Love-Hate Mail

Railroad crossingIn response to the letter to the editor submitted by Davis Carr (Love/Hate Mail, Dec. 6), several of the houses on Sadler Avenue predate the construction of the spur track that crosses Sadler Avenue. In fact, one of our residents remembers stories of his grandparents fighting the construction of the spur. The contention of most residents is not only that CSX continues to use the spur, but that it allows trains to park for extended periods of time, which blocks access of emergency vehicles and school buses to our neighbors. If you recall from the article (“A Neighborhood Railroaded,” Nov. 15), our neighborhood is completely surrounded by tracks that are operated by CSX. Davis Carr’s comment that the neighborhood is “cheap” implies that only wealthier neighborhoods should be shielded from big business operating in residential areas in an unsafe and unethical manner. If Davis Carr had a better understanding of our neighborhood, he would realize that 1) the houses were there first and 2) the majority of our homes are owner-occupied and have been for years. We do not wish for a government bailout as he so implied. We just wish to have CSX cooperate with us to improve the safety of our neighborhood. TERESA BATESPRESIDENT, SADLER VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONTeresa.Bates2@HCAhealthcare.com (Nashville)

A cursory glance at TheTexasSapphires.com would have informed the reviewer that what we do is anything but a pose. My first 18 years were spent on a hog farm performing quite difficult chores (along with such recreational diversions as hunting and horse training). I cut my teeth on Dad’s Roy Acuff and Hank Thompson (not my dorm mate’s Hank III). I’ve played various types of music since age 5, but mostly country. What is a “punk rocker” in ’07? Perhaps the Scratch Acid T-shirt worn under my Nudie jacket compelled the reviewer to such drivel. I played the Willie Picnic in ’01. Not country enough? Ask fellow Austinite Dale Watson—contrasted in the same piece with my band as the “real-deal”—about my guitar picking.

Co-lead singer and native Texan Rebecca Lucille Cannon’s childhood was filled with the likes of Merle, Willie, Lefty, Tubb and such. Her powerful Loretta-inspired vocals caught the attention of our album’s producer Lloyd Maines. That she once fronted a successful alterna-pop band shouldn’t disqualify her. Her husband/steel player Nathan Fleming is considered to be one of the best up-and-comers around, having learned every Buddy Emmons and Lloyd Green lick recorded, studied under Ricky Davis (Dale Watson’s Lonestars) and played on the new Johnny Bush album. He also loves The Misfits. Reckon he should just quit country.

I have no problem with a reviewer ripping our music and agree that the scene is rife with band-wagoners who recently discovered Cash, but I take exception to bogus invectives pegging us as such clowns.BILLY BRENT MALKUSTexasSapphires@gmail.com (Austin)

Pulled awayThe Dallas Observer is losing an excellent, honest, smart and fair investigative reporter in Matt Pulle (Editor’s Note, Dec. 6). The readers of the Scene should be delighted to hear of Pulle’s return. I have been a local Dallas activist for many years. I can tell you sincerely that Matt Pulle’s pen is far mightier than the sword. Hope you guys can keep Matt for a long time, but we all here wish he had never left. Maybe you guys can find a way to clone him and send the original back to us here at the Big D. We will miss him and his pen very much. Congratulations, Matt.GEHRIG M. SALDAÑAgehrigs302@sbcglobal.net (Dallas)

Ax the MexicanI would like to thank the Nashville Scene for putting together such an excellent paper. I much appreciate the variety of topics covered, and I think it’s an excellent guide for the events in Nashville and surrounding areas. But I found one article called “Ask a Mexican” very deplorable, and I believe that the author Gustavo Arellano portrays an awful image of the Mexican culture to the Nashville community. I believe that this section just creates hostility between cultures and that such an excellent paper shouldn’t have such an article in it.SUZET GALINDO-MARTINEZsuzet.galindo-martinez@vanderbilt.edu (Nashville)