LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Support our seniors
Editor: Healdsburg is known as a generous community. We have a wealth of volunteers and contributors who are active in supporting kids’ sports, Healdsburg’s animals, our incredible museum, our library, the Boys and Girls Club and numerous other organizations in our beautiful town. I am reaching out to those of you who wouldn’t otherwise be involved to also support our amazing Healdsburg Senior Center. This place, located right in the heart of town, is a place of joy, learning, excellence, talent and support for our large senior population (of which you’ll be one if you stick around long enough). For our seniors, this is a truly enriching community center that contributes much to their daily lives.
If you’ve never been to the Senior Center at 133 Matheson Street, give them a visit. Just stop by to say “Hi!”. Or better yet, please come to our Healdsburg Senior Writing Project book release party on Saturday, June 16, 2012 from 2-5 p.m. You will be thrilled to hear of the amazing lives our seniors have lived as they read from their newly published book, Tuesday Morning Memories: An Anthology.
Shonnie Brown
Healdsburg


Healdsburg Philharmonia
Editor: The presentation this last weekend by the Philharmonia Healdsburg at the Raven was truly outstanding. The selections were most memorable and the quality of the music was beyond reproach. Although once a movie theatre, the Raven Theatre offered excellent acoustics, much better than the Wells Fargo Center. The only difficulty was the marginal attendance by the community. This is the first year for the Philharmonia and I should guess that unless attendance improves the long term future is not bright. Community support is critical to keeping the arts alive in Healdsburg and I would hope the next season will show significant improvement. The new season starts on 17 & 18 November 2012 with Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”. It just does not get much better than this. Information at www.raventheater.org/philharmonia/. Show your support by showing up.
Vernon Simmons
Healdsburg


22nd Historic Healdsburg Homes Tour a Great Success!
Editor: Thank you to all the participants who made the 22nd annual AAUW Historic Healdsburg Homes Tour such a success this year. We hope you enjoyed the beautiful sunny day and the wonderful homes that were so graciously opened to all of us. It truly was a community effort with so many volunteers and organizers, local business advertisers, and raffle prize donors.
The Healdsburg branch of AAUW is very grateful to our sponsors Big John’s Market, Jim Murphy & Associates, American Ag Credit and Charles Reichel, CPA. We could not have achieved the financial success of the tour without your generous support.
We also thank the homeowners Doug and Julianne Muhleman; Pamela Volante; John and Elizabeth Taylor; Fred Walter and Jenny Hammons-Walter; Stephen Sanderson and Daniel Padilla and Irene Young, all who graciously opened their homes for this year’s tour.
We also would like to acknowledge the Healdsburg Museum and staff for their assistance and support every year.
The real winners of the day are the students who will benefit from the funds raised from tour and raffle ticket sales. All profits support local education, with a sizable portion given to the Healdsburg Education Foundation each year. The balance is used for scholarships awarded to local re-entry women pursuing 4-year college degrees.
Thank you Healdsburg for your support. We hope to see you again next year!
Jan Stanley Chair, 2012 Historic Healdsburg Homes Tour
American Association of University Women


Disappointed in Ray
Editor: I was disappointed to see Ray Holley’s ad hominem attack on Norman Solomon in last week’s paper.
In his column, he characterized a mailer Solomon had sent out (which pointed out that Stacey Lawson hadn’t voted in most recent elections and compared that to Meg Whitman’s similar voting record) as “ungentlemanly and unbecoming of a man who strides the halls of Congress” – a ludicrous statement considering that whoever represents the North Coast will share those halls with such provocateurs as Allen West.
What really upset me, though, was when he said “Frankly, he comes off like he has a problem with women.” What? How does one jump from, “candidate sends out negative mailer” to “candidate has a problem with women?” Susan Adams has criticized Lawson for the same reason, but she obviously doesn’t have a problem with women. She is one herself. Solomon, however, unlike other candidates who resort to negative mailers, has some dark ulterior motive. This doesn’t add up.
Or does it? Holley has long been an advocate of the very establishment politicians who got us into the mess we’re in. Like Lawson. Which is fine. But to essentially campaign for her under the guise of righteous indignation is a breach of the public trust.
Writing this, I don’t know how the election turned out. But if Holley and his ilk succeeded in sabotaging the campaign of one of the few truly independent, truly Progressive candidates we have, I fear greatly for the future of America.
Aaron Miller
Healdsburg


Cancer climb
Editor: In July, fourteen men and women who are either prostate cancer veterans or friends and family members will climb Mt. Shasta as participants in the Bob Boardman Memorial Climb. Two of my brothers, Ian and Robb Boardman, will be among the climbers to honor our dad, who died of prostate cancer last November, and to help focus attention on the prostate cancer epidemic while raising funds for the climb’s sponsor, a local non-profit education and support organization called the Prostate Awareness Foundation. All climbers pay their own way to and from the climbing site and for any required permits, supplies or guides, as well committing to raising funds for the Foundation to continue its work of educating and supporting men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families. Anyone wishing to sponsor my brothers can do so by making a tax- deductible donation of any amount at the Foundation’s website, prostateawarenessfoundation.org, or by sending a check to Prostate Awareness Foundation, P.O. Box 2934, Santa Rosa 95409.
Anthony Boyce
Windsor