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Some years ago, Joni Mitchell penned a profound
little tune that went "Don't it always seem to go,
that you don't know what you got till it's gone, you
pave paradise; and put up a parking lot."
Are
we really gonna do that to the Raymond Theatre?
Let
me just say that aside from the fact that I will duly
deny quoting Joni Mitchell, that the theatre is a part
of history; and we're gonna tear it down?
For
what - Another Jamba Juice?
Another Paquito Mas?
How much coffee can one person drink?
The
majesty of Southern California, as well as Pasadena's
colorful past, is slowly but surely being exhausted.
Is
it less a crime to destroy the painstaking artistry
still living in walls of the Raymond Theatre, than it
would be to obliterate the Pasadena Playhouse?
I
have heard it argued that the Raymond isn't earthquake
proof. That it can be destroyed by an earthquake is no
reason to hasten its demise.
To
be ravaged by the forces of nature has dignity that is
simply not present when the destruction is cause by the
greedy forces of one man. Think I'm Kidding Check out my
former guitarist.
Do
we need another Gap, another William Sonoma, another
Krispy Kreme. Well, maybe a Krispy Kreme.
But
Let's don't tear down the Raymond Theatre.
There is plenty of room for the future and beyond.
This town has always been up around the front bumper of
our culture. There is no question about our capacity to
advance and compete in any department.
What we certainly don't need is another paved paradise -
Let's preserve The Raymond Theatre as the landmark it
deserves to be!
Sincerely,
David Lee Roth
Pasadena, California
www.davidleeroth.com |
