Letters

Part II: Whoever edits your calendar needs to get the facts straight; i.e., your entry of October 19 describing the upcoming production by Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth of George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum. The calendar says, "Given its first full-length run in North Texas." Not! I recall seeing a wonderfully done, full-length production of this play at Theatre Three during their 1988-'89 season.

Rita Faye Smith
Dallas

You're wrong, Jerry
You did the best job on this subject of anyone who ever tackled it in a comprehensive way ["The (W)right to fly"].

You have one glaring error, and that is that I am not cranky. I am a lot of fun, even sometimes when there's a war going on...not cranky. The word a friend used some time ago is relentless...that may be wrong, but I know that cranky is.

Anyway, other than that, it is a great article.
Jerry Bartos
Dallas

Making noise
Ann Zimmerman's "The (W)right to Fly" has me totally confused with one exception--it clearly outlines an alleged conspiracy on the behalf of American Airlines.

I'm confused because the article states that there are no noise problems related to Love Field today, and that there won't be any tomorrow with increased air traffic. If there is no noise problem, then why must all air traffic take FAA-mandated routes between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.? Why was the fact printed that Legend Airlines planned to lease six jets and overhaul them, adding engines with the quietest noise level, if noise is not a consideration? Why have Dallas taxpayers been stuck with a school sound-proofing bill for students attempting to study in the Love Field area? Why must I, residing 12,672 feet from the busiest Love Field runway, yearn for the day that I can conduct an uninterrupted conversation with my neighbor in my own yard?

As for former city councilman [Jerry] Bartos (a staunch supporter for "repeal" of the Wright Amendment) building a home a half-mile from Love Field as a statement about the noise factor, this is blatantly misleading! How much noise is there parallel to airport runways as compared to actual flight paths? It is far different when you live under the flight path, like I do. Even though I live 2.4 miles from the busiest runway at Love Field, I'll still trade locations with Mr. Bartos. In fact, Mr. Bartos could save a lot of money building his new house in our area where the real estate gets cheaper by the decibel. Then to print the Wright Amendment opinions of Congressman Joe Barton (I will never forget his scare-tactic TV commercials in his unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat), it's really scraping the bottom of the barrel of controversy.

You printed the claim of Legend's president, McArtor, that there is no safety problem (in spite of the ever-increasing congestion relating to both commercial and residential communities surrounding Love Field--plus the presence of public schools). This all reminds me of the politician who will promise anything to get in, and the jailbird who will promise anything to get out.

Too many speak in terms of "convenience" and "price," yet none speak in terms of general welfare--because thousands upon thousands of human beings are adversely affected by Love Field's presence. Should you part the curtains of fact, you will doubtlessly see a gold-plated cash register!

Ed Frick
Dallas

Switzer as scapegoat
I was completely disgusted by Robert Wilonsky's recent article "Losing It" [October 16], in which he unfairly and maliciously bashed Barry Switzer and the Dallas Cowboys. It is amazing how little support the community shows for a football team that has delivered three Super Bowls in the '90s!

Of course, we now have an aging team with veterans whose best days are behind them, but what does anyone expect? An eternal fountain of youth that continually delivers championships every single season?

People such as Wilonsky do not understand the basic ebb and flow of modern sports franchises, and therefore ignorantly find convenient scapegoats such as Switzer to vent their frustrations upon. The Cowboys will naturally rebuild the nucleus of their team with new talent over the next few years, but the real question remains: Do mean-spirited and ungrateful fans really deserve a Super Bowl team in the first place?

Barry Marcus
Dallas

Running buck-wild
Thanks, Ms. [Miriam] Rozen, for another excellent story ["Policing the police," October 23]. Hopefully, Dallas will give you the Best Journalist Award. You continue to cover stories with truth, a lack of bias, and objectivity. You were providing Dallas with factual DISD media coverage even when other Dallas media outlets refused to report what was really happening in DISD.

During the last five or so years, Mr. [C.W.] Burruss, through his outstanding leadership, has provided Dallas schools with the safest campuses in the nation. I understand that from 1992 till the present, the number of guns found on campuses was reduced from 161 a year to only 20 guns last year. Thanks, Chief Burruss, for your outstanding achievement.

Mr. [Marshall] Smith, on the other hand, we do not know--other than that campus crime is on the rise and there is a lack of security presence on campuses. Mr. Donavon Collins, we believe you when you reported that Security is "running buck-wild."

Mr. Smith, sir, you need to get a life and quit pointing fingers at others.
Anonymous
Via e-mail

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ms. Rozen. You are an excellent investigative reporter. I have come to realize that we certainly need more people in DISD like Mr. Burruss, who is not afraid to tell the truth in the face of opposition. Over the last few months, I have personally witnessed the demise of DISD security. Where there was once structure and sound leadership in security, now there is nothing but incompetent staff running out of control.

Why is this now happening? Simply because there is no leadership in this hopeless organization. Our campus' metal detector has not worked since the beginning of school. We have made numerous fruitless calls to the security staff, pleading for them to repair our detectors. Mr. Smith seems to have a nonchalant and arrogant attitude about our needs. Meanwhile, the Dallas schoolchildren suffer because campuses aren't safe.

Anonymous
Via e-mail

A cry for help
While skeptical that such a dramatic and controversial story could ever be told without obvious bias and slant, I appreciate the professionalism that Kaylois Henry displayed during the interview involving my investigators and myself ["Never cry wolf," September 18].

While it is still our belief and contention that the allegations were unfounded, we sympathize with Tamara Hughes. It seems to me she has gone down a path that has no places to turn around. She believes what she is saying. For her own sanity, she must. I believe that. I am pleased that she is receiving counseling. I suppose that we will again have the opportunity to debate this in court rather than in the media. We are not uncomfortable with that.

It is not really my intention to re-hash the story other than to say that it appeared to represent both viewpoints as equitably as possible. And thanks for that.

Larry Wilson
Chief, Garland Police
Via e-mail