Support Cloverdale schools
EDITOR: Your July 6 article “Mixed reactions to school district budget” brought home the point that even though economic times feel a bit better these days, two things are still desperately needed by Cloverdale’s students and schools: money and participation.
It just so happens that the CARE Foundation Board (Cloverdale Adds Resources for Education) is kicking off the 2017-2018 Support Our Schools fundraising campaign next month. CARE is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created by parents and teachers in 1992 to raise money to support the Cloverdale Unified School District. CARE funds classroom and educational enhancements through grants requested directly by teachers.
On behalf of my fellow CARE board members, I’d like to ask you to donate to CARE for the schools. You can donate any amount on our website at www.cusdcare.org or send a check to PO Box 770, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Want to donate your time instead? You do not need to have children in the school to participate with the CARE Board. You don’t even need to be a parent. Our board meeting dates are listed on our website and we welcome your involvement. Your support for Cloverdale’s students, families, teachers and school administrators is an investment in tomorrow’s workforce and our community. Thank you for your consideration.
Joanne Parker, CARE board member
Cloverdale
Sculpture Trail Video
EDITOR: Cloverdale and Geyserville in northern Sonoma Count together house an annually changing exhibit, the Sculpture Trail, of high quality sculptures on the streets of their two communities. As part of the annual exhibit a sculptor video is produced, which provides an insight into the world of the sculptors exhibiting in Geyserville and Cloverdale, and the scope of their creations.
The 2017-2018 Sculpture Trail sculptor video is now posted online. Visit www.youtube.com and search for “101 Sculpture Trail” to see the video. In the video Joe Bologna talks about each of his sculptures beginning in his junk pile, which he calls his resource center. Hector Ortega, recorded in his studio, calls himself a “maker of things” and before starting a sculpture he listens to what speaks to him. In the video Bryan Tedrick is shown making his vision of “Lord Snort” come alive. Phillip Lynch is shown building his sculpture “Shimmer.” The video features all 30 exhibiting sculptors.
Joyce Mann
Cloverdale
From Gore to Geyserville
EDITOR: Dear Geyserville neighbors and friends. As I’ve said since I took office, Geyserville deserves more from its county government.
In that vein, during last year’s Fiscal Year (16/17), I was able to fight for, and receive, the allocation of a lump sum of $1 million from Dry Creek Rancheria payments to the county (for impacts from the casino), into a lock box for infrastructure improvements in Geyserville.
With more good news, we have been able to identify an additional $1.1 million this Fiscal Year for similar projects. My goal is to have the majority of this $2.1 million spent on community dictated priorities, as opposed to my singular authority.
Therefore, later this year (likely in the early Fall), I will work with the leadership of the various Geyserville civic organizations to host a series of community meetings to establish a strategy for those funds.
The groups to engage include: the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce; the Geyserville Unified School District board; the Geyserville Planning Committee; the Geyserville Community Foundation; local merchants, the Geyserville Fire Protection District; the historical society; the Kiwanis and the Oddfellows.
The idea is to begin the process of establishing a community led vision for Geyserville that these funds can support.
The only area where I will be allocating these funds before that planning process are for visible emergencies. I have already directed County Public Works to use $75,000 to clean up all of the drainage systems in town, including the clogged culverts and ditches that helped cause the flooding this past year.
Additionally, I have asked county staff to bring me an estimate for repairing the dilapidated storm drain on Canyon Road. I anticipate getting an estimate in the coming month. That could cost $300,000 – $400,000.
With respect to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) dollars, Geyserville received funding for all areas except for a traffic sign request. I should be able to get that taken care of with existing county resources if sent the specific information on the need and request.
I also worked with a few neighbors on Canyon Road to do a speed study. That study will result in the speed limit being reduced from 55 mph to 50 mph.
Looking forward to talking with all of you soon to provide more details and start the community process.
James Gore
County Supervisor, Fourth District
People’s Budget
EDITOR: While members of the Republican majority are competing to see who can make the deepest cuts, there is a budget proposal before Congress that would boost the economy for all of us while cutting the number of people in poverty in half. It’s The People’s Budget, proposed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The People’s Budget invests in safe and productive infrastructure, education, affordable housing, health care and nutrition, child care and working family tax credits. It calls for increasing the minimum wage.
These investments will create 3.6 million jobs, and set us on a path to cut poverty in half in 10 years. The People’s Budget invests $2 trillion in infrastructure spending, expanding rural broadband, universal pre-K and free college tuition at state and community colleges.
Every year without fail our elected representatives give over half of the discretionary budget to the Pentagon, leaving less than half to be divided up to fund education, healthcare, environmental spending, infrastructure and everything else.
Michelle Skinner
Guerneville
