Letters to the Editor 7-16-15

Kiwanis says thanks
EDITOR: The members of the Sebastopol Kiwanis Club would like to thank our wonderful community for supporting our 42nd annual July 3rd Fireworks and Music Festival. It was breathtaking to see the several thousands of families, couples and kids of all ages celebrating the tradition of Independence Day together. The true bonding spirit of community permeated the campus of Analy High School and spilled over onto the streets and yards throughout Sebastopol. It is estimated as many as 15,000 people participated in this joyous iconic event.
The success of our event would not be possible without the generous support of our scores of sponsors and the dedication of hundreds of committed volunteers. We also wish to thank the many members of our Sebastopol police and fire departments for helping to keep our community safe. Every cent of the net proceeds from July 3rd will be returned for the benefit of our community.
We are all excited that the major reconstruction of the Analy High School stadium is now underway. We have been assured that the installation of artificial turf will not jeopardize the future use of the stadium for our important community gathering. Thanks go to to the West County High School District Board and superintendent in their continued support.
Members of the
 Sebastopol Kiwanis Club
Sour grapes
EDITOR: The Sonoma County Winegrape group proclaims that the wine industry is committed to “growing a better place for us all to live, work and play.”
There is glaring irony and chutzpah in this, exemplified by the application for the Dairyman’s Winery and Event Center that proposes to produce 500,000 cases of wine and 250,000 gallons of distilled spirits on 68 acres of land in the community separator between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. If approved, it will require trucking in 99 percent of the raw ag goods needed for such production. By what possible perspective is such a factory classified as agricultural? Not to mention the amount of water that would be needed for this venture?  That’s chutzpah.
The irony is that the publication of this message is at least partly financed by a federal grant of $377,282 to help fund the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission’s branding campaign to raise awareness for the “Sonoma County” brand, to build loyalty and increase purchases of Sonoma County wines, which increases demand and prices for grapes. This campaign is in partnership with Sonoma County Tourism and Sonoma County Vintners.
Surely local vintners who do play by the rules, and strive to be good stewards of our land and water and environment should deplore the actions of the greedy few who for profit and power propose to use much more than their share of our local resources.
C’mon, good guys, speak up and publicly excoriate the actions of those among you so short-sighted as to exhaust the natural resources and long-term good will of the people who live here.
Actions speak louder than words.
Helen Shane
Santa Rosa
Sour peaches
EDITOR: Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experiment Farm has been a victim of theft and we are devastated. There isn’t one peach left on the tree, despite the netting and signage to not pick the fruit, needed for cooking up Gail’s wildly delicious and popular peach jam, a fundraising  favorite. We estimate a loss of about $250. In recent  years, our annual tradition of harvesting the ripe fruit and preparing them for the home cooked preserves will have to wait another year, disappointing so  many.
We are a local nonprofit — a part of the Western Sonoma County Historical Society — tasked for keeping the Farm and our local museum on South Main with historical relevance and educational benefit for the generations. 100 percent of the proceeds from the homemade jam and plant sales, our Fall evening Cemetery Walk vignettes, the museum’s exhibits and countless other volunteer achievements work towards keeping the doors open, the farm in seasonal vibrancy, and our heritage at forefront. 
We felt the need to reach out and we extend our appreciation for joining us in community spirit!
 Western Sonoma County Historical Society, Board of Directors
A century on the Laguna
EDITOR: I was struck by what I’m sure was an unintended connection between two items in your July 2 edition involving the Laguna de Santa Rosa. On page one was a description of the stream’s present condition and plans to excavate accumulated sediments, build retention basins, remove fallen vegetation which constrain water flow and are a major cause of the clogging of the waterway with the invasive plant, Ludwigia. The goal of planned work is to deepen the channel to improve water flow and lower the water temperature to discourage Ludwigia growth. New riparian vegetation plantings to keep the water cooler are also planned in current open areas.
On Page three in the West County History Corner box, the first entry describes formation of a Drainage District for purposes of draining “the Laguna and adjoining land which is now practically unfit for cultivation” by excavating a canal or ditch for approximately 14 miles “through its entire length.”
One hundred years ago citizens wanted to create more usable agricultural land. Today, the goal is to eliminate an invasive plant. The plan to achieve both objectives is quite similar-— deepen the channel, remove fallen trees and accumulated silt obstructing water flow and get the water flowing faster.
While agricultural activity e.g. growing hay, grazing cattle and dairy cows, growing organic blueberries and winegrapes is now actively done near the Laguna channel, maintaining a free-flowing stream with cooler temperatures that discourage regrowth of Ludwigia will be a real challenge.
Given the large watershed with large acreages of grass-covered hillsides, and urban development on much of the flatlands, the natural process of erosion, will always be filling the stream with new supplies of soil and gravel every rainy season. The actions proposed today, with the exception of planting new riparian vegetation where it is lacking, seems mostly a temporary stopgap action that will need repetition every decade.
Steve Beck
Sebastopol