Letters to the Editor 11-8-12

Disaster recovery: the third phase of a disaster
Editor: Much of the east coast is now in the “recovery phase” of the disaster that was Hurricane Sandy. This third phase of a disaster (following preparation and response) can linger for weeks, months or years for some. What happens after a disaster fades from our attention almost as quickly as the incident itself. Except for the periodic media reminder it is still lingering somehow, what was required to recover from that disaster is not easy to find out.
There are, however, lessons being learned and reports being filed on what it takes to bounce forward after a disaster. Consistently threaded in these follow up reports is how important it is to have the private community and the local government collaborate on their shared disaster recovery priorities pre-disaster.  The length of time it takes a community to recover post-disaster can be significantly reduced by knowing how and who to interact with in the first hours and days following an incident.
Preparing to respond to a disaster is a necessary step for any person, organization or community to do. Sebastopol residents have been preparing in this way through our local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for over six years now. The lessons from recent national disasters show we also need the local economy to recover from that disaster as quickly as possibly. Sebastopol has recently begun a project to define our business disaster recovery priorities and to find ways to merge those with the broader priorities of our local government. We’re fortunate to have local government and citizens concerned and willing to be involved with disaster preparedness in Sebastopol. We’re also fortunate that our business community has taken initial steps to understand what it will take to have our economy recover promptly after a disaster.
The Sebastopol CERT program and Business Disaster Recovery Project (BDRP) are community driven opportunities for us to learn to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. They are also opportunities for us to know more about how to effectively help each other when the time comes. For more information on either CERT or the BDRP, e-mail to ad*******@so***.net.
Skip Jirrels
Sebastopol CERT Advisory Board Leader
Sebastopol Business Disaster Recovery Project Committee
Happy haunting
Editor: I would like to say a big thank you to my Florence Avenue neighbors who decorated their homes, handed out hundreds of pieces of candy and helped our trick-or-treaters — who were brave enough to venture out on such a rainy night — have another Happy Halloween.
It was such a joy to see all the costumes and faces at our door again this year. From babies in arms to the teenagers, the kids were well-behaved, polite and having a great time despite the rain.
It saddened and disheartened me to see so many houses and lofts on our street dark this year and I hope next year you will reconsider opening up your homes to this wonderful “Florence Avenue Tradition.” I know we are making many happy memories.
Until next year, Happy haunting.
Marilyn Davis
Sebastopol
Baldwin contributions
Editor: On Oct. 24, (a Sonoma West Times & News) article was published regarding a Forestville resident leaving his assets to the High School District (“Forestville resident leaves assets to high school district”).
We wish to share our admiration for Mr. Beryl Baldwin. Not only did Mr. Baldwin leave a legacy to the West Sonoma County Union High School District, he visited the office of the Forestville Union School District on several occasions throughout the years, leaving the District with funds he expressly intended to support our children and families who were unable to pay for field trip and sports participation.
His scholarship fund has allowed our teachers to continue to plan fun, exciting, and educational field trips. Our sports program teaches our fifth through eighth grade boys and girls the fundamentals of competitive basketball, football, and volleyball.
Many schools have had to discontinue these programs, and Mr. Baldwin’s donations helped us to continue to encourage our students’ learning skills. His community support will always be appreciated by the board, staff, parents and students of Forestville School and Academy and will be greatly missed.
Bob Borbe
Superintendent/CBO
Forestville Union School District