Letters to the Editor 4-30-15

Questions about school bonds
Editor: Last year, the Healdsburg Unified Schhol District sold Foss Creek School to the city for about $5 million after leasing the facility for a number of years. It is now a community center. The school was built circa 1989-1990 using funds from a 30-year bond for about $9 million. When the district sold the school facility, the bond (with 4-5 years left) could have been paid off so the well-intended and generous property owners would no longer be assessed for FCS on their tax bill. In February 2014, I asked Jeff Harding via email if the FCS bond was going to be redeemed or paid off now that FCS was no longer HUSD property. His answer was the district refinanced all callable bonds last year (2013) saving taxpayers $1 million. A 12/4/2014 HUSD press release reports HUSD at a 9/17/2014 board meeting refinanced “the original bonds totaling $25,545,000 were authorized by more than 55 percent of the voters during the November 2002 election” saving $1.55 million in local property taxes. Did HUSD re-finance the FCS school bond when it was being sold? Did HUSD refinance in 2013 and again in 2014? Does the refinance extend the time beyond the original 30-year date? If so, how much? Wouldn’t this obligate the property owning taxpayers to being assessed beyond what they originally agreed to when voting? The three HUSD school bonds are still on the property tax bill with no reductions in payment. The local property owners pay for the school bonds and HUSD should publish in the Tribune, without referring them to the annual audits, a clarification on the refinancing of the general obligation bonds. The Empire State Building in New York was built in 13 months in 1931. The new HUSD construction project of a few small single story buildings started last May and is not yet complete. Wasn’t there an Oversight Committee that was to report to the public? What’s the schedule? Is there a progress report? There’s no current information on how the $35 million is being spent or photographs regarding the new school construction on the HUSD website.
Kevin J. McCann
Healdsburg
Homes tour Sunday
Editor: Sunday, May 3, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. will be the time to see six diverse homes built during three centuries of Healdsburg’s history. Locals will have the opportunity to see inside the building and remodeling projects they’ve passed in the last few years. Visitors will get to experience Healdsburg beyond their stops around the plaza and in our great restaurants and many tasting rooms. For 25 years, the annual Healdsburg Homes Tour has been a fundraiser benefitting local education. For many years, it was known as the Healdsburg Historic Homes Tour, operated by the Healdsburg Education Foundation and its predecessors. Since Healdsburg American Association of University Women took over the operation of the Homes Tour in 2007, the tour has continued to benefit HEF and other local educational projects, plus provide scholarships for women and girls. It has truly become a community project. AAUW organizes the tour and supplies hundreds of hours of volunteer labor to make it work. The generous homeowners put much effort into presenting their homes to the public. Local businesses and individuals support the tour as sponsors, advertisers, and raffle prize donors and also provide products, services and publicity without charge or at greatly discounted rates. Last year’s Homes Tour enabled Healdsburg AAUW to provide donations to HEF for the purchase of iPads for the Healdsburg Elemantary School Transitional Kindergarten program and to fund the second Mike Hauser Algebra Academy. It also funded donations for the Healdsburg Science Fair, PSST Public School Success Team and Expanding Your Horizons Network. It will also provide scholarships to girls graduating from Healdsburg and Cloverdale High Schools and to women graduating from Santa Rosa Junior College to complete their college education. Healdsburg AAUW serves Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor. For many years, AAUW has sent eighth grade girls from each of these communities to Tech Trek Camp at Stanford University. As its membership has expanded, AAUW has been able to increase its funding and volunteer activities to its broader community. Sunday’s tour begins at the Healdsburg Museum at Matheson & Fitch. Tour tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the event. Tickets are available at: www.healdsburgaauw.com, Levin & Company and Copperfield’s bookstores on the Plaza and the Healdsburg Museum. Raffle tickets are available at the tour to win prizes. Supporting the Homes Tour is a win-win for all.
Ronnie Devitt, Co-Chair
AAUW Healdsburg Homes Tour
Billing update
Editor: How funny it was that in the mail on Thursday, the day my letter to the editor came out regarding the hospital and their billing, there was a bill for one event with them. I had received a notice from my secondary insurance that they paid their share with a check dated 10-03-14 and what I should be billed. Which is on the bill that I received in the exact amount that should have been billed in October. That was more than six months before it was billed to me. But that is an improvement. I’m still waiting on a lot more. Boy, if I had not paid my bill for six months they would have been on my case by the second month. Anyway, it looks like maybe something is finally being done to get rid of the backlog of billing. I will be happier when I receive billings for the six other months that I know we had dealings with either the hospital or Healdsburg Primary Care.
Sharon Rotlisberger
Healdsburg
Garden Club event Saturday
Editor: The Healdsburg Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Healdsburg Senior Living Center, 725 Grove Street, in Healdsburg. The club will offer hundreds of drought-tolerant succulents, many varieties of tomatoes and other vegetables, as well as perennials, herbs, flowering annuals, and some shrubs and trees. The plants have been grown by club members. A continental breakfast with mimosas, and a pasta salad lunch will be available, for a nominal fee. There will be wine tasting, live music and representatives from the Sonoma County Bee Association and the Sonoma County Master Gardeners to answer questions. The popular Jumble Sale will offer interesting garden items, including tools. There will also be photographic garden art by member Marcia Fosberg. Come find some great plants; and see the spectacular gardens at Healdsburg Senior Living Center. Garden Club meetings with programs are the third Monday (September through June) of each month, from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Villa Chanticleer Annex. Membership dues are $25/year. Come visit and join!
Healdsburg Garden Club