Page One

Editor: 

Patrick Kennedy's proposal for a new building housing a new Fine Arts Theater seems to me to be an admirable one, especially in alleviating the structural drawbacks of the current theater and building, but I have a couple of suggestions: I would hope that this new theater, in addition to its art-deco exterior, have an art-deco (or similarly grand) interior as well (and perhaps Kennedy is already considering this), particularly in the auditorium.  

One need look no further than the Shattuck (at least the original ones) or the Grand Lake's two small screens for examples of what can be done. Make the Fine Arts a real “Fine Art.” 

I would also suggest that Kennedy make every single effort he can to help the Fine Arts operation continue to progress and prosper in the interim. It is a wonderful asset to Bay Area filmgoers, and it would be a shame if it befell a similar fate to Gaia Bookstore. While I do not necessarily blame Kennedy for that, losing two venerated institutions on his watch would not help his already fairly controversial reputation. 

Garrett Murphy 

Oakland