Letters to the Editor 3-21-13

Track lights
Editor: There is a group of walkers on the track during the early hours between 5 and 7:30 at least five days a week. For the past three years this group watched first one and then another track light burn out. Now there are only four lights out of twelve glowing and all on the same side of the track. Several walkers have reported these outages to the office, the principal, the superintendent and the school board at various times during the past three years. My questions is this: Are you waiting for someone to get mugged or badly hurt by a fall before a walker is seriously injured and sues the school district. And although I have not felt any danger from strangers, my friend was hurt in a fall several weeks ago — this was reported to the office. It is the responsibility of this school district to safely maintain the grounds for the citizens of Healdsburg. After all, it is our taxes that help pay for the lights. I don’t believe this district is so broke that it cannot afford lightbulbs that will help insure morning walkers a safe place to exercise.
Pat Bean
Healdsburg
Supporting our youth
Editor: Thank you to the Tribune for the sharing the good news about the internship program at Healdsburg High School. I also want to publicly acknowledge the generosity of several community members who made this powerful program happen for the students in Healdsburg.
First, a big “thank you” goes to John and Kim Lloyd for generously funding the coordination of the program for an entire year through a donation to the Healdsburg Education Foundation. It’s a massive coordination task to find and train mentors and to prepare students for this significant learning experience. The program wouldn’t exist without their donation. Todd Everett, another community member, spearheaded the pilot internship program last year and provided support for the expansion of this year’s program.
Finally, the District and our students owe a huge debt of gratitude to the nearly 100 local mentors who give so generously of their time to work one-on-one with our students to help them gain invaluable experience with real world work environments. Once more, the Healdsburg community is proving itself exceptional in the support it provides our young people.
Jeff Harding
HUSD Superintendent
Support the fireworks
Editor: The 2013 American Legion Fireworks Show is less than four months away. The donation jugs are out and other efforts are being launched.  
In past years we were able to use income from the bar operations at Villa Chanticleer to help fund the fireworks show and the other local charitable contributions that benefited the Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor communities.  
The bar revenue is all but vanished.  In February we provided two bars. One was for our own Crab Feed and the other for a fraternal organization. No rentals of the Villa means no income for the American Legion.
We need continued community support to help fund the Healdsburg fireworks. Drop a contribution into one of the jugs. You can also mail a contribution to Sotoyome Post 111, PO Box 281, Healdsburg, CA 95448.
We will also have collection buckets at the entrances to the high school fields. There is a good chance that you watch the firework from your decks, backyard and other high places.  You can express your appreciation for the “Best Show” North of the Golden Gate by send a contribution to the address above.
See you on the Fourth of July. Thank you for your support of the American Legion.
Tom Grimes
Commander,
Sotoyome American Legion Post 111
Taking a stand
Editor: You’ve printed a few opinions on the Council’s letter opposing the Defense of Marriage Act, and I feel compelled to give mine. One of the printed opinions suggested the council was bowing to special interests, and the other quoted the Bible as proof same-sex marriage should be illegal.
US law should only be written to protect one citizen from another. They shouldn’t be written based on any religious text because that would be forcing that religion on everyone. US law and religious law may overlap, but that doesn’t mean they should be the same.
For decades now, people have realized that some of our existing laws do not serve to protect us from each other, but actually the contrary because they are based on religious beliefs that are oppressive to many. Those people are standing up and asking for change.
When the Council opposed the D.M.A, I contend that it certainly represented the vote of the “good citizens” of this city. It did not, however, represent the vote of bigots and homophobes. All of the fist clenching and teeth gnashing by the council’s critics are just contemptuous attempts to hold on to a false sense of moral superiority.
I applaud the council for making a stand to help bring equality to an oppressed minority in a way that is to no other citizen’s detriment. This is most definitely a duty of our government, and not bowing to a special interest, such as a church with an agenda to force their beliefs on everyone.”
Rick Unvarsky
San Francisco
Hypocrisy
Editor: In response to the screed submitted by Rev. Wilcox last week, I would like to submit the following:
First I would like to acknowledge that this argument has been presented before, to Dr. Laura for an identical screed and on an episode of “The West Wing.” Google and YouTube will find them quickly.
Dear Rev. Wilcox,
Rev., you are a disgrace to your profession.  Quoting that oft quoted passage from Leviticus without so much as a mention of the other restrictions held therein is nothing short of hypocrisy. Please explain for us all how to deal with Exodus 21:7, 35:2, and Leviticus 1:9, 11:6-8, 11:10, 15:19-24, 19:19, 19:27, 20:14, 21:20, 24:10-16 and 25:44 to mention a few.  How do we reconcile, as a nation, our failure to deal with the penalties, as described in the Bible, for disobeying any of the 10 commandments (death). Please remember your Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. I don’t think that means that that your god doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision.
