Time to wake up
EDITOR: Property owners within the Palm Drive Health Care District: wake up. When Sonoma West Medical Center fails completely, its $8 million debt will shoot like a lightning bolt directly to the responsibility of the Palm Drive Health Care District. Dan Smith is not concerned one iota about this happening. Remember Dec. 8, 2014 when departing director Dobbs made her “There is a bully in the community” speech?
Show up at all meetings and demand that the Palm Drive Board sever the agreement with Sonoma West Medical Center for cause. Write or contact Supervisor Hopkins and demand that the district be dissolved. Do not wait until someone is seriously injured or dies at this hospital.
Remember that nurses who worked before the closure and bankruptcy in 2014 have yet to be paid. Of course, the law firm representing the district in the bankruptcy have been paid somewhere north of $300,000. Take action. Consider it your civic responsibility.
Gary Harris
Forestville
Meant to stay
EDITOR: We enjoy reading the comments the Times & News solicits from local residents as to how they came to live here and why they stay. The few sentences printed each week do not do justice to our town. When Rod retired as rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal church in 2010, we pondered where else we might wish to settle. We decided to remain and I would like to share some of the reasons we are still citizens of Sebastopol. Here is our list in no particular order:
The Sebastopol Center for the Arts: an extraordinary institution which connects us with the best artists in our region and from time to time brings fun musical events and, of course, the great documentary film festival;
Chief Weaver: he is very much in tune with the chemistry of this town, articulate, patient and attentive. While crime happens, this is generally a peaceful and safe place to live;
Enthusiastic civic organizations: the two Rotary Clubs, PEO, the Kiwanians, Lions and Odd Fellows, the Scouts and 4-H, the Ceres Kitchen and Food Pantry, musical ensembles and theater groups, all attest to a deeply involved citizenry;
A wide array of eateries and food sources (Fircrest Market) that exceed any other town of our size in quality and diversity;
Proximity to one of the most beautiful and delight-filled cities of the world;
Proximity to the Pacific Ocean;
Not surprisingly, we love singing and praying and supporting the generous work of St. Stephen’s church; and yes,
A stimulating, mostly kind-hearted populace.
Rod always said that he wanted to retire in a place where he could grow decent tomatoes. Well, the year before retirement, our tomatoes ripened to sweetness when in all prior years they had struggled to turn red. We were meant to stay.
Rod and Mary McAulay
Sebastopol
Job not finished
EDITOR: While the new bridge is wonderful it seems that it would have been prudent to raise the approach roads to a similar clearance. Photo (below) taken on January 11, 2017 looking eastward along Highway 12.
James A Stamp, Ph.D.
Sebastopol
