Congratulations, Gerritt

From a Pulitzer winner

Regarding “Journalism in danger,” (A11, May 5): I want to thank you for Tuesday’s well-written and gracious editorial about my winning the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.

I also appreciate the congratulatory note the Houston Chronicle’s editorial board sent. It was a classy gesture in the rabidly competitive world of journalism. Since coming to East Texas more than two years ago, I’ve enjoyed the Houston Chronicle’s thorough reporting and incisive commentary.

I especially applaud your coverage of Texas’ insular and immense prison system. Without coverage like yours, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice would operate without accountability or transparency. Keep up the good work.

Jeffery Gerritt, Palestine

Back to school

I’m an eighth-grader at Lake Olympia Middle School, and this pandemic has really affected me. I wasn’t thrilled with school but didn’t realize how much I would miss interactions with both friends and teachers! I actually miss my teachers, as my parents can help only so much. I know they are slowly reopening things, but school is closed for the future except online learning. My goal is to push for schools to reopen in the fall and get back to normal. Homeschooling is not for me!

Ian Morris, Missouri City

Restaurant reopening

Regarding “Texas: Open for business?” (A1, May 2): We called our favorite restaurant to see if they were open. The answer: Yes, please come. We quickly dressed and went there. The staff was amazing — they wore masks, they maintained spacing between tables, and the restaurant was the picture of cleanliness. The food was excellent and I left a very generous tip in recognition of their plight in this crazy shutdown. Perhaps our governor, our county judge and our mayor should actually go to a restaurant to see what our business people are capable of doing if they are trusted. Maybe then they would recognize how badly they have harmed the economy. They have damaged the economy for years to come. I hope that they come to their senses soon.

Larry C Witte, Houston

Regarding “Reservations required,” (D1, May 5): It’s so nice that certain “well-heeled” Houstonians finally are able to dine “high on the hog” at fancy restaurants when other less fortunate Houstonians have to wait hours in line for food donations. A $1 donation to the Houston Food Bank feeds three meals to a family. Hope you enjoyed your $50 steak.

Ron Babin, Houston.

Leadership

Regarding “We must help guide our leaders during crisis,” (A11, May 5): I do not understand why you placed a photograph of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo above Edward P. Djerejian’s op-ed about our communal responsibility to guide our leaders. The implication is that Hidalgo does not listen, which is simply untrue. She has proved herself consistently to be driven by data and has sought expert advice in all her initiatives, including her COVID-19 response. Djerejian’s op-ed suggests a less partisan, more collaborative way forward but, while that is certainly desirable, it is not possible while our state government acts based on ideology rather than science. The governor and lieutenant governor’s photos should have been used instead of Hidalgo’s.

Michael Zilkha, Houston