Cover, June 25: “40 Years Alt”
Nostalgia
As one of the music writers for SFR back in the '80s, I have to say I had a blast and especially loved covering the incredible music scene back in the day.
Driguana
SFReporter.com
Flattered, I’m sure
I'm keeping my issue for my grandson Warren.
Susan Winnegar
via Facebook
News, June 25: “Moo Rules”
Destructive Machine
Dairy farms are environmental disasters. I've read that a single cow on a dairy farm can produce 140 pounds of manure a day. Animal waste emits greenhouse gasses and other toxins into the air, and it often seeps into our water supply, sickening people and fish. It's much greener—and more humane—to choose soy or almond milk and other vegan options instead of dairy products.
Heather Moore
SFReporter.com
Factory Farm Factor
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the runoff from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. Animals raised for food in the US produce far more excrement than the entire US human population, roughly 89,000 pounds per second, all without the benefit of waste-treatment systems. According to Oregon State University agriculture professor Peter Cheeke, factory farming constitutes "a frontal assault on the environment, with massive groundwater and air pollution problems." Yet another great reason to stop eating animals and animal products.
Ethan Cooper
SFReporter.com
News, June 25: “A Tale of Two Prides”
Just Like Simba
Pride comes from within.
Lisa Russell
SFReporter.com
Solidarity, Folks!
I used to be on the HRA board, and I agree and applaud Silva for expanding Pride in Santa Fe. He is right that the board is all about "egos." I hated that board and their efforts and non-support of me trying to raise funds. HRA raises money for a parade, but most of the money they raise goes to self-interest endeavors of the board. They challenge other local outreach nonprofit organizations that are just trying to get their message out to participate in Pride. HRA needs to stop trying to crash anyone else's effort to celebrate Pride.
apfwebs
SFReporter.com
Cover, June 18: “Casanova’s Long Con”
Look Alive, Mi’ladies
I felicitate SFR for one of the best cover stories you have featured in a long time. It is not uncommon for me in my job to come across women who report being blindsided by the charms of comely, roguish individuals not unlike Michael Soutar, individuals who were all too happy to relieve them of a lot of simoleons. Have fun with them? Mmmmm-mmmaybe but don't take them up on their offers to go to the altar, let alone trust them with anything of value. With women making strides in obtaining higher education at a higher rate than their male counterparts and consequently acquiring their own wealth, I consider the article required reading for the double-X chromosome set.
Amanda Olsen
Santa Fe
Screwed
Just FYI: He didn't quite "pay everyone back." I was an artist in the deal and got burned for $2,000.
Leisa Forman
via Facebook
Bad Habits
Great writing and article by Justin Horwath. I spoke to Soutar once on the phone when he was soliciting people to go in his former market space on Alameda. What a pathological shyster.
Richard Dean Jacob
via Facebook
Briefs, June 18: “Renters Relief”
Culture of “Mine”
I just moved back to Santa Fe after a 10-year absence and am relieved to see this effort underway. Having just come from Austin, Texas, where people in their 80s are being told by smug and uncaring 20-somethings you can either pay an extra $200 a month or move, to me this borders on criminal, at least immoral. This, of course, is what happens in a city like Austin with a population growth rate of almost 50,000 new people a year. Thank you, Chainbreaker, for taking this issue on.
PS: The comment about smug 20-somethings? What has changed in Austin is really an extreme example of a runaway culture of "haves versus have-nots." There are likely as many 20-somethings in the same boat as us in our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. We live in a culture of "mine," and will step on those even if we were them. A sad reflection on our country.
Jack G Harris
SFReporter.com
News, June 18: “Bureaucratic Nightmare”
Mixed Agreement
My wife and I went through the faculty tenure/promotion dossier process at the University of Hawaii. Done right, it is a good way to demonstrate proficiency. Done wrong, it is a waste of effort.
I concur with David Miles that an overemphasis on jargon probably means a dossier is being graded on buzz words rather than real content. A good teacher should be able to communicate without resorting to a high content of technobabble. To use an example from the article, what exactly does, "I designed a blackboard configuration," mean? It conveys nothing tangible. What I want to know is whether what is on the blackboard is lucid, interesting, builds on the lesson plan, clear to the guy with glasses in the back row and explained well.
Still not sure why Miles didn't get more guidance on his document from fellow teachers before he turned in a rejected version. When I was jumping through those hoops, it was normal to be mentored during the process. And my lord, we didn't have to do it on our own meager dime but as part of our jobs.
Glad Miles passed on the second try, at any rate. Congratulations. We need more folks in your field who treat adversity as something to be challenged and overcome.
Khal Spencer
SFReporter.com
Words of Competence
The dossier system, while flawed, is a much better gauge of a teacher's skills than the Martinez/Skandera nonsense. I've been through it for both level II and level III. It is highly labor-intensive, and it requires mentorship from the district, building administration and colleagues who have passed it to be successful. When done correctly, a teacher does develop a better understanding of their own practice. I do agree that there should be more feedback to those who fail on what components didn't "meet." A score with no explanation behind it is useless for guiding improvement. The answer to, "They just wanted buzzwords," is well, yes, that is a part of it. If you look at a medical journal, it is filled with that profession's buzzwords—because if you understand those words well enough, they carry a greater depth of meaning than their non-professional synonyms. "I wrote on the board," says you put words up there. "I designed a blackboard configuration," says you thought about the visual impact of the letter size, information layout, etc. That is, if you meant those words and weren't just playing professional-terminology Mad-Libs.
Michelle Sarabia
SFReporter.com
Movies, June 18: “At Least it’s Only 93 Minutes”
Rebuttal
The Double was art, and I thought it was excellent. I'm a huge film buff, and I loved it so much I saw it three times!
Hennie Bounds
SFReporter.com
Cover, June 11: Summer Guide “Instasummer”
Bare Ambition
Awesome issue, guys. Also, I didn't realize how much I was looking forward to summer until I saw page 24.
Rob Dewalt
via Facebook
Mother Knows Best
Awesome design throughout.
Judith Stevens
via Facebook
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