LETTERS

I was only occasionally and peripherally involved in the old Maryland Parkway (January 19, "Days of Future Past") scene, and I felt at the time that Roma and Copioh were made to sound more interesting than they were, but I also saw music professors play jazz at Rainbow, and childhood-friend bands and midnight theater troupes perform at Roma, and I saw the Dominoes play at the Sports Pub. I saw Tori Amos at Artemus Ham Hall while wearing a Sandman T-shirt and climbed a tree to wave and cheer when she went out the stage door, and I saw Suzanne Vega at the Huntridge, and she laughed along with us when we messed up an audience response part.

I rented midnight movies at Tower and debated religion and abortion rights at Roma. I discussed philosophy and mythology in front of the comic book store near Roma and converted hipsters to the Sandman, Death & Constantine. The whole time, people kept hoping it would blossom into an interesting scene someday, but I don't think anyone imagined we might be looking back 10 years later saying: Y'know, that was a pretty interesting scene, wasn't it? ...

Too bad you didn't get a reminiscence from Carter in the voice of Zoot Suitcase. I miss him.

It was great to go back in time to remember what fun it was on Maryland Parkway 10 to 15 years ago. Having frequented all of the places you mentioned in the article, I can only hope the presence of a Starbucks does not scare anyone off. Although the beloved Benway Bop! is gone, there is the great Big B's, although time will tell if that continues due to recent changes in staffing.

However, I think you neglected to mention the one business that was there in 1987 and remains there today: Alternate Realities Comics (formerly Dungeon Comics). The store opened at The Promenade Center in '87 and then moved to its current location in 1990. It weathered the ups and downs of the comics industry and (if I'm doing my math correctly) it is currently the oldest store in town.

Coincidentally, the original Dungeon Comics was started by Ron Benway's brother and the two shops enjoyed good times together for quite a few years when they were neighbors.

Maybe once Mayor Goodman is done revitalizing the Downtown area, he can throw some support to Maryland Parkway, just no condo's, please.

I hate to interrupt the soap opera about nostalgic Las Vegas that you're running on your "Letters" page, but I feel that it's time once again to rag on the panhandlers that work the Fremont Street Experience area, Downtown. I was solicited by three street urchins within an hour last Friday night who wanted my money and I found it very annoying. And besides that, this new wave of moochers don't just ask for a quarter, or some loose change, they say, "Can you spare a few bucks?" What's up with this increase? Has inflation had an impact on our local street bums, as well as on our local economy?

Our compliments to Skylaire Alfvegren for the excellent and thoughtful article, "Questions for Skeptics," in the January 26th issue. Many of us Forteans remember a long time when Randi was an entertainer, rather than the personification of skeptical science.

Not only was Richard Abowitz's article about Israeli decorative art ("What Makes Jewish Art?", January 19) unduly mean-spirited, it contained an alarming, potentially anti-Semitic error: the reference to "reformed, conservative or orthodox" Jews. The three mainstream Jewish sects are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Reform Jews are not former Jews who have realized the error of their evil ways and repented, but rather observant Jews who have adopted a relatively liberal interpretation of thethe Torah. Also, Abowitz mixes up "route" and "rout." Clearly, a schlemiel.