Your negative remarks about Joe Walsh will never bring him down in the eyes of his devoted fans [Soundbites, March 1]. All of his little quirks are what make him so endearing to us. And there are many of "us" all over the world. As you know, he has never claimed to be a great singer. But his fans do love that voice. His entire persona, including his ordinary-guy demeanor, gives us much pleasure. Please allow us to love Our Joe in peace.
Maryann Wible
Hatfield, Pennsylvania
Good things come in awkward acronyms
I just read your comprehensive perspective of East Cleveland ["Welcome to East Cleveland," February 8], and I was struck by the fact that not once was the East Cleveland Adult Training Center (ECATC) mentioned as a positive, productive addition to East Cleveland. This site is part of the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and is a thriving, demographically integrated entity located next to Cummings-Davis Funeral Home.
When this site opened in 1986, there were many misgivings on the part of both staff and families because of the location. However, there are over 100 dedicated, committed staff members (many of them coming from the West Side, as far away as Strongsville and as far east as Chardon) who chose to remain at this location to make a difference. We have extended participation to the community of East Cleveland on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so. We have collaborated with the Cleveland Museum of Art to provide expressive outlets for our customers, and we have displayed their works at the center and around the state.
I really could go on and on about the contributions that this center and individuals (both staff and customers) have made to this community. Even Mayor Onunwor has been to our facility on several occasions to participate in various events. In reality, there are many negative things happening, but there are many, many positive things going on, too. We would like to be acknowledged when the positives are mentioned.
Vanessa White
ECATC staff member
Cleveland
Bad teams yield shattered dreams
When I read the cover of Scene, I was expecting an uneducated and biased story bashing Jim Jackson ["Fade Away," February 22]. What I found was a good story with an accurate history of Jim's career to this point.
Jim has truly been a victim of being the stand-up personality and athlete that he is. I think you could have drawn more of a correlation between Jim's career and the terrible organizations he's played for. If Jim had played for coaches and executives who had as much character and drive as Jim does, his career would be further along.
Unfortunately, Dick Motta (retired idiot), Don Nelson (should-be-retired idiot), the New Jersey Nets (awful organization), Golden State Warriors (awful organization), Philadelphia 76ers (until recently an awful organization), and Atlanta Hawks (rebuilding and currently an awful organization) have not helped Jim at all. In Portland, he was finally playing for a good organization with a good coaching staff and good players, and he excelled. As a result of his stand-up personality, he was dealt to babysit Isaiah Rider in Atlanta. In Cleveland, he is playing for a guy (Randy Wittman) who will prove himself to be an idiot and with a bunch of players who want to leave the organization.
Jim's game is not pulling up from 18 feet on the wing; his strength is his strength, and it's obvious that Wittman will not make him an option in the low post. Jim gets that opportunity only when the team goes uptempo and Wittman doesn't have a chance to call a play. More often than not, when Jim receives the ball in the low post, he either scores, gets an assist, or goes to the line. There are very few (two or three guards) in the league who can defend him down there. I don't think you were critical enough of the teams that Jackson has played for and of the way he is used by the Cavs. I also think the headline was not an accurate description of the tone of your story, and that is disheartening for me as a Cavs fan and a Jim Jackson fan.
Kelly Clark
via the Internet
Correction
A March 15 Calendar listing incorrectly stated that Roe vs. Wade attorney Sarah Weddington would follow her address at the City Club with a presentation on "Abortion: Aberration of True Feminist Ideals." The presentation was organized by Feminists for Life of Ohio, independent of the City Club, and did not include Weddington, whose views on the feminist benefits of legalized abortion have not changed. We apologize for any quizzical reactions this may have elicited.
