LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 7-19-12

Thanks from Rotary
Editor: The Rotary Club of Healdsburg Sunrise wishes to thank the local community for the commitment and  support provided for the Community Picnic July 4th. Attendance at the event was in excess of 1,000 and the event included child friendly activities, music throughout the day, food vendors, classic car show, and a wonder league demonstration game all culminating in a duck dash that provided fun and excitement for all.
We intend to make this picnic and duck dash an annual event and want to thank our event sponsors, the City of Healdsburg  and the Chamber of Commerce for working with us to make the initial event so successful.
George R. Dutton
Healdsburg
September 11 memorial
Editor: I was pleased to see (Tribune, July 5th-11th) that the City Council has approved the installation of a 9/11 memorial on the Plaza.  We should never forget the innocent victims of that day, nor the brave first responders.  But there are other things we should remember too.  That same issue of the Tribune includes a quote from Abraham Lincoln (page 4) that is well worth pondering in this connection:  “America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  Have we faltered?  Certainly we’ve lost some of our freedoms—think of warrantless wiretapping and the loss of habeas corpus, among other things—thanks in large part to the “global war on terror” and the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act (better known as the USA Patriot Act).  And we attacked Iraq, a nation that demonstrably had nothing whatever to do with 9/11.  
I was also pleased to see that sections of the memorial “will be left somewhat rough, to reflect the still unresolved feelings and questions relating to 9/11.”  Indeed there are unresolved questions.  In fact, numerous highly qualified experts on such matters as the design and construction of high rise buildings have expressed serious doubts as to whether the official story of 9/11 can possibly be true (especially with respect to WTC Building 7, which collapsed without even having been hit by a plane).  Of course, I realize many people will dismiss such opinions out of hand.  Before you do that, however, I would like to suggest you take a look at the website AE911Truth.org (“Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth,” where over 1500 architects and engineers have signed a petition calling for an independent investigation into the events of 9/11); then you can make up your own mind.  
C. J. Date
Healdsburg
HHS reunion
Editor: On Saturday night, July 14, I had the privilege of attending the reunion for Healdsburg High School classes of 1970-1975.  What an outstanding event, planned by Phyllis Young Callahan, Laurie Steadman Sieventhall and their committee of class representatives Jim Dreisback, Linda Neussl Carlisle, Matt Penry, Kim Thompson, and Joann Leoni Engelke.
The Villa dinning room was transformed into all the favorite Healdsburg haunts of the students….Flakey Cream Donut Shop set with Flakey Cream tables, menus and donuts, A&W Root Beer serving burgers and root beer floats, Memorial beach with the life guard stand, the downtown Plaza fountain and the Aven Theater showing class pictures and the 1950’s Healdsburg movie.   The Villa lobby was decorated with more class photos and a revolving school mascot greyhound. The building became an amazing setting for an evening of school friends to gather.
Thank you to Phyllis, Laurie and all the many committee members and volunteers for all your many, many hours of work to plan such a fun, fun setting for the reunion.
Meredith Dreisback
Healdsburg