mail@washingtoncitypaper.com

Trophy life

I am writing in reference to the article “Class Pictures” by Ruth Samuelson (7/25). I would like to thank you for this well-written article highlighting the school closings, artifacts retrieved, and recognizing Nancye Suggs’ role in preserving DCPS history.

I am transitioning into Nancye Suggs’ position as the director of the Sumner School after she retires in September. I started June 9, 2008, and was present throughout the entire artifact retrieval process.

I am writing specifically in reference to the opening of the article, which states, “The school trophies had to stay where they were. They would not be making the trip downtown to the D.C. public school system’s archive. The trophies were generic, boring, and, worst of all, they never listed the names of kids or schools. Plus, DCPS historian Nancye Suggs didn’t have room for them.”

We currently have a collection of several hundred trophies that encompass over one hundred years. They are attributed to several schools that existed and still exist in the DCPS system. I would like to clarify that many trophies from the closing schools made the trip to the Sumner School. We did, however, decline those that did not list the names of students or the school, but did not refuse all of them.

I want to clear any possible misconception that the Sumner Staff believes school trophies are meaningless and that we do not have an interest in them.

On behalf of the staff at the Sumner School Museum & Archives, I would like to thank you again for the article. It has generated interest in the site, and I am confident that it will continue to do so.

Kimberly Springle

Supervisory Archivist

Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives

sasquatching the detectives

At last! A well-researched and -written article on Bigfoot (“Hot for Creature,” 7/18).

I’ve followed the Bigfoot story for over 40 years. One of my Army buddies, in 1963, told me about growing up in Northern California and talking to the local Indians working the logging camps. They told him stories fo how Bigfoot would come into the camps and disrupt operations by throwing around the 55 gallon drums of the loggers.

My friend wrote one of the first stories, entitled “Bigfoot,” and had it published!

Anyway, thanks for your objectivity in this report.

Jack Sturges

Arroyo Grande, Calif.

meat-mopping defended

I seriously wish to know why McMillan’s BBQ was even in Tim Carman’s article about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Young & Hungry, “Culture Clubbed,” 7/18).

If you felt like tanking the Bhutanese food or chef, that’s one thing.

Louis McMillan, owner of McMillan’s BBQ, had no reason to be assailed.

He has fed tens of thousands of people all over the world and was mentioned TWICE in Texas Monthly, including one of the Top 50 BBQ Joints in all of Texas, by cooking his way.

He does “mop” his meat, and it is his belief that it is essential.

Perhaps everyone HE knows does mop their meat. Mr. McMillan runs his restaurant the way HE sees fit. It isn’t his job to check what the other restaurant folks do.

When a Pitmaster speaks, you listen and apply what the pitmaster tells you.

If you don’t like his way of doing things, go somewhere else! Your quibble about whether a mop is needed or not doesn’t change the fact that Louis McMillan’s is one of the Top 50 BBQ Joints in all of Texas. He, like many others uses a mop.

What is your claim to cooking fame? What are you known for?

As I recall, you weren’t demonstrating anything at the Smithsonian, other than your constitutional right in displaying an annoyingly ignorant mind.

President Bill Clinton had this country running in a surplus. President G.W. Bush has us in a tremendous deficit. Does that make G.W. Bush any less presidential?

President Clinton did things his way, President Bush does things his way. Whether you agree with the way President Bush does things or not doesn’t keep him from being president.

Your pitiful disagreement with Mr. McMillan doesn’t keep him from being Pitmaster, his food from being outstanding, nor from him being successful. However, your sad attack on the man does keep you right where you are…a nobody with no skills other than typing random and very obtuse thoughts. That makes you less valuable than a secretary. When a secretary leaves her job, she is missed. Who will miss you, Tim? Who listens to what you say? Are you one of the top writers in your field? Are you in the Top 50 of writers, magazines, national newspapers…anything???

Be thankful someone pays you for your indefensible babbling, as obviously you couldn’t do much else!

Dr. David P. Moten

Victoria, Texas

corrections

Due to an error by columnist Mike DeBonis, last week’s Loose Lips misstated the election slate that D.C. Democratic State Committee chair Anita Bonds will appear on. She is on the “Obama for Change” slate, not the “Obama for D.C.” slate.

Due to an error by former City Lights Editor Matthew Borlik, a photo of the Athens, Ga.-based band Sweet Teeth ran in the July 18 issue instead of a photo o of the D.C.-based band of the same name. The local band, comprised of Chris DeWitt, Tim George, and Zacky O., plays a free show July 31 at Asylum, 2471 18th St. NW.