TO CHARLES MUDEDE: This is in response to your comments on Sand Point as "no place for artists" in "A Hard Space: Northwest Bookfest Migrates to the End of the World." [March 14.] By your article, it is apparent there is very little awareness about the current developments at Sand Point Magnuson Park (SPMP). Sand Point Arts & Cultural Exchange (SPACE) has spent the last decade working with the city to promote SPMP for arts and cultural use. It has been a long but worthwhile struggle and a crucial one, in light of the increasing disappearance of mixed-use artist spaces in the city. SPMP is actually ideally located to site arts programming for an underserved population--Northeast Seattle. As artists and arts organizations continue to get squeezed out of downtown (by no fault of their own), SPMP becomes an increasingly attractive location for a variety of arts activities. SPMP is also not at risk of being developed the way Fremont, Belltown, and Pioneer Square have--it will remain a post-industrial site with weird old art-deco buildings and giant airplane hangars with endless possibilities. SPACE is currently readying itself to renovate the former naval firehouse into artist studios, a workshop, and gallery space. When completed, I doubt an artist in Seattle will complain about it being "at the end of the world." And once more artists and arts organizations are here, the city will be more likely to commit necessary funding for developing buildings and willing to provide better transportation from the city center. I'd like to invite you, and anyone else who is interested, to come tour Sand Point Magnuson Park. And afterward, if you'd like, we could head up to Déjà Vu on Lake City Way so you can feel more at home.
Katie Kurtz, Director, Sand Point Arts & Cultural Exchange (SPACE)
MEGAN: Thank you for your little article about the No Doubt concert [Underage, March 28]. Everyone does think of No Doubt fans as those "Gwennabes." I am a huge No Doubt fan and I am in no way a "Gwennabe." I just wanted to thank you for showing the other No Doubt fans that people don't know about.
Mikki Holt, via e-mail
EDITORS: Bret Fetzer may have valid concerns regarding what he perceives as the lack of substance in Panic Room, but he doesn't help his argument by including statements that show he's just not paying attention ["Stainless Steel," March 28]. He claims that the subplot involving thief Forest Whitaker's need for money for his children is "so generic the movie doesn't bother to explain the details." Perhaps he had made a dash for the bathroom when the script clearly identifies the issue as a custody battle for which Whitaker's character needs legal fees.
Details can indeed be a bitch, Mr. Fetzer. Try paying a bit closer attention to them next time.
Scott Renshaw, Film Editor, Salt Lake City Weekly
AMY AND DAN: Thank you for researching Sean's disappearance and death ["Lost and Found," Amy Jenniges, March 21]. We still are waiting to hear any updates and news, but again I want to thank you for caring. Sean was a wonderful, caring man. A true creative individual [who] possessed childlike enthusiasm. He was a very protective best friend and always had a kind word about everyone he met.
Many locals knew and loved Sean. He worked many years as the doorman at the Brass Connection and as a hairdresser at Plumage, Billy Buck's, Supercuts (the Ave and Broadway), and Great Clips. His presence in Seattle will be sorely missed. He'd be very pleased to know you took the time to care.
Zoe Kaylor, via e-mail
PAT KEARNEY: You say in your piece that I was "complaining" about the Hutch series to those awards-granting organizations I contacted ["The Race Is On," March 28]. Absolutely false. I never complained about the Times series to any of them. In fact, the subject of the Times series seldom came up in my discussions on the awards. As I told you on the phone, the question I asked each of the award-granting organizations was whether or not the judges made any attempt to verify the accuracy of the stories submitted. I did not mention the Times. Would appreciate your getting the facts straight.
David Marriott, via e-mail
EDITORS: I just wanted to say thank you for your acknowledgement of the challenge that, shall I say, we full-figured women face ["Where the Wild Things Were," Marie Martin, March 21]. I've been considering [breast] reduction for years, but all my girlfriends were like, "Oh, don't do that honey, I like 'em." But they never had to carry around what sometimes feels like a backpack on my chest, since they were all C-cup-or-less size. Marie made me feel like I wouldn't be making a mistake should I decide to go through with a reduction. Thank you Stranger, and thank you Marie.
