SO MANY DOCUMENTS...

EDITOR: In her article "Get Out of Georgetown" [Aug 22], Amy Jenniges chose to gloss over the details and frame the issue as a simple reflection of "Georgetown's changing spirit." The article states: "Diane Sugimura, DCLU's director, says there's nothing in their file on Benz Friendz to indicate [the auto-repair shop's] 1986 permit was issued in error." Indeed, there is nothing in their file indicating anything about the historic use of the building.

In a letter [regarding Benz Friendz] from DCLU Land Use Planner William K. Mills dated July 19, 2002, he states, "Our process for establishing a use for the record provides that a use not permitted under present zoning regulations may be established by permit if it is demonstrated that the use commenced at a time when it was permitted outright under former zoning regulations and has been continuously maintained since that time." He goes on to say, "The specific documentation required to be submitted by the applicant or property owner demonstrating when the use commenced and showing continuous maintenance of the use has not been discovered in our records." He concludes, "While your analysis points out certain ambiguities in the record, both as to the time the auto repair use commenced and as to continuous use, we conclude that the available information does not conclusively demonstrate that the permit was issued in error, and we decline to exercise our authority to revoke it."

I have many documents indicating both warehouse and residential storage uses [by Benz] over the years from 1937 to 1972. I also have documents indicating that an addition was made to the main building in the 1970s without a permit. A recent call to Seattle Public Utilities revealed that the building was hooked up to water and sewage without any permits. In fact, [SPU] had no knowledge that the building was hooked up to these utilities at all.

At times, Benz Friendz has had as many as 20 salvage vehicles on their property while parking and working on customer vehicles on the street in front of the business. Word also has it that the soil beneath their property is contaminated from poor waste-handling practices prior to paving the property.

I shared all of my documents with Amy Jenniges prior to her article's publication. It is too bad she didn't do anything with them.

Allan Phillips, Vice Chair, Georgetown Community Council


... SO LITTLE TIME

EDITOR: Perhaps Allan Phillips should have done a little more research BEFORE he moved to Georgetown. If Rob Cairnie's business bothers him so much, then he shouldn't have moved to the neighborhood. Mr. Cairnie was there FIRST. Where does Phillips get off thinking that his sense of aesthetics is more important than Mr. Cairnie's business? Is Mr. Cairnie actually damaging anything? Come on, Mr. Phillips, THINK about it.

Rachel Bjork, via e-mail


WARMING HEARTS

EDITOR: It was with utter disbelief and amazement that I saw "Seattle Bands Scream for the Screamers" emblazoned on the cover of your August 8 issue ["A Tribute to Synth Punk 101," Jennifer Maerz]. Inside these pages, could there really be an article about the Screamers that I knew, befriended, did shows with, and wrote about way back when I was the editor and publisher of the "little zine called Chatterbox" (to which ardent Screamers devotee Erik Whitaker referred)? To my ineffable delight, yes: It was this very same band whose innovations and virtues were honored and extolled--some 20 years later--in ways that would've made Tomata du Plenty proud! (Sadly, Tomata died of cancer, at age 52, in San Francisco in August 2000.)

The memories I have of Tommy and Tomata in Seattle and L.A. are precious ones. During the short time that I stayed at their Hollywood home, Tomata introduced me to Jake Riviera, the founder of Stiff Records ([home to] Elvis Costello, the Damned, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury, Madness, and Lene Lovich); the notorious Black Randy (of Black Randy & the Metro Squad); and a soft-spoken "poet" friend of Tomata's named John Doe .

Their house was a revolving door of personalities like these, and it was no accident that the Screamers, in a miraculously short time, became L.A.'s most exciting new band. The waves they made in Seattle, while smaller, had no less of an impact on those of us who were privy to their company.

Their musical legacy speaks for itself. I had no idea that so many others had discovered, revered, and preserved this band's work in the decades following their untimely demise. There can be no better tribute than this--and it warms my heart that you brought this to my (and your vast readership's) attention.

Lee Lumsden, via e-mail

DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: Due to a production error in last week's Bumbershoot guide, our preview of the Bumbershoot Literary Arts series was left out. Also, in Bradley Steinbacher's review of One Hour Photo, he mistakenly stated that director Mark Romanek had directed the Björk video "All Is Full of Love," when, in fact, it was director Chris Cunningham. Both stupid errors are, of course, regretted.

Also, in an Aug 1 article about the Flaming Lips ["Steadfast Survivors"], we forgot to credit the robot illustration to Derek Nobbs. We regret that too.