Wow, Your Column Was So Good I Hardly Noticed the Glaring Typo in the Headline

Dear Rebecca Wakefield:

Your writing is like a flowing story. Because of the quality of the article, I didn't notice that they had misspelled Tom's last name in the headline [Wakefield, “Parting Ways: As He Heads Off Into the Sunset, Tom Fielder [sic] Shares His Journalist Views and Newsrooms Regrets, published Dec. 21].

Best to you for years to come.

George F. Knox
Miami

[Editor’s Note: Due to a typo, the last name of the soon-to-be departing executive editor, Tom Fiedler, was misspelled. We regret the error.]

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Ethics in Journalism: Something That Just Doesn’t Work So Well in Miami

Ms Wakefield:

Your thoughtful column on Tom Fiedler and his forthcoming departure from the Herald was a telling commentary on our community as well [Wakefield, “Parting Ways, published Dec. 21].

Tom Fiedler probably is the most ethical journalist I’ve known in my 60 years of PR in Greater Miami, but in today’s corruption-fraught local arena, ethics seems to be an oxymoron. As Jim DeFede commented, the Herald perhaps offers the only continuing civics lesson here. Regrettably civics, like civility, is low on the agenda of those invaders who hold Miami hostage.

Stuart Newman
Miami Beach

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Farewell to Rascal House Fare: Another Institution Killed in the Name of the Almighty Dollar

Regarding development of the highly valuable property at Collins Avenue and 172nd Street [“Rascal Out?” published Dec. 21]: Obviously, when the profit motive is weighed against both cultural institutions & a neighborhood's unique character, profit will always win. The human element has no chance, despite consumer-friendly public relations. Also, despite many citizens’ apparent belief, not all change is progress.

However, the development is a done deal. Once again, the community-at-large will suck it up.

L. Thermann
Sunny Isles Beach

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There Is Nothing Like the Smell of Corned Beef in the Morning

For a half a century the Rascal House stood as a cultural icon of Sunny Isles Beach. Now we hear the end has come [“Rascal Out?” published Dec. 21]. Along with the motels that made this little oasis what it was, is being taken from us. We were a tourist attraction for those who came to take a break from the cold. Weekly, new arrivals would come and support the local stores that once thrived here. It was our cultural heritage, and they disappear one by one. What we now have is traffic congestion, ugly high-rise buildings that block the sun and little or no beach access for the locals.

Do not allow the Rascal House to disappear. Stand up, speak out. Tell city officials not to allow this to happen. Tell them that the smell of corned beef, roast beef pastrami, and smoked salmon is in our blood, and there are those of us still around to walk in, sit at the counter with Maryjane, and talk about the good times we well remember.

Allan Greene
Sunny Isles Beach

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A Series of Unfortunate Events — Courtesy of the City of Miami

I am glad you did a story on this [“Flaming Vehicles,” published Dec. 14]. I heard the explosion in Belle Meade that day. Thank heavens no one was injured! Beside the fire, the city was completely inept in cleaning up the tens of gallons of hydraulic fluid that ran along our curbs. The city spread sawdust or some sort of substance to soak up the fluid, but instead of doing the sensible thing and cleaning up the contained mess with a broom and shovel, they brought in the big street sweeping machine and spread the mess half the width of our streets as far as a block away from the explosion. Of course I complained about the spreading of the mess but the damage had been done. More stupid decisions coming out of City Hall.

Steve Hagen
Miami

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Google Us, SunPost. We Dare You.

Sir:

I enjoyed the coverage you gave to Art Basel and the peripheral events [The Art Basel Issue, published Dec. 7]. I was, however, taken aback at your coverage of the Wynwood galleries and institutions. Nowhere was there a mention of The Bakehouse Art Complex, nor was it on the map you published of the Wynwood community. The Bakehouse is the oldest arts institution and gallery in Wynwood, having celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

The Bakehouse is also the largest alternative art space in South Florida. It houses 70 low-rent artist studios and two exhibition galleries with 65 resident artists (some rent more than one studio), 35 associated artists, is fully rented with a juried waiting list.

Its current exhibition, The Best of the Best, was juried by Terence Riley, director of Miami Art Museum, and Rene Morales, assistant curator, Miami Art Museum. The exhibition, which will run through Art Miami and close Jan. 7, presents many of South Florida’s best emerging and mid-career artists.

The Bakehouse has been cited by the Miami Herald, Miami Today, The New York Times and foreign media, among others. So how is it that the staff or writers for the SunPost do not know about The Bakehouse?

I urge you to “google” The Bakehouse Art Complex or, better yet, visit it. I certainly hope that you include it in the index of art institutions and galleries and update your map for Art Miami.

Robert Apfel, D.D.S.
President of the board of directors, The Bakehouse Art Complex, Inc.

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Street Sign Grammar Suggestions, As Proposed By an Expert of the Klingon Language

While driving along the 79th Street Causeway toward Miami the other day, I couldn't help noticing the new lane markings apparently trying to alert trucks to keep off NE 82nd Street. Now, I understand that English isn't always the first language of many South Floridians, but I was completely thrown by "Lane This Trucks No." Perhaps the writer wasn't familiar with punctuation, so I thought of a variety of ways to make "Lane This Trucks No," more easily understood until I finally hit on the easiest way to make these instructions clearer: "Lane This? Trucks No!"

Paul Braunstein
North Bay Village

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Body Count: The Solution Is Not Switching Defense Heads but Getting Our Troops Out of Iraq

To the Editor:

In early November, an editorial calling for Donald Rumsfeld to be replaced as secretary of defense, showed up simultaneously in the Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, and Marine Corps Times. Distributed to members of the U.S. armed forces throughout the world, these publications stated that President Bush must “face the hard bruising truth [that] Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress, and with the public at large.”

Only days earlier, President Bush stated that he wanted both Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney to remain in their posts for the remaining two years of his administration. As he spoke, more troops were being killed and wounded in a war that has degenerated into a civil conflict between Muslim factions competing for power.

Then, one day after the Republicans suffered what Mr. Bush himself called a “thumping” on Election Day, Rumsfeld’s resignation was announced. To replace him, President Bush turned to the Council on Foreign Relations veteran and former CIA Director Robert Gates, a move that does not bode well for the troops caught in a civil war between Islamic factions. Iraq is no place for American forces no matter who is secretary of defense.

Frank M. Pelteson
Las Vegas, Nev.

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We Need and Deserve an Immigration Policy That Works

Let me see if I understand our U.S. Immigration Policy.

Last Thursday a Haitian refugee (first naturalized American in 44 years ordered deported after losing his U.S. citizenship over a drug conviction), was released from the Krome Detention Center after three nations refused to accept him.

Thousands of illegal Chinese arrive at our West Coast cities are permitted to stay in the U.S. since China will not take them back.

Millions of illegal Mexican and Central American aliens are free to walk across our border with Mexico and are then provided with jobs, medical treatment in our hospital emergency rooms to have babies and citizenship and a free education in our overburdened school system for their kids.

Thousands of Cubans are welcomed with open arms as a reward for crossing the dangerous Florida Straights by rickety boat or floating truck, avoid drowning, avoid being caught by the Cuban Navy, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coastguard and plant their dry feet on a Florida beach or bridge.

Thousands of aliens that are abiding by our immigration laws and following the rules are getting the short end of the stick.

One solution would be to place some of the illegal aliens back on a boat about 2-3 miles off of the coast of their native country (happens to have a small leak with no bailing buckets) and you will see just how quickly our U.S. immigration policy starts to work again for the benefit of those that have earned the right to be here.

Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Miami