Letters

More on Cecil Hooper
You really captured Cecil Hopper's ["The Dead Zoo," by Randall Patterson, March 5] spirit: laughing, joking, enjoying the world.

I was disappointed that you didn't have the time to really get to know Mary Lee. While she is a sweet little old lady, she is no pushover, and when she says "frog!" Cecil jumps -- she just doesn't have to say it very often.

Perhaps I missed it, but I did not see any mention of Cecil's having founded the Hunters for the Hungry program. This program solicits donations of wild game -- mostly venison -- foodstuffs, cash and beef to a local homeless shelter. At one and a half tons per year, just from the back of Cecil's truck, over the last 20 years this has provided probably 40,000 pounds of meat, right where it is needed the most.

Also not mentioned was Cecil's involvement in the breeding program for the highly endangered black rhinos that Cecil and his friends personally flew to Texas from Africa at their own expense.

By the way, anyone who is interested in darting and tagging a jaguar, taking DNA samples, and then releasing the animal back into the wild can call Cecil. That's the sort of project he supports, when he's not joshing reporters.

The Houston Safari Club, of which Cecil is a past president, has monthly dinner meetings and can be reached at 666-7171 or at www.houstonsafari.org.

Riecke Baumann
via Internet

Less Government
The Miller Theatre debacle ["Waiting for Get Done," by Bob Burtman, March 19] is another outrageous example of why most government contracts should have incentives for quality, on-time completion, and why most projects of this kind should be left up to charities and the private sector. The renovation of the Pierce Elevated and the construction of the Wortham Center prove things can be done right with less governmental involvement.

Mark Johansson
via Internet