Letters to the Editor

Opposed to KOWS
EDITOR: To the Sebastopol City Council Members: I am opposed to the 70 foot KOWS radio antenna tower that is proposed at 1281 Pleasant Hill Road, in the scenic west Sebastopol Hills.
The “Greater Good” is best served by preserving the beautiful surrounding Sebastopol and the health, safety and welfare of the residents, not by building more antenna towers. The term “Greater Good” has also been used in connection with the supposed contribution that KOWS makes or would make in the future to the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
Let’s not kid ourselves, despite KOWS persuasive pressures to have us believe otherwise. There is more than adequate distribution and availability of reliable information during an emergency.
The question must therefore be asked: From where are a group of enthusiastic amateur broadcasters obtaining their information? Most likely from the same sources currently used by the local population, and all KOWS would be doing is re-broadcasting the same information. There are already several AM and FM radio stations with similar access to EAS information as KOWS serving the West County area.
At the Council Meeting in February, a misleading comment was made by the Chairman that “there are no houses near the site.” This statement is plainly untrue.
I should also like to ask you a question. Would you agree to such a tower in your neighborhood? I think not.
Please vote against this proposal.
Mark Hurston
Sebastopol
Ships in Sebastopol
EDITOR: In his letter last week, Roger Delgado made the statement that “…it was the anti-CVS city council that filed the lawsuits and cost our city $400,000.” This statement is completely inaccurate. There were two lawsuits. The first was filed against the City by CVS for “deprivation of their civil rights.” The second lawsuit was filed against the both the City and CVS by Small Town Sebastopol, a citizen’s group, regarding alleged inadequate studies of the project. In both cases, the City was a defendant–not a plaintiff. In the case of the second lawsuit, the City and CVS were co-defendants. Mr. Delgado is correct that all of the independent pharmacies no longer exist in Sebastopol, much like the car dealerships, department stores, etc. If supporting an independent, local business is important to you, there is the option of Forestville Pharmacy, which charges $5 per delivery to Sebastopol.
My experience has been that primarily the “old timers” bemoan the changes to Sebastopol. Many of the biggest changes to our town took place many years ago. The “new comers” must think that it is still a “great place,” otherwise, why do they consider Sebastopol such a desirable place to live and choose to relocate here?
Despite all of the nautical activity described by Mr. Delgado in his letter, the S.S. Fact Check remains in port.
John Eder
Sebastopol City Councilmember
Sebastopol
Follow the money
EDITOR: If any democratic process needs campaign finance reform, it is the one in which newcomer Lynda Hopkins is receiving bucketfuls of cash from a variety of special interests. In an election where personal friends and small community organizations make modest donations to the candidate of their choice, the most qualified candidate would generally win. But add obscene amounts of cash, much of it from out of state and the democratic process is corrupted. The money is “making” the candidate in the Fifth District. Not the experience or track record, but the money–large amounts of it. When the elected official who has accepted the help of “buying the election,” who will they be beholden to when it comes time to vote? The special interests will come first, I’m afraid. Follow the money. Look at their records of public service, go to the candidates’ debates. Don’t be fooled by the giant campaign signs plastered all over the ranches and big properties in  West County or by the expensive glossy newspaper inserts full of half truths. I’m for Noreen Evans.
Ken Sund
Jenner
In my opinion
EDITOR: After watching several of the recent local candidate debates, I believe that Linda Hopkins is just not up to the job. She probably means well, but she has no experience and so little to offer in this campaign. Having an excellent record in school is not the same as years of experience on the job.
In my opinion, I believe that Noreen Evans is the only candidate running for office that supports my values of controlling the wine industries growth, carefully watching over our environment, improving our roads and other infrastructure. In my opinion she is an honest, sincere, caring, knowledgeable representative of the Fifth District.
Michael Eschenbach
Sebastopol
Environmentalism ethic
EDITOR: The late Bill Kortum, Sonoma County’s champion in preventing a nuclear power plant at Bodega Head and father of the California Coastal Act, used to talk about Sonoma County voters’ “green mandate.” This meant that the voters here approved a remarkable array of local environmental protections, including establishment of the Open Space District, urban growth boundaries, community separators, etc.
Sonoma County is a place where citizens revere their natural environment. The percentage of people here who consider themselves environmentalists is much higher than in the country as a whole. And in western Sonoma County, the Fifth Supervisorial District, the ethic of environmentalism is strongest.  
For this reason, it’s important that there be no confusion about which of our supervisorial candidates represents our environmental ethic best. And that is Noreen Evans. Noreen has demonstrated commitment to west Sonoma County’s land and environmental justice for its diverse population all through her terms in the Santa Rosa City Council beginning in 1996, up through her service in the State Assembly and then the Senate since 2004.
She has been endorsed by the Sierra Club and by Bill Kortum’s legacy group, Sonoma County Conservation Action. Please do your personal best to keep West County in its pristine state and join me in casting your vote for Noreen Evans for Fifth District Supervisor.
Laura Morgan, MD
Sebastopol
Crystal clear
EDITOR: Despite the fancy mailers and door hangers, Lynda Hopkins is not ready for an elected office.  Seeing her in person at a recent candidates’ forum made it crystal clear that her youth and inexperience do not qualify her to represent the Fifth district, with its myriad complex issues.
When asked about her accomplishments, she cited six years at Stanford University. Although that is an excellent school, graduating just makes someone ready to go to work, not ready to tackle the toughest job in the county.
Noreen Evans is the best qualified and most experienced candidate in the race. She deserves our vote because she has a track record of success and we know where she stands on the issues.
Salli Rasberry
Sebastopol