LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10-11-12

Supporting McCaffery
Editor: I support Shaun McCaffery for City Council in the November 2012 elections. Shaun is a very conscientious and talented person who will make a very good councilman. As chairman of the first-annual Healdsburg Sunrise Rotary fourth of July event, I found him to be a highly skilled engineer (he designed the duck race pond), a good listener, a patient team-member and a person eager to serve well. Healdsburg needs a person with Shaun’s talents and skills to serve as councilman. Please vote for Shaun McCaffery.
Jesse D. Shaw
Healdsburg
Burning tires
Editor: Fall is an incredibly beautiful season in Healdsburg, but this year it’s blighted by the eye-watering, throat-searing stench of burning tires blowing over our town from Syar Industries. Syar is batching asphalt by “recycling” rubber Monday through Thursday, and the air pollution it generates is so profound that it requires staying indoors with windows closed to avoid respiratory compromise. Even with the house closed up the fumes seep in, and for those with asthma (which includes many children) this presents a significant health challenge. Syar says they’re “sorry for the inconvenience,” but inconvenient doesn’t adequately describe an attack on the health of a community. I appreciate the fact that they employ people, and that there are contracts to keep them working, but I question whether or not Syar has all the legally-required health protection measures in place to preserve air quality in Healdsburg! If you also consider this as an issue that needs to be addressed, a place to start is with Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control: 150 Matheson Street, 433-5911. Meanwhile we have to ask ourselves: Which wine best complements the smell of burning tires?
Linda Lou
Healdsburg
The source of the odors
Editor: Syar Industries, Inc. was recently notified by the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District of concerns about unpleasant odors from Syar’s hot mix asphalt production plant in Healdsburg. We would like to explain the source of those odors and the steps we have taken and will take to reduce the odors.
Syar is currently producing rubberized hot mix asphalt (HMA) for Caltrans for a job located on Highway 128 near Yorkville. The use of rubberized HMA for this project was mandated by Caltrans due to a state initiative to increase rubber tire recycling. For rubberized hot mix asphalt, recycled crumb rubber is added to the asphalt binder during the manufacturing process. The added rubber provides many benefits to the finished pavement, including a quieter ride, longer lasting roads from improved pavement durability, and reduced road maintenance costs. Perhaps most importantly, the recycled crumb rubber used comes from the tens of millions of waste tires discarded by Californians each year.  In the past five years alone, the manufacture of rubberized HMA from Syar’s ten asphalt plants across Northern California resulted in the recycling of over 1.2 million tires.
One issue with the production of rubberized HMA, however, is the potential for unpleasant odors. Syar anticipated this issue at Healdsburg, and from the start of production has been using an industry recommended odorant to eliminate the smell coming from the use of the rubber. When the recommended dose of the odorant did not seem effective, Syar doubled the amount.  Syar also added walls around its load out area, brought in high powered vineyard fans to try to prevent the smell from reaching neighboring residences, and added additional containment to its HMA silos.  
Unfortunately, these efforts have not been as effective as we hoped and we apologize for the inconvenience we have caused.  We will continue to work with the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District to try to address the odor concerns issue as we work towards the scheduled completion of this project by October 15.  After this project is over and prior to any further production of rubberized HMA at our plant, we will continue to work with the Air District to find the best techniques for reducing the impact of the unpleasant odor on Healdsburg.
Jim Syar
President, Syar Industries, Inc
My view
Editor: In response to Mel Amato’s letter regarding my column “The View From Here.” It is gratifying to know it garners a response albeit not very flattering to be described as befuddled, which, according to my Thesaurus, is not a synonym for confounded, my description.
I would like to assure Mr. Amato I am not at all befuddled by his Carl Rove—P. T. Barnum type tactics. (If you repeat something, long enough, loud enough and often enough a percentage of people will believe it.) The younger generation may not know that Barnum was often referred to as: The patron saint of promoters.
All I am suggesting is look at the history of the two political parties, going back to the time of “The Great Depression” and Franklin Roosevelt. Then decide whether big business and extremely rich people or the government did more for the welfare and well being of its citizens.
Lucie Jensen remembers well The Great Depression.
Lucie Jensen
Healdsburg
Unjustified treatment
Editor: The dismissal of HHS track coach is not only sad, but makes me angry! I worked with Jenean Bingham for a number of years at HHS and I considered her to be an excellent coach. The sad thing is that its true, that some employees are treated maliciously, especially if you speak your mind. In the past, we for the most part had support and trust from our administration, that we are doing are jobs and doing it well, especially if you have been doing it for a number of years without complaints. However, the climate has changed in the last few years to a very unprofessional and most often unjustified treatment of employees at Healdsburg District. It saddens me to see another good employee treated this way. You have my support Jenean.
Shirley Trentacosta
Santa Rosa
New scoreboard
Editor: I am hoping that everyone has had the opportunity to see the great new baseball scoreboard at Rec Park. The Healdsburg Masons sponsored the purchase of the scoreboard and Healdsburg Little League donated the balance of the hard costs of installation. Thanks to Kevin and Nick Madarus who laid out the foundation for the posts and poured and finished the concrete; the City of Healdsburg electrical crew, led by Todd Woolman, drilled the 11-foot deep piers, set the I beams donated by Joe Belli of Belli Corp. and then assembled the scoreboard. Paul Deas of E & M Electric configured and supplied the new remote controls. With the help of HLL’s Cindy Beth, Jaime Licea, Parks & Rec Supervisor, coordinated all of the work and kept us on track while Scott Ward, City Building Official performed inspections and encouraged Setterland Engineering to donate the engineering for the project. Thanks also to Scott Cavallo of The Welding Shop for preparing the I beams and the final welding. Many thanks to all involved for the cooperative effort to get our new scoreboard installed.
Jerry Eddinger
Healdsburg
Vote for Vern
Editor: As Geri and I are now able to vote in Healdsburg elections, having moved in town from Dry Creek Valley in 2011, our residence for the past 30 years, we feel the need to help select councilmen. Vern Simmons is certain to receive our cote and we heartily recommend his candidacy to others.
Though relatively new to our community, having arrived here 10 years ago, Vern has already stepped up to the plate to help our city by becoming an active member of our planning commission for the past four years. His plan to continue serving the community in other ways was grossly interrupted early last year with an emergency heart operation that threatened his life. The experience was costly as the surgeons had to bypass the flow of blood to his legs that resulted in their being removed bow the knees. Vern’s long recovery time in the hospital and rehab time to return him to mobility deferred his pursuit of community service. Though his love of gardening and automobiles has been somewhat constricted, his new legs are not getting him around and a conversion of his car now enables his comeback on the scene here in town.
Fortunately for all, the event inn way slowed down his mental acuity and interest in community affairs. A well respected letter writer to this publication, he is not afraid to challenge issues that put the future of Healdsburg at risk. A retired US Navy Commander who had a senior leadership role in research into areas that he is not often at liberty to discuss, Vern brings to our community a mind trained in problem solving at the highest level and he wishes to share those abilities to make an even better future for the citizens of Healdsburg.
John and Geraldine Holt
Healdsburg