Mailbag

Big Box Bonanza

To the Editor,

Three wonderful articles about big boxes in two weeks. Thank you!

I loved the combination of Margaret Regan's and Dan Huff's pieces in the September 9 issue ("Thinking Outside The Big Box" and "Incendiary Thinking," respectively) -- her tender and wistful evocation of a humane community and his scabrous take on toxic corporate behavior. I'm familiar with the Fort Collins ordinance that she wrote about, but her article brought it to life.

-- Chris Tanz


Final Word

To the Editor,

The Tucson Weekly deserves a bushel of thanks for printing "Marvelous Malvina" (August 26). The wonderful turnout to the sparkling event had to be in some small way due to that preview, considering how few people would otherwise have known who Malvina Reynolds was.

With that in mind, I read with surprise Jack Cox's letter in Mailbag (September 9). He takes your writer to task because she "neglects to mention that she (Malvina) was the mother of Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio." As you headlined the letter "Added Insight," I set out to find some. Malvina's daughter, for whom the lovely hit song "Turn Around" was composed, tells me she is an only child, and as far as she knows, Nick Reynolds is no relation, not even a second cousin twice removed.

Shall we consider this the Reynolds wrap?

-- Ted Warmbrand


Tribal Trials

To the Editor,

As a regular reader of the Tucson Weekly, it came as a surprise to see the "Il Duce Lives" piece in The Skinny (September 2), describing another example of the abuse of power and total disregard for the will of the Yaqui people.

As the article in The Skinny mentioned, this current (third) recall effort is in danger of failing due to the manipulation of Il Duce and pals and their Election Board. Previous recall efforts have failed when the rules have been changed at the last moment.

Other examples are employees (tribal members) residing on the reservation, who bring up issues concerning the health, safety and appearance of this community, being subjected to weekly drug tests, with said employees finally being suspended and terminated by non-Indian directors for violating non-existing health and safety regulations.

Terminated employees are told to follow a grievance procedure, only to come before a grievance committee that will not hear or accept evidence. This committee, whose decision is final, operates in the manner of a kangaroo court and has the apparent blessing of tribal leaders.

Then there is the matter of a department director (non-Indian) whose attitude holds nothing but contempt for the Yaqui people. This individual insults community members in a public meeting with the Tribal Council present. This incident does not draw a reprimand or at the very least, an apology, to the people present.

There are many more examples and incidents concerning matters on this reservation, but since space is limited in Mailbag, I will close with the knowledge that I may have brought an end to my employment with the Pascua Yaqui tribe.

-- David G. Jaimez