Letters to the Editor 1-8-15

Lions too
Editor: I agree completely with Jim Corbett’s recent letter applauding the many groups who contribute to our Sebastopol community. He did, however, overlook the Sebastopol Gravenstein Lions Club. We have been a part of the community since 1976, and provide a variety of assistance to the community. Lions Clubs International emphasizes eye care, and as a part of that we provide pre-school vision screening to many schools in our area, as well as purchasing eyeglasses for many needy children and adults each year. You may have seen our fireworks booth at the Safeway lot each year; we raise many thousands of dollars and every cent of profit returns to the community, including such local organizations as the Scouts, Ceres Project, the Senior Center, the Living Room, Canine Companions and food banks.
Jerry Coleman
President
Sebastopol Gravenstein Lions Club
Not a ‘dungeon’
Editor: I am responding to a letter from Jim Corbett titled, “Thank You Sebastopol,” published in the Jan. 1, 2015 Sonoma West Times & News. I appreciate and am likewise thankful for all the items Jim wrote about. But, I was personally offended when he referred to our Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building as a “dungeon.”
My dictionary defines “dungeon” as “a prison or place of confinement, especially a subterranean chamber or other dark, gloomy cell.”
My dictionary further defines memorial as “anything meant to help people remember some person or event,” such as honoring those brave souls who died in combat for our Democracy.
You sir should think more carefully about your choice of words when talking about our honored dead. I bet you never served in our U.S. Military. I am aware that our precious Veterans Memorial Building suffers from deferred maintenance, but it is a far cry from a dungeon where torture is routine.
If I were you, I would consider apologizing to all our military veterans as well as to the families of those in whose memory our memorial building was dedicated.
Alan Horn
Sebastopol
U.S. Coast Guard 1969-1971
Plan needs community
Editor: I write to you as the CEO of Sonoma West Medical Center. As we enter a new year, I see this as an opportune time to leave behind past controversies surrounding Palm Drive Hospital and to look forward to the future instead. I am encouraging all of us to join together, as a community, to focus on a new conversation about the return of a viable medical center in our region.
A successful medical center in Western Sonoma County is critical to the health and safety of the people who live here. It is also essential to the vibrance of our community. That is why so many people are working so hard to fulfill a vision for Sonoma West Medical Center that is based on a solid business plan. Given what is at stake, it’s not unexpected that there have been differences of opinion as expressed in the editorial last week and that emotions have run high. We must keep these differences in perspective of the greater vision as we move forward.
Our community has made it clear they want a hospital here. It is obvious to me as a new community member that the vast majority of our neighbors wish to open the new hospital soon. We need look no further than last November’s Palm Drive Health Care District board election, when 77 percent of votes were cast on behalf of candidates that pledged to open the hospital.
In this new year, I am asking that we resolve to work together for our community’s best interest and be cautious to not let our effort for the future be compromised. We are fortunate to have generous donors and a community with great desire for healthcare services. These are the ingredients, along with a well-developed business plan, for success in our new hospital. I welcome you all to become involved and join in this effort, with renewed focus on working together towards this great objective in the new year.
Raymond Hino
Sebastopol