Letters to the Editor 5-29-14

El Molino’s 50th
Editor: The following is addressed to the Members of the El Molino Community:
The El Molino Boosters, El Molino Ag Boosters, and the students, teachers and staff members of El Molino High School would like to thank everyone that made El Molino’s 50th celebration at Shone Farm on May 10, 2014 such a great event.
Sue Bonzell (EM Class of ‘87) was the master of ceremonies for the sold-out event with 525 attendees. Alumni members from nearly every graduating class and teachers and staff members representing El Molino’s 50 years were in attendance. Guests were entertained by the El Molino Dance Company and the Roaring Lions Band, with guest Pete Stringfellow, who had everyone dancing and singing along to rock and country hits. El Molino’s Culinary Department provided hors d’oeuvres and dessert as well as serving the dinner prepared by Lombardi’s BBQ. The culinary students also raised $1,200 for their program and helped entertain the crowd with a game of “heads or tails.” El Molino’s Leadership and FFA students helped with parking, set up and break down, decorations, and assisted with almost everything else all night long.
The guests were not only having fun, they were helping to raise $47,000 in the live and silent auctions. These funds will be used by Boosters and Ag Boosters to support a wide variety of programs at El Molino, including athletics, music, scholarships, art agriculture and many more. The generosity of our community truly showed itself in supporting this event, from the flood of donations, volunteers, and the guests. This was a very special event and a heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who helped make it an evening to remember.
Celebrating 50 years of Lion Pride.
Ron Wright, El Molino Booster President
Carrie Buratto, El Molino Ag Boosters
Doria Trombetta, El Molino Principal
Hateful language
Editor: There is a sickness in our community. Its name is “hate.” It most recently raised its ugly head at the Palm Drive Health Care District board meeting Thursday evening (May 22) and was aimed at board members who had to close Palm Drive Hospital in the face of massive debt, deteriorating infrastructure and unsustainable operating costs.
People of west Sonoma County are understandably upset and grieving at the loss of a treasured asset, but the behavior of many of those who spoke at the meeting was shockingly, shamefully bad. One poor soul even called the board members “murderers.” Is this acceptable behavior under these circumstances? Is it acceptable at any time? Not really.
This kind of illness can feed upon itself, driving those in its throes to higher negativity. And there are those who encourage this and use it to their own ends, putting their self-interest above the welfare of the community.
There is a sickness in our community. We need to recognize it and put a stop to it for our own good.
Walt Bodley
Sebastopol
Stroke care
Editor: On May 22, at a special Board of Directors meeting of the Palm Drive Health Care District, dealing with closure of Palm Drive Hospital, an important issue, related to the health and well-being of our community, was not addressed: acute stroke. Nobody considered the time factor going from the West County to Santa Rosa with a stroke. A 30-minute trip will “cost” about 6 billion brain cells. And that assumes that the receiving hospital in Santa Rosa is anywhere near as good as Palm Drive has been in rapid evaluation and treatment of acute strokes. Sutter doesn’t have a stroke program, Memorial gives trauma first priority and Kaiser, while good, is further away. Every paramedic and every 911 operator knows “time is brain” and will direct you to the closest facility that “knows how.” Palm Drive Hospital served that critical role in the County. We “know how.” We did not merely stabilize for transfer. We provided the definitive treatment, faster than any facility, including the university hospitals in San Francisco. We were in the top 6 percent of hospitals nationally in stroke treatment. We had a grant from the NIH for stroke research, the smallest hospital in the country to get one. We were up there with UCSF, Mayo Clinic, Duke and Harvard. We were that good. It really hurt me to have to inform the NIH that someone pulled the plug on the hospital “that could,” and that I would have to withdraw Palm Drive from the research program. Ask some of the people from the Grove who needed stroke care during their encampments. Their houses are bigger than our hospital, and their names are on the buildings of major medical centers. Our stroke care was better. It needs to be reestablished.
Allan L Bernstein MD
Medical Director of stroke programs,
Palm Drive Hospital and Healdsburg District Hospital
Graton
No preference
Editor: The primary election is upon us soon and nearly 75 percent of independent voters remain unaware that they can now participate in the primary. I am writing this letter to advise voters of the option to declare No Party Preference and vote for the candidates of their choice. We are no longer confined by two-party domination.
California used the No Party Preference option for the first time in 2012 and the results were dramatic: eight incumbents were defeated and six retired rather than face the new system. Inspired by this fix, I became involved with IndependentVoice.org, a volunteer organization. We are collaborating with local County registrars to inform voters of the new rule. We have successfully worked with Los Angeles and Orange counties to improve voter instructions and sample ballots announcing the No Party Preference option.
Independents come from a diversity of political leanings. We share a value in common — faith in democracy. This 2012 change has already proven successful in electing candidates that better represent the people and the needs of the local communities. We are asking that media outlets do more to cover this critically important issue and we also ask that Secretary of State Debra Bowen emphasize the importance of informing California voters about all of their options.
Marilyn Stephens
IndependentVoice.org volunteer
Santa Rosa