Michael Coyle
Healdsburg
Justification
Editor: This letter is in response to Rev. Wilcox’s quotation from the Bible that says homosexuality is an abomination. The Bible was also used by the “religious” to justify slavery.
It seems that the Bible can come in mighty handy when you don’t want to practice the Golden Rule.
Paul Miller
Healdsburg
Supporting small farmers
Editor: I agree with Lou Preston (‘Wine and food’, March 14) and I’d like to expand on his comments. To truly have a viable, local and reasonably priced food source, we need to support our small diverse crop farms and encourage the development of more of them.  One way to do this is to support your local farmers’ market by shopping there REGULARLY during the season. At the Healdsburg market we have a considerable number of full-time farmers who have dedicated their lives to farming, a challenging job requiring long hours and providing scant income. If you shop carefully at our market, you will often find the prices to be competitive with local stores. Add to that the supplemental benefits you derive and you have a true bargain: a direct relationship with the person who grows your food and the assurance that your food is safe (we’ve had no food safety issues at our market). And our farmers can introduce you to new varieties and tell you how to prepare them. Let’s support our small farms that provide us with healthy food and in doing so, help to keep our county’s agriculture diverse and vibrant, benefit the environment and local economy and provide jobs for young, dedicated farmers. (Note: My husband and I are flower and lavender growers and we buy our food items from our fellow farmers. I’m writing to support our ‘food farmers’, the heart and soul of our market.) The market opens for the season on Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot at North and Vine Streets.
Joan Conway
Sophie’s Five Acres
Lifelong learning
Editor: On behalf of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Sonoma State University, I would like to thank the community of Healdsburg and environs for the incredible interest and support for our local program. In the Fall and Winter sessions we have had 730 students enrolled in the six courses offered. We have surpassed the average number of students per class on both the SSU and Oakmont campuses. Dean Mark Merickel has lifted the original trial status designation and we are now a permanent campus of SSU/OLLI.
There is plenty of credit to go around for this remarkable launch here in Healdsburg. The local Advisory Group has been in place for over a year and very instrumental in the development of this venture. They meet to make local decisions about venue, curriculum, faculty and promotion. The City of Healdsburg has been most cooperative as they have installed a new A/V system at the Villa Annex and plan to continue upgrades. The Healdsburg “press corps” has given us incredible coverage and exposure. We are grateful to the Tribune and the Towns section of the PD. The Healdsburg Jazz Festival collaborated with OLLI to promote the Exploring Jazz class – a very nice example of two nonprofits cooperating.
The Spring session begins in April, and we anticipate a continuation, with three more exceptional courses on Immigration, Lincoln and the Stuart Dynasty given by professors who are very good presenters. We have just completed the Healdsburg campus curriculum for 2013/2014, and we bring again an array of interesting subjects and extraordinary instructors. There will be courses in history, literature, the arts and the sciences. We will offer a course in Exploring Classical Music with a piano in the room.
Popular professors like O’Sullivan, Bernstein, Smith and Elliott will be returning. It is all very exciting and inspiring. Do join us when and if you are able.
Bob Santos,
SSU/OLLI Advisory Board and Healdsburg resident
Editing letters
Editor: I was saddened to see the letter you chose to print from Rev. Wilcox. While I support the Reverend’s right to have whatever opinions and beliefs he chooses, I don’t agree that we should have to be subjected to those opinions. The editor has the ability to edit a letter to fit column space or for a number of other reasons. Wouldn’t it have been enough that you simply printed the first and last sentences of Rev. Wilcox’s letter and left the hurtful and intolerant statements out? Do you realize the damage you do by continuing to air these types of statements? You are in fact helping to promote bigotry and discrimination; perhaps you might take that into account when you choose future letters for publication.  I tend to think that if the letter was about any other group of people, ethnicity, religion, etc. it wouldn’t have been printed. Am I wrong?
And to the Reverend — bigotry and prejudice presented as religious doctrine is still bigotry and prejudice. It’s in the dictionary; I can show you.
Wendy Dayton
Healdsburg
Wrong way
Editor: It is time for me to add my two cents to the Foss Creek Circle one-way issue, since today I found myself driving the wrong way when leaving the post office. I have almost done this on several occasions, but caught myself at the last minute. Luckily no accident resulted, but it certainly could have since there was another car coming toward me. At first I thought the other car was going the wrong way! I hated to think that I could make this mistake — but it was VERY easy to do.   Are we really going to wait until there is a serious accident to rectify this situation?
Frankie Williams
Healdsburg