TO THE EDITOR: Trisha Ready's recent article entitled "Morrison Helltel" [Aug 12] was cheap journalism, exploiting an in-house feud between two agencies that are erstwhile allies in working with homeless persons.

The Morrison is the only low- income building that will house homeless people quickly. It irks me that Ms. Ready should compare the Morrison to the Frye, now operated by the Archdiocesan Housing Authority. AHA, like almost all the not-for-profit housing management companies, have long wait lists, require a laborious application process, and have strict standards that most homeless people cannot meet. Working with the Harborview Intensive Care Management program years ago, [the Seattle Housing Authority] set up a special, quick access program for admission to the Morrison. The idea was simple: House homeless persons right away, and do the paperwork later.

Ms. Ready's article implies there are no social services at the Morrison. Wrong. Harborview Mental Health is just one of numerous agencies which works closely with the tenants, and at least one of our case managers is there visiting someone nearly every day of the week. What was true in the article is that the SHA has not yet found another agency to take the contract for special case management services to serve tenants like Mr. [Eddie] Bishop who fall through the cracks. The presence of in-house social workers at the Morrison is sorely missed, but will eventually be remedied -- at least this is the plan.

Yes, there are times when the Morrison seems like controlled chaos. Should we advocate for the Morrison to adopt the standards of the Archdiocesan Housing Authority and thereby exclude most of those homeless now able to get in? The Morrison has lots of grateful tenants who are tickled to have their own studio apartment downtown for $150 per month. When you house folks on the margin, sometimes their cleaning habits are a little beneath yuppie standards, but the place is no flophouse.

Paul Carlson, Housing Coordinator

Harborview Mental Health Services

TO THE EDITOR: Your recent suggestion that Margaret Pageler's challenger for her Seattle City Council seat [Curt Firestone] will have to go "Columbine" on Margaret is both bizarre and ironic ["Grabbing the Green," Chariots of Fire, Alex Steffen, Aug 12]. It is bizarre in that the suggestion appears to be to engage in unprovoked homicidal violence. Ironic, given that Margaret has spent so much time advocating gun control.

As President of Washington Ceasefire, I've worked with Margaret [on this issue]. Margaret's leadership led to the first Seattle Gun Buy-Back, and the first gun lock give-away, which was responsible for the distribution of 5,000 trigger locks. Washington Ceasefire has lobbied and achieved meaningful legislation designed to make it tougher for kids and criminals to get their hands on handguns. Margaret's challenger is aiming at the wrong target in Margaret Pageler.

Tom Wales, President

Washington Ceasefire

TO THE EDITORS: I knew I was being set up for a hatchet job when I agreed to be interviewed by Alex Steffen on the race for Seattle City Council Position 7 ["Dead Man Walking," Chariots of Fire, Aug 26]. Since Alex seems to have written the article before he called me, talking to him was definitely a waste of time.

To set the record straight regarding our electoral efforts, the Charlie Chong Campaign is sending out 70,000 mail pieces to targeted voters, with more to come. We will be doing other mass media, as well. Where Heidi Wills has the support of the Washington Conservation Voters (formidable, no doubt), Charlie (along with Dawn Mason) will be the subject of substantial independent voter mailings from the Civic Foundation. Our campaign also has many committed volunteers who have been and will continue working on Charlie's behalf. I'm not sure what "key events" Charlie has been missing (although I suppose Alex means meetings for group endorsements that we knew Charlie would not get). I will grant that Charlie was late for the editorial interview with The Stranger due to a miscommunication on my part regarding scheduling. (Actually, we initially weren't going to come at all, given the way The Stranger has treated Charlie, but later agreed to do so. Silly us.)

In regard to Charlie's "outdated" ideas, if Alex had been to a few campaign events lately (and I haven't seen him at any), he would hear all of the "progressive" candidates on the podium sounding a whole lot like Charlie Chong. When Charlie says something, it's controversial. A year later, when everybody else is saying it, it's conventional wisdom. What I don't get is the notion that Charlie's ideas are "stale" when he expresses them, but "progressive" when everyone else does.

Matt Fox

Campaign Manager for Charlie Chong

DEAR STRANGER, Please tell me that The Stranger and the Seattle Weekly are not becoming one paper! [When] I saw the Aug 19 issue of The Stranger, I thought I picked up the wrong paper. Not long ago I was bitching that the "Yuppie Weekly" was copying The Stranger in style and subject matter to win over its hardcore readers. Now I can't tell the difference between the two papers. Same ads, depressing comics, great critical articles on local issues (sometimes), sex column, reviews, classifieds, and now the fonts and format? Just get the same name and get it over with!

Artimus Cuellar, via e-mail

EDITORS: The Stranger's new look is cold, soulless, and ugly (well, maybe it's not soulless, but it is cold and ugly). It really contrasted with the ads, announcements, and pictures -- which are generally dynamic and eye-catching. This contrast accentuated the cold and cookie-cutter aspects of the new look, giving The Stranger the feel of a local weekly that had been purchased by a corporate publishing conglomerate from out of town.

I generally enjoy reading The Stranger and like the reporting and the columns you run every week. I really like the attention you're giving to the rent issue. You're also running some of the best articles on the city council in all of Seattle.

Scott Goeke, Seattle

DEAR EDITOR: I must say that the new Stranger redesign is a step in the wrong direction. If I wanted to look at the Seattle Weekly, then I would read the Seattle Weekly. Instead, I choose to read The Stranger, because I've always considered it to be the best weekly Seattle paper. Sure, the content is pretty much the same as it used to be, but now every column looks exactly the same. I liked the slight disarray that the old Stranger provided week in and week out. Now it looks very clinical and dry. Please change it back.

Royal Stuart, via e-mail

DEAR DAN SAVAGE: Fear and loathing on the campaign trail, indeed ["Feasting and Thieving at the Iowa Straw Poll," Dan Savage, Aug 19]. You should leave your dear mother in charge of the advice column and devote yourself full time to political coverage. Great job!

Anonymous

DEAR EDITOR, I have no idea what your previous beef with Michael Stipe was and I really don't care. ["What's My Gripe? by Michael Stipe," Aug 26 & Sept 2.] I can't fathom why you have decided, once again, to publish a column penned by this wanker. I'm certain that the majority of your readership, like myself, are not the least bit interested in much of anything Mr. Stipe has to share -- particularly in regard to the over-servicing of his skybox at Safeco Field. Please, do us all a favor, and run the fuckwit off again.

Scott A. Mantle, Olympia

On Aug 26, The Stranger printed a letter from Kristine Wong and identified her as the Program Director of the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice. Wong called to assure us that her letter reflected her own views, not those of the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice which, she says, doesn't endorse candidates. We extend our sincerest apologies to Ms. Wong, Program Director of the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice.

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Our Aug 26 story, "You're Under Arrest," drew an angry letter from QFC checker Dagnatchew. We listed him as a good candidate for citizen's arrest due to his being the "slowest checker who ever lived." We regret the error. Dagnatchew is, in fact, the fastest checker who ever lived.