Deirdra, you almost rock! I finally found a copy of New Times' November 11 edition, took a quick look at Night & Day, and -- "Holy crap!" -- I had no idea you were going to lead the page with our event, Kristallnacht Film Forum ("Hate Sucks," Deirdra Funcheon). If I was half my age (48), I'd say, "You rock!" But since I am my age and also trying to be professional, let me just say how much we appreciate the exposure you gave our event.
We were able to raise more than $50,000 for student scholarships -- a figure that would have been much less, I'm sure, without the push you gave us. Please know how grateful we are for your help.
Ken Swart, Director, Media Relations
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Boca Raton
Synthpop from the Heart
Fixx your attitude, Jason: Jason Budjinski wrote in his November 11 article "Hold Your Breath": "Of course, anything makes for better festival music than the '80s synthpop of the Fixx (who headlines the Sixth Annual Garlic Fest on Saturday)." You know, it's sad when a writer thinks that glibness is required for a clever read. Surely someone reading a description of the festival would rather get some useful information and constructive advice on highlights. In this case, Budjinski is way off the mark. The Fixx plays successful festival gigs regularly in addition to its club gigs.
Most folks are surprised by how many songs they recognize from this underrated band (who, sadly, will remain underrated as long as folks like Budjinski use their forums so negatively). Even if "synthpop" isn't your cup of tea, it seems awfully closed-minded to discourage others from enjoying a good show due to personal taste. I challenge Budjinski to attend the performance and observe a hard-working group of guys who have constantly striven to communicate with people, to challenge ideas, and to grow musically. It's certainly worth listening to... cynicism-free.
Lisa Roden
Via the Internet
Whither Goeth the Goth?
Tadpoles don't run the frog pond, son: I was out of town and just returned home to read Ted Kissell's article ("Coffin Classics," November 4). It is nice to see a report about the local goth scene.
When reading the article, I noticed an error and thought it might be of interest for you. When reporting about Joseph Bonilla's take on the scene, Kissell mentions, "He came into promotion only gradually, first by working at a Broward County fetish store." Then directly quoting him: "like their PR guy," organizing parties for the store.
I am the owner of Fetish Factory and would like to report the facts. Joseph Bonilla was in fact a sales associate for our store. His responsibilities were to attend to customer needs as a "sales associate," not as a PR guy! Joseph was never offered the responsibility to organize our parties. Our branded Alter Ego event has been running for ten years, and it's the largest monthly, strict-dress-code fetish party in North America. Our event, organized by the owners of Fetish Factory, is what introduced Bonilla to the fetish scene. It is hard to believe that Bonilla could be responsible for organizing an event that predated his interest in the scene!
Glenn [last name withheld by request]
Owner, Fetish Factory/Strut
Fort Lauderdale
Carlos and Catherine, you do rock! After reading Ted B. Kissell's article "Coffin Classics" (October 28), I was quite shocked at the direction in which readers were led by the text and photos. Thank God the story was somewhat saved by the fact that Carlos Saint Germain and Catherine Kunt appeared in it. Every goth person has a different look; it's not just a page out of a history book. It's too bad the two unmentionable people included in the article did nothing but complain about everything -- as usual. But here's props to Carlos, Catherine, and the new "baby bat," Mirabelle. Without them, I don't think we would have a real gothic scene.
Clotilda Claudette
Miami
Good Idea: Wipe Out People
Got $10 million and a lobbyist? We love ya, baby: It was an excellent article that pointed out the bike lanes vs. property owner's problem ("Pain in the Bike Lane," Jeff Stratton, October 14). I am a resident of Delray Beach and was at many of those meetings and voiced a related concern.
I see this more as a civil rights issue than a landscape issue. In my opinion, the people who own the beachfront houses don't want people on A1A at all. They have to put up with cars, but they don't want anyone walking or biking. They just want to stop people who can't afford $10 million and a lobbyist from enjoying the area.
The real tragedy here is the mayor of Delray Beach's support for such a narrow interest group. The mayor is supposed to represent all citizens, and he's allowed a small number of family and business interests to take precedence over the interests of the rest of the citizens of the city. Please help fix this problem by focusing the news on this travesty.
Name Withheld by Request
Delray Beach