Letters to the Editor 3-6-14

Nothing in return
Editor:   
I enthusiastically support Stephen Nurse in his quest to rally Cloverdale and surrounding communities against NorCal Skydiving. For too long, the company has blighted our way of life with its unrelenting, buzzing, leaf-blower noise on any beautiful day, hours on end. The bottom line: NorCal pilots treat our skies like their private playground, the tranquility and quality of life for the rest of us below be damned.
By allowing NorCal pilots to tear up the sky with their noisy maneuvers, the city has given a thumbs-up to no less than an aviational NASCAR race track above us. Already Cloverdale suffers a hickish reputation throughout the county, variously called “Clovetucky” or “Cloverhole,” among others. With NorCal now dominating our airspace, that reputation is sealed.
The big question is: Why did the city sell its soul?! It’s impossible to imagine NorCal giving Cloverdale any economic boost. Realistically, can our Cloverdale shops and restaurants trace any significant business back to NorCal jumpers? Most are from the Bay Area, young and looking for fun. Once they’ve landed, they simply grab the first exit next to the airport, and head south, where they’ll find the kind of “wine country” sophistication we’ll never have.
With NorCal hammering our city and valley, Cloverdale has surrendered its chance to ever be a spectacular Sonoma County destination. People move and visit here because they mistakenly believe it’s premier wine country.
Then it hits them. It’s not. It’s Paradise Lost.
The tragic, sad truth is that NorCal has made Cloverdale just another noisy suburb.
Way to go Cloverdale.
Bernard E. Covi,
Cloverdale
Cabaret a whirlwind of a good time
Editor:   
When the Cloverdale Citrus Fair comes to town, it is a whirlwind of a good time. It takes a small village to make it the success that it is today. The Cloverdale Citrus Fair Cabaret is no different. The people that come together to make this show a FANTASTIC success is amazing to me. Other than the music tech, Mike Mayo and Cheryl from the City of Lights and this year, Phillipe Hernandez who performed the laser light show at the end, and the food catered by Hamburger Ranch,  everyone else is strictly a volunteer. They put in many hours of their own time to make sure that you, the audience, have a great time. I would like to personally take this time to say THANK YOU to each and everyone of them. Our performers: Dorothy Montoya, Gene Marcinkowski, Larry Pena, Christina Menicucci, Lee Menicucci, Whitney Westfall, Valerie Machen, and Sherri Moore. Our dancers: Jeannie Griffitts, Debbie Williams, Carolyn Marcinkowski, and Colleen Shields. On curtains: Ron Cooper, on props: Tom Neeley, on spot lights: Will Layfield and Tom Lion. Our hair and make up: Linda Amann of R~Salon, Emily Young and Savanna Myers. Our prop maker: Al Delsid, John Yepiz and his bar staff and last but not least, the choreographer for our opening and closing numbers  Shayne Murany-Cox. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I could not have done it without each and everyone of you. You are the reason the Cabaret is what it is today and I sincerely appreciate all you do for this community. I would also like to extend a huge thank you to YOU, our audience of family, friends and community for all your support and love. You come year after year to support us and see our shows and we, the cast, truly appreciate it.
Theresa Smith
Director, Cloverdale Citrus Fair Cabaret