WW welcomes letters to the editor via mail, e-mail or fax. Letters must be signed by the author and include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Preference will be given to letters of 250 words or less. TAKING THE HIGH ROAD... Affordable space, the growing art scene and PDC's revitalization plans were important in my decision to locate a gallery on Alberta Street two years ago. But, most of all, I wanted to create an art business that would show attractive and challenging work. The audience for this art, as I conceived it, was from the neighborhood, the metropolitan area, the region, the country and the world. It never occurred to me that I should scale back my efforts so that people from outside the neighborhood would not attend my shows. In fact I've worked hard with other art business owners to get the word out about the new things happening on the street. Although we've gained some visibility, we still have a long way to go. Alberta Street is far from being paved with gold. That's why the alarmist cries about gentrification in Philip Dawdy's article ["Alberta Rising?," Sept. 6, 2000] seem so out of proportion to reality. We are without exception individual entrepreneurs, and I don't see that changing in the near future. There is racial diversity among the business owners--African Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians--but there are also a large number of woman-owned businesses and gay/lesbian-owned businesses. The spirit of cooperation and good will on the street is, in my experience, extraordinary. While it would be an exaggeration to say that we all have common goals, I believe that we all want the neighborhood to thrive so that we can all benefit. Discussion about how to accomplish this will continue, and we invite WW to report on the process and future developments. Allan Oliver ONDA Studio & Gallery Northeast Alberta Street ...AND SCRAPING BOTTOM Dear Philip Dawdy: Here is a complementary TISSUE paper from Hi-iH in appreciation of your story: "Alberta Rising?" [WW, Sept. 6, 2000]. Yes, if you must know, I wiped white people's asses, much like yourself, then use them in my lamps. Why do you think they cost $200? If you don't want this kind of shit coming at you again you should talk to me before printing crap like that. I noticed you did your research on the history of Alberta and of course you want sensationalism for your audience, but I am sick of the gentrification issue you and D.K. Row kept on bringing up without thorough research on the present politics rather than printing what Reggie Petry (the wolf who cries "boy") has to say on the subject. Are you so blind as not to notice that his "Wet Dream" is all about money, money and lots more money, since he has declared himself as the only art gallery on Alberta? I fart on him and I fart on you too if you keep this shit up. Snap out of it before more shit comes your way. Lam Quang Hi-iH Gallery Northeast Alberta Street Editor's Note: Lam Quang took issue with WW's characterization of his gallery's "tissue-paper [lamp] shades" in our cover story. He says the shades are made from a blend of cotton, hemp and bark. His letter arrived with a small plastic bag containing a piece of tissue paper smudged with a dark brown substance, which we did not seek to identify. In addition, Quang subsequently challenged Philip Dawdy to a jousting contest. Due to scheduling conflicts, we could not accommodate his request. VIEW FROM THE LABYRINTH WW points out the obvious: Social services in Portland are far from perfect ["Borderline," WW, Aug. 9, 2000]. However, instead of offering useful information, Chris Lydgate's piece paints a hopeless picture. Perhaps Lydgate's "Borderline" could have been used to inform the public rather than simply relate the unfortunate couple's involvement with the system's "maze." Why not follow up with insightful research on how Sizemore's "double tax" measure would adversely affect state funding and our already insufficient General Assistance program, which, by the way, is $309 monthly, not $300 as reported in the article. Included with GA are Oregon Health Plan coverage, food stamps, resource referrals and professional assistance with the application process. If Sizemore's measure passes, the GA program, among other programs and dedicated workers, will be eliminated. The implicit message in stories like Lydgate's is that social workers suffer "bureaucratic incompetence" that leads to "chasms" in the system. But which is the greater injustice, Sizemore's measure whose passage would end the provision of such help, or social service workers using every available means of assistance and funding to better the lives of their clients? Instead of jading public opinion of social services by calling them "labyrinthine government bureaucracies," take the time to research what Multnomah County is really doing: integrating services so that clients need only to apply once for a variety of services--not the current reality, but social-service workers in Oregon are fully aware of problems facing people like Richard Dunham and Nancy Axsom and are working to find solutions. Steven Jackson Case Manager, Southeast Disability Services Office Multnomah County