Friday, October 30, 2009

Berg property is bad choice for nude beach

In reference to your article on a location for nude beaches, I'm sorry to say that the Berg property is already occupied. Actually, the original settlers never left. It is no longer the "Berg property," it was bought by the city a few years back and it's now a nature preserve.

I am a next-door neighbor and am very much in tune to the happenings at this rookery. This area is home to many wading birds that use the shoreline for feeding and cavorting. In spite of the public access ramps, there are families of herons, egrets, ibises and ospreys living and breeding in that property, which is virtually a bird sanctuary. Large numbers of migrating birds also use the area for an overnight rest during the spring and fall. It is of little use to humans wanting to use as a beach, since the area is very shallow and has mostly a silty, muddy bottom.

Tourists also come to Key West to enjoy its natural beauty. Let's also be caring citizens and protect the unique wildlife we have. Let's leave some parts of our island as God made it. We also need areas to walk along, among the scurrying wading birds, the squawking osprey young and diving pelicans --areas that inspire peace and joy and communion with nature.

Josefina Reif

Key West

Small businesses victim to mistakes of others

My recent visit to Key West, via ferry, was very short but I accomplished what I came to Key West for.

Couple things I have noticed about your little island since my last visit. It is cleaner. Many of the sidewalks have been repaired, T-shirts no longer line the streets and the dreadful smell by Hog's Breath saloon is gone.

But for being such a small island, it was noisy and many of the stores are being lost to the economy. My conversation with Robert from Diamond International was informative as we walked from one store to another. My question: How can small-business owners afford the rent, stay in business and break even? And if their landlords work with them on the cost.

It is a vicious cycle. Banks want their money, landowner needs to pay the bank, renter needs their cash flow and tourists need jobs to support the renter's business. Who are the ones who need to loosen the rope that ties everyone together? The bank. Who are the ones who gained the most out of the stimulus and bailout money? The banks.

The two culprits to the economy crisis? The appraiser and the Security Exchange Commission.

It is the worker and small- business owner who are paying the price for their mistakes. The biggest mistake county commissioners tried to do? Make Key West into an island like Manhattan.

Elizabeth M. Sullivan

Washington, D.C.

Let's not resurrect an ancient religious feud

Perhaps the way to ecumenical peace is to reshuffle the members of the Roman and Anglican churches so that individual Christians are free to find a spiritual home that's doctrinally comfortable. The differences between these two great Christian religions would become more complementary than competitive.

The pope and the Roman Catholic Church are, in the eyes of some, trying to recruit the more conservative members of the Anglican flock, in part by offering them a special category (which includes acceptance of marriage for clergy) not available to other Catholics. Many Anglicans, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics feel this is an affront. The Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican community, differs from the Vatican primarily in that it is democratic and believes men, women, gays and lesbians are human beings with equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities within the church and, further, the Episcopal Church doesn't impose celibacy.

Rather than resurrect an ancient Christian feud that goes back to King Henry VIII, it may make more sense to allow the parishioners of both churches to freely choose the religion best suited to their personal beliefs, principles and traditions.

Roger C. Kostmayer

Key West