Photo by Michael Menchero

In Pursuit of Machismo?

[About: “In Pursuit of Efficiency: Black and Whites in Miami Beach Could Soon be Green” by Angie Hargot, published Feb. 5]

Angie, nice piece on pursuit vehicles. I enclose this for consideration by The Lead’s readers:

Where was that cost benefit analysis, RE: Maintenance versus purchase?

What about reducing the fleet as way of attaining an ambulatory police force?

Why did [The City Manager] not know of Hybrid vehicles on the State list? (Why do we need cars capable of 140 mph on an island, anyway? Answer: MACHISMO).

Does anyone believe that car makers will not accept late orders?
Don’t we have other things to do with 50 cars at $25,000 [each] equaling $1.25 million?

Such large non-essential expenditures do not belong on the consent agenda. Thanks.

Mike Burke
Miami Beach

Hey! Don’t We Need the Lincoln?

[About: The current retail fate of the New World Symphony building in the Lincoln Theater]

If we lose the extant Lincoln Theatre, will we be searching for a means to recreate such a venue in a few short years, at great expense?

I've not seen any weighty evaluation, and I don't even know if the new NWS's campus includes such a medium-sized space.

Apparently, an evaluation of the need for a 700-seat venue, such as the Lincoln, has not been examined, separate from the needs of the New World Symphony. An evaluation of the need for the Lincoln, separate from NWS, is the absolute community bottom line.

First, though, it must be determined how the sale of this site, figures into the overall financial well being of the NWS. If the income from this sale is indispensable to the NWS, then we'd have to suggest alternatives.

Nothing I've seen about the new NWS "campus" addresses the growing Miami Beach community's need to provide for its own ongoing orchestral and theatrical future. The point is that NWS cannot make this decision about the LT, as if in a vacuum.

Miami Beach has invested heavily in the NWS campus ($15 million), and thereby has standing to ask: Has the great population growth of Miami Beach and surrounding area created a need to expand on the municipal Colony Theater and the Jackie Gleason Theater venues in South Beach to include Lincoln Theatre?

MJ King
Miami Beach

Save the Lincoln Theatre

[About: The current retail fate of the New World Symphony building in the Lincoln Theater]

Before I moved to South Beach, I spent much time on Lincoln Road. I went to the New World Symphony at the Lincoln Theatre, enjoyed the restaurants, attended several performances at the Colony Theater, and often watched the practice sessions through the window at the ballet. I knew I could find a good analog to any one of these places elsewhere, but the mix of culture, restaurants and shopping on Lincoln Road appealed to me. That mix on Lincoln Road – and the atmosphere created by it – was the most significant reason I spent so much time there and the primary reason I moved to South Beach.

I understand that the Lincoln Theatre is being converted (or considered for conversion) into a mini-mall.

From an economic perspective, I understand the retail value of that piece of property. I also understand the difficulties we face with our economy. But at some point, if Lincoln Road loses its charm — the charm that attracted me to make this my home — we will suffer far greater economic losses. Aventura Mall has nice restaurants and stores, but it’s not a world-famous place to live or vacation. Without the mix of culture and independent shops, we are turning off the charm of Lincoln Road. And when the charm of Lincoln Road diminishes, so does the value of our homes and businesses. The economics of one piece of property cannot be assessed in a vacuum.

From a cultural perspective, I certainly acknowledge that performances can be relocated. But looking at the entire body of life here, having those performances mixed into the heartbeat of the area brings that culture to the city in a way that cannot be done from the extremities. Simply, it would change the feel of our home from a vibrant, hip, attractive cultural center to an ordinary high-end shopping center — even if the same plays or performances were to be offered a few blocks away in a new building.

I have good memories of performances at the Lincoln Theatre, and I am sure my experiences are not unique. But I don’t need to draw my conclusions from nostalgia; I draw them from a sensible approach to our future — and leaving the Lincoln Theatre as a performance hall on Lincoln Road is the smart thing to do, the practical thing to do and the right thing to do.

Michael Krawitz
Miami Beach

The Lincoln Will Be Missed!

[About: The current retail fate of the New World Symphony building in the Lincoln Theater]

I have ushered with my friend at the Lincoln Theater to some very good shows. A lot of them were free to the public, a lot of them charged a very nominal fee. It would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful theater.

Edithe Greenberg
Miami Beach

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