Letters to the Editor

Pets are family

Dear Editor:

As a pet owner, Evans story from last week, “Show Horse Shows Moxie,” was simply harrowing. I am so glad that Carol ultimately received the help she needed from personnel and responders who recognized, as does the federal government after Hurricane Katrina, that animals and pets are family. Just as you would not expect a parent to sit by for four hours with a child trapped at home, the agencies that denied homeowners like Carol access to save their pets were overstepping their authority.

There needs not only to be an equine evacuation plan in place in Mono and Inyo counties, but also some mechanism by which a person with pets can choose to take the risk to save their pets – perhaps a legal waiver they can sign relieving emergency personnel of responsibility for their choices and actions, and that provides legal protection for emergency crews should something happen. I understand that there are many considerations that have to be taken into account when such an emergency occurs, and there needs to be some order for the safety of everyone involved; you don’t want access roads blocked by frantic homeowners, etc.

But there is very good argument to be made that in the face of such a crisis, when everything a person has is at stake, that people need MORE choices, not fewer. There should be a way to accommodate that, and not a default to a dehumanizing and inflexible set of rules that strip away the rights of anyone who faces a potentially life-threatening situation, simply because they are not in a position of authority at that time.

We are adults here – we chose to live in a place where a fire or an earthquake might happen. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t considered what they might do if such a disaster occurs. There is no such thing as “perfect safety”, and within reason, no one should be forced to stand by while their loved ones burn, or made into a criminal should they attempt a rescue.

J.A. macTavish

Rovana

 

Not blithe about Blithe 

Dear Editor:

It is magic to be taken out of oneself and on a wild ride—exactly the experience I had at the Edison Theatre last weekend when I saw Mammoth Repertory Theatre’s production of “Blithe Spirit.”

The Noel Coward play, while written in 1940, is brilliantly valid today. I always think Coward plays should be viewed with a dry gin martini in hand, one as dry as his humor. Between the laughter and intelligent dialogue, what a play!

I am aware that I’ve said this before, but “Blithe Spirit” is one of the best theatrical presentations I’ve seen in Mammoth. The cast is amazing, absolutely a perfect match for the words and actions of the comedy about a man researching ghosts for a book, which brings unexpected consequences.

Jarrett Jackson is the most hilarious “medium” ever, floating in her trances and summoning elementals and poltergeists in her séances. Susan Dalian is the wonderfully dramatic and confused second wife, Natalie Wolf the louche ghost of the first wife. Dave Hodge and Chuck Scatolini are outstanding, and Shanda Duro is the goofiest, spoofiest maid. Juliana Olinka directs to a T with crackerjack timing and seamless delivery. There’s not a slow moment in the whole evening.

Not to mention the costumes. A knockout wardrobe spirited here from the 1940s. And the set … wow!

There’s only one weekend of performances left. Really. Go see it.

Diane Eagle Kataoka

Mammoth Lakes