Letters to the Editor 12-18-14

Naked, ceramic woman a casualty of the storm
Editor:   
Many people passing along Highway 128, right before the Sonoma-Mendocino County line, have spotted the life-sized naked ceramic sculpture of a woman standing in the yard of the artist and sculptor Joe Hawley. Her name was Crimson Rose Kamara.
Unfortunately, yesterday morning after a day and a half of solid rain, a huge oak tree fell over, knocking the statue to the ground, knocking the head off and shattering the body into countless pieces.
“I didn’t know how much she meant to me until she was broken. She was kind of iconic to the property: the naked ceramic lady was sort of a landmark of Highway 128,” the artist said.
The statue was a uniquely textured life-sized figure — a composite of body parts taken from molds of several different women. She was created when the sculptor was a Professor of Ceramics at San Francisco State University, moving north with him when he retired to Cloverdale. She has been standing proudly in the yard and attracting the attention of Highway 128 passersby for almost 20 years.
We will miss you Crimson Rose.
Jorin & Joe Hawley
From the Alder Glenn County Schoolhouse on the county line
Heartfelt thanks
Editor:   
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters of our wonderful city who elected me to a third term on City Council. It is truly an honor to represent you both on the Council and on regional boards, commissions and committees.     
Special thanks, also, to all the friends, neighbors, colleagues and business owners who endorsed me and otherwise supported my modest, self-funded campaign by accepting a lawn/window sign, creating a website, helping me design and give out my one-page “literature” plus, above all, giving me their encouragement. Each of you is an inspiration to me.
I also want to commend every candidate, elected or not. It isn’t easy to step up and run for office; yet our democracy depends on citizens doing just that.  
At the start of a new term, I make only one promise and it’s this: Whether or not you voted for me, you have my pledge to work diligently over the next four years, as I have throughout the prior eight, to help achieve our mutual goals and even our dreams and to make sure Cloverdale gets our fair share.
You’ll always find me available by phone at 894-1750 (City Hall) or 312-1547 (cell) and at in**********@co*****.net I look forward to hearing from you!   
Carol Russell,
Cloverdale City Council
Harvest 4H report
Editor:   
Harvest  4H is Cloverdale’s local 4H chapter. 4H is a youth operated organization with adult advisors. Youth learn about leadership by holding board positions and learning Roberts rules of order. Projects that teach life skills are offered in various areas of learning lead by adults who are excited to teach their skills to youth. 4H is also a youth service organization like the adult groups, Lions, Rotary, Soroptimists, Kiwanis and others. The youth learn about community service and citizenship.
Harvest 4H currently offers seven projects; Archery, Rabbits, Cavies, Gardening, Arts & Crafts, Scrapbooking, and small animal showmanship. The kids get to have fun learning a skill and have opportunities to use those skills by exhibiting things they have made, grown or raised, and/or using their skills competitively. 
Our club also plans many community service projects. This month we are serving at the Druids dinner, collecting items for the Wallace House, caroling and tree decorating at the Cloverdale Healthcare Center. Of course coming up you will see our youth members preparing for the Citrus Fair as has been our tradition for many years, making a float for the parade and a citrus feature sculpture. Many of our members enter exhibits in the fair including livestock like rabbits and cavies and still exhibits like posters and arts/crafts. The members will learn about citizenship with a citizenship scavenger hunt planned for the spring.
If you or your youth are interested in joining our 4H group or just want to know what 4H is all about come to one of our club meetings, every second Wed of the month at 7 p.m. in the Citrus Fair Tea Room, look at or join our Facebook group at Harvest4HCloverdale, email Ha*******@ho*****.com, or call 894-4733. 
— Submitted by Rachel Sceales, Harvest 4H reporter