Letters to the Editor 2-18-16

Open letter to Rollie
EDITOR: Thich Nhat Hanh, the noted practitioner of mindfulness once commented that the problem with the anti-war movement was that they did not write love letters to the leaders of our country, but angry letters. In that spirit,we are sending you a letter from our hearts on this Valentine’s Day.
In your coverage of the rebirth of our district hospital, you have proven that your newspaper is a powerful force in our community. Your editorials, headlines, opinion pieces, and selection of letters have had a major effect on its process.  The commentaries you’ve published have made it difficult to raise money for the hospital and have discouraged people from contributing to its success at a critical time.
Your recent headline, “Fears of Third Bankruptcy Grow,” came as a surprise to everyone who knows that the hospital is on a path to success with rapidly growing revenue. Since there was no mention of bankruptcy at the meeting you attended, and since you did not speak to a hospital administrator, and did not quote anyone as being fearful, this appears to be another personal opinion instead of news.
If you had inquired, you would have found that Sonoma West Medical Center is already exceeding Palm Drive in patient census, ER visits and outpatient visits. For example SWMC had 433 inpatient days in January vsPalm Drive’s average of 344/month, a 26% increase.  SWMC had 573 ER visits in January compared to Palm Drive’s average of 496, a 15% increase. This week kicks off the 3D mammography program, more elective surgery and other programs, all of which will add to the hospital’s success.
Last Easter, you wrote about the resurrection of Christ and the miracle that this story represents for you. Perhaps, this Easter you can write about the resurrection of our hospital, a miracle that has happened right here in Sebastopol against overwhelming odds, not the least of which has been your paper.
We can only ask that when you next choose to write about Sonoma West Medical Center, you consider your deeply held Christian beliefs and the four way Rotary test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned.
Dan Smith and Joan Marler
Sebastopol
Lucky to have Amie
EDITOR: I’ve been meaning to write to compliment the reporting done by Amie Windsor since the article she did some weeks back on the McDonalds site.  In the weeks since I’ve seen more examples of her work and she hasn’t failed to measure up to the standard set by that piece.
All too often these days reading newspapers can be frustrating because of stories that seem disorganized or incomplete.  She has a knack for coherence and manages to include all five of the Ws and the H that are always stressed in journalism  classes. I think she’s a stellar addition to your staff. We’re all lucky that you have her.
Emil Bacilla
Sebastopol
Antenna relocation facts
EDITOR: Here are the facts about the proposed KOWS 107.3FM Community Radio low-power antenna at Sebastopol’s water reservoir site on Pleasant Hill Road.
KOWS is an all-volunteer, non-profit radio station with nearly 90 local show hosts, broadcasting from Occidental since 2007. We recently moved our studio to Sebastopol and are planning to move our antenna to reach many more listeners, as approved by the FCC. In addition to providing entertainment and airing important public issues, KOWS is this area’s designated Emergency Alert System. The antenna relocation will help make West Sonoma County safer by informing and connecting our community during emergencies and times of need.
The entire antenna relocation process is public and transparent and was the result of a Sebastopol City Council meeting, with over 60 spectators present, with a unanimous 5-0 vote to allow our application to proceed.
We have complied fully with every step of the application process and twice provided Pleasant Hill Road neighbors with detailed project and contact information.
The see-through antenna structure is designed to minimize any visual impact. The large red balloon and flags that were erected near the proposed site are not representative of the antenna structure, or the color it will be painted to blend into the surroundings. The antenna will be less visible than the antifreeze fan towers on the adjacent vineyard property, the city water tanks, and the many telephone poles along the road.
Radio waves are safe: This is not a cell tower project. Unlike cell phone transmissions, FM radio waves are not ionizing. In over 70 years of use, low-power FM radio broadcasts have not been shown to be dangerous.
Support community radio and free speech in Sonoma County.
KOWS Antenna
Relocation Committee:
Arnold Levine, Laura Goldman, Stuart Goodnick, David Dillman, John Parry, Donald True, Randy Wells
Sebastopol
Dismayed with headline
EDITOR: We were dismayed to see the February 11 edition of the Sonoma West Times with a most misleading headline peeking out of the newspaper box. This headline was a complete abrogation of journalistic principles substituting a malicious intent to discredit our hospital for accurate reporting of the facts. 
The headline Fears of Third Hospital Bankruptcy grow had little relation to the article underneath or to the facts.
There was no discussion of a possible third bankruptcy at the February 1 Palm Drive Health Care Board meeting. The article inaccurately reported the hospital had 100 employees when in fact it employed 143 people in January. No reporter contacted SWMC administrators for input into this story. The purpose of the February 1 District Board meeting was simply to consider temporary and short-term bridge financing from the District Board until the $4.5 million dollars owed the hospital arrive in March. Why did the Sonoma West Times and News article not mention that our hospital was experiencing a level of activity that will make it profitable by May? 
We cannot understand why a local newspaper tries to to undermine our hospital with a life-saving ER and which is one of the largest employers in the community.
Gail Raborn

Paul-Andre Schabracq
Sebastopol
Proposed new hotel
EDITOR: Allowing a hotel to be built on the lot by the Sebastopol Tractor Store (the Diamond Lumber Yard Project) would be the first step into turning Sebastopol into a Healdsburg. This centrally located lot should be developed for moderately priced, low rise housing for seniors and city employees.
If more hotel beds are needed, the proposed Barlow Hotel and the French Garden Inn are much more in keeping with the natural growth of Sebastopol in a manner that does not compromise the ambience that we currently value so highly.
Furthermore, the Diamond Lumber Yard Project hotel will not benefit most of the current small, truly local businesses on Main Street because they will be gradually replaced by stores directed at the tourists staying at the nearby hotel, rather than for the people who live and work in Sebastopol. Compare the current stores on the plaza in Healdsburg with those which were present 20 years ago. I do not think this is what we want to happen in Sebastopol. Therefore, if we wish to maintain our quality of life in Sebastopol, which we clearly prize, the described Diamond Lumbar Yard Project should not be approved.
Jack Levin
Sebastopol