestimated. Certainly, the trade-off is not worth the price.

This will further detract from the uniqueness of Santa Cruz as a place to live and tourist destination. All for the sake of maybe some more office space for Sutter (though they don't even know yet).

Why was this closure justified and allowed to happen? I had hoped that some things did not have a price tag on them. Unfortunately for us all and future generations, I was mistaken.

While a flea market is an appropriate place to put everything up for sale, a community with its valuable treasures is not. I am ashamed to be a member of a community that would take this short-sighted step and erase our local landmarks.

David Nist, Santa Cruz

Thanks For the Coverage

THANK YOU for the thoughtful series about the efforts to create affordable housing opportunities in Santa Cruz County (News&Views, "Playing the Percentages," Nov. 14 and 21). There was an error in the story that I'd like to correct. It was Judge Robert Youts, now retired (not Judge Atack) who issued the order to the county to adopt a housing plan in conformity with state law, and he gave the county 120 days, not 90 days, to do so. Also, while it was exciting to have my 15 minutes of fame, I'd like to clarify that my personal efforts are just a small part of the story. My law firm, California Rural Legal Assistance Inc., has made housing issues for low-income people a priority and we couldn't do anything without the considerable expertise of Craig Castellanet and Mike Rawson of the California Affordable Housing Law Project. Thanks again for paying attention to this issue.

Gretchen Regenhardt, Watsonville

Correction: THREE WEEKS AGO we ran a short item on the contest to rename the old Dream Inn ("Name That Hotel," Nūz, Nov. 14) but failed to include a place where people could send their suggestions. We're, like, so embarrassed! Here's the site: www.jdvhotels,com/namingcontest.

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