We were delighted to read "Sisterhood of the Travel Trailer" on July 14, Anne Constable's excellent coverage of the book-signing event at Garcia Street Books for Sisters on the Fly: Caravans, Campfires and Tales from the Road, by Irene Rawlings.

We were, however, disheartened by the last sentence of the article stating that the book was available "online at Amazon.com."

Garcia Street Books has hosted countless book-signing events featuring local authors and internationally known superstars, such as Margaret Atwood, Greg Mortenson and Eve Ensler. It is only through the support of our loyal customers who prefer to purchase their books from us, rather than online, that we are able to do so.

Amazon.com can neither host book signings nor encourage local authors by sponsoring events. If your newspaper encourages online book buying, in the future there will be no events left to cover.



The Valles Caldera needs our support, and it needs it now. On June 30 in Washington D.C., the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on S. 3452, the bill to dissolve the Valles Caldera National Preserve Trust and have the National Park Service assume management of the preserve.

How wonderful for this gorgeous preserve to get some experienced management, and who better than our beloved Park Service? Connecting Valles Caldera with the Park Service's prestige and public outreach will gain it much needed visibility, opening it to greater enjoyment by New Mexicans and our out-of-state visitors alike. Don't you just love it when the government does things we can be proud of? Thank you, Sen. Jeff Bingaman!



The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market this year was marvelous as always. No provisions, however, seemed to have been made for the people with disabilities. In previous years, disabled parking was provided at the top. This year we were directed back to the PERA parking lot and were expected to stand in line for the buses. Is it not the law that public events provide for the disabled?



Harlan McKosato's July 11 column, "Modern times took toll on amphitheater," defending possible demolition of the Paolo Soleri, was wrong on many levels. His complaint about cost to repair is ludicrous considering the millions New Mexico entities spend every time they bump into an Indian artifact. Also, concert fees should pay for operating cost.

We thought our government gave the use of that land to Native Americans, not the ownership. The comment about "no current plan to demolish" is hardly reassuring, given the aesthetic blight they created in the dead of the night at the Santa Fe Indian School as they asserted "their land, their right."

Indian School trustees have been less than forthright in the past and because they are spending money to hire a public relations firm, there is little reason to believe them now. Our city officials need to do all they can to protect Paolo Soleri. I find it very disconcerting that cultural and social sensitivities seem to be such a one-way street.



On Thursday at around 12:15 p.m., a woman in an older white Lexus sedan stopped at the intersection of East Alameda Street and Old Santa Fe Trail. The person behind us honked at her to turn, and I guess she thought it was us. She gave us the one-finger salute five times in a half a block area in front of about three dozen tourists.

What a really welcoming and a graceful gesture! I hope it made Ms. Texas' day; while the Lexus had a New Mexico license plate, the plate rim boasted Dallas/Plano. I am sure that all the tourists who witnessed her welcome to Santa Fe were appalled. Shame on her!



Deepest thanks to everyone who made the Santa Fe visit of the Caravan to Cuba such a success. Special thanks go to Mayor David Coss and City Councilor Chris Calvert for their warm words of support for Santa Fe's Sister City relationship with Holguin, Cuba, to Westminster Presbyterian Church, and to the many generous contributors of medicine, construction materials and school supplies as well as dollars.

It's possible to follow the caravan as it approaches the border on its way to Cuba at www.ifconews.org. Let's all continue to work toward open relations with our Cuban friends, eliminate the travel barrier and trade blockade, and free the Cuban 5.