Bringing music to the community
Editor: My company, Starbright Entertainment, has produced a couple of music concerts in Lodi at Hutchins Street Square.
The News-Sentinel has been a wonderful 'partner' in promoting the events, through both advertising and editorial content. My sincere thanks to Monica LoBue in advertising and Kyla Cathey for her great stories about the people behind the events.
Kyla is a very talented writer and is surely appreciated by me. Also, Mandi Dumlao from Hutchins Street Square, has to be acknowledged for her great service as events coordinator. I would also like to thank the great people of Lodi for supporting the Charlene Powers Lange Theatre ... we have more outstanding entertainment to come. JOHN ZURFLUEH Starbright Entertainment
Keep politics out of entertainment
Editor: The entertainment industry is a very lucrative business, especially music, movies, and sports. The revenue from the advertising itself is immense.
We pay dearly for just a moment of precious respite from our daily drudgery of eking out a living. However, I, for one, (and hopefully others) do not appreciate it when it is interrupted by famous personalities imposing their views upon us during those brief periods of respite.
I am not against free speech. There are many other venues in which to express it, just not on my paid time of enjoyment. It's just like a banker, real estate agent, salesperson, butcher, baker, candlestick maker trying to convince me of their political views while conducting business.
It just isn't done. The sport figures and actors are paid to perform (dearly, I might add) to do their job, just like the rest of us when we work.
Do they even realize that they are attacking our country in general, for just one area of perceived injustice? I would not be surprised if these incidents are being arranged by outside influences to tear our country apart (or even inside influences to elevate their own perceived importance and revenues).
I fear for the our progeny, for they are more easily influenced by the idols of these industries, as well as our liberal educators who seem to be following Saul Alinsky's formula for restructuring our society.
For my part, I am done with watching my favorite sport of all time. The advertisers will do without my viewing, and the stadiums without my presence.
One more thing. On last Sunday's “Meet The Press,” a Mr. Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press dared to state that our national anthem was "racist"! Going over every word in that revered song, I could not find a racist word in there. My opinion is that anti-American should be barred from that and any other station.
Our country is quickly losing ground in the International community in all respects. I may be just one drop of rainwater, yet according to Nelson Mandela that's how it starts. VIC ARDELEAN Lodi
Letters invited
The Lodi News-Sentinel welcomes opinions from its readers. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and phone number for internal verification purposes. All letters are subject to editing. Letters from local readers dealing with local issues are given priority. Letters from outside the local area are published at the editor’s discretion. Letters longer than 350 words will be cut to fit or returned to their writers. There is a holding period of 30 days between publication of letters by the same person unless no other letters are queued. Send letters to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241-1360; or email to letters@lodinews.com.