Letters to the Editor 10-17-13

Local food security
Editor:   
Society continually demands change; change that is more and more responsible. We just complete one level of awareness when the next level begs our attention. It never ends and is always evolving us.
One example of this is the food we buy and eat. We know that we want fresh produce for taste and quality, so local is best, but where do we find local Cloverdale-grown food? There is not much available unless you grow it yourself. Many people do that but many people don’t and what is grown is often limited to just a few of the vegetables. At the Community Garden we always have a few vacant plots.
Then there is the next level of eating organically. That is a very conscious decision not only to benefit yourself by not ingesting chemical fertilizers, sprays, radiated potatoes, gassed bananas and genetically modified foods but to not support the use of these in our soil, eventual watershed and the effect on the planet. Organic also lessens cruelty to animals.
Even if we buy organically, we are still supporting and relying on technology to mass produce our food. Did you know that only 1 in 100 people are directly involved with agricultural production?  This means that 99 percent of the people choose to rely on the technology of 1 percent to mass produce the food we eat. Mass production is rapidly destroying the earth through pollution (machines, chemicals, transportation), erosion, and soil depletion (a diminished quality of the food).  This is not sustainable.
There is no store you can go into to buy sustainability. Food production is not a spectator sport. If we want economic security and a promising future, we must reclaim our food. It requires that we all take more responsibility by becoming more involved with producing and processing our own foods. We must break through the infantilizing role of just consuming.
It is not sustainable to just consume and expect a small percentage to do all the work. Finding a better balance requires people to overcome intimidation about gardening, becoming empowered and developing relationships with plants, animals and microorganisms (our friends), and other people in cooperation.  Local food security is the most important security of all, except for water security. Not only growing your own food but learning how to process it, like preserving through dehydration, fermentation, freezing or canning. There are also skills to learn like bee-keeping, cheese-making and caring for chickens and goats.
What better way to empower our residents than to create an Agrarium/Ecolarium that promotes, teaches and demonstrates these food production skills? What better way to stimulate our economy and set an example of progressive thinking. It is an honorable goal and adds to Cloverdale as a destination point,     
Mardi Grainger, Cloverdale
Commending Cayler
Editor:   
I would like to commend Cloverdale’s new City Manager, Paul Cayler, for an outstanding example of customer service.
At one of the last “Friday Night Live” performances, I casually mentioned to Mr. Caylor something I had observed in one of the streams around Cloverdale.
Within a week or ten days, Mr. Cayler left a voice mail at my home indicating he had looked into the matter involving several government agencies.  And if there were any questions I was invited to call his direct line.
Thank you, Paul Cayler for outstanding customer service and leading by example.
Mark Thayer, Cloverdale
Artistic license
Editor:   
Art has no license and it follows that it is un-analyzable. What is rubbish to some may be attractive to others even if aesthetically incoherent. The organic woman, (I named her that because of color and posture) has inspired many to engage into heated discussion regarding the benefits of such a display in our downtown.
Our arts alliance is an asset to Cloverdale. It is mostly staffed by many dedicated folks that work very hard to bring value and prime entertainment in our unique town.
We are not Mendocino and the availability of displays is probably very limited, one can only hope that in the future a little more discretion and good taste is used in the selection process.
Luciano Toninato, Cloverdale
Thanks for emergency response
Editor:   
On Saturday, Sept. 21, I severely injured my hand and had to use Cloverdale’s emergency services. The response was immediate! Police, fire ambulance showed up so quick. The entire time they were here I felt as though family was working on me, to calm me, and take care of my hand. They were kind and courteous to my wife, and very professional.
There is no way to begin to express our sincere gratitude. Living in Cloverdale all of our lives and knowing these people makes us feel fortunate.
Our special thanks to the police department’s officer David Hass; fire department crew, Javier Lopez, Aaron Merrill and Rick Blackmon; ambulance crew, Mr. Terry Conway and Steve Busher. You guys are awesome. Thank you being who and what you are in the community.
Also thank you to those who brought meals for our family and Tom Hinrichs for your referral to the Davies Clinic.
Mike and Jeanette Boehm, Cloverdale
Hard working post office crew
Editor:   
A special thank you to our local Postmaster and her very hard working crew. My husband and I use the Post Office six days a week. Time and time again they gone out of their way to see that our mail really gets through! Even with their staff cut short, they still manage to keep a smile on their faces.
Thanks to all of you especially Becky, Jeremy, Ron and the crew!
Mike and Margot Tobener, Cloverdale
UCC bag sale back again
Editor:   
The UCC church’s (Ivy Church) Bag Sale is coming back on Thursday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can fill up a bag for just $2 at our Heaven’s Closet Thrift Shop. And just in time for Halloween, Halloween costumes are included.
Please help us spread the word about our Fall $2 Bag Sale.
Barbara Goepel, Cloverdale