Put away the race card: Regarding Emily Witt's "Frotesters" (April 5): This is not a racial issue as Barney suggests. Maybe readers should go to each affected employee's personnel file and see the photo attached from their date of hire. Barney is a liar! They were not hired that way! The appearance standard policy is little or no different throughout the state of Florida for all law enforcement agencies! How is Barney affected by all this? He has no Afro or gold teeth! Who does he represent? Only three officers were affected by this policy? The fact is that this guy Barney wants to flex something and feel important — at the cost of whom and what? Barney wants to make it racial!
Maybe enforcement of the policy is your problem. How can the NAACP and Organization of Minority Correctional Officers do anything for these officers when they went through the recruitment process, hiring selection, and academy without these detracting, unprofessional appearances? Miami-Dade Corrections needs a change. Barney needs to shut up. The department needs to make him shut up. He must be an embarrassment to all. He sounds like an illiterate buffoon. If Barney and the three others want to wear T-shirts reading "I'm not an inmate," then they should act professional and respect their careers! Shape up or ship out! Focus your attention on the real issues, not your personal problems. I'm sure there are four willing and able people, black or white, who need a job and are willing to accept the norm. Mayor Alvarez should get rid of these idiots if they continue wasting taxpayer money. Miami-Dade Corrections is now hiring.
Al Postell
Miami
Hats off: Emily Witt's story, "Frotesters," in the April 5 edition of the Miami New Times, depicts Corrections Director Timothy P. Ryan in a photo wearing an Afro wig, gold teeth, gold chain, and an Afro pick to demonstrate the extreme level of racism that exists in the heart of this white man. Miami-Dade County hired Tim Ryan to fix the many serious problems in corrections. However Ryan first had to fix something that wasn't broken: black men wearing braids. Even when the three black men complied with Tim Ryan's racist dress code, they were issued a disciplinary action report by a white female lieutenant recommending ten days' suspension without pay. This action taken by Tim Ryan is totally racist; it's humiliation at its highest level.
It is now the time that the 63 percent of corrections employees who are African Americans reject and denounce Timothy P. Ryan. Corrections cannot move forward with this racist agenda.
A job well done by the Organization of Minority Correctional Officers.
Walter Clark
Via fax
Who you callin' amateur?: In your critic's review of Nijinsky's Last Dance (Brandon K. Thorp, "Amateur Hour at the Asylum," April 5), he wrote: "This play has been a critical success when rendered by people other than Jim Tommaney and Frank Rodriguez." Indeed it has been a critical success as well with this director and this actor. The Herald wrote, "A gem of a play. Credible performance." The Express wrote, "Riveting. Magnetic. Fascinating play."
I've seen the other two major productions of Nijinsky's Last Dance, and ours is better. We successfully portrayed the international success of Nijinsky, which the Jeremy Davidson production did not, as Jeremy, with a shaved head, looked like a convict. And Frank captures the internal torment of Nijinsky, which Ricardo Melendez failed to do, with a show of colored lights and ribbons. I've invited the playwright, Norman Allen, to come see Frank's tour-de-force performance.
I've produced 130 plays and cast about 1000 actors. This play, and this performance, is one of which EDGE Theatre is most proud. We would have liked a good review, but we're happy with the sustained applause, standing ovations, and the heartfelt gratitude of patrons awestruck by Frank's superb performance.
Thank you for coming to review us.
Jim Tommaney
Artistic Director, EDGE Theatre
Miami
A word from the family: As Vaslav Nijinsky's granddaughter, I would like to shake Mr. Thorp's hand. Finally, an honest review!!! Thank you, Mr. Thorp.
Kinga Nijinsky Gaspers
Via the Internet
Correction
Due to a reporting error, the name of Marisol Triana was misspelled in "Behind the Boot" (March 29). Also, Miami-Dade Planning & Zoning Department legal advisor Nancy Rubin was misidentified as an assistant county attorney.
