Letters to the Editor 2-21-13

50 tons of produce
Editor: Last week Farm to Pantry celebrated a huge milestone. After only four years of harvesting surplus produce, we have surpassed 50 tons of gleaned fruits and vegetables — most of which would have gone to waste if not delivered to our neighbors in need.
But we did not do this on our own. This accomplishment is shared by the entire community, including the thoughtful farmers, gardeners, and orchard owners who took action instead of letting their surplus go to waste; the intrepid volunteers who gleaned twice a week throughout the year despite heat, wind, rain, and lately, cold; the enthusiastic students and teachers who joined us in the fields to learn of sharing wealth and good health; the men and women of Becoming Independent, who brought enthusiasm and joy to gleaning each week; and those of you who generously gave and continue to give financial support to sustain our organization and allow us to operate continuously and reliably.
We want to thank everyone who has supported us in myriad ways as we have picked, washed, loaded, and distributed those 50 tons over the past four years. Because of all of your support, Farm to Pantry has been able to provide fresh and nutritious food to families, seniors, and children in more than 10 programs in northern Sonoma County, continuing to connect abundance with need, neighbor with neighbor.
Melita Love
and the Farm to Pantry
Steering Committee
A local treasure
Editor: Can we begin to tell you how much we will miss reading Renee Kiff’s column in the Trib  for the past 20 years that we’ve lived in Healdsburg? We’ve enjoyed her accounts of the foibles and follies, joys and triumphs, trials and tribulations of farming in Sonoma County.  Her advice, insights, anecdotes both serious and humorous, have entertained and informed us and sometimes made us stop to contemplate our own beliefs and opinions. They’ve provoked discussions and chuckles and the adoption of new farming and gardening techniques. And the recipes, the gardening tips, the animal husbandry — her column has been chock full of useful information. She is a local treasure and it has been our pleasure and honor to not only read her column but to get to know her as a fellow farmer and former manager at the Healdsburg Market. Thank you Renee and thank you Trib for letting us hear her unique voice all these years.
Joan Conway and Horace Criswell
Sophie’s Five Acres
Will city change course?
Editor: Since the designation of Foss Creek Circle as one way, it’s been obvious to me (and others, judging from previous letters, e.g. Mary Johnson’s of Feb. 7) that traffic flow from south-to-north was poorly chosen.  According to my count, there are 11 driveway entrances on the western-most side (on the left moving in the present direction), but only 3 on the east. For 10 of these on the west side the south-to-north direction creates a crossing traffic flow pattern and the possibility of a collision when entering or exiting each entrance (the 11th driveway is used only by postal employees). The Post Office entrance is a particularly busy one. Contrast this to only three on the east. A north-to-south flow would reduce the chances of a collision.
Johnson’s letter repeats  the argument that the direction was chosen to avoid a difficult turn at one driveway. To me it seems unjustified to make the decision on flow direction on this basis. Fortunately, there have been no serious collisions (that I am aware of). I think it would be wise for the City to change course and reverse the flow before someone is seriously injured.
Barry Stallard
Healdsburg
Wrong way
Editor: Foss Creek “one way” goes the wrong way.
Enough said by others to show why.
Stephanie Gibbs
Healdsburg
A complex world
Editor: I was disappointed in Susan Swartz’s Valentine’s Day article. The VDay Rising event she mentioned was a joyous celebration of song and dance and also a protest against the abuse of women. It’s becoming an annual day of protest on February14th. But equating VDay events with the recent French invasion of Mali doesn’t make any sense. It’s hard to imagine that anyone but corrupt Malian government officials and military contractors welcome the French bombing runs. Mali is one of the poorest places on Earth with one of the highest infant mortality rates.  France was the colonial occupier of Mali for 100 years during the slave trade when the French shipped half a million slaves out of the region to sugar plantations like Haiti where a slave wasn’t expected to live more than 10 years.  The French bringing democracy to Mali is laughable after their support for the brutal military crackdown of democratic protests in  neighboring Algeria in 1990.  
My hunch is that the French military is more concerned with protecting French business interests in Mali (including Uranium) than women’s rights. The world is a complex place and deserves much better language than what Swartz gives us in her confusing article.  
Peter Schurch
Sebastopol
A laughable approach
Editor: Thank you, Mary Johnson, for your thoughtful, to-the-point letter about Foss Creek Circle. I loved reading it. I agree with you: We should speak up if we agree. I do, and would also like to share a story.
Yesterday, Feb. 11, 2013, I made my usual daily excursion to the Post Office. I arrived at 3:30 p.m., which is a busy time at the Post Office. I followed three other vehicles around (clockwise, of course!) Foss Creek Circle. As all of us approached the mail box drop off area, all three drivers ahead of me desired to turn left into the mailbox drop-off approach. Since the area was already occupied, things became a bit congested. I pulled a bit to the right to go around, and what did I encounter? An elderly woman, who, having decided to deposit her mail in the mailboxes rather than inside the building, was turning RIGHT in order to get into the line that was waiting for the curbside drop-off area.
Okay, so I had to move a bit more to the right to avoid her…when I came upon…or rather, she nearly came upon me…a younger woman in an enormous SUV, who, after evidently choosing not to wait for traffic going around (clockwise, of course!) Foss Creek Circle, pulled out of the parking lot without stopping, looking, signaling, or in any other manner letting the rest of us know she was about to enter the flow of traffic! Okay…I moved a bit MORE to the right, just to avoid being rammed by this lady.
Reflecting upon the excitement of the trip to the Post Office, it is laughable. It’s as laughable as the idea that Foss Creek Circle should be one way in the wrong direction!  
It was time to make a visit to City Hall. I politely asked the woman who greeted me to give me the name of the person with whom I should speak about Foss Creek Circle, and she obliged. In general, the city’s departments do a very good job for us, but this one-way traffic flow is certainly a mistake. All one needs to see to be convinced of this is the current confusion, four months into the change. I don’t know if we citizens actually have the power to create change in our town anymore, but I would certainly like to see us try. I’m told that the city DID survey citizens about the direction of Foss Creek Circle. I was not asked my opinion, nor was anyone else that I know.
What we can do is to contact this gentleman at City Hall. If you have something to say about Foss Creek Circle, you may contact:
Mr. Mike Kirn
Public Works Director
City of Healdsburg
401 Grove Street
Healdsburg, Californiaa
95448
Telephone: 707-431-3333
Fax: 707-431-2710
You may also email this department by accessing the City of Healdsburg website: http://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/index.aspx?recordid=189&page=418
Christine Cablk
Healdsburg