I'm no longer living in Cincinnati, but I just found out that Kaldi's Coffeehouse has closed and felt a need to write what seems like a letter of condolence. I lived in Over-the-Rhine after moving from Washington, D.C., in 1991. I found a second home of sorts at Kaldi's when it first opened and spent many a wasted day and night there until the last year. I formed friendships and other relationships at that bar that will last forever.

To think that the owner of Kaldi's has survived this long is a testament to what a special place it really was. Kaldi's was the last original Main Street district bar with its original owner. Liberty's closed, Rhino's sold and was never the same, Milton's sold, Local 1207 is gone and Neon's sold. Kaldi's survived the lack of support from the city because the city felt that the Aronoff Center's "backstage" area should be the central city's entertainment district. Kaldi's survived the influx of "corporate" bars and the suburbanites that the corporate bars brought to the area and the racial tensions that came along with both.

Like other restaurants, Kaldi's survived trouble with some of the staff and ridiculous dining reviews from local media concerning the service. Kaldi's watched the local dot-com craze come and go. And just when Kaldi's was beyond just surviving, the 2001 riots hit.

Kaldi's still kept plugging along but couldn't survive that one constant -- the lack of support from the city of Cincinnati of small businesses and Over-the-Rhine in general. Over-the-Rhine has never been the same since the riots, and City Hall has failed in helping the residents, the business owners, the police and the patrons find common ground and a better existence.

I just hope that the owner of Kaldi's might feel better now without the stress of trying to keep it open despite that lack of support.

What I have is the memory of the community I felt at Kaldi's. My favorite phrase to describe Kaldi's is "the Island of Misfit Toys," and that's what made it great. It was the people who spent their mornings for coffee, a quick lunch, Beth Altmeyer's soups, Joe Winterhalter's martini happy hours, the music, Sunday brunch, long nights of too much Guinness and shots and, of course, Sonya and all the women who worked there. I still and will always have the friendships I made in Kaldi's, so I guess I should remind myself that nothing lasts forever.

I think Cincinnati City Council and the Chamber of Commerce shouldn't forget their mistakes in order to foster a sense of community again. They need to begin recognizing the need to support locally-owned establishments and not chains that send their money back to corporate offices outside of Cincinnati. Disneyland can be created on the surface with a new coat of paint, but that doesn't infuse the amazing sense of community I felt in Over-the-Rhine and inside Kaldi's.

-- Steve Greer

stevenpaulgreer@yahoo.com

Must Keep Government Objective and Fair
I'm writing in response to John Fox's editorial "Ohio Religious Right: Welcome to our World" (issue of April 6-12), in which Citizens for Community Values President Phil Burress was exposed for his efforts to force religious values into our state and federal government. These attempts to manipulate political decision making in our state government, however, are overshadowed by the larger issue facing Congress with the proposed "nuclear option" for eliminating the filibuster.

The filibuster guarantees checks and balance in Congress when judicial nominees are questioned as to whether they truly represent the best interests of American citizens. Republican senators would be wise to oppose the "nuclear option" in order to maintain an objective and fair judicial branch of government. They should also realize the potential for future need of the filibuster if they're ever in the minority again in the U.S. Senate.

-- Eric Bair, Loveland