note: This letter was first written over a month ago and has been sent to you more 
than a few times since. In the meantime a couple things have changed. For one, your 
unbiased publication has printed numerous letters responding to the proposed Coventry 
developement. Most of these have been from the commercial interests involved, using 
laughably obvious double-speak to defend thier actions. One or two 
have been written from a community perspective, but not one submission
from an actual denizen of the area has been printed as of yet.
    Second is an event that occured three weeks ago, on Friday, the eleventh of April.
 Every Friday we distribute food, now in conjuntion with 
the Food Not Bombs effort. That particular Friday we were harrassed
by the Cleveland Heights police and threatened with arrest - after
Arabica called them and asked we be removed from the area. Arabica, 
you may remember, is one of the principles behind the developement 
plan. Surprisingly, after two hours of verbal harrasment and an incident where an officer
 attempted to throw our food into the garbage, the police simply left with the admission 
we had broke no laws. I am sure if the proposed developement goes through, we shall not be
 treated so fairly in the future.
    Here is the original letter in its entireity, but feel free to edit for space (or my
 terrible spelling). By the way, we have photos
 of the April 11 incedent which may be very interesting...

             =)                                   =)
After reading two subsequent letters in these pages supporting the
proposed 'developement' of covntryard (both, interestingly, written by
persons allied with the corporate sector) I felt I must respond, lest your
readers accept an incomplete and fragmentd picture of the situation.
Likewise, I must commend the free times on your article, however tiny,
exposing this misdeed soon to be perpetrated on the area. Without some sort
of exposure, it may be difficult to resist this planned 'renovation' from
occuring right under our noses. . .(the fact that the developers are
attempting to keep this quiet gives little credence to thier claim of public
support). I am impressed by your unbiased reporting, holding to integrity
even when faced with a possible conflict of interest.

       I feel it necessary to point out an incedent which occured late
summer of last year. Four friends and I were arrested by an excess of eleven
law enforcement officers with at least seven police vehicles for the heinous
crime of playing music at the public park. This occured after an Arabica
manager called the police in complaint. They felt we would deter thier upper
caste customers, who were actually enjoying the performance. Ironically, the
police intervention caused a much greater disturbance than our music. The
so-called loss of diversity in the area is primarily due to commercial and
legal breaches of freedom such as this. Musicians at Coventry have been
harrassed and threatened by the police for doing what was once a common
spectacle of Coventry (and should be an unaliable right).

         From personal experience, I have been threatened with fine or
arrest: twice for hacky sac, once for distributing food, five times for
music, and three times for lighting candles. In addition to the arrests,
twice over the winter, other individuals and I, were forced to leave the
area by law enforcement. This was by the request of Arabica who had
complained of loiterers on this, a public area. This points to a disturbing
trend. The proposed developement is worthless to the corporations if they
cannot remove the individual effect from Coventry.      
 
        Refusing to back down, some of us have banded togeather. Every
Friday we serve collected and prepared food, perform music, light candles,
distribute liturature, and attempt to foster a festive and caring
atmosphere. Tiny Coventry Village, one of the few areas in the city where
true change is discussed, is under attack. Our goal is to not only save the
area, but also to heighten awareness and spiritual humanity in the process.
"Think global, act local" would be a descriptive credo for all of us to
follow.   
        Again, I must thank the Free Times, for standing against capital
pressure.
                                        Dan Coate