Letters to the Editor 11-8-12

Veterans Day
Editor: On Sunday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., members of Sotoyome Post 111 of The American Legion, will gather at the Memorial on the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg to honor our Veterans.
To quote Joanna Fuchs,, a poet from Idaho.  These are  “… extraordinary men and women, who did things most people don’t want to do, went to places we would never want to visit, and lived at length in uncomfortable surroundings we can’t even imagine. They did what they did from devotion to their country’s freedom, honor and reputation. They endured difficult service because they are exceptional people, a cut above the rest of us, who live safe, comfortable lives.”
We veterans are gathering in Plaza to honor the 50 men who’s  names are etched on the Memorial. These are the sons of Healdsburg who, since World War I, have made the ultimate sacrifice to their Nation. We are also remembering and honoring their families. Their lives were never the same. These men are the true hero’s among us.
The members of the Healdsburg American Legion Family have not forgotten these 50 men. They are our brothers as are the millions who have served in war time and peace time. This brief ceremony is a reminder to their families and to the community that their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Veterans, the parents and siblings of veterans, the children of veterans, the friends and spouses of veterans are all invited to join us on the Plaza at 11 a.m. Sunday morning, November 11th. Whenever you find yourself in the Plaza, please stop at the memorial and say thanks. The little boy on the memorial, to me he is the son, the little brother, the nephew left behind. He is all of us.
Tom Grimes
Commander, Sotoyome Post 111,
Healdsburg
Scary dogs
Editor: To the owner(s) of the two dogs – one black and white, one brown-ish, both likely pit bulls, according to a neighbor – that were running off-leash on Grant Street on Friday night, September 14, at about 11 p.m.: your dogs would have killed my cat if the neighbor hadn’t saved her life by intervening.
After the attack, Luna ran away and hid. I spent two days searching for her, hoping that she wasn’t injured and suffering, praying that she’d be found.
She came home on Sunday night, the 16th, dirty, terrified, and so weak that she could hardly walk, with a nasty wound on her back, bruises and puncture wounds on her belly, and a badly herniated intestine. The damage, caused by one of your dogs picking her up and shaking her, was so severe that the surgery took twice as long as expected.
I didn’t want to write this letter until I knew whether Luna would live. Thanks to the skill of Memorial Beach vets Dr. Shafer and Dr. Dell and the attentive care of their staff, she’s making a good recovery. Saving her was worth the $3,000 it cost me, though it’s been a serious financial hit for me at a time when I’m unemployed.
But if you make a habit of letting your dogs run free, there may be other people in Healdsburg who aren’t as lucky as I am, whose pets go missing and never come home, or who can’t afford to pay for the injuries that your animals cause.
It’s illegal in Healdsburg to have dogs off-leash on city streets. On the night of the 14th, you broke that law. Please, never do it again.
Owners of all this town’s beautiful dogs, please remember that there are good reasons for our leash law. And cat owners, I’ve learned that our pets are safer indoors, or at a minimum, confined to a deck or a secure back yard. I deeply regret not having done that for Luna in the past. I will certainly be doing it for her in the future.
Nancy Roberts
Healdsburg
No grease down the sink
Editor: For many people, the holidays are not complete with a delicious, home-cooked meal, and all that cooking can lead to lots of leftover grease. The Russian River Watershed Association (RRWA) would like to remind residents that fats, oils and grease can cause costly clogs and unsanitary sewer back ups.  
We all know that Fats, Oils and Grease will clog your arteries, but not everyone realizes that they will do the same to the pipes in your home and your local sewer system. Many people believe that grease is ok to put down the sink as long as it’s warm, but what happens when that warm grease cools?  Eventually, grease poured down the sink (or into the garbage disposal) will cool and harden, which can lead to unpleasant odors and blockages in your pipes.
Grease can also build up in your pipes from food scraps, even if they are put down the garbage disposal. So how should you dispose of all that grease from your delicious holiday meal?
1. For best results, pour excess grease into a container with a tight-fitting lid for storing.  Use a scraper or spatula to remove all the grease from the pan. Freeze it, or allow it to harden on its own, and throw the hardened oil away on trash day.  
2. Don’t rinse greasy dishes! Before washing, use a paper towel to remove small amounts of grease or cooking oil, and then simply throw the paper towel in the trash.
3. Scrape food remnants into the trash or a compost pile, not the sink or garbage disposal.
4. To place large amounts of oil in the trash, use kitty litter to absorb the oil, and place it in a sealed bag for disposal in the garbage.
If you’re planning on frying your turkey this Thanksgiving, don’t let that oil go to waste, it can be frozen and reused, or recycled. Several restaurants will take small quantities (less than 10 gallons) of strained vegetable oil for recycling into biodiesel.
For more information contact the Eco-Desk at 565-3375 or go to www.recyclenow.org.
Mynda Songer
Russian River Watershed Association