Letters

Piedmont Rhapsody
The recent "Ultimate Guide to Bay Area Filmgoing" (Nov. 6) describes our theater as "typically efficient" and concludes with a "Yawn." Such remarks grossly underestimate the uniqueness of the Piedmont Cinemas, where I am chief of staff and promotions.

The Piedmont is a beloved neighborhood favorite, as your reviewers correctly pointed out, but we have gone to great lengths to make it an extra-special place. I hope SF Weekly readers will discover for themselves what a wonderful entertainment experience awaits them at the Piedmont.

Peter Chumo
Oakland

Bill Wyman replies: The "yawn" in the article was ironic and meant to be complimentary.

State of Denial
This letter is sent to correct misstatements attributed to me in "The Grid" column of Oct. 23 ("Burmashave 2"). The airport is currently reviewing the bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. (MHIA), which submitted the apparent low bid for the Airport Rapid Transit System in the amount of approximately $137 million, not a $148 million bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Equipment America Inc. as stated in "The Grid."

The City Attorney's Office is reviewing how the Burma Business Prohibition Ordinance applies to MHIA and the airport's authority to award a contract consistent with the ordinance. Contrary to "The Grid" 's assertions, allegedly provided by me, no determination has been made by the airport that a contract award to MHIA "would violate city law," nor to my knowledge is the City Attorney's Office "looking for a loophole" to the ordinance.

Ron V. Wilson
Director, Community Affairs
San Francisco International Airport

George Cothran and Chuck Finnie reply: A review of interview notes shows that Wilson conceded the Mitsubishi bid seemed to violate city law prohibiting contracts with businesses with ties to the Myanmar regime. The same notes show Wilson told us the city attorney was looking for a way for Mitsubishi to avoid the prohibitions of S.F.'s ordinance. We never quoted him saying the city attorney was "looking for a loophole." Those were our words interpreting his statements. We stand by them. As for the dollar-figure discrepancy, the $148 million referred to the top dollar amount set by the airport administration, not the $137 million bid made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. Wilson is right, however, in correcting us on the name of the corporation. We have also since learned that the $148 million is in fact $165 million.