Thanks for your informative piece on the preservation of those buildings on Forest Avenue (“Demolition plan highlights history of Portland buildings,” Jan. 12).

Though I agree there is a severe shortage of affordable housing in Portland, I would be even more despondent to see Forest Gardens go away.

If someone ever wanted to contact the owner, Rick Piacentini, and do an article on him, it would show the public the qualities this small-business owner has.

He’s very quiet, humble and one of the hardest-working people I know. The man is in that bar over 350 days a year, serving the public and listening to people’s problems.

They sell no liquor, just beer and wine. It’s one of the finest dive bars I’ve ever stepped foot in. It’s a place where people go to just get away for an hour and see all the familiar faces.

I grew up on the West End of Portland back in the 1970s. We had several local bars throughout a quarter-mile radius.

As the years passed, the city closed most, if not all, of them, in most cases for the better. But do we allow what I see as the last of the bunch to meet the same fate?

This isn’t how it should end for Rick or his loyal followers! But I guess that’s how capitalism works.

If the public were to start a grass-roots campaign to halt this travesty (“Greg Kesich: Portland missing big picture on Palmer Spring redevelopment,” Jan. 20), sign me up, too!

Kevin Conley

Westbrook

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