Letters to the Editor 7-24-14

It Takes a Village
Editor: It takes a village…or in this case a town – the town of Windsor. The problem? The lot surrounding the new Raven Theater Windsor is hardly a sight for sore eyes – dead and overgrown brush, swamplike grasses – by and large a pretty big landscaping disaster. But – da da da da – enter wonderful Sonoma County folks to save the day.
Wonderful Windsor person, Karen Alves (member of the Founder’s Committee For Raven Theater Windsor, the Raven Theater Windsor Ask Committee, and member of the Raven Theater Windsor Operations Committee) is tackling the enormous project of making this property grow and thrive.
Wonderful Santa Rosa people of Marizco Landscaping committed to helping out. Zeke Ortiz has promised to offer his expertise and advice on the project.
Wonderful Windsor people from the Town of Windsor gave an enormous boost to this task by granting the group a clean yard waste dumpster. Linda Kelly (Town Manager) and David Kelley (Special Project Manager) pushed through this equipment request in record-breaking time.
Wonderful Windsor person 15-year-old Ben Cullen enlisted twenty of his Eagle Scout buddies to actually do the clean up-up job. He is taking this on as a scouting project and leading the charge to toil the soil.
Executive Director Tom Brand of The Raven Performing Arts Theater is delighted about the scouts’ participation. “We are all so happy that Ben has taken on this project. It will mean real savings to our organization, enabling us to spend our limited resources on other things. As we are a community resource, it is gratifying to see people in the community going to such effort to help us,” Brand said.
The clean-up job will take place Saturday, July 26, 8 a.m. until who knows when, 195 Windsor River Road (and Market). Anyone want to lend a hand (no pun). Be our guest!  Anyone want to bring some snacks or drinks over for the kids?  Be our guest!
Robby Robinson
Windsor
Job Cores for WHS
Editor: I bet almost every Windsor Times reader knows that not every student goes to college, and that some students excel at education, and some don’t.  It’s not good or bad, it’s reality. So, I was thrilled when the WUSD asked seventh, ninth and 11th graders the following question,  “If the Community was going to provide new activities for people your age, what would you want?”  
Of that, 26 percent of the seventh graders, 51 percent of the ninth graders 69 percent of the 11th graders “ wanted job readiness and work internships.”
The kids get it. I immediately started a petition asking WHS to start Job Cores and had about an 85 percent parent signage rate. The parents get it. The kids (and parents) probably know someone close to the family who has either lost their job, taken a big pay or benefit cut, or knows a relative who went to college, graduated, but couldn’t find a job in their major and wound up working in a non-related field, living at home and owing $30,000 in student loan debts.  Unfortunately, that’s the new reality.
The top 50 percent of students should definitely be encouraged to go to college after given a thorough understanding of majors to avoid. Despite District Office LCAP leaders demonstrated belief that 100 percent of students should go to college, the reality from WUSD LCAP report shows that only 20.6 percent of WHS graduates meet the University of California A-G course requirements.  After 10th grade, WHS counselors should evaluate a students GPA, test scores, A-G progression and other factors for possible Job Cores inclusion.
My vision is to create four Job Cores Certificated programs for WHS. Two of the Cores are already on campus and ready to be created. The Culinary Arts (Cake) Core could consist of chefs, waitresses, bakery workers, caterers and restaurant ownership training. The Digital Arts Jobs Core could consist of TV/radio announcers, party DJ, engineering, photography, video editing and web design.
An envisioned third Core would work with Keith Woods and the North Coast Builders Exchange (NCBE) to set up a “NCBE Core.”` This premiere certificated program would feature construction, sheetrocking, painting, drywall, plumbing, electrical and roofing, so students can walk out of WHS into great paying construction jobs. The fourth proposed, Real Core, would consist of Real Estate, Appraisals, Landscaping, Computer Repair and Title.
WHS Job Cores structure could be set up quickly and their benefits extend beyond training students for good paying jobs without the four year degree. The District cost savings from landscaping and computer repair as well as the profits from DJ’ing dances, catered events, producing all District websites, televising WHS sporting events and SB Meetings live, ADA increases and possibly taking K-8 school pictures plus other future Core money makers could be split between the District and the Cores.
Imagine the satisfaction of a superintendent, school board members, principal, counselors, teachers and especially parents, seeing the gleam in the grad’s eye, knowing they did everything in their power to prepare the student, whether they are heading for college or a good paying job beyond WHS, for life. Let’s do a year of intense “we can do this” grunt work to have WHS Job Cores up and running for the juniors and seniors in the 2015-16 school year.
George Horwedel
Windsor
Girl Scouts
Editor: Join us at one, some or all of our Summer Express Girl Scout Troop Meetings and monthly family Scout Shouts now to learn all about Girl Scouts. Ceremonies, crafts, games, songs and our Green By Nature Program: Pacific Flyway. Troop Meetings are open to girls in Kindergarten – 12th grade and adults who want to join Girl Scouts. Girls in fourth through twelvth grades will work on leadership awards by leading younger girls. Thinking of starting your own troop of five or more girls? Participate with us and learn how easy it is. Cost is $15 per person for national registration fees good until September 30, 2014. Some financial aid is available. Meeting supplies are free. Troop meetings are for a girl and her adult chaperone(s) from 6-7 p.m. on July 10, 22, 24, 29 and 31. Monthly family Scout Shouts are one-hour themed activity events for all K-12 registered Girl Scouts and their families, and also for anyone interested in joining, on July 8 and August 5 from 6-7 p.m. All summer troop meetings and Scout Shouts listed above will be held at the Girl Scouts of Northern California’s North Coast Office, 4825 Old Redwood Highway, across the street from the Larkfield Plaza. For more info contact: Mary Allen at 524-9208 or MA****@Gi**************.org. Visit our website for general information about Girl Scouts of Northern California, www.GirlScoutsNorCal.org
Mary Allen
Santa Rosa