Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, July 14, 2016

Remain vigilant, kill the bridge

KABATA, the Knik Arm Crossing, might be dead for now, but this boondoggle project keeps coming back. We must remain vigilant and fight to kill the bridge each and every time it magically reappears in the budget. I oppose the bridge and will fight to stop it for good. Instead, let's spend our money wisely, on projects that will help Fairview and Government Hill, like improving recreational opportunities for youth, supporting Kid's Kitchen in Fairview, supporting Government Hill Commons, and improving and maintaining our parks and roads. These are projects that help make our streets safer, our schools stronger, and which revitalize Fairview and preserve our Government Hill neighborhood.

— Tom Begich, candidate for Alaska State Senate District J
Anchorage

Jack Roderick’s column spot on

Thank you, Jack Roderick, for your commentary column on July 13th to support moving forward with a new view toward developing the North Slope gas project.
I was equally stunned to read of Sen. Giessel's response that "If there was a significant profit to be made with an Alaska LNG line, I am confident that Exxon would be chasing it."

This senator's comment left me shocked at the lack of concern to protect Alaska's interest in developing this resource. Maybe she should work for Exxon instead?
This type of attitude needs to change and now! We should be in charge of our state and its resources and use these projects to grow our economy and diversify our revenue base.

Thanks, Jack Roderick, for a great column.
— Cindi Squire
Anchorage

Owners’ promises to save 4th Avenue Theatre are baseless

I write to thank Alaska Dispatch News and especially Charles Wohlforth for the recent attention paid to the forlorn — but not forgotten — 4th Avenue Theatre. At 22, I feel energized about my future in Alaska and the city of Anchorage; I hope the 4th Avenue Theatre will be present in that future.

As a student of architecture, I applaud the efforts of the developers and city officials, but I must warn against the juggernaut of densification; I want to see denser and taller buildings downtown, but let us not lose the treasures of the past. We should not think of destroying — both literally and figuratively — the 4th Avenue Theatre when overgrown vacant lots and distasteful, inefficient parking garages populate downtown. The Fangs may promise to maintain the aesthetic of the street, but their promises are baseless; their only goal is profit. They will steal the jewel the city once cherished. They do not understand the value of the building — its qualities and history that can have no monetary equivalent. As a community we must determine which buildings are worth preserving and how to increase their value without replacing them or losing their original essences.

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The theater is a testament of the post-Depression-era hope and determination. The chrome, murals, stone, and ziggurats of Art Deco reminded Americans of the good they had in their lives. The theater was not just a motion picture house, but the heart of a community. Efforts of towns in the Lower 48 to rescue the once-grand and still hauntingly beautiful historical buildings are inspiring the same fervor in Anchorage, especially my contemporaries. I feel that the theater offers much to Anchorage without being a relic; it can be a living space in the urban fabric. The romance of this elegant edifice has seduced Anchorage youth — including me — once again.

— Connor Scher
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

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