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Don’t Turn on the Red Light!

To the Editor:
It appears as if Ms. Uchmanowicz can cover a lot of journalistic ground—spreading it a bit thin, one could conclude. Verification should be the process you use before press, however, not after.

In Ms. Uchmanowicz's “Broadcasting in Hudson” article she failed to verify an item in her first paragraph. She claimed that Red Dot Bar and Restaurant derived its name from the red light district that once was the economic engine of Hudson. Now this is wrong, but if it were right we deserve to be in ‘Pseuds Corner’ of that venerable publication Private Eye.

Red Dot was derived from the sign that hangs out front. Previously we were called Raymakers and a graphic artist designed our sign with a dark orange dot in the center; two of our partners chose to leave our corporation three years ago and one stipulation of the buyout was a name change. One of our customers suggested “Red Dot” as he would guide people to our place by saying “Just look for the red dot on the sign.” We will never subscribe to a theme; we consider ourselves creatively powerful enough not to need the help of any bygone era or pseudo affiliation with a historical, geographical, or social event. If Ms. Uchmanowicz’s summation was true our joint would be a Western tent with blood- and semen-stained walls, whale oil lamps, teeth shattered on the bar, bad whiskey, and serving staff giving simulated copulation to all customers; patrons would pay up front and my wife would get a vast increase in bra size; dinner would be “lap du Jour,” “Thick Meat,” and an “Anal Mousse”; a mounting block would be outside and all horses welcome. No one called us so we find your research shy of a fraud and will not consider any more advertising unless you grovel and print a correction. In the name of truth,

—Perry Cooney & Alana Hauptmann
CO-OWNERS, RED DOT, HUDSON

Pauline Uchmanowicz replies:
My characterization of the name “Red Dot” as “harkening back to Hudson’s heyday as a red light district” was an impressionistic opinion and not intended to insult the owners of the establishment, where I have enjoyed both food and beverage. My apologies to Perry Cooney and Alana Hauptmann.