LETTERS

Help kids get FIT
Editor: The current debate over health care priorities presents
a critical opportunity to take a closer look at the state of our
children’s health. With childhood obesity rates skyrocketing, more
emphasis should be placed on teaching youngsters how to become more
physically active.  Overweight children have an increased risk for
heart disease, the leading cause of death among Californians.
Today, nearly 10 million children and adolescents ages six to 19
are considered overweight. Here in Sonoma County, 27 percent of
children ages 6-11 are obese, higher than the national average.
Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) can help improve the health
and well-being of our children by cosponsoring the Fitness
Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act. The FIT Kids Act, endorsed
by the American Heart Association, amends No Child Left Behind to
encourage schools to increase physical education and give children
the tools they need to stay fit and healthy through adulthood. Not
only are fit children at less risk for future heart disease and
stroke, studies show they also achieve more academically.
Giving the nation’s children a head start on physical fitness to
reduce their risk for obesity-related diseases should be a top
priority for this Congress and as we seek to reform our country’s
healthcare system. I encourage Representative Woolsey to join her
colleagues to help kids lead healthier lives, learn more
effectively and achieve more academically.
– Ari Hauptman, M.D., Board Member, American Heart
Association North Bay Division, Santa Rosa
Where’s the bidding?
Editor: Two public art pieces are planned for Sebastopol. One
will be placed in Spooner Park, our southern gateway. A dragon is
proposed to emphasize the unusual type of solar array currently in
place. As reported on KRCB news, the unique solar installation
dragon tail, or sun snake, design was inspired by the Beijing
Olympics. The other piece is to be a whimsical Patrick Amiot
sculpture at the western gateway on Bodega Avenue. Both will be
paid for with city money, and are projects of two city
councilpersons.
It is wonderful that the city wants to fund public art. Most of
the art pieces which enliven the town are voluntarily on loan from
Sculpture Jam artists. These Jam artists have not been paid for
their sculptures. It would be appropriate if those skillful and
generous sculptors could submit proposals and possibly win a bid
and receive money for their art.
My primary objection to these two new projects is that they are
not open to a democratic artist selection. In other communities,
funded public art pieces are open to submissions of proposals by
artists. Then the artist submissions are reviewed by a committee,
on which sit artists. Artist reviewers have studied art; they know
form, line, materials, longevity of materials, engineering
principles, psychology of art, scale, aesthetics, the history of
art, symbolism, theme.
Why are these qualifications important? We all know what we
like. Yes, the councilpersons have chosen what they like. No matter
who selects the art, some folks won’t like it.
But, take only symbolism and theme. Googling “sun dragon,” one
learns that a voluptuous magical female fantasy figure is what
young people think of when they hear, “sun dragon.” She’s not solar
powered. I checked with several solar panel installation firms.
They had never heard of a sun dragon as a symbol for green or even
for solar power. An artist committee would consider these
points.
Interested readers can learn more in the minutes of recent
council meetings, available in City Hall, and on the city’s
website.
– Beth Hartmann, Sebastopol