Letters to the Editor 5-22-14

My town’s future
Editor: Finally I open my town newspaper and read a letter and an ed-op piece not only reflecting  and validating my concerns, but raising significant questions. Thank you to both David Scatena and John Crevelli for their intelligent, civil, sensible arguments regarding our — my town’s future. The post card surveys were welcomed by everyone I talked with in my neighborhood. Thank you, Warren Watkins.  I am a concerned citizen and I want to be invited and surveyed not ridiculed and sarcastically greeted when I take the time to engage in my town’s civic affairs.
The tragedy, as Crevelli cogently states, is when our city fathers (only councilmen spoke at the two Mondays I attended), suggest we need to be grateful for the progress — for the tourism and the accolades — the awards, the lists, the “best small town” label, yet there is an irony in this label, this characterizing of our hometown, where our children grew up, played HYL soccer and HJHS music and swam in our river and gathered on July 4th for neighborhood BBQs and watched the fireworks, together. Healdsburg is where we live all year. Each day. Each night. This is our town. No magazine reporter or travel advisor knows the gifts of our town. We share memories of loved ones, of trees and parks and games and graduations and celebrations and walks and gardens and food and farmers markets — art and music and dancing and science fairs and bridges and an emotional landscape no hotel occupant can ever experience in a two-night stay in Healdsburg, on the Plaza or off the plaza.
John Crevelli poses essential questions about future development in Healdsburg. We must have the courage and intellectual humility to ask questions. The realtors, the brokers and land developers and winery owners and boutique shop keepers and restaurant owners have every right to profit on the tourists, but they also recognize the locals are here — to stay. We share water — treatment and sewer — and we pay property and sales taxes and bonds to serve the daily needs of our town. Mainly, I feel respected by our local merchants. What I do not appreciate is scolding, self-righteous responses — in letters to our newspapers and outside our city hall — when a citizen asks a question about process or a value system.
It is a dangerous notion that one must prove him/herself before talking or querying  about the future of Healdsburg. Whether we were  born in Healdsburg or moved here later, we must work together and understand that profit  does not create community, people do.
Elected officials and town leaders/ former leaders: please invite our citizenry to participate and consciously reflect when considering the long-term effects of a decision. Our beautiful, historic town is worth the time and effort  it takes to build the trust and the communication necessary to sustain its glory.
Brigette Mansell
Healdsburg
300 glasses
Editor: My sunglasses and eyeglasses drive has come to a close. The drive was extremely successful. I collected over 300 pairs of sunglasses and reading glasses, and I owe this success to the people of Healdsburg that are gracious enough to dig up their old glasses and donate them to the people of Guatemala that are suffering from cataracts and other vision problems that are preventing them from attending school and work. I want to give special recognition to the local businesses and schools that allowed me to advertise my Eagle Scout project and place a donation box at their place of business. Jerry’s Valero, Schieffer Insurance, Healdsburg Senior Center, Bartels DDS, X-Time, and Ace Hardware all were kind enough to collect glasses for me. The schools in our community also allowed me to place a box at their main office. This type of project relies heavily on word of mouth, so I would also like to thank the individuals that spread the news of my project to their friends and effectively increased the number of glasses I collected. It is truly a blessing to live in a community like Healdsburg that is so supportive of its youth and the projects it conducts. The prescription glasses I collected will be donated to my eye doctor in Santa Rosa, whose next trip is to the Philippines. The glasses cases I collected will be donated to Goodwill in Healdsburg. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to anyone that donated a pair of glasses to my cause. Every single pair of glasses will be distributed to an individual in need whose life will be surely improved. Please contact me if you would like to see photographs of your glasses being distributed in Guatemala, it would be my pleasure to show you.
Conor McKay
Healdsburg
Supporting Jim Wood
Editor: I have known Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood for more than 20 years since I moved to Healdsburg, and would like to highly recommend a vote to elect him to State Assembly.
Jim has a long history of community service. Despite a busy dental practice and being a devoted father and husband, he was a longtime member of the planning commission prior to his current second term on the Healdsburg City Council, and his second term as Mayor. He has found time to lobby for public health measures both locally and in Sacramento, and done community service as a dedicated Rotarian. As a forensic dental specialist, he has volunteered his skills to aid victims following the disasters of 911, Katrina and Haiti.
I am one of many who encouraged Jim to run, impressed with his service.
