Be careful when you open your voice mail. The eardrum can take a beating from cries for peace in the streets, order in the court and a party for the Crosley Field stamp.

        “When is this going to stop? When is the killing and the shooting going to end?” — Diana Moseley, Bond Hill.

        “Where have you been? The whole city is divided.” — Ed Lane, Northside.

        “Cincinnati? Safe? Dream on.” — Linda J. Burns, downtown.

        “People here work together?” — D.S. Smith, West End.

        These Enquirering readers were responding to my column about the shootout in Corryville that left one cop wounded and the suspect dead.

        The column appealed to reason: Beware of the city's divisive forces of hate and fear trying to turn this incident into a case of “us” versus “them.” Keep the city from being further polarized. Don't stereotype areas where crimes are committed as being “down there.”

        “Friends in the suburbs ask, "How are you doing down there?' Like Cincinnati is so awful. We live in the old homes to preserve the city so people can come to marvel at the beautiful architecture down there.” — Jinny Berten, Clifton.

        Calling from North Avondale, Judy Kunzler said she moved to Cincinnati “from the Butler County suburbs. The first night I was in the city, with the sounds of traffic and sirens, I finally felt safe. I knew I had found home. All is not wrong in Cincinnati. We can live peacefully together.”

Here comes the judge

        Judge Richard Niehaus' heated call for order in his courtroom prompted readers to pass sentence on him.

        Some threw the book at the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court judge.

        “A tyrant in robes.” — Al Moore, Walnut Hills.

        “He's out of order.” — Walt Jefferson, downtown.

        Others ruled in Judge Niehaus' favor.

        “High time more respect was shown in the courtroom.” — Don Edwards, Anderson Township.

        Robin L. Duffy of Price Hill wants society to “return to order.” Loud music shows disrespect along with “people who think a car horn is a doorbell. I'm tired of feeling as though I'm held hostage in a society afraid to expect common courtesy.”

Ballpark stamps

               Crosley Field will appear on the stamps of summer. The Reds' old ballpark will be on a 34-cent stamp as part of the U.S. Postal Service's Legendary Playing Fields series. Nine other ballparks are in the series, including New York's Yankee Stadium, Boston's Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field.

        The Postal Service wants to release the stamps at the three aforementioned ballparks during special first-day-of-issue ceremonies.

        In a column last week, I urged the post office to add Cincinnati — the cradle of major-league baseball and home of the first big-league night game — to the list.

        “If the Reds can't do it at Cinergy Field, throw the party at Crosley's old site. It's near the Main Post Office and Union Terminal where the Cincinnati in Motion exhibit has a replica of Crosley Field.” — Laura Lawson, Covedale.

        “My family used to own Lackner Signs. The plant was outside Crosley Field,” said Pat Lackner of Madeira. “My sister and I would go to work with Dad and crawl onto the fire escape to watch the Reds.

        “That old ballpark is long gone,” she noted. “But, it is still in Cincinnati's fabric of memories.”

        Columnist Cliff Radel can be reached at (513) 768-8379; fax 768-8340.
       

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