Dance-music coverage was scarce as hen's teeth, but hope springs eternal when you take the bull by the horns and think outside the box -- so I'm tickled pink: Wow! Mosi Reeves managed to write an article about the dance-music scene here in Miami ("Building a Better Nightclub," February 24) without resorting to the usual clichés!
A great read overall. You need to do more articles of this nature.
Dan Vidal
Miami Beach
But deceitful? That's alarming: Although I am not shocked that Forrest Norman took an unfair and unbalanced stance in his story on Lolita the killer whale ("Captives," February 17), I must admit that the rapid rate at which the journalistic integrity of New Times is shrinking is a little surprising and somewhat alarming.
When Miami Seaquarium was contacted with very little notice of the upcoming story, Mr. Norman was provided with responses to his long list of inquiries. His claim that the Seaquarium was stonewalling with regard to the health and well-being of Lolita is completely unfounded. Not only was he provided with responses to his questions, but we also provided him with information from an official report the U.S. Department of Agriculture released on the issue. (The USDA is the governing body that oversees the health and well-being of animals that reside at marine parks.)
Mr. Norman was provided with a quote taken from a recent report, issued in December 2004, by the USDA following an evaluation of Lolita's health in which the veterinarian and USDA marine mammal adviser who conducted the evaluation stated, "I would rate her teeth among the best-appearing teeth I have seen in a killer whale this age, wild or domestic. Her teeth are certainly better than some animals that are much younger than she." It would seem a reporter's ethics would dictate that this quote be a most important element in the story. However, Mr. Norman neither followed up on the USDA report nor included its findings in his story. This, which seemingly should have been the most important element, was excluded. We encourage readers to investigate this official report, which is a public record.
Instead Mr. Norman decided to use the "expert" opinion of someone who has never examined Lolita and who is not a veterinarian. In fact Mr. Norman took much of her response out of context to fit his story. For the record, Lolita has been part of the Miami Seaquarium family for more than three decades and is in excellent medical condition. She continues to pass her regular health exams with flying colors. Miami Seaquarium takes great pride in our 50 years on the leading edge of marine animal care and husbandry. We give the highest-quality care possible to all our animals, and Lolita's continued longevity is a testament to that quality.
It is unfortunate New Times has allowed its quest for sensationalism to cloud its pursuit of journalistic integrity and credibility. Not only was Mr. Norman's story sloppily researched, but it was a clear sign of the publication's bias against reporting the truth to its readers.
Andrew Hertz, general manager
Miami Seaquarium
Forrest Norman replies: Mr. Hertz is simply wrong in asserting that I ignored a USDA report on Lolita's dental health; I quoted from it in the story. New Times's Freedom of Information Act request for that report is pending. Seaquarium, however, had a copy of the full USDA report. Select quotations from the report, along with partial answers to eight of ten simple questions, were provided by Seaquarium just 30 minutes before my deadline. Following publication, Seaquarium forwarded to New Times a copy of the full report.
Free weekly rebuked for reporting on pot-smoking teens: I am writing in response to two articles by Forrest Norman, "Captives" and "Messing with the Man" (February 17). I feel that the articles were of poor choice. Frankly in a metropolis like South Florida I would think you would be able to find a better cover story.
I don't think many readers care about if Lolita has a cavity or not. Also in relation to the article "Messing with the Man," I think you should stop wasting our time talking about some useless information. I know kids get high and do dumb things -- you don't need to tell me that. Yes, report a little story about the incident but don't go off into some investigation of where the local teenagers go to make out and smoke pot.
I think you should stop chasing kids and start reporting real news. As a journalism student at Miami-Dade College, I feel I could not only write a better story but actually making it interesting. I am happy for your sake that Street went out of press 'cause now your allowed to put whatever garbage you want and you know that the readers have to smell it.
Justin Azpiazu
Miami
Contrary to free weekly's report, Tony Kelly is Mr. Modest: I just read Mosi Reeves's story on reggae producer Tony Kelly ("Lord of the Dancehall," February 10) and there are a few clarifications that need to be made. Let me begin by saying this is not being done in anger, but rather to correct assumptions made about Tony, which are so far off.
Reeves implied that Tony has launched a press campaign so he can secure "larger fees from labels and artists" and "more clout within the music industry." Actually Tony is a laid-back, soft-spoken producer who would rather be in the studio than out pursuing a media campaign. In fact I should reveal that it wasn't Tony's idea to go after publicity, as implied in the story. His manager called my company, 4Sight Media, to work on the project after he won a BMI award for Sean Paul's "Like Glue" and after it was announced that the Def Jamaica album, which he co-produced, was nominated this year for a Grammy.
Tony's work with artists like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder, Sasha, Super Cat, and TOK clearly demonstrates that he doesn't need a press campaign to get business in the dancehall/reggae world, as the article implied. In fact in the history of dancehall, Tony has had the most crossover hits of any dancehall/reggae producer.
Also Tony's brother Dave did not produce "No Letting Go." It was produced by Steven "Lenky" Marsden. Dave did produce some Wayne Wonder, but not that track. Since the article noted that Dave could very well be considered King of the Dancehall, New Times should consider doing something on him as well. He's contributed much to reggae/dancehall music -- and he hasn't retained a fabulous publicist like me.
I'm grateful that Tony is now getting some recognition for contributions he's made to dancehall/reggae, but he did not proclaim himself "King of the Dancehall." However, based on his track record for producing hits, he should have. Maybe we should call him by the article's headline: "Lord of the Dancehall."
Jackie O. Asare
Brooklyn, New York
Though united in arrogance, only two are jailbirds: In his article "Three Strikes, You're Out" (February 3), Forrest Norman reports that [former Homestead mayor and county manager] Steve Shiver boasted, "I own this town." With his arrogance and swollen ego, Shiver joins the likes of Leona Helmsley and Martha Stewart. And after his antics as county manager, he deserves to go where they went!
Anne Greer
Coral Gables
Editor's note: Forrest Norman has more to report about Steve Shiver. See page 13.
Owing to a reporting error in Omar Sommereyns's review of artist Brad Kuhl's show at the Buena Vista Building, the name of collaborating artist Monique Leyton was misspelled. New Times regrets the error.