I have personally worked with Mayor Wood on affordable housing and smart growth – and I can attest to his passion and hard work in these ! areas. He is well versed and serious about local and statewide job creation, and pension and business concerns.
As anyone who needs to get something done with the city in Healdsburg knows, Jim can always be counted on to be responsive, approachable, and reasonable. He is able to listen to and work with both sides of an issue. You can count on him to get things done, not just talk about them! This is why Congressmen Thompson and Huffman, Senator Noreen Evans, Assemblyman Wes Chesboro, the entire Healdsburg City Council, and 4 Sonoma County Supervisors, including Mike McGuire, have endorsed his election.
I know that he’ll bring this dedication and commitment to representing our local community to Sacramento for as long as he’s there. Please join us in voting for Jim Wood for State Assembly on June 3.
Brad Drexler
Healdsburg
The challenges ahead
Editor: I am writing this letter to the residents of  Healdsburg to explain why I am running for supervisor.
County finances: We are in a deep financial hole due to $1.2 billion in unfunded pension and retiree healthcare obligations. New accounting rules will require these debts to be placed on the county’s balance sheet and wipe out 80 to 90 percent of the our net assets. From day one I will work to solve this deepening crisis.
Roads: We should be spending $60 million per year on road maintenance. Instead we are spending $5.2 million. Roads are the life blood of our economy and are essential to our quality of life. I will work to cut costs and redirect the funds to roads.
Our economy: If we don’t solve our debt problem and fix our roads we are not going to attract businesses and will lose our tax base because people will simply leave the county as the infrastructure decays.
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP): Sometimes we overlook the financial impacts of an idea for good intentions. Taxpayers have been promised that there will be a financial firewall between the county and SCP, but already Deb Fudge and James Gore said they would risk taxpayer money on this endeavor. Let me be clear, in our current financial situation we cannot take on these risks.
SMART: Like most of you I voted for SMART. But typical of our county government they underestimated and over promised. At this time the train is not going to reach the 4th district. We need to find a way to finish the train and that is what I will work hard to do.
If we are to be successful as a community in the years ahead we desperately need new leadership and better management of our tax dollars on the board of supervisors.  
We also need a government that serves the people versus special interests. That is why my campaign has not taken a dime of special interest money and is only funded by donations from individuals and small business owners. To be competitive with the special interest money pouring into Deb Fudge and James Gore’s campaign, I am matching what I receive with my own funds. So if I am elected I will not owe anything to any special interest group and will only serve your interests on the Board of Supervisors.
Ken Churchill
Healdsburg
Underwear?
Editor: I’ve lived in Healdsburg for 26 years, and ever since I arrived, I have noticed many letters to the editor that are preoccupied with buying underwear in town. So I did a bit of research, and I am pleased to offer at least a couple of options to those concerned about this issue. RiteAid sells underwear and socks. Bella (on the Plaza, no less) also sells underwear, though there it’s called lingerie.
Jane St. Claire
Healdsburg
Wednesday, Residents Day
Editor: Why is it that every time a resident makes a statement against more tourists and tourist businesses, we are railed at about decisions that were made 30 years ago and denigrating Warren Watkins and Healdsburg Citizens for a Sustainable Solutions?
I don’t know Warren or the group, but I did sign their petition, as did many residents.  Why? Because they asked – me, a resident. What a concept?
This is not my first letter, but my local elected officials have never asked my opinion about anything. Why, because they know I don’t agree with them?
So here’s the short list:
Why do we need a seven story meat market? Or is it really about raising the height limit in town for future building. (Count the stories from the back, seven and no more view of the mountains)
Why do we need 39 tasting rooms and counting?
Why are hotels and tasting rooms given discounts on utilities? That’s my money, thank you.
Why do we not have an architectural committee because it’s obvious the planning people will okay almost anything? We will no longer be in the running for the quaintest town in America – and that is a real contest.
Why do we not enforce the laws on the books, i.e. cell phones while driving, stopping at stop signs, speeds limits, double and now triple parking of cars, buses and limos – yes, I know we don’t have the money but if we enforced the laws we’d have the money?
Have the hotels cut back on their water like the citizens have been asked to do? Or the wineries and tasting rooms? If I used any less utilities people would think a dead person lived in my house.
And last but not least – what ever happened to the survey the council was doing to see what the residents needed?
So why the title of this piece – because Wednesday is just about the only day you can do anything in town without being frustrated and sad at the state of things.
Marie Salerno
Healdsburg