First, George Lucas had no plan for the museum [“When did S.F. become the no-go city?” Marina Times, July 2014, page 7]. Would it contain souvenirs from his childhood? Would it contain mostly Star Wars materials that would really just serve as an advertising vehicle for him? And why San Francisco? Why not Modesto, his hometown? He celebrated Modesto in American Graffiti, so obviously he feels a link to that city. But why San Francisco? He did most of his work in Marin.
Also, San Francisco has enough museums: The Italian Museum, the Cartoon Arts museum, the Jewish museum, The Mexican Museum, the GBLT museum, the Musee Mechanique, the Wells Fargo museum, the Palace of the Legion of Honor, the de Young Art Museum, the Disney family museum, the Asian Art museum, the African diaspora museum, the Fire Department museum, the Cable Car museum, the YBCA museum/gallery, the Exploratorium, the Market Street Railway museum, the USS Pampanito, the C.A. Thayer, the Museum of Modern Art, California Historical Society museum, the Beat museum, Pacific Heritage museum, Folk Art & Craft museum, the Craft & Design museum, the Balclutha.
That’s 26 – 26 museums just within San Francisco!
We don’t need any more tourists; we don’t need any more traffic congestion. And we don’t need any cheap museum that’s going to promote George Lucas and his Star Wars films.
David Kaye
San Francisco
Just read your article [“Of Chillows, children and Chihuahuas,” Marina Times, July 2014, page 30]. [I’ve had a] picture up in one of our rooms since your Jazzy articles. You are a fine writer, you are an exceptional human being, and I want to express appreciation for all you have done, are doing, and will do.
We have cats (four). I only wish there was some way to show this appreciation. Many good wishes for you and Skylar.
Lynn Taussig
San Francisco
Susan Dyer Reynolds responds: Thank you so much for your touching letter. As far as helping, there are so many ways. Passing along the articles to raise awareness is a great way to help; just starting a dialogue about the problems in our broken shelter system. Stopping to say “hi” to pit bulls and telling their owners that you have read about Jazzy and Skylar means a lot to us, because so often we face ignorant comments from people who only believe what they see “on the news.”
Adopting, volunteering and donating means the world to great groups like Friends of San Francisco Animal Care and Control; Muttville; Rocket Dog; and the many other rescues I write about. Letters to city officials like the Board of Supervisors supporting the great work Rebecca Katz and her team are doing at ACC and telling them that you support additional funding for them — they do so much with so little. And, of course, continuing to love and support animals as I know you do with your four cats.
