Bendheim, Don't Break 'Em

Marc Fink, Bendheim Wall Systems
Passaic, New Jersey

Subject(s):

Letters

Best of Kansas City, October 5 Darth Mall
Reading your "Best of" issue, I typically agree with some selections and think you are back on the juice picking others, but it's your free magazine.

I move around the city a fair amount so get to visit a lot of places, but I am baffled with "Best Aging Shopping Center" and your choice of Metro North. Is this what passes for humor at the Pitch? Assuming you had some criteria and assuming they're definable, what were they? Did you just put this category in to see if some of us were paying attention because you didn't think duplicating page 47 was enough?

BTW, the best hamburger north is in Platte City at The Pool Hall, and the hot beef sandwich at Woodswether is way better than the Reuben. Wayne St. Vincent,
Kansas City, Missouri

Blast It All

I nearly sprayed bourbon out my nose when I came across your category, "Best Construction Site." What a crock of hooey!

Whose ass did the Pitch kiss for that one? It is a joke, right? J.E. Dunn violates Kansas City's noise-pollution ordinance daily by working before 7 a.m. and thus disturbing hundreds of residents within a mile. "The explosion"? Explosions occurred daily, for weeks. Only after an unfortunate civilian was seriously injured and landed in the hospital were warnings posted. The initial blast was so unsettling that panicked residents fled their buildings in terror. OK, it is kind of funny now, but, at the time, it was nearly coronary-inducing.

An e-mail to J.E. Dunn concerning the violation of said ordinance was ignored — no surprise there. But your "Best of" blurbs become more ridiculous and whitewashed each year, akin to treacly Latter-day Saints TV commercials. I can live with the noise; your publication's not-so-subtle promotion is harder to swallow. Cheers! John Linville,
Kansas City, Missouri

Chief Concern
I look forward to the Best of Kansas City every year. While I often disagree with various choices, I understand everyone has their own perspective and I enjoy reading it anyway.

This year, however, I take serious issue with your choice for Best Chief. So Larry Johnson ran for 1,750 yards. That's nice. Tell that to the women that he has allegedly assaulted and threatened. Wrap it in a bow around his charges for aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery. I'm sure his fabulous numbers are just the ticket to restore their faith in our wonderful "blind" judicial system. The perfect salve for their wounds.

I notice you had to create a "Best Saintly Chief" category so you could put someone in there who was worthy of mentioning. It's even more interesting to note that the man you picked for this category, Will Shields, started a foundation to help "abused, battered and neglected women and children." The world is full of irony, but with this set of choices, you guys have fallen headfirst down the stairs and given yourselves a black eye. Zach Colt-McMahon,
Kansas City, Kansas

Photo Finish
I made great friends in KC while at the Kansas City Art Institute, and this past Saturday (10/7/06), Rick Monrotus, my brother Bill and I drove from St. Louis to join them at the 2nd Annual Evil Monkey BBQ and Dominoes Celebration at Dolphin Fine Art.

It was a spectacular KC fall day, great friends, food and music. Just when you think it can't get much better than this, it did. I was told my In Missouri show at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center last October was selected as the "Best Photography Show" in the Best of Kansas City issue of the Pitch.

Kansas City's reputation as a great art town is legendary, and I just wanted to thank you for the recognition. What a nice surprise. Don McKenna St. Louis, Missouri

Buzz Words
Hi. You don't know me, but my name is Slimfast. I work at KRBZ 96.5 (the Buzz). I have been working there for four years, in which time I worked alongside Lazlo for three and a half years. Lazlo won Best On-Air Personality two out of the three years I was there. My name was never mentioned. (It's Slimfast, by the way.)

I am now the

co-host of Afentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz, which just won Best Morning Show. Once again, my name is Slimfast — one word. It was not mentioned. However, Danny Boi and Jeriney both got mentioned. I have been at the station longer than both of them and have always made more money. Yet I have not been mentioned once in the Pitch. I would also like to point out the fact that I host a hip-hop show with Pitch award-winners Mac Lethal and Joe good.

