Letters to the Editor 5-22-14

Thanks for a Great Day
Editor: Last Sunday, May 18, three Community Events happened together in harmony thanks to the hard work of so many local volunteers, businesses and groups. The morning began at 6 a.m. with the set-up of the Windsor Town Green Half Marathon. Tents and booths covered the Green, while banners marked the start of the race on Market St. with hundreds of runners. The last runners had left by 8:20 a.m. and by 8:30 the volunteers had cleared the street and the Farmers Market vendors were moving in and setting up for a 10 a.m. opening of a new event called ‘Kidz Day on the Farm.’ This event was especially for kids with hands-on cooking and planting fun. Thanks to Garrett Hardware for the soil and pots and to the Windsor Garden Club for their care and patience in teaching our children the love of plants. Over 25 kids and their families accepted the ‘Grow a Giant Pumpkin Challenge’ we will see their giant pumpkins in October at the Harvest Festival, thanks to Glenda and D for saving the seeds and signing everybody up. Thanks to Sue McQuiddy, school nutritionist in the Windsor School District, we had two Kidz Dig It Club Cooking Classes. Kids got to assemble a salad topped with dried fruit and goat cheese nuggets and then a stackable snack kids can make from things in the fridge. Young farmer Joey Smith from Let’s Go Farm donated all the lettuce and Hector’s Honey donated honey for the dressings. We had the help of the WHS Culinary students for the cooking classes and the popular Bicycle Blender where over 50 kids pedaled for their own smoothie. Thanks to the Sonoma County Bike Coalition – Danielle and Allison for coming out and sharing this fun bike. There were tables filled with LEGOS, surrounded by eager young kids who came to the LEGO Barn Building Contest. Thanks to Caleb at the Brick Hutt in Santa Rosa over 50 kids built their barns. The 10-15 year old, Contractor’s Division was won by Jesse Valerio, 15 of Windsor HS. The 9 and under Apprentice Division winner was not present and MIA. Both winners received a brand new bike donated by santatim.org, a local non-profit that supports smiles on children year around. If you built a barn in the 9 and under division and were not there at 1 pm to accept, please contact, Caleb at the Brick Hutt to identify your barn and possibly accept your new bike. Jerry at Affinity Solar came out and the kids had a blast racing around his solar powered slot car set-up. It was a nice breezy sunny day and the cars were going so fast they would fly off the track in the corners. Thanks Jerry for all the solar fun! Oops the Clown was there with a line all day making his famous balloon animals. New Market farmers from Takenoko Farms and Rambling Roots brought their darling little farm animals for all to see. Thank you to Jeff and Mike for sharing these precious babies with us. Hank Levine entertained us throughout the day with his smooth sounds and then at noon we had a surprise Flash Mob of local students from Westside School who performed the new song, “Happy” and a market crowd pleasing rendition of, “This Land is your Land.” Thank you to Westside Music Director, Kate Foley-Beining for getting the kids together. What a treat. Happening over in the Playground area was the People4Parks, Playdate in the Park event. The expansion of the Town Green Playground is underway and People4Parks was out Sunday sharing plans for the new expansion with shade structures, ADA play equipment and a new rubberized surface. They are selling tiles and bricks that will be part of the new playground. Many came on Sunday to paint their tiles. You will find more information about the project on windsorparks.org. So many gathered, exercised, played, learned and made history all in one day at our gorgeous community meeting place, the heart of Windsor, The Windsor Town Green. Thank you to all the groups who organized these events, it was a pleasure sharing the Green with you.
Tina Castelli
Windsor Certified Farmers Market Manager
Boosters Respond
Editor: Following up on Ms. Mallory’s letter of May 15, 2014 regarding Windsor High School Project Grad, the Windsor High School Boosters encourage all in the Windsor community to support Project Grad. The Boosters also encourage all graduating seniors to attend this great and safe celebration. But to clarify Ms. Mallory’s letter, the Boosters does not put on Project Grad, although many of our members also volunteer their time and money to this fun event. Project Grad is organized by the Windsor High School Project Grad, which is part of the county-wide Project Grad organization. The prices charged at Windsor Project Grad are about the same for other Sonoma County high schools. We understand that Windsor’s Project Grad costs over $20,000 to stage, and the volunteers of Project Grad spend countless hours fundraising to keep admission prices down. Both Project Grad and the Boosters are entirely volunteer organizations. Due to the generosity and participation of the Windsor community, and the hard work and efforts of our volunteers, the Boosters are able to give thousands of dollars each year to help provide athletic and other programs at the High School. Most of these programs would not exist at the same level without our support. The same with Project Grad: without the hard work of the volunteers and generosity of the community, Project Grad would not exist. So, yes, Windsor: please continue to give your support in time and money to both the Boosters and Project Grad. Here’s to a fun and safe graduation.
David Kahn
WHS Boosters President
Parents That Donate
Editor: This is to the parent of a current WHS Senior who slapped Project Grad in the heart. The way other schools do it is to charge much more than WHS. The current average is about $120. Costs keep rising and fundraising dollars keep shrinking. I’d like to ask this parent and any others who have similar complaints when was the last time they spent volunteering for the $40,000 project? Have you put a minute into fundraising, decorating, meetings, chaperoning? Have you put yourself out in any way to earn this bitter complaint on the line?
I spent over 8 years nurturing Project Grad with the soul satisfying result of huge numbers of graduating seniors having a great time and even more importantly, having them all be alive the next morning. I see continuous pleas for volunteers. My advice is to give it a try and see how much better it feels than the anger that prompted you to write that letter.
Shari Egan
Windsor
Poll Workers Needed
Editor: The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office is in need of poll workers for the upcoming Consolidated Primary Election, to be held June 3, 2014. We are looking for volunteers to serve throughout the County. Inspectors receive $135 plus mileage and must attend a mandatory training class. Clerks receive $100 for the day. Please, lend us a hand and volunteer your services. To be placed on the poll worker’s availability roster call 565-6816.
Registrar of Voters Division
Sonoma County