Letters 3/9/06

March 8, 2006

LETTERS
Downtown sex offenders
Enclosed is a list of sexual offenders in Traverse City; however, my concern is that four of
them are living at the Whiting Hotel on Front Street. When I printed this list last April, there
were six.
I am shocked and outraged that these criminals are allowed to live in our downtown (think of
the Halloween Walk or Celebration for Young Children days)! What about all the teenagers that
shop downtown or the young women who go to the bars on the weekend? Are they safe?
For the past several days, we have had a very creepy man visit us downstairs at Venus --
usually between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. He loiters in the store, tries to shake our hands, asks to
take our photos, leaves us messages on cards and has even been at the top of our stairs after
closing when we leave at night. We feel extremely vulnerable, especially because we are
underground and people can‚t see in.
I refuse to be intimidated or allow my staff to be intimidated in my business; however, we
have purchased several cans of pepper spray and have a HAMMER behind our counter! We did
report the situation to our downtown police office, but not much can be done at this point.
I wanted you to know and possibly bring this problem to the attention of the public. I know
the Goodwill Inn rents the space for homeless people, but does the public know that their
fundraisers are supporting the shelter of sexual offenders downtown? Isn‚t anyone else
sickened or embarrassed by the frequent ambulance/police/fire that visit the Whiting Hotel?
I simply believe that downtown Traverse City would be a better and safer place if the Whiting
Hotel were used in a different capacity.
Thank you for „listening‰ to a concerned downtown business owner.

Susan V. Ruoff ? President, Venus

NASCAR Nation
Re: the Feb. 23 issue of the Express:
Global warming, renewable energy, efficient homes, and auto racing? One of these things is
not like the other. What does the poor African/Pakistani think to see Americans consume more
energy in an afternoon of racing „entertainment‰ than their village uses in a year...
YAHOO!
Richard Allen ? Leland

Give doves a break
I‚m a pro-hunting Michigan resident. I am also for keeping Michigan‚s 100-year-old ban on
shooting doves.
Shooting doves doesn‚t make sense, especially since they pose no danger, are not a viable
food source, and are not overpopulated. And there are 40 other bird species to hunt!
The pro-dove shooting crowd is trying to make folks like me out to be anti-hunting, but
that‚s not true! I have tremendous respect for Michigan‚s hunting heritage, but dove shooting
has not been a part of that heritage for a century.
I believe in traditional Michigan values. Michigan values say there are a few things we
shouldn‚t kill - bald eagles, endangered species, and our official bird of peace, the mourning
dove.
Real sportsmen don‚t shoot doves. That‚s why polls show over half of Michigan hunters are
against lifting the ban, and why we should Vote NO on the dove shooting initiative in
November.
Dan Drost ? Charlevoix


Different viewpoints
I enjoyed reading about playwright Wayne Erreca, especially in regard to the theatre (Express
2/16). Here in Manistee, we have a refurbished gem, the Ramsdell Theatre. James Earl Jones,
then Todd Jones, got their show feet wet here in summer stock. Any chance we could have a
Wayne Erreca play here?
According to you, his current play, „The Fallen in Coeur d‘Alene,‰ has a serious purpose,
looking at the reasons people see the same situation through radically different viewpoints.
How can 50 percent of our nation‚s people see things completely opposite the other half?
Mostly it stems back to what you believe, your basic beliefs and who you trust. It‚s not „seeing
is believing“; the truth is that „believing is seeing.‰
I came across a very interesting perspective on religion as pertains to the Supreme Court.
Some people are saying the justices are veering away from support of religion. Actually they
are going in the opposite direction -- right straight to support of a particular religion -- secular
humanism.

Marian Fortier Johnson ? Manistee