Glass Houses

Free balling: I was elated when I read your most recent Kansas City Strip, "Royal Flush" (March 30). You correctly point out that David Glass has no shame in asking the citizens of Kansas City to continue to finance his losing business venture. As a proud libertarian, I believe that this amounts to nothing more than corporate welfare.

Why should we be expected to invest more than twice the amount that Glass himself has invested in order to prop up his losing team? After all, he must believe in the principles of the free market, right? Any business that cannot pull its own weight deserves to fail, and let's make no mistake about it: The pro sports franchises are just that — businesses. Then, to top it all off, the teams add insult to injury by threatening us with leaving if the tax doesn't pass?

If the Pitch consistently published a newspaper that sucked and nobody read, but needed a new office building, would it ask the taxpayers to fund it?

Jason Peck
Overland Park

Stars of David: Wonderful and funny article by David Martin ("Is David Glass Smoking Grass?" March 30). The illustrations by Kevin Brimmer are terrific, too. Can't find this kind of article in any other local papers. Another great reason for reading the Pitch. Keep it up!

Harvey Fried
Kansas City Missouri

Case Study
In brief:I wanted to inform you that C.J. Janovy did a superb job with the article "Justice at Last?" (March 23).

It was a very fair and honest story. It shed light on the little known "truth" about the real deal behind the reopening of the case.

My hat is off to you. This story should move on the Associated Press newswires.

Margena A. Christian Features Editor,Jet magazine
Chicago

Bridge League
Magic, the Gathering: If the intent of the article on The Gathering IV (Backwash, March 9) was to contribute to the polarization of people and display ignorance in an effort to publish biased journalism, then you were successful.

The Crusades, the Inquisition, the pogroms and the Holocaust were events in history when Jews were persecuted by Christians. Rabbi Cohen and Pastor Brooks began a dialogue to begin to build bridges of understanding between the two groups and do the mitzvah of tikkun olam, to repair the world. They focused on what we share in common and support Jerusalem. Anyone wishing to attend was welcome.

While there were Messianic Jews dancing as members of both the dance groups, the two groups performing were the Hallelujah Dancers from First Baptist of Raytown Church and the Tikvah Israeli Dance troupe dancing together to celebrate our love for Israel.

Overall, I felt you took a very unifying event and turned it into something isolating of groups and negative. You made it sound like the Messianic Jews were made to sit at the back of the room. The quotes regarding or by Muslims were also very segregating. You made the focus on negative images, feelings or misconceptions about a people. This event was not about them.

Where was the Pitch when Salaam Shalom was going on? Jews, Muslims and Christians joined together in a dinner of good will. Not "Muslims on one side and Jews and Christians on the other," as you quoted from Ahmed El-Sharif.

There are bridges being built all over Kansas City among all peoples. Sadly, you missed the boat.

Sue-Ellen Flescher
Director, Tikvah Dancers

Water Works
Bottoms up: Enjoyed Jen Chen's tour of south Wornall bars (Night Ranger, March 16). Not sure why the contractor thought a bidet was unusual, however. They are becoming much more visible in the United States.

As we bidet users know, it is impossible to clean with just toilet paper. Paper leaves a residue that allows bacteria or fungus to flourish. This can result in undesired itching, odor and the possibility of inflammation or infection. Bottom line (pun intended) is ... water cleans; paper doesn't! Cheers.

John P. Trince
Surrey, British Columbia

The Buck shops here: I enjoyed Jen Chen's "Drop-Ceiling Drinking" (Night Ranger, March 16). She explains that, according to "a random guy sitting nearby," the Hen House got its name because "a guy named Buck Hensley used to own it ... So, big hen, Hen House."

Actually, his name was Buck Hinson. His given name was Harold W. Hinson. My mother, my sister and I all worked at the Hen House in the '70s.

The original business (at the same address but a much smaller building) was basically a butcher shop specializing in poultry. I assume that was the reason for the name. Buck and his brother Bob ran the place. A new, modern building was built behind the original building in the early 1960s, and then the old building was torn down.

The new store was open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I have many memories of working there. I started at age 16, "racking bottles." This was back when you had to return pop bottles for the deposit that you paid when you bought the product. I sorted and organized them so they could be returned to the bottler.

Many, many high school students from Center Senior High, Southwest High and Saint Teresa's Academy got their first working experience there. Personally, I stayed in the grocery business for 18 years before changing careers.

Ed Morris
Overland Park