Letters for May 10, 2007

The good stuff
Re “Comin’ along” (Foodfinds, April 26):

My husband and I were a little let down with the review that was written about our restaurant, Cortina. We understand that you are there to critique our restaurant, but I want to point a few things that were not acknowledged in your article. Our family has just moved here from the San Francisco Bay Area. My husband, Gianni, is from Italy and went to culinary school there. He traveled and worked throughout Europe before coming to San Francisco. This is our 14th restaurant. We still have three restaurants in the Bay Area. We decided to move to Reno because we love the people here so much and thought there was an opportunity to provide a restaurant that the community would embrace. We have put much passion and love into Cortina. Our goal is to provide an exceptional dining experience, which includes a beautifully designed environment, fresh linens, fresh flowers, candles on every table and a professional, warm staff. Our food is authentic Italian. Many of our staff are from Italy. And our prices are reasonable. Mr. Kidder may or may have not known that our foods and meats are organic and of the highest quality, which is quite possibly why he was disappointed that the pork chops weren’t bigger. Our restaurant is about quality. Our oils are virgin and cold-pressed, which is important to your health. We have a very thoughtful, extensive wine list. Our bathrooms are impeccable. All of these extras require a lot of thought, time, energy and money. These kinds of gifts are not found in your average restaurant. We want to nourish the body, dazzle the palette and stimulate the mind.

We have just started planting our organic vegetable garden and plan to provide our restaurant with some of the fresh produce. We are also planning to open the garden as a learning/edible garden for school children, so that they can learn about the gratifying experience of growing, nurturing and enjoying fresh, raw food and the benefits of eating healthy. We just want you to know that we are really trying to be a “green” place and do a good thing for the people of Reno, the Earth and community. Our menu is constantly changing, and we are trying to keep it interesting and exciting. We hope that we will be recognized for our good intention and efforts.

Gianni and Susan
Cortina Ristorante

Undoubtedly
Re Senate Bill 522, sections 4 and 5. Funding for community health centers is a must, especially for uninsured children and working adults who can’t afford high-cost insurance plans.

Catherine Adkins
Reno

Messy divorce
Re “Through the mess, darkly” (Feature story, April 26):

I really appreciate this article as I finally have some clarification as to what I went through for 12 years. As I began motherhood, the junk started pouring in. By the time of my third child, things were very difficult. I ended up getting help from a women’s whelter, to whom I’m forever indebted, to help set me and my children free of this oppressive situation. Until now, I thought I was alone. Many people did not believe me, saying what a nice guy he is but not knowing the truth.

I finally took action and was awarded a restraining order and a move-out order and had the health department red tag the house. There were endless truckloads of “stuff” removed by him and his friends. I was left the junkiest of the junk. He moved back with his mother, where he remains. I moved to Reno and live in a nice apartment with the kids, who are much happier. We each have a bed and a dresser. There is one arm chair in the living room—and room to breathe.

Name withheld
Reno

That’s just nuts
Futility: Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Amid record voter apathy, Americans will go to the polls and vote for Democrats or Republicans convinced it is all about them versus us with the hope for some form of change. Nothing could be further from the truth.

1. Like the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent, Democrats and Republicans have allowed all branches of our government to obfuscate, trample over our rights, and confiscate our earnings in every transaction. Can you name a good or a service that is not taxed? How is it that a great nation, a nation born from excessive taxation, becomes a nation with 67,000 pages of tax code? Furthermore, the government’s own accounting office confirms under the Democrats and Republicans that government wastes half of the billions and billions of dollars it confiscates every year.

2. Under the collusion of Democrats and Republicans, the national debt is approaching $9 trillion! ($9,000,000,000,000) What do you suppose the interest payments alone are on that amount? They have saddled our children in debt.

3. Our form of government when forged was never meant to be a panacea.

Many problems stem from the fact that we have relinquished our earnings, our liberties and our responsibilities as citizens to federal, state, county and city jurisdictions. Sadly, Democrats and Republicans have allowed our government to burgeon into an insatiable tyrant.

The Libertarian party is the only party that has pledged to restore our Republic, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights, not to mention your earnings.

Voters can end the futility.

Steve Wood
Roseville, Calif.