Letters to the Editor 5-7-15

Jasper O’Farrell Day
Editor: The pioneer civil engineer Jasper O’Farrell mapped the City of San Francisco in 1847. Born in Ireland in 1817, he immigrated here in 1843. Later he also surveyed Stockton, Benicia and Sonoma after surveying numerous northern and southern California ranches.
He fought with John Sutter at the Battle of Caheunga, February 1845, although his side lost to Pio Pico’s force. Recipient of land grants in Marin, he traded this for the Canada de Jonive in western Sonoma County. He married an American girl who arrived at Sutters Fort in the Grigsby-Ide Party. His bride, Mary McChristian, and he settled and built their home on the crest of O’Farrell Hill (on present day Jonive Road) overlooking Freestone. Together they raised a family and worked their land grant, which extended from western Sebastopol to Bodega.
He gave parts of his holdings to found St. Teresa of Avila Church, Bodega where Hitchcock filmed the 1960s movie, “The Birds.” He donated and spoke out to aid the stranded Donner Party. A lifelong Democrat, O’Farrell served as one of Sonoma County’s first state senators (1859-1860).
Sebastopol’s City Council should set aside a day as the “Jasper O’Farrell Day.” Please support our forthcoming petition to the city council.
Frank Baumgardner
Santa Rosa
The Napafication of Sonoma County?
Editor: Thank you for your article “Winery proposal faces challenges from community” (April 30) and noting the new group formed to oppose this horrible development, Preserve Rural Sonoma County (http://preserveruralsonomacounty.org). I vehemently oppose the Dairyman Winery and Event Center project proposed off Highway 12 near Llano Road. Besides requiring an estimated 1 billion gallons of water annually to produce 500,000 cases of wine and 250,000 gallons of spirits, plus events, this project is over the top ridiculous in terms of scale and appropriateness. Napa winemaker, Mr. Wagner, wants to build his industrial sized bottling plant and winery event center right in the middle of our beloved Laguna de Santa Rosa, a highly sensitive area, and home to over 200 species of animals. Traffic congestion on the main corridor into Sebastopol with 62 planned events with up to 600 people each would make going to and from Sebastopol/Bodega Bay a virtual nightmare. And, for the nearly 700 people who use the Joe Rodota trail daily, crossing Dairyman’s driveway over our bike path, would be a safety hazard. Other issues such as wetland degradation and loss of greenbelt are almost as important as water here. Our neighborhoods and quality of life at at risk. Do we really want to become another Napa?
Eszter Freeman
Sebastopol
Wrong, wrong, wrong
Editor: The Dairyman Winery/Event Center/Distillery complex threatens to overwhelm Highway 12 with snarled traffic from more than one large event a week and from tanker trucks carting in 99 percent of the grapes/juice from other locales for processing wine and spirits and then carting out tractor trailers filled with finished product.
It is the wrong project because it is:
• An industrial scale project on agricultural land, which should be reserved for growing crops;
• In opposition to the theme of “Keep it local”;
• Of a scale more appropriate for the Highway 101 corridor, where access is less of an issue.
It is in the wrong place because it is:
• In a Greenbelt/community separator;
• In a wetlands and endangered species locale;
• In the Laguna de Santa Rosa scenic open space viewshed.
It is the wrong time because it is:
• During a drought;
• During water cutbacks;
• Based on a boom economy that can’t last.
Not this, not here, not now: Dairyman.
Anna Ransome
Graton
Publisher nails it
Editor: As a 35-year government employee, we did trade good benefits/pensions for mediocre salary (“Vote no on Measure A,” April 30). Now, when the city manager of a 6,000-person town earns well over $150,000 total compensation package, the guaranteed fixed benefit retirement plan is overkill. If they want to earn private sector salaries, they should get private sector benefits, i.e. a 401 k plan.
Wayne Diggs
Cloveredale