Letters to the Editor 1-30-14

Christmas wishes made
Editor:   
The fifteenth annual Christmas Wish program concluded on Dec. 15 after toys were distributed to 120 families.  Wishes became reality for 210 Cloverdale children. These gifts came to them through the generosity of people in our community who purchased items matching one or more of the child’s wishes displayed on tags in local businesses. Their wishes ranged from dolls, toy trucks, clothing, educational toys, school supplies and art materials.
The Christmas Wish program once again got a tremendous amount of support from the Cloverdale Lions Club motorcycle run/toy drive that was held on Dec. 1. Hundreds of beautiful new toys, games, dolls and stuffed animals were donated. These toys were used to fill the wishes of children whose tags were not taken and to make gifts equitable for siblings. Any remaining toys are given to the local Fire Department for their neighborhood distribution on Christmas Eve. The generosity of the Cloverdale Lions club each year is an integral part of the Christmas Wish program.
The businesses that displayed the Wish Trees and encouraged their customers and staff to participate are always the key to the success of the program. The businesses in Cloverdale that participated in this year Christmas Wish program were, Century 21 Les Ryan Realty, Redwood Credit Union, United Church of Cloverdale, Exchange Bank, Starbucks, Clover Springs and Ace Hardware. People don’t realize what a complex tracking system we have. When people take the wish tags and don’t return gifts or don’t put numbers on the gifts it really complicates our process.
Cloverdale Community Partnership founded and organized the Christmas Wish program 15 years ago. The Partnership dissolved in 2004 and for two years former Partnership director Laurie Siebenthall volunteered to coordinate the program and keep it going. Seven years ago Laurie Siebentall retired from the leadership of the Christmas Wish Program. With Laurie Siebentall’s guidance and help the Christmas Wish Program was handed over to Century 21 Les Ryan Realty three years ago. Two years ago, a group of Cloverdale volunteers, named Santa’s Helpers, took over the Christmas Wish program.
It is a community effort.
The Cloverdale High School Key Club, the Cloverdale High School Interact Club and many community volunteers worked many hours wrapping toys. The Santa’s Helpers would also like to thank the loyal volunteers who have worked each year for the 15 years sorting and processing all the toys and making sure that every child has their gifts. Their expertise after 15 years is what makes things run smoothly.
The Santa’s Helpers would also like to express gratitude to the Cloverdale Reveille for their help with advertising this program, Cloverdale Lions Club for their annual Toy Bike Run, Harold Gutknecht for the use of his building at E.First Street.
Cloverdale is a very giving and generous community and has learned to take care of its own citizens. Once again the success of the Christmas Wish Program proves to be a shining example of the spirit of giving this community possesses.
Iris Konik,
Cloverdale
Chemical spraying
Editor:   
For the past three or so years, I have witnessed a great deal of what I have come to learn as chem trails in our skies. They are not the normal jet streams we see sometimes, but deliberate spraying of many dangerous and toxic chemicals. I know, many might be thinking, why would they do this? Good question, I thought the same thing. Since I have done my homework and read up on this issue and been aware of how these chemicals can damage health, one of the major problems has been increased respiratory difficulties. I encourage my fellow citizens to read up on this problem. There are ways to protect your health. And don’t forget that writing to our representatives both local and beyond can be a good start to making a change that will benefit others and protect from further damage to our environment also.
Gabrielle Aplin,
Cloverdale
How to check your water meters
There are several reasons why you’d want to be able to locate and read your water meter. First, you might be interested in just how much water you use in a day. By reading your meter at the beginning and the end of the day you can compare the two totals tell how much water you and your family used. The second reason is to check for leaks. If you turn off all the taps in your house, look at your meter and it is still turning, chances are you have a leak somewhere. Here are some hints to help you find and read your water meter:
STEP 1: Locate Your Meter
Your water meter is generally located near the curb in front of your home although in some areas (usually cold climates) it may be inside your home usually in the basement. Outside meters are typically housed in a concrete box usually marked “water” or in a meter pit with a cast iron lid. Carefully remove the lid by using a tool such as a large screwdriver or pliers. Visually examine the area around the meter to make sure there are no harmful insects or other animals.
STEP 2: Read Your Water Meter
Water meters measure volume in gallons or cubic feet. One cubic foot = 7.48 gallons and 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons. Water charges are typically based on 100 cubic feet or on 1,000 gallon units.
In the meter at the right, the reading is taken from the figures shown under the words CUBIC FEET. The meter reads 81,710, which is the total number of cubic feet of water recorded since the meter was installed. If the utility bills in units of 100 cubic feet they would read this meter as simply 817.
STEP 3: Determine if there is a leak
Take a reading and wait 10 minutes.  Be sure to stop all water use inside and outside the home, including ice makers. When the 10 minutes are up, take another reading of the meter and compare it to the first reading.  If the reading has changed, there is a leak.
Water meters also have a low flow indicator. This is usually a small, triangle or wheel that spins when water is flowing through the meter. Look for movement on the low flow indicator while all water used has been stopped. If there is movement, water is still flowing through indicating a leak.
If the water meter has a digital display, a message indicating a leak will flash.
Information courtesy of H2ouse.org