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PSYCHED FOR BIKES
Thank you for the cycling exposure [Cover story, May 17:
]. And a
***image1***
big thanks to all of the dedicated overt and covert players who are trying to make this wonderful city more bike-friendly.
Santa Fe truly is a great place to use a bike for the daily commute and/or for pleasure. Safer passage is all we need.
I say raise the gas prices all they want, I've got my bike! Smooch, hug, kiss, kiss…
Darlene Fortier
Santa Fe
BIKE MESSENGER
I guess I'm a complete dork. At least that's what Zane Fischer would have you believe in his article in last week's Reporter [Cover story, May 17:
]. You see, in incredible dorky fashion, I dare to ride a suspension mountain bike on our beautiful forest trails and a road bike on our gorgeous country roads. Dork, dork, dork. Is that really the message you wanted to send in your coverage of National Bike to Work Week? I appreciate the coverage of the BCNM's ongoing efforts to make our city more bike accessible. I understand the inclusion of Elizabeth Mesh's terrible cycling accident to bring a personal touch to the importance of driver awareness of bicycles on our roads. Followed up with Zane Fischer's diatribe against most mainstream bicycles, though, in which he refers to people that ride them as "complete tools" and "incredible dorks," leaves me scratching my dorky head about what this mean-spirited article has to do with National Bike to Work Week.
There are so many other, more positive things you could have written about. How about an article on the Pedal Queens, a new local women's cycling club that already has over 80 members? The club's focus is getting women of all levels, from the competitive racer to the first-time cyclist, out riding their bikes and having a great time. That's a nice, positive story. How about some coverage of one of the many upcoming local cycling events? There is the Santa Fe Century, a 100-mile bike ride that brings in thousands of tourists and tourist dollars to our city each year. That would have been something to write about. You could have done a story on the Dale Ball Trail system, a fabulous network of multi-use trails easily accessible from town. The list goes on and on. The fact is your coverage and even the name "Yikes! Bikes!" is unlikely to encourage anyone to get out and try commuting via bicycle. Readers are more likely to get the impression that cycling in Santa Fe is dangerous and difficult, and there might be someone around any corner calling them names for riding the "wrong" bike.
Jennifer Steketee
Santa Fe
STORY STORY
"Zane's World" [May 17:
] failed to mention how Las Campanas' use of story to market their lifestyle is like a subversive virus bomb dropped in an old war between those who see everything as commodity versus those who see the world as a circle based on interconnection. Story, ironically, is the primary means of cultural transmission for the Native people. Creating a new mythology through story, which transforms our city's deep rooted, multicultural heritages into a resort/colony, a plaything decorated with wall-paper stereotypes, is no different than Nazi propaganda-only Las Campanas' marketing is a more subtle and, therefore, a more insidious version of their optical white-washed end game, the perpetuation of cultural genocide by the poisoning of hidden roots.
You don't have to deal with the holocaust perpetuated on "Indians" or even the "radical" perspective that the land is Mother (which many of us "non-natives" also believe) if your marketing narrative creates the illusion of a perfectly harmonious god's realm with TWO flourishing golf courses amid multi-million-dollar homes. The golf lovers may pride themselves on being good community members, yet their narcissistic ethos is disconnected from the hard reality of drought and a host of other struggles Santa Feans faces day to day. Shame on them all!
Yet we should feel pity for the well-meaning people who own homes on this pueblo land sold off cheap decades ago. Their buy-in to the bigoted romance of their new story is merely a rabbit hole that leads to greater alienation-their karma for participating, through their big bank accounts, in the rewriting of history and the erosion of the common good we all need in order to survive together in this community we all love.
Ironically, everyone from the Real Estate Industrial Complex downward depends upon the wealth of this subdivision that hasn't been exported to the Fatherland (the Arizona-based development company.) Right now, the Campanasites-rhymes with parasites-wander anonymously around our streets like hungry ghosts, ignoring the dead grass in our parks; but thankfully, patriotically, buying playthings at upscale stores, and eating, eating, eating to satisfy great appetites-their huge stomachs never able to find contentment because their mouths are too small from repeated face lifts and botox treatments.
Alas…those of us who feast on the crumbs off their table-a good tip, perhaps, left beside a glass of Pinot Noir before the drive to the opera-are eternally grateful.
Marc Choyt
Santa Fe
UNION PROPS
After reading your interview with Michael Delheim [SFR Talk, May 17:
], I feel I must respond. I am a member of IATSE Local #480. I am a propmaker, set decorator and sometimes jack of all trades as required by the job situation. I am deeply saddened by Mr. Delheim's negative statements made in your article, as he is one of us, and I consider him both a friend and brother. I have been in this Local since November 1993 and suffered through very lean times and a very small membership. As a fraternal brotherhood, we have been fortunate enough to be led by some very articulate and professional (in every sense of the word) people. We have worked very hard on some very difficult shows;
The Missing
and
The Longest Yard
come to mind immediately. We got some very nice accolades from director Ron Howard and Asst. Director (producer?) Brian Grazer. Anyway, my point is, we have worked with the best Hollywood people in the business and have satisfied them completely. Michael was wrong to make a sweeping generalization about our membership and by now I'm sure he has realized it. I personally feel were just getting started on a huge boom and see no bust anytime in the near future. We have had too many very professional people in both our organization and the New Mexico Film Commission busting ass to get us where we are now and where we will definitely be in the coming years. I'm sure Michael will go through the proper procedures in the future to get the people he needs in his next endeavor. Hell, I'm a lowly propmaker, but I would gladly step up to the plate to do anything he needed me to. I'm a fast learner and so are a lot of my brothers and sisters!!! See you in the movies!! (IN NEW MEXICO of course.)
Mike Daigle
Santa Fe
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