Letters to the Editor 6-2-16

What are we allowing?
Editor: I am shocked that people still allow our fellow human beings to live without any shelter, unable to even live in their cars. Do you know that Sonoma County Animal Shelter has heated floors?
If people have pets or are addicts, they cannot get into shelters. Since that is the case, I propose we supply tents and a place to put them like they do in Europe for homeless and refugees.
Lee Allen
Healdsburg
It’s the people
Editor: Ah, Memorial Day weekend in Healdsburg. On my Saturday morning walk, I stopped by McCaffrey Field, where the annual Future Farmers Country Fair is held, to say thank you to Zippy of Swan Brothers Circus. For many years he has brought so much joy to Healdsburg’s children.
Luckily I found him, and sitting on the hay bales at the circus site, had a wonderful conversation. Zippy and his brother started Swan Brothers Circus 43 years ago and have been coming to Healdsburg to the fair ever since. Zippy said that David Rafanelli, one of our premier wine growers, had urged him to come to Healdsburg.
Zippy’s brother died a couple of years ago, but he is carrying on with a young man who is the son of a man who toured with the Swan Brothers when he was 10 years old.
As I walked away from the fairgrounds, I thought to myself, “Here is an unsung hero.” Just around the corner, at Healdsburg’s Community Nursery School, Luis Leon, a Healdsburg postman and a Little League coach for 15 years, was shoveling sand the school didn’t want into his truck. I mentioned my exchange with Zippy to him, and with a smile wreathing his face, he said, “It’s the people.”
I had several more wonderful encounters on my walk. Yes, it is the people that make Healdsburg so special.
Gail Jonas
Healdsburg
Patriotism
Editor: Last week’s parade in Healdsburg showed that patriotism is alive and well. Walking with the honor guard I noticed that many viewers removed their hats and held their hands over their hearts. Thank you Healdsburg.
Kip Miller, aka Uncle Sam
Healdsburg
Let the voters decide
Editor: Regarding the Cerri property, I believe the city needs a lot of additional parking. Using the entire parcel for one level parking may not fulfill the city’s needs, but creating the maximum amount of parking is the only rational solution. We don’t need more projects like the options put forth to make additional event space, etc. These options only make the parking situation for downtown merchants and shoppers worse.
Here is an idea to resolve the indecision regarding what to do on the Cerri property. Put a ballot measure to the residents and merchants paying property and business taxes to the city of Healdsburg. These are the people that bought the property, pay to maintain it, and own it. Give them two choices:
1. Creation of the maximum parking that can be developed on the site or;
2. Any of the plans that include mixed use requiring more rather than less parking that have been put forth so far.
The worst decision is to create something that makes the already horrible parking issue worse.
James Reed
Healdsburg
Preserve the hunk
Editor: What to do with Purity/parking/farmers’ market? Here’s an idea. That is one big hunk of beautiful concrete; very, very expensive to remove as Lou Preston suggested. It’s also right next to the train tracks downtown. How about we re-imagine the Purity Building into a covered partially enclosed open air platform for the farmers’ market (where the vendors are covered and don’t have to bring their own shade and it can be open rain/wind/shine more comfortably for everyone) and as a train station that would be located right in town, not out where you need buses and cabs to get people into town? That would free up parking used by the farmer’s market and provide additional organized parking in the lot next to the Purity Building.
Then require the mortgage company find a parking lot and shuttle buses for their employees at their expense, not the taxpayers.
Dallas Saunders
Healdsburg
Major success
Editor: The Seventh Annual Girlfriends on the Green golf tournament, sponsored by Soroptimist of Healdsburg, was held on May 13 at Tayman Golf Course. The funds from this tournament benefit the Shannon Boaz Memorial Scholarship for Active Girls.
This fund provides scholarships for girls in our local community to participate in sports, arts, science and various extra-curricular activities. Golfers enjoyed golf, a dinner catered by the Healdsburg High School Culinary Students, a silent auction and live auction with buy ins. Senator Mike McGuire supported this event as the auctioneer for the live auction.
Proceeds from this event exceeded all previous events. Soroptimist of Healdsburg would like to express appreciation to all local businesses that supported this golf tournament, from sponsors of the silent and live auctions, and to all the volunteers who made this an enormous success.
Tara Smith for Soroptimist of Healdsburg