Sensationalized

Two police officers are critically injured and a suspect dead, and you choose the sensationalized headline, "Shootout on the creek" (Oct. 8). Like it is some western showdown at the O.K. Corral? And, what creek? Should I assume it's the one where all the local shootouts occur?

The connotation of your headline completely trivializes a terrible crime you thought was important enough for a news story and Scott Sexton's column (" ‘All we can do is stick together'").

While I'm on the subject of shootouts, I think you shot yourself in the foot.

EVIE GOOD

State Road

Local journalists

I like the Journal's new format, especially the focus on local news. If I want more national and international news, it is available from any number of media outlets. I appreciate having our local journalists focusing on what is happening here in my hometown. Good job, Journal staff.

ELLEN CAMPBELL

Winston-Salem

Basically pleased

Basically, I am pleased with your new format, subject to the following two comments:

First, I believe it would be interesting to poll your readers, from a psychological, historical and sociological viewpoint, on whether they like local news first and national/international last or vice versa. For me, at least, I like the local news first, for it's more interesting, relevant and positive contradistinguished from the national/international news, which is more negative and "doom and gloom." I believe that "charity begins at home."

Second, just when I was feeling good and a little confident about being able to complete the crossword puzzles, it was disheartening to learn from one of your readers (Ask SAM, Oct. 3) that he felt the puzzle is now "too easy!"

Anyway, keep up the good work.

W. McNAIR TORNOW

Winston-Salem

Does his homework

I am very pleased and honored to write this letter in behalf of Chris D. Jones, a candidate for the village council in Clemmons. I have known Chris for many years and find him to be a very qualified candidate based on his desire and his record.

Chris always does his homework on the issues coming before the council. He researches the information thoroughly in order to make the best possible decision.

Chris represents the village of Clemmons on many local, state and national committees and agencies made up of local government officials. He has served as mayor pro tem. He has also served on the Clemmons branch library board and is an active member of the Clemmons Civic Club. He is also very active in his church.

Chris welcomes questions and is always willing to discuss the issues pertinent to his community with its residents.

I would ask voters to give serious consideration to voting for Chris Jones for Clemmons Village Council.

PAUL D. WISE

Clemmons

In hindsight

Winston-Salem taxpayers should get ready to pay. The ink on the ballpark contracts has not dried yet, and city leaders are already back-pedaling; admitting, in hindsight, there were things that should have been done differently while handling the deal with Billy Prim ("A Lack of Oversight," Oct 4).

In hindsight? Where were the critical thinkers just a few weeks ago when the city co-signed the city taxpayers to millions of dollars of debt? From the start there were red flags galore that our leaders ignored while promoting the stadium as a "feel-good" project instead of looking at the soundness of this business deal.

Also mentioned was Prim's inability to get bank financing for his ballpark because the recession had dried up lending. Did City Hall consider that maybe it was actually Prim's poor business plan that kept him from getting money from the banks? To pay back the loan, it has been reported that the Dash must sell over 3,000 tickets for every home game for the next 25 years. This is a tremendous sales increase over the reported several hundred tickets per game it had been selling. Add the problems of greatly increased ticket prices and not enough onsite parking. Maybe the potential lenders saw too high a probability of not being repaid.

If the city wants to learn a lesson from this, here it is: When a multimillionaire like Michael Dell or Billy Prim comes with another "opportunity," run the other way.

MARTIN ASHLEY

Kernersville