Letters to the Editor 1-10-13

Thank you Palm Drive
Editor: Over the past five weeks, I’ve been the recipient of the services of Palm Drive Hospital, first as a week-long patient treated for endocarditis, then as an outpatient for a four-week regimen of antibiotics. Now I’m on my way to San Francisco for heart surgery.
I can’t offer enough praise for the caregivers at Palm Drive. The nursing staff in Outpatient Surgery especially; those in my less frequent encounters with ICU, ER, Radiology and Med/Surg; my team of skilled, communicative doctors; the support staff who came running when the nurses were busy; the guys emptying the wastebaskets; the volunteers; the cooks — institutional food, sure, but truly worthy of Sonoma County.
I’m grateful also to a bunch of people I don’t know: those who’ve kept this hospital in existence by their dedication and damned hard work. I don’t know the chronicle of the struggle and the issues that have threatened Palm Drive in the past. I can only say that we’re immensely grateful for its existence in the present and to those who’ve made it possible. There are so many things to be celebrated in this community, and Palm Drive is right at the top.
Conrad Bishop
Sebastopol
Sebastopol’s future
Editor: Well, we now know what the increased taxes in Sebastopol will go towards. Not for a police officer, not to fix streets, not to promote child safety and health, not to help 339 low-income families and certainly not to beautify our city parks. Rather, the current City Council embraces the $100,000 per year CVS lawsuit that the residents of the City of Sebastopol will ultimately pay for (“CVS files lawsuit over drive-through moratorium,” Jan. 3, 2013).
The recent election rhetoric consistently implied that 90 percent of citizens were against CVS and that voters overwhelmingly supported the Jacob and Eder platform to stop the CVS project. But look at the voting results. Combined, Jacob and Eder received 4,327 votes while 3,689 voters did not support this platform. This means that 46 percent of Sebastopol citizens were not against the CVS project. Perhaps our newly elected City Council should look at that number and reconsider their biases to their constituents.
It’s just too bad that our community was not informed of the cost of these election threats to stop CVS while ignoring City Council approval votes of 4-1 and 3-2. This lawsuit is going to cost our community much-needed resources. But maybe this is how the City Council plans on attracting more visitors to improve Sebastopol’s economic vitality.
There may be one way City Council members can help. Since Sarah Gurney and Michael Khys actively went door to door asking for voter support to raise the .5 percent sales tax for revenue, now they can go door to door and ask for $100,000 yearly to pay for their “No on CVS” dream. Perhaps Robert Jacob and John Eder, who raised almost $45,000 in their “No on CVS” election, can use their influence to raise the same kind of money to help pay for this lawsuit.
Linda Johnson
Sebastopol
Well done
Editor: During some meetings of the council, I mentioned that Sebastopol was being exposed to lawsuit and certainly that prediction has come to pass. This is on top of the embarrassment that was created for this town (“CVS files lawsuit over drive-through moratorium,” Jan. 3, 2013).
Now Sebastopol has its own “fiscal cliff,” so we join the ranks of Mr. Boehner and his minions in creating more and more problems without presenting any solutions.
I wonder if the citizens who voiced such a disapproval to the CVS project will contribute any funds to defend Sebastopol. How much will Mr. Jacob and Ms. Shane pay out of their pockets towards this end? The threat of spending over $100,000 for this lawsuit is just the beginning, as lawsuits are extremely expensive and Sebastopol may be exposed to paying the attorney fees for the plaintiffs.
A job well done, Council.
Zilda McCausland
Sebastopol
Boycott CVS
Editor: CVS has filed a law suit against our quiet West County town. Some say the lawsuit will cost the citizens of Sebastopol over $100,000. Since this money will have to come out of the General Fund, that means less money available for paying the salaries and benefits of all the city employees, including the police and fire departments. Parks and Recs and Ives Pool are funded 100 percent from the General Fund. All other city services are affected but not all are funded 100 percent from the General Fund. That would include street repair, government buildings, public works and more.
Why are there still shoppers in the CVS store in Sebastopol? Why are the citizens of Sebastopol still shopping at CVS, a company that has just brought a lawsuit against their town? By shopping at CVS, Sebastopol residents are supporting a company to pay attorneys to bring a lawsuit against their own town. Wake up people, and stop shopping at CVS.
Guy Erdman
Sebastopol
On the chopping block?
Editor: Our town’s newest development is about to claim one of its oldest living residents. The large and stately bunya-bunya tree at the gateway corner of Highway 12 and Morris Street is now on the brink of being old and in the way. This unique and irreplaceable tree on the Barlow property may be slated for quick removal to comply with City and State regulations, the victim of inadequate foresight and planning by the developer and the city Planning Department.
Is this inevitable? Attend the next Tree Board meeting at the City Hall on Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. with your good thoughts and comments about this situation. Information about the tree removal can be found on the City’s website at ci.sebastopol.ca.us, or by contacting the Planning Department at 823-6167.
Brad and Arlene Kallen
Sebastopol