Letters for June 14, 2007

Project solutions
The Holland Project sits in a building that the city of Reno intends to demolish for its new Central Police Station complex. The city saw the youth music cooperative as a simple way to hold the land until the RPD project got underway.

No one foresaw the problem with neighbors.

Of course, when the shoo-fly track was removed, the city gave no thought to providing the area with pavement, sidewalks or traffic right-of-way. There is no safe access to Keystone for vehicles. Keystone Place no longer connects.

A neighbor has complained about the site problems, and the Holland Project and its supporters have made the tactical blunder of denying the residential character of the neighborhood.

Indeed, two historic homes have just been placed on the same block after being moved from near the river (to make way for condos). The area will stay residential until work on the new police station begins.

The city of Reno is responsible for the site location problems faced by the Holland Project. In trying to do the right thing, the city has saddled these kids with site location problems they are powerless to address.

Blaming the neighbor misses the real problem.

I believe Mayor Cashell, the City Council and the Holland Project leaders must work together to find a better site for the Holland Project. Numerous charter schools have set up shop in Reno in mixed-use industrial areas, and that is where the Holland Project belongs.

The present site is doomed to the wrecking ball, and who wants to attend a show across from the Police Station anyway?

In the meantime, the city of Reno should in good faith allow the reopening of the Holland Project at its current address.

Frank Patten
Reno

Suffer the children
When I was growing up in Reno there were not many places around the city that catered to Reno’s youth. I was never allowed to go see bands that I liked because my parents didn’t want me going to a bar at the age of 15. I feel like I missed out on a lot because of this. Reno is a gambling city, and there are plenty of things for the 21 and up crowd to do, but not much for the youth in the area. Recently, a bunch of people from the community decided to do something to change this. The result was the creation of the Holland Project on Keystone Avenue. Though it has only been open for a couple of months, I see great potential in this place. I know I have been somewhat critical of the Holland Project and have had some serious doubts, but I think that, with a little work, this place can do a lot of good for this city. It is a place that anyone, no matter their age, can go to have a good time. One man has tried to ruin something that could be so wonderful for the Reno community. I urge everyone to see the beauty in this project and instead of trying to shut it down, work with the city and the creators of the Holland Project to develop a compromise.

Megan Hammerson
Reno

De-fund the war
Re “Democrats caved” (Letters to the editor, May 31):

I just can’t let Doug Long’s letter slide by. He’s got opinions, and that’s OK, but his history is a little off. Congress, by cutting funds, did not end the Vietnam War. General Giap’s North Vietnamese army did that when they invaded and conquered the South (after promising not to do so in the Paris peace talks). Congress didn’t even end American combat involvement in the war; Nixon and Kissinger did that through several military strategies combined with the negotiations in Paris.

Congress cut off funds, it’s true, but American combat forces were long gone by then, and Congress’ cutoff of aid to the South proved a temptation the North couldn’t resist. Now fast forward to Iraq. Would a cutoff of funds “end this failed war?” Of course not. Whether America has troops there or not, the fighting and infighting will go on until something happens to stop it, such as these examples from history: an outside country invades and crushes all opposition (think South Vietnam); a strongman-dictator arises and takes control (post-WWII Yugoslavia); or the factions get so tired of spilling blood they finally give up their guns (Northern Ireland comes to mind).

Mr. Long should acknowledge that having Congress cut off funding will only alter, not end, the killing in Iraq. Let’s hear what he (and Sens. Reid and Pelosi) think will happen after we withdraw.

Jim Gandy
Minden

Oh, yeah!?
Re “The dog days of summer” (Feature story, May 31):

That’s the ugliest cover your publication has ever had: a homely mutt. Dogs are SO over-exposed. So lame. So boring. I guess spay/neuter advice is falling on deaf ears; if it was working, that ugly mutt never would have been born.

Toby Carruthers
via e-mail

Correction
Re “Neighborly dispute” (News, June 7):

The Holland Project was cited for disturbing the peace on May 18 (not May 21), and the site has been closed since May 24 (not May 21). We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our error. This has been corrected on the Web site.