Give Credit
Re: “Big Empty” (<a href="https://www.santacruz.com/articles/what_happened_to_the_e-c-_rittenhouse_building.html): Regarding your recent cover and article on the Rittenhouse Building, I would like to add some details that I feel were barely discussed in your article. First, Louis Rittenhouse has been extraordinarily generous to many, many nonprofit organizations and artists. I feel he has been extremely generous in allowing many artists (of whom I am one) to display their work in his building. He could have used his windows to advertise all sorts of commercial enterprises—but instead he chose to show art and engage in philanthropy.
The fact that he has chosen to allow many worthy organizations window space in his building speaks to the sort of character of a man he is. He could have chosen, instead, to rent his space out to a Walgreens. Is that the type of establishment that Santa Cruz wants right on our beloved beautiful downtown? I, for one, think he has high standards and that many artists and causes have benefited from the exposure he generously allows us. And lastly, his building manager Kevin Melrose deserves a great deal of credit for keeping the building filled with beautiful art and supporting worthy causes. The man works endlessly. Give some credit where credit is due.
Catarina Hosler
Santa Cruz
Besieged by Fake Women
Re: “Deep Web” (<a href="https://www.santacruz.com/articles/tim_goncharoffs_political_puppet_show.html): Tim, it’s interesting to note that you don’t come out and flatly claim that this story is untrue. You just dance around the topic with lots of self-righteous indignation and claim “social media is rife with such things.”
But no, it actually isn’t. Show us another instance (besides in your own mind) where some middle-aged dude with a beard is suddenly besieged by fake beautiful women on Facebook who say things like, “Awesome, Tim. You are so inspiring.” Just one.
Hey, if the article is untrue, go ahead and sue the Weekly for defamation. And then, during the discovery phase, you can go subpoena Facebook for the IP addresses of these supposedly fictional supporters, just to prove it wasn’t you.
Brian MacDonald
Santa Cruz
Big Plans for The Rit
Re: “Big Empty”: Years ago, I lived in Santa Cruz long enough to get the flavor of the place, but not long enough for it to mess my mind. I wasn’t at the university, of course.
I recall thinking that the then-new Rittenhouse building would have made an excellent presidential place for Saddam Hussein, who was still nominally in power at the time. Think of all the tourist dollars that would flow in, to see the ceremonial changing of the guard, and maybe hear the occasional speech delivered from the balcony (I assume the Rit has one). Best of all, the Iraqi presidential guards could have patrolled Pacific Avenue and chased the bums away.
As it is, if the future is Amazon, I suggest that the place be used by them. Just have it absorb Bookshop and Logos overnight, like an amoeba would. The roof, which I believe is tallest in the vicinity on three sides, could be used as a drone launching pad. Soon, UCSC will have a new program in drone technology, if it doesn’t already.
The final possibility is to turn it into a very large bar. Perhaps more than anything that would meet the needs of the student populace, with no danger of putting others out of business.
If all else fails, conspire with the UCSC astrophysics department. Have them say that a black hole has been captured, and now sits in the Rit.
Charge people a dollar and a half just to see it, so to speak. At four in the afternoon each day, feed the black hole with some panhandlers.
Robert Allgeyer
(Formerly of) Santa Cruz and Aptos
