LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4-26-12

Choices
Editor: Recently, there has been a lot of talk about preserving the small town feel of Sebastopol and this concerns me. I am a 31-year-old citizen and I was born and raised in Sebastopol. I went from kindergarten all the way through high school in the Sebastopol and West Sonoma County Union School districts. When I was in high school, I could not wait to get away from the place I grew up. I went away to college in several different states and the thing I learned was there was no better place to live in the world than Sebastopol, so I have come home. I bought a house here in town because I like living in a place where you know your neighbors, where you can’t go out to dinner without seeing someone you know. Those are the things that make this town great, not the look of downtown. It is people like me and my friends that are the future of Sebastopol. Our children will go to the same schools we went to if we are lucky. The choices that have been made lately put the future of this town we all love in jeopardy. A town that does not grow dies. We should not be worried about saving a derelict building but worrying about the long-term effects the choices of our city council will have on the next generation’s ability to live in a town that celebrates the 4th of July on the 3rd.
Meara Fitzgibbons
Sebastopol
Small town moment
Editor: The following letter was sent to Sebastopol Chief of Police Jeff Weaver:
Dear Chief Weaver,
I just returned from my daily walk where I witnessed a great incident involving members of your department.
My attention was directed to the siren of one of your officer’s cars. The car approached with full lights and siren, followed by four gleaming charter buses and a follow-up police car with lights on. Members of your department were giving a royal escort to Analy High School students on the way to their prom in San Francisco.
I don’t know if your officers escorted them all the way to San Francisco or just to the edge of the city limits, but this was a great small town moment. In the words of my much older generation, “this was way beyond cool!”
Thank you for showing that your officers and staff not only care about our students’ safety, but their happiness as well.
I hope the students had a wonderful and safe prom. I am sure they will remember the special way it started.
Respectfully,
Dennis R. Petri
Sebastopol
Library issues
Editor: A few weeks ago upon returning some books to our present, temporary and very limited library I asked if I could renew a book again. The library tech told me “I had it long enough.” I inquired as to what that meant and she replied that I was at my limit of renewal time. I responded by asking her “how long must I wait to renew if no one else has reserved it?” She told me that it was going on vacation. Again, I asked her to explain. She said “it will be in deep storage on vacation for a few months.”
I replied, “under these unusual circumstances of library closures, isn’t it possible to be more flexible with the regulations?”
After all, aren’t our libraries about circulation, not “storage” deep or otherwise? And isn’t it more important to use the books rather than being didactically attached to those old regulations? Why haven’t these rules and regulations been updated and modified staying current with the recent closures and thus adjusting?
Also, why do all the county libraries open and close the exact same hours, especially with the present closures of days and hours it would make more sense to stagger these hours from library to library so if we can not get to one perhaps we can use another?
Come on folks let’s be pioneers, by making sense in these trying times
Adriane Hatkoff
Sebastopol