Letters

A LOVE STORY

I had the privilege of reading your story on the Johnston family [“In Sickness and in Health” by Jamie Reno, May]. I met Ramona and Bill Johnston eight years ago, and I continue to be so impressed with their love for one another and dedication to each other and their children. They are marvelous people who should have been able to live their lives together and not have to deal with Huntington’s disease.

I thank you so much for telling their story; we are extremely grateful to Jamie Reno for his insight, caring and professionalism.

BARBARA BOYLE, CEO
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
NEW YORK CITY

DITTO

Congratulations to Bill and Ramona Johnston, and to Jamie Reno for such a well-written story about such wonderful people!

MARTHA A. NANCE, M.D.
STRUTHERS PARKINSON’S CENTER
GOLDEN VALLEY, MINNESOTA

FOR THE DEFENSE

In defense of Duke Cunningham [“Some Kind of Hero,” by Eilene Zimmerman, May]: I did eight years hard time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in San Diego. How this ties into Duke and San Diego political corruption is that one of our choir directors (an attorney) is now defending a San Diego city councilman (stay tuned).

It’s possible Duke started out heading to Washington with best intentions and a certain belief system. Then he found out his heroes were corrupt. (Once you find out how much the elites steal, why not steal a little for yourself?)

I am in no way saying this is right or just behavior, but how many of your readers have had their hearts broken when they’ve found out everything they previously believed in was false? Your heroes never were anything more than very, very sophisticated bank robbers/foreign exchange investors/currency traders/weapons brokers.

Your readers may say they can never forgive what Duke has done. We must forgive, but never forget.

D. MATTHEW HAYDEN
LA COSTA

SARCASM & SMUDGE

Coming from a gal in her early 20s, it might make Ron Donoho happy (and scare me) to know that I still use pipe cleaners——and I have no idea what Club Penguin is.

His Journal column [“Techno-Fitness,” May] made me double over in laughter. He has a great sense of sarcasm——especially in all his pop-culture references to the healthy movement and the digital era with “carrots and hummus and a side of Cheetos” and the “smudge buttons on pipe cleaners.” (Although it may have been more effective if he’d made note that the veggies were certified organic and the software was Energy Star-approved.)

At his age, however, he should at least have this tidbit in his back pocket: “The dodge-and-burn tool became a Photoshop tool because it’s an actual method photographers use to lighten and darken an area of a photo in the darkroom.” That’s just so he can be that guy at the water cooler who enlightens the youth and reminds them it’s not always about the latest model of the iPod or latest style jeans you have. That’s because, in the end, they all originated from somewhere——that somewhere is what the youth tend to forget, and an era too soon for history classes to cover in the curriculum. It’s up to us to remind them.

LEAH YAM
SAN DIEGO

WRITE ON!

We are planning another trip to the Palm Springs area this year, and we enjoyed the useful information provided by Bill Fink in your Travels publication [“Trek and Treat,” June]. It was both entertaining and helpful. We always like to acknowledge good travel writers.

NINA MOYER
CHICAGO

HOMESICK

You have a great magazine! I miss San Diego——having been born there in 1926; having enjoyed the Great Depression in east San Diego; having my folks build B-24s at Convair while I was in the Army; buying one of the first houses in Clairemont; graduating as an Aztec from San Diego State College; and working on bombers at Convair on Harbor Drive, et cetera.

Got a job with an insurance company, which eventually sent me here to Texas. Old history.

JOHN MCCLURE
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I attended the University of San Diego from 1978 through 1981, and at that time I became a vegetarian and an animal-welfare advocate.

I have remained an animal-loving vegetarian, but I am much more hefty these days. The Cilantro Raw Food Restaurant that was profiled in your “Best of San Diego” feature [June] will be the first place I visit next time I’m in San Diego.

BRIEN COMERFORD
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

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