Letters for December 16, 2004

Great Scott
Councilman Dan Herbert is concerned that newly appointed Mayor Scott Gruendl may not have the time or flexibility to fulfill his additional ceremonial duties.

I wonder how Herbert was able to fulfill those same ceremonial duties when he was mayor. It is my understanding that he was chief operating officer of a large property management firm.

He must have had a tough time operating his business, serving as mayor and raising a family at the same time.

I think Scott will be a great mayor.

Michael Pike
Chico

Regular folk
First, Scott Gruendl becomes Chico’s first openly gay mayor. Then, the CN&R’s cover story is about gay activist Adam Ascherin and the Stonewall Alliance [”Color him proud,” Dec. 9].

I don’t take such events for granted. As a 50-year-old lesbian who grew up in Chico, lived 20 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and then returned, I have some perspective on what Chico was like for a GLBT person 30 years ago and how it is now.

My Bay Area friends could hardly believe it when I told them nine years ago that I was moving back to my hometown. They warned me that Chico was less liberal than Berkeley and Oakland, that there would be no GLBT community, and that I would be isolated and alone. What they didn’t take into account was that I wanted to live in a more rural area, that I missed the oak-dotted countryside, that I still had family in the area, that I was always a Chicoan at heart—and that being a lesbian was only one part of me. An important point in the article was that Chico’s GBLT folks are pretty much like anyone else. We go to work, pay taxes, shop, go to church, etc.

Go to church? Yes, some of us do. Did you know there is even an interfaith spiritual support group for GLBT people in Chico? It’s sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church, and I’m its facilitator. For more information, call 343-1497.

Nancy Park
Chico

Safe and secure
I’ve read two of the letters sent in regarding JMAXX Productions’ security. And I just thought maybe people would like to hear about the other side.

I saw what happened at the Senator the night in question. If the security has to continually ask someone to calm down or stop doing whatever, they have the right to pull that person out of the concert. And if that person’s buddies think they’re so bad they’re going to try to sucker-punch the security and continue to harass the security, then, yes, they probably aren’t going to enjoy the consequences!!

And for the stupid comment comparing security to ushers, look at the energy at a concert compared to the energy at a play or an opera!

I personally know a lot of the security, and, yes, sometimes they need to get physical with the patrons! Bottom line: Security is there to make sure the people who get out of hand don’t ruin the concert for those of us who go there to have a good time. Thanks!

Stacey Bywater
Chico

Remember Jaco?
Michael M. Peters’ comments regarding roadies and security personnel is beneath contempt. If he’s working in this field, why would he trust “the worst people in show business” to provide for his and his crew’s gear handling, privacy and protection?

Only an idiot would claim that no one has ever suffered at the hands of overzealous, even criminal “security” personnel. Remember how Jaco Pastorius died? However, at Altamont, a “fan” waving a gun was killed, probably saving others.

Mr. Peters should know, from the “been everywhere” experience he implies, that problem event personnel are the exception, not the rule. There is no debate among people in the industry. My son, a doorman at a local club, has been assaulted by a patron. Fifty San Diego County sheriff’s deputies linked up and backed out of an arena during a riot at a Warped Tour show, while “losers” were protecting the audience, me and my gear. In Manila, we were assigned security (bodyguards), and not because they were among “the worst people in show business.”

I work at Feather Falls Casino with security, production and as-needed daily crew. In 35 years as house/monitor engineer and tour/production manager, I’ve worked with crew and performers in venues from Duffy’s to Royal Albert Hall. Locals like (y’all know) Curtis, Brad, J., Malcolm, Rob, Sloan, Mike, Mike T., Mik, Kerry, Billy and the overwhelming majority of production staff who get shows launched safely and on time deserve his apology. He and I don’t work without them.

Joe Hammons
Paradise

College threat
The recent discussion of the Chico State Department of Kinesiology requesting usage of Shapiro Pool during the regular school day at Chico Jr. High School disturbs us greatly. As the physical-education teachers at Chico Jr. High School, our reasons are many. They include both safety issues for our middle-school students and basic education concerns.

Due to the location of Shapiro Pool in relation to the outdoor physical-education roll/classroom stations, middle-school students 11, 12 and 13 years of age would interact with college students on their way to class all day long. Having an additional 140 college students on our campus Monday through Thursday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. would be a major daily distraction and disturbance to our classrooms!

To avoid these potential safety issues and to ensure sound educational practices, common sense and good judgment require that the college swim program be implemented after regular school day hours at Chico Jr. High School.

Chad Allen, Dept. Chairman
Bruno Bicocca
Jill Circo
Kris Foster
Kevin Wisdom

Two strikes, anyone?
Richard Ek’s “Judges should take action” is representative of the asinine liberal hand-wringing that has society worshiping at the altar of “it’s not my fault” [Guest comment, Dec. 9]. His assertion that the only reason Proposition 66 failed was because voters were ignorant and misinformed is offensive.

How can one be charged with a third crime (after two felonies) and complain that they are treated unfairly because it is prosecuted as a felony rather than a misdemeanor? Each of the previous two crimes had a victim. Each was a serious crime, and yet Mr. Ek worries about a “wobbler.” That is classic liberalism. It’s not the bastard who is committing the crimes that is the problem, it’s the poorly written law, right?

Baloney.

Anybody who has two felonies under his/her belt who cannot keep from committing even another misdemeanor deserves prison for the rest of their lives. Is Mr. Ek trying to suggest that we should wait until we get a third serious crime before we put them away? How outrageous!!

Why don’t we just make it two strikes? Judges have been given a clear mandate from an informed and fed-up population. People should behave themselves or suffer the consequences.

Dave Garner
Gridley