My name is Slimfast. Just curious why you don't like me.

P.S.: Love the paper. Will continue to read. Slimfast,
Merriam

Soul Search
My name is Thelma Oliver and I am the proud owner of the Mango Room. We feature Caribbean and soul food and are located in downtown Kansas City on the corner of 12th Street and Main.

I want to express my concern and disappointment in your issue of Best of Kansas City 2006. I noticed that there were categories for Best Vietnamese Restaurant, Best Indian Restaurant, Best Chinese Restaurant, Best Mexican Restaurant and Best Italian Restaurant. There was no category for Best Soul Food Restaurant or Best Caribbean/Jamaican Restaurant. Hopefully you have a good explanation for this.

We as African-Americans have been invisible to white America for as long as I can remember. For the Pitch to acknowledge every ethnic category in Kansas City except soul food is very disturbing to me. I definitely feel that I have been discriminated against. What you are saying to restaurant owners such as me is that our food and culture do not warrant a category or even a mention.

I have done lots of business with the Pitch in the one and a half years that my restaurant has been open, and it was even named Best New Restaurant last year. I never in a million years would have thought that your paper would do something so demeaning, discriminatory and outright insensitive.

It's 2006. You all need to get with the program. Thelma Oliver,
Kansas City, Missouri

For the Record Bar
We truly want to thank you for all your support and help. This first year as Record Bar has been an amazing and sometimes hectic learning experience.

Without the Pitch's support of community and culture, we wouldn't be where we are. Steve Tulipana, for the Record Bar staff,
Kansas City, Missouri

Act Two
While most of the blurbs in the Best of Kansas City issue were right on, I found one particularly off.

I've enjoyed watching actor Sam Cordes onstage for several years, so seeing him named "Best Theater Newcomer" prompted a bit of déjà vu. In fact, your Best of Kansas City issue in 2004 tagged the young actor "Best Teen Idol." How do I remember such trivia? I wrote it. Steve Walker,
Kansas City, Missouri

Feature: "Ethanol Pushers," September 21 and September 28

Fuel Economy
I appreciate Nadia Pflaum's effort to illustrate the impact of ethanol on one local community.

However, I was a bit concerned by the suggestion that ethanol has a net energy deficit. One study suggests there is an energy deficit, while many studies show there is a net energy balance of 25 percent-35 percent. I don't know about you, but if I could put $1 in and get $1.25 to $1.35 out every year, I would be ecstatic. In addition, most of this corn would be raised anyway, so counting the energy to raise it seems inappropriate to me. Ethanol largely just creates an additional market that raises prices for farmers.

Some criticism is justified. We are all investing in ethanol's future through tax subsidies, and E85 does result in lower fuel efficiencies. We are subsidizing normal gas as well. We consume 160 billion gallons of gas per year in the United States and have spent $300 billion in Iraq so far. That works out to just less than $2 per gallon. For now, a subsidy is a requirement as we facilitate the adoption of big oil, which would rather just sell their refined product. Ethanol will provide as much as 5 percent of our fuel needs within 18 to 24 months as plants continue to come on-line. Five percent is not a solution, but it is a first step. We will not eliminate the need for oil, but we can position ourselves to lighten the blow of an energy shortage.

Unless you are against everything, you have to support something. Marc Paulson,
Overland Park

Gas Gag
I just wanted to drop you a note and say how interesting I found your ethanol articles. I really appreciate you presenting all the facts (less fuel mileage, cost of producing the corn) and not just reporting the hype. There is a great article about alt fuels in the November 2006 issue of Road & Track, but it is rare to see the facts presented so effectively to the non-enthusiast public, as you did!

As a sports-car guy who uses premium for the octane, I really hope Kansas steers clear of Missouri's decision to add ethanol to all fuels in the state. I actually heard a representative from Missouri say, "Why not get rid of the premium pump in favor of E85?" Because some of us need the octane for our performance vehicles, that's why! Jim Graven,
Olathe