Choose housing
EDITOR: Does the finance department of the city of Healdsburg work in a vacuum? Once again we receive a questionnaire that asks our input for allocation of Measure V funds, but does not reflect the happenings within our town in the last few years.
This is the same questionnaire in same order as it last appeared. Were none of the people in the finance department aware of the meetings on housing, lost fights for rent control, defeat of Measure R, resignation of councilman, concerns for immigrant rights? The list could go on. Why was the questionnaire not updated to include affordable housing? The allocation history results indicate that we are concerned about affordable housing – it was a write in last time, but once again it is not the list of options to select.
I ask my fellow residents complete the “Other” category with “Affordable Housing.” Give it a reasonable percentage.
Beth Sawatzky
Healdsburg
Appreciation greatly appreciated
EDITOR: Thank you to Alson Kemp for sharing his recent experience at two of our local hospitals, especially ours. It is gratifying to know firsthand that our effort to provide timely care and appropriate medical attention for our community is working.
It is also satisfying to have one of our parcel taxpayers recognize the value of his financial support in keeping our hospital here. Local hospitals are a critical component in saving lives. Yes, there are bigger hospitals down the road, but time is critical to treat a stroke patient as well as the ability to be seen in our ER in under 15 minutes. Quality of service and familiarity matters. There is no substitute for your own homegrown town hospital.
Thank you and we are further inspired to keep our mission alive and well.
Joseph P. Harrington, CEO
Healdsburg District Hospital
First world problems
EDITOR: I couldn’t believe how excited I became when I noticed a woman walking to her car from Starbucks, and her car was sitting in front of Framing Arts. It was my lucky day; I wouldn’t have to circle the parking lot waiting for someone to leave. However, that was not to be the case.
The woman slowly reached her car, gingerly opened the door, snuggled into her seat, very carefully placed her coffee on the dashboard and proceeded to scroll through her phone. I waited. I waited for five minutes. Eventually, five cars pulled up behind me waiting for a place to park as well.
Today, when I left Cloud Nine there were three women in their cars drinking coffee and on their phones. This letter is not to complain about parking, it’s to complain about the inconsiderate individuals who feel it’s okay to keep the citizens of Healdsburg waiting for a parking place.
Brent Mortensen
Healdsburg
Get the flu shot
EDITOR: A recent New England Journal of Medicine study showed a dramatic increase in the incidence of heart attacks within one week of the diagnosis of influenza (flu), as much as six times more like. That is another reason to get the flu shot; admittedly it is not overly protective this year, but certainly better than nothing, and it may protect you from the flu and a heart attack.
Dave Anderson MD
Geyserville
Focus on health
EDITOR: With the devastating North Bay wildfires three months behind us, maintaining an active lifestyle is more important now than ever. The fires took an unprecedented toll on our community, causing widespread trauma, stress and anxiety. Post-fire stress is affecting many of our county’s children and families, especially those who lost homes, changed schools or saw loved ones drastically impacted. Research shows that stress can have significant negative consequences on the body. The good news is that exercise can relieve stress, releasing positive chemicals in the brain and improving overall health.
There are many ways for families to be active together, even in the winter months. A few ideas are to try indoor sports, like soccer or gymnastics; go roller or ice skating; go bowling; and dance to music. On clear days, take advantage of low-cost and free physical activity areas such as parks, hiking and biking trails, and tennis and basketball courts.
Small things like taking the stairs and walking whenever possible really add up — it’s just a matter of setting manageable routines and sticking to them. Physical activity is particularly important for the bodies and minds of growing children — and the habits they learn now will shape the rest of their lives.
While challenging days lie ahead in an era of post-fire recovery, I want to emphasize the importance of focusing on our community’s collective mental and physical health. I hope that you will join me in this endeavor.
Steven D. Herrington
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools
Keep neighbors first
EDITOR: On Tuesday our county board of supervisors removed the one protection we currently have against VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner) speculators who are looking to profit from our fires, and they unintentionally created a huge incentive for those speculators to move as quickly as possible, or risk losing their chance. Please join me in asking our board to reconsider this action.
Immediately after the fires the board acted wisely in implementing a moratorium, which is subject to extension for periods of up to two years, on new short term rentals. Even before the fires, their Community Development Commission noted that: “There is a measurable shift in housing supply, otherwise available to the county’s working families, to vacation rentals and other nonresident serving uses.”
Then we lost over 5,000 more homes virtually overnight.
Every home that is converted to or built as a VRBO is no longer a home for a family, and right now our families need homes. At Tuesday’s meeting the board discussed several promising ideas for addressing the VRBO issue.
Unfortunately, in not extending the moratorium they have now opened the door to speculators who will rush to get their VRBO applications in before those ideas are implemented. The board has the power to stop this.
This moratorium does not change any rules; it just hits “pause” until the board’s own good suggestions, and others, can be explored and possibly implemented.
Please join me in asking James Gore, the board chair, to agendize reinstituting the VRBO moratorium, so we can keep it in place until exclusion zones and VRBO regulations can be updated to reflect the new reality in Sonoma County.
Working together we can keep neighbors first.
Ed Davis
Glen Ellen
