Letters to the Editor 12-17-15

Dangerous game?
Editor: Thanks to Greg Clementi for his article about concussions in sports and the increasing concern from the medical profession and others about damage to young brains caused by repeated physical collisions during games, most notably football. This brings up a rather (to me) obvious question: why are hundreds of children (defined, say as those under 14 years old) in Healdsburg playing tackle football in full gear? This seems like a pretty big risk to young people whose bodies and minds are developing very quickly during the critical formative years of their lives.
I understand the lure of football. I loved it when I was young; in fact, we played tackle football sometimes without padding. Probably not real smart, but who knew in the 50s and 60s? In the current era, with new information coming out all the time, and the NFL on board, it’s hard to claim ignorance as an excuse. I don’t write this to cast blame, just to raise the subject and encourage parents and coaches to consider the possibility that this kind of activity may not be a good thing for the health of our children.
Hank Skewis
Healdsburg
Wear a headscarf
Editor: I know very little about the Muslim faith and I have no close Muslim friends. Nevertheless, as a citizen to the United States of America, I want to support Muslim’s rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I want them to feel secure and free from fear within our borders. I want those who direct anger and harm toward our Muslim communities to stop their assaults. I invite women to join me in wearing a headscarf on Dec. 22.
This is the Winter Solstice and it falls between the Sunni celebration of Prophet Mohammad’s birth, Dec. 21 and the Shia celebration, Dec. 26. A day with a headscarf is a small act to reach out and support our Muslim communities with openness of heart and friendship. If you think there are others that would like to support Muslims in this way pass this information on.
Cathy Mihalik
Healdsburg
Conflicts of interest
Editor: At the Dec. 7 City Council meeting a public speaker asked that Councilman Gary Plass recuse himself from the housing discussion surrounding the rental crisis. As a real estate agent, Gary Plass has a clear conflict of interest. He benefits from high housing prices. Likewise, the speaker pointed out that Councilman Eric Ziedrich has a conflict of interest and should step down as chair of the Healdsburg Community Housing Committee. The committee is set to make recommendations that will lead to more building in Healdsburg, where Ziedrich is a major supplier of building materials.
Later in the meeting Ziedrich offered to do as suggested. Plass said no, don’t step down, only one person thinks you should. Plass is mistaken on two points. Even if only one person notices the problem, the two should not be exercising influence on issues where they have conflicts of interest. And it’s not just one person. Many in Healdsburg see these conflicts of interest, including the signors of this letter.
Elisabeth Hawthorne, Gerard Ange,
Jen Buchignani, Maureen Mousley, Warren Watkins, Marian Murphy, Nancy Roberts, Michelle Schultz,  Christine Webster, Laura Beach,
Suzie Buchignani, Ken Buchignani
Healdsburg
Exhibits worth seeing
Editor: Most of us have probably heard that 2015 was the centenary of the Panama Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) in San Francisco. The one remaining building of the PPIE is the Palace of Fine Arts whose dome is clearly seen from Highway 101 when entering the city from the north. During the exposition this was part of a small city sparkling by night and day known as “The Jewel City.”
Until a recent trip to the De Young Museum’s “Jewel City” exhibit, I didn’t know of the extensiveness of the fine arts from Europe and the U.S. displayed in multiple galleries at PPIE. Then within 24 hours of this visit, I discovered that the PPIE was also a big event in our town.
The Healdsburg Museum’s small exhibit on Healdsburg and the PPIE provides a better story than the De Young on the excitement of locals getting to the exhibit and the temporary nature of the buildings at the PPIE. There are photos of the destruction of exhibition buildings plus memorabilia and souvenirs brought back to Healdsburg in 1915. The really surprising items are the Healdsburg businesses’ 1915 advertisements using the PPIE as a marketing tool.
Both of these exhibits are well worth seeing. The De Young’s exhibit ends Jan. 10. Healdsburg Museum’s PPIE exhibit is on the ground floor with “A Small World” toy exhibit and “Healdsburg Immigrants” exhibit in the main gallery. Hurry as these two exhibits close on Jan. 3 and the museum will be closed Jan. 4 to 28 for the installation of the next exhibit on the Oak Mound Cemetery project.
The Healdsburg Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be closed Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Ronnie Devitt
Healdsburg
Need for standards
Editor: Since 2000, Sonoma County has experienced explosive growth in the approval of wineries, accompanied by increasingly more intense hospitality and entertainment activities. By 2014, the county had already approved twice the number of facilities assumed in the General Plan (436 wineries), and there are now 60 applications pending. More and more, wineries have become venues for events and commercial activities. On most weekends, parking overflows and road congestion clog up narrow, winding, country roads. These conditions create life-threatening road hazards for rural residents, especially when combined with party-level alcohol consumption.
Fortunately, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has acknowledged the problem and will be voting on new standards in the coming year. We hope that they will uphold the policies in our General Plan designed to steer tourism-related hospitality uses to our urban centers and protect our rural agricultural lands. Standards will not take anything away from the facilities that are operating lawfully now, and will create a level playing field to the benefit of all wineries.
Rural residents are asking county officials to preserve that balance between agriculture, natural areas and rural ambience, with town-centered marketing of local products. Our county has benefited from Napa’s over-development and its diminished tourist experience – let’s not make the same mistakes here.
Lorraine Bazan
Sebastopol
Empowering AAUW
Editor: On behalf of Healdsburg Public School Success Team (PSST), I would like to gratefully thank and proudly recognize AAUW (American Association of University Women) Healdsburg branch for its generous financial and volunteers support for PSST in the past several years.
In its seventh year now, PSST continues to provide tutoring and coaching services to enrolled students, from sixth grade through 11th grade in Healdsburg public schools. In addition to tutoring and coaching, we also support high school students through an elective credited class to become tutors to fifth graders at Fitch Mountain School. Our services are provided by community volunteers and the financial support help us pay for educational materials and field trips to important exposures such as Sonoma State University, local cultural events, and businesses in STEM fields like General Dynamic and Google.
Please join me in supporting AAUW by participating in any of their great ongoing community service programs (check their website at healdsburg-ca.aauw.net) or their fundraisers such as the annual Home Tour and Forum classes.
To join us at PSST please visit us at www.hbgpsst.com.
Hala Alshahwany
PSST vice-